The Walt Disney Company is blocking its Miramax division from distributing a new documentary by Michael Moore that harshly criticizes President Bush, executives at both Disney and Miramax said Tuesday.
The film, "Fahrenheit 911," links Mr. Bush and prominent Saudis — including the family of Osama bin Laden — and criticizes Mr. Bush's actions before and after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Disney, which bought Miramax more than a decade ago, has a contractual agreement with the Miramax principals, Bob and Harvey Weinstein, allowing it to prevent the company from distributing films under certain circumstances, like an excessive budget or an NC-17 rating.
Executives at Miramax, who became principal investors in Mr. Moore's project last spring, do not believe that this is one of those cases, people involved in the production of the film said. If a compromise is not reached, these people said, the matter could go to mediation, though neither side is said to want to travel that route.
In a statement, Matthew Hiltzik, a spokesman for Miramax, said: "We're discussing the issue with Disney. We're looking at all of our options and look forward to resolving this amicably."
But Disney executives indicated that they would not budge from their position forbidding Miramax to be the distributor of the film in North America. Overseas rights have been sold to a number of companies, executives said.
"We advised both the agent and Miramax in May of 2003 that the film would not be distributed by Miramax," said Zenia Mucha, a company spokeswoman, referring to Mr. Moore's agent. "That decision stands."
Same thing happened with Stupid White Men. We'll probably see it.
"Oh no, oh yeah, tell me how can it be so fair
That we dying younger hiding from the police man over there
Just for breathing in the air they wanna leave me in the chair
Electric shocking body rocking beat streeting me to death"
- A.B. Original, Report to the Mist
"I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately."
- George Carlin
Unless this is a rape snuff porn, i cant see how it fits into the NC-17 range. And i doubt it's budget was close to being obsessive. Which means this is utter bullshit from the Disney trust.
Are we entirely surprised by this considering what Disney had become in the last twenty years?
“There are two kinds of people in the world: the kind who think it’s perfectly reasonable to strip-search a 13-year-old girl suspected of bringing ibuprofen to school, and the kind who think those people should be kept as far away from children as possible … Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between drug warriors and child molesters.” - Jacob Sullum[/size][/align]
Admiral Valdemar wrote:I thought the United States had freedom of speech. Oh well.
Freedom of Speech, so long as you can afford the money to fund your speech or buy the listeners...just look at the political system itself...
Some speech is just free'er that others...
"Prodesse Non Nocere." "It's all about popularity really, if your invisible friend that tells you to invade places is called Napoleon, you're a loony, if he's called Jesus then you're the president." "I'd drive more people insane, but I'd have to double back and pick them up first..." "All it takes for bullshit to thrive is for rational men to do nothing." - Kevin Farrell, B.A. Journalism. BOTM - EBC - Horseman - G&C - Vampire
Admiral Valdemar wrote:"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."
-George Orwell
Exactly, but I wasnt going to lay it out
"Prodesse Non Nocere." "It's all about popularity really, if your invisible friend that tells you to invade places is called Napoleon, you're a loony, if he's called Jesus then you're the president." "I'd drive more people insane, but I'd have to double back and pick them up first..." "All it takes for bullshit to thrive is for rational men to do nothing." - Kevin Farrell, B.A. Journalism. BOTM - EBC - Horseman - G&C - Vampire
Actually, I'd bet someone else will pick it up. You think some of Kerry's supports or any of Bush's bigger critics would be happy to see this movie go out. Then everyone can laugh at how stupid and thinskined Disney was. No one said you had to like the Commander and Chief.
I'll most likey go see, just to give Disney the finger. I'm an asshole like that sometimes.
frigidmagi wrote:Actually, I'd bet someone else will pick it up. You think some of Kerry's supports or any of Bush's bigger critics would be happy to see this movie go out. Then everyone can laugh at how stupid and thinskined Disney was. No one said you had to like the Commander and Chief.
I'll most likey go see, just to give Disney the finger. I'm an asshole like that sometimes.
As a loyal servant for your country willing to risk life and limb on the basis of following through what the CinC sets out, are you going to vote Bush in this year or are you really just saying you'd see this movie (if released) just to spite Disney?
I know orders are orders, but do you think Bush has been wise lately?
Actually I'm discharged now. And if they did attempt to order me into voting for anybody, they would face swift and violent revolt.
I can't vote for someone who wants to extent the P.A. But I won't vote for an asshole who thought it was could to hang with Jane Fonda and badmouth his brothers in uniform.
If someone breaks the R.O.E or the convention, name names and get justice done. Don't go home and tell everyone that the armed forces are filled with raping, murderous thugs. That's betrayial and lieing.
So at the moment I'm shopping for a thrid party dude/lady/whatever.
Thanks, it's refreshing to see more anti-Bush people. I'm growing confident that Kerry or a third party candidate will seal the deal come the elections.
After that clown has gone, it's just Blair to deal with and that's my cue to vote.
Admiral Valdemar wrote:Thanks, it's refreshing to see more anti-Bush people. I'm growing confident that Kerry or a third party candidate will seal the deal come the elections.
After that clown has gone, it's just Blair to deal with and that's my cue to vote.
"How could Reagan have won? Nobody I know voted for him" -Anonymous New York socialite , 1984
you sir are basing your confidence on a too small segment of the population.
"This business will get out of control. It will get out of control and we’ll be lucky to live through it.” -Tom Clancy
Admiral Valdemar wrote:Thanks, it's refreshing to see more anti-Bush people. I'm growing confident that Kerry or a third party candidate will seal the deal come the elections.
After that clown has gone, it's just Blair to deal with and that's my cue to vote.
"How could Reagan have won? Nobody I know voted for him" -Anonymous New York socialite , 1984
you sir are basing your confidence on a too small segment of the population.
I've seen the pressure hit Bush hard lately, I'm not seeing Bush win this easily if at all. From the polls it seems Bush and Kerry are near equal, but I'd have to check them again.
Admiral Valdemar wrote:I thought the United States had freedom of speech. Oh well.
I don't think this is covered by Freedom of Speech. If Disney don't want to release a flm, then thats their choice. Nobody is stopping Miramax from terminating their contract and finding someone else to release it. If Miramax were banned from makeing the film, you could say freedom of speech is being blocked.
If I write a book and a publisher won't release it, then I find another publisher.
Like I said. Someone else will pick it up. I'll see it and then tear apart Moore's many lies and editing tricks while giving Disney the finger. Then a fun time will had by all.
Sharp-kun wrote:Who are you going to vote in instead? The Tories? The joke that is the Lib Dems?
It's my view is that Blair is going to win by default, because the opposition is divided, and much of it is a joke. This is exactly how Mssr. Cretin was elected to a third term as Prime Minister of Canada, when he only got 38% of the popular vote.
The M2HB: The Greatest Machinegun Ever Made.
HAB: Crew-Served Weapons Specialist
"Making fun of born-again Christians is like hunting dairy cows with a high powered rifle and scope." --P.J. O'Rourke
"A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." --J.S. Mill
I thought the United States had freedom of speech. Oh well.
There is no free speech issue here. Moore will simply have to find someone else to distribute his film.
Of course, this is a Michael Moore film, there's always the possibility that it's a conspiracy theory batshit fest, which Disney rightfully doesn't want anything to do with. If it isn't however, I'd like to hear Disney's logic behind the decision.
BoTM / JL / MM / HAB / VRWC / Horseman
I'm studying for the CPA exam. Have a nice summer, and if you're down just sit back and realize that Joe is off somewhere, doing much worse than you are.
