Tuesday, June 22, 2004

Farenheit 9/11

A review from Calgary, Canada:

When Dubya decided to embark on his misadventure in Iraq, sentiment in this country from coast to coast to coast swung solidly against signing up with the coalition for the killing, cautious about a common cause that was righteous in rhetoric but murky in motives. At the time, precious little skepticism surfaced in Calgary, however.

A solid majority of this city's citizens, including the overwhelmingly-adored favourite sons Ralph Klein and Stephen Harper, were gung-ho Geronimo ready to send our forces into the firefight, semper fi, do-or-die. The good ol' U.S. of A. Their country, right or wrong. Let's twist those Iraqi wrists until they say Uncle ... Sam.

... Like Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, inspiration for this film's title and a book about a society of blinkered book-burners, there was just one legitimate line and you were expected to shut up and toe it.

So we have this film, opening Friday in a cinema near you....

You will see the grieving Iraqi mother and the grieving American mother, the abused prisoners and the grunts in the gunsights. You will see the slimy world of oil politics (see, this film is of interest to the oilpatch), the links between the Saudi royals and the Bush family, the money being made by the mighty in the land once known as Mesopotamia.

There is the vacationing prez not getting worked up by evidence of an impending attack, opposing an investigation into 9/11 after it occurred, there is the cheerleading press corps. You find out more on why the Americans turned their guns on a country not connected to the terrorist attacks, you will witness those who lose their liberties in the name of security, you will find out the name blacked out when Bush made public his less-than-gallant military record and why.


From Ray Bradbury:

But author Ray Bradbury is demanding an apology from the controversial filmmaker for lifting the title from his classic novel, Fahrenheit 451, without asking permission. Bradbury, 83, who lives in LA's Cheviot Hills, complained he called Moore six months ago, but didn't get a reply until last week. Bradbury said Moore was "embarrassed". He added: "He suddenly realised he's let too much time go by."

Bradbury said he hopes to avoid legal action and is "hoping to settle this as two gentlemen, if he'll shake hands with me and give me back my book and title". But with all the film's advance buzz, it is certain to open unchanged in cinemas across the US on Friday. The 1953 novel about an ugly totalitarian futuristic society takes its title from the temperature at which books burn and Moore says he used a similar name for his film because it highlights the "temperature at which freedom burns".


I think Ray has just given Moore additional publicity. There's no lawsuit here, and surely he knows it. Especially after O'Reilly just had his very high publicity case against Al Franken on the same principle thrown out of court.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.

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