Disney opts for patriotic movie after nixing polemical 'Fahrenheit 9/11'

[rocktivity]

Entertainment movie giant Walt Disney Corp, which last month refused to release the politically explosive "Fahrenheit 9/11," is unveiling a "patriotic" film this week that supporters say could act as a counter-balance Michael Moore's hit film...

"This unusual film was inspirational," said Howard Kaloogian, chairman of Move America Forward, which has spearheaded a boycott campaign of Fahrenheit 9/11..."It was an amazing set of vignettes of stories of different Americans and their pursuit of passion. Each individual was able to explore their passion because of the freedom this country has given us"...

Huh? I thought Disney wasn't interested in being partisan--assume that these "different Americans" all share the same political party, of course...

:headbang:
rocknation

More

[Wickerman]

1. link

I am a glutton for punishment - I actually want to read this steaming pile of crap.

[papau]

13. Released To 22 mostly little towns in AMC chain on July 2nd

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381006/

Heart & Soul on 2 July 2004 22 cities (AMC chain)

DAVID GERMAIN Associated Press


If "Fahrenheit 9/11" is the firestorm of documentaries about the American way, then "America's Heart & Soul" is the Hallmark card.<snip>

Told in segments of a few minutes each, the film offers snapshots of about two dozen people Schwartzberg encountered while traveling the country with a small film crew in 2000 and 2001.

Some have achieved a degree of fame and notoriety, such as Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream co-founder Ben Cohen or champion aerobatic plane pilot Patty Wagstaff. Others are mainly local characters, such as daredevil Manhattan bicycle messenger John "Yac" Yacobellis, Kentucky rug weaver Minnie Yancey or Colorado cowboy Roudy Roudebush, who rides his horse into the local saloon.

Schwartzberg travels to West Virginia to talk with disillusioned but resilient steelworkers worried about overseas competition. He visits Mississippi gospel singer Mosie Burks, who raised her six younger siblings after their mother died. He hangs with Vermont dairy farmer George Woodard, an amateur actor, musician and filmmaker whose sums up his work ethic this way: "The thing about working seven days a week is you don't have to worry about going back to work on Monday when Sunday comes."

Charles Jimmie Sr., a Tlingit Indian elder in Alaska, speaks mystically of his father as an eagle, his mother as a raven. Amelia Rudolph of Muir Beach, Calif., leads her Bandaloop Cliff Dancers through dazzling routines of gravity defiance while suspended off mountainsides. Klezmer clarinetist David Krakauer of New York City talks about injecting James Brown and Jimi Hendrix influences into his Jewish music traditions.<snip>

"America's Heart & Soul," a Disney release, is rated PG for mild thematic elements. Running time: 88 minutes. Three stars out of four.

---

[Emboldened Chimp]

20. dupe

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Link? (n/t)

[rocktivity]

3. Edited to add link

and here. Sorry, I was in such a rush to post something on LBN which isn't "duped" within a millisecond!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Worst Username Ever]

4. I smell a flop

[saigon68]

6. It will look and smell like a Dog Turd

[hatrack]

5. Another turd, uh, I mean feather for Eisner's cap!!

Yes, this'll certainly clobber Titanic and LOTR in total receipts (snort)!

[Worst Username Ever]

7. Possibly as successful as Around the World in 80 Days? eom

[amber dog democrat]

8. This will be the kind of film

I was forced to watch in elementary school as a kid... or maybe a feature legnth infomercial. Pardon me while I stifle a yawn.

[sniffa]

9. i feeL so upLifted

this aLternative movie makes me want to Let the eagLe soar and Let freedom reign.

[DinahMoeHum]

10. Ha Ha, too late, Disney/Eisner !!! You had your shot at the $$$

from FH-911 and you lost out by refusing to distribute !!

How much did Michael Moore spend to make the movie? Only $6 million?

And how much did the movie rake in on the FIRST DAY ALONE? Over $20 million?


Bwahahahahaaaa!!!! Disney and Eisner must be piddling their pants all over this !!


:evilgrin:

[donco6]

11. Total bomb

Maybe this will be Eisner's last straw.

[JohnnyRingo]

12. More royalties for Lee Greenwood

He hit the lotto on that song

[PROGRESSIVE1]

14. I am NOW LITTERALLY PRAYING FOR THE END OF THE....

NAZI DISNEY COMPANY!!!

I WILL NEVER EVER GO TO DISNEY WORLD/LAND!!!

:grr:

[Junkdrawer]

15. "Let the Eagle Soar" - The Movie...

That being said, the whole think smells like a setup to have us attack a "feel good" film. Best to just wince and ignore.

[Cerridwen]

16. Oh the hypocrisy

From Mickey News
Posted June 29, 2004


"...a senior Disney executive that said the reason Disney did not want to distribute the film is because the company, "caters to families of all political stripes and that many of them might be alienated by the film.""


From the International Herald Tribune
posted June 3, 2004
"The Walt Disney Co., which owns Miramax and had refused to distribute "Fahrenheit 9/11," saying it "did not want a film in the middle of the political process." "

[fishwax]

17. Liberal Ben Cohen is one of the different people

Liberal founder of Ben/Jerry's Ice cream as well as liberal group True Majority (which was an early backer of Air America Radio, I believe).

That's not to say that the film isn't a Right-wing schlockfest (I haven't seen it), but Ben is apparently in it.

Also, it's a pretty stupid construct for these articles to say that a movie talking about Americans overcoming odds is a "counter-balance to Moore's hit film." Moore's film isn't saying great things can't/don't happen in America, he's saying Bush shouldn't have lied to get us in that fucking war. Totally different issues.

Right Wingers are always setting up false choices -- you support the war or you must hate our troops, etc. I can't judge the film, not having seen it, but I don't think we should let that kind of bs rhetoric slide without comment.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381006/

[Cerridwen]

18. Hopefully it will be a real snooze . . .

which every conservative will feel compelled to sit/squirm/yawn through.

Just picturing a room full of neocons squirming, heads nodding, kids squalling, etc.

Sort of Dante-esk.

[wtmusic]

19. Don't care if Eisner gave a few pennies to some Dem candidates

he is a worthless POS. I am done with Miramax/Disney product.

[fishwax]

22. Get out, Miramax

I agree about Eisner and Disney. Hopefully Miramax will be able to break from Disney soon, like Pixar has.

[Emboldened Chimp]

21. Directed by the World Famous Louis Schwartzberg

That's right, folks, this latest Disney opus is directed by none other than Louis Schwartzberg. Who is Louis Schwartzberg, you might ask? Why, he's the acclaimed Time Lapse Photographer on such classics as Xanadu, The Karate Kid II and The Secret Life of Plants. It matters not that Mr. Schwartzberg has never directed a feature-length documentary before; nor has he worked much since the 1980's. Though his company, Blacklight Films, has only produced four projects, it's only feature film, Spun, grossed a whopping $410,000+ at the box office. Look out, Michael Moore, because Louis Schwartzberg is breathing down your neck.

[jdsmith]

23. Diction problem: F911 IS a PATRIOTIC MOVIE

[fishwax]

24. Exactly n/t

[DrWho]

25. Faux News is listing some lies

Could use some help to see if they hold up.

In particular the Saudis Being questioned bit.

This deserves a new thread I think.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,124079,00.html

For instance, in one often-showed clip, Moore claims that President Bush was on vacation 42 percent of the time during his first several months in office — but that estimation included weekends at Camp David, a common practice for presidents. Without those days figured in, Bush actually spent 13 percent of his time on vacation.

The movie also criticizes Bush for staying inside a Florida classroom full of kids for a full seven minutes after he learned that the country was under attack on Sept. 11, 2001.

However, the vice chairman of the Sept. 11 commission has said that Bush did the right thing. "Bush made the right decision in remaining calm, in not rushing out of the classroom," said Lee Hamilton, a former Democratic congressman from Indiana.

In "Fahrenheit 9/11" (search) Moore also claims that the White House approved plans for planes to pick up relatives of Usama Bin Laden right after the attacks. But according to terrorism czar Richard Clarke (search), he alone approved the Saudi flights.

In addition, Moore says that the departing Saudis were not properly processed by the FBI when leaving the country. That too is contradicted by the Sept. 11 commission, which said the Saudis were properly interviewed.

Finally, Moore shows prominent members of the Taliban visiting Texas, implying that they were invited by then-Governor Bush. The Taliban delegation, however, was invited to Houston by UNOCAL (search), a California energy company.

Moore also doesn't mention that the visit was made with the permission of the Clinton administration, which twice met with Taliban members — in 1997 and 1998.

[The_Casual_Observer]

27. I don't know where you are going with this but:

Is this the best they can do? This is very weak wouldn't you say?
Sounds like Shit Fumes is working overtime.
Do I smell freeper?

[DrWho]

28. hell yeah

hell yeah it's weak.

I am only really concerned about the FBI speaking to the saudis as the 9-11 Commission is reproting.

But considering we have heard 3 years of denial about the Saudis ever getting on a plane...well, the lies are easy to find.

[daleo]

26. I hope there are lots of puppies and kittens

If there are enough cute puppies and kittens I might change my mind about the war.

[Moderator]

29. Duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=652707