Michael Moore's Next Gets Release Date
Filed under: Documentary, Distribution
Michael Moore's next documentary-slash-editorial doesn't have a title yet, but it has a release date: October 2nd, 2009. As its distributors cannily note, that's a year and a day after Congress approved the $700 billion Wall Street bailout.The movie is about the financial crisis, and Moore is not mincing words. Describing the project in this Reuters story, he says that he made the movie to find out why "the wealthy" "systematically set about to fleece the American people out of their hard-earned money." Well then -- it's good to know he went into the filmmaking process with an open mind.
I don't have a problem with overtly political documentaries, though my personal fondness for capitalism will probably make this movie a tough sit for me. I do think, though, that Moore is most interesting when he is more curious than polemical: it's no coincidence that his best film is the ambivalent, conflicted Bowling for Columbine. Given the amount of news coverage the subject has gotten, and given that we know pretty much precisely what Moore will say, I'm just not sure how much use there is for an angry, breezily edited two-hour look at the financial crisis.
But: populism rarely fails. As with Moore's last few films, look for Untitled Recession Documentary to be the rare doc to receive a semblance of a wide release this fall.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-22-2009 @ 3:42PM
Don Kaye said...
And how's that capitalism working for you these days? It sure ain't working for a lot of us, that's for sure.
There's nothing necessarily wrong with entrepreneurial capitalism. But unrestricted, unregulated, greed-driven capitalism -- there's hell of a lot wrong with that. And that is what got us here, and what needs to be stopped.
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5-22-2009 @ 4:24PM
Kevin said...
If we had unfettered, unregulated capitalism prior to this collapse then the argument might hold water, but given the fact thats not the case your point is somewhat hollow. The economy is doing poorly right now, but the economic gains achieved through a capitalistic society over the last 100 years far outweigh any setbacks. I don't think anyone would argue that capitalism should result in a continuously growing economy that never corrects itself. However, less government regulation has resulted in an average unemployment in the US of roughly 5% for the past decades, whereas heavy socialistic interventions in Europe achieves rates of twice that over a comparable time period. So yes, unfettered capitalism is the system that will most consistently provide jobs and cash for the majority of their citizens. However, I'm positive those points won't be touched upon in moores propaganda piece. Lastly, just as a kind of open ended question to Moores supporters- Why is it that you denounce the Rush Limbaughs and Bill O'Reilly's of this world for the way they spin facts and alter reality to suit their goals but then praise Moore as a prophet? They are identical tactics, its merely altered ideas that they present. Each one of them lies and distorts in order to trick people into following their view of the world. If you hate one you should justifiably hate the other.
5-22-2009 @ 6:37PM
uforeader said...
We denounce Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly because they're xenophobic, homophobic, racists. Here are some actual quotes:
"Take that bone out of your nose and call me back." (to an African American female caller)
"The NAACP should have riot rehearsal. They should get a liquor store and practice robberies."
"You know who deserves a posthumous Medal of Honor? James Earl Ray [the confessed assassin of Martin Luther King]. We miss you, James. Godspeed."
You may not like Moore's politics, but he has a heart. He actually cares about people, and that's why he makes movies about helping people (and donates huge sums of money to good causes). Don't even think about coming Moore to Limbaugh and Bill-O.
Honestly, I don't even understand why his movies are controversial. "Bowling for Columbine" suggested we shouldn't shoot each oter so much (he never advocated gun control). In "Fahrenheit 9/11" he said we shouldn't attack Iraq (I think everyone but the Neo-Cons agrees with him now). And in "SICKO" he showed how broken our health care system is.
5-26-2009 @ 10:45AM
Kevin said...
Hey UFO, just wanted to make it clear that I don't like O'Reilly or Rush. My point was merely that they represent one biased, unthinking side of political discourse and Moore represents the other. Sicko was a blatant propaganda piece that was full of misinformation and skewed "reporting". The scenes in Cuba were some of the most biased scenes I've ever witnessed. Anyone who actually goes to Cuban hospitals that aren't for tourists decries them as antiquated chambers where the term health care barely applies. He's the type of guy that forms an opinion and then makes a movie based around that, regardless of what evidence he might uncover along the way. is he as big a jerk as O'Reilly or Rush? Doesn't seem to be to me. Does he lie and manipulate the same way that they do, just for different causes? Most definitely the answer to that is a resounding yes. I don't like Moores politics just like I don't like Rush's. They're both pretty despicable in the information that they represent.
5-23-2009 @ 3:48PM
GL said...
Got it. Pointed, though intentionally misleading and slanted, commentary is OK if it comes with "heart".
The best thing these people do is bring topics of concern to light. The worst thing they do is present their ridiculously slanted version of The Truth. It's really tiring.
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5-24-2009 @ 7:09PM
Byrdo said...
'So yes, unfettered capitalism is the system that will most consistently provide jobs and cash for the majority of their citizens.'
Im not sure I could disagree more with your post. And I find it truly worrisome that most people in the world think the same way that you do. I dont blame you, I thought the same way until recently. We've been taught and its been reinforced since birth that this economic system is 'the best'. it is also foolish to think that the current system we have cant be replaced with something that is better for its people. especially considering that we've only been using this system for a relatively short period of time.
the fact is, the current economic crisis along with the environmental damage we have caused to our planet far out weigh any monetary / fiscal 'progress' we have made in the last 100 years.
sure, when steady, the economy provides enough jobs for full employment. but actual wages have gone down, the gap between rich and poor has grown and people are generally less happy and more stressful. not to mention that in the process the planet has been turned into a used toilet.
If corporations actually had to pay for the damage that they do to the environment then none of them would make any money. at some point, the environment will need to be repaired and that is a tax that we are putting on future generations. thats a fact.
most governments around the world, at all levels, are heavily in debt. do you call that progress? corporations have too much power and its time that we right a wrong and return power back to actual people. they are supposed to work for us and not the other way around.
we need to start transitioning to a new type of economy, a restorative economy. where we leave a zero foot print environmental impact and in fact actually repair damage that has been done to the planet.
for those interested in reading up on it I recommend, 'the ecology of commerce' by Paul Hawken--good read!
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