Just saw Fahrenheit 9/11....

[Mass_Liberal]

It was one of the most powerful films I have ever seen. The brilliant thing about it is that he makes his points about Bush & Co. almost entirely using footage of them speaking. This makes it so that nobody can criticize him as biased, because its Bush speaking. Hearing the mother go from flag waving, protester-hating, uberpatriot at the beginning of the film, to a bush-hating woman, who after losing her son has basically had her life wrecked by a president she once trusted.... it was an extremely powerful metamorphosis. Moore also managed to make the film so that it was a complete emotional roller coaster. I went from the point where I could not stop laughing to crying because he manipulated the movie to enduce laughter at one end and catharsis on the other.


My one hope is that they show this in poor neighborhoods. I saw this at an artsy theatre where I'm fairly sure people didn't need to be converted. I just want this to be shown in regular theatres that normally show mainstream movies. That way it can really make a difference and swing some people. Anyhoo, I give it 5/5 stars any day.


Just my 2 cents.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

1. I saw it in Revere-a pretty working class suburb

and it was packed and mixed ethnically. You must've gone in Brookline or Cambridge...

[billybob537]

2. Two thumbs up

way up Shrubs* a--.

[kikiek]

3. We saw it tonite too..

I felt so sad afterwards. All I could think of is what have we done. The critics of the film point to what they claim are factual inaccuracies, but they miss the whole point of the film. I guess I wasn't surprised at the information about Bush, House of Saud, etc. What this film showed me was how normal life was in Baghdad. How we have torn their lives and families apart. How we have torn apart lives and families here. How divided this country has become. The horrific scenes of war will stay in my mind forever. That is why they don't let us see what is really going on. I could go on about the cutting of vets benefits as they fight. How we physically and mentally are maiming another generation from both countries. But what I have to say now is the only way we can make ammends is by voting the jackasses who got us into this out of office. They are war criminals in my opinion. This is a black mark on our countries history that I will not outlive.

[stanwyck]

4. Saw it in the 'burbs in Atlanta

surprised that it was playing in Chamblee at the multi-plex 24. The enthusiastic crowd was very mixed on age and race. I really enjoyed being in a crowd of like-minded people. There were no disrupters; however outside there was a young woman handing out Defend Bush/Defend America bumper stickers.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

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[Democat]

6. Tell them to stop listening to talk radio

:)

[dougthegreen]

7. I might as well tell them to stop breathing air.

Limbaugh is like mothers milk to them. Where is Air America when you need them.

[Kool Kitty]

11. And tell them to pick up a book or read

a non-US newspaper. Start with English papers. Tell them to pick up a book entitled, "Censored-2004" written by Peter Phillips and Project Censored. It gathers lots of the news stories that fell through the cracks here. One in particular was featured in F-911, about the pages redacted from the Congressional inquiry into the events of September 11, 2001. It isn't just the info about the Saudis that the misadminmistration doesn't want publicized, it's the businesses from here that actually sold weapons to Mr. Hussein. They include Eastman Kodak, DuPont, Honeywell, Sperry, Hewlett-Packard, and Bechtel; US government agencies suuch as the DOE, DOA, and DOD, Nuclear weapons labs Lawrence Livermore, Los Alamos, and Sandia. The missing pages also contain info that could potentially make a case for war crimes against officials in both the Reagan and Bush I administrations, including Mr. Donald Rumsfeld. (I thought it was a nice touch for Moore to include the clip of Rummy shaking hands with Saddam.) Start them off there. And good luck to you.
On edit: I just saw this film tonight and it made me just furious. Not one senator could sign on to back the Black Caucus? The theatre said they have sold out every show for this film so far. There were some folks from Democracy for America with voter registration forms and when we were leaving the theatre, damn near everyone stayed and talked. And no one thought the film was unfair to Bush. Made me feel good to hear people talking like that.

[kikiek]

8. The film shows the records dated Sept 13th from the FAA

who has admitted that it happened.

[murielm99]

14. You go straight to Moore's website.

He has the whole thing printed there. It rebuts all the stupid things being said.

I read it last night.

[guruant]

9. Question

Sorry to invade your topic with a question that doesn't really pertain to what is in that movie, but how can I (a 16 year old with parents that don't want me seeing it) possibly see this movie?

[supernova]

12. Got any older relatives?

aunts... uncles... cousins. They're purfect for this sort of thing. Cheers to you for wanting to be informed. :toast:

[kikiek]

13. Bring an adult friend and just walk in together. Or be honest

with your parents and tell them this affects your future more than theirs. You have a right to know what is going on. They should be happy that you are interested at your age.

[guruant]

17. !

Thank you both for your input and comments. My parents know what I think about the current situation and aren't that pleased with it buuuut I believe I have a way of getting in. I'll just have to wait until my older brother gets back from a 3 week trip to North Carolina (I live in South Carolina). He leans Liberal and we both share the same ideals so I don't think he'd mind taking me to see it.

I feel dumb now for not thinking of that in the first place. :argh:

Thanks again though.

[noahmijo]

18. Damn I'd get you in if I could

Being that by law it has to be a legal guardian your brother doesn't qualify.

However, if you look like you could pass for 17 (which I'm sure you could) you could have your brother just buy two tickets while you sit back somewhere and then you two go in seperately past the ticket guy into the movie.

Whoever gets past the ticket guy first saves the other a seat.

I know lots of kids your age tried to get into the movie last night and got turned away. It's great to know kids your age give a damn about the world today.

[kikiek]

19. My best wishes to you and your family. I apologize for the mess

us "adults" have made of this country. Hopefully we can start cleaning it up and your generation won't suffer for it. I am very impressed with your involvement and hope there are many more your age paying good attention.

[Rainbowreflect]

10. I just got back from seeing it as well.

Emotional roller coaster is the right term. I laugh out loud many times and went through 4 tissues crying.

[BigMcLargehuge]

15. Saw it in Derry, NH this afternoon, with a packed house

The only emotion it stirred in me was anger. I found myself hoping someone, anyone, would attempt to disrupt the film so I would have someone to punch. Alas, the theater was calm, and though I am relatively certain the place wasn't filled with Democrats, the film seemed to effect everyone else as it did me. I was tempted to shout "Now lets go get those bastards!" at the end of the film, but the applause was so loud no one would have heard me.

Even in Derry, F 9/11 drew a standing-O at the end!

As we walked from the theater the most comment most heard was "That was great," followed by, "I didn't know about the Saudi stuff..."

Even in the mens room these were most common comments. So I guess he really is bringing what we at DU have known for a long time to a much wider audience. Moore used a fantastic tool to reach every voting demographic too, from interviewing the kids in Iraq and the Flint Gymnasium to appeal to the young voters, the middle aged woman who lost a son, to reach the parents, and the senior citizen to reach older voters.

Overall it was a brilliant strategy to give a voice to each demographic.

I feel I should make some statement about some of the imagery.

The imagery, as awful as it was, did not move me. I think the last 4 years have used up a lifetime of empathy reserve and I no longer have the ability to become emotional at other peoples misfortune. Even when that misfortune is our fault. From US soldiers wounded and screaming to dead Iraqi kids and a Saudi beheading, I just stared blankly at the screen as if I was looking at... I dunno... baseball, or a car advertisement, or CSPAN.

WTF is wrong with me?

The stuff that DID get to me was the footage of the joint session of Congress when the Representatives from Florida couldn't get a Senator to sign their bills and bring a debate to the Congressional floor over disenfranchisement. I remember watching that live on CSPAN and seething, and seeing it again made me seeth even more. I was actually clenching and unclenching my fists during much of the film. I didn't laugh, I was too angry to laugh.

I am so looking forward to November, and hoping the anger doesn't fade, because I'll have to walk past a whole slew of Bush/Cheney sign holders. If voting day were today I don't know if I could do it without ending up in jail for assault. By November my anger may be tempered by restraint.

This week I plan to drag my mother in law and brother in law to the film, one a conservative Democrat who is also a fundamentalist Christian, and the other a hat wearing member of the NRA who thinks Bush is looking out for the little folks like him.

That should be fun.

[Pattib]

16. Saw it today in Destin, Florida.

I thought I would have trouble finding a theatre in the FL panhandle but I went to the 4:05 pm showing and the theatre was full. I'm sure there were a lot of tourists there but the crowd had a lot of senior citizens in it.

My husband and I sat next to a couple who were from Michigan. They were at least 70 yrs. old and they were a hoot. The man kept mumbling, "Bush is an idiot." His wife started the standing ovation and let out a loud whistle in the end.

[coolAlaskakitty]

20. F/911 got another convert

Hi everyone,

I've been lurking here for quite awhile, just enjoying the intelligent discourse from the liberal spectrum, which is non-existent where I live.

Well tonight I just received an e-mail from my conservative brother in California which made my heart sing and I just have to share...he watched the movie last night and has SEEN THE LIGHT!!!! He says he'll never vote republican again, and this after 30-some years in the wilderness.

I have never felt so optimistic about our chances in Nov.

Thanks for being here, DU!

[BigMcLargehuge]

21. welcome to DU cookAlaskakitty

:)

[coolAlaskakitty]

22. thanks!

glad to be here!