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Moore and Disney

Quote:

Moore accused of publicity stunt over Disney 'ban'
By Andrew Gumbel in Los Angeles
07 May 2004

Less than 24 hours after accusing the Walt Disney Company of pulling the plug on his latest documentary in a blatant attempt at political censorship, the rabble-rousing film-maker Michael Moore has admitted he knew a year ago that Disney had no intention of distributing it.

The admission, during an interview with CNN, undermined Moore's claim that Disney was trying to sabotage the US release of Fahrenheit 911 just days before its world premiere at the Cannes film festival.

Instead, it lent credence to a growing suspicion that Moore was manufacturing a controversy to help publicise the film, a full-bore attack on the Bush administration and its handling of national security since the attacks of 11 September 2001.

In an indignant letter to his supporters, Moore said he had learnt only on Monday that Disney had put the kibosh on distributing the film, which has been financed by the semi-independent Disney subsidiary Miramax.

But in the CNN interview he said: "Almost a year ago, after we'd started making the film, the chairman of Disney, Michael Eisner, told my agent he was upset Miramax had made the film and he will not distribute it."

Nobody in Hollywood doubts Fahrenheit 911 will find a US distributor. His last documentary, Bowling for Columbine , made for $3m (£1.7m), pulled in $22m at the US box office.

But Moore's publicity stunt, if that is what is, appears to be working. A front-page news piece in The New York Times was followed yesterday by an editorial denouncing Disney for censorship and denial of Moore's right to free expression.

Moore told CNN that Disney had "signed a contract to distribute this [film]" but got cold feet. But Disney executives insists there was never any contract. And a source close to Miramax said that the only deal there was for financing, not for distribution.

I understood the whole article but the one thing that didn't make sense...

"And a source close to Miramax said that the only deal there was for financing, not for distribution."

Why would you pay somebody to make a movie and not even distribute it? Granted another distributer would have done it but Miramax are known to distribute movies they financed and yet, in this case, they're not...

the financiers still make money on the pic, they take their cut just like the distributors do.

i think they decided to forego the distribution opportunity because it has a more public face to it than the financing angle of it goes. that way they could still take a good investment monetarily yet not be the target of the backlash that is sure to follow.

Another Moore film, another "controversy," another load of bullshit to make the serious liberals in the country look bad.

I'm starting to wish he'd just go away.

Michael Moore's 15 minutes are so over, he needs to sit down, shut up, and stop whining about every little thing, about how the big bad conservatives are all out to get him.

While I do not entertain the numerous conspiracy theories that Mr. Moore purports, I am apalled regarding the hypocrisy of the following statement by Mr. Eisner:

Disney chief executive Michael Eisner said Wednesday the company...

"did not want a film in the middle of the political process where we're such a nonpartisan company and our guests, that participate in all of our attractions, do not look for us to take sides."

Non-partisan? Doesn't Disney own ABC, one of the more liberal networks?

Miramax should be allowed to distribute the film.

Miramax will finance, and someone like Lions Gate will distribute.. that's a working model that has been proven several times over.

it's a non issue really.

I must say I was disappointed when I found out this wasn't about Mandy Moore.