[Peace-discuss] Fw: When You Wish Upon A Star... by Michael Moore

[Al Kagan]

>>
>>Sent: Friday, May 07, 2004 9:40 PM
>>Subject: When You Wish Upon A Star... by Michael Moore
>>
>>When You Wish Upon A Star... by Michael Moore
>>
>>May 7th, 2004
>>
>>Friends,
>>
>>Thank you for all the incredible letters of 
>>support as my film crew and I once again slog 
>>our way through the corporate media madhouse. 
>>Does it ever end? Are we ever going to get 
>>control of our "free press" again? Can you wish 
>>upon a star?
>>
>>The Disney spin machine has been working 
>>overtime dealing with this censorship debacle 
>>of theirs. I don't think they thought they 
>>would ever be outed. After all, they know that 
>>all of us are supposed to adhere to the 
>>unwritten Hollywood Code: Never tell the public 
>>how business is done here, never let them have 
>>a peek at the man behind the curtain.
>>
>>Disney has been hoping for nearly a year that 
>>they could keep this thing quiet. As I promised 
>>on Wednesday, here are the details behind my 
>>sordid adventure with the Magic Kingdom:
>>
>>In April of 2003, I signed a deal with Miramax, 
>>a division of the Walt Disney Co., to finance 
>>and distribute my next movie, Fahrenheit 9/11. 
>>(The original financier had backed out; I will 
>>tell that story at a later date.) In my 
>>contract it is stated that Miramax will 
>>distribute my film in the U.S. through Disney's 
>>distribution arm, Buena Vista Distribution. It 
>>also gives Miramax the rights to distribute and 
>>sell the movie around the world.
>>
>>A month later, after shooting started, Michael 
>>Eisner insisted on meeting with my agent, Ari 
>>Emanuel. Eisner was furious that Miramax signed 
>>this deal with me. According to Mr. Emanuel, 
>>Eisner said he would never let my film be 
>>distributed through Disney even though Mr. 
>>Eisner had not seen any footage or even read 
>>the outline of the film. Eisner told my agent 
>>that he did not want to anger Jeb Bush, the 
>>governor of Florida. The movie, he believed, 
>>would complicate an already complicated 
>>situation with current and future Disney 
>>projects in Florida, and that many millions of 
>>dollars of tax breaks and incentives were at 
>>stake.
>>
>>But Michael Eisner did not call Miramax and 
>>tell them to stop my film. Not only that, for 
>>the next year, SIX MILLION dollars of DISNEY 
>>money continued to flow into the production of 
>>making my movie. Miramax assured me that there 
>>were no distribution problems with my film.
>>
>>But then, a few weeks ago when Fahrenheit 9/11 
>>was selected to be in the Cannes Film Festival, 
>>Disney sent a low-level production executive to 
>>New York to watch the film (to this day, 
>>Michael Eisner has not seen the film). This 
>>exec was enthusiastic throughout the viewing. 
>>He laughed, he cried and at the end he thanked 
>>us. "This film is explosive," he exclaimed, and 
>>we took that as a positive sign. But 
>>"explosive" for these guys is only a good word 
>>when it comes to blowing up things in movies. 
>>OUR kind of "explosive" is what they want to 
>>run from as fast as they can.
>>
>>Miramax did their best to convince Disney to go 
>>ahead as planned with our film. Disney 
>>contractually can only stop Miramax from 
>>releasing a film if it has received an NC-17 
>>rating (ours will be rated PG-13 or R).
>>
>>According to yesterday's New York Times, the 
>>issue of whether to release Fahrenheit 9/11 was 
>>discussed at Disney's board meeting last week. 
>>It was decided that Disney should not 
>>distribute our movie.
>>
>>Earlier this week we got the final, official 
>>call: Disney will not put out Fahrenheit 9/11. 
>>When the story broke in the New York Times, 
>>Disney, instead of telling the truth, turned 
>>into Pinocchio.
>>
>>Here are my favorite nuggets that have come out 
>>of the mouths of their spinmeisters (roughly 
>>quoted):
>>
>>"Michael Moore has known for a year that we 
>>will not distribute this movie, so this is not 
>>news." Yes, that is what I thought, too, except 
>>Disney kept sending us all that money to make 
>>the movie. Miramax said there was no problem. I 
>>got the idea that everything was fine.
>>
>>"It is not in the best interests of our company 
>>to distribute a partisan political film that 
>>may offend some of our customers." Hmmm. Disney 
>>doesn't distribute work that has partisan 
>>politics? Disney distributes and syndicates the 
>>Sean Hannity radio show every day? I get to 
>>listen to Rush Limbaugh every day on 
>>Disney-owned WABC. I also seem to remember that 
>>Disney distributed a very partisan political 
>>movie during a Congressional election year, 
>>1998—a film called The Big One... by, um... ME!
>>
>>"Fahrenheit 9/11 is not the Disney brand; we 
>>put out family oriented films." So true. That's 
>>why the #1 Disney film in theaters right now is 
>>a film called, KILL BILL, VOL. 2. This 
>>excellent Miramax film, along with other 
>>classics like Pulp Fiction, have all been 
>>distributed by Disney. That's why Miramax 
>>exists -- to provide an ALTERNATIVE to the 
>>usual Disney fare. And, unless they were NC-17, 
>>Disney has distributed them.
>>
>>"Mr. Moore is doing this as a publicity stunt." 
>>Michael Eisner reportedly said this the other 
>>day while he was at a publicity stunt cutting 
>>the ribbon for the new "Tower of Terror" ride 
>>(what a pleasant name considering what the 
>>country has gone through recently) at Disney's 
>>California Adventure Park. Let me tell you 
>>something: NO filmmaker wants to go through 
>>this kind of controversy. It does NOT sell 
>>tickets (I can cite many examples of movies who 
>>have had to change distributors at the last 
>>minute and all have failed). I made this movie 
>>so people could see it as soon as possible. 
>>This is a huge and unwanted distraction. I want 
>>people discussing the issues raised in my film, 
>>not some inside Hollywood fracas surrounding 
>>who is going to ship the prints to the 
>>theaters. Plus, I think it is fairly safe to 
>>say that Fahrenheit 9/11 has a good chance of 
>>doing just fine, considering that my last movie 
>>set a box office record and the subject matter 
>>(Bush, the War on Terror, the War in Iraq) is 
>>at the forefront of most people's minds.
>>
>>So what will happen to my movie? I still don't 
>>know. What I do know is that I will make sure 
>>all of you see it by hook or crook. We are 
>>Americans. There are a lot of screwed up things 
>>about us right now, but one thing that most of 
>>us have in common is that we don't like someone 
>>telling us we can't see something. We despise 
>>censors, and the worst censors are those who 
>>would dare to limit thoughts and ideas and 
>>silence dissent. THAT is un-American. If I have 
>>to travel across the country and show it in 
>>city parks (or, as one person offered 
>>yesterday, to show it on the side of his house 
>>for the neighborhood to see), that is what I 
>>will do.
>>
>>More to come, stay tuned.
>>
>>Yours,
>>
>>Michael Moore
>><http://www.michaelmoore.com>http://www.michaelmoore.com
>><mailto:mmflint at aol.com>mmflint at aol.com
>>
>>P.S. Be sure to check out yesterday's New York 
>>Times Editorial, "Disney's Craven Behavior"
>>
>><http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/06/opinion/06THU4.html?ex=1084420800&en=dd695e1433b69ff3&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE>http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/06/opinion/06THU4.html?ex=1084420800&en=dd695e1433b69ff3&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE


-- 


Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu