Michael Moore Unveils New Film, 'Sicko'

[Dagmar]

This wont last long on the main page but I wanted to post it.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,213146,00.html

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,273875,00.html

Controversial filmmaker Michael Moore unveiled two new projects last night in Toronto: a documentary about the health insurance business called “Sicko” and film that chronicles the aftermath of the 2004 election, entitled “Slacker.”

Moore showed clips from both films as part of a special two-hour presentation at the famed Elgin Theater. Larry Charles, director of the new comedy “Borat” and well-known from his work on the TV show “Seinfeld,” conducted the program that also consisted of a long, funny and intimate live interview with Moore.

The evening was almost marred by a faulty projector that caused Moore’s clips to be interrupted several times. The same thing apparently happened one night earlier during a screening of “Borat.” Moore jumped on stage and did shtick with Charles for the packed house. Last night, Charles returned the favor.

And while clips from both new Moore movies looked tantalizing, it was the director himself who made the biggest headlines with revelations about his life since becoming a lightning rod for controversy with “Roger and Me” some 17 years ago.

For one thing, Moore revealed that in the days after he won the Academy Award for “Bowling from Columbine,” he was harassed on the street, physically attacked with a cup of hot Starbucks coffee and subjected to having manure dumped on his front yard by neighbors.

Moore also defended actor Tom Cruise and revealed a secret story about Mel Gibson.

Of the former, he said: “It’s time to stop picking on Tom Cruise. What is his crime? Jumping on a couch? Actors are supposed to different. They’re not accountants. His religion is own damn business, no matter what planet it’s from. He’s not firing rockets into Iraq.”

But the Gibson story was far more interesting. Moore says that right after the 2004 election he was told by Time Magazine that he and Gibson would share the Person of the Year award. They each agreed and were brought to Los Angeles for an interview and photograph. The whole thing was very hush hush. But on the day it was supposed to happen, Gibson suddenly backed out, and for no apparent reason.

“Something happened overnight,” Moore said. “You know he has a church on his property. He must have talked to God, and he said, “No f——in’ way you’re doing this.”

The result, Moore pointed out, was that George W. Bush was named Man of the Year. Talk about irony.

Moore also revealed that halfway through shooting “Roger and Me,” his incendiary debut film that took on General Motors, the film’s editor, Kevin Rafferty, admitted that he was Barbara Bush’s nephew, the son of her sister. Ouch! Nevertheless, they continued to work together.

Moore appeared on stage in his Detroit Tigers baseball cap, leather jacket, jeans and white New Balance sneakers. Charles, on the other hand, sported a black suit and hat, long gray beard and sunglasses, sort of George Harrison circa 1970 and "All Things Must Pass." It’s hard to imagine him directing all those Seinfeld episodes, or even "Borat." There could not be two more dissimilar personas on stage.

By the way, the screening of "Borat" that followed the Moore-Charles program was greeted with standing ovations, huge howls and belly laughs from the clearly delighted sold-out audience, and chants of “Borat! Borat!" From the crowd. This is the movie I told you about from the Cannes Film Festival starring British comedian Sascha Baron Cohen as his alter-ego Borat, a TV commentator from Kazakhstan.

The movie has been trimmed slightly since May, but it is just as deliriously raunchy and side-splitting funny, if not more so. End credits now include thank yous to South Park’s Matt Stone and Trey Parker, director James L. Brooks, and Cohen’s actress girl friend Isla Fisher. It’s already such a cult film that even Dustin Hoffman showed up for the post-midnight show at the Elgin.

But this evening was Moore's, hands down. He rarely gives interviews and never shows his work before it’s finished, but last night he made an exception. He dropped little caveats that he was sure spies were in the audience from drug companies or insurance firms, trying to see what he was up to. He said that all of the drug companies had sent memos to their employees advising them of what to do, should Moore and his film crew attempt to interview them for “Sicko.”

“They even hired a profiler to figure out what they should say to me,” he recalled. “One thing was, compliment him on his weight loss. Another was, bring up any Detroit sports team. That will distract him.” Pfizer, he said, had set up a Michael Moore hotline. And how did he know all this?

“Luckily all these companies have disgruntled employees,” he laughed. “They send me all the memos.”

“Sicko” will be released by the Weinstein Company next summer. From the little we saw last night, it is clearly going to be a huge, huge hit...another cultural phenomenon. Moore said he intends to get “Slacker” out straight to DVD, also through Weinstein, as soon as possible. Personally, I can’t wait.





Filmmaker Michael Moore's brilliant and uplifting new documentary, "Sicko," deals with the failings of the U.S. healthcare system, both real and perceived. But this time around, the controversial documentarian seems to be letting the subject matter do the talking, and in the process shows a new maturity.

Unlike many of his previous films ("Roger and Me," "Bowling for Columbine," "Fahrenheit 9-11"), "Sicko" works because in this one there are no confrontations. Moore smartly lets very articulate average Americans tell their personal horror stories at the hands of insurance companies. The film never talks down or baits the audience.

"This film is a call to action," Moore said at a press conference on Saturday. "It's also not a partisan film."

Indeed, in "Sicko," Moore criticizes both Democrats and Republicans for their inaction and in some cases their willingness to be bribed by pharmaceutical companies and insurance carriers.

In a key moment in the film, Moore takes a group of patients by boat to the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba because of its outstanding medical care. When they can't get into the U.S. naval base, Moore proceeds onto Havana where the patients are treated well and cheaply.

This has caused a great deal of controversy, with the federal government launching an investigation into the trip, which officials say was in violation of the trade and commerce embargo against the Communist country.

[BroncoBuff]

Originally Posted by SIcko

Moore takes a group of patients by boat to the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba because of its outstanding medical care. When they can't get into the U.S. naval base, Moore proceeds onto Havana where the patients are treated well and cheaply.

That is absolute classic.

Best example of using art to make a social statement I might have ever heard.

[watermock]

He's a complete hack and liar. The whole premise of going to a terrorist detention camp then getting the generosity of Castro is pathetic.

That nation is in a state of collapse. If he had half a brain, he would of continued to Venezuela where at least there is ample cash with Castro's protoge.

[Atlas]

Wow you know one thing republicans and democrats can agree on is the failing health care in America.

Rip off artists is all they are from the drug companies to the hospitals to the doctors themselves. This film is going to be great.

[BroncoBuff]

I caught Michael Moore red-handed - using only scenes from "Bowling for Columbine" and my knowledge of Los Angeles geography and restaurants - in some of the most hypocritical behavior ever. Impossible to deny. Dead to rights. Saying one thing and doing another at the exact same time. The evidence is all right there in the movie.

I'll bet I am one of very few people to notice it too. It is complicated, but quite indefensible. If somebody wants to hear it, I'll find the time to lay it out here.

[Dagmar]

Originally Posted by watermock

He's a complete hack and liar. The whole premise of going to a terrorist detention camp then getting the generosity of Castro is pathetic.

That nation is in a state of collapse. If he had half a brain, he would of continued to Venezuela where at least there is ample cash with Castro's protoge.

,

[Killericon]

Originally Posted by BroncoBuff

I caught Michael Moore red-handed - using only scenes from "Bowling for Columbine" and my knowledge of Los Angeles geography and restaurants - in some of the most hypocritical behavior ever. Impossible to deny. Dead to rights. Saying one thing and doing another at the exact same time. The evidence is all right there in the movie.

I'll bet I am one of very few people to notice it too. It is complicated, but quite indefensible. If somebody wants to hear it, I'll find the time to lay it out here.

I'm not saying that Micheal Moore doesn't use lies and falsehoods to make a point, I'm saying that I often agree with those points.

[Florida_Bronco]

Originally Posted by BroncoBuff

I caught Michael Moore red-handed - using only scenes from "Bowling for Columbine" and my knowledge of Los Angeles geography and restaurants - in some of the most hypocritical behavior ever. Impossible to deny. Dead to rights. Saying one thing and doing another at the exact same time. The evidence is all right there in the movie.

I'll bet I am one of very few people to notice it too. It is complicated, but quite indefensible. If somebody wants to hear it, I'll find the time to lay it out here.

I'm interested in hearing what you found.

[RhymesayersDU]

Originally Posted by Florida_Bronco

I'm interested in hearing what you found.

Same here.

[RocBronc]

Originally Posted by Atlas

Wow you know one thing republicans and democrats can agree on is the failing health care in America.

Rip off artists is all they are from the drug companies to the hospitals to the doctors themselves. This film is going to be great.

Whether Republicans and Democrats agree on this is debatable but regarless of that please realize the republicans and democrats disagree on how to "fix" our healthcare system. One thinks the government is the answer and the other thinks that introducing more competition into the healthcare system is the solution.

[Rohirrim]

When you realize that Moore is just a comedian, like Rush, O'Reilly, Coulter and Hannity, it all works out.

[55CrushEm]

Originally Posted by Atlas

Wow you know one thing republicans and democrats can agree on is the failing health care in America.
Rip off artists is all they are from the drug companies to the hospitals to the doctors themselves. This film is going to be great.

True....but the solution is NOT to have a nationalized healthcare system.....this is where conservatives and liberals DISagree.

[Dagmar]

I'm interested Buff.

[FantomForce]

Moore can burn in hell

[Popps]

Originally Posted by Rohirrim

When you realize that Moore is just a comedian, like Rush, O'Reilly, Coulter and Hannity, it all works out.

Exactly. A documentarian, he's not.

Still, I'm glad someone's going after the healthcare topic. Too bad it has to be him, but at least it's getting out there.

[SonOfLe-loLang]

I like Michael Moore if for no other reason than he causes debate in this country. He gets people to think politically, which is sorely needed. There is a very very very simple way to get national healthcare in this country (and it is needed, 50 million people are without it). You raise taxes. People in this country always demand change without sacrifice. You want to love America and make America the best place it can be? Lets start paying for it. Oh yeah, and stop paying billions for a war in iraq...that'll probably help too

[Dukes]

As much as I hate MM, I am curious to see "sicko". Healthcare has been a joke for some time. Like Popps said, too bad MM had to be the one to do this project, but atleast someone did it.

[azbroncfan]

I wouldn't mind if michael moore choked on a piece of chicken went boobies up I wouldn't b#@ch.

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Originally Posted by SonOfLe-loLang

I like Michael Moore if for no other reason than he causes debate in this country.

Corporate America is getting onboard with some type of nationalized healthcare now. It's the only way to remove that burden from them where they can then use those resources to make more money and in turn grow and hire more employees.

[R8R H8R]

While the US health system has its flaws, it is still the best in the world. All you have to do is have something serious happen to you in another country to realize this. Nationalized healthcare is fine for non-serious ailments, but for heart surgery or trauma, give me the good ole USA.

If you think the government is the answer to our healthcare system, let me ask you a question:

How is your experience at the DMV, or the postoffice, or the courts, or any social service, etc.,etc.? If you are fine with doing business with the government and don't mind a minimum 40% tax rate for everyone then maybe national healthcare is for you.

One other thing, if nat'l healthcare is so good, then why do the Canadians and some Europeans come to the US to get treatment when something serious happens to them?
And why did Castro fly-in a specialist from Spain for his own surgery last year? Doesn't he supposedly have the greatest doctors?

Anyway, as a survivor of an extreme trauma a few years ago, I can tell you that I thank God everyday this accident did not happen in another country.

[Rohirrim]

Actually, the WHO just gave France the honor of having the best health care system in the world.

[Smiling Assassin27]

is it autobiographical?

anything churned out by this guy is far from objective. he and gore have managed to deceive their way to acceptance among a significant number of sheep. half truth-laden stuff insults the intelligence.

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Originally Posted by R8R H8R

While the US health system has its flaws, it is still the best in the world.

Use to, not any more and falling fast.

[Dr. Broncenstein]

Originally Posted by Atlas

Wow you know one thing republicans and democrats can agree on is the failing health care in America.

Rip off artists is all they are from the drug companies to the hospitals to the doctors themselves. This film is going to be great.

I have personally saved the lives of four people this month alone: A multiple stabbing victim with bilateral tension pneumothorax and hemorrhagic shock... a ruptured psuedoanyeurism on a hemodialysis graft... a flail chest with hemopneumthorax and a grade four splenic laceration... and my personal favorite - a 17 year old girl with bilateral empyema from pneumonia, septic shock, respiratory failure, and trapped lungs-- on whom I performed bilateral thoracotomy / decortication and a tracheostomy. These are 4 people who were as good as dead until I intervened. They have all gone home to their families except for the 17 year old girl... who will go home next week... her trach was discontinued today. Why don't you ask them if I'm a rip off artist. Oh yeah... I did it all on my 40k surgical resident salary. You have absolutely no idea the sacrifice and dedication a physician puts into his craft.

[alkemical]

Originally Posted by Dr. Broncenstein

I have personally saved the lives of four people this month alone: A multiple stabbing victim with bilateral tension pneumothorax and hemorrhagic shock... a ruptured psuedoanyeurism on a hemodialysis graft... a flail chest with hemopneumthorax and a grade four splenic laceration... and my personal favorite - a 17 year old girl with bilateral empyema from pneumonia, septic shock, respiratory failure, and trapped lungs-- on whom I performed bilateral thoracotomy / decortication and a tracheostomy. These are 4 people who were as good as dead until I intervened. They have all gone home to their families except for the 17 year old girl... who will go home next week... her trach was discontinued today. Why don't you ask them if I'm a rip off artist. Oh yeah... I did it all on my 40k surgical resident salary. You have absolutely no idea the sacrifice and dedication a physician puts into his craft.

I'm not going to hijack the thread - but i've run into some ****ty doctors as well as some good ones. Just like any other profession (except politician).