Moore Shocked by 'Fahrenheit 9/11' Opening

[CShine]

"Fahrenheit 9/11" filmmaker Michael Moore called the opening weekend numbers for his documentary "mind-boggling" and credited his political opponents for boosting ticket sales.

"They're all getting a Christmas card from me this year," said Moore, who greeted filmgoers at a downtown Manhattan theater on Sunday.

The film, an indictment of President Bush's leadership and his decision to go to war in Iraq following the 2001 terrorist attacks, took in $21.8 million in 868 theaters in its first three days of release. It beat the total box office take of Moore's 2002 film, "Bowling for Columbine," which held the previous record for highest-grossing documentary.

Moore said that conservative groups helped draw attention and viewers to his latest film. He said the movie will convince "a lot of swing voters, independents and even Republicans."

Moore said it sold out in Fort Bragg, N.C., and Peoria, Ill., states that went to Bush in the 2000 presidential election. "It sold out in red states throughout the country," he said.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=493&ncid=790&e=3&u=/ap/20040628/ap_en_mo/people_moore

[phillybri]

1. F911 was amazing...

Thanks, Mike!

[Chico Man]

30. Sold out: Providence, RI

Amazing movie!!!!!

Shouts, hollars, standing O, mezmerized movie-goers!!!

[Immad2]

2. The con media just handed us liberals a great victory.

:bounce:

[rocktivity]

52. It's a media victory in more ways than one, Immad2

As I've heard Moore point out two interviews, if the mainstream media had been covering Bush with fairness, balance, and the right questions, F9/11 would have no reason for being. Now they have to explain why they fell down on the job!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Spazito]

3. Be sure to rate this a 5!

Moore did it again! Beat all the naysayers!

[Prodemsouth]

4. Peoria may have went for Bush, But I recall that Gore won the state of ILL

n/t

[mantis49]

19. Gore did win IL

Maybe * carried Peoria (likely.)

[WI_DEM]

5. The film was sold out in Madison, Wisconsin

at Westgate and East Towne theaters. They added a special midnight show at Westgate which sold out quickly.

[luaneryder]

6. Sold out in Fayetteville(Ft Bragg)!

Amazing! Home of the Airborne, SF, Delta, Psyops-and sold out. More than 2/3 of the audience was military; it's heavy with troops. Proof in Fayettnam that not all the military are enamored with chimp.

[TommyO]

7. Let's keep it up!

Although I wasn't able to see F9/11 this past weekend due to other commitments, I intend to see it tonight in Allentown, PA. I'll be contributing to the continued success of the movie this week, and urge everybody else to do the same.

There's no way that Fahrenheit will keep it's #1 slot with the Spiderman juggernaut, but we can make sure it's a solid #2 and that it's revenue increases from it's opening weekend!

[loftycity]

8. I had gone Friday and Sunday both full houses in Mpls/St. Paul

Even better the second time.

The fooled me once bit at the end..priceless.

[Tims]

9. Packed House in Fort Worth

Saw it this weekend while I was in Fort Worth at a Lowes theater in a white conservative suburb not far from the Texas Christian Univ. Campus. It was packed! The audience applauded several times throughout movie. If it's a hit in the bible belt....

[iverglas]

10. Fahrenheit 9/11 in Canada

The movie opened on Friday in 20 theatres in Toronto (pop. ~5 million), 3 theatres in Montreal (almost as big as Toronto, but mainly not English-speaking), 7 theatres in Vancouver and two in Victoria, BC (and goodness, even one in Nanaimo), and 4 in Ottawa (pop ~ 1 million), for example.

It even opened in a theatre in my conservative little southern-Ontario hometown, London, pop. 340,000, and in its smaller, more working-class neighbours Kitchener and Windsor too.

Looks like anywhere with a pop of 100,000+ in Ontario got it on opening day. It isn't playing in Saskatchewan or Prince Edward Island, but it's in Moncton, New Brunswick and St. John's, Newfoundland and Halifax, Nova Scotia and Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Calgary and Edmonton and Quebec City.

Looks like it opened in about 50+ theatres across Canada. The Cdn distributor is the Cdn film producer/distributor Alliance Atlantis, one of the producers of Bowling for Columbine.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1087939369120_83348569/?hub=Entertainment

In Canada, the film has been rated in Ontario and Manitoba so far and been given a 14-A rating, meaning that those younger than 14 must be accompanied by an adult, said an Alliance Atlantis spokesman.

Jocelyne Ng, a licence officer of the Ontario Film Review Board, said it contains "coarse language," "gory scenes," "disturbing content" and a "mature theme."

The movie, which won the top honour at last month's Cannes Film Festival, was rated R in the United States for "violent and disturbing images and for language.

The R rating prohibits those 17 and younger from seeing Fahrenheit 9/11 without an adult.

We got to the theatre too late for the sold-out 4 pm showing on Saturday (not Sunday, as I had stupidly said at first) so pre-bought tickets and went to the sold-out 4 pm showing on Sunday.

Unfortunately, we weren't the people who needed to be seeing this movie ...


edited to fix dumb mistake

[TransitJohn]

32. Uh,

340,000 is a small town. That's over 3/4 of my state. ;)

[iverglas]

36. good old London

Of course London was a lot smaller than 340,000 when I was growing up there. These days, it's just its small-town mentality that persists.

It's the whitest/anglo-est municipality in Canada, outside of someplace in Alberta. Toronto, on the other hand, which is only 100 miles or so away, is the most multi-ethnic/multi-cultural city on earth.

I guess I should call it a "medium-sized city" these days. ;) I'm just a big city type.

You shouldn't feel puny in your state though (almost 500,000?) The population of the entire province of Prince Edward Island in the 2001 census was 135,294. No Fahrenheit 9/11 for them this week.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

39. This has nothing to do with the thread

just that I know a little of London. My grandfather was from a little town called Glencoe, south of London maybe an hour or so?

[iverglas]

42. Yup

I knew it was there someplace, but it took me forever to find a map of it, and then the map site crashed my netscape so I'm not going back there ...

I left London when I was not quite 17, and I never knew much about the outlying geography, off my bus routes. High school students in my day didn't drive much, and certainly didn't own cars (it's still pretty rare here now).

My own dad was born not too far from Glencoe, in Chatham (a terminus of the underground railway, btw). But we're not related, 'cause all my grandparents were born in England. ;)

http://www.underfoot.com/glencoe/
Glencoe: population 2,200 but with 3 golf courses. And the burning question of the day: is that enough?

[ilovenicepeople]

44. (and goodness,even one in Nanaimo)

A good turnout too,OH the GOODNESS!!HOWDY:hi:

[iverglas]

53. and then ...

you all went out and voted NDP, right? Except for the 4,311 who voted Green in Nanaimo-Alberni and cost us the seat, which we lost by 3,895, 22,935 to 19,040, to the Conservative ...

http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes/riding/283/

(Hey, I'll blame the 11,646 Liberal voters for that too, not just the Greens.)

Nanaimo-Cowichan came through, anyhow. ;)

[Lisa]

56. and Victoria's Uni-4 cinema cancelled "The Terminal" ...

for its late-night showing, and put Moore's film on for a parallel screening.

[truthisfreedom]

11. dupe

[Carni]

12. It was BRILLIANT

It received a standing ovation in the theatre I watched it in!

I have never watched a movie and seen the crowd rise and applaud at the end.

[yellowcanine]

13. Theater owners are supposedly begging the distributor for prints.

It looks as though Disney made a slight miscalculation. I saw it yesterday. Big lines for every showing - granted, I live in a Democratic town - but still amazing for a documentary that came out with such short notice. Nothing really new in the film but Moore did a good job of pulling together a lot of information to present a sordid picture of Bush and company, usually in their own words. The most damning to me was the Bush quote in front of a bunch of fatcat contributors. 'You are the "haves" and the "have mores". Some call you the elite, I call you "my base".' Talk about hubris.

[Dr Fate]

17. EVERYTHING in it was "new" to my girlfriend & many others...

My girlfriend is a Democrat, but she does not do much web-research, and we dont talk politics much.

It's like the man in his 50's in front of me said- "I dont remember ever seeing that on TV..."

It's not new because you do your research- but it's BRAND NEW to many people. thus all the "gasps!!" and "huh!!?s" you heard in the theater...

[nodehopper]

27. it made me so happy to read that

this is what I was hoping for! It's hard for me to assess that impact on my friends, because we all actively follow the news that slip below the radar, but I'm glad that it's having that effect.

[proud patriot]

41. I saw it yesterday in a very Centrist to Conservative city

The theater was packed for a sunday afternoon .

Lots of Gasps and huhs? This told me that people
were seeing news clips for the first time .
They laughed at bush a lot and clapped at the end .
I've never been to a movie that recieved applause .

When leaving, a line had formed inside the theater
for the next showing ...WOW .

I wonder how many people went to the movie
because they have seen my bumper stickers,
have read my LTTE or seen my yard signs
over the last few years .

I can only hope my local work helps to get people
in to see it .

[0007]

50. See it again and you'll be amazed at how much better than the

first viewing.

[bushisanidiot]

14. Sold Out in my small town in southern IL.

Took my 14 year old son. He LOVED it and is trying to convince his friends to see it.

[Ganja Ninja]

15. If I was a Disney shareholder I would be out for blood.

They kissed off a lot of money for their CEO's loyalty to Bush and the GOP.

[Kinkistyle]

18. Yeah. Thank goodness they are a bunch of corrupt chickens.

Or else F9/11 might not have gotten all that great "bad" press ;)

[Wright Patman]

20. Saudi Prince Waleed

is a huge shareholder and he is not pissed about Eisner's decision. In fact, he probably ordered it.

[AndyTiedye]

21. This Will Bring Eisner Down

Disney's management has managed to piss off everyone on this.

They made Disney look bad when they tried to kill the movie after
it was made,
and probably have caused some comsumers to boycott them.

They walked away from what may be the biggest hit of the year,
and all the profits it could have made.

Meanwhile the right-wingers will be pissed at them for having funded
the movie in the first place.

What a mickey-mouse operation!
Eisner is toast.

[tavalon]

45. We can only hope

I know it isn't politically correct to love Disney but I do and Michael Eisner has become the worst thing for Disney. Disney needs it's heart and soul back. Mickey dumped the wrong Michael.

[regnaD kciN]

46. A small irony...

Eisner wasn't the only one to back out of F911. Does anyone remember who was supposed to produce the film initially, before Miramax got involved? Try Icon Productions...that's right, Mel Gibson!

[SiouxJ]

23. Disney shareholders should write to them

and tell them "thanks for your brilliant decision not to distribute this film."

[amazona]

25. this FORMER shareholder was pretty P.O.ed

Eisner has got to be the worst CEO ever -- he took a great company and did everything he could to destroy it. Don't get me started. He even ticked off Pixar, their crown jewel. The man couldn't make a decent financial decision to save his life. The sad thing is, I have heard that he may be a Democrat and may actually have a heart but if this is true I have no evidence he has a brain to go with.

After the Pixar screw-up, I gave up on the company and sold my shares. It just wasn't the same company I bought back in the day.

My two cents.

If I still had shares, I would write Eisner a pretty stiff letter right about now...not that he cares, he must know he is fairly universally disliked by disgruntled stockholders.

[ContinentalOp]

31. Yes, I think he may be a Dem.

I seem to remember hearing that his father was blacklisted and that Eisner has been active in the movement to get recognition back to victims of the hollywood blacklist.

[Dr Fate]

16. I stood in 3 different lines to see it last night...

...it was electrifying. I had to take Tylenol 3 just to sleep last night.

[redwitch]

54. It gave me nightmares.

But I plan to see it again, there was so much rapid fire info I am sure I missed stuff. In spite of the bad dreams I was uplifted and inspired- seeing it surrounded by all those good people, thanks Michael!

[cprise]

22. I wouldn't say that.

"Moore said that conservative groups helped draw attention and viewers to his latest film."

It may be true, but I wouldn't say it. This is a typically-leftist way of gloating that the Right has been pushed into a miscalculation. Educating them about their misstep does not help us. Let then keep getting more shrill until they go into McCarthy mode; the quicker it happens the more complete their rejection will be from a public that views extreme propaganda and humorless rage as alien.

[nolabels]

24. He would

That's who he is and what he does, I am okay with it. 22 million dollars in a limited showing in 3 days with people going GAW-GAW and wondering if they are woke up in a different world. I don't think it would be that easy dismiss this man as so stupid. His persona precedes him, not many can do that in todays up to the second, "knock the left down" right wing fascist world.

On edit: syntax

Btw I going to drag my very independent teenage son down to see it this afternoon, regardles if he wants to see it or not. At 17 and draft age it could do him some good.

[cprise]

29. didn't say he was stupid

I just don't like giving conservatives pointers on how they can hurt the turnout of movies like F911. Its bad enough that most independant muckraking is treated as being beneath the attention of the corporate media. When we finally get them scared and ranting and foaming at the mouth its best to let them keep driving people in our direction.

[nolabels]

35. Sorry about the using the loaded word "stupid"

The guy is a survivor, but every kind of genius has its weakness. I agree he should not be doing that, but I think mike works on the palaeontology concept of a small fish - big fish. Moore should try to understand his artistic talents more and how he can relate them to others instead trying to pit one group against the other. The setting in which things take place are backdrops. If his movie sends messages to both sides, then it would lead me to believe another power or thing might have been outed and now feels nervous or danger for it self collectively.

I have read of few vicious editorials and listened to a few people trying to go over the top of it with even a bigger spin on the movie. They do it to eclipse it with an omnipresent conspiratorial logic. I would contend these people that need a big spin are witnessing something different. More of a sighting of the normal Pavlovian dogs at work while these dogs are engaged in a instinctual ritual

Really I don't see that much difference between most of the right and the left, the corrupt elite is using marginal ideas to throw us all in a larger abyss. The rancor we have will be immaterial when this war without end gets ratcheted up and the Constitution along with the Bill of Rights is dismissed as not being reverent. I have a hard time trusting anyone (MM included). I am not trying to put anyone a pedestal, only looking at other reactions and the consequences. I thought MM's 15 minutes was over when he bombed out with Ralph, but he perennial just like the rest us.

[Dr Fate]

40. I appreciate your caution, but allow me to disagree...

..the conservatives will NEVER learn. They will remian shrill as ever.

[JETS]

26. I took my father, who volunteered for WW II and Korea, to see F911

on Saturday. He loved the movie and told me that to in order to preserve freedom today, we need to defeat Bush!

[TankLV]

28. It sold out when we went to see it here in Las Vegas in Summerlin.

Summerlin's a rich repuke stronghold.

ALL comments were disgust at this regime controlling Amerikkka now.

I was very proud of my fellow filmgoers.

Heard on the news that elsewhere in Las Vegas proper, the repukes started fisticuffs with some democratic filmgoers outside at a theater.

They tried to block people from seeing the film.

Assholes, every single lot of 'em.

[damnraddem]

33. It sold out in Wichita.

And it filled theaters that had been showing to sparse crowds.

The biggest local chain put it in its 'art house' and sold it out -- still hasn't moved it to the main theaters. But it's having an effect even here, not that Kansas will go Democrat in November.

[Frangible]

34. Great movie, and couldn't have happened at a better time

I hope F911 wins some hearts and minds in showing why Bush must lose in 04. Very powerful movie, and one of the better I've seen. Kudos to Moore.

If F911 doesn't wake America up, I don't know what will.

[Bake]

37. Not even showing in Jackson MS!

The only place in MS to see it is in Tupelo, about 3 hours north of here. DAMMIT!

Bake

[rocktivity]

55. It might be elsewhere in MS by the end of the week, Dbaker

According to a movie industry newspaper, F9/11 is going to be added to at least an additional 1000 theaters. Keep checking the F9/11 Tix web site.

:headbang:
rocknation

[Spazito]

38. Michael Moore claims political victory as 'Fahrenheit' breaks records

I LOVE this headline!

Here is the link:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1503&e=1&u=/afp/us_vote_film_moore

Rate it a 5!

[JPZenger]

43. Beat Out Fox News' Dodgeball Movie

One of the great things was that F911 beat out the latest innane movie from Fox News' parent company - Dodgeball.

[The Animator]

47. Well... beating the Dodgeball movie isn't all that hard.

I saw it for free, and I still wanted my money back. Sure there were parts of it that were funny, but only because it alluded to other funnier sports movies (such as the Bad News Bears II). Course it's always funny to see some poor shmuck get hit in the nuts with a dodgeball though.

I got to see F 9/11 on Thursday Night (Midnight Friday). Saw it alone then, but I'm going with friends later this week.

Maybe on the 4th of July, seems like the most patriotic thing to do!

[Nile]

48. If 'Blair Witch Project' can do it...

why should Moore be surprised.

[The Animator]

51. If you'll recall, the advertisements for Blair Witch were misleading...

...In fact, I'd flat out call it a hoax.

Because of the trailers, website, and the Sci-fi Channel special, people turned out in droves to see this film because they thought it was real. That's what the thought when they went in, and that's what they thought when they came out.

I remember hearing about a New York Law Enforcement Agency getting in touch with the film makers, they were willing to volunteer their services to help find those lost college kids.

Yes Blair Witch was an independant film, yes, it did very well. However, it was not a documentary, though it was presented and advertised as such.

[Coconut Buddha Ape]

49. Moore better follow through on the promise of Christmas cards...

...or the freepers will have FIT and call him a liar.