Michael Moore

Four years after Fahrenheit 9/11, Michael Moore gets back on the soapbox (film-wise anyway) with a "searing and provocative follow-up," according to press notes. Paramount Vantage will be peddling the film this week in Cannes but it won't be in theaters until 2009. Full release after the jump.  read more »

Doc filmmakers hope so! Last month at the International Documentary Association's annual Oscar celebration, Michael Moore called for "Doc Night in America," which would ask major theater chains to dedicate one screen, one night a week, to nonfiction film. While the proposal remains in its nascent stages, it has already spurred talk, both positive and negative, within the documentary community, according to Indie Wire. Of course, distributors are giving the plan a thumbs down. "A movie is a movie. If you don't do musical night or western night, why would you do documentary night?" responded Mark Urman, head of ThinkFilm's theatrical distribution unit. But 51 Birch Street doc director Doug Block said, "I think any initiative that tries to do something about the hellhole of documentary distribution is better than sitting back and whining." More from directors and distributors after the jump.  read more »

A long letter written by Michael Moore to friends and supporters has been posted on the Drudge Report (and now on Gawker, whose link will likely last longer). Mr. Moore writes that he's not endorsing any of the Democratic candidates for president "at this point." But the most interesting tidbit comes a bit further down.

Mr. Moore reveals that he was asked by Rolling Stone to do a cover story in the form of separate Q&As with the three top Democrats, under the understanding that if any of the candidates didn't participate, the story wouldn't run.

He writes: "Obama and Edwards agreed. Mrs. Clinton said no, and the cover story was thus killed."

Of course, this isn't the first time during this campaign that the Hillary camp has successfully nixed a major magazine story about her.

The sparring between Michael Moore and CNN is starting to sound like a playground fight.

On Saturday, Mr. Moore published an "open letter" to CNN on his web site, introducing complaints about his treatment at the hands of interviewer Wolf Blitzer with some crazy-talk:

"I bet you thought I was just going to go quietly away. Think again. I'm about to become your worst nightmare. 'Cause I ain't ever going away."  read more »

The sparring between Michael Moore and CNN is starting to sound like a playground fight.

On Saturday, Mr. Moore published an "open letter" to CNN on his web site, introducing complaints about his treatment at the hands of interviewer Wolf Blitzer with some crazy-talk:

"I bet you thought I was just going to go quietly away. Think again. I'm about to become your worst nightmare. 'Cause I ain't ever going away."  read more »

The movie theater darkened and one man clapped. Then another couple of men stood up, and, quickly, the entire capacity theater at Loews Lincoln Square on the Upper West Side turned and stood to see Michael Moore ambling up the aisle shortly after 11 on Friday night.  read more »

At the New York premiere of his health-care documentary Sicko on Monday, June 18—sponsored in part by this salmon-colored scandal sheet!—filmmaker Michael Moore spoke for only five minutes about how Americans should question the notion that they live in a free society. “I’m going to go get some popcorn and water,” he said, telling the crowd he was off soda.  read more »

Reggie Cervantes and William Maher were among the handful of Sept. 11 first responders who gathered on the City Hall steps today as a gesture to remind other people suffering from 9/11-related injuries to apply for disability benefits.

Unlike the others, Cervantes and Maher also participated in Michael Moore’s upcoming documentary, "Sicko," which is about health care in America and Cuba. The movie has been criticized preemptively for violating the US ban on traveling to the communist country, and for serving as propaganda for the Castro government.

In this clip, Cervantes tells me -- without professional direction -- that she figures Cuba provided her with the same quality treatment she might have gotten here, but for free.

Late last Thursday night, the clock ticking toward midnight under a full Canadian moon, a line made  read more »

Sara Vilkomerson reports from a madhouse up in Toronto:
Paulo Costanzo--of Road Trip, Joey and Canadian birth--was freaking out. "This is the best fucking night of my life," he screamed from his seat at last night's midnight screening of Borat. Agent and limousine liberal Ari Emmanuel lurked up in the teeming balcony.

Sasha Baron Cohen had arrived for the Borat premiere on a cart pulled by six women and a tiny pony, each of them in yokes, the women all in shtetl chic. Isla Fisher, Mr. Cohen's tiny gorgeous fiance, in a glittery tank and low-slung jeans, hid behind a nearby tree.

Inside the theater, to introduce the show, Mr. Cohen brought out the flags of Canada and Kazakhstan and kissed them both.

The film began. The first 20 minutes of Borat are the funniest thing you could ever hope to see on film. The audience was in hysterics. Then the projector broke.

Forty minutes passed; apologies from the stage. The Fox publicity staff looked positively green. The restless crowd began to chant "Michael Moore! Michael Moore!"

Mr. Cohen did some shtick and introduced "Larry Charles and some fat man." Mr. Charles—co-creator of Seinfeld and exec producer of Entourage—and Michael Moore came to the stage. Mr. Moore had been the one trying to fix the projector. This was all like some insane dream sequence. Mr. Charles was dressed in a sort of Hasidic costume. Was Mr. Moore tired, someone wanted to know? "You can't sleep these days if you are an American," he said.  read more »

Later, Mr. Moore said that he'd be making out with John Travolta in the lobby. Mr. Charles signed a kid's tardy note for the next day's school. Mr. Charles had not yet seen Snakes on a Plane—but Mr. Moore had.

By 1:40 a.m., it became clear that the remainder of Borat would not be shown. The screening was postponed for Friday night. Everyone went desperately looking for a drink. Sara Vilkomerson