Michael Moore is pulling a Radiohead. He's releasing his next new film online at Blip.tv. Slacker Uprising takes us on a 62-city tour during the 2004 election with Mr. Moore, who is rallying young people into the voting booths. It will be available for three weeks as a free download to North American residents, beginning Sept. 23.

This is the first major movie to be released in such a way, according to the Associated Press.  read more »

Is Nicholas Kristof the new Michael Moore? This week, The New York Times columnist wrote about his attempt to obtain a permit to protest at the Olympics in Beijing and, at times, his stunt feels like a remake of Roger & Me, minus Mr. Moore's trucker hat and blue collar crusading.

Here's how Mr. Kristoff sets the scene:

Following government instructions, I showed up at an office of the Beijing Public Security Bureau, found Window 12 and declared to the officer, 'I’m here to apply to hold a protest.'

What I didn’t realize is that Public Security has arrested at least a half-dozen people who have shown up to apply for protest permits.  read more »

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.