Author Topic: What I Learned Today  (Read 1463708 times)

Bill Thompson

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Re: What I Learned Today
« Reply #4940 on: October 05, 2009, 11:58:21 AM »
I gotta stop watching Sicko, it just makes me sad and mildly frightened.

The hypocrisy of Michael Moore will do that to ya.

c'mon, bill.  i get you don't like him, but that is hardly an issue here.  did you see Sicko?

Yes, and it's always an issue with Moore. A man who doesn't care about any of the issues he presents and instead is more concerned with getting himself face time with the camera is always guilty of being a hypocrite.

it is absolutely ridiculous to claim Moore doesn't care about these issues.  i know you are prone to hyperbole, but this is out there even for you

It's not hyperbole, it's what you get when a director cares more about securing face time for himself than anything else. If he cared about the issues at hand then he would remove himself from the view of the camera and allow for the content to be seen. He doesn't do that though because he doesn't care if people hear the message , as long as they see his face he's happy.

skjerva

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Re: What I Learned Today
« Reply #4941 on: October 05, 2009, 12:03:04 PM »
I gotta stop watching Sicko, it just makes me sad and mildly frightened.

The hypocrisy of Michael Moore will do that to ya.

c'mon, bill.  i get you don't like him, but that is hardly an issue here.  did you see Sicko?

Yes, and it's always an issue with Moore. A man who doesn't care about any of the issues he presents and instead is more concerned with getting himself face time with the camera is always guilty of being a hypocrite.

it is absolutely ridiculous to claim Moore doesn't care about these issues.  i know you are prone to hyperbole, but this is out there even for you

It's not hyperbole, it's what you get when a director cares more about securing face time for himself than anything else. If he cared about the issues at hand then he would remove himself from the view of the camera and allow for the content to be seen. He doesn't do that though because he doesn't care if people hear the message , as long as they see his face he's happy.

that's nonsense.  what he does works.  he basically started this trend of political documentaries 20 years ago.  people see them, discuss the issues, and maybe sometimes make a difference.  his political docs are some of the highest grossing docs ever, and a couple of them even fare quite well compared to typical blockbusters.  while he is a known commodity, so are his issues - they go hand in hand.
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St. Martin the Bald

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Re: What I Learned Today
« Reply #4942 on: October 05, 2009, 12:05:01 PM »
I gotta stop watching Sicko, it just makes me sad and mildly frightened.

The hypocrisy of Michael Moore will do that to ya.

c'mon, bill.  i get you don't like him, but that is hardly an issue here.  did you see Sicko?

Yes, and it's always an issue with Moore. A man who doesn't care about any of the issues he presents and instead is more concerned with getting himself face time with the camera is always guilty of being a hypocrite.

Moore's style is such that he is part of his story and so, his film. I think his background alone shows that he cares about the issues (he comes from poverty stricken Michigan and these issues are always near and dear to his heart) - while some of his hyperbole has put me off his films in the past (I confess to not have seen Sicko...yet) - I will want to see Capitalism: A Love Story as soon as I get a chance. I might go out and rent Sicko today...hmmm.
I would not call him a hypocrite - a demagogue maybe.

Since when has it become dogma for documentarians to stay absent from their work?
« Last Edit: October 05, 2009, 12:07:57 PM by St. Martin the Bald »
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jbissell

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Re: What I Learned Today
« Reply #4943 on: October 05, 2009, 12:07:51 PM »
I gotta stop watching Sicko, it just makes me sad and mildly frightened.

The hypocrisy of Michael Moore will do that to ya.

c'mon, bill.  i get you don't like him, but that is hardly an issue here.  did you see Sicko?

Yes, and it's always an issue with Moore. A man who doesn't care about any of the issues he presents and instead is more concerned with getting himself face time with the camera is always guilty of being a hypocrite.

it is absolutely ridiculous to claim Moore doesn't care about these issues.  i know you are prone to hyperbole, but this is out there even for you

It's not hyperbole, it's what you get when a director cares more about securing face time for himself than anything else. If he cared about the issues at hand then he would remove himself from the view of the camera and allow for the content to be seen. He doesn't do that though because he doesn't care if people hear the message , as long as they see his face he's happy.

that's nonsense.  what he does works.  he basically started this trend of political documentaries 20 years ago.  people see them, discuss the issues, and maybe sometimes make a difference.  his political docs are some of the highest grossing docs ever, and a couple of them even fare quite well compared to typical blockbusters.  while he is a known commodity, so are his issues - they go hand in hand.

I'm not really a Moore fan and I do think that he's gotten a rather large ego over the last decade, but I'd never accuse him of not caring about any of the issues he presents.  He may play fast and loose with the truth, but he's always struck me as being pretty genuine in his beliefs.

Since when has it become dogma for documentarians to stay absent from their work?

Bill's been pretty clear in the past that he has a problem with the doc form in general, especially when the filmmaker inserts themselves.

Bill Thompson

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Re: What I Learned Today
« Reply #4944 on: October 05, 2009, 12:08:59 PM »

Since when has it become dogma for documentarians to stay absent from their work?

I'm not saying it is, however I have a problem with the way Moore does it. He's not just in the doc, he is the doc. The focus needs to be on the issue, not on him, but it is because he's obsessed with his own celebrity.

Look at it this way, Vince McMahon runs a wrestling company but I would never in a million years say that he cares about pro wrestling. He only cares about making money and getting his face in the media in any possible fashion. Add a political theme and that's Moore to a T. Then you add in the fact that he often does more damage to the cause than good by inserting sensationalistic lies and you have someone who doesn't care about the issue but about getting screen time.

maņana

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Re: What I Learned Today
« Reply #4945 on: October 05, 2009, 12:09:10 PM »
I can understand being turned off by how he inserts himself into his films, but there's no doubt in my mind that he's completely sincere. Perhaps to a fault.  
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St. Martin the Bald

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Re: What I Learned Today
« Reply #4946 on: October 05, 2009, 12:17:04 PM »
I can understand being turned off by how he inserts himself into his films, but there's no doubt in my mind that he's completely sincere. Perhaps to a fault. 

He is still very active in his home state and I think he resides there still. Belive me - I would jump that ship first chance if I lived in Michigan and only cared about making $$.

Like I said - I don't always agree with how he makes his point but, more often than not, I support his politics.
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oneaprilday

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Re: What I Learned Today
« Reply #4947 on: October 05, 2009, 12:32:27 PM »
I'm not really a Moore fan and I do think that he's gotten a rather large ego over the last decade, but I'd never accuse him of not caring about any of the issues he presents.  He may play fast and loose with the truth, but he's always struck me as being pretty genuine in his beliefs.

I can understand being turned off by how he inserts himself into his films, but there's no doubt in my mind that he's completely sincere. Perhaps to a fault. 

I'm with jbizz and matt here. And with jbizz particularly, I'm not a Moore fan (though I do like Roger and Me), and I most definitely did not like Sicko (skjerva and I had an extended discussion/argument about that one a while back - not sure which thread), but I have to say, I do think Moore is sincere. I have no doubt that he believes his cause is just. I'm not sure that he's doing any good - he really only alienates and demonizes those that disagree with him - he certainly doesn't win them over - but again, he believes in what he's doing, I'm pretty sure.

oldkid

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Re: What I Learned Today
« Reply #4948 on: October 05, 2009, 03:05:49 PM »

Since when has it become dogma for documentarians to stay absent from their work?

I'm not saying it is, however I have a problem with the way Moore does it. He's not just in the doc, he is the doc. The focus needs to be on the issue, not on him, but it is because he's obsessed with his own celebrity.

Look at it this way, Vince McMahon runs a wrestling company but I would never in a million years say that he cares about pro wrestling. He only cares about making money and getting his face in the media in any possible fashion. Add a political theme and that's Moore to a T. Then you add in the fact that he often does more damage to the cause than good by inserting sensationalistic lies and you have someone who doesn't care about the issue but about getting screen time.

I think that's the reason why I don't rush out to see Moore's films.  They are very entertaining, but a lot of the issues he's portraying I'm already upset about and he's just so in your face.   I am looking forward to Sicko, which I will see eventually, but I know that Fahrenheit 9-11 will just get me more upset about issues that I'm already fuming about.  Better just to let it go.
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Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: What I Learned Today
« Reply #4949 on: October 05, 2009, 04:30:17 PM »
There is a period of papacy history known as the "pornocracy." Sometimes going to a Baptist school has its sordid moments.