Fahrenheit 9/12
Posted on May 13th, 2008 by Craig Kennedy
According to Variety’s Pamela McClintock and Anne Thompson, Michael Moore is going to make a sequel to Farenheit 9/11 which will be released next year.
Though the original was the highest grossing documentary ever in the United States with $119.1 million and an additional $100 million overseas, Moore’s most recent film Sicko only pulled in $24.5 million in the US.
Will audiences flock to see Moore’s take on Bush since the last film left off, or will the current conventional wisdom that no one wants to see movies about Iraq hold true?
Source: Variety
Looks like he’s going to the well one more time, a bit like Oliver Stone, perhaps.
Not to say that there isn’t enough real-world material for a sequel, because there is, but it feels a little repetitive nevertheless.
*rolls eyes*
Seriously, Michael Moore. Give it up unless you’re going to add something to the conversation or show us a new situation, like you did with Roger & Me. You’re totally scattered and your methods are suspect. How have you failed to affect change with your massive success, while Al Gore basically changes the course of humanity with a powerpoint presentation? I’m just saying.
I’ll see it because it’s entertaining, fluffy, provocative. But you can’t take it much further than that. Even Sicko went off course, in my opinion.
I was on board Sicko most of the way, but I agree it kind of lost its way.
Often the case with Moore he tackles subjects that need to be explored from an angle that I agree with, but he lets his need to be a provacateur get the better of him. It can make for entertaining cinema, but not always illuminating.
$24.5 million domestic box office (35.7 mill worldwide) is still outstanding. The production budget is estimated at $9 million. Despite the drop off in earnings compared to 9/11 it was the 3rd biggest box office ever for a documentary.
That’s a fine point you make, Sartre. Sicko was only a letdown compared to F9/11 and I don’t know many people who expected it to do that well.
I would argue FARENHEIT 9/11 did have a political tremor. It was a damn close race and nobody will know what helped turn out the youth vote, which was in fact a record. If Moore can stay away from the forced smugness and just show how McCain is more of the same, then fine.
Hmm, good point re: the election, Christian. With as fiery and finger-pointing as F9/11 was, though, I expected a bigger sea change. I mean how could people not have woken up in the summer of 2004? Everybody went to this and then went home and forgot about it? I think it was because he didn’t give you enough to take home. It was flashy, but not effectively substantive.
I’m ending up sound like a Moore critic, but I’m not, outside of Sicko. I just don’t think he fully accomplishes what he sets out do because, as Craig says, he can get in the way of himself.
If this is to be released next year, do I understand…that you’re conceding a McCain victory, Christian?
I hate to go off topic, but this one of the strangest pieces of film news that I’ve ever read.
A Werner Herzog remake of ‘Bad Lieutenant’ starring Nicolas Cage?
I mean why would one of the best directors of our time agree to remake a film that’s not even two decades old, a film that’s already considered by a great many people (well, me at least) to be an absolute masterpiece? Has there ever before been a great director/unnecessary remake combination of this magnitude? I just don’t get it.
Herzog has some explaining to do. That’s just weird.
I agree alynch. It’s an amazingly brave film with one of the best and most emotionally naked performances I’ve ever seen.
Not just emotionally naked, Sartre. :)
Please, Werner, do that movie, The Piano Tuner, that was announced several weeks back about the piano and the forest and all of that jazz, not this. Please!!!
My guess is that the F 9/11 audience basically consisted of people who were already planning to vote against Bush anyway.