Politics & Football - my least favourite topics, no interest unless they deliver extreme excitement to raise an eyebrow. For Football, it'd be England reaching the World Cup Finals, Politics? - undoubtedly Farenheit 9/11.
The Palme d'Or winner ignited my Saturday night with Moore's cinematic ADD frantically chopping up horror, awe, insanity & comedy into 2-hours of dynamite documentary.
Certain editing techniques reminded me of E.B.N., who coincidentally cut-up George Bush Snr. lip-syncing Queen's 'We Will Rock You' superbly for U2's 'Zooropa' tour projection screens which reminds me: One of my favourite TV memories EVER was producing/directing a 2-hour special with E.B.N. in Rotterdam for MTV; it received as many complaints as praise, riskily airing the weekend after the Dunblane massacre. And lest ANYONE forget the pop-video for Paul Hardcastle's '19' - a Vietnam visual mash-up of 1984 TV-Doc, 'Vietnam Requiem'; pop-svengali Simon Fuller named his company after this 1985 global smash hit single (!)
Faren-Highlights? Too many though 2 that spring to mind:- Bush continuing to read 'My Pet Goat' during a school visit for about 10 minutes AFTER being told about the planes flying into the World Trade Center and Marines doing anything they can to recruit practically anyone.
So much incendiary material in this firestarting flick that will not only bring down George W but will make a mint for Miramax; props to Harvey & Bob for taking the risk, however much PR you think is behind this. Like Passion Of The Christ, no one wanted to be involved, too scared but both films rinsed it at the Box Office; ree-spec'!
Ironically Mel Gibson's production company Icon passed on Farenheit 9/11 after Gibson received a call from a top republican who threatened to cross Mel off the White House Guest List; your name's not down, you're not coming in!
Anti-Michael Moore backlash is in full effect though the guerilla satirist/political activist/author gets my vote for heavy research, phenomenal footage and plenty of concrete facts, not wishy-washy conspiracy theories, providing fast-food for thought long after Neil Young's "Keep On Rocking In The Free World" plays out the credits.
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