I couldn't make it out to see Bourne Supremacy, adding that movie to the list of things I wanted to see but haven't seen yet:
Kill Bill vol 2
Manchurian Candidate
I, Robot
and Fahrenheit 9/11
I only recently saw Michael Moore's other film, Bowling for Columbine. I actually went into seeing the movie with some very low expectations, given the amount of criticism and flaws that had been pointed out in Bowling's production since it's release. I came away from the movie with a much different experience; to me I didn't see the movie as a criticism of gun control or gun ownership, it's biggest message to me was one that I've echoed for quite a while: a criticism of the mass media.
Reading things like Ted Turner's take on big media further illustrate the problems with mass media today. I'm eager to see Fahrenheit 9/11 not because I think our foreign policy has deteriorated beyond belief, but because I'd like to see how much Moore takes the media to task on the reasons we are where we are today. Unfortunately the masses still aren't being taught exactly why things are the way they are, instead it's deemed much more important to report on vague terror alerts, the daily death toll in Iraq, etc... I'm all for reporting all the bad stuff along with the good in the world, but I think a huge duty of the media is also to educate, to truly inform and not just to drive up ratings. I spent my middle, high school learning more than I wanted to know about European history again and again, but never really understanding the middle east and how it came to be. It wasn't until I made the decision to take a class on it in college did I begin to understand the origins of why that part of the world is in such a mess in a lot of senses. Unfortunately, it's all too easy to hate and a little less easy to learn first, which definitely doesn't help the situation at all.
I've got a Macdate coming today, I felt the need to write some before I went to bed though which is where this post came from :)
Goodnight folks.
Kill Bill vol 2
Manchurian Candidate
I, Robot
and Fahrenheit 9/11
I only recently saw Michael Moore's other film, Bowling for Columbine. I actually went into seeing the movie with some very low expectations, given the amount of criticism and flaws that had been pointed out in Bowling's production since it's release. I came away from the movie with a much different experience; to me I didn't see the movie as a criticism of gun control or gun ownership, it's biggest message to me was one that I've echoed for quite a while: a criticism of the mass media.
Reading things like Ted Turner's take on big media further illustrate the problems with mass media today. I'm eager to see Fahrenheit 9/11 not because I think our foreign policy has deteriorated beyond belief, but because I'd like to see how much Moore takes the media to task on the reasons we are where we are today. Unfortunately the masses still aren't being taught exactly why things are the way they are, instead it's deemed much more important to report on vague terror alerts, the daily death toll in Iraq, etc... I'm all for reporting all the bad stuff along with the good in the world, but I think a huge duty of the media is also to educate, to truly inform and not just to drive up ratings. I spent my middle, high school learning more than I wanted to know about European history again and again, but never really understanding the middle east and how it came to be. It wasn't until I made the decision to take a class on it in college did I begin to understand the origins of why that part of the world is in such a mess in a lot of senses. Unfortunately, it's all too easy to hate and a little less easy to learn first, which definitely doesn't help the situation at all.
I've got a Macdate coming today, I felt the need to write some before I went to bed though which is where this post came from :)
Goodnight folks.
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schmoe - Tuesday, September 7, 2004 - link
Well Anand, Ted Turner released that article in Charlottesville local papers. Customizing the article for the local stations he bought in your home town. He's just a struggling BIG guy kicking up dirt for sympathy in the local governments (to make enough noise for the federal government to pay more attention). I think Moore is like most educated people in his opinion of the mass media. It's mostly a waste of everyones time. I don't know a lot of intellegent people that watch CNN or MSNBC and take it as gospel before some of the reporting done at nonprofit outlets like NPR/PBS. They worry more about content than shares.Wotan - Tuesday, August 17, 2004 - link
Glad to see most folks think F911 was a really worthless movie. I suppose Bush is giving less money to Isreal considering the producer of the flick.Speaking of the movie; I wished that Ray Bradbury would have sued Moore into the poorhouse for stealing his name. Bradbury is an American we can be proud of and probably has more dignity than to engage in all that.
He even waited 6 months at Moore's request to settle the problem and Moore didn't even call him back. What a POS.
Anonymous - Tuesday, August 17, 2004 - link
Coffee Anyone?Charles - Monday, August 16, 2004 - link
I have seen a lot of criticism about Bush and the stance our country has taken on the war with Iraq. I think instead of taking the country over we should have just pulled out of Saudia Arabia, since most of the terrorists including Bin Laden came from there to begin with. Saudia Arabia also bankrolled the 9/11 attack, but I did not see them offer to pay us to rebuild!This whole situation was a problem because Sadam did not choose to keep his end of the bargain and kept locking on to the planes in the no-fly zone. We had to do something to bring this 10+ year conflict to an end. Anything is better than the present 50+ year standoff we have in North Korea. I would have rathered us just pull out of Iraq and said to them to help themselves.
One problem the US had is that France and Germany and even Koffee Ahnan were making money off of the food for oil program and for that reason Europe did not want that program to come to an end. Europe is partly to blame for mismanaging the whole problem just to placate their greedy greased palms.
Whillowhim - Saturday, August 14, 2004 - link
I liked Bowling for Columbine and I came away with exactly what you describe, the feeling that the mass media was criticized not gun ownership. Unfortunately, his latest film did not continue this tradition. Its basicly a rehash of what the media has already reported with his own spin on it (spin is unavidable, but it was a bit much) and one overly long sequence with a mother who lost a son in Iraq. Not the indictment of the media I was hoping for. And for the record, I agree with a lot of the Moore's opinions I just don't think he backed them up well in the movie. Emotional, yes, but a reasoned argument against Bush, no.If you do want to see some criticism of the media, watch The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (on Comedy Central if you can get it). Sadly, a comedy show is the closest thing I've found to an impartial news source in america. To paraphrase Jon Stewart (since I can't remember it exactly): "Unfortunately, we're a fake news show, so when you compare our integrity to that of other news shows... well... we're about equal actually."
Colby - Tuesday, August 10, 2004 - link
Michael Moore made another movie before "Bowling for Columbine", it's "Roger & Me". It goes to the roots of his home town, Flint, MI. After seeing the movie and having seen his two other movies it'll all click that some how everything in his world revolves around Flint, MI, no questions asked.-Colby
bonesdad - Monday, August 9, 2004 - link
#6, you suggest we watch, what, FOX news?D'oh! - Saturday, August 7, 2004 - link
After seeing F911, I believe it is a pretty bad movie. While it may be factual, I felt that it was basically a re-hash of everything that has been on the news for the past year, and that it didn't bring anything new to the table. IMO it went for cheap laughs over any real content.There were a couple interesting stories, but overall, I was very unimpressed given the amount of hype it had.
I actually liked BforC, and came away with a similar impression regarding the mass media and was impressed by Marylin Manson. Overall, I thought BforC was much better than F911, even though the first may have stretched the facts and the second was truthful. Also, it's possible that I went in to F911 with my expectations way too high, and instead found that it was just the same old junk I could see on the news every day.
I am no Bush fan by any means, and was very disappointed with the decision to move into Iraq, but now that we are there I hope we will see this mistake through to its conclusion and maybe something good will come out of this. I only mention this because my dislike for F911 has nothing to do with my feelings on Bush.
Anyhow, If you really want to see F911, I would wait for it to come out on video since there really is no reason to see it on the big screen IMO.
As far as Movies to see, two I can think of that sounded good are:
Corporation (mentioned above)
Control Room (about Al Jezeera)
I already work at a relatively big company though, so I probably don't need to see Corporation, since I bet I experience it every day.
-D'oh!
Adam K. - Saturday, August 7, 2004 - link
Hey Anand!I noticed: you have changed the formatting of your blog !3! times today; from normal, to justified, to now right justified!
Which one are you going to settle on?
yodeldee - Saturday, August 7, 2004 - link
How can anyone in the US be happy to have a president who can't even talk? The current administration is spreading FUD via the mass media, most of the world doesn't think what the US does makes sense and Halliburton et al are earning big money by sweeping US taxpayers money.The US president and his administration are mocking the US people and still roughly 50% are perfectly fine with it. Just like the Iraqis that were fine with Saddam in power because, frankly, they didn't really care and they took everything Saddam told them for truth. They were just uber-happy to get "Yay Saddam" flags and wave them on national holidays, just like the americans waving american flags and shouting that noone will take their freedom away.
I guess the only thing that can remotely shake those people is the increase in gas price since that will make driving their pickup trucks more expensive.