Bowling For Columbine

[thop]

I'm still looking for a cinema near me that shows it (fortunately they show it in english here with moore's commentary subbed and not dubbed like they usually do). I heard it is the documentary to see this year.

Any comments on the movie?

[Wombat]

Yeah, NPR ripped it to pieces. You think this kind of movie would be right up their alley, so if they didn't like it, it must be pretty badly done.

[Dr Mordrid]

Michael Moore is a legend in his own mind

Dr. Mordrid

[Wulfman]

over here it gets remarkable reviews. I'm going to watch it next week, maybe I can find a cinema that plays the original.

thop: I heard that they dubbed his comments, but subbed the interviewed persons in the german version

mfg
wulfman

[Pelle]

Saw it last week: Moore's off-camera commentary is dubbed, everything else is subtitled. Works pretty good.

The movie itself is the typical Moore - fare and the cinematic equivalent of boulevard journalism, but highly entertaining at that.

You might want to check some of Salon.Com's articles on Moore here:

http://archive.salon.com/directory/topics/michael_moore/

(And I'm referring to Salon because they're coming from the same political corner as Moore and therefore shouldn't have too much of an agenda):

Some examples:
One Moore stupid white man In his No. 1 bestseller, left-wing provocateur Michael Moore bashes Bush, Clinton and the corporate elite. Too bad he gets his facts wrong -- again.

Moore is less Five reasons why the left can do without Michael Moore.

etc.

Cheers,
Pelle

[thop]

Just seen it. Overall i very much liked the movie and recommend it for everyone to see, however some parts where a bit too manipulative (especially towards the end) and forced for my taste, so he lost a bit of my sympathy. Still, recommended.

[Pelle]

I would have felt sorry for Heston, who clearly was already showing signs of Alzheimer, had it not been for the vicious way he reacted to the Columbine-shooting. After seeing the footage from his speeches, I think he deserves every abuse he can get.

Ciao,
Pelle

[Wulfman]

just seen it.

the description "documentary" is not really accurate.

but the facts / opinions he did present are quite interesting, nevertheless. an additional interview can be found in "der spiegel" (german): http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesells...222953,00.html (about how fears are used to control society)

from what I heard he isn't staying close to the facts sometimes - I'm still looking up some numbers at the moment, especially the ones about homicides...

I don't feel sorry for heston, especially in contradiction to marilyn manson. if he isn't up to the task anymore, he shouldn't be in the NRA anymore. and I'm quite sure he has an opinion on the whole topic (at least, he should have) and hasn't dared to speak freely about it in front of the camera. marilyn manson did very well in the interview, impressive. *thumb up*

I'm wondering, where are the pro-arms-guys ripping the movie apart, backed by facts? any links?

mfg
wulfman

PS.: *thumbs up* too for the attitude of the canadians shown in the movie.

[thop]

Go Canada!

When he showed the numbers of murder by gun, with Canada somewhere below 500 and the US with 11.000 per year that was really a suprise for me. So i thought: ok probably the gun control laws in canada are very strict, just too find out a few minutes later that Canadians own 7 Mio guns

[Gurm]

Err...

Does this movie hold the parents squarely reponsible?

If not, I'm not only not interested... but I find HIM responsible for perpetuating the problem.

- Gurm

[thop]

hmm not really, only the lack of them at one point. you should be interested.

[Kruzin]

Well, I never heard of this movie before this thread.

I live within a couple miles of Columbine HS (I clearly remember the day it happened, as my kid's school was put under lock-down), and the film has had ZERO publicity here.
The whole Columbine incident is still fresh in the minds of everyone around here. Hell, the state even came out with a licence plate with a columbine flower on it after it happened (the columbine also is our state flower, so the state had a "reason" to make a columbine plate). You can still by "Columbine themed" bumper-stickers in many stores here.
I checked the local theater listing, and only 2 small theaters in the entire Denver/metro area are even showing the film.
I think the film ppl think the same way I do....the film would not be well recieved by those affected by the actual tragedy. I personally see it as an opportunist film maker taking advantage of a situation to make a buck from the situation's shock value...

[thop]

Kruzin please go and see the movie if you can. I'd really like to hear an honest opinion on it from someone who surely knows more about the whole subject than i do. I have to take what Moore tells me as the truth, but maybe he isn't always telling the truth. I already noticed some flaws, maybe there are more.

Still i very much recommend the movie. Some parts are indeed really entertaining, one thing that comes to my mind from the very beginning is the bank giving away guns if you open an account (think about it).

btw. Columbine is just a part of the movie, it is not only about columbine.

also i just checked imdb.com and the movie has a 9.0 rating there, with 9.1 from non-US voters and 9.0 from US voters.

[ElDonAntonio]

I just saw the documentary tonight, and I liked it. I wouldn't give it a 9, but probably an 8. It's more the kind of stuff you appreciate on TV rather than in the movies.

But still it's eye-opening and thought-provoking, which I think was the whole goal.

[Pelle]

Kruzin, I had several reservations about the movie after I saw it, but "cashing in" is really the last thing I would say about it.

And yes, Manson and 'South Park' - Creator Matt Stone, who actually went to Columbine High, both looked pretty good in the interviews.

Cheers,
Pelle