A few weeks ago, a copy of Eli Roth’s Hostel: Part II was leaked on to the internet. It was not a video taped copy, like you normally find on canal street or the torrent sites. It was an unfinished production screener missing some visual and sound effects (and may-be even a scene or two depending on who you read). But all in all, it was supposedly a very watchable copy of the film. But this was enough to cost the film an estimated $5 to $10 million at the box office.
And tonight I returned home from Sacramento, the state capital of California, where Michael Moore premiered Sicko in two separate screenings. One to politicians, the other to nurses. Even Michael told the crowd that this was one of the first public screenings of the film in the United States (the film was shown at Cannes a couple weeks back). And yet I returned home to find more than website claiming to have a complete version of Sicko. How could this be? Already? Yup. As it turns out, somehow a screener of Sicko has also been leaked online, weeks before it’s nationwide release on June 29th. This is the second Lionsgate film in the last month that has found its way onto the internet before being released. I’m not pointing fingers, but this is a huge problem.
But more interesting is Moore’s stance on the issue of downloading movies and copyright laws (video can be found here):
Well, I don’t agree with the copyright laws and I don’t have a problem with people downloading the movie and sharing it with people. As long they’re not doing it to make a profit off it, as long as they’re not, you know, trying to make a profit off my labor. I would oppose that. But um, you know I do quite well and I um…I don’t know, I make these books and movies and TV shows because I want things to change, so the more people that get to see them the better, and um, so I’m, I’m happy when that happens, OK? Should I not be happy I don’t know? It’s like if a friend of yours has the DVD of my movie, gave it to you to watch one night, is that person doing something wrong? I’m not seeing any money from that. But he’s just handing the DVD to you so that you can watch my movie. A DVD that he bought, but you’re not buying it, yet you’re watching it without paying me any money. See I think that’s OK, and it’s always been OK, we share things with people. And I think information and art, ideas should be shared.
I wonder if Moore regrets ever saying that?
The truth is that I hope Sicko does well. It deserves to beat Die Hard 4 and Ratatouille. I’ve seen the movie, and it’s the best movie of the year so far. It’s funny, emotional informative and moving. It’s everything that a great documentary should be. And I think many people will say this is Moore’s best film to date (although, I’d argue for Columbine). But the studio will not be able to contain the leaked film. There is no way this won’t hurt that film’s bottom line. And it’s a shame.
I don’t agree that Internet leaks will hurt the film’s bottom line. Leaks will help publicity. Most Americans are not interested in this kind of film anyway. They prefer trash. Among those who are interested in this film, many (perhaps most) will go to a theatre.
This is the kind of film that I think will be helped by having it both in theatres and online. Perhaps Lionsgate Films understands this. Otherwise they would be issuing threats of prosecution, like the RIAA does. Michael Moore himself has no problem with people viewing it online, as long as people don’t seek to unfairly profit from his work. This seems reasonable to me.
I could be totally wrong about this, Marc, but it almost seems that you subscribe to propaganda about copyrights and “intellectual property” spewed by tyrannical (and Jewish-controlled) organizations like the RIAA and the MPAA. The copyright system, patent system, and “intellectual property” nightmare is an increasingly tyrannical morass that seeks to make us all into criminals. Like the “health care” system itself, these systems sound good in theory, but in practice they are ultimately used by the rich to enslave the poor. Michael Moore himself does not agree with current copyright laws.
You wrote, “It deserves to beat Die Hard 4.” Yes, definitely. The hero in “Die Hard 4” will fight “villains” that attack the ultimate source of Zionist power, namely the banking system. Given that kind of twisted mass-propaganda, the more distribution channels that Moore’s film uses, the better.
In any case, this film is meant to inform, and to help people. All Americans must see it, since their “health care” system is a sick joke, pun intended.
I support any and all means of distribution.
What Moore did through Fahrenheit 911 is inexcusable.
It was not political immaturity or oversight, it was deliberate deception of 98% of people for the sake of the other 2%, of which he is a crypto member. It is hard enough to keep an open mind towards people you don't know, much the less towards somebody who has knowingly so severely burnt you once. If he wants forgiveness, he should have offered the movie free this time. He made enough out of the first swindle. Most likely those who are suffering from the health care system would be putting their money in his pocket to see the movie, not those who are benefiting from it. The abusive swindlers are not always from the right wing; they come from the left wing too. He remains a charlatan to me.
Typical treatment of a "patient", in our "SICKO" system -
THX 1138...Great to hear such well informed film commentary, from someone who actually uses the name of a sci-fi movie as a spare handle.Unfortunately, I must agree with 'Kats', and I could now give two shits in my own hat, much less two shit tickets, to see another "Sicko" flicko from Mikey Moronowitz. When I first got a stale hot wind of this, I thought, Holy Hell, he must have finally done an autobiography !
As far as that Fahrenheit thing goes, well didn't anybody ever wonder how he got it shown so widely ? How about staking out all the controlled opposition ? And talk about plagiarism ! Doesn't anyone remember this great sci-fi movie, based on
a great prophetic story by Ray Bradbury ?
No, all anyone remembers is this tripe
he's awesome!
Come on, katz - that alone is worth cutting him some slack!
I too think that the movie (sicko) should be distributed as far and as wide as possible - which means it ought to include free copies online.
---------------------------------------
"Money" has no value - people do.
Yeah, I saw “THX1138” over thirty years ago, and I still think about it often, which shows how much I admire that movie. It’s loaded with flaws, and very creaky by today’s standards, and far too avant-garde for most people’s tastes, but there are parts of it I still find powerful.
It’s the standard “1984” theme, or “Brave New World,” but the society in THX1138 pushes horror to the absolute. It’s like the movie “The Matrix,” but for adults. Everyone is a specimen, a corpuscle in a giant body that has no purpose. There is no escape, no God, no love, and no hope -- but the film has a mood, an approach, and an atmosphere that is very quiet and very deep. Total clinical sterility. There are no evil people in charge, and no enemy to fight; just a vast bureaucracy in which babies are incubated in jars, and people shrug when a radioactive explosion blows dozens of workers to bits. The robot policemen are kind and gentle (“We’re only here to help”) which makes their subtle brutality mind-bendingly surreal. People are put into a prison that is a featureless white limbo. The entire world is a like a hospital clinic, with endless corridors, endless computers, and endless levels. No beginning. No end. It’s one of the saddest and most horrifying movies I’ve ever seen. The only way to appreciate it is to try and think back to one’s own childhood, when hospitals or dentists’ offices were serene but terrifying.
Interesting you should also mention “Fahrenheit 451.” Here again, emptiness and despair are pushed so far that they become deeply moving, even beautiful (in a twisted way). Most of it was shot in England, whose dreariness adds to the atmosphere. French director Francois Truffault directed it, and French director Frank Darabont (Shawshank Redemption) has been trying to film a remake for years.
Downloading a movie that has not been released by the distributor gives the authorities the excuse to kick your door in and examine every aspect of your life. Ask anyone who has been persecuted for downloading music illegally.
Do you really think that the zionist Weinstein brothers at Lionsgate are giving away their product?
Don't take the bait.
Is another Bad news picture necessary?
Why would anyone pay enough money to promote and encourage this sort of production is a mystery to me.
Did F-911 do any notable things to enact changes? I don't see this. Do you see MM or his movies actually helping someone outside of Moore's Entourage?
Now don't get me wrong he contributes to charities. Most rich folks do. But to a limited extent compared to the huge pile of gold this Lions Gate cult is sitting on.
Put up Moore. Put up or SHUT UP.
Profits are pain now.
I will go with Claymore Nothing like this is free.
And after f-911 and it's major holes and what not thinking that MM is some of revered truth teller is sort of Naive.
If this guy or Lions gate really believed what they say then there would be a DRM free Xvid of the flick for all to download and share with license to do so. He IS going to get his pound of flesh at the ticket window anyway so why not do the right thing and release a 1GB Xvid for all to see.
Mr Moors film if it's so important should have been released like this to get something done to fix the medical system Americans are forced into. We understand films are expensive to make BUT this sort of movie is not one of those. No Xvid prooves that this is just PRODUCT and nothing Moore.
But there is nothing. Moore could have demanded that the movie-Mp3 version was co-released on the NET with enough hosting to promote his movie IF HE ACTUALLY BELIEVED in the things he said in above clip. He could have had a copy uploaded to YouTube.
He easly could have done this if he wanted to actually help many do this.
Tricks are for kids Michael.
MM bank? Well you do the math. I can fathom a nice slice from LG to make another one.
Me i pass. Even on the Xvid if they had done one.
First you take D.C. Then you take New York.
does MM expose zionism in any way, shape or form?
An Hour with Michael Moore on "Sicko"
The military is doing all they can NOT to even admit that most disabled vets were disabled by U-238 exposures combined with this Anthrax vaccine they all were shot with.
Case after case of folks getting Serious sick from just the pre deploy Anthrax shots.
None of this is going to be treated. Not one of these vets done in at the deploy stage are ever going to get help unless We ALL stand up with a clear head and defend this ever growing group of Veterans.
This throwing them on the street to die is sucking Ass America. I can see you treating these men as PTSD and doing all manner or legalese to yank all rightfully earned supports.
America the vets dying this day on your streets curse you for abandoning him or her to there fate at the hands of the street. Even on my farm i can hear the cries from vets abandoned and left alone to fend off the coming sicknesses all on there own.
In 02' i even met a super scared ex-American on the street in Calgary.
This lot is sure spooked by Uncle Sam is all i need to say. They can get some help here but the Americans should be doing this not like everyone with survivors is doing all around the globe.
U-238 is serious. You should be too.
First you take D.C. Then you take New York.