Forwarded to me via the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives -- pls fwd
as appropriate to friends or colleagues, esp. near NY and LA regions where
they could support the opening of this film.
Laura



http://www.michaelmoore.com

October 9, 2002

My Film, "Bowling for Columbine," Opens This Friday

Dear friends, fans, and fellow evildoers:

I am very happy and excited to tell you that this Friday, October 11, my

new film, "Bowling for Columbine," will open in New York and Los
Angeles.

It is, I promise, the last thing the Bushies want projected on the movie

screens across America this week. The film is, first and foremost, a
devastating indictment of the violence that is done in our name for
profit
and power -- and no one, in all the advance screenings I have attended,
has
left the theatre with anything short of rage. I truly believe this film
has
the potential to rock the nation and get people energized to do
something.

This is not good news for Junior and Company. Not when they are trying
to
drag us into another war. Not when a crazed sniper is exercising his
constitutional right to own a high-powered rifle. Not when John Ashcroft
is
still prohibiting the FBI from looking through the gun background check
files to see if any of the 19 hijackers or their associates purchased
any
weapons prior to 9/11 -- because THAT, we are told, would "violate"
these
terrorists' sacred Second Amendment rights!

Yes, I believe this movie can create a lot of havoc -- but I will need
ALL
of you to help me do this. Are you game?

Last February 5th, I wrote to tell you about a book I had written and
how
the publisher had decided to dump it because they were afraid to publish

anything critical of Bush after 9/11. I appealed to you to save "Stupid
White Men" from the shredder and to go out and buy it. I promised you
would
not regret it, and that the book would not only be a great read but an
important organizing tool in gumming up the plans of George W. Bush.

Within 24 hours, the book went to #1 on the Amazon best seller list. By
the
fifth day, the book was already into its 9th printing. The publisher was

torn between its desire to kill the book or make a wad of money. Greed
won
out, and this Sunday the book enters its 31st week on the New York Times

best seller list -- and its 32nd printing. This is all because of you,
my
crazy and loyal friends. You made this happen, against all the odds.

Now I would like to ask you again to help me with my latest work,
"Bowling
for Columbine." It's a movie that many critics have already called my
best
film to date. They may be right. It is certainly the most provocative
thing
I have ever done. I have spent three years on it and, I have to say, it
cuts
deeper, harder and funnier that anything I have given you so far.

The movie opens this Friday in New York and Los Angeles, and then in 8
more
cities next week. How it does in these first ten cities will determine
whether or not the rest of the country gets to see it. That is the nutty

way
our films are released. If it doesn't have a big opening weekend, you
can
kiss the film good-bye. Therefore, this weekend, this film must be seen
by
millions of Americans. Can you help me make that happen?

"Bowling for Columbine" is not a film simply about guns or school
shootings.
That is only the starting point for my 2-hour journey into the dark soul
of
a country that is both victim and master of an enormous amount of
violence,
both at home and around the world. With this movie I have broadened my
canvas to paint a portrait of our nation at the beginning of the 21st
century, a nation that seems hell-bent on killing first and asking
questions
later. It is a movie about the state sponsored acts of violence and
terrorism against our own poor, and how we have created a culture of
fear
that is based on the racial dilemma we continue to ignore. And it's a
devastating comedy.

This film is going to upset some pretty big apple carts. No film has
EVER
said the things I am saying in "Bowling for Columbine." I expect to be
attacked. I expect certain theatres will not show it for fear of
retribution. I expect that this movie will be a bitter pill for many to
swallow.

This is why I need your help. Movies live or die based on what happens
at
the box office the first weekend of its release. I need you, if you live
in
the New York or L.A. area, to go see "Bowling for Columbine" this Friday

and
Saturday -- and take as many family members and friends with you as
possible. I guarantee you will not be disappointed -- and you may just
see
one of the best films of the year.

Monday night in Times Square, "Bowling for Columbine" had its premiere.
The
crowd was amazing, as it was this past Saturday night at the Chicago
Film
Festival. The audience kept laughing or hooting or applauding so loud
throughout the film that it was hard to hear the next line.

The hate mail, the threats, the promises of retribution have already
started
to roll in to the distributor of this movie, United Artists. They are
not
backing down. But how long will this last? I need all of you in the New
York
tri-state and southern California areas to go see "Bowling for
Columbine"
THIS weekend -- the rest of you can see it in a couple of weeks when it
comes to your town. A strong opening not only means that the rest of
America
will see this film, it means that a good number of people who see it are

going to leave the film angry enough to get active and get involved. If
it
does poorly, I will have a difficult time finding the funding for the
movie
I want to make next -- a film about 9/11 and how Bush is using that
tragic
day as a cover for his right-wing agenda.

Don't let that happen. Don't let the NRA have one more success by
stopping
the wider distribution of this movie. And, together, let us not remain
silent in our opposition to Bush's phony war against Iraq.

If you live in New York, you can see it at the Lincoln Plaza, the
Sunshine
and the Loews 19th St. In L.A., you can catch it at the Sunset 5, the
Westwood Regent, Laemmle Sunset, Laemmle Towncenter (Encino), Landmark
Rialto (Pasadena), and Regal University (Irvine). Also, please forward
this
to your other friends and tell them to go see "Bowling for Columbine"
this
weekend.

And finally, don't miss our new website www.bowlingforcolumbine.com

Thank you for your help with this. I feel so honored and privileged to
have
so many people interested in my work. Last January I was getting 70,000
hits
a month on my website. Last month, I got 17 million hits. This alone
speaks
volumes about the vast majority all of us belong to who are sick and
tired
of what is going on and are longing for an alternative source of
information.

I hope that you enjoy "Bowling for Columbine."

Thank you again...

Yours,

Michael Moore