"The difference is that there was a chance CBS would cave. This film will get shown, and these protests will not stop that. The theaters and distributors signed on AFTER the controversy, and largely because of the controversy."
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I think you're spot on.
However, I don't think most true Americans will believe it!!
No matter what else others think who say they they agree with him. Who are they anyway? Mostly Hollywood f'wads, and of course the Frenchies. Who cares?
It directly aids, abets, and supports the terrorists by undermining America's will to fight.
It can't simply be ignored.
Actually, Michael Moore's people were finding less and less theater interest as movie theater execs and local operators learned more about the film.
Daily Variety revealed that theaters were DISAPPEARING from the films f911tix.com website - and it turns out that what Moore and his distributors (Lions Gate Films and IFC Films) were doing was listing movie theaters who had NOT yet decided whether to show the film, but who they were trying to persuade.
The folks promoting Moore's film were getting press scrutiny over why so few theaters were being added so they tried to cook their numbers but then got caught.
The exposure of the message of the film and American's displeasure with it TO MOVIE THEATER REPRESENTATIVES makes them have to confront how comfortable they feel serving as the promotion machine for a blatantly political message (and one that undermines the war on terrorism). That makes them shy away from the film.
Whereas, with Passion of the Christ, when there was attention called to its message (the death and resurrection of Christ), well, showing a movie to a nation that is overwhelmingly Christian puts them in the mainstream... not advocating extreme right or left politics.
That's the difference - and that's why Passion was in more than 3,000 theaters, but "Fahrenheit 9/11" has been meeting increased resistance from theater operators in showing the film.