Detroit Free Press

Trailer for Michael Moore's new film, 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' in theaters today

June 4, 2004

Day by day, the Michael Moore hype grows.

The trailer for the Flint satirist and pseudo-documentarian's incendiary new film "Fahrenheit 9/11" debuts in theaters today. But the curious can find it on his Web site anytime.

The Academy Award-winning filmmaker's new movie criticizes President Bush's response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

It portrays the Iraq war as a conflict that has unnecessarily endangered the American military, and connects the Bush family to Osama bin Laden's.

"Fahrenheit 9/11" recently won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, hosted in a country, France, that refused to participate in the Iraq war and where anything that riles American political sensibilities is raised to iconic status.

As most of the Western world knows by now, it attracted controversy before it was ever screened, when Moore announced the Walt Disney Co. had refused to let its Miramax Films division distribute the movie.

Moore accused Disney of wanting, among other things, to protect alleged tax breaks in Florida, where the governor is the president's brother, Jeb.

Miramax chiefs Bob and Harvey Weinstein bought the $6-million movie personally and are distributing it through a partnership with Lions Gate Films and IFC Films.

They will probably laugh all the way to the bank.

The film's publicist said the trailer was set to be posted on Moore's Web site, www.michaelmoore.com.

Said Moore: "With Frodo (Harvey) and Sam (Bob) now in charge of the Fellowship, I welcome the addition of Lions Gate and IFC to our quest in bringing good family entertainment to the viewing public."

Moore said he expects the film to open on a "record" number of screens across the country June 25. Local theaters have not yet been announced.