July 12, 2004

Brutal Monday morning….

Spider-Man 2 made a lot of money, again… Anchorman had a solid start… King Arthur tanked, as it had to… Fahrenheit 9/11 has stabilized and now looks like it will top out domestically at $110 million, though don't be surprised if Lions Gate, IFC & FAG make a run at Everest's $128 million record for all documentaries… Napoleon Dynamite seems to be having a surprisingly hard time getting traction… yawn, yawn, yawn…

Do I really have anything to say about McG finally falling out of Superman? Just a sigh of relief…

And with that, there is no more… at least not until tomorrow, when the week revs up big time…

READER OF THE DAY: We received a series of e-mails intended for the Midwestern exhibitor who has decided not to show Fahrenheit 9/11 in his theaters. I thought you might be amused by an assortment of them, unedited and uninterrupted. Enjoy!

BeeGee writes: "Fridley:

You are idiots for not showing this important and very entertaining, yet serious movie. It contains actual film of Bush - not made up; it has serious interviews with loyal American families that have sons in Iraq. It is an very fine movie.

I am mad that you decide this based on your GOP love and prejudice and lack of objectivity to at least show the movie and let the viewers decide -

IS THE AMERICA YOU WANT CONTROLLED LIKE CHINA? THEN DO NOT SHOW THIS MOVIE

Is the American flag only for the GOP? Does the GOP want only ONE party - like China?

Do you blame all wrong on liberals - like Hitler blamed all wrong on Jews?

- you are an idiot, like W - who should have acted faster and STRONGER to track down Al Qaeda and ben laddin -

you help protect the Bush family friendship with the royal Saudi's and ben laddin family;"

MISS DES MOINES writes: "Your refusal to show Michael Moore's film in your theaters is partisan censorship, not matter what excuse you use to justify it. The film is not propaganda, it simply shows people in the administration speaking for themselves. As theater owners, you owe it to the public to be unbiased; as Americans you owe it to yourself to be honest and fair, values we are supposed to espouse. If you were to show this film you would not be forcing those who don't want to see it to do so, but you should be ashamed of yourself for denying those who do want to see it the opportunity to do so. As a fellow Iowan, I'm definitely ashamed of you."

Finally, THE KEPPER writes: "You're spineless like the idiots who invaded Iraq and those who supported it!

Your reasons for choosing not to show Farenheit 9/11 are as erroneous as the Bush Administration's reasons for invading Iraq. Your choice not to distribute the film only perpetuate the erosion of liberty in this country, and prove that you are yet another constituent of the right wing coalition. Your choices should be based on market forces, not on political battles.

The film is no more a "propoganda film" than Bush's War in Iraq is a handout to the oil and military elite. Go watch the movie and you may learn a thing or two: why are all the poor people fighting the elite's battle over oil in Iraq? Why aren't the senators' and administration's sons and daughters on the front line?

E ME: Do you have anything to write about today?