[Note: This is part two of a review of Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 and Dick Morris’ FahrenHYPE 9/11]
When FahrenHYPE 9/11 opens with a clip of Michael Moore saying “There is no terrorist threat" you quickly realize that this film isn’t just in a different category than Moore’s movie: it’s in a whole different reality. 
HYPE was rushed out on DVD on the same day that Moore’s film hit video stores in order to provide a counterbalance to the box office sensation. Dueling political documentaries is quickly developing into its own genre this election year. But HYPE is not the right-wing-hit-piece-with-sub-PBS-production-values that you might expect. In fact, compared to F911, HYPE is a superior piece of filmmaking in almost every way. While Moore’s movie is poorly structured and ploddingly paced, HYPE is tight and to the point. That point – that Moore is a lying propagandist -- is driven home by a large collection of evidence provided by a bipartisan cadre of talking heads.
The two primary narrators are Dick Morris, former advisor to Bill Clinton, and actor Ron Silver, a lifelong “Truman Democrat” who broke ranks with his party over the war on terrorism. They’re joined by other Democrats such as former NYC mayor Ed Koch and Georgia Senator Zell Miller and by such Republican luminaries as speechwriter David Frum and right wing attack dog Ann Coulter. Such inclusiveness against a common enemy was short-lived after 11 September 2001 but Moore appears to bring them back together against a new, larger target.
In the wrong hands, a rebuttal film like this could have easily turned into a knee-jerk defense of George Bush. But while Morris and company defend the President when they think it’s warranted, their primary concern is pointing out the many ways in which Moore misled viewers of his "documentary." Their task is, of course, made easier by Moore’s slovenly filmmaking.
For example, two of the strongest points in the film are when HYPE focuses on an Oregon State Police officer and a disabled war veteran, both of whom were included in F911 but who were never interviewed by Moore. Video footage, apparently obtained through news or other sources, was used by in F911 without their permission. The interview by the young war vet, his body broken but his pride unbowed, is particularly moving. He not only contradicts Moore’s claim that wounded soldiers are not being taken care of by the government but he expresses his fury at being used against a cause he believes in.
Even the most ardent supporter of Moore’s must wince at seeing the way he mixes and matches film footage without regard to context. As Ron Silver jokes, "Give me enough footage of Michael Moore and I can make him look like an anorexic right winger."
Unfortunately, HYPE won’t reach the vast audiences that saw Moore’s work of propaganda. Many will never hear about it while others will simply refuse to entertain a dissenting opinion. But at least now when a defender of F911 praises Moore’s movie I’ll ask them if they’ve seen the rebuttal by Morris. If they’ve drunk the poison, they should at least have sampled the antidote.
Update: Glenn Reynolds was similarly impressed: "This should be on network TV."
1
>If they’ve drunk the poison, they should at least have sampled the antidote.
I am beginning to think we live in the "Kool Aid" generation.
posted on 10.15.2004 8:36 AM2
"to bring them back together against a new, larger target." Larger target. I like that
posted on 10.15.2004 10:18 AM3
"They’re joined by other Democrats such as former NYC mayor Ed Koch and Georgia Senator Zell Miller and by such Republican luminaries as speechwriter David Frum and right wing attack dog Ann Coulter"
Ann Coulter is a "Republican luminary"? A Republican apologist, maybe, and a well-documented lying sack of human scum for sure. But a "luminary"?
If you say so.
posted on 10.15.2004 12:32 PM4
>Unfortunately, HYPE won’t reach the vast audiences that saw Moore’s work of propaganda.
doubleplusungood refs unevents.
doubleplusungood refs unpersons.
memhole.
war is peace
freedom is slavery
ignorance is strength
oceania has never been at war with eurasia
chocolate ration of 20g has been increased to 10g
2 + 2 = 5
bush is goldstein
jfk2 4 prez
5
Anyone that is being honest can clearly see that Iraq was not an immediate threat and therefore Rushing to war was wrong and will cost us more then not going to war (in a rush) would have in the long run.
So I have come to a conclusion since it was wrong war at wrong time George W. Bush sent our soldiers into harms way when it was not needed and therefore is responsible for the Death of every soldier that has died in Iraq. I am sorry that is a mass murderer that is unacceptable. Anyone that votes for Bush to me is supporting a Murderer and the Death of our soldiers.
Some will say no I do not look at it that way. Well I am sorry you can pick and choose the facts you think is good and bad. Facts are Facts and it’s a Fact that if you support Bush you support the death of our soldiers.
May God have mercy on your soul.
posted on 10.15.2004 1:00 PM6
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com
Read about Bush's medical device.
posted on 10.15.2004 1:42 PM7
Interesting that all of the lefties come out not in support of Michael Moore in this thread, but, again with virulent anti-Bush spew.
Yeah.
Good thing that you guys don't have someone to vote FOR just someone to vote AGAINST.
posted on 10.15.2004 1:47 PM8
"Good thing that you guys don't have someone to vote FOR just someone to vote AGAINST."
I wasn't aware Moore was running.
I'm voting FOR Kerry.
(because he's not Bush) ;-)
posted on 10.15.2004 3:53 PM9
"Good thing that you guys don't have someone to vote FOR just someone to vote AGAINST."
I'm voting for Kerry, too, Emmaus. He'll make a good president. He's a better man than the Chimp by any measure.
I suppose you'll be voting for Bush, the incompetent turd who made our country less safe and is directly responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis, including a whole bunch more in the last 48 hours.
Do you really believe the history books will describe Bush's presidency as a successful one? The guy who ran as a "compassionate" conservative and "uniter" but who ended up invading another country for bogus reasons, created the largest deficit in history, and failed to create jobs (during wartime!)???
Spare me. Why don't you save your energy to build a fence to keep out the invasion of French-speaking homosexual terrorists that are going to move into your town immediately after Kerry is elected?
posted on 10.15.2004 5:32 PM10
Larry:
doubleplusgoodthink, comrade!
doubleplusgood duckspeak!
Will Kerry (who by the way served in Vietnam) and Michael Moore (all genuflect and burn the pinch of incense before him) cut you in on the goodies for being such a loyal Jeffah?
posted on 10.15.2004 5:57 PM11
Funny... I already thought Larry Lord was a French-speaking homosexual terrorist. . . I guess we were too late with that wall.
Larry says: "Kerry will MAKE a good president"
What will he "make" a good president out of? Silly putty, perhaps?
Larry, I suppose voting for Kerry will just make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside and you'll never have to think of that unpleasant "nusance" of a day: 9/11/01. . .
Isn't that wool itching your eyes yet?
12
I'm voting for Kerry too.
He has a plan to get back the $89 billion our "compassionate" "conservative" president gave the multigazillionaires and:
1. Save the Social Security system through 2498;
2. Give us all good environmental jobs after he signs the Kyoto accords;
3. Pay for a giant tax cut on the rest of Americans from $200,000 per year on down (that's me!!)
4. Fund the No Child Left Behind Act
5. Put a new fire station in every neighborhood
6. More drug money for grandpa
7. The government will pay for my health insurance.
We NEED a president who really knows how to stretch a dollar, in these perilous economic times.
posted on 10.16.2004 10:59 AM13
It amazes me when people talk about Bush being responsible for the deaths of our soldiers. Intelligence showed that Saddam had WMD. Not just ours, but the worlds. Can you imagine the outrage of the liberals if Bush had done nothing and Saddam had attacked us with a WMD? They would be screaming how irresponsible he was! He can't win either way with these people so I just ignore them.
Also with their theory of Bush being responsible for the death (guess they forget about the terrorists who actually caused the death), I guess that means every time a policeman is killed, the person who gave him that assignment is responsible.
It is such a ridiculous argument.....
posted on 10.16.2004 11:44 AM14
Soldiers in Iraq - thousands
Abortions in America - millions
Let's talk about murder and who kills more people.
posted on 10.16.2004 2:44 PM15
christains like to get people out the womb and then kill them.
posted on 10.17.2004 12:59 PM16
I note that the "discussion" quickly segued to another anti-Bush rant/reply thread. Is no one going to argue that Fahrenheit 9/11 is anything other than a bogus hit piece? Guess not.
posted on 10.18.2004 1:16 AM17
The thing that gets me is that these pointy headed liberals praise the propoganda and fabrications of Michael Moore, but then try to stop a real documentarty called "stolen honor" (www.stolenhonor.com) by getting senators to lean on the FCC. I believe that in this free country asses like Moore have the right to spew their poison without being intimidated by government officials. Don't the very vets that fought for this freedom deserve this same right!!??
Whats the matter with you people?
posted on 10.18.2004 10:31 AM18
Just so you know... I just added this movie to my Netflix queue. Thanks for alerting me to this.
posted on 10.19.2004 12:58 AM19
Dick Morris manages to stick two pigs with the same dagger when he lambastes both Clinton and Kerry's policies and would be policies for fighting terror and repealing the patriot act when Morris shows that it was exactly the patriot act, in its current form, that stopped cold the recent efforts of Islamic terrorists to blow up the Brooklyn bridge.
Every single claim Michael Moore makes about Bush is refuted, shot down, and otherwise exposed as complete, utter, and wretched fraud.
The Carlyle Group? Moore's Bush-Boogey-Man-Band, well, turns out that the founder, George Soros, was the one who donated $100,000,000.00 to get them off the groud, not (as Moore claims) Bush senior!
The Oil Pipeline that Moore claims was a Halliburton pipe-dream come true? (it doesn't exist).
Fahrenhype 9/11's robust and well supported thesis: Fahrenheit 9/11 is nothing more than a complete fabrication from the small shrivelled (and desperate) mind of Michael Moore.
btw, you can rent Fahrenhype 9/11 from Blockbuster now.
posted on 10.19.2004 1:19 AM20
Just how clueless and inept is the Bush Administration? Here is how their fantasies looked way back in 2003 ...
posted on 10.19.2004 1:07 PM