Dokouphil’s article says Sicko is now opening in limited release this Friday in New York and L.A.?  I thought the North American premiere was supposed to be this Saturday in Antrim County, Michigan, to support his wife’s efforts with the local Democratic party?  I wonder if Weinstein decided to bump it up as a counter to all the illegal downloading or to strike while the iron’s hot concerning the Treasury Department publicity. Has anyone seen a budget announced for Sicko?

You know, Jim… that was a very well written post.  Still, I can’t help thinking that it sounds familiar, somehow…

(Artmonkey: 5/10/07)

For years, I’ve heard people call Moore a journalist… including Moore, himself.
And, of course, for years, I’ve laughed in their faces and explained that Moore is a journalist much in the same way as I am a Chinese jet pilot.
Most have just shrugged it off, claiming it didn’t matter, that his work was important and that whether or not he was considered a journalist was not.

...well, I guess it just became important… at least for Moore.

See, this is a key issue.
Moore, by visiting Cuba under the assumption that he would qualify as a legitimate journalist, has put himself in the position of now having to prove himself as a serious reporter; as something more than a propagandist.

This is the final credibility battle for Moore, really.

He will either be able to prove that he should be taken seriously as an ethical, serious journalist, and thereby beat the charges…

OR

He will be officially labeled as what he is; a hypocritical propaganda machine driven by political hatred… and as such, be vulnerable to the full measure of the law, which includes not only large fines, but also criminal charges.

Now, of course, Moore is already playing this off as a politically motivated attack backed by the white house.
And no doubt he will do so in any formal hearing on the matter, as well.

But if… when… Moore is found to have acted illegally, we (and he) should remember one thing;
It is not because he is a propagandist that he’s facing charges.
It is, instead, because he thought he could fool others into believing he was anything else.

Dayum. I’m a visionary! Who’d a thunk it?

But seriously… the only problem I see with allowing him off the hook for this in trade for making him live up to the “journalist” mantle is, if he fails miserably at portraying himself as a journalist (Is there really any other possibility?) then there is no real recourse toward him, aside from some major snarking from those who are already detractors of his. (Namely, us.)
Do you think his supporters will give a flying horse grenade?

So as much as I’d like to see him humiliated, I just can’t expect it to happen.
And as much as it would be played off as a political attack, and become a complete circus if he is prosecuted for this, I think I’d be willing to deal with that to see him face proper punishment under the law.

I stoleded from a artmonkeys.  Lolz.  :)

Sorry dude...I guess GMTA. :)

in the movie, they show moore loading up 3 boats and head off to cuba....so how did they get to cuba, charter flight or boat?

Sam7: Good question.  I assumed boat, but the said plane, so I changed it - maybe they misunderstood?  Perhaps their sources were referring to chartered boats and they assumed plane?

Either way, I think we need to hold him to the title of journalist - it;s his own legal defense for breaking the law after all.  :)

The more I think about this the more it raises a valid question - did these people fly to Cuba and Moore faked the boat scene? 

If so...that’s messed up.  Hasn’t he learned not to fake things in documentaries yet?  If not, then Newsweek messed it up.

Either way, I would not be surprised.

as for the cuba part. they show him and a group of people get into 3 boats and head for cuba. scene cut and a department of homeland security emblem is shown with the text “Homeland Security laws of the United States of America prohibit the filmmakers from revealing how they got to their destination” they show the group of people on the city streets in guatanamo and then looking out at gitmo from a distance, like they’re trying to be sneaky. then he goes on to saying they commandeered a boat....um what happened to his other 3 boats and why does he need another boat?

..um what happened to his other 3 boats and why does he need another boat?

<GASP!> My God!  ....I think he ATE them!