Manufacturing Dissent
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Movie Reviews of Manufacturing Dissent
Movie Review: Manipulator vs. Manipulator
Summary: 3 Stars
Debbie Melnyk's film, unlike other films about Moore that tend to be wing nut hatchet jobs, questions his approach to making films rather than his politics, accusing him of exploiting issues for personal gain. We live in a world where info-tainment & spin has become business as usual. Right wing shouting heads, Carl Rove, Ralph Nader, Michael Moore & now Debbie Melnyk all competing for a piece of the action. She does indeed turn the tables on Moore unfortunately she also commits many of the same sins she accuses him of. Following him around and pestering him for interviews at inopportune moments, presenting his detractors, some obviously jealous film makers, as if they were unbiased voice of authority, cherry picking and bending facts to build her caseMovie Review: They used a clip from my film.
Summary: 3 Stars
I think it's a 2 star film, but I give Manufacturing Dissent 3 stars because they used a clip from my film "This Divided State" in it.
Other than that, it was ok I guess. I liked "Michael Moore Hates America" better.
I'm generally a pro-Moore viewer and I really liked "SiCKO", but I don't think "Bowling For Columbine" deserved an Oscar. "Capturing the Friedmans" was the best documentary that year. But, I digress.
Manufacturing Dissent brought up some good points along the way and I agree with them, it just didn't do it in an engaging way.
Movie Review: Manufacturing Dissent.
Summary: 3 Stars
This Documentary presents a more "fair" look at MM,whatever that means. He doesn't deserve a Fair nothing. What he has done,his methods and deceit to justify his means has already been covered in Michael Moore Hates America(A Much superior film than this.)To give time to see anything michael moore related is too waste one's time. he doesn't represent the little guy,only the liberal establishment.he is in desperate need of help.If he represents the Left in this country I feel sorry for them.Movie Review: Credit for trying
Summary: 3 Stars
For those who review here, it is a review, not a critique.
It is a simple book that has what the reader is expected to be truths, just like Michaels books and movies; these are money making vehicles for publishers and Moore and this guy made them some money. Relax and use this to spark your own research and then you will see just how hard it is to evaluate almost any real issues.
Movie Review: Some truth, some distortion, lots of subjectivity
Summary: 2 Stars
As most who review these pages will realize, I'm somewhat of a Michael Moore fan. I don't consider him infallible, and never did. But he's quite good at making moving films.
By the way, to begin with, I resent a blurb put on the DVD's package, that it features, among others, Noam Chomsky, whom I admire. Yeah, Chomsky had a piece for a few seconds but he said in many ways the same thing Moore and I say regarding the US media and their inability to challenge the Iraq war before it started. I'd have attributed a little more HONESTY to those who produced the film had they not had that little tidbit.
Anyway, I must state that I agree with some of the things the director of this film says. We ARE living in a polarized society. Is Michael Moore responsible for that? No more or less than are Hannity, o'lielly or the plethora of other right wing pundits who, as Todd Gitlin pointed out in a book I read a few years ago, will always dominate the media as "us vs. them" sells better. Indeed, at least one person commented in the film that that justifies Moore's existence: There's so much right wing blather that Moore offers an alternative. Polarizing? Perhaps, but that's not Moore's fault.
And the film made good points on Moore's manipulation of fact, timing, for example, that makes it look like things happened which didn't. Yeah, I have a hard time rationalizing that. Frankly, though, I think Moore's gotten better and doesn't need to do so quite so much manipulation of reality. (There was a rationalization in the film of Bush's statement in "Fahrenheit" about his support, that the statement was made at a Catholic fundraiser where you're supposed to indulge in self-deprecating humor. Then the guy on the screen says, "...even if it was true to a degree"--something to that effect--it was unethical to do what Moore did. Even if it were true?)
Oh, and the DVD stressed that "Bowling for Columbine" was an anti-gun film, yet got off that subject--became an indictment of the American culture--to which some associated with the film objected. There may have been some inaccuracies in the film, which, again, it's difficult to rationalize. Indeed, as I've said in other reviews, I find Moore oversimplifies the race issue, and I don't get into that post-modernist angle. But the film is not an anti-gun film, but one that covers fear, violence, sensationalism, perversions of individualism, and other subjects. That's why an acquaintance of mine who's really quite conservative rather liked the film!
I guess what I noticed most on the DVD was the subjectivity of some of the comments. One guy who interviewed Moore for a television show, for instance, said, "I could feel the he just wanted to kill me," then Moore put on the charm and tried to win him back. I didn't see Moore's desire to kill the guy just because Moore challeged his film, and I doubt others would unless they really wanted to. There were way too many of those subjective judgements of Moore's personality that served no purpose other than to attempt to belittle Moore.
As to the "quirks" (quoting Ralph Nader) in Moore's personality, well, I tend to be at heart somewhat of an anarchist. I've worked with some stalwarts of the left who were opportunists, sometimes even megalomaniacs. Well, if I were to make it in the film world, make $220 million off of "Fahrenheit 9/11," for example, I doubt I'd be free of such quirks. As to his desire to be loved, I'm not in a position to know that much about Moore. In fact, I might not want to work for him, but that doesn't detract from the impact of his media.
So, yes, there are some weaknesses in Moore's pursuit of the truth--as there are in the same pursuit by the people who put together this film. Yes, too, "Fahrenheit" preached to the choir. But when I was discussing the radio show to be developed where I worked years ago, the one responsible for the show continued to rationalize why it won't work, that she'd be "preaching to the choir." As a founder of that organization put it, "So does Rush Limbaugh preach to the choir!" and told her to persist. That Michael Moore preaches to the choir is not inherently a vice. The fact is, I have all Moore's films (except for the fiction one referred to in this DVD; I've never even heard of it). And his latest, "Sicko," despite its weaknesses and our ability to challenge some of its credibility, is a gem, and is beginning to stimulate some action on health care in this country. I don't know what "Manufacturing Dissent" is likely to stimulate.