July 07, 2004

• What if I sell my "downloading time," which happens to come with a free copy of Fahrenheit 911?
• Then you are well on your way to becoming a ticket scalper, I mean, redistributor?
• A PR coup, and right at his viewership - young, technically savvy, idealistic. You gotta hand it to Moore, whatever else he may be, stupid he ain't. Would that the muttonheads on my side of the aisle had half has much social smarts. Instead, the Right comes up with an FCC censorship scheme and "America's Heart and Soul." Good lord.
• What I don't understand is how every year Hollywood can break new records and bring in billions of dollars in ticket sales, and yet they still claim that piracy is a big problem and the movie industry is suffering for it. I can ALMOST see the plight of the music industry, but the MPAA has no ground to stand on IMO.
• Yep. This fits well with my prediction that the DVD will be in stores while the movie still plays in theaters. Don't forget Fes, those “muttonheads” have controlled political discourse in this country for the last 15 years or so. They are a very savvy group which managed to demonize a economic conservative Democratic President and turn the word "liberal" into an epithet. Say what you will about the right, they have, and will most likely keep the their base, i.e. older, conservative, middle of the roaders in the "fly-over" states. I personally hope that the Democrats can re-invigorate their party and appeal to a wider base, but we shall see...
• I was in a paid focus group last year sponsored by the MPAA. The participants were people who had downloaded music but not movies. Basically, they were trying to figure out how to keep us lawbreakers from making the leap from music to film. It was one of the more infuriating things I've ever been part of. Basically the only tactics they were thinking of using were a) shame (in the form of those commercials where film industry workers are talking about how they are losing their jobs) and b) fear (threatening lawsuits RIAA style). When the panelists suggested that the film industry focus on better product (less White Chicks) and lowering the price of DVD's, the suggetions were barely considered. It's simply business as usual, and the industry is in major denial that they are going to have to rethink best business practices in light of technological advancements. I was so pissed off in the end that I went home and downloaded a movie out of spite. After they had to pay me $75. So you are right... Michael Moore certainly has a better understanding of his base than mainstream media.
• Moore's decision didn't require superstring-theory-level reasoning nor flying-through-the-middle-of-the-sun-level bravado nor noble financial sacrifice. It seems an obvious and necessary idea. Moore would seem irrational for complaining about people "stealing" this particular movie. Note: I'm not claiming the above attitudes are held/were-stated. I just want to emphasize, again, that the decision was extremely obvious in case someone thought otherwise ;)
• The reason why they film and music industry claim "theft!" is that they claim that all those downloaded copies represent sales. Of course this is a fallacy. I know that nearly all of the music I have downloaded is music I would not have bought. And of course there was all this furour back before Eminem's last solo album came out and it was being wildly downloaded. People were predicting gloom. But lo and behold when the album actually came out it broke the record for number copies sold in the first week. Instead of celebrating the industry lamented, "But just think how much we could have sold without all of those theives!"
• Hail to the Thief is another example of that. It was leaked months prior, and sold like hotcakes. I know I listened to the leaks and bought the album.
• Maybe any kind of publicity is good publicity. If the creative arts are sucking so much these days, then maybe the industry's feeling is that letting people indulge a bit will whet their appetites to go get the "real deal".
• Could it possibly be that he just, yaknow, doesn't mind people downloading his film?
• Isn't that Matt and Trey's stance on downloading South Park? Anyway, GOD BLESS MICHEAL MOORE
• So, where are the links, people? I'm like, waitin' ovah heah...
• And we would be able to download a copy...where?
• interesting, kimdog. and good for michael moore. i am now *more* likely to go see F911 at the theater, ironically. see also: phish and the grateful dead allowed bootlegging... which helped, rather than hurt their popularity/success/fan relations/etc. MPAA, are you listening?
• Ween also allows taping, and are pretty tech savvy.
• Using bittorrent I got it from Suprnova. Not the best quality but a fine substitute when the theaters in your neck of the woods won't play it.
• Fahrenheit 9/11 on the Internet Archive. As pointed out by Boing Boing. They are taking him up on his "I don't have a problem with people downloading the movie and sharing it...as long as they're not trying to make a profit off my labor." Don't know about the quality but there are several formats available.
• Seven hours? You're slipping, people. The internet is dead. Geez. [joking, monkeys. just a joke.]
• Has it been removed from available viewing on the Archive or am I just dense? On a side note, it seems the ripped copy is missing parts of the film, particularly parts about the Patriot Act and Moore driving an Ice Cream Truck around Capitol Hill talking about it. I haven't seen the movie and can't vouch if that is in it but it wasn't in the version I saw. Monkeys get them thar tinfoil hats out o the closet, we gawt ourselves a conspiracy!
• anyone have suggestions on where I can get a good bittorrent version? Preferably without all the unpacking, joining, spackling, etc.?
• I got mine from Suprnova.org. The 4gig file is an iso that can be burned straight to dvd and made life really easy (even with chapters and a custom menu).
• Coming soon to a bedsheet or TV
• Riverbend got a copy, here's her perspective on the film.
• Thats a good read. Cheers, homunculus