Bowling For Columbine

stevoslice

Saw this recently, and definitely mst go down as one of the most funny/scary/emotional films i've ever seen.

Just wondering does anyone have any other recommendations in the documntary film genre?

Buck Owens

yeah it's a great film alright! I was nearly in tears watching the whole columbine security footage! who could have thought that the Marilyn manson song playing in the background could have been so effective.

SheroN

Biggie and Tupac is also another pretty good feature length documentary.

zAbbo

Good film, id take it all with a pinch of salt. Maybe check out some of Michael Moores books

Agent Orange

A terrible movie, riddled with inaccuracies - not to mention Moore's self-aggrandisement. A nasty reflection of left-wing liberal America.

proteus

"A nasty reflection of left-wing liberal America."

As opposed to Bush and his war-mongering cronies. It may not be wholly accurate and Moore may be just milking the Anti-Bush sentiment but its a good counterpoint to Bush' reasoning.

SheroN

what exactly is inaccurate in the film? I've heard so many people say this, but no one seems to list the inaccuracies!

oeNeo

I read some site soon after watching it and it had loads of innaccuracies pointed out in the film, I can't find that exact page though but a quick search on google found this: http://www.redeemernews.org/news/2003/10/22/Features/Bowling.For.Columbine.Filled.With.Inaccuracies-538097.shtml

projectmayhem

i thought bowling for columbine was excellent. it had everything that it needed to have, and with the right balance. it's then left up to the viewers to judge whatever they want to judge.

i'd recomment "stupid white men", one of moores most successful books. interesting read

ixoy

Originally posted by SheroN
what exactly is inaccurate in the film? I've heard so many people say this, but no one seems to list the inaccuracies!

Well it's also misrepresentations of the truth. For example, Moore uses the gun rally to show how insensitive the gun rally lobby were to the recent massacre. If I recall correctly though, he used particular cuts to make them seem far worse than they were. The NRA tried to be far more accomodating than was let on but Moore sensationalised the moment.
Having said that, this was a damn enjoyable documentary.

Just wondering does anyone have any other recommendations in the documntary film genre?

Spellbound. Fantastic - one of the best things I saw in the cinema last year.

Klaus

Originally posted by ixoy
Having said that, this was a damn enjoyable documentary.

Roger & Me, also directed by Moore, about effects of Ford factories leaving his home town. Also Manufacturing Consent, about Noam Chomsiky's ideas on the functioning of the media. Atomic Cafe, about nuclear arms. All available in Laser in Georges St. and Ranelagh.

Exit

There's a link here pointing out discrepancies in the film - http://www.hardylaw.net/Truth_About_Bowling.html

And then there's Moore himself discussing some of these discrepancies - http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/wackoattacko/

And then there's the first guy replying - http://www.hardylaw.net/replytomoore.html

Heres an Images from the last guys website.

Just to give a more balanced view of his argument!

http://www.hardylaw.net/day.GIF

Exit

Just to clarify, I wasn't advocating that guy's opinions or website. He makes some good points about the documentary, but (and that picture seems to prove my point) I think he has an ulterior motive for attacking Moore.

MadsL

Just wondering does anyone have any other recommendations in the documntary film genre?

Fog of War.

Showing at the dublin film festival...

Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line, Fast, Cheap and Out of Control) brings his formidable documentary skills to this timely study of former US Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, who served in both the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.

Morris structures the film as ‘11 lessons from the life of Robert McNamara’, who at the age of 85 reflects back on the political processes at play in several of the key conflicts of the 20th century – the Second World War, the Bay of Pigs, Vietnam.
Lucid and candid, McNamara emerges as a man smart enough to recognise the tragedy of serious errors of judgement, both his own and others, but also proud of his achievements.

Assembling an extraordinary array of archive material, and setting it alongside the beautifully photographed interview footage, Morris has constructed an unmissable film, more engrossing than any drama. What stays in the mind long after viewing is this: the regrettable relevance – still – of the issues under discussion, and the recognition that factual film-making really doesn’t get any better than this.

http://www.dubliniff.com

bandit

How sad are you? It was a good documentary which raised some excellent points and had the odd laugh. Are you 12? Half past dead is the greatest film in recent history. Get out more and have fun, in a couple of years you'll be 18 and you'll able to go to the pub and you never know you might even get to kiss a real girl.

D!ve^Bomb!

Originally posted by bazH
Maybe check out some of Michael Moores books

you should DEFINITELY check out his books, ya have no idea some of the stuff he reveals about bush and the election process and his dealings with the bin ladens,, he is one crooked president, i sincerely recommend his books, especially ''stupid white men'', excellent and funny:D

Bannor

If you're looking for books then forget about Moore's Stupid White Men. Instead read Greg Palast's "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy", it's where Moore lifted most of his material regarding the election fraud from

Gillie

Thought the film was excellent and very shocking.
Moore is great imo.

quarryman

i agree with above about the discrepenices (sp?). This film should be watched and then this website should be visited to find out all the holes and inaccuracies. Then make up your mind.

I agree with the point of the film but the presentation was questionable.

Linoge

I've read the sites that discuss the disrepencies in the film and Hardy definitely has done his research. I for one believe Hardy. When I watched B4C it was obvious that Moore wasn't telling the whole truth. A documentary is about the truth, not a biased tale. Michael Moore asked a load of questions but never made a sincere effort for any answers.
TBH, Bowling For Columbine reminds me of the Simpsons episode where Homer is arrested for indecent assault. Do you remember the interview and the clock in the background? Was there scary music playing when Charleston Hestons speach was on by any chance?

I am no fan of George Bu$h at all but I'm just saying Michael Moore could have been a bit more tactful.

Well you can at least say Moore is asking the right questions in Bowling for Columbine.
He appears to make no judgment but it is obious from the editing which way his sympathies lie.

Agent Orange

Moore is the Ann Coulter of the Left. He gives the liberals a bad name with his constant inaccuracies and self-promotion. At least Al Franken is funny... Moore is not.

Johnmb

Originally posted by quarryman
i agree with above about the discrepenices (sp?). This film should be watched and then this website should be visited to find out all the holes and inaccuracies. Then make up your mind.

I agree with the point of the film but the presentation was questionable.

Most of the "discrepancies" on that site are BS. For example, you'd have to be pretty thick in order not to realise that the clip of Heston saying "From my cold dead hands" was not part of the Littleton speech. In fact, most of the things that cite claims that were deceiving were blatently obvious to anyone with half a brain. Another example is that the ad doesn't proport to be one ad, it doesn't even feature that prominently. The cite is too long to go through everything, but from reading over what seems to be the mains points, I can only conclude that the guy who made it is either dishonest or not terribly bright.