Posted by phone monkey at 2cust12.tnt1.minneapolis3.mn.da.uu.net on March 16, 2002 at 00:51:53:
Just got back from the Michael Moore book signing. Man, does he put on a show. Definitely one of my favorite indy filmmakers. Great speaker, loves his fans. It's a good week in my life when Michael Moore's book is #1 on Amazon, Barnes&Nobel, and this weekend, NYTimes, AND Kevin Smith has the best selling DVD. Attack of the Catholic schoolboys!
If anyone is interested in hearing about making an independent film/TV show, or writing critical of corporate American and Dubya post- 9/11, really ought to go see him speak. It's a lot like the info you get on the DVD's - the behind the scene info on how films get made, and who puts pressure on filmmakers to change things.
He showed a rough clip from the new film coming out this fall, Bowling for Columbine. Powerful, hysterical, tragic... I don't know how he makes these films about topics that should not be of interest to anyone - they sound like topics from a current history syllabus - plant closings, gun culture, political reform? - and they are brilliant, intelligent. (He's got a Chris Rock clip in the film that made my side ache it was so funny.)
Guess you can make a film about anything, if you're that talented.