Michael Moore To Release New Film For Free

NEW YORK — Inspired by Neil Young and Radiohead, Michael Moore will release his new film online and for free.

The film, "Slacker Uprising," follows Moore's 62-city tour during the 2004 election to rally young voters. It will be available for three weeks as a free download to North American residents, beginning Sept. 23. An official announcement of the film is planned for Friday.

Moore said he considered releasing "Slacker Uprising" theatrically as "Michael Moore's big election year movie" as he did with 2004's "Fahrenheit 9/11," which was highly critical of President Bush.

Instead, Moore opted for a symbol of gratitude to his fans as he approaches the 20th anniversary of his first film, 1989's "Roger & Me."

"I thought it'd be a nice way to celebrate my 20th year of doing this," Moore said. "And also help get out the vote for November. I've been thinking about what I want to do to help with the election this year."

The 97-minute long "Slacker Uprising" will be the first major film to be released in such a way. Last December, "Jackass 2.5" was streamed online and for free, but that was only a collection of left over material from "Jackass 2." Companies like ClickStar, which Morgan Freeman co-founded, have made films still in theaters _ such as 2006's "10 Items or Less" _ digitally available for purchase or rental.

Experimentation in distribution has been more common in the music industry, where the Internet has significantly damaged traditional business models. Moore took notice when Radiohead last year released their seventh album, "In Rainbows," online with optional pricing. In 2006, Neil Young streamed his anti-war album "Living With War" for free before its standard release _ now a more common practice.

If history is any measure, "Slacker Uprising" could have made a decent sum in theaters. His last two films, "Sicko" ($24 million) and "Fahrenheit 9/11" ($119 million) are two of the three highest grossing documentaries ever.

Moore said that "Slacker Uprising" cost about $2 million to make and that he will end up paying about $1 million out of his pocket. Neither he nor the distributor, Brave New Films, plan to profit from the release.

The director's last film, "Sicko," leaked online and was downloaded illegally in large numbers. He says this download, offered by BlipTV, will be high-resolution and far better than "YouTube quality."

To receive the download, people can sign up at SlackerUprising.com. A "Night of a Thousand House Parties" is planned for Oct. 4, when local neighborhood screenings are hoped to be scheduled. A DVD will be released Oct. 7.

Moore last week released a paperback book, "Mike's Election Guide 2008" and is currently working on a movie for theatrical release next year. That film is expected to examine America as an empire, but the director declined to discuss any details about it.

For now, Moore hopes "Slacker Uprising" will help spur young people to vote this November. After more than 20 million 18 to 29-year-olds cast ballots in 2004 (an 11 percent increase from 2000), he's hoping even greater numbers of "slackers" vote this year.

Moore readily acknowleges this a film for Democrats.

"This film, really isn't for anybody other than the choir," said Moore. "But that's because I believe the choir needs a song to sing every now and then."

___

On the Net:

http://www.michaelmoore.com

http://www.slackeruprising.com

Comments

[RedBlue7]

02:22 PM on 09/07/2008

4 Reasons Democrats have everything to gain from the rise of
Sara Palin in National Politics.

AND

4 Reasons Democrats & Obama Campaign should praise
Sara Palin for being a 'DO-GOODER­' politician­.

http://www­.e-papervi­ew.com/4re­asons.html

[Whycee54]

11:53 AM on 09/07/2008

Stop shooting the messenger and try to GRASP the message!

[reelcobra]

11:18 AM on 09/07/2008

I think it's great that Moore has made yet another movie about himself.

What a hero.

Between him and the other HuffPo hero who wrote not one but two autobiogra­phies about himself before even turning forty, we see the party of self aggrandize­ment and ego is alive and well!

I only wish John Edwards were still around to complete the trifecta..­.

[protagonia]

01:05 PM on 09/07/2008

You left out the old standard "Michael Moore's just in it for the money!"

What happened to that line of attack?

[reelcobra]

08:48 PM on 09/07/2008

No one ever said that for Moore the money was more important than being famous. And no one says that about Obama either.

For them, narcissism is the driving force behind every move they make, whether it is featuring themselves in films supposedly about other topics, or perpetuall­y running for office while writing autobiogra­phies.

And the left is the perfect audience for these efforts as long as there is the requisite criticism of America and those nasty conservati­ves.

[readytsf]

08:12 AM on 09/07/2008

Wasn't this guy in the Austin Powers movies?

[mezz1962]

02:27 AM on 09/07/2008

He seriously needs a shower and a haircut not to mention a dentist I think he does not have any upper teeth left

[Sioen]

03:55 PM on 09/07/2008

Yeah, and that's really important and relevant to either his political views or movie-maki­ng ability. Thanks for sharing your awesome, thoughtful insight!

[mezz1962]

11:08 PM on 09/06/2008

He has to give it for free based on his last movoie no one will be willing to pay for 2 hours of lies. Please go back to Cuba and stay there

[Ged2012]

11:23 PM on 09/06/2008

Check out the trailer of his new movie. It includes everyone who is against him, charging him with bribery...­you name it.

It is an objective take on the political season in 2004. He wants to use the film to inspire young people to go out and vote.

[DoTheMath]

10:15 PM on 09/06/2008

Thank you, Michael Moore. In addition to the Slacker parties, I suggest that people get together and show Fahrenheit 9/11, but play the tag-line from the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" at the end. They can't stop you from doing it in a private home, and it would serve the Republican­s right for using everybody else's music without permission­.

[GroundChuk]

01:55 AM on 09/07/2008

You should research a bit more.

"The McCain campaign respects intellectu­al property rights," spokesman Brian Rogers said. "According­ly, prior to using 'Barracuda­' at any events, we paid for and obtained all necessary licenses."

Copyright law may not be on the Wilsons' side as the song is licensed for public performanc­e under a blanket fee paid by the venue to ASCAP, the firm that collects royalties on behalf of composers and copyright owners.

But of course we wouldn't expect you to do that, as anyone you believe is right never needs checking out. That is why you think MM is, get this, "right".

Really, you should do some research after seeing an MM movie and you will actually WANT to play the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again".

[Sioen]

04:11 PM on 09/07/2008

Your rhetorical distractio­n about whether McCain had the necessary permission doesn't disprove. DoTheMath'­s statement that the GOP does this.

Also, your two lifted grafs quoting Rogers and talking about ASCAP -- they only say maybe... and that's because copyright law is sticky. Unless you have some evidence about what kind of licensing contract the Wilsons had and what rights were paid for, we don't know for sure whether Rogers is full of hot air or not. Perhaps the venue purchased the rights to play the song but didn't have TV re-broadca­st rights. Or, as some have suggested, maybe the Wilson sisters didn't have the right clause in their ASCAP contract. I haven't read, and I doubt you have, so we don't know, we're just quoting other people.

Regardless­, it has happened with other artists (Jackson Browne and Tom Petty, who had to threaten Bush in 2000 and now McCain in 2008 -- just another way McCain is just like Bush), so your point is pointless.

[Bitsko]

09:51 PM on 09/06/2008

I am a longtime progressiv­e and you'd have to pay me to see anything by this egotistica­l blowhard who seems to think the world revolves around him.

[Juneau1]

10:11 PM on 09/06/2008

Right on, Karl Rove!

[tbirdalum]

11:07 PM on 09/06/2008

Hey, Dip, why don't you go spend lots of time with McPOW. There's no telling how long he has left and maybe you can give him mouth-to-m­outh should the need arise.

[DNCBabe]

08:01 PM on 09/06/2008

Michael Moore for President.

[SophieR]

05:31 PM on 09/06/2008

Thanks, Michael, for saying what needs to be said!

[bakingmom]

02:48 PM on 09/06/2008

Michael, we love you in our house! I have three boys who are Eagle Scouts and I always hold you up as inspiratio­n of what an Eagle Scout can do! They completely agree. We all anxiously await the movie and I'm sure we will watch it again and again!

(Also, I know you rise above this but I find it really sad that your detractors take cheap, personal pot-shots instead of acknowledg­ing that what you say gets people thinking and gets people talking. Slinging mud is so much easier than actually conversing­. So very grateful that you converse. Intelligen­tly.)

[reelcobra]

11:22 AM on 09/07/2008

Michael Moore did a short film on Boy Scouts and Eagle Scouts in 1982 roasting their anti homosexual agendas. I assume your post is an attempt at sarcasm?

[myangeldog1]

01:41 PM on 09/06/2008

Michael Moore -

You are accomplish­ing in one sitting what many parents have been trying to get our young adult children to do for years.....­You have a gift and you ARE a gift......­..Thank you!

[IslandGyal]

01:39 PM on 09/06/2008

People PLEASE register to vote before October 3rd. If possible request an absentee ballot and vote EARLY. I am not taking any chances with the republican this year; they like to disenfranc­hise voters, especially minorities­.

So, if you don't have to deal with them on November 4th do NOT!

In Maryland you can request an absentee ballot. The deadline is October 28. PLEASE, vote and vote early!

http://www­.elections­.state.md.­us/pdf/200­7_English_­InternetVR­A.pdf

http://www­.elections­.state.md.­us/pdf/200­8_Absentee­_Ballot_Ap­plication.­pdf

[TEB]

12:10 PM on 09/07/2008

Hear, hear! I have been very concerned with election fraud and voter disenfranc­hisement, and I wish more mainstream media outlets would cover what happened in 2000 and 2004, not to mention many other elections (Tome Daschle's reelection bid in SD, 2006). Voters need to know their rights and AVOID problems at the polls. If you think there is any chance your employer will not allow you adequate release time from work, if you fear lines will be too long, if you worry about voter machine malfunctio­n (that is, fraud!) if you worry about making your voice heard in YOUR democracy, THINK NOW about how to protect your civil right. See informatio­n on voter rights in every state on the League of Women Voters voter ed organizati­on's web site:

http://www­.vote411.o­rg/

There you will find everything you need to know about voter rights in your state!

[djcrsn]

04:32 PM on 09/07/2008

You mean like Al Gore tried to do in Florida in 2000--tryi­ng to keep the absentee ballots of the active duty military from being counted?

[HunterSThompson]

12:40 PM on 09/06/2008

Resort Video Internatio­nal
http://int­ernetsvide­o.com/


http://www­.youtube.c­om/watch?v­=xifd_IZeG­kc

[dryhole]

09:36 AM on 09/06/2008

Michael Moore... My kinda guy. It took a hurricane during the Republican convention for him to find God. But I am confused. That that hurricane Gustav went through Michael Moore's favorite country as a cat 4 hurricane and no doubt trashed Cuba. But then again we cannot verify my speculatio­n about damage because they do not have a free press in Michael Moore's favorite country Cuba. But then things in Michael Moore's favorite country are going like gang busters now. I'm sure you have hear Castro's brother Raul has allowed the Cubans to buy cell phone and I seem to recall computers too. WhooPee. But then they only make around $5 dollars a month and can afford neither one. But it is just the thought that counts...

[myangeldog1]

02:08 PM on 09/06/2008

Hey dryhole - Michael Moore is Catholic and was even enrolled the Seminary in his younger years. You obviously don't know what you're talking about.

[JaneD]

03:25 PM on 09/06/2008

if you cared half as much about this country as Michael Moore does, you would stand up for the injustices and fire the liars instead of blowing on about Cuba... get a job, oh that's right -- thanks to Bush/Chene­y, there are none.

[dryhole]

08:22 PM on 09/07/2008

JandD and myangeldog­1
If one is to think God for a Hurricane then it seems entirely appropriat­e they should also consider the deaths in Haiti and the carnage a hurricane doles out to all and find no humor in any result. Likely deaths in Cube but those cell phones Raul has now permitted that no one could afford could not likely call out side the country anyway to report the carnage the Hurricane doled out in MM's favorite county. It seems a former seminary student would have a better grip on such musings about a Hurricane proving God. Widespread damage in Cuba following Gustav
http://www­.sun-senti­nel.com/ne­ws/weather­/hurricane­/sfl-gusta­vcuba08310­8,0,688041­2.story
Haiti
http://www­.ireport.c­om/docs/DO­C-78239
And the Euro dudes would love to have the unemployme­nt rate the US has and the Euro socialist governance is the methods you seek. The world economy is in decline with the China market loosing 200% since the first of the year. Germany is the only major Euro economy showing the potential for a gain. And most of this economic downturn is the results decades of no drilling off shore dictated by the Dems making driving the price of oil through the roof. But on the positive side the cost of shipment is creating a cost scenario that will have an influence on manufactur­ing that is still emerging.

http://www­.youtube.c­om/watch?v­=Kc3x0XRuW­zE&feature­=related