According to Michael Moore’s tweet (and everyone on MSNBC and CNN), President Barack Obama is correct to force the Catholic Church to offer insurance that provides free birth control, sterilization, and the Morning After abortion pill — because “the law is clear” about “equal access to birth control for all women no matter where they work.”

Really? There’s a right to free birth control through your employer? Liar.

But what Moore is doing here is what Obama and his media minions are doing. They’re turning a government mandate that violates the First Amendment into a “rights” issue.

What Obama is attempting to do to the Catholic Church is no different than creating a federal mandate that would require every Islamic-run business to provide pork rinds in their vending machines — because people have a right to equal access to fat free foods.

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‘Tis the season for Oscar-bait films to get called on the carpet for their fidelity to the truth. Of course, not all films get this kind of scrutiny.

“My Week with Marilyn,” celebrated for its vibrant lead performance by Michelle Williams as the iconic Monroe, is currently under the microscope for not telling the whole truth.

It isn’t the first time a film with Oscar hopes has been questioned by the media. The 2001 film “A Beautiful Mind” got the cold shoulder for scrubbing the lead character’s less magnanimous side. Some argued John Nash, the inspiration behind Russell Crowe’s character, was both anti-semitic and a lousy father, charges Nash denied. The chatter threatened to derail the film’s Oscar chances, but it ended up winning multiple gold statuettes, including the coveted Best Picture award.

Some films which could use a bit of scrutiny, though, often get little or none.

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Director Michael Moore has an awkward relationship with reality, if you take films like “Fahrenheit 9/11″ seriously.

This week, Moore must have gulped down some truth serum before appearing on the low-rated CNN show “Piers Morgan Tonight.”

Moore, citing figures gleaned from a recent Washington Post study, reminded Morgan that President Barack Obama sure loves pocketing big bucks from the very same Wall Street he often rails against.

MICHAEL MOORE, ON CNN: Well, “The Washington post” three weeks ago had this investigation and they said that President Obama has now raised more money from Wall Street and the banks for this election cycle than all — than all eight Republicans combined. I don’t want to say that, because if that’s the truth, that Wall Street already has their man and his name is Barack Obama, then we’ve got a much bigger problem.

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Former MTV mainstay Kurt Loder still loves music, but these days you’re more likely to read him pontificating about “The Twilight Saga” than Lady Gaga.

Movies, says Loder, film critic for Reason.com, are “fresh material to me, in a way that music somehow isn’t. It’s tangible. It’s up on the screen.”

Loder’s movie commentaries – witty, wise and full of admiration on the rare occasions when the stars align to yield a great film – can now be held in your hand thanks to a new collection.

“The Good, the Bad and the God-Awful: 21^st Century Movie Reviews” lets Loder opine on Hollywood’s recent movie releases. Loder slams “Australia,” praises “In Bruges” and puts more journalistic muscle into his take down of Michael Moore’s “Sicko” than most of his peers.

“Some movies are so appalling you wonder what went wrong … who said, ‘this is really good, let’s put it out,’” he says.

“The Good, the Bad and the God-Awful” compiles reviews into themes – like Schlockbusters (expensive flops), The Land That Laughs Forgot (comic duds) and Funtime (hilarious romps). He even dedicates an entire chapter to Nicolas Cage (“one of the great without-a-net highfliers of our time”). Loder may be most fond of Looking for Love, the section dedicated to great films still searching for an appreciative audience – like indie darling “The Brothers Bloom.”

Loder’s prose is prickly when the situation demands it, but he’s not a curmudgeon taking undue pleasure excoriating mediocre films. He also insists he’s a movie reviewer, not a film critic.

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On some channel called Current on some show called “Countdown” with some guy called Keith Olbermann, Mr. Lavish Vacation Home Michael Moore blames President Obama for America taking out the trash the ongoing #Occupy evictions:  

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Moore declares the #Occupy movement “peaceful” as though none of this is happening.

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Left-wing filmmaker Michael Moore has been touring Occupy Wall Street demonstrations across the country–including some of the most violent, such as Occupy Oakland–urging activists to continue their fight against the wealthy “one percent” of Americans.

Initially, Moore tried to deny that his massive wealth made him a member of that one percent. Even when forced to admit the obvious, Moore suggested that he was not always among the one percent, based on his income: “Other years, like last year, I don’t have a job (no movie, no book) and so I make a lot less.”

The fact is that Moore is so wealthy that he does not need to worry about his income. According to public tax records, Moore owns a massive vacation home on Torch Lake, Michigan–one of the most elite communities in the United States–in addition to his posh Manhattan residence.

Through an independent source, Big Hollywood has obtained exclusive photographs of the house matching the address of Moore’s waterfront mansion. It is the kind of luxurious summer home that 99 percent of Americans can only dream of owning.

Moore’s vacation property is located on the southeastern shore of Torch Lake itself, which locals tout as the “third most beautiful lake in the world.” Here is an aerial view of the house, situated on the turquoise blue waters for which Torch Lake is famous:

Property values on Torch Lake, according to one real estate website, range “from $400,000 to plus $3 million.” (more…)

Not only is producer Gavin Polone beating Michael Moore about the head and face as a hypocritical blowhard in public, he’s doing so in the pages of one of the industry’s biggest trade publications. This is not a small development. To have a respected and successful producer in both television and film comfortable enough to completely dismantle Moore in both the online and print edition of the Hollywood Reporter tells me something’s up.

God love him, Polone also rips those in the media like Piers Morgan who let Mr. Moore get away with the ongoing charade of not being Mr. Wall Street.

My guess is that Polone speaks for many:

One of the many things that bug me about the industry in which I work is the large population of phonies who claim to be liberal, caring, green and unaffected by their wealth and fame but in reality are just as self-centered and addicted to their huge, over-air-conditioned living spaces and private planes as those at whom they point their fingers. And none is more phony and finger-pointing than Michael Moore.

The rub:

In 2005, the Weinstein Co. set up financing of about $500 million to fund production and distribution. The investment vehicle was created and syndicated by a little firm called Goldman Sachs. One of the films that was produced by TWC using funds from that investment was Moore’s documentary Sicko. Given the success of his previous film, Fahrenheit 9/11, which he made with Harvey and Bob Weinstein, Moore was able to command a terrific deal for himself.

By 2010, TWC had burned through the capital raised in the Goldman Sachs deal. Investors were forced to restructure their arrangement, meaning some suffered a devaluation of their investment. Goldman also lost some money it put in TWC, but it could handle the loss in part because it was a recipient of the government’s TARP bailout. Some unlucky investors might never get back the money they put into funding TWC.

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***UPDATE: Michael Moore accuses police of rioting:

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Chaos is unfolding in Oakland and on top of that, we’ve documented over 125 separate incidents of violence, vandalism, perversion, drug use, sexual assault, and an overall draining of precious and limited police resources throughout the country. The $50 Million Dollar Man’s response:  blame the cops.

Like his political soul brother Jon Stewart, Michael Moore is only in love with first responders when being in love with first responders is good for your image and career. But as soon as it’s politically useful to attempt to blame those same first responders for the violence committed by your real political soul brothers, they do.

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From CNN:

In an interview with Piers Morgan, Michael Moore was asked a question from a Twitter user who pointed out the seeming incongruity of the filmmaker’s personal wealth and his criticism of capitalism. Morgan seemed intrigued by the line of questioning and pressed Moore on the issue. After saying “that’s not true” to the assertion that he’s worth millions, Mr. Moore had this to say:

Well, then, if you believe that about me, then that’s really something, isn’t it? That, even though I do well, that I don’t associate myself with those who do well. I am devoting my life to those who who have less and who’ve been crapped upon by the system. And that’s how I spent my time, my energy, my money on trying to upend this system that I think is a system of violence; it’s a system that’s unfair to the average working person of this country, and it was a mistake to ever give me a dime, from the day Time Warner, actually, gave me money to buy Roger & Me… I hope they rue the day that they ever allowed me up on the movie screens.

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Consider Michael Moore the latest celebrity to see the sour side of Hope and Change.

The Oscar-winning filmmaker won’t be voting for Rick Perry, Mitt Romney or Herman Cain next year, but he’ll pull the lever for President Barack Obama with a heavy heart. And no, that’s not a fat joke.

Moore described Obama’s first three years in office to the BBC as “heart-breaking” and a “disappointment.”

“He did not come into office like I hoped that he would, to do what Franklin Roosevelt did in his first few months where he came in and said, you know, ‘I’m in charge, this is the way we’re doing things, if you don’t like it, throw me out of office,’” Moore said.

Moore said Obama spent the past three years “running the ball in the wrong direction” before making somewhat of a turnaround with a jobs bill and other economic plans.

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Kanye “Occupies Wall Street” wearing $1,000 jeans

Excellent piece at Celebrity Net Worth:

#1 Yoko Ono Net Worth - $500 million.

Ono stated “I love ‘Occupy Wall Street’! John is sending his smile to ‘Occupy Wall Street’. I am sending my love to ‘Occupy Wall Street’. We are all working together. ”

#2 Russell Simmons Net Worth - $325 million

Keep in mind that on top of being a hip-hop mogul Simmons is the founder of a high fee credit card company called UniRush Financial Services.

#3 Roseanne Barr Net Worth - $80 million

Roseanne thinks anyone with over $100 million should be beheaded. Interesting that her net worth is $80 million. I guess she doesnt make “the cut”.

#4 Deepak Chopra Net Worth - $80 million

Chopra said #OWS is turning anger into awareness. The fortune he has made off his fluff filled books has just turned me to anger.

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“…there are people like him and Warren Buffet and others who realize that if we don’t do something to make this fair, uhm, the people will be at the gates. History has proven that. You can only build the wall so high.  Sooner or later people will not put up with it. Mayor Bloomberg, last Wednesday said, ‘If we don’t create jobs in this economy, there will be riots in the streets of America.’  He said that out loud. He doesn’t just throw stuff out like that. He and the other smart ones know this to be true. They know that they better fix it and they’re behind Obama and what he’s trying to do right now to fix it.

“They know that if they follow the Republican plan, which is to wait Obama out another 16 months until there’s a new president — 16 more months of this economy? I don’t know where you’re from, I don’t know if you’ve visited places like Michigan, but we’re living in a Depression in many places in this country, and sooner or later people will not put up with it.”

Filmmaker Michael Moore, has just published a new book.

It’s called “Here Comes Trouble” and (with his permission) the UK Guardian last week published an excerpt.

The Guardian extract focused on the period after Moore’s famous 2003 Oscar acceptance speech when he condemned the Iraq War and President George W Bush. According to Mr. Moore, this speech was thought of as “career suicide” and more alarmingly made him “the most hated man in America”.

Death threats followed and Mr. Moore decided to hire bodyguards – “nine ex-Navy Seals surrounding me, round-the-clock,” he writes in the book.

Then when he made the documentary “Fahrenheit 9/11″ – which was acutely critical of the Iraq invasion and the Bush administration – the bodyguards were really needed because the hate poured in.

As Mr. Moore relates in “Here Comes Trouble,” the hate was “generated toward me by the Republican pundits. It had the sad and tragic side-effect of unhinging the already slightly unglued. And so my life went from receiving scribbly little hate notes to full out attempted physical assaults – and worse.”

Mr. Moore outlines three attacks in particular to illustrate the level of violence he was enduring.

However, his accounts raise questions about these incidents and reasonable doubts if they happened as outlined.

Having doubts, I emailed his spokesperson a few detailed and pointed questions asking for times, dates, locations and police and medical reports that would normally be generated by such incidents.

In response, I received a somewhat defensive email from the Gavin de Becker the owner of Gavin de Becker & Associates, the security company Mr. Moore hired to protect him during this time.

“Security agents from my firm were present at all events and I can confirm the book’s account entirely. Each event occurred just as Mr. Moore described it,” said Mr. de Becker.

Notably missing from Mr. de Becker’s email were any of the details which I requested. These details would make it easier to independently verify Mr. Moore’s accounts of the alleged assaults.

One of the most serious and most public attacks was in Tennessee.

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Here’s a link to what we can assume Michael Moore’s referring to when he speaks of Glenn Beck fantasizing about killing him.

Ooh, menacing stuff.

Moore is unattractive enough without adding “playing the victim” to the pile.

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Ed. Note: Please make Amelia feel welcome so she comes back! –JN

My hometown of Traverse City, Michigan has also been home to the Traverse City Film Festival (TCFF) since Michael Moore established it in 2005. When Moore announced this new venture, some were excited, some were wary, and many were eager to see exactly what he would do. He assured the public that the festival was just about bringing great films to Traverse City (along with seminars, panels, and other opportunities) and that it would be completely non-partisan. For the first five years, he did a great job.

There were those (myself included) who weren’t crazy about our town being associated with Michael Moore, but it was hard to deny the good that the TCFF was great for us in many ways. The historic State Theatre downtown was donated to the TCFF and restored to its former glory, and the event brought in a nice influx of tourist dollars. For a resort town, that is always welcome.

After five successful film festivals, with few partisan slips, Moore has decided to switch things up.  This year, he is openly bringing progressive rhetoric to the forefront. In an interview with local website The Ticker, he told the public what to expect from the 2011 TCFF. When asked what the biggest news would be from this year’s festival, his response was:

We’ll be doing a major salute to labor, working people, and unions. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the ‘Great Flint Sit-Down,’ a labor event that really helped create the middle class in this country. We’ll have a number of films and events surrounding this that deal with class, labor and working people. And, we’ll honor through the arts those people who are public employees and thank them for all they do.

 A salute to labor. Hooray! I had never heard of the “Great Flint Sit-Down,” but it doesn’t sound like a very tough stance (if you’ll pardon the wordplay) to take. However, this was the action which turned the United Automobile Workers (UAW) into the major labor union that we see today, by going after General Motors in Flint.

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Click here for Part 1 and here for Part 2.

In many popular narratives of the period, it was the Baby Boomers (born 1943-1960) who “ruined” the movies. Here’s the pretentious film snob summary of the death of Hollywood’s alleged second Golden Age, as popularized by Peter Biskind. The seventies were filled with bold, dark art and transgressive intellectualism. Then the greedy Baby Boomers – like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas – made “Jaws,” “Star Wars,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and “E.T.” All of a sudden Hollywood did not want to make serious, grown-up pictures. Now it was the age of blockbusters so simple that 3-year-olds can summarize them.

It was the 1980s when Boomer Blockbuster filmmaking would arrive in the event pictures of Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson. We see this tendency further in the films of arch-Boomers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer. For a definition of Boomer cinema just look at the output of their company Imagine Entertainment. These aren’t the New Wave-influenced pictures of Roger L. Simon’s generation.

It was the Boomers who also gave us our most strident and simpleminded cinematic leftists: Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, and Michael Moore. Think about these three careers. Over the past 30 years have any of them shifted an inch in their political thinking? Of course not and neither have most Boomers who are still arguing over sex, race, and the Vietnam War as though it were still 1975. (more…)

Apparently, instead of just wallowing in the misery that must have attended getting canned by MSNBC back in January, Olbermann has spent part of his hiatus from the public eye rubbing elbows with “top progressive…voices” like Richard Lewis, Ken Burns, and the always adorable Michael Moore (yes, the same Moore who helped raise $50,000 for the ground zero mosque and who still believes universal healthcare will work in America regardless of its miserable showing in Europe and Canada).

Moreover, Olbermann recently announced that Lewis, Burns, and Moore, will all be part of his new show, set to premier on Al Gore’s Current TV on June 20, 2011.

As it concerns Moore, this announcement is very timely because it comes on the heels of Moore’s incredibly ignorant op-ed scribbling – incredibly ignorant even for him – about our actions against the recently deceased Osama bin Laden. It appears that Moore believes our country’s image would have been better served had we captured Osama and brought him back for trial instead of just killing him on the spot.

Yet Moore’s thoughts are so incongruous that in the same op-ed in which he makes his case for a trial, he also wrote that he’s against the death penalty. By extrapolation, this can only mean that if we had in fact brought Osama back for trial, even upon finding him guilty, the most Moore would have wanted us to do for punishment would have been to sentence him to life in prison. (more…)

So some southern Arizona lefties have launched a petition to split the state – creating a new liberal paradise, called Baja Arizona.

Now this is not a new idea, but it’s still a great one -if not for a state, perhaps for a game show. Pit two groups of people, with opposing views, against each other, and see who wins.

Arizona is perfect, in that it contains the most liberal and conservative folks in the Union. You can spot the libs by the turquoise, and the righties by their guns.

In Arizona, even their guns have guns.

And those guns? They carry tiny knives! (made of guns)

And these groups hate each other. The left calls the right bigots, and the right sees the left as patchouli-drenched socialists, which of course, they are.

I kid: patchouli is so over.

But a contest between ideologies seems ripe.

True, it’s been done (see communism vs. capitalism, East vs West Germany, Rocky vs. Drago, and – of course – Quisp vs. Quake). but why not try it here – without government intrusion?

This way, we can see whose ideas work, while keeping folks who hate those ideas, from benefiting from them.

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