# Disney won't let Miramax distribute "Fahrenheit 911"! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 5, 2004, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-wont-let-miramax-distribute-fahrenheit-911/243616 "2004-05-05T10:41:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-wont-let-miramax-distribute-fahrenheit-911/243616/1 "2004-05-05T10:41:25Z")
Damn assholes, now I’m sorry I went to see **Home On The Range**. Twice!\* [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/05/national/05DISN.html?ei=5006&en=89982416bdce50c0&ex=1084334400&partner=ALTAVISTA1&pagewanted=print&position=](http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/05/national/05DISN.html?ei=5006&en=89982416bdce50c0&ex=1084334400&partner=ALTAVISTA1&pagewanted=print&position=) > [@](#): > > May 5, 2004 > Disney Forbidding Distribution of Film That Criticizes Bush > By JIM RUTENBERG > > ASHINGTON, May 4 — The Walt Disney Company is blocking its Miramax division from distributing a new documentary by Michael Moore that harshly criticizes President Bush, executives at both Disney and Miramax said Tuesday. > > The film, “Fahrenheit 911,” links Mr. Bush and prominent Saudis — including the family of Osama bin Laden — and criticizes Mr. Bush’s actions before and after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. > > Disney, which bought Miramax more than a decade ago, has a contractual agreement with the Miramax principals, Bob and Harvey Weinstein, allowing it to prevent the company from distributing films under certain circumstances, like an excessive budget or an NC-17 rating. > > Executives at Miramax, who became principal investors in Mr. Moore’s project last spring, do not believe that this is one of those cases, people involved in the production of the film said. If a compromise is not reached, these people said, the matter could go to mediation, though neither side is said to want to travel that route. > > In a statement, Matthew Hiltzik, a spokesman for Miramax, said: “We’re discussing the issue with Disney. We’re looking at all of our options and look forward to resolving this amicably.” > > But Disney executives indicated that they would not budge from their position forbidding Miramax to be the distributor of the film in North America. Overseas rights have been sold to a number of companies, executives said. > > “We advised both the agent and Miramax in May of 2003 that the film would not be distributed by Miramax,” said Zenia Mucha, a company spokeswoman, referring to Mr. Moore’s agent. “That decision stands.” > … The movie is playing the Cannes Film Festival in a couple of weeks, so we’ll be getting reports of how it is and what people _who have seen it_ think. Someone will pick it up. It’ll get distributed in America, one way or another. - I know that sounds weird, but the first time a few weeks ago, my beloved cat had died that morning and I really needed to get out of the house because everything reminded me of him. I wanted something colorful and silly to cheer me up, but I fell asleep halfway through. Not because the movie wasn’t good, but I had gotten up early, having to deal with taking his body to the vet to be cremated was stressful, and my brain was fried with grief. I wanted to see it again all the way through, so my husband and I went last night. It’s cute, and kd lang sings in it. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-wont-let-miramax-distribute-fahrenheit-911/243616/2 "2004-05-05T11:09:53Z")
So what’s your problem with it? You think Disney should be forced to release it or something? ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-wont-let-miramax-distribute-fahrenheit-911/243616/3 "2004-05-05T11:17:34Z")
Given Michael Moore’s record, I’d want the film extensively fact-checked before I’d let it be released under any name, service mark, trademark, or brand associated with me. [Bowling for Truth](http://www.bowlingfortruth.com/) – No, “Bowling for Columbine” _wasn’t_ factual. It wasn’t even a good approximation. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-wont-let-miramax-distribute-fahrenheit-911/243616/4 "2004-05-05T11:24:26Z")
You’re citing “Bowling for Truth”? Seriously? [http://www.bowlingfortruth.com/main/about/manson.htm](http://www.bowlingfortruth.com/main/about/manson.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-wont-let-miramax-distribute-fahrenheit-911/243616/5 "2004-05-05T11:30:41Z")
Bah. Never again will I only poke around a few random pages in a big site like that. :: feels like a jackass :: :: still doesn’t trust Moore :: ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-wont-let-miramax-distribute-fahrenheit-911/243616/6 "2004-05-05T11:48:21Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > :: still doesn’t trust Moore :: [Spinsanity](http://spinsanity.com) is a relatively non-partisan site that makes some of the same crtiiques of [BfC](http://www.spinsanity.org/columns/20021119.html). I agree with the need for major fact checking giving the subject of the film and Moore’s track record with integrity. ---
**Author:** ![RTA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RTA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTA)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-wont-let-miramax-distribute-fahrenheit-911/243616/7 "2004-05-05T12:14:17Z")
I have a solution: put Weinstien and Eisner in a steel cage death match. Meanwhile I’ll be over here, investigating how the “re-elect Bush” ads that ABC runs are less factual than _Fahrenheit 911_. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-wont-let-miramax-distribute-fahrenheit-911/243616/8 "2004-05-05T12:32:27Z")
> [@Libertarian](#): > > So what’s your problem with it? You think Disney should be forced to release it or something? **Libertarian** , that comment was both predictable and stupid. It’s not about coercing Disney into releasing the movie. It’s Disney coercing Miramax into _not_ releasing it. Miramax and Disney freely entered a contract. One of the terms of this contract appears to be that Disney has the right to veto the release of movies _by Miramax_ under certain conditions. Those conditions do not seem to have been met. Hence, Disney is breaking their contract and depriving Miramax from running its business within the bounds of said contract. Even from a libertarian point of view Disney is in the wrong here, from the looks of it. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-wont-let-miramax-distribute-fahrenheit-911/243616/9 "2004-05-05T12:44:46Z")
> [@Libertarian](#): > > So what’s your problem with it? You think Disney should be forced to release it or something? This is such an utterly tiresome response. One can rant against an action, without feeling that those who made the action should be forced to take the opposite action. ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-wont-let-miramax-distribute-fahrenheit-911/243616/10 "2004-05-05T12:57:54Z")
> [@Libertarian](#): > > So what’s your problem with it? You think Disney should be forced to release it or something? Believe it or not, it’s possible to think the Disney corporation is great big fascist douche _and_ to also think that they have every right to be one. It’s actually possible to be disgusted by things you think should be legal! ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-wont-let-miramax-distribute-fahrenheit-911/243616/11 "2004-05-05T13:11:42Z")
> [@jovan](#): > > **Libertarian** , that comment was both predictable and stupid. > > It’s not about coercing Disney into releasing the movie. It’s Disney coercing Miramax into _not_ releasing it. > > Miramax and Disney freely entered a contract. However, Miramax is a Disney subsidiary since the Weinsteins sold out to them in 1995. Ergo, if Disney wants to change the terms of the agreement, well, they can. They own the company, you see. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-wont-let-miramax-distribute-fahrenheit-911/243616/12 "2004-05-05T13:12:45Z")
Er, sorry about the partial quote. I don’t know how that happened. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-wont-let-miramax-distribute-fahrenheit-911/243616/13 "2004-05-05T13:14:47Z")
> [@](#): > > Libertarian, that comment was both predictable and stupid. Yes you are, but what am I? ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-wont-let-miramax-distribute-fahrenheit-911/243616/14 "2004-05-05T13:30:07Z")
> [@](#): > > Ergo, if Disney wants to change the terms of the agreement, well, they can. They own the company, you see. Then why did they sign the agreement in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![WernhamHogg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a587f6/32.png) [@WernhamHogg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WernhamHogg)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-wont-let-miramax-distribute-fahrenheit-911/243616/15 "2004-05-05T13:31:51Z")
Whether or not Diney should be “forced” into releasing the movie, this is de facto censorship. It doesn’t matter that the government is making protest illegal (which they no doubt will be happy to do), but a few corporations with strong ties to government appropriate and control basically all print and broadcast media. Will it really mollify you to know that the first amendment is alive and well if a few like-minded corporations have a stranglehold on all media, while contributing to and receiving heavy government contracts from the government? ---
**Author:** ![WernhamHogg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a587f6/32.png) [@WernhamHogg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WernhamHogg)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-wont-let-miramax-distribute-fahrenheit-911/243616/16 "2004-05-05T13:32:59Z")
> [@skutir](#): > > Whether or not Diney should be “forced” into releasing the movie, this is de facto censorship. It doesn’t matter that the government is making protest illegal (which they no doubt will be happy to do), but a few corporations with strong ties to government appropriate and control basically all print and broadcast media. Will it really mollify you to know that the first amendment is alive and well if a few like-minded corporations have a stranglehold on all media, while contributing to and receiving heavy government contracts from the government? OK, make that "It doesn’t matter that the government is NOT making protest illegal, [since] a few corporations… ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-wont-let-miramax-distribute-fahrenheit-911/243616/17 "2004-05-05T13:36:14Z")
> [@TwistofFate](#): > > Then why did they sign the agreement in the first place? Who knows? There’s doubtlessly more to the situation than what we know. The point, however, is that this isn’t simply a case of Disney pressuring some other company to buckle under their desires. Rather, this is Disney exercising control over _one of its own subsidiaries_, probably due to some questionable or suspicious content. One might question why they signed that agreement in the first place (and I’m sure that we don’ tknow the whole story), but the point remains. This action is not the draconian act of censorship that some make it out to be. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-wont-let-miramax-distribute-fahrenheit-911/243616/18 "2004-05-05T13:37:26Z")
> [@Libertarian](#): > > Yes you are, but what am I? Evidently, both humorous _and_ mature. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-wont-let-miramax-distribute-fahrenheit-911/243616/19 "2004-05-05T13:50:50Z")
At least I’m not blaming Michael Moore. Everybody knows he steals his ideas from Greg Palast. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-wont-let-miramax-distribute-fahrenheit-911/243616/20 "2004-05-05T13:53:21Z")
…You can always start burning Disney flicks in protest. That could be a new take on F 451, eh? 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-wont-let-miramax-distribute-fahrenheit-911/243616.md?page=2)