[Cerek the Barbaric]

Originally posted by Faceman: quote: Originally posted by Khazadman Risen: And by the way, it turns out this whole Disney thing is just another lie cooked up by Moore to get publicity for his latest piece of junk. He's known for a year that Disney was not going to distribute it.

And how has he been producing the film then? Did Miramax just give him an "Okay we're gonna make the movie, but you'll have to know that we won't distribute it. Please take it elsewhere when it actually starts to make money"
Sources please!
[/QUOTE]All the sources you need are provided in the opening post, Faceman. Here is the relevant excerpt...

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."

Disney came under heavy criticism from conservatives last May after the disclosure that Miramax had agreed to finance the film when Icon Productions, Mel Gibson's company, backed out.

Mr. Moore's agent, Ari Emanuel, said Michael D. Eisner, Disney's chief executive, asked him last spring to pull out of the deal with Miramax. Mr. Emanuel said Mr. Eisner expressed particular concern that it would endanger tax breaks Disney receives for its theme park, hotels and other ventures in Florida, where Mr. Bush's brother, Jeb, is governor.

"Michael Eisner asked me not to sell this movie to Harvey Weinstein; that doesn't mean I listened to him," Mr. Emanuel said. "He definitely indicated there were tax incentives he was getting for the Disney corporation and that's why he didn't want me to sell it to Miramax. He didn't want a Disney company involved."

I know it is really hard to believe that Michael Moore would falsely portray himself as a hapless victim of a Big Business Corporation just to generate publicity for himself and his latest film, but stranger things have happened.

As for all the outrage over Disney's decision, their right to make such a decision is also summed up in one line from the opening post...

A senior Disney executive elaborated that the company had the right to quash Miramax's distribution of films if it deemed their distribution to be against the interests of the company.

Some of you may disagree with the decision, but ANY corporation has the innate right to establish and enforce policies that protect the corporations best interests.

[ 05-08-2004, 07:41 PM: Message edited by: Cerek the Barbaric ]