Date: Thursday Night December 2, 2004
Place: Wadsworth Theatre, Brentwood, CA.
Event: Michael Moore and John Dean

"IF YOU PASS OUT FLIERS YOU WILL BE ARRESTED. THIS IS FEDERAL PROPERTY. WE HAVE MANY PLAIN CLOTHES AGENTS ON THE PROPERTY TONIGHT. IF YOU ARE PROTESTING YOU WILL BE ARRESTED," barked a muscular African-American through an electronic bullhorn.
The crowd, which looked like it was on line for an opera, glanced nervously at one another and muttered.
"NO TALKING RIGHT NOW FOLKS. I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT. PLEASE, IF YOU CONTINUE TO TALK YOU WILL BE ARRESTED. THIS IS FEDERAL PROPERTY," bellowed the Man.
Jerry Rubin, the local West L.A. activist had heard enough. he jumped out of the sedintary line and demanded to know why he couldn't pass out his flyer for his "Fuck Bush New Year's Eve Comedy Showcase & Dance Party."
"SIR, YOU WILL BE ARRESTED IF YOU CONTINUE. THIS IS FEDERAL PROPERTY. ANYONE WITH RECORDING EQUIPMENT OR DEVICES WILL BE TURNED AWAY....YOU WILL BE SEARCHED...."
Anyway, the harangue continued as the quiet crowd shrugged and simply flowed in to fill the theatre to capacity. Apparently folks are getting used to a Post 9/11 Patriot Act world.

The event, featuring Watergate wunderkind, John Dean and filmmaker Michael Moore was structured as an interview/therapy session of sorts with Dean, the lawyer/author/teacher posing the quizicals to Moore the "rebellious student/prodigal son".

"Why did you focus on George W. Bush as a subject for your latest movie?" asked Dean.

Moore explained how he was out here in Santa Monica on 9/11and his daughter was back East in New York. Calling a friend at the World Trade Center, he heard the first tower collapse over the phone while he held it to his ear. In addition, he revealed that his line producer had been on the fateful flight that had come out of Boston and crashed into the WTC. He and his wife rented a car and drove 3,000 miles back to NYC. Along the way, he thought, "What did the President know and when did he know it?" Dean and Moore chuckled as did the audience.

Moore then went on to spin a hilarious long winding story of how he ended up with Miramax as a producer of his latest blockbuster, "Fahrenheit 9/11". The story involved Mel Gibson, 3 Passover sedars and five jews.

Regarding "Bowling For Columbine," Moore's Oscar-winning documentary, he told the crowd not to have any preconceived notions when making a documentary. He explained that when he went to Canada to learn about their gun control policies, he was shocked to learn that Canadian citizens possessed more guns per capita than their American cousins. Moore was confused he said, but soon realized that "Guns don't kill people. Americans kill people!"

He also indicated that an early plot line of "BFC" was for him to run for President of the NRA and beat Charlton Heston. Once elected Moore intended to disband the group permanently.

Dean: "I'm gonna say a word or a phrase and you tell me the first thing that pops into your head."
Mooore: "Oh I thought you were gonna aske me who Deep Throat was?
Dean: "I'm gonna let the audience grade your answers."

Dean: "Laura Bush."
Moore: "Killer."
Dean: "That's two words."
Moore: "No! I said killer, not Kill Her!"
Dean: "Explain"
Moore: "She killed a man when she was 17. Her ex-boyfriend who had broken up with her. It was November of 1963 in Midland, Texas. She ran a stop sign. Michael Douglass was his name. Star quarterback of the football team. It was 10 days before the Kennedy assassination. I just say that for the assassination buffs! Imagine if Hillary Clinton had killed her boyfriend? We'd never hear the end of it."
The raucous crowd roared with laughter and hoots.
Dean: "Karl Rove"
Moore: "Congradulations"
(Audience HISSES)

Dean: "Donald Rumsfeld"
Moore: "War criminal"
(Audience CHEERS)
Moore then went on to spin a hilarious long winding story of how he ended up with Miramax as a producer of his latest blockbuster, "Fahrenheit 9/11". The story involved Mel Gibson, 3 Passover sedars and five jews.

Regarding "Bowling For Columbine," Moore's Oscar-winning documentary, he told the crowd not to have any preconceived notions when making a documentary. He explained that when he went to Canada to learn about their gun control policies, he was shocked to learn that Canadian citizens possessed more guns per capita than their American cousins. Moore was confused he said, but soon realized that "Guns don't kill people. Americans kill people!"

He also indicated that an early plot line of "BFC" was for him to run for President of the NRA and beat Charlton Heston. Once elected Moore intended to disband the group permanently.... part II tomorrow

Date: Thursday Night December 2, 2004
Place: Wadsworth Theatre, Brentwood, CA.
Event: Michael Moore and John Dean

Dean: "I'm gonna say a word or a phrase and you tell me the first thing that pops into your head."
Moore: "Oh I thought you were gonna ask me who Deep Throat was?
Dean: "I'm gonna let the audience grade your answers."

Dean: "Laura Bush."
Moore: "Killer."
Dean: "That's two words."
Moore: "No! I said killer, not Kill Her!"
Dean: "Explain"
Moore: "She killed a man when she was 17. Her ex-boyfriend who had broken up with her. It was November of 1963 in Midland, Texas. She ran a stop sign. Michael Douglass was his name. Star quarterback of the football team. It was 10 days before the Kennedy assassination. I just say that for the assassination buffs! Imagine if Hillary Clinton had killed her boyfriend? We'd never hear the end of it."
The raucous crowd roared with laughter and hoots.
Dean: "Karl Rove"
Moore: "Congradulations"
(Audience HISSES)

Dean: "Donald Rumsfeld"
Moore: "War criminal"
(Audience CHEERS)

Dean: "Condi Rice"
Moore: "Buddy"
Moore went on to reveal some insight into the unusually perverse relationship between the National Security Advisor, soon-to-be Secretary of State and the President.
"She never and I mean never leaves his side. They wake up the same exact time and work out in the gym together alone everyday. They apparently bonded over baseball. Nobody, nobody, NOBODY is closer to the President than her. And the media won't touch this story. Write about it!"

Dean: "Dick Cheney"
A beat.
Moore: "President"
Dean: "The genius of Dick Cheney - he lets George Bush wake up every morning and THINK he is President.

Dean: "Barney"
Moore: "The one good thing you can say about Bush is that he's good to his dogs."
"So was Hitler," shouts a balcony dweller.

Dean: "How many pairs of underwear did you pass out on campuses?"
Moore: "Hundreds. We went to 63 campuses. Look, we prevented a Bush landslide. Our candidate did not have a single story to tell. His story covered 17 chapters. All Kerry had was "I'm not Bush" and we got 57 million votes with just that tagline."

Moore continued: "America loves Hollywood. Don't let Hannity and O'Reilly tell you different. Don't think they are trying to help you. That's why the Right runs Reagan and Arnold and Sonny Bono and the guy from the Loveboat. The Democrats run policy wonks. The two times we won, we won with a rock star, Bill Clinton and a movie star, John Kennedy."

"How did they end up with better screenwriters? Karl Rove CREATED the Crawford Ranch as a set, a year before the election. Democrats, don't run AWAY from Hollywood. Run TO Hollywood!" exhorted Moore.

"We need a simple story. Bob Dylan did it in a three minute song. We can do it. It was embarrassing this happened and we're never gonna let this happen again!" yelled Moore.
Dean: "Condi Rice"
Moore: "Buddy"
Moore went on to reveal some insight into the unusually perverse relationship between the National Security Advisor, soon-to-be Secretary of State and the President.
"She never and I mean never leaves his side. They wake up the same exact time and work out in the gym together alone everyday. They apparently bonded over baseball. Nobody, nobody, NOBODY is closer to the President than her. And the media won't touch this story. Write about it!"

Dean: "Dick Cheney"
A beat.
Moore: "President"
Dean: "The genius of Dick Cheney - he lets George Bush wake up every morning and THINK.

Dean: "Barney"
Moore: "The one good thing you can say about Bush is that he's good to his dogs."
Dean: "How many pairs of underwear did you pass out on campuses?"
Moore: "Hundreds. We went to 63 campuses. Look, we prevented a Bush landslide. Our candidate did not have a single story to tell. His story covered 17 chapters. All Kerry had was "I'm not Bush" and we got 57 million votes with just that tagline."

Date: Thursday Night December 2, 2004
Place: Wadsworth Theatre, Brentwood, CA.
Event: Michael Moore and John Dean

Moore continued: "America loves Hollywood. Don't let Hannity and O'Reilly tell you different. Don't think they are trying to help you. That's why the Right runs Reagan and Arnold and Sonny Bono and the guy from the Loveboat. The Democrats run policy wonks. The two times we won, we won with a rock star, Bill Clinton and a movie star, John Kennedy."

"How did they end up with better screenwriters? Karl Rove CREATED the Crawford Ranch as a set, a year before the election. Democrats, don't run AWAY from Hollywood. Run TO Hollywood!" exhorted Moore.

"We need a simple story. Bob Dylan did it in a three minute song. We can do it. It was embarrassing this happened and we're never gonna let this happen again!" yelled Moore.

On the subject of "Fahrenheit 9/11" Moore explained:
"The film outed the mainstream media. Journalists today are lazy. They go to Nexus, they crib from other articles....where are our Woodwards and Bernsteins of today?"

"They all got mad at me because I outed them. Matt Lauer was upset with me." sighed Moore.

Dean: "This administration has blunted the media. Woodward has become a stenographer."

Moore: "After an interview with Katie Couric, she told me off camera that her producer had received a phone call from Dick Cheney's office saying he didn't like the tone of her voice when she was interviewing an adminstration official recently."

The crowd GROANED.
    
Couric appologized off-camera to Moore on the Today Show. "Thirteen hundred American are dead because you didn't have the guts to ask the hard questions," Moore's voice quivered as he barked those words.

Dean: "Where did you get the footage of Bush in the elementary school?"
Moore: " I called Booker Elementary and they told me they ran a video camera on a tripod for the whole thing. I asked them if I could have it. They said sure - for five dollars!"

Moore went on to explain how our initial missle attack on Bagdad was 0 for 50 and "there is blood on our hands and we will pay for this."

Explaining his heavy-weight security guards on either end of the stage, Moore told the audience how 'Focus On The Family', a right wing group had published his address and photos of his house in Michigan on the net and how his life has been constantly threatened, his home vandalized. "Harvey and Bob pay for this around the clock security. It's a terrible way to live," Moore whispered sadly.
In addition he said that Republican groups have taken out full page ads in Variety and USA today urging the entertainment industry to stop Moore from winning another Oscar this year.
The crowd cheered its approval.

On the subject of "Fahrenheit 9/11" Moore explained:
"The film outed the mainstream media. Journalists today are lazy. They go to Nexus, they crib from other articles....where are our Woodwards and Bernsteins of today?"

"They all got mad at me because I outed them. Matt Lauer was upset with me." sighed Moore.

Dean: "This administration has blunted the media. Woodward has become a stenographer."

Moore: "After an interview with Katie Couric, she told me off camera that her producer had received a phone call from Dick Cheney's office saying he didn't like the tone of her voice when she was interviewing an adminstration official recently."

The crowd GROANED.

Couric appologized off-camera to Moore on the Today Show. "Thirteen hundred American are dead because you didn't have the guts to ask the hard questions," Moore's voice quivered as he barked those words.

Dean: "Where did you get the footage of Bush in the elementary school?"
Moore: " I called Booker Elementary and they told me they ran a video camera on a tripod for the whole thing. I asked them if I could have it. They said sure - for five dollars!"

Moore went on to explain how our initial missle attack on Bagdad was 0 for 50 and "there is blood on our hands and we will pay for this."

Explaining his heavy-weight security guards on either end of the stage, Moore told the audience how 'Focus On The Family', a right wing group had published his address and photos of his house in Michigan on the net and how his life has been constantly threatened, his home vandalized. "Harvey and Bob pay for this around the clock security. It's a terrible way to live," Moore whispered sadly.
In addition he said that Republican groups have taken out full page ads in Variety and USA today urging the entertainment industry to stop Moore from winning another Oscar this year.

Regarding his upcoming film, "Sicko" Moore chortled, "HMO's  are holding Michael Moore drills. They roll play. Pfizer has sent out memos....if a bearded fat man in rumpled clothing shows up....."
Much hilarity in the crowd ensued.

In a Q&A with the audience Moore explained that he wore a suit and tie on the Tonight Show because he "just wanted to look good for his IRS audit."

In the Holy Cow info department, Moore claimed that Dana Millbank of the Washington Post reported he found out the tail numbers on the plane used to ferry the Bin Laden family out of the U.S. after 9/11. He traced the actual plane to Washington, D.C. It shockingly turned out to be the official White House Press Corp jet!
"July 22nd. Washington Post. You can look it up," bellowed Moore.

In an upbeat message near the end, Moore predicted that the "Anybody But Bush movement would morph into an anti-war movement that will be massive. I urge you all to go to the Inauguaral!

"Comedy and humor is really going to be important in the next four years," Moore informed.
He urged the audience to grab control of their local Democratic Parties and that we need new blood in the DNC. "Bob Shrum must go," Moore urged.

In a final light segment for the evening, Dean extrapolated at to his own theories regarding the identity of "Deep Throat" the famed Watergate leaker who provided info to Woodward and Bernstein. While Dean leans to Pat Buchannan, Moore would have none of it.
"It's Diane Sawyer. I'm certain of it. It's Diane Sawyer."

Dean: "Michael, welcome to the Enemies List."

Regarding his upcoming film, "Sicko" Moore chortled, "HMO's are holding Michael Moore drills. They roll play. Pfizer has sent out memos....if a bearded fat man in rumpled clothing shows up....."
Much hilarity in the crowd ensued.

In a Q&A with the audience Moore explained that he wore a suit and tie on the Tonight Show because he "just wanted to look good for his IRS audit."

In the Holy Cow info department, Moore claimed that Dana Millbank of the Washington Post reported he found out the tail numbers on the plane used to ferry the Bin Laden family out of the U.S. after 9/11. He traced the actual plane to Washington, D.C. It shockingly turned out to be the official White House Press Corp jet!
"July 22nd. Washington Post. You can look it up," bellowed Moore.

In an upbeat message near the end, Moore predicted that the "Anybody But Bush movement would morph into an anti-war movement that will be massive. I urge you all to go to the Inauguaral!

"Comedy and humor is really going to be important in the next four years," Moore informed.
He urged the audience to grab control of their local Democratic Parties and that we need new blood in the DNC. "Bob Shrum must go," Moore urged.

In a final light segment for the evening, Dean extrapolated at to his own theories regarding the identity of "Deep Throat" the famed Watergate leaker who provided info to Woodward and Bernstein. While Dean leans to Pat Buchannan, Moore would have none of it.
"It's Diane Sawyer. I'm certain of it. It's Diane Sawyer."

 C&L Film of the Month/June

SiCKO : Written, produced and directed by Michael Moore---Scheduled for national release Friday June 29th

Film Review

By Mark Groubert

“Why is it that I’m considered controversial? What have I done? I made a movie about people in my hometown that suffered as a result of GM pulling out. I made another movie because a bunch of kids were killed at Columbine High School and I didn’t want that to happen again. And I made a movie because, early on I took a guess and told the American people from the stage of the Oscars that we were being lied to about weapons of mass destruction and I got booed. These days, I got a lot of Republicans stopping me on the street and apologizing to me. They now see I was trying to warn them the Emperor has no clothes. At this point, I’m very squarely in the middle of the mainstream majority.”

Michael Moore

America June 2007

SiCKO will make you sick – to your stomach.

To the bottom of your soul.

It is partisan proof, critic proof and bullet proof.

It is simply the truth.

And the truth, like the message in this, the fifth documentary by Michael Moore, is getting increasingly hard to swallow. SiCKO is indeed his bitterest cinematic pill to date. Watching people being given the medical equivalent of a death sentence by a bottom line driven bureaucracy may not fall under the heading of filmed entertainment.

But neither does Night and Fog.

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