Slacker Uprising - Free movie download

[kelvin]

slackeruprising.com/download/

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"Slacker Uprising" takes place in the wake of "Fahrenheit 9/11," during the run-up to the 2004 election, as I traveled for 42 days across America, visiting 62 cities in a failed attempt to remove George W. Bush from office. My goal was to help turn out a record number of young voters and others who had never voted before. (That part was a success. Young adults voted in greater numbers than in any election since 18-year-olds were given the right to vote. And the youth vote was the only age group that John Kerry won.)

What I encountered during the tour and the filming was both inspiring and frightening, so I thought, hey, this might make for a funny and enlightening movie! Each night, thousands would show up to volunteer in the Slacker Army against Bush. This drove local Republicans nuts. In one state they tried to have me arrested. At two colleges, rich donors offered to donate more money to the college if they would ban me from campus. Nearly a half-dozen universities kept the Slacker Uprising tour off their campuses. But there was no stopping this movement. By the time we got to Florida, 16,000 people a night were showing up.

It was clear that young people were the ones who were going to save the day -- just as they are in this year's election.

[kelvin]

www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/504727

SLACKER UPRISING
Michael Moore puts movie on Web for free

Filmmaker seeks to increase turnout of young voters in U.S. elections
Sep 24, 2008 04:30 AM

Greg Quill
Entertainment columnist

Its subject is the run-up to the U.S. presidential election of 2004, when filmmaker Michael Moore staged anti-George W. Bush rallies in a last-ditch attempt to galvanize a massive youth turnout for Democratic Party candidate John Kerry.

But Slacker Uprising, Moore's latest full-length feature, is clearly targeting November's presidential race.

And to make sure as many people as possible get the message, Moore released the 98-minute documentary free of charge yesterday on the Internet (slackeruprising.com) to U.S. and Canadian citizens, claiming it's a gift to his fans.

The free download of the film, an earlier version of which screened at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, will run for three weeks. It can be downloaded in other countries for $9.95.

Slacker Uprising chronicles Moore's efforts to bolster Kerry's ailing campaign in a 45-day U.S. tour of 62 cities in 20 "battleground" states, mostly in college arenas, during which he is seen encouraging self-confessed non-voters – even by offering them packages of Ramen noodles and clean underwear – to get out to the polls.

With the help of student-friendly musicians R.E.M. (they don't perform in the film), Eddie Vedder, Steve Earle, Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello and veteran protest singer Joan Baez (they do perform), as well as comedian Roseanne Barr and actor Viggo Mortensen.

Moore comes across as a pugnacious crusader storming the barricades of youthful indifference and college complacency.

As Republican opposition mounts – Moore is threatened with bribery charges over the underwear and noodles, and businessmen in Utah and California offer student organizers cash gifts of $25,000 and $100,000 respectively to cancel their events – the film takes a deceptively comic narrative turn.

When Bush supporters mount protests outside his rallies or disrupt Moore's speeches by saying the rosary or chanting "four more years!" he responds alternatively with humour and venom, reminding some detractors that they won't be excluded in a Democratic America, challening the religious contingent by asking: "Who would Jesus bomb?"

Though the filmmaker's efforts didn't turn the tide, Moore proudly points that Bush's win was the smallest margin in history, and that 54 of the 62 cities his juggernaut visited voted for Kerry.

He also takes credit for the largest turnout of 18- to 29-year-olds ever – 21 million.

His final message: "Next time (the Republicans) won't be so lucky."

In a statement released yesterday, Moore said neither he nor the stakeholders in Slacker Uprising – including the Weinstein Co. studio and digital distributors Brave New Films – will make any money from the $2 million film.

"The only return any of us are hoping for is the largest turnout of young voters ever at the polls in November," Moore said.