"Atlas Part 1" Commentaries and Reviews

[Selene]

Adam, will you be going after fan tickets for the NY screening?

If I had some decent notice, yes. But this is this Thursday and I have a mediation here in NJ.

Not real happy about it, lol.

Adam

[caroljane]

Adam, will you be going after fan tickets for the NY screening?

If I had some decent notice, yes. But this is this Thursday and I have a mediation here in NJ.

Not real happy about it, lol.

Adam

Too bad. Hope there are other OLers in the area who can report.

[Ed Hudgins]

I mean no disrespect to David Kelley but I do not have a vested financial interest in the movie and a financial benefit to myself such as Mr. Kelley has to get people in to see the movie nor do I have associations with TAS or ARI or any other Objectivist group nor do I fear reprisal such as being ostracized or smeared for being honest in my views such as may be the case with others who are directly involved with ARI or other groups who may also carry a pessimistic view but is afraid to speak up and express their opinions publicly...

Angie

David Kelley wanted me to post an information correction here:

I appreciate Angie's comments on the film, but I want to correct one error of fact. I do not have any financial interest in the movie. If I stood to gain financially, I would have mentioned it as a matter of full disclosure. Of course, as head of The Atlas Society, I have a strong organizational interest in its success: Our mission is to promote Objectivism, and we expect the movie to help do that by inspiring new people to read the novel and study the philosophy. At the same time, as with others posting here, my knowledge of the novel and belief in its importance makes me a harsher critic than many people. Offsetting motives, perhaps, but money wasn't part of the equation (though I hope John Aglialoro makes a ton of money—he's earned it). - David Kelley

[Selene]

Adam, will you be going after fan tickets for the NY screening?

If I had some decent notice, yes. But this is this Thursday and I have a mediation here in NJ.

Not real happy about it, lol.

Adam

Too bad. Hope there are other OLers in the area who can report.

Ted lives in Manhattan I believe, and there is an Ayn Rand Meetup Group with a significant membership (494) total of which 10 5i 20 meets once a month to discuss Ayn's ideas. One of them, Chelsea Knight, posted here as to a film project on Ayn's ideas. A Performance Video Project Insired by Atlas Shrugged

http://www.meetup.com/aynrand-8/

Adam

Post Script: I am glad you asked this Carol. I posted what I posted here on their bulletin board. It is amazing how incompetent the Objectivist community is with positive networking and team building.

Edited February 28, 2011 by Selene

[CNA]

I mean no disrespect to David Kelley but I do not have a vested financial interest in the movie and a financial benefit to myself such as Mr. Kelley has to get people in to see the movie nor do I have associations with TAS or ARI or any other Objectivist group nor do I fear reprisal such as being ostracized or smeared for being honest in my views such as may be the case with others who are directly involved with ARI or other groups who may also carry a pessimistic view but is afraid to speak up and express their opinions publicly...

Angie

David Kelley wanted me to post an information correction here:

I appreciate Angie's comments on the film, but I want to correct one error of fact. I do not have any financial interest in the movie. If I stood to gain financially, I would have mentioned it as a matter of full disclosure. Of course, as head of The Atlas Society, I have a strong organizational interest in its success: Our mission is to promote Objectivism, and we expect the movie to help do that by inspiring new people to read the novel and study the philosophy. At the same time, as with others posting here, my knowledge of the novel and belief in its importance makes me a harsher critic than many people. Offsetting motives, perhaps, but money wasn't part of the equation (though I hope John Aglialoro makes a ton of money—he's earned it). - David Kelley

Ed,

Please tell David Kelley that I appreciate his response and it is duly noted. Despite my concerns that I have expressed in regards to the film and my being more critical, I truly hope it does well in bringing in newcomers as well as financial donations to not only TAS but ARI and other Objectivist organizations as well. I have no doubts that there will be some newcomers who are curious to know more about the ideas and the philosophy based on what they see in the movie as the foundation is there as well as helping to identify the values that "some" live by but have yet to identify it on their own thus far. I'm just hoping that it will bring enough awareness and waking people up to the state this country is in now and noticeable enough changes begin happening because of it. Rather than it being more off-putting, I truly hope it reaches many many people rather than just a "few" or "some." The movie and what it represents is much needed right now and couldn't have been released at a better time.

Again, please tell David Kelley that I appreciate his response.

Angie

[Philip Coates]

Ed,

I'm glad to see David make a comment of clarification or further explanation like this on various organizational or planning or 'movement issues' from time to time:

That can be enormously helpful and prevent misunderstandings.

(I'd like to make a further response to Angie and others that, knowing the people at TAS, I'd be rather surprised if anyone is trying to squelch or 'intimidate' or frown upon criticism of the movie among those who've seen it.)

Edited March 1, 2011 by Philip Coates

[Jerry Biggers]

Well folks:

Atlas Shrugged Movie Train Barrels into Washington D.C. and New York - ah ha - I see a plan

"The Nation’s Capitol is where this film should be seen,” remarks film producer Harmon Kaslow. 'There’s never been a more relevant time for the movie’s release. From Wisconsin’s teacher’s Union woes to Libya’s dictator’s demise, it’s as if current events were ripped right from the pages of the book.'"

Smart move, they are thinking the way I want by linking the film to current crisis issues.

The exclusive events will be held at:

Landmark E Street Theater

555 11th Street NW

Washington D.C. 20004

WHEN: 2 pm on Wednesday, March 2nd.

Tribeca Cinemas

54 Varick Street

New York City, NY 10013

WHEN: 6 pm on Thursday, March 3rd.

Adam

Adam,

Thanks for this info! I would not have known about the AS screenings if you had not posted this info.

Well now, let's see. The movie is to be shown in D.C. on Wednesday. The movie is backed by The Atlas Society, which is also in D.C. I live 20 miles from Washington. I am a member (Sponsor) of The Atlas Society. So probably they sent out emails to all their members and supporters in the D.C. area, and also the New York area announcing these screenings. I checked to see if they had sent me an email about this event. Nope, no email from TAS. So I went on their website; surely there would be an announcement of these screenings there! Nope, not a mention.

Well, the D.C. premier is in less than two days. Tomorrow, I will call their office....

[Jerry Biggers]

Well folks:

Atlas Shrugged Movie Train Barrels into Washington D.C. and New York - ah ha - I see a plan

"The Nation’s Capitol is where this film should be seen,” remarks film producer Harmon Kaslow. 'There’s never been a more relevant time for the movie’s release. From Wisconsin’s teacher’s Union woes to Libya’s dictator’s demise, it’s as if current events were ripped right from the pages of the book.'"

Smart move, they are thinking the way I want by linking the film to current crisis issues.

The exclusive events will be held at:

Landmark E Street Theater

555 11th Street NW

Washington D.C. 20004

WHEN: 2 pm on Wednesday, March 2nd.

Tribeca Cinemas

54 Varick Street

New York City, NY 10013

WHEN: 6 pm on Thursday, March 3rd.

Adam

Adam,

Thanks for this info! I would not have known about the AS screenings if you had not posted this info.

Well now, let's see. The movie is to be shown in D.C. on Wednesday. The movie is backed by The Atlas Society, which is also in D.C. I live 20 miles from Washington. I am a member (Sponsor) of The Atlas Society. So probably they sent out emails to all their members and supporters in the D.C. area, and also the New York area announcing these screenings. I checked to see if they had sent me an email about this event. Nope, no email from TAS. So I went on their website; surely there would be an announcement of these screenings there! Nope, not a mention.

Well, the D.C. premier is in less than two days. Tomorrow, I will call their office....

Well, in partial (but only partial) answer to my own question, the event is mentioned on The Atlas Society's FACEBOOK page (but not their website). That's great, but I think a little more communication would have been appropriate (sigh!).

Edited March 1, 2011 by Jerry Biggers

[Selene]

Well folks:

Atlas Shrugged Movie Train Barrels into Washington D.C. and New York - ah ha - I see a plan

"The Nation's Capitol is where this film should be seen," remarks film producer Harmon Kaslow. 'There's never been a more relevant time for the movie's release. From Wisconsin's teacher's Union woes to Libya's dictator's demise, it's as if current events were ripped right from the pages of the book.'"

Smart move, they are thinking the way I want by linking the film to current crisis issues.

The exclusive events will be held at:

Landmark E Street Theater

555 11th Street NW

Washington D.C. 20004

WHEN: 2 pm on Wednesday, March 2nd.

Tribeca Cinemas

54 Varick Street

New York City, NY 10013

WHEN: 6 pm on Thursday, March 3rd.

Adam

Adam,

Thanks for this info! I would not have known about the AS screenings if you had not posted this info.

Well now, let's see. The movie is to be shown in D.C. on Wednesday. The movie is backed by The Atlas Society, which is also in D.C. I live 20 miles from Washington. I am a member (Sponsor) of The Atlas Society. So probably they sent out emails to all their members and supporters in the D.C. area, and also the New York area announcing these screenings. I checked to see if they had sent me an email about this event. Nope, no email from TAS. So I went on their website; surely there would be an announcement of these screenings there! Nope, not a mention.

Well, the D.C. premier is in less than two days. Tomorrow, I will call their office....

Exactly Jerry:

I am frankly, dumbfounded by the apparent lack of coordination in a communication revolution, where, apparently, we know more about the Muslim Brotherhood from tweets from Tahir Square, than we know about a major media event we have been talking about and waiting for, for five point three decades...(5.3).

Wait let me give those years in Objectivese years...

LIII

TAS will provide an instant messaging software and hardware package for members!

Adam

Edited March 1, 2011 by Selene

[Jerry Biggers]

Well folks:

Atlas Shrugged Movie Train Barrels into Washington D.C. and New York - ah ha - I see a plan

"The Nation's Capitol is where this film should be seen," remarks film producer Harmon Kaslow. 'There's never been a more relevant time for the movie's release. From Wisconsin's teacher's Union woes to Libya's dictator's demise, it's as if current events were ripped right from the pages of the book.'"

Smart move, they are thinking the way I want by linking the film to current crisis issues.

The exclusive events will be held at:

Landmark E Street Theater

555 11th Street NW

Washington D.C. 20004

WHEN: 2 pm on Wednesday, March 2nd.

Tribeca Cinemas

54 Varick Street

New York City, NY 10013

WHEN: 6 pm on Thursday, March 3rd.

Adam

Adam,

Thanks for this info! I would not have known about the AS screenings if you had not posted this info.

Well now, let's see. The movie is to be shown in D.C. on Wednesday. The movie is backed by The Atlas Society, which is also in D.C. I live 20 miles from Washington. I am a member (Sponsor) of The Atlas Society. So probably they sent out emails to all their members and supporters in the D.C. area, and also the New York area announcing these screenings. I checked to see if they had sent me an email about this event. Nope, no email from TAS. So I went on their website; surely there would be an announcement of these screenings there! Nope, not a mention.

Well, the D.C. premier is in less than two days. Tomorrow, I will call their office....

Exactly Jerry:

I am frankly, dumbfounded by the apparent lack of coordination in a communication revolution, where, apparently, we know more about the Muslim Brotherhood from tweets from Tahir Square, than we know about a major media event we have been talking about and waiting for, for five point three decades...(5.3).

Wait let me give those years in Objectivese years...

LIII

TAS will provide an instant messaging software and hardware package for members!

Adam

Adam, I received a response on Facebook from a "research assistant" for TAS, to my inquiry. She replied that she will "ask" the TAS webmaster to "consider" posting a notice on their website.{Umm, this didn't occur to them that it might be a good idea to post a notice about an event clearly of great interest to their members, and in which TAS has itself invested a lot of effort?].

She then stated that TAS wasn't really a sponsor of these events [That's not what PRWeb stated in their announcement, where they referred to The Strike Productions and The Atlas Society as "bringing" the movie to Washington and New York City. Sounds like "sponsor" to me!].

She further stated that these showings were for V.I.P.s, like media types, bloggers, etc., and not for [mere?] fans, although s small number of seats were being reserved for fans. {Once again, that is not what the PR says. It encourages "fans of the novel" to show up at both screenings and that a limited number of seats were "being reserved just for fans"]

So, either they are holding seats for fans, with the best of intentions, or maybe they want to use us common folk, "fans of the novel," to just stand outside as props for the real intended audience, the media, to notice. And, what if "the media" do notice that, but report it to their readers as a cynical and manipulative ploy?

So where do we file this? Under "Great Moments in Objectivist Public Relations"?. Or "How to alienate your core audience while attempting to manipulate the MSM?".

Edited March 1, 2011 by Jerry Biggers

[Selene]

Jerry:

I have to say that my political hairs went cold when I saw that line about soliciting "fans" because of the adverse reaction expected from reviewers that "hate" the ideas.

The linkage to Wisconsin I originally thought was a great idea, but with the info you just provided, my cynic alarms went off.

It would make excellent publicity if there was a confrontation outside or inside the theater between the leftists and the capitalists.

I wonder.

Adam

[caroljane]

Jerry:

I have to say that my political hairs went cold when I saw that line about soliciting "fans" because of the adverse reaction expected from reviewers that "hate" the ideas.

The linkage to Wisconsin I originally thought was a great idea, but with the info you just provided, my cynic alarms went off.

It would make excellent publicity if there was a confrontation outside or inside the theater between the leftists and the capitalists.

I wonder.

Adam

Wait a minute.. film reviewers can hate the filmmaker's ideas but still acknowledge that the film is well-done and effective, can't they?

[Selene]

Jerry:

I have to say that my political hairs went cold when I saw that line about soliciting "fans" because of the adverse reaction expected from reviewers that "hate" the ideas.

The linkage to Wisconsin I originally thought was a great idea, but with the info you just provided, my cynic alarms went off.

It would make excellent publicity if there was a confrontation outside or inside the theater between the leftists and the capitalists.

I wonder.

Adam

Wait a minute.. film reviewers can hate the filmmaker's ideas but still acknowledge that the film is well-done and effective, can't they?

Would you like to make a small wager on that assumption in regards to Atlas and Ayn's ideas, Carol?

[caroljane]

Wait a minute.. film reviewers can hate the filmmaker's ideas but still acknowledge that the film is well-done and effective, can't they?

Would you like to make a small wager on that assumption in regards to Atlas and Ayn's ideas, Carol?

You got me. I was all set to prove my assertion that they can, and have (right here on OL), but you invite me to bet that they will, in the case of this movie. i don't think I can take your odds.

[kiaer.ts]

Jerry:

I have to say that my political hairs went cold when I saw that line about soliciting "fans" because of the adverse reaction expected from reviewers that "hate" the ideas.

The linkage to Wisconsin I originally thought was a great idea, but with the info you just provided, my cynic alarms went off.

It would make excellent publicity if there was a confrontation outside or inside the theater between the leftists and the capitalists.

I wonder.

Adam

Wait a minute.. film reviewers can hate the filmmaker's ideas but still acknowledge that the film is well-done and effective, can't they?

What rock do you live under? That sort of integrity went out of style with the death of G. K. Chesterton.

[caroljane]

What rock do you live under? That sort of integrity went out of style with the death of G. K. Chesterton.

Why Ted, I was actually referring to you in "right here on OL". You didn't review but made a passing comment on a movie whose ideas you thought were vile but you said was beautifully done. A few people have also thought Leni Riefenstahl's films were well-executed: Jewish people. I still believe some critics are capable of objectivity, and will now slither back under my rock.

[Dennis Hardin]

I think the divination from the preview has gotten out of hand. I also see expectations of a philosophical tome, or the Cliffs Notes for one, to be put up on screen. Atlas has a masterful plot, it is a novel, and when Rand strained to make it a philosophical treatise (Galt's speech, and to a lesser extent others'), it became a different book entirely.

They clearly filmed the novel. It's entertainment. It's not likely to change the world. Almost no movie does or ever has.

"Rand strained to make it a philosophical treatise..."

A.H. Woods lives.

This was my first (but not last) encounter with the literary manifestation of the mind-body dichotomy that dominates today’s culture: the split between the ‘serious’ and the ‘entertaining’-the belief that if a literary work is ‘serious,’ it must bore people to death; and if it is ‘entertaining,’ it must not communicate anything of importance. (Which means that ‘the good’ has to be painful, and that pleasure has to be mindlessly low-grade.) A.H. Woods was a faithful adherent of that school of thought, so that it was useless to mention the word ‘thought’ to him, or ‘idea’ or ‘philosophy’ or ‘sense of life’ in connection with any theatrical matter. It would be inexact to say that he was antagonistic to such concepts: he was completely tone-deaf to them. . .

Ayn Rand, Introduction to The Night of January 16th

[Dennis Hardin]

I think the divination from the preview has gotten out of hand.

You seem to believe that we should see a film before we review it. I suppose you also believe that we should read a book before we review it.

People like you take all the fun out of life.

Ghs

You hit the nail on the head. All these people keep saying how fantastic the movie is going to be before they have seen it. They should just shut the hell up. Everybody knows you can’t tell anything from the previews.

That was what you meant, right?

[Dennis Hardin]

I just saw this explanation from David Kelley about his role as a consultant for the film. I do find this very encouraging:

In late May, John sent me the initial script, written by Brian Patrick O’Toole with major input from John (who will share screen-writing credit). For the past ten years, I have been John’s consultant on all his initiatives to get the film produced, first with Turner Network Television, then with Lionsgate Studios. My role was to advise on whether the scripts were true to the philosophical themes, plot, and characters of the novel; I read and wrote detailed comments on at least six different scripts, all of which had major defects. In this case, thanks to John’s involvement, the script nicely captured the central story in Part I of the novel, and the themes came through loud and clear. That was fortunate, since there were only a few weeks until filming had to begin and no time for major rewrites. Nevertheless, there were problems we managed to fix before shooting began. [emphasis mine]

Obviously I was wrong in questioning whether David Kelley had an important role in the production of this film. The fact that he made a valiant effort to correct the “major defects” he saw gives me renewed cause for hope. It's Ayn Rand vs. King Vidor all over again.

Does anyone happen to know what crow tastes like?

If the film is anything close to spectacular--if the "philosophical themes" do come through "loud and clear"--I plan to take up permanent residence in the theatre.

[Brant Gaede]

I just saw this explanation from David Kelley about his role as a consultant for the film. I do find this very encouraging:

In late May, John sent me the initial script, written by Brian Patrick O'Toole with major input from John (who will share screen-writing credit). For the past ten years, I have been John's consultant on all his initiatives to get the film produced, first with Turner Network Television, then with Lionsgate Studios. My role was to advise on whether the scripts were true to the philosophical themes, plot, and characters of the novel; I read and wrote detailed comments on at least six different scripts, all of which had major defects. In this case, thanks to John's involvement, the script nicely captured the central story in Part I of the novel, and the themes came through loud and clear. That was fortunate, since there were only a few weeks until filming had to begin and no time for major rewrites. Nevertheless, there were problems we managed to fix before shooting began. [emphasis mine]

Obviously I was wrong in questioning whether David Kelley had an important role in the production of this film. The fact that he made a valiant effort to correct the "major defects" he saw gives me renewed cause for hope. It's Ayn Rand vs. King Vidor all over again.

Does anyone happen to know what crow tastes like?

If the film is anything close to spectacular--if the "philosophical themes" do come through "loud and clear"--I plan to take up permanent residence in the theatre.

Watch out, Dennis! You may end up eating crow for eating crow. If it's crow you should eat it might be the crow of reviewing a film you've yet to see.

--Brant

[Dennis Hardin]

I just saw this explanation from David Kelley about his role as a consultant for the film. I do find this very encouraging:

In late May, John sent me the initial script, written by Brian Patrick O'Toole with major input from John (who will share screen-writing credit). For the past ten years, I have been John's consultant on all his initiatives to get the film produced, first with Turner Network Television, then with Lionsgate Studios. My role was to advise on whether the scripts were true to the philosophical themes, plot, and characters of the novel; I read and wrote detailed comments on at least six different scripts, all of which had major defects. In this case, thanks to John's involvement, the script nicely captured the central story in Part I of the novel, and the themes came through loud and clear. That was fortunate, since there were only a few weeks until filming had to begin and no time for major rewrites. Nevertheless, there were problems we managed to fix before shooting began. [emphasis mine]

Obviously I was wrong in questioning whether David Kelley had an important role in the production of this film. The fact that he made a valiant effort to correct the "major defects" he saw gives me renewed cause for hope. It's Ayn Rand vs. King Vidor all over again.

Does anyone happen to know what crow tastes like?

If the film is anything close to spectacular--if the "philosophical themes" do come through "loud and clear"--I plan to take up permanent residence in the theatre.

Watch out, Dennis! You may end up eating crow for eating crow. If it's crow you should eat it might be the crow of reviewing a film you've yet to see.

--Brant

Just so I understand: When people look at a trailer or preview and say they really like everything about a forthcoming film, that’s just hunky-dory. But when I look at the same previews and offer criticism, that’s “reviewing a film before I see it.”

What bullshit.

[Greybird]

[...] I think the divination from the preview has gotten out of hand. I also see expectations of a philosophical tome, or the Cliffs Notes for one, to be put up on screen. Atlas has a masterful plot, it is a novel, and when Rand strained to make it a philosophical treatise (Galt's speech, and to a lesser extent others'), it became a different book entirely.

They clearly filmed the novel. It's entertainment. It's not likely to change the world. Almost no movie does or ever has.

"Rand strained to make it a philosophical treatise ..." A.H. Woods lives.

Are you incapable of anything except cheap smears and a sarcastic refusal to comprehend? (I ask this, semi-rhetorically, because with you the evidence isn't yet conclusive — unlike with others who have posted in this thread, whose distortions I won't dignify with a response.)

It's not possible to combine a philosophic treatise with a novel and have the result remain dramatically coherent. Galt's radio speech never belonged in a novel, and I've been saying this for decades in forums such as this.

"This is the philosophy of Objectivism," the single sentence she headed it with in For the New Intellectual, is (along with what she wrote in the preface to that compilation) the most pernicious position she ever espoused, in terms of establishing her legacy — as I've discussed at length on this site.

Even Rand, implicitly, didn't see it as fitting her novel. She extracted it seamlessly for reprinting in FNI, without a hint of recognition for the implied ironies as to her writing method.

She also did so with other, shorter speeches of characters in her books. Which last suffer the same difficulty as Galt's speech, only at shorter duration, and usually in less problematic ways.

Among them, only Roark's courtroom speech is linked sufficiently to the events of the plot as to justify its presence — and then, just barely. If Rand had kept it to the length of what she used in her screenplay (about a third of what was in the book), it would have functioned far better as a part of the plot.

Galt's speech, though — and, for example, Francisco's party oration on money — end up as self-contained works. They can stand on their own, and don't have any substantive part in advancing the plot. They have been printed and distributed that way. They are book- or journal-artlcle-length disquisitions on philosophic matters. They are treatises, longer or shorter.

To make this point, as to function and use, is not to contend that philosophic concerns should be excised from art, as Rand's play producer contended in practice. I wonder if you're capable of seeing the difference.

Anyway, my phrasing was "when Rand strained." Atlas, apropos of Galt's speech, is two books. It always has been. Rand wrote it that way, despite what she insisted should be done with written fiction. (Only We the Living stayed fully true to her asserted principles. Even Anthem didn't quite manage it.)

Filming the radio treatise has been the stumbling block above all others in forty years of film and TV attempts to portray it. Even Sterling Silliphant's teleplay made the speech (moved to television) occupy a full fifteen-minute act, between commercial breaks.

That was a dicey commercial proposition even in the mid-'70s, and probably contributed to the network's cold feet — because nothing was done to revive the project after its executive backer was fired, even with already-sunk development costs. Now, with every viewer having a remote in hand, and 300 other channels to choose, whether it's a TV production or on a DVD? Such a philosophic pig going through a dramatic python is even more problematic.

All of this is worth discussing. If, that is, smearing potshots aren't substituted for genuine argument.

Edited March 1, 2011 by Greybird

[Brant Gaede]

What nonsense. Of course Galt's speech belonged in the novel. It's hectoring style, however, didn't belong in a non-fiction book. Any justification for rendering it esthetically out of the novel is also justification for throwing away the whole damn thing. AS can be improved in many minor ways, maybe even by Rand herself if still alive. It cannot be significantly altered without garbaging it up or leaving it fit only for burning for heat in your winter shack.

--Brant

Edited March 2, 2011 by Brant Gaede

[Selene]

This appeared on Mediaite website on Feb. 12 2011, before the release of the trailer at CPAC:

The Tea Party’s Fahrenheit 9/11: What To Make Of The Atlas Shrugged Trailer

"Back in July, I posited that, if done right, the Atlas Shrugged film series could be the most significant political film to be released since Fahrenheit 9/11 and, if the timing is right, could cause a shift in the American right that would put a nail or two in the coffin of social conservatism. In fact, calling it the Tea Party’s Fahrenheit 9/11 doesn’t seem entirely like a stretch. Yet for this movie to not end up in the bargain bin– the quality of product here had to be astronomically high, especially given the lack of big names in production."

Adam

[Reidy]

This is an odd analogy, since Fahrenheit 9/11 was something of a bust politically. It was supposed to deliver the election to Kerry, and it didn't. That's one of the reasons Moore is no longer the celebrity he once was.