Film: Bowling for Columbine Director: Michael Moore

Studio: United Artists and Alliance Atlantis

When you walk into a bank on Prince Edward Island to open up a new account what do you expect to get as a little "welcome to our bank" present? A pen? Possibly a pin?

Well when you walk into the North Country bank in Michigan to open up a new account you don't get a pen, or a pin. You get a gun.

Bowling For Columbine is a hard hitting documentary about the gun control laws in the United States of America.

Moore approaches subjective interviews calmly and collectively where most people would just end up screaming, or breaking down. A partic- ular high point in the film is when Moore shows up at the President of the NRA's (National Rifle Association) house and requests an interview. The President is no normal Joe. It's Charlton Heston. Heston has a hard time answering most of the questions Moore posed to him, leaving the NRA looking unintelligent and cold hearted.

The footage shown of the Columbine Massacre is nothing less than disturbing. You have force your- self to believe what you are looking at is real, not staged. Once you do that it will be the hardest and most provoca-

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Bowling for Columbine: Steryotypes Americans just ;

like Men With Brooms steryotypes Canadians

tive thing you will ever watch.

This film brings an array of emotions to the forefront. You will laugh, cry (both tears of joy and sad- ness), and feel anger.

Everyone should see this movie. I would go out of my way to recommend this film to a strange pass- er-by on the mean streets of

~ Charlottetown.

-Kelly BUTLER

Film: Bowling for Columbine Director: Michael Moore

Moore considers the cultural phenomena specific to the United States which elevates their rate of vio- lent death. Why is it so much higher in the US compared to that of other coun- tries?

This question repeats itself many times throughout the film and the answer seems to nimbly dance out of reach every time. Meanwhile the audience sits dumbfounded at the inability of those questioned to figure out the problem — have any of you ever heard of Monty Python?

This new documentary flows more like an intense wave of emotions than an informative and detached-

from-life reporting job. Michael Moore gets up-close and personal with the problems of America and displays the horrific idiocy (but not all of it, ‘cause you know that would be a massive col- lection of documentaries indeed) of its

present condition, forcing one to laugh ~

at times, and cringe and cry at others. Look at the effects! Watch the US sell nuclear weapons to Iraq when it suits their needs and then bomb them years later because they have such nuclear weapons! (And then there's

- that much-wanted Iraqi oil bought and sold so the West can keep up its envi- .

ronmental degradation rather than con- sidering the more environmentally friendly possibilities, but that's my addition here.)

This is the kind of documen- tary everyone needs more of; the kind of documentation that not only opens

up the truth, but puts a fire of emotions

into the audience, sickens them, but makes it bearable; makes people want to act — now! is

I very much hope this trend of acting on these emotions picks up and goes mainstream as quickly as Michael Moore seems to. This is the what the social world needs, not only to better understand itself, but also to see the impact of everyday things on real peo-

ple.

Things like guns and nuclear - weapons which explode far from home where the horror stories often occur. And I wonder... Bush wants to aim loaded nuclear weapons at the earth

from outer space for "security" and

"defence" reasons?! What the fuck!! Fuck you George.

-Brad DEIGHAN

Movie: Bowling For Columbine

Location: City Cinemas

When finally anyone gets to see this review, it is most likely that this film will have finished its run in the local theaters. All is not lost, how- ever, as it will eventually appear on VHS and DVD, hopefully sooner than later.

Written, produced, and direct- ed by Michael Moore, the film is a documentary that gives an intriguing look at our southern neighbor's obses- sion with guns, violent crime, and pub- lic fear.

Through satire, solemn moments, interviews, stock footage and news broadcasts, Moore ensures that almost no aspect of a nation's infatuation with firearms is ignored.

Despite the fact that some footage and subject matter may be dis- turbing, the film succeeds in its ulti- mate purpose of questioning gun