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List Price: $9.95 | | Label: Brave New Films
Salesrank: 16834
Released: October 7, 2008 |
| Our Price: $9.95 |
| Used Price: $9.99 |
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MPAA Rating:
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
His first film to premiere for free on the internet, Slacker Uprising, AKA Captain Mike across America, documents Michael Moore's attempt to influence the 2004 presidential election. Uninspired by Senator Kerry and the Democrats, he went on a 62-city tour to persuade non-voters to do their civic duty. Moore had two primary goals: 1) to encourage 56 percent of the electorate to cast ballots and 2) to remove President Bush from office. And he roped in big names to make it happen, like Steve Earle, Joan Baez, Viggo Mortensen, R.E.M., and Eddie Vedder (performing a heartfelt rendition of Cat Stevens' "Don't Be Shy") Though Moore acknowledges his failure, it's hard to fault his strategy, since he specifically targeted the 20 battleground states most likely to influence the results. Along the way, he offered "slacker" fare, i.e. ramen noodles and clean underwear, to new voters. Amusingly, some conservative commentators accused the Oscar winner of bribery, while community leaders in Utah and Nevada tried to ban his appearances. If Slacker Uprising comes across as partisan and self-important--witness the plentiful footage of excited crowds--Moore makes good points along the way, and the essential one is undeniable: everyone should vote, and it's disheartening that Americans need to be reminded of that fact... but they do. It's also worth noting that, as in Fahrenheit 9/11, the director continues to support the troops, and several service members to speak out at his rallies. Extras include deleted scenes, including Moore's reading of the infamous My Pet Goat. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Slacker Uprising Reviews:
failed opportunity 
2009-03-24 - First off: I'm a libertarian and I hated Bush and Kerry pretty evenly.
when I sat down to watch this dvd I had a pad of paper with me. I was going to write down each valid reason the movie gave to vote for Kerry over Bush. I could have used a post-it note.
The beauty of this documentary is that Bush won and so you can look at people's fear of 4 more years of Bush and see that they aren't valid. One lady said she had to vote for Kerry because Bush would take away her social security. Didn't happen. Eddie Vetter and another musician hinted that Bush would use the draft. Didn't happen. Al Gore won the popular vote. Irrelevant. They talked about how Bush is immoral while trying to get people to vote for a VP who had multiple affairs while his wife was suffering from cancer.
The complaints about the war and the national debt were the only valid arguments made against Bush. Of course using these two arguments to convince people to vote for Kerry is pointless.
The movie says Kerry lost by only 100,000 votes but he lost by over 3,000,000. But I guess if you were looking for accurate information you wouldn't watch a michael morre movie.
It's just sad to see people get fired up about how crappy government is and then put that momentum into supporting someone like Kerry. If you want something different you need to vote for someone different. Again, I was indifferent to either Bush or Kerry but as you watch the movie and listen to the idiotic Michael Moore drones with their che guevera t'shirts it makes you feel good that they failed.
on a side note: Is michael moore so fat that he demands special recliners on every stage for him to sit on?
A Worthy Effort 
2009-01-07 - Not his best work but a very commendable one. I watched this for free online but bought it just to support this exceptional filmmaker.
Served its purpose 
2009-01-02 - Michael Moore was trying, during the 2004 election, got the "slackers" off their tails to get out and vote. He focused on predominatly college campuses in upwards of 60 cities, got people all riled up, and got 'em out.
Yeah, yeah, Kerry lost. But--as the film points out at the end--not by very much. (Moore didn't go into any detail on how the Ohio vote may have been stolen, so I won't pursue that here).
Critics complain about Moore. He's "biased." He shows the viewers what they want to see at the expense of what really happened. I'm shocked. SHOCKED! Actually, I think Moore critics resent him because he's talented. While countless "documentaries" have been released, most of them have teatime audiences, ladies watching such films during a break in their canasta game. Moore has attracted a mass audience and that really riles those of an opposite ideology. So they sling mud, and more mud, and Moore mud.
This film was released in time to encourage a Barack vote in the 2008 election. Young people particularly could watch the film and comment, "My God, we almost won in 2004. What can we do this time around?" If that was its purpose, I think it served its purpose.
Mind you, at the beginning of the film already, there were a few challenges to the Kerry campaign. What I remember now, a week after seeing the film, is that Kerry didn't respond "in a timely manner" to the Swift Boat allegations. (That he was a bad campaigner has been acknowledged by many, even those I know who campaigned for him). But Moore went from campus to campus, riling up the "slackers."
In this film, he went to a community college in Utah. There's a whole film on that subject, "This Divided State," which covers details not shown in "Slackers." I recommend that film too.
On one campus in California, the school administration chose to disinvite Moore but the students then arranged for Moore to speak at a local fairgrounds--where the audience was much, much greater than it would have been on campus. And Moore made substantially more in contributions, which he offered as a scholarship to someone who'd challenge the school's administration.
Brilliant.
Moore had the showbiz/music personalites to add some color to the campaign. Roseann Barr was hystrical.
Moore had been passing out packages soup and clean underwear to students who'd pledge to vote in 2004. Some GOP activists tried to sue him for "bribery" for that act, a case which I don't believe did them any PR good, let along any legal victory.
One memorable element of the film was the Moore opponents on one campus. They were calling him an "Communist," and an "anti-American." Now, I have little doubt there were some who're not fond of Moore who were less fanatical. But I'm glad Michael showed the eccentrics. One hears incessantly from the "right" about the "left's" penchant for the "politically correct." But one seldom hears of those correctitudes for which the right is responsible. Moore exposed them for what they are: intolerant eccentrics who believe in fairy tales, and condemn those who don't!
I have the DVD version of the film which also has a few extras. One I like is Moore on stage commenting on Bill O'Reilly's book for kids. That's a few minutes not to be missed.
I don't consider this a great Moore film. But, again, it served its purpose. (If the 2008 election were limited to younger people, Barack would have won by something like 4 to 1!)
Enjoy it, bless those who released the film for its magnificient timing, and get some ideas for the future!
A Fattass but one of the smartest guys around 
2008-12-23 - Mike is kind of gross to look at, but get beyond the cover of that book and this guy is First Class.
EXCELLENT!!!
2008-12-16 - cant recommend this enough! great movie! Michael Moore isn't usually one of my favorites but i fully enjoyed this one!
To see someone like this doing good is refreshing!
this is a must see!
