- I recently saw the Moore 9-11 film. In reading reviews,
there seems to be a large number of people downplaying its content. From
facts I've learned myself over the past 4 years about 9-11, I cannot find
as much wrong with it as many have. There are criticisms from many corners,
and people appear to be sharply divided on it. And very few realize the
union and government control of Hollywood.
-
- Here's what I observed that others don't seem to comment
on. We sat near the rear of the house. There were about 120 patrons. Only
5 of the 100 were young children, apparently sub-teenage. No audience heads
ever nodded in disagreement to the film's content. It was powerful, hard-hitting
and anyone with half a brain could easily grasp the seriousness of the
material. It was more focused on the insane war, than on 9-11.
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- WHERE IT BEGINS - THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM
-
- The film begins during the 2000 election, and thankfully
spares the audience from the images of the WTC coming down. It does not
spare one from the audio recorded on the street. This lasts a minute or
so, while the audience sits staring at a black screen. This is a real tour-de'-force,
and was brilliant cinematic work on Moore's part. He wanted to obtain maximum
impact for those moments in time, and he does.
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- ONE EXAMPLE FROM THE FILM
-
- It shows the horrors of war, with numerous interviews
with real soldiers in Iraq. Michael tries unsuccessfully on the streets
of WA, DC to get various congressman and senators to sign their children
up to fight in Iraq. They actually run away from the camera. In another
scene, Moore is doing an interview outside the Saudi embassy, which is
actually right across the street from the famous Watergate hotel. Two uniformed
officers, with badges engraved "Secret Service" approached Moore
to find out what he's doing. After a few words are exchanged, they leave
looking like fools, and the audience laughs.
-
- The film is largely against a war where people are being
killed for no real good reason. I think everyone can agree with that, unless
they still subscribe to neocon propaganda. Dr. Stan Montieth, on his national
weekday radio show often states that the enemies of our various wars accurately
as "the best enemies that money can buy."
-
- Patriots waste time fighting amongst themselves and nit-picking
the film apart. Yet the most outspoken of those who have done this, have
not made a film of their own. Why not ?
-
- Anyone can grab a digital camcorder, VCR and computer
today actually do everything Moore did. No Lucasfilm or ILM effects required.
Just interview the people, the families of those who have lost loved ones
here and overseas.
-
- Yet, no one else has done this.
-
- What does all this have to do with the film you may ask
? Because not only did Moore broke new ground in this documentary, but
he did it completely against the grain of Hollywood. And I'm sure SAG is
busy right now, working to make sure this can't happen again.
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- THE UGLY TRUTH ABOUT UNIONS IN HOLLYWOOD
-
- Moore deserves credit, because this is perhaps the first
time that non-SAG (Screen Actors Guild union) REAL people, not actors have
been able to state what they wanted to say on the big screen. I cannot
recall anyone else having done this before. To put this into real perspective,
NO ONE can act in any other film today (except some documentaries) WITHOUT
a SAG card. To do so will invite the wrath of the SAG upon them. Just like
Jimmy Hoffa had tied up the trucking industry for years, SAG has done this
with their power to control creativity.
-
- Every other film you see in an ordinary movie theater
here in the USA, is made using ALL union help. That is exactly what the
symbols at the end of the credits are- union logos. In fact, according
to the SAG union agreement actors sign, they CANNOT act or perform in anything
that isn't union sanctioned. This means that a star, who may have come
from some small community theater in Duluth and then joins the union, will
be forbidden to act on that stage again. If they do so and SAG finds out
- they can be excommunicated from the union. And there goes their career.
SAG has all the stars in their control- and I mean ALL of them. Remember
this the next film or TV show you watch.
-
- The 911 film is far more reaching than most realize.
I for one, feel unions only stifle freedom and creativity. If you read
the SAG website on-line- you find that beginning actors start by paying
4 figure ANNUAL dues to SAG just to get a job. And it goes up depending
on how much you earn...like a reverse "sliding scale." What do
you get for that blood money ? SAG categorically states that they make
no promises about getting you an acting job. All that card does, is allow
you to audition and act. There are very few fringe benefits. I've seen
interviews of retired famous actors done in the SAG adult home, and also
have seen county nursing homes which look better than that place does.
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- GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF FILMS
-
- Scripts for "normal" motion pictures are actually
approved by the US govt. In older B&W films you could see an approval
number in the credits. A number whose origins were from govt. control.
This wasn't just about censoring bad visuals and language- it was about
content. Now they don't bother to display this.
-
- About 3 years ago, a marketing man from Hollywood was
interviewed. He was asked about censorship in Hollywood. His answer was
"there are films that will never be made, and films that the government
using front production companies, PAYS to be made."
-
- Clearly Moore has broken all the rules here. I wonder
what his punishment will be for this. The spook people today have free
run of America now. Accidents and illness are one of their favorite methods
of retribution because they don't want to make anyone a martyr..
-
- Let's hope that those who make these decisions have a
stronger allegiance to God, the Constitution and their families than to
those that shut people up.
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- FILMS R RATING
-
- The R rating most likely comes from the f... word being
liberally used by some soldiers who feel cheated and lied to, and a beheading
in a Saudi Arabia public square that has been taken from several hundred
feet away. Do NOT take your small children to this film, but take adult
children to see it before they blindly sign up for the service, under pressure
from a perfectly uniformed recruiter.
-
- Now and then some humor is mixed in, which takes some
of the edge off the pain that the audience feels watching it. One cannot
love America, and sit there seeing what is happening to it even now without
feeling searing pain.
-
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- Wrong About Your SAG Facts
-
- Comment
- From James L
- 7-5-4
-
- Sorry, Ted,
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- THE UGLY TRUTH ABOUT UNIONS IN HOLLYWOOD
-
- It's ugly, but it ain't the truth.
-
- You're contention that SAG controlls ALL film in the
US is blatently incorrect. There are numerous films and TV shows shot in
and outside of the US that have NO SAG actors. It's called a non-union
film, and they are made everyday. Texas (and several others), for example,
is a right-to-work state, so they have no obligation to use union anything.
If a producer wants to shoot in Austrailia, he has no obligation to hire
anyone SAG, although they often do because most of the talented actors
are in SAG. But since they are shooting outside of SAG jurisdiction, they
don't have to honor the SAG rules.
-
- For instance, The Matrix films, shot almost completely
in Austrailia, used a combination of union and non-union actors, but NOT
on a union contract! My friends who went over and did stuntwork on the
first one didn't even get residuals (which is a concrete part of ANY SAG
contract) because it wasn't a UNION film. And who in the government do
you suggest approved those subversive films?
-
- If you are under the impression that the Reality shows
use only SAG actors, you are again off the mark. Look at one of the longest
running shows on TV, Sesame Street, 20+ years and still no union contract.
PowerRangers, Zena, Hercules, and any other Saban show is non-union and
yet, still aired, although I admit it is harder to nail down theatrical
releases that are non-union, but they do exist.
-
- Look at the markee of any Leamle theater, or any other
arthouse theater for that matter, many of those films are non-union. And
what of the foriegn films that get a theatrical release here in the states.
ABSOLUTELY ZERO SAG INVOLVEMENT.
-
- Furthermore, if a film is made in Canada, for instance,
only a very limited number of SAG players (be they puppeteers or stunt
people or any other SAG member) are allowed to work, and everyone else
is a local hire, by law. (Hello, ever heard of a little film called X-men.)
-
- Speaking of "X", remember "The X-Files",
they shot the first four or five seasons in Canada, using a small number
of SAG actors, although they would usually ship the guest stars in from
the states. Right now, there are dozens of shows that shoot in Canada and
they couldn't be less hampered by SAG and its rules.
-
- To join SAG, as of today, costs somewhere between $1500
and $2500 (my friend just joined last week, but I forget the actual one
time joining fee, and the office is closed today), but when I joined in
'91 it was $1200. SAG annual dues are hardly "four figures" as
you stated, the annual dues amount is based on something like 2% of your
annual SAG income, with a limit somewhere around $3600. Otherwise, if you
don't earn the minimum, which 90% of union members don't, its $85 a year
(it may have gone up a small amount).
-
- Dude, get your facts straight. SAG doesn't give a crap
about what small community theater you preform in, SAG has no authority
regarding live performances. Furthermore, there are very few, if any, documentaries
that use SAG actors. I challenge you to find a documentary that is a union
production, that isn't about actors or people who are already in SAG.
-
- I am not even going to address your "theory"
that the government approves every script that is made in Hollywood. Even
if you limited it to just studio pictures, you're still in la-la land.
That just isn't how it works in reality, maybe in conspiracy land (a place
I myself often frequent). Of course, there is no way I can prove this one
way or the other, but neither can you, so why bother writing it? It only
makes you seem like a hyper conspiratorial nutcase.
-
- Just out of curiosity, who was it that gave the thumbs-up
to Oliver Stone's "JFK".
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- SAG has jurisdiction only in the US, and, as you would
know if you did only a modicum of research, MANY films are being taken
overseas and shot there for less money.
-
- Admittedly, all of my numbers aren't exact, but I'm not
writing an article to post for thousands to read, I'm just dropping you
a line to get YOUR facts straight, which you should have done before you
posted that article. That is the least of your responsibilities as a reporter
of facts.
-
- You owe it to your readers to correct yourself.
-
- Sincerely,
- James L
-
- P.S. SAG does have a FEW fringe benifits. If you're broke
they will help you pay your bills for a couple of months, I know this because
I have applied for this assistance and recieved it. There are other things
it offers to its members, but not much, you were right about that. Also,
the new Health Plan sucks.
-
-
-
- Update From Ted Twietmeyer
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- CLARIFICATIONS ABOUT SAG
-
- Having received some wonderful love emails about SAG
- (as I expected) I will clarify my statements.
-
- 1. The statement about SAG dues being into 4 figures
is true. Some believe that $1500.00 to $2500.00 is not into 4 figures.
To those that think nothing of such fees, tell that to any waiter or waitress
working in a restaurant trying to make ends meet. And the fees can rise
much higher than that according to their rules. And for those fees, they
essentially promise you nothing, and obligate the union member to obey
ALL their rules or face their tribunal (i.e., kangaroo court.)
-
- 2. My comment about the SAG controlling production was
in the context of films made in the USA. Perhaps that should have been
explicitly stated that way. However, their "Global Rule One"
clearly expands them to the entire planet.
-
- 3. SAG is expanding itself globally. From their website,
is are these clear statements about SAG's "Global Rule 1". Note
how a TRIBUNAL is stated for those who violate it, and that they even have
a task force. No exceptions are stated for ANY kind of theater, no matter
what or where. In fact, they would not be restricted by borders because
their tribunals and task force will have global reach. Note the wording
"international and domestic."
-
- Taken from http://www.sag.org :
-
- Global Rule One: Frequently Asked Questions
-
- The Basics
-
- What is Global Rule One?
-
- "No member shall work as a performer or make an
agreement to work as a performer for any producer who has not executed
a basic minimum agreement with the Guild which is in full force and effect."
- from the SAG Constitution
-
- When did Global Rule One go into effect?
- May 1, 2002.
-
- How can I comply with Global Rule One?
-
- Make sure that you have a SAG contract with a SAG signatory
producer for all work performed, both international and domestic. Be sure
that you have a SAG contract by calling SAG in Hollywood at (323) 549-6650.
Another special contact phone number will soon be available for New York
members
-
- What will happen to people who violate Global Rule One?
-
- The Screen Actors Guild,s purpose in enforcing Global
Rule One is to educate members that a union contract is mandatory if SAG
is to be able to continue to fully protect them into the future. Members
who violate Rule One could be required to appear before a Trial Board conducted
by a group of their peers. A Trial Board has the authority to Discipline
to impose fines, suspend, or expel a member from the union.
-
- Who should I call if I have further questions about Global
Rule One?
-
- You can call (323) 549-6650 to contact the Global Rule
One Task Force. The Task Force is more than happy to take the time to discuss
any issues that may arise.
-
- Where can I report violations of Global Rule One?
-
- Contact the Screen Actors Guild at (323) 549-6650
-
- 4. Its true that many productions which HAVE BEEN shot
outside the USA have been exempt from SAG rules. Apparently this will no
longer be the case, as their own statements prove. This will hurt many
tight budget series and shows done in Canada, as SAG tentacles reach across
borders.
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