Bowling For Columbine DVD

Advantages: A chilling documentary that provides much to questions to answer, and truly topical in the light of recent tragedy
Disadvantages: Not everyone likes Michael Moore's work , citing factual problems and errors within his work

****************************************************************** TITLE : Bowling For Columbine RATING: ****½ DIRECTOR: Michael Moore SCREENWRITER: Michael Moore NARRATOR: Michael Moore STUDIO: United Artists / Alliance Atlantis / Dog Eat Dog Films RUNNING TIME: 120 min. RATED: R (US) & 15 (UK); for disturbing images, and some profanity. DVD AVAILABILITY: 5.48 GBP, from Amazon; ASIN# B000089ATL ************************************************************* ...
...the lifelong NRA member made BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE, a fascinating, groundbreaking documentary about America's love affair with guns. The film got great notice all over the world, and would later go on to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2002. ****************************************************************** LET 'S TAKE THE SKINHEADS BOWLING!!! *************************************************************** *** Personally, I've always ... Read review

Advantages: A worrying insight into gun culture
Disadvantages: contains some shocking news reel footage.

...to. The opening segment of Bowling For Columbine is the perfect example of this. Only in America could you find a bank that offers you a free gun when you open an account with them. Standing in the lobby of the bank with his rifle in hand he asks the bank staff the obvious question, "dont you think that its a bit dangerous handing out guns in a bank?" The film then follows a path that highlights the attitudes and absurdities of the Americans view ...
...Colorado were 12 students and one teacher were killed by two youths with legally and easily purchased guns. Moore tackles a subject that he knows about, as a youth he was a prize winning marksman and is still a member of the National Rifle Association. He is also a native of Michigan, the same home state of Charlton Heston, NRA president and also Oklahoma bomber, Timothy McVey. The film is made with a mixture of humour and shock, but for the most ... Read review

Advantages: Thought-provoking, fast-moving, shocking, amusing
Disadvantages: You cant afford to blink for fear of missing something

...Two high school kids go bowling at 6 a.m. in the morning. Later that day they randomly shoot dead 12 of their student classmates and injure several more (at Columbine High School, Colorado,1999) before turning the guns on themselves. Director Michael Moore puts an irrestistible case against the USA gun laws using this and other tragic events as a focal point, but there's oh, so much more. The Director's amiable, ambling manner seems to put his interviewees ...
...hesitation. He opens an account at a bank in order to procure a rifle that this organisation offer as an "incentive". He uses commercials, like the one with the scantily-clad babe smiling endearingly as she unloads her automatic weapon, interspersed with stock newsreel footage (sometimes of a horrific nature) while John Lennon belts out "Happiness is a Warm Gun" in the background. And as the last few bars of Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" ... Read review

Advantages: moving, powerful, insightful
Disadvantages: the Charlton Heston interview because everyone else objects to it

...Manson. Moore quips that perhaps bowling is to blame since the boys visited their favourite alley just before shooting their classmates and teachers. Society is constantly looking for easy answers to explain misbehaviour, but the causes are extremely complex. Some people have criticized 'Bowling for Columbine' for being too unfocused, but each issue leads to the next and it’s difficult to decide when to stop. Corporate crime comes into play in this ...
...chain) on their hypocritical policy of selling guns and ammunition but not music with explicit lyrics. The killers at Columbine bought their bullets at Wal-Mart, but they had to go elsewhere to buy their Marilyn Manson CDs. In an emotional scene, two survivors of the attack go with Moore to K-Mart’s corporate headquarters. The most moving part of the film for me was the footage from the security cameras at Columbine High School. As we see children ... Read review

Advantages: Excellent movie
Disadvantages: Not for the faint-hearted

...that the boys had been bowling just that morning, so why does nobody blame bowling? Manson comes across quite clearly as a man of intellect (something I would never have thought before, admittedly) and someone who strings together some very clear arguments as to why America is in such a mess. Manson, it seems, was a very easy target for America to pick to blame for Columbine, as he represents the fear inside every American, while ignoring the actual ...
...in stores across the country. As a Brit, I find the ho-hum acceptance of guns here in America shocking, how anybody seems to be able to get their hands on a gun and ammunition - this just doesn't happen in Britain. The statistics speak for themselves. One of the major criticisms of this movie is that it tries to tackle so many different subjects that it loses its focus. I would beg to differ, I think it is the broadness of the movie that makes it ... Read review

Advantages: Strangely interesting, funny, and frigtening.
Disadvantages: Not something you would watch twice.

...---What does it offer?--- It looks at Fast Food, in general McDonalds. It states that consumer choice is being limited by commercialism, and advertising. It also addresses, "Why are our nations fat?" and " Who is to blame for that?" It is suitable for teaching purposes, more then a sit down in front of the telly with some popcorn and a bar of chocolate movie, like "Bowling for Columbine" it is more of an informative movie, probably more suitable for tv and dvd, then cinema. It is very interesting to see what happens to this man as he lives a kids dream and eats nothing but mcdonalds for a month! ---What happens--- A perfectly healthy man goes and gets checked up, His blood pressure is fine His blood sugars are excellent His weight is normal, He is perfectly fit, and a normal person. However "What would happen if he ate... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Typical Michael Moore
Disadvantages: Some scenes badly shot

...famous works are probably - Bowling For Columbine and Ferinheight 9/11, the shame is that most people just think that is all he has ever done. Anyway this is a DVD review, not a general review about him! MAIN PROGRAM The Big One is basically about Michael Moore's trip around America promoting his latest book "Downsize This" (As a side note - an excellent book and well worth a read sometime) Michael decides that he should take a camera crew with him to document his movements and so fourth. Sounds like a really boring thing to document, a fat man running about the place telling people to buy his book, great..... But wait.... Theres Mo(o)re! On his little trip around America he stops off in various places to bascially cause trouble to big business (he always has his reasons) He just basically gets in peoples faces and asks them questions... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful