Rating: 
Summary: Not too bad for a movie without Cameron Diaz or Mathew McAug
Review: Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!
Good movies give you that emotionally fresh, post-cathartic feeling. Great movies make you take a long stare at yourself and reconsider how you look at things. This movie does both, and how!
I felt a little sorry for trembling Chuck Heston getting blind-sided in Moore's interview, but in light of the NRA rallies being held immediately after both school-shootings, he had no teneble explanation or recourse, but to hobble quickly away. Did anyone else find it humorous that Heston was giving his presentation to the NRA assembled FROM BEHIND BULLETPROOF GLASS SHIELDS?
Many documentaries are barely watchable, but Moore's movie is thoughtful, nuanced and enjoyable from start to finish--the best-tasting medicine America needs.
-Calamari Chris in Carlsbad, CA
Rating:
Summary: Thank you for your knowledge
Review: This was by far one of my favorite movies of 2002. I took over a dozen of my friends to see this movie even though the movie theaters charge more to see it than I make at two hours of work. Don't get me wrong it was worth every penny when I saw the look on my friends faces after Mr. Moore's facts and interviews. It was was almost calming to now know that my friends who were somewhat in the dark before seeing the film, that they now have an understanding that our country is not the land of perpetual bliss as it is always described as. So for all you who would like to know the truth and understand our problems and infatuation with guns and violence this is a good start, but definitly not the finish. Americans open your eyes,listen to what people have to say and then make your own decision about what to do and then do something about it!!! Thank You Michael Moore.
Sincerely, Matthew Paredes
Rating: 
Summary: Best documentary since JFK!!
Review: To say this is a documentary is to say facts are not important to documentaries.I enjoyed this film because I can see it for what it is. Kind of like Stone's JFK, a slanted view, even fictious view, of the facts to produce a certain impact upon the viewer. I.E.: The Willie Horton ad in the moive was composed from two different ads, and the words "And he kills again" were put in there by Moore to shock the viewer, Horton [attacked] a woman not killed her. The Heston speech at Devner was edited from 3 different speeches to produce a speech which he never gave. The NRA "gun rally" was in fact a convention organized 4 years prior that was curtailed in deffernce to the shooting. The Flint rally occured 8 months after the shooting, and during a campain season. Yet Moore gives the impression it happened within days of the shooting. The end scene was reshot by Moore to get the two POVs used, or else how can the viewer not see another camera. All in all, I enjoyed this movie, though I cannot take it seriously, like JFK. If you have a grasp on reality and can see this for what it is you'll enjoy it. If you dont have a grasp on reality and really think LBJ escalated the Vietnam War to sell more helocoptors then you'll like this as well.
Rating:
Summary: Mandatory Viewing
Review: I went to see Bowling For Columbine twice in the theater and recommended it to everyone that I came in contact with and still do. I feel that its an invaluable piece of work that should be shown in schools as part of the curriculum. People NEED to see this film. We live in times where news is based on business and not actual unbias reporting. Propaganda is fed to us at every turn. I do believe that the majority of Americans want peace and not war, that they want raw truth and NOT padded Bush approved dribble. Michael Moore isen't just speaking for the kids of Columbine, he is speaking for all of us that want change and who want the truth. Buy this DVD, rent this DVD, get the word out that violence will not be tolerated. Finally, congratulations to Michael Moore on his Oscar win!
Rating: 
Summary: Civics 101
Review: This is a great film for a civics class. No matter what your opinion of it, it is a great vehicle for discussion about domestic politics. It's timeliness, the psychology of our culture, the ethos of fear and violence, are all topics that should be explored, not only by students but by professionals in all disciplines. It may be "over the top" in a few scenarios, but those only lend themselves to discussion about arguing a point. It is problematic that those who would be the least likely to watch this film, would be the ones who might benefit the most from it. It is a film that transcends the intuitive about the violent culture that we attempt to thrive in. While you watch it, you are watching what you know already, but have never seen it elucidated. Perhaps not quite elegantly, but it's there nonetheless. It is quite poignant in it's telling of the relationship of American media to our culture. We are Hollywood, n'est pas? The film belies the question: is there anything else to our culture besides film and television? The answer seems to be "we are what we watch."
Rating:
Summary: I actually saw the movie
Review: After Moore's stab at Bush during the Oscar's, amazon.com was flooded with people who say they saw his movie and offered vague criticisms of it. Many of these people just presumed what Bowling For Columbine was about and chose to write about 2nd amendment rights. The observant conservative would have recognized this as self-defeating because Michael Moore defended the constitutional right to own guns several times in this movie. What Moore was trying to document was the "Screw You Attitude" in America. He looks to Canada, a country with tons of guns, unemployment, violent video games and indecent music. Why doesn't Canada have as much violence as we do? What seperates us (on a cultural level) from the rest of the developed nations in the world? Moore's only conclusion is that America is violent and filled with fear. As a member of the NRA, I have to wonder if anyone thinks Moore would really be 100% against gun ownership. This is an excellent documentary (much better than his last book, but living up to the quality of his first book) which include interviews with Trey (of South Park fame), Marilyn Manson and several regional state employees in both America and Canada. Watch it from a sociological perspective and without the ludicrous fear that someone will take your gun away if this documentary is absorbed by the American public.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect Score
Review: America land of the free, home of the brave . . . we've all heard those buzz-words growing up, but what government doesn't explain to us is why in the World is the most prosperous nation in the World so violent. Michael Moore does a fantastic job outlining how and why Americans' are killing one another at record numbers - higher than any other nation on Earth. Michael Moore, though no Ralph Nader,inspires the blue collar class by defining things in easy to read and easy to follow terms; simply put, Michael Moore is a real person with real opinions, some for which Mr Bush and Mr. Civil Libertarian Ashcroft would rather muzzle,like a dog on a leash. But that wont happen because this is America, home of the free, home of the right to speak freely . . . right? Michael Moore is a fine American. If America had more Americans' like Michael,we'd be questioning why government invades foriegn lands without first being invaded.
Rating:
Summary: Why are Americans so into guns?
Review: Summary:
Michael Moore wants to figure out why there are so many murders by guns in the United States. There are far more gun related murders in the U.S. each year than in any other country. So, he visits numerous people (including Charlton Heston, Marilyn Manson, Barry Glassner, and many others) and uses a conglomeration of archive footage to see if he can answer the question. My Comments:
The movie itself is fascinating; it is funny and disturbing at the same time. And, it keeps your attention. I was surprised that the topic was well-enough presented to keep my attention for two hours. Especially funny was the cartoon from South Park (narrated by a bullet) that talks about the history of the United States. There is, however, a small problem - Moore never really answers the question outright. He kind of leaves you thinking that the reason there are so many deaths is because there is a culture of fear in the U.S. that is promoted by the media. This is coupled with the ready and easy access of guns. And he gives you the impression that this is just one among a number of other problems that are resulting from capitalism and poverty in the U.S. But, you are left kind of wondering how all of this works together to result in so many gun-related murders. Overall, the movie is entertaining and thought-provoking, but doesn't really answer the question completely.
Rating: 
Summary: Do Not Trust This Man
Review: Michael Moore made what I thought was an entertaining, fact-filled documentary. As it turns out, a lot of his "facts" are unfounded and in some cases completely made up. Read David T. Hardy's Truth About Bowling for Columbine article for more information. Next time, Moore, get your facts straight and I'll be more convinced.
Rating:
Summary: great film
Review: Look at the number of reviews that this film has garnered on Amazon since its THEATRICAL RELEASE (DVD is not even out yet)!
See this film with somebody and then talk to them about it. Excercise that great right afforded to you by living in this country. I have seen this film 4 times and it is not about gun control! I think the title and the brash, in-your-face stance of the film have caused many viewers to jump to hasty opinions. There are three issues in regard to this film that in my humble opinion are far more important and discussion worthy than gun control: 1) US history of violent foreign policy blunders. (I had American friends in El Salvador, and I was in Muslim SE Asia during the bombing of Sudan) 2) The atmosphere of fear created and perpetuated by the popular media.
* C'mon - I know some of you didn't enjoy the eve of Dec 31st, 1999.
* I was scared of the African Bees too
* Every classroom at the school where I teach has been issued duct tape and plastic even though the only building of noteworthy stature in the area is a wooden roller coaster.
* If you don't chuckle when the White House issues a "blanket alert" in response to a "general threat" then you may be lost already with this issue. And if you think that the White House issues those timely alerts because they are concerned about your safety then you are hopelessly lost. 3) Is this film really a "documentary"?? Regardless of your opinion on the third issue - you owe it to yourself to see "Bowling for Columbine." I look forward to reading your review and hearing your thoughtful opinion. PS - Enough with the bashing of Michael Moore at the Oscars!!! Who cares?? Let's review the film here and let Joan Rivers discuss his stage etiquette. Moore's not an actor for many reasons. Besides, there are plenty of idiots in Hollywood worse than Moore (an award winning director living in exile because he also happens to be a child molester comes to mind).
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