Love him or hate him, you have to admit that documentary filmmaker
Michael Moore does things his own way. Case in point: his latest movie called "Slacker Uprising."
As you'd expect, the flick is politically charged, recounting the maverick moviemaker's tour of swing vote states in the 2004 U.S. election and some of the typically bizarre encounters he experienced with those on both sides of the left and the right.
But unlike what you'd expect, you won't have to go to the theatres, rent a DVD or turn on your TV to see it. For the first time in commercial movie history, Moore is making the just-released multi-million dollar film available for free over the Internet.
Moore calls it a "gesture to my fans" and claims he hopes the flick will spur disaffected people to get out and vote in the upcoming American presidential election in November. He's especially targeting youth, who are often unwilling to become part of the process - and who, in many cases, just happen to lean more closely towards the Democrats.
"The only return any of us are hoping for is the largest turnout of young voters at the polls in November," Moore explains. As if he needed to put a finer point on it, the documentarian added his goal with the freebie is to pay "tribute to the young voters who are going to save this country from four more years of Republican rule."
He's hoping the file will be shared via email, online and in homes, and will be shown in schools, colleges, church halls and community centres, insisting he's fine with having it freely distributed everywhere, something that would turn the stomach of most movie executives in Hollywood.
Moore became famous for his first flick, "Roger & Me," in which he tried to challenge the late GM executive Roger Smith over the loss of automotive jobs in his native Flint, Michigan. It was the biggest documentary success in box office history at the time and was followed by classics like the Oscar-winning "Bowling for Columbine," "Fahrenheit 9/11," and most recently, "SiCKO."
The outspoken activist has made a fortune from his efforts, leading some critics to call him a hypocrite, noting he complains about rich people even while living their lifestyle.
But Moore claims the free release of the film, which cost some $2 million to make and obviously will not earn the investment back at the non-existent box office, isn't about getting his cash back.
"I don't want to see a dime from this," he insists.
Chances are pretty good he won't.
Download the film here.
Photo credit: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images