Michael & Me (documentary)
Encyclopedia
Michael & Me is an independent, self-financed 2005 DVD
documentary created by Los Angeles
-based radio and television talk show host Larry Elder
. His documentary attempts to disprove statements made by filmmaker Michael Moore
in his 2002
documentary Bowling for Columbine
. about the relationship between American culture, gun ownership and increased violence. The documentary mirrors Moore's landmark 1989
documentary, Roger & Me
, in tone and interview style.
In Michael & Me, Larry Elder interviews people who have used guns to prevent becoming a victim of crime to provide evidence that an armed society is a safer society. For example, Elder interviews a woman identified as "Jane Doe," a real estate agent who was raped
by a client and he states that would not have happened if she was armed.
Larry Elder also uses Moore's humorous style of journalism by trying to track Moore down for an interview, which spans about eighteen months.
The DVD includes responses to Michael Moore's commentary in his films, such as an animation of a fictional Elder/Moore interview, which Elder included as a response to the "A Brief History of the United States of America" segment in Bowling for Columbine, which, among other things, implies that the Ku Klux Klan
members and founders of the National Rifle Association
were allies, and that the latter, established in 1871, was created in response to the former being outlawed by the federal government the same year.
To finance the documentary's estimated $350,000 budget, Larry Elder states that he took out an equity loan
on his home (Hannity & Colmes
, Fox News Channel, August 26, 2005.)
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
documentary created by Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
-based radio and television talk show host Larry Elder
Larry Elder
Laurence Allen "Larry" Elder is an American radio and television personality. His radio program The Larry Elder Show airs weekdays 9 AM to noon on talk radio 790 KABC in Los Angeles, California...
. His documentary attempts to disprove statements made by filmmaker Michael Moore
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
in his 2002
2002 in film
The year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of...
documentary Bowling for Columbine
Bowling for Columbine
Bowling for Columbine is a 2002 documentary film written, directed, produced, and narrated by Michael Moore. The film explores what Michael Moore suggests are the causes for the Columbine High School massacre and other acts of violence with guns...
. about the relationship between American culture, gun ownership and increased violence. The documentary mirrors Moore's landmark 1989
1989 in film
-Events:* Batman is released on June 23, and goes on to gross over $410 million worldwide.* Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia, for $20 million...
documentary, Roger & Me
Roger & Me
Roger & Me is a 1989 American documentary film directed by Michael Moore. Moore portrays the regional negative economic impact of General Motors CEO Roger Smith's summary action of closing several auto plants in Flint, Michigan, costing 30,000 people their jobs at the time and economically...
, in tone and interview style.
Documentary content
In Bowling for Columbine, Michael Moore states that while he has no easy answers explaining the higher level of violence in the United States, major causes probably include easy access to guns and a focus in American culture and media on violence. Larry Elder asks: "If there's too many guns in America, why is it that where guns are more available to people and gun laws are less restrictive, violent crime is usually lower?" Elder states that gun owners are among America's most responsible, law-abiding citizens.In Michael & Me, Larry Elder interviews people who have used guns to prevent becoming a victim of crime to provide evidence that an armed society is a safer society. For example, Elder interviews a woman identified as "Jane Doe," a real estate agent who was raped
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
by a client and he states that would not have happened if she was armed.
Larry Elder also uses Moore's humorous style of journalism by trying to track Moore down for an interview, which spans about eighteen months.
The DVD includes responses to Michael Moore's commentary in his films, such as an animation of a fictional Elder/Moore interview, which Elder included as a response to the "A Brief History of the United States of America" segment in Bowling for Columbine, which, among other things, implies that the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
members and founders of the National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
were allies, and that the latter, established in 1871, was created in response to the former being outlawed by the federal government the same year.
To finance the documentary's estimated $350,000 budget, Larry Elder states that he took out an equity loan
Equity loan
An equity loan is a mortgage loan in which the borrower receives cash. Typically the loan is secured by real estate already owned outright.For example, if a person owns a home worth $100,000, but does not currently have a mortgage on it, they may take an equity loan at 80% loan to value or $80,000...
on his home (Hannity & Colmes
Hannity & Colmes
Hannity & Colmes was a live television show on Fox News Channel in the United States, hosted by Sean Hannity and Alan Colmes, who respectively presented a conservative and liberal perspective. The series premiered on October 6, 1996, and the final episode aired on January 9, 2009. It was the...
, Fox News Channel, August 26, 2005.)
External links
- Michael & Me at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...