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Captain Mike Across America

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Captain Mike Across America
Poster for the re-edited version of the film
Directed byMichael Moore
Written byMichael Moore
Produced byMonica Hampton
StarringMichael Moore
Narrated byMichael Moore
CinematographyBernardo Loyola, Kirsten Johnson
Edited byBernardo Loyola, David Feinberg
Distributed byThe Weinstein Company
Release dates
  • September 7, 2007 (2007-09-07) (Toronto International Film Festival)
  • September 23, 2008 (2008-09-23) (United States)
Running time
102 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Captain Mike Across America is a film written, directed and narrated by Michael Moore.[1] It was filmed prior to the 2004 election, when the polling margin between candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry could have tipped either way.[2] It debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7 and 8, 2007. The film was re-edited by Moore into Slacker Uprising, which was released for free on the Internet on September 23, 2008.

It is one of the first feature-length films made by a known director to be released as both a free and legal downloadable online movie. The free download is only available to those residing in the United States and Canada.[3] The film was also made available free for online viewing and download on the Lycos Cinema platform as well as iTunes and blip.tv. It had a one-night-only run at the Michigan Theater, where Michael Moore spoke briefly.[4] The film is available in DVD format.

Slacker Uprising features live performances or appearances by Eddie Vedder (of Pearl Jam), Roseanne Barr, Joan Baez, Tom Morello (of Rage Against the Machine), R.E.M., Steve Earle, and Viggo Mortensen. The original score is by Anti-Flag.[5]

Critical reception

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Captain Mike Across America premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to lackluster reviews. Most critics alleged that it served as little more than self-promotion for Moore.

Joe Leydon of Variety magazine wrote: "One could easily carve an interesting hour-long documentary out of Captain Mike Across America, Michael Moore's ungainly account of his "Slacker Uprising" campaign to encourage young people to vote for John Kerry—and, more importantly, against George W. Bush—during the 2004 U.S. presidential election. In its current form, however, this repetitious and self-indulgent hodgepodge comes across as a nostalgia-drenched vanity project, with far too much footage of various celebs at assorted gatherings introducing Moore as the greatest thing since sliced bread."[6]

Will Sloan of Inside Toronto wrote: "This is probably Moore’s least-compelling film from a cinematic point of view. It plays not so much like a movie, or even a concert film, as a highlight reel. The film builds little momentum as it goes along, and it has virtually none of the drama that characterized his previous films. The pacing essentially never changes. There are some good moments, including a genuinely hilarious scene where Moore offers up some alternatives to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ads ("If John Kerry really loved his country, he would have died"), and if you're a Moore devotee, you'll find it mildly interesting, but if you're not, there isn't much to keep you riveted."[7]

On Rotten Tomatoes 29% of 17 reviews were positive, with an average rating of 4.3/10.[8]

References

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  1. ^ Jason Buchanan (2008). "Captain Mike Across America". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2008-04-24.
  2. ^ "Captain Mike Across America - Michael Moore". [Toronto International Film Festival]. 2007-09-07. Archived from the original on 2007-09-12. Retrieved 2007-09-09.
  3. ^ "Slackeruprising.com". Archived from the original on 2012-12-10. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
  4. ^ "Michael Moore screens Slacker Uprising at Michigan Theater". Michigandaily.com. 2008-09-19. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
  5. ^ ""Slacker Uprising Press Release"". Archived from the original on 2017-07-17. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
  6. ^ Leydon, Joe (2007-01-01). "Review: "Captain Mike Across America"". Variety. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
  7. ^ "Toronto Film Festival". 2007. Archived from the original on 2009-01-08.
  8. ^ "Captain Mike Across America (Slacker Uprising) (2008)". Rotten Tomatoes. 2007-09-07. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
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