Traverse City Record-Eagle

Grand Traverse County

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January 9, 2009

Director protests cancellation of film

Leffler: Theater censored anti-Moore movie

By VANESSA MCCRAY

TRAVERSE CITY -- A director whose anti-Michael Moore movie was abruptly pulled from a local theater staged a protest of the cinema chain.

Kevin Leffler, of Davison, produced "Shooting Michael Moore," which criticizes his former downstate schoolmate and Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker. Carmike Cinemas scheduled a week-long run of Leffler's film at Traverse City's Horizon Cinemas, but canceled it days before the Friday start. Local Moore supporters said the title promoted violence toward Moore but backed off their protest plans after Carmike shelved the movie.

Friday, it was Leffler who protested. He drove north to gather with his supporters outside the theater around 4 p.m. Leffler appeared with his mouth taped shut with about a dozen others. Some carried signs that read "Censorship sucks" and "Freedom of speech?" Among the protestors was Charles Leachman, of Elmwood Township, who said he saw four or five movies a month at Horizon Cinemas but now will boycott the theater.

"I hope a lot of other people do the same," he said.

Prior to the protest, Leffler said he wanted people to demand the theater company "stop the censorship and let the people of Traverse City decide the value of the movie."

Leffler said he will change the title to "Exposing Michael Moore" if that convinces Carmike to screen it. But the director thinks objections to the name are just a "smokescreen," and the film's critics just "don't want the movie shown."

Former Traverse City Human Rights Commissioner M'Lynn Hartwell was among local residents who opposed showing the film here. She said changing the title is "not adequate" and "doesn't reduce the threat against one of our citizens." She remains upset by the movie's inclusion of directions and street signs showing the way to Moore's Antrim County house. Leffler's reaction "fans the flames," she said.

"... His more recent actions indicate his motives are perhaps less than noble," Hartwell said.

Carmike Director of Marketing Dale Hurst said he still doesn't know why his company won't show the movie.

"I wish I had a concrete, definite idea or a reason. I have no idea," he said.

Hurst referred questions to Carmike's film department; an official there could not be reached Friday afternoon. Hurst said he received "a few" calls of complaints and believed others at Carmike also received complaints.

"There are more calls as to, 'Hey, we want to show it' as opposed (to), 'Hey, don't show it,'" Hurst said.

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