Bowling for Columbine
 

Wow! What an amazing film...

First off, let me make it clear that this is not a bowling movie. Bowling fans will be disappointed if they come expecting to see a number of exciting bowling maneuvers.

It is also not a movie about the Columbine tragedy, although that sad event is revisited briefly in the film.

The title is taken from the little-known fact that the two killers, Dylan and Eric, were supposed to be in bowling class at Columbine High School on the morning of the murders. At least five witnesses, including their teacher, told the police that they saw one or both boys that morning at the bowling alley for their first hour class. Some school and law enforcement officials later maintained that the two boys skipped that class that morning yet no other witness has come forward to say they saw Eric and Dylan anywhere else that morning.

One reason the film is called "Bowling For Columbine" is that, after the massacre, all the pundits and experts started blaming all the usual suspects that are wheeled out for blame whenever a school shooting occurs—evil rock music (in this case Marilyn Manson), violent video games, and bad parenting.

My point is that those scapegoats make about as much sense as blaming bowling. After all, Eric and Dylan were bowlers, they took bowling class at Columbine—was bowling responsible for their evil deeds? If they bowled that morning, did the bowling trigger their desire to commit mass murder? Or, if they skipped their bowling class that morning, did that bring on the massacre? Had they bowled, that may have altered their mood and prevented them from picking up their guns. As you can see, this is all nonsense, just as it is nonsense to blame Marilyn Manson.

The title suggests other metaphors for the state of the nation which are best left to the viewers and their imagination.

Go see it everyone! It is truly an amazing piece of documentary film-making...

thanks for the review, although bad parenting does have its part in the childrens lives because its apperent the parents were not talking to their children enough.

Was this like an inde film? TV documentry? Theatre? Where did you see it?

yea i saw it too...very cool documentary (prolly only seen in small independant theaters) Check some footage here: http://www.bowlingforcolumbine.com/ Michael Moore always cracks me up...dunno if anyone ever saw his TV-Nation program but u should definitely check it out...

i don't think it is playing in the US anymore

Re: Bowling for Columbine
 

[quote="Von Paulus":a22f2]...At least five witnesses, including their teacher, told the police that they saw one or both boys that morning at the bowling alley for their first hour class. ...[/quote:a22f2]

What the heck was their teacher doing at the bowling alley during first period?

Wait... was the whole movie about making white people look bad? Because I just watched some clips, and frankly the movie looks like a piece of shit.

[quote="EasyTrick2.0":e2e77]Wait... was the whole movie about making white people look bad? Because I just watched some clips, and frankly the movie looks like a piece of shit.[/quote:e2e77]

i'm sure they have some of the homie gangsta violence in there,

and its a piece of shit because it has white people shooting guns or something?

hmm so its not playing anymore?

Bowling For Columbine is a VERY uneven movie. There are some parts that you just nod your head to, and other parts you want to kick Michael Moore in the balls for being so god damn manipulative.

Yes the part with him going into KMart and getting them to stop selling handgun bullets was nice, yea him "ambushing" Dick Clark (who owns restaurants that participate in a program called Welfare To Work [and I work with people on this program, the thing DOESNT work], and enjoys tax breaks while paying shit wages), and Charlton Heston (revered leader of the NRA) - but it all felt like a bleeding heart documentary that didn't give any answers, and just pointed the finger.

The CARTOON though was funny as shit.

And yes it is playing in America. Where else in the world is anyone gonna want to watch this thing.

Re: Bowling for Columbine
 

[quote=Rocket]What the heck was their teacher doing at the bowling alley during first period?[/quote:eb41d]

Bowling was a class. Probably for Phys Ed.

Re: Bowling for Columbine
 

[quote=ninty9]Bowling was a class. Probably for Phys Ed.[/quote:66d3a]

that in itself is pretty disturbing

I went bowling for phys ed while I was in High School.

We got to choose out of a number of "sports" about 5 per semester. We would go bowling for a week and then ice hockey, basketball etc.

I did archery myself. Can someone explain how a kid can stockpile weapons and homemade explosives in his garage and room without his parents knowing? hake:

Nope.

I intend to be a responsible parent.