Bowling For Columbine 96
What a way to kick off the film festival. This is the new Michael Moore documentary, focusing on guns and violence in America. Forget the fact that the U.S. has tons of guns, violent movies, music, videogames, etc. So does everyone else. So where exactly does our "every man for himself, kill the rest" mentality come from? In comparing us to other countries, particularly Canada, it raises some interesting theories about fear — that if we weren't so driven to fear by our news media, our politicians, our lack of health care, etc., we might not feel such an instinctual need to fight.

Believe it or not, it's unbearably funny. I was laughing these big, huge laughs through most of the screening. Oh — and Marilyn Manson comes off *way* smarter than Charlton Heston.

(Editor's note: Having just seen "BFC" a second time, I've upped the score. This movie is so good and so incredibly important. I just can't say enough about it.)