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Michael Moore's Gross Deal is Sick
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Once again Michael Moore is getting the last laugh. Claim that his films aren't documentaries, allege that his facts are wrong, complain that he's fat, etc., bro is getting a better deal on his latest work, SiCKO, than any other star in Hollywood - 50% of the gross.
After theater owners have taken their cut, in other words, "Sicko's" profits will be split in half between Moore and Harvey and Bob Weinstein, whose Weinstein Co. is releasing the film nationally today. And that's not the only place Moore's deal eclipses almost all movie deals. While most actors and directors get a cut calculated on 20% of a film's DVD revenue, Moore's cut of those earnings is calculated based on all of the DVD proceeds. Of course, since Moore's films take in far less than most big-studio movies, his bigger slice is of a much smaller pie. - LA Times
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But the Times says that Moore thinks the huge amounts of money that he's getting only allows him to be more of a renegade, and allows him the freedom to continue to make his films his way about the topics that he wants to talk about.
And it probably also gave him the freedom to rail on Hillary Clinton like he does in this latest film, something you probably couldn't do if you're trying to be friends with everyone so that you can get money from everyone.
"The money allows me to never have to give in, never compromise," says Moore, wearing his trademark T-shirt, jeans and windbreaker, his Michigan State baseball hat off for the moment. "Nothing can ever be held over my head in the sense of, 'If you don't do this, we won't give you your money!' 'Oh, wow, I guess I'll be in really bad shape, won't I?' "That's an enormous bit of freedom that I have -- to stay completely true to the things I believe in. But I have an even greater responsibility because I have been blessed with that great success. I challenge myself with that, constantly."
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