Michael Moore's new film targets the drug industry - GoFuckYourself.com

robfantasy · 12-22-2004, 06:20 PM

America's pharmaceutical industry is putting out an advisory about the latest potential threat to its health: Michael Moore.

Moore, the filmmaker whose targets have included General Motors ("Roger & Me"), the gun lobby (the Oscar-winning "Bowling for Columbine") and President Bush ("Fahrenheit 9/11") has now set his sights on the healthcare industry, including insurance companies, HMOs, the Food and Drug Administration ? and drug companies.

At least six of the nation's largest firms have already issued internal notices to their workforces, preparing them for potential ambushes.

"We ran a story in our online newspaper saying Moore is embarking on a documentary ? and if you see a scruffy guy in a baseball cap, you'll know who it is," said Stephen Lederer, a spokesman for Pfizer Global Research and Development.

In September and October, GlaxoSmithKline, the second-largest in retail sales, as well as AstraZeneca and Wyeth, sent out Moore alerts, instructing employees that questions posed by the media or filmmakers should be handled by corporate communications. Heavyweights Sanofi-Synthelabo and Aventis Pharmaceuticals each sent out similar memos before their recent merger. Merck & Co., Abbott Laboratories, Eli Lilly & Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb, Novartis Pharmaceuticals and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries send periodic messages about dealing with the press but haven't singled out Moore by name. Johnson & Johnson declined to comment.

Moore's project is only the latest bit of bad news for the embattled industry. Popular ? and lucrative ? drugs such as Vioxx, Celebrex and Aleve have been linked to cardiovascular problems, and the possibility of lawsuits is looming. Canada is undercutting U.S. drug prices, and health budgets are being slashed. And then there's increased scrutiny by the FDA, whose oversight of the drug industry and its relationship to it is raising many questions.

"We have an image problem ? not only with Michael Moore, but with the general public," said M.J. Fingland, senior director of communications for the Washington, D.C.-based Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. "We're criticized on the Hill and in the press ? put in the category of the tobacco industry, even though we save lives."

The industry, Fingland said, has made great strides in the last three years ? ever since a new ethics policy was implemented in 2001. Drawn up with the help of the American Medical Assn. and other medical specialty groups, it restricted the types of gifts given to doctors, for example, setting a $100 ceiling on each. Although pharmaceutical companies can still sponsor meetings, they no longer have free rein to treat doctors to five-star dinners or pick up their hotel tabs.

"Giveaways, lavish trips are a thing of the past," Fingland said. "We've cleaned up the business considerably."

Despite the improvement, pharmaceutical executives are bracing for the worst.

"Moore's past work has been marked by negativity, so we can only assume it won't be a fair and balanced portrayal," said Rachel Bloom, executive director of corporate communications for the Wilmington, Del.-based AstraZeneca. "His movies resemble docudramas more than documentaries."

Rumors are already flying within the industry about Moore's moviemaking tactics. Moore, it is said, has hired actors to portray pharmaceutical salesmen who offer gifts to doctors who promote their products. There's also word that he's offered physicians $50,000 apiece to install secret cameras in their offices in an effort to document alleged corruption.

In September, employees said that Moore was shoving a microphone at people at GlaxoSmithKline, Bloom notes, even though he was in town only for a radio appearance.

"We have six business centers nationwide, all of which report 'sightings,' " Bloom said. "Michael Moore is becoming an urban legend."

Tentatively titled "Sicko," Moore's film will probably be released in the first half of 2006, sometime between the Sundance and Cannes film festivals. No deal has yet been reached, but an announcement is expected after the new year. There's interest in the industry, he says, on the part of some of the major studios and not just their specialty divisions.

Reached at his home in Michigan, the director declined to say whether he's hired actors to portray pharmaceutical salesmen and denied paying doctors to help him install secret cameras. ("I didn't need to. So many doctors have offered to help, for free, in an effort to expose the system.") He does admit to hanging around hospitals, insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies, including two that have not issued internal alerts.

It's getting harder and harder to find corporate executives, however, who are willing to sit down for interviews, Moore said.

Moore decided to make a film about healthcare because it's "a hot-button issue with the average American ? the domestic issue of the day," he said. "Being screwed by your HMO and ill-served by pharmaceutical companies is the shared American experience. The system, inferior to that of much poorer nations, benefits the few at the expense of the many."

Tackling the health industry first occurred to the documentarian after he shot a segment for his now-defunct TV show, "The Awful Truth," about a man fighting his insurance company to pay for a kidney and pancreas transplant. He said the viewer response was enormous ? as was audience reaction to a derogatory line about HMOs in the Jack Nicholson-Helen Hunt movie, "As Good As It Gets." There was a raw nerve, he ultimately decided, that wasn't being addressed.

Last summer, the Endeavor agency, which represents Moore, tested the Hollywood waters ? sending out a six-page outline of "Sicko" to a host of independent producers, independent film companies and the major studios. The movie, according to the treatment, would end with Moore sailing to Cuba with ailing Americans to take advantage of that country's free healthcare. That, he says, was only a joke made on a late-night talk show.

According to the summary, human interest stories about victims of the system will be interspersed with interviews. He will dig up conflict-of-interest concerns aimed at members of Congress overseeing Medicare and will look at politicians who accept campaign contributions from a host of insurance companies, as well as concerns about the "merger mania" in the healthcare industry.

Nancy Pekarek, vice president of corporate media relations for British firm GlaxoSmithKline, said employees are uneasy about an assault.

"We've been getting voicemail messages," she said. "This is their career, after all, and it's no fun to be targeted. The problem is that Moore's film [isn't likely to] reflect the stringent standards of today."

The movie, Moore said, is only in its early stages "and already people are freaky-deaky."

While "Sicko" is coming to life, "Fahrenheit" hasn't been laid to rest. Beginning on Inauguration Day, Moore will be documenting the activities of the Bush administration for "Fahrenheit 9/11 1/2 ."

"The word is out to whistle-blowers, in networks and corporations, that Bush has his sequel ? a second term," Moore said. "And one bad sequel deserves a good one. What form it takes depends on the 'improvisation' of my lead actor. I'm more than happy to share residuals with him if he'd sit down with me for 10 minutes."

xclusive · 12-22-2004, 06:21 PM

This should be a great one lots of back hand deals in washington...

LasseKongos · 12-22-2004, 06:22 PM

he is a great guy!!! thumbs up

I Like Chocolate · 12-22-2004, 06:22 PM

moores at it again. hes a good filmmaker though.

groark · 12-22-2004, 06:26 PM

Wow i think this is really gonna be an interesting one

nice smileys btw

reynold · 12-22-2004, 06:35 PM

very artistic person! great work for the guy

Andrew-at-ENet · 12-22-2004, 06:36 PM

He's just putting out movies & books for the hell of it now

TheJimmy · 12-22-2004, 07:00 PM

glad to hear it, that industry deserves the exposure he's going to give them...

seriously

seeric · 12-22-2004, 07:01 PM

now more drugs will get sold illegally.

eroswebmaster · 12-22-2004, 07:01 PM

Michael Moore for president of the PTA!

bringer · 12-22-2004, 07:02 PM

he needs to target mcdonalds but i guess that would be a conflict of interest for his fatass

Violetta · 12-22-2004, 08:48 PM

Im looking forward to that film. I think he makes people open their eyes. Americans needs that.

mikesouth · 12-22-2004, 09:03 PM

Great

That's just what the drug companies need...him to work against them....Maybe he can do for them what he did for Republican Candidates...

The Dems need better spokespersons...Michael Moora and Al Franken...no wonder.... Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Michael Savage seem intelligent by comparison.

DarkBob · 12-22-2004, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikesouth

Great

The Dems need better spokespersons...Michael Moora and Al Franken...no wonder.... Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Michael Savage seem intelligent by comparison.

I take it you've never listened to Franken's show.

Mr. Mike · 12-22-2004, 09:19 PM

Gonna be sweet, he knows how to make a good film!

Entropy · 12-22-2004, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikesouth

The Dems need better spokespersons...Michael Moora and Al Franken...no wonder.... Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Michael Savage seem intelligent by comparison.

Rush Limbaugh definitely knows more about prescription drugs than the rest

D Flower · 12-22-2004, 10:39 PM

Having worked in that industry, I can't wait to see his take on things. It should be great.

SetTheWorldonFire · 12-22-2004, 10:43 PM

He's good at what he does

xNetworx · 12-22-2004, 10:50 PM

I'll go see it

maja · 12-22-2004, 11:23 PM

that'll be sweet and a great topic to put the heat on!
I like Michael but sometimes he doesn't push things far enough, only scratches the surface of topics and problems, but he's doing the job: making ppl think.

mardigras · 12-22-2004, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bringer

he needs to target mcdonalds but i guess that would be a conflict of interest for his fatass

What would he call it? Farhenheit Supersize Me? :costumed-

Steen2 · 12-22-2004, 11:26 PM

That dude should just go away.

Pharma = PIMP

Webby · 12-22-2004, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Michael Moore's new film targets the drug industry

Good idea and nice to see drug cartels getting some of their bs thrown back at em!

It may also help the US get out of overdosing on a load of useless expensive pills that drug companies say you gotta have. Anyways, it's good for your health to kick the drug habit.

Just wait for another Moore character assassination again by people with a vested interest - that gets funnier with each movie....

Pass the MJ will ya? It's safer.

mardigras · 12-22-2004, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkBob

I take it you've never listened to Franken's show.

Or Randi Rhodes. She is the most thought provocative woman in radio. If you've never heard her you're really missing out. http://therandirhodesshow.com/

Pornwolf · 12-22-2004, 11:30 PM

That's a fantastic and much needed documentary idea.

Rollin Studios · 12-22-2004, 11:33 PM

Good for him. I only wish there was more like him.

12-22-2004, 06:20 PM	#1
robfantasy Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Medellin, Colombia Posts: 6,445	Michael Moore's new film targets the drug industry America's pharmaceutical industry is putting out an advisory about the latest potential threat to its health: Michael Moore. Moore, the filmmaker whose targets have included General Motors ("Roger & Me"), the gun lobby (the Oscar-winning "Bowling for Columbine") and President Bush ("Fahrenheit 9/11") has now set his sights on the healthcare industry, including insurance companies, HMOs, the Food and Drug Administration ? and drug companies. At least six of the nation's largest firms have already issued internal notices to their workforces, preparing them for potential ambushes. "We ran a story in our online newspaper saying Moore is embarking on a documentary ? and if you see a scruffy guy in a baseball cap, you'll know who it is," said Stephen Lederer, a spokesman for Pfizer Global Research and Development. In September and October, GlaxoSmithKline, the second-largest in retail sales, as well as AstraZeneca and Wyeth, sent out Moore alerts, instructing employees that questions posed by the media or filmmakers should be handled by corporate communications. Heavyweights Sanofi-Synthelabo and Aventis Pharmaceuticals each sent out similar memos before their recent merger. Merck & Co., Abbott Laboratories, Eli Lilly & Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb, Novartis Pharmaceuticals and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries send periodic messages about dealing with the press but haven't singled out Moore by name. Johnson & Johnson declined to comment. Moore's project is only the latest bit of bad news for the embattled industry. Popular ? and lucrative ? drugs such as Vioxx, Celebrex and Aleve have been linked to cardiovascular problems, and the possibility of lawsuits is looming. Canada is undercutting U.S. drug prices, and health budgets are being slashed. And then there's increased scrutiny by the FDA, whose oversight of the drug industry and its relationship to it is raising many questions. "We have an image problem ? not only with Michael Moore, but with the general public," said M.J. Fingland, senior director of communications for the Washington, D.C.-based Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. "We're criticized on the Hill and in the press ? put in the category of the tobacco industry, even though we save lives." The industry, Fingland said, has made great strides in the last three years ? ever since a new ethics policy was implemented in 2001. Drawn up with the help of the American Medical Assn. and other medical specialty groups, it restricted the types of gifts given to doctors, for example, setting a $100 ceiling on each. Although pharmaceutical companies can still sponsor meetings, they no longer have free rein to treat doctors to five-star dinners or pick up their hotel tabs. "Giveaways, lavish trips are a thing of the past," Fingland said. "We've cleaned up the business considerably." Despite the improvement, pharmaceutical executives are bracing for the worst. "Moore's past work has been marked by negativity, so we can only assume it won't be a fair and balanced portrayal," said Rachel Bloom, executive director of corporate communications for the Wilmington, Del.-based AstraZeneca. "His movies resemble docudramas more than documentaries." Rumors are already flying within the industry about Moore's moviemaking tactics. Moore, it is said, has hired actors to portray pharmaceutical salesmen who offer gifts to doctors who promote their products. There's also word that he's offered physicians $50,000 apiece to install secret cameras in their offices in an effort to document alleged corruption. In September, employees said that Moore was shoving a microphone at people at GlaxoSmithKline, Bloom notes, even though he was in town only for a radio appearance. "We have six business centers nationwide, all of which report 'sightings,' " Bloom said. "Michael Moore is becoming an urban legend." Tentatively titled "Sicko," Moore's film will probably be released in the first half of 2006, sometime between the Sundance and Cannes film festivals. No deal has yet been reached, but an announcement is expected after the new year. There's interest in the industry, he says, on the part of some of the major studios and not just their specialty divisions. Reached at his home in Michigan, the director declined to say whether he's hired actors to portray pharmaceutical salesmen and denied paying doctors to help him install secret cameras. ("I didn't need to. So many doctors have offered to help, for free, in an effort to expose the system.") He does admit to hanging around hospitals, insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies, including two that have not issued internal alerts. It's getting harder and harder to find corporate executives, however, who are willing to sit down for interviews, Moore said. Moore decided to make a film about healthcare because it's "a hot-button issue with the average American ? the domestic issue of the day," he said. "Being screwed by your HMO and ill-served by pharmaceutical companies is the shared American experience. The system, inferior to that of much poorer nations, benefits the few at the expense of the many." Tackling the health industry first occurred to the documentarian after he shot a segment for his now-defunct TV show, "The Awful Truth," about a man fighting his insurance company to pay for a kidney and pancreas transplant. He said the viewer response was enormous ? as was audience reaction to a derogatory line about HMOs in the Jack Nicholson-Helen Hunt movie, "As Good As It Gets." There was a raw nerve, he ultimately decided, that wasn't being addressed. Last summer, the Endeavor agency, which represents Moore, tested the Hollywood waters ? sending out a six-page outline of "Sicko" to a host of independent producers, independent film companies and the major studios. The movie, according to the treatment, would end with Moore sailing to Cuba with ailing Americans to take advantage of that country's free healthcare. That, he says, was only a joke made on a late-night talk show. According to the summary, human interest stories about victims of the system will be interspersed with interviews. He will dig up conflict-of-interest concerns aimed at members of Congress overseeing Medicare and will look at politicians who accept campaign contributions from a host of insurance companies, as well as concerns about the "merger mania" in the healthcare industry. Nancy Pekarek, vice president of corporate media relations for British firm GlaxoSmithKline, said employees are uneasy about an assault. "We've been getting voicemail messages," she said. "This is their career, after all, and it's no fun to be targeted. The problem is that Moore's film [isn't likely to] reflect the stringent standards of today." The movie, Moore said, is only in its early stages "and already people are freaky-deaky." While "Sicko" is coming to life, "Fahrenheit" hasn't been laid to rest. Beginning on Inauguration Day, Moore will be documenting the activities of the Bush administration for "Fahrenheit 9/11 1/2 ." "The word is out to whistle-blowers, in networks and corporations, that Bush has his sequel ? a second term," Moore said. "And one bad sequel deserves a good one. What form it takes depends on the 'improvisation' of my lead actor. I'm more than happy to share residuals with him if he'd sit down with me for 10 minutes." __________________ Looking to speak w/ high volume nutra CPA affiliates or networks... msg me

12-22-2004, 06:21 PM	#2
xclusive Too lazy to set a custom title Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 35,218	This should be a great one lots of back hand deals in washington... __________________ I support MediumPimpin.com / Shemp's Outlawtgp.com /

12-22-2004, 06:36 PM	#7
Andrew-at-ENet Confirmed User Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: In the 60s Posts: 598	He's just putting out movies & books for the hell of it now __________________

12-22-2004, 07:00 PM	#8
TheJimmy ICQ- five seven 0 2 5 5 0 Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 10,747	glad to hear it, that industry deserves the exposure he's going to give them... seriously __________________ Investor with 5m - 15m USD to invest. Do you have a site or network of sites earning 50k - 200k a month income? Email your contact and preliminary data to: domain.cashventures (at) gmail.com....Please...no tire kickers...serious offers and inquiries only.

12-22-2004, 07:01 PM	#10
eroswebmaster March 1st, 2003 Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Seat 4 @ Venetian Poker Room Posts: 20,295	Michael Moore for president of the PTA! __________________ For rent - ICQ 127-027-910 Click here for more details

12-22-2004, 06:22 PM	#3
LasseKongos Confirmed User Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 4,668	he is a great guy!!! thumbs up

12-22-2004, 06:22 PM	#4
I Like Chocolate Confirmed User Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 821	moores at it again. hes a good filmmaker though.

12-22-2004, 06:26 PM	#5
groark So Fucking Banned Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Germany Posts: 1,966	Wow i think this is really gonna be an interesting one nice smileys btw

12-22-2004, 06:35 PM	#6
reynold Too lazy to set a custom title Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Global Traveler Posts: 51,271	very artistic person! great work for the guy

12-22-2004, 07:01 PM	#9
seeric .......... Industry Role: Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: .......... Posts: 41,917	now more drugs will get sold illegally.

12-22-2004, 07:02 PM	#11
bringer i have man boobies Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: van down by the river Posts: 13,082	he needs to target mcdonalds but i guess that would be a conflict of interest for his fatass __________________ 333-765-551

12-22-2004, 08:48 PM	#12
Violetta Affiliate Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 28,735	Im looking forward to that film. I think he makes people open their eyes. Americans needs that. __________________ M&A Queen

12-22-2004, 09:03 PM	#13
mikesouth Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: My High Horse Posts: 6,334	Great That's just what the drug companies need...him to work against them....Maybe he can do for them what he did for Republican Candidates... The Dems need better spokespersons...Michael Moora and Al Franken...no wonder.... Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Michael Savage seem intelligent by comparison. __________________ Mike South It's No wonder I took up drugs and alcohol, it's the only way I could dumb myself down enough to cope with the morons in this biz.

12-22-2004, 09:19 PM	#15
Mr. Mike Confirmed User Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 913	Gonna be sweet, he knows how to make a good film! __________________ Sig for sale. ICQ: 163-545-054

12-22-2004, 10:39 PM	#17
D Flower Confirmed User Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 352	Having worked in that industry, I can't wait to see his take on things. It should be great. __________________ My sig was changed cause I don't know how to read the rules on this page http://www.gofuckyourself.com/gfy_faqs.html You can contact me about getting on as an advertiser - eric AT adult.com THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING

12-22-2004, 10:43 PM	#18
SetTheWorldonFire Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: California Posts: 7,444	He's good at what he does __________________ www.STWOFDesign.com hit me up on icq 154206276 or Skype: JaimeGizzle

12-22-2004, 10:50 PM	#19
xNetworx So Fucking What Industry Role: Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Whore Island Posts: 14,445	I'll go see it

12-22-2004, 11:23 PM	#20
maja Confirmed User Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Dirty D is my human bong! Posts: 868	that'll be sweet and a great topic to put the heat on! I like Michael but sometimes he doesn't push things far enough, only scratches the surface of topics and problems, but he's doing the job: making ppl think. __________________ FETISH SITES PAYS ME WELL! DOES IT PAY YOU TOO? If you're in vancouver / westcoast stop by here! ~~~zombiegirl~~ I've made out with Dwreck, have you?

12-22-2004, 11:26 PM	#22
Steen2 Confirmed User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 7,662	That dude should just go away. Pharma = PIMP __________________ ICQ: 2262.73945

12-22-2004, 11:30 PM	#25
Pornwolf Drunk and Unruly Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Hollywood Posts: 22,712	That's a fantastic and much needed documentary idea. __________________ I've trusted my sites to them for over a decade... Webair, bitches.

12-22-2004, 11:33 PM	#26
Rollin Studios Confirmed User Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: USA Posts: 518	Good for him. I only wish there was more like him.