Instead of taking the more obvious celluloid slap at Senator John McCain, Moore has gone outside of the Hollywood box and released a film directly and freely to the public using Internet distribution. "Slacker Uprising" chronicles Moore's road tour that is a rock concert, comedy show, and voter registration drive. The film can be downloaded by anyone over 18 years of age in the United States or Canada. DVDs are freely available to schools and libraries.

In October of 2004, Moore was invited to Salem by Willamette University. He accepted and visited the Oregon State Fairgrounds for a portion of the tour that is showcased in the new movie. Moore, sporting a Willamette University cap, spoke out against President Bush, Bill O'Reilly, and other familiar targets. The spectators were estimated at over 7,000.

"Michael Moore's efforts to involve the youth of America began to change the political landscape in the 2004 election - which this movie documents; but this election is bringing it to fruition. Barack Obama has been the catalyst that was needed." said Wayne Baum, Chair of the Marion County Democratic Central Committee.

Marion County Democrats will be holding a screening at the Grand Theatre on October 4th.

"Our goal is to bring more people, particularly the younger voters, into the political process and prevent the under-vote we have seen in that segment in past elections," Baum said.

Parking is available at the Grand Theatre and at the parking lot behind the Courthouse. Admission to the film is $3 or free for anyone under 22 years old. There will be a guest speaker prior to the film, candidate information, and voter registration for the special event. Organizers hope that interested film audiences will couple the movie with dinner from a surrounding local business.

Moore teamed up with Brave New Films (the film house that has released films, such as "Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism" and "Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers") to distribute the film. Neither Moore nor Brave New Films will make any money from the film, which had a budget of over $2 million.

"This is being done entirely as a gift to my fans," said Moore. "The only return any of us are hoping for is the largest turnout of young voters ever at the polls in November. I think `Slacker Uprising' will inspire million to get off the couch and give voting a chance."

20 years in the making

When his hometown was devastated by downsizing at the General Motors plant, instead of writing a nasty letter, Moore picked up a camera and started pursuing answers from GM CEO Roger Smith. And, thus, Moore's first film "Roger & Me" was born.

In 1994, Moore worked on his short lived TV series "TV Nation." In the same vein of "Roger & Me", Moore used his camera to make his case whether he disagreed with business practices or politics. On the show, Moore confronted anti-gay Christian radical Fred Phelps. That was one of many segments that were not aired on TV due to its controversial nature that was later released on video.

In 1997, he wrote and directed his only non-documentary movie "Canadian Bacon" starring comedian John Candy.

Two years later, he returned to TV for a single season of "The Awful Truth." Much like "TV Nation," the show followed Moore on his escapades of speaking truth to power.

In 2002, Moore made his mark on the world of documentary filmmaking with "Bowling for Columbine," a look into the world of gun-ownership. Much like the pursuit of "Roger & Me," Moore set out to interview, then, NRA spokesman Charlton Heston.

For his work, Moore won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and the Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary.

If you still hadn't heard of Michael Moore by the time the Academy Award show was aired, you definitely did the next day. Moore used his Oscar acceptance speech to speak out against the war that had just started in Iraq.

"Fahrenheit 9/11" followed Moore's disgust with the Bush Administration's decision to go to war. Opening June 23rd, 2004, the film was a financial success, smashing box office records and DVD sales.

With the success of both "Bowling" and "Fahrenheit", Moore laid the groundwork for a number of other documentarians to launch their careers. Studios decided that there just may be an interest in the U.S. for this genre of film, and filmmakers like Morgan Spurlock (of "Super Size Me" fame) have Moore to thank for that.
Moore's next film "Sicko" debuted in 2007, documenting the health care system and its injustices in the United States. Beyond being nominated for an Academy Award, the film sparked interest in a universal health care system. In the November 2007 issue of Salem Monthly, local residents explained their own health care issues in "SiCKO in Salem".

Like him or not, Michael Moore has left and will continue to leave an impact on Hollywood and politics as a whole.

For more information on the film, visit www.slackeruprising.com.