Employee relations

On July 3 Barclay Fitzpatrick, Vice President of Corporate Communications, Capital BlueCross, wrote an email about Sicko and how the company should respond. On July 6 that memo appeared on Michael Moore's website.

The Louisville Eccentric Observer asked Humana employees for copies of internal memos concerning Sicko, and was duly rewarded with three memos, all written in corporate PR speak.

What is remarkable is not merely that such memos were leaked, but the speed with which they were leaked. Happy employees do not do such things. Proud employees do not do such things.

Sicko is currently the ninth top grossing film in the country. It is playing at 756 theaters, as compared to the number ten film, Ocean's 13, playing at 1,244 theaters. What is even more remarkable is the number of theaters showing Sicko has been increased since its initial release. Usually it is just the opposite.

This is not just another movie.

Sicko

I saw Sicko last night. This film is somewhere between Upton Siclair's The Jungle and Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. It will have a radicalizing effect upon all those who see it.

The film's most devastating moments come not with the American health care horror stories we have all heard about, but from the vision of quality health care for all offered by the Canadian, French, English, and even Cuban systems.

Investor relations nightmare

NEW YORK: Multiple parties are ramping up communications efforts this month in anticipation of the release of Sicko, Michael Moore's new film dissecting the US healthcare system.

Also being considered is a series of screenings for Wall Street analysts and hedge funds who, Lehane said, may want to see the film to help with investment decisions.

A truly novel way to promote a documentary. Michael Moore runs circles around the rest of us.

Casino Royale

The Bond brand has been successfully updated, Casino Royale is a great movie. Daniel Craig is a completely different Bond, rough cut and with piercing blue eyes to die for.

The movie opens with a great clip that has the signature gun shot, view down the barrel of a gun, that we expect of all Bond movies, and the opening credits are very cleverly done. The first scene is the best chase scene I have ever scene in any movie. There are serious red dresses in this movie, ladies will experience serious garment envy. Highly recommended.

Edit-
One viewer thought the product placement was a tad overdone.