Filmmaker Michael Moore stirred up controversy this weekend following the strong box office performance by Clint Eastwood's film "American Sniper,"
by tweeting that snipers are cowards not heroes, but after receiving criticism on social media he has since gone back to modify his comments.
In his initial tweets he said: "My uncle killed by sniper in WW2. We were taught snipers were cowards. Will shoot u in the back. Snipers aren't heroes. And invaders r worse."
He added in another tweet: "But if you're on the roof of your home defending it from invaders who've come 7K miles, you are not a sniper, u are brave, u are a neighbor."
Following criticism, Moore wrote at length on his Facebook page about what he meant, noting that he didn't "say a word" about the movie in his tweets. He accused some media outlets of turning his comments "into stories about how I don't like Clint Eastwood's new film."
"So ppl want me 2tweet something bout American Sniper? Great acting! Poweful message. Sad ending. There. My FB post: https://www.facebook.com/mmflint"
He said in the Facebook post that he was talking about snipers in general when he made the comments on Twitter.
"My dad was in the First Marine Division in the South Pacific in World War II. His brother, my uncle, Lawrence Moore, was an Army paratrooper and was killed by a Japanese sniper 70 years ago next month. My dad always said, 'Snipers are cowards. They don't believe in a fair fight. Like someone coming up from behind you and coldcocking you. Just isn't right. It's cowardly to shoot a person in the back. Only a coward will shoot someone who can't shoot back.' "
Meanwhile, Seth Rogen weighed in directly about the movie, making a joke referencing the Nazi propaganda film shown in Quentin Tarantino's 2009 movie, "Inglourious Basterds."
"American Sniper kind of reminds me of the movie that's showing in the third act of Inglourious Basterds," he said in a tweet.
After a stir in the media, he, too, went back to clarify his comments.
"I wasn't comparing the two. Big difference between comparing and reminding. Apples remind me of oranges. Can't compare them, though," he said in another tweet adding, "But if you were having a slow news day, you're welcome for me giving you the opportunity to blow something completely out of proportion."
"American Sniper," starring Bradley Cooper, is based on the true story of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, a special forces sharpshooter who was credited with 160 confirmed kills — reportedly the most in U.S. military history.
Kyle believed he actually took down 255 enemy combatants.
Eastwood's movie has won both
popular and critical acclaim, being nominated for six Oscars.
The movie took in over $100 million over the four-day holiday weekend, and had the biggest January opening ever,
according to Slate.
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