I love this guy.
I don't think I ever told you that I not only have met and had a very wacky and interesting dinner with him, but that on the floor somewhere in Michael's editing room is a fair chunk of footage from his movie "Roger and Me" of my band. We were playing at the expensively remodeled Flint Mall that is prominently featured in the film. We were part of one of those "BIG PROMOTIONS" designed to bring people back to Flint to shop..however it was a bust as nobody had any money. So there we are between shows, and this disheveled and frumpy (it IS the only way to describe him), guy comes wandering up to the stage to say he really liked the band and to talk about music. After a bit he says, "I am shooting a film here in Flint would you mind if I shot your band?" We didn't know him from Adam but thought it sounded like a hoot, so we said sure. He showed up later in the week with camera crew in tow. Actually, "crew" is a rather generous term for what showed up. 2 equally disheveled looking guys with a very beat up camera and some other gear that could only be described as pre-CroMagnon...(I think there was even 2 rocks to bang together to make light.). They probably shot upwards of 30 minutes of film. Michael hung around after filming and when we were done with our last show we went and had dinner. He is a very interesting guy, wicked smart, and his bemused semi calculated oddball act is equally balanced by a serious almost zealot like quality when it comes to exposing his audience to "his" issues as a defender of the common man. I found very quickly that if I wanted to hit his button, all I had to do was ask him about Corporate America or Government. Yikes did he light up!!!! Plus I think I truly amazed him when he learned that he had met someone who was MORE politically to the left than he was.
We signed releases and didn't think about it again till the movie came out and got hot. I went and was amazed ...I also was curious to see if we made the cut...we did not but the woman who booked us sure did. There you have it..my brush with fame ala Michael Moore.