Jim Terr was starting to get depressed.
Terr said he felt sluggish and out of it just before the release of "Fahrenheit 9/11," and the political situation in America may have been the cause.
Michael Moore's movie, he said, turned things around.
"Seeing the movie, and seeing the success of the movie, gave me an inkling that maybe things could get better," he said.
Terr, a documentary filmmaker, political activist and avid writer of letters to the editor, is offering $300 for the best Republican essay responding to "Fahrenheit 9/11." The film is the largest-grossing documentary ever, and was the number one movie in America last week. The film has also seen its fair share of conservative backlash - which is fine by Terr.
"Though I confess to being a flaming lefty in most matters, I am not seeking positive reviews - just reviews which are honest, thoughtful and interesting," he states on his Web site, www.
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RepublicansReview911.com.
Terr, a Santa Fe resident, said the contest is a blatant bribe to get Bush supporters to go see the film. He said he woke up the morning after seeing the movie with the idea for the contest in his head.
"My first thought was if Republicans or Bush supporters could see this, it would make a difference," he said. "Otherwise, what difference would it make?"
Terr is offering two $100 runner-up prizes, and the winning essays will be posted on the site after July 31. The contest rules discourage profanity and lefty satire. The entry deadline is July 24.
Terr, who claims to be "like Michael Moore, times five," said he would make opinionated documentaries and features if he had the money.
Terr said his personal philosophy is "the more the merrier" when it comes to political discourse. As a result, Terr said he makes it a point to listen to Republicans like Rush Limbaugh, Dr. Laura and Michael Savage, who he considers sharp, stimulating and entertaining.
"There are a lot of Republicans who don't believe everything they read and are savvy to propaganda and demagoguery," he said. "My aim is to get people who are in the middle."
