CLOSE While 'American Sniper' has been a hit with audiences, its subject matter is causing controversy among some in Hollywood for its perceived pro-war message. VPC 
 
 Seth Rogen (Photo: Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty Images) 
 
 Clint Eastwood's American Sniper is continuing to make waves across Hollywood. 
 
 While the film has been a hit with audiences — with a record-setting debut at the box office, and A-plus CinemaScore rating — its subject matter is causing controversy among some in Hollywood for its perceived pro-war message. 
 
 Seth Rogen, whose latest film caused its fair share of controversy, tweeted about Sniper: 
 
 American Sniper kind of reminds me of the movie that's showing in the third act of Inglorious Basterds. — Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) January 18, 2015 
 
 Rogen is referring to the fake film that showed up in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, about a German sniper killing Allied soldiers from a clock tower, essentially comparing Eastwood's film to Nazi propaganda. 
 
 Later, Rogen clarified his tweet. 
 
 I just said something "kinda reminded" me of something else. I actually liked American Sniper. It just reminded me of the Tarantino scene. — Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) January 19, 2015 
 
 Director Michael Moore, who famously criticized the Iraq War in his 2003 Oscar acceptance speech, also took to Twitter to express his views, calling snipers "cowards". 
 
 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 — Michael Moore (@MMFlint) January 18, 2015 
 
 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. — Michael Moore (@MMFlint) January 19, 2015 
 
 Director Michael Moore, shown in 2010. (Photo: Charles Eshelman, FilmMagic) 
 
 Although on Monday he claimed his tweets weren't in reference to the film, saying that he never tweeted one word about the film or Chris Kyle specifically. Moore then linked to a lengthy Facebook post where he explained why he was tweeting about snipers in the first place, and criticized the media for drawing connection to the Clint Eastwood movie: 
 
 Lots of talk about snipers this weekend (the holiday weekend of a great man, killed by a sniper), so I thought I'd weigh in with what I was raised to believe about snipers. ... But Deadline Hollwood and the Hollywood Reporter turned that into stories about how I don't like Clint Eastwood's new film, "American Sniper." I didn't say a word about "American Sniper" in my tweets. 
 
 He then went on to say quite a few words about the film: 
 
 So here's what I think about "American Sniper": Awesome performance from Bradley Cooper. One of the best of the year. Great editing. Costumes, hair, makeup superb! Oh... and too bad Clint (Eastwood) gets Vietnam and Iraq confused in his storytelling. And that he has his characters calling Iraqis "savages" throughout the film. But there is also anti-war sentiment expressed in the movie. And there's a touching ending as the main character is remembered after being gunned down by a fellow American vet with PTSD who was given a gun at a gun range back home in Texas -- and then used it to kill the man who called himself the 'America Sniper'. 
 
 Soon after his first tweets were sent, Moore' did attract ire from big names, including Newt Gingrich and Rob Lowe: 
 
 Michael Moore should spend a few weeks with ISIS and Boko Haram. Then he might appreciate@AmericanSniper. I am proud of our defenders. — Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) January 19, 2015 
 
 Sniper is based on the best-selling book of the same name by Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, the most lethal sharpshooter in history. The film nabbed six Oscar nominations last week, including best picture and best actor for Bradley Cooper. 
 
 Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1BttYRv ||||| While audiences across America united to give "American Sniper" the biggest ever opening weekend for a movie in January, the Clint Eastwood film has some in Hollywood at odds. 
 
 The war drama, which grossed over $100 million over the weekend and received six Oscar nominations, is based on the life of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle who served four tours in Iraq and was called the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history. 
 
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 While Kyle's actions earned him multiple commendations of valor for his service in the military, one Hollywood documentary-maker was not impressed. 
 
 "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," "Farenheit 9/11" creator Michael Moore tweeted Sunday. 
 
 Actor Rob Lowe fired back at Moore's comments. 
 
 Moore later took to social media to walk back his original post, arguing his tweets were not about Chris Kyle or "American Sniper," but instead only about his uncle's death. 
 
 Hmm. I never tweeted 1word bout AmericanSniper/ChrisKyle. I said my uncle killed by sniper in WWII; only cowards would do that 2 him, others — Michael Moore (@MMFlint) January 19, 2015 
 
 But Moore wasn't the only Hollywood type who seemed to snub the film. "The Interview" star Seth Rogen also took to Twitter to criticize "Sniper" for what he seemed to characterize as a pro-war stance. He compared the Bradley Cooper-starring movie to a scene in Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" where a German sniper "heroically" killed more than 200 Allied soldiers. 
 
 American Sniper kind of reminds me of the movie that's showing in the third act of Inglorious Basterds. — Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) January 18, 2015 
 
 Eastwood's film also got support from what may seem an odd source, the Oscar-winning actress Jane Fonda, whose appeararonce in Western Maryland Friday drew protests from veterans for her Vietnam visit in the 1970s. Fonda tweeted her support for the movie. 
 
 Just saw "American Sniper" Powerful. Another view of "Coming Home." Bradley Cooper sensational. Bravo Clint Eastwood. http://t.co/l94zY5Gh8Q — Jane Seymour Fonda (@Janefonda) December 21, 2014 
 
 "American Sniper" star Bradley Cooper told FOX News "it became quite a responsibility to tell the story" after Kyle was killed last year at a shooting range in Texas. He also said he hopes the film will provide insight into the lives of soldiers and their families. 
 
 "It was a keyhole into that life," Cooper said. "One thing that we were able to do was explore this man's life and this woman's life and their children and their family and in doing so hopefully get just a nugget, a kernel of truth, that people who actually have gone through it and are going through it can relate to it and not feel alone." 
 
 Warner Bros., who distributed the movie, had no comment on the matter. 
 
 WATCH: Academy Award nomination snubs and surprises ||||| American Sniper topped the US box office over the weekend with a record-smashing $90m, but Hollywood is split over Clint Eastwood's war drama. 
 
 Seth Rogen likened it to Nazi propaganda and Michael Moore called snipers "cowards", while Jane Fonda praised it. 
 
 The Oscar-nominated American Sniper is the story of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, the most lethal marksman in US military history. He is played by Bradley Cooper. 
 
 Seth Rogen starred in The Interview, which angered North Korea 
 
 Critics say the movie glorifies war and fails to address the failures of America's campaign in Iraq, while supporters see it as an honest examination of the toll the fighting takes on veterans. 
 
 "American Sniper kind of reminds me of the movie that's showing in the third act of Inglourious Basterds," tweeted Rogen. 
 
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 The actor, who drew his share of controversy with The Interview about a plot to assassinate the North Korean leader, was referring to a fake Nazi propaganda movie seen in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds. 
 
 Moore, the documentary-maker best known for Bowling For Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11, tweeted: "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." 
 
 Rob Lowe wondered in a tweet: "He's kidding, right?" 
 
 Former House speaker Newt Gingrich, a Republican, tweeted: "Michael Moore should spend a few weeks with ISIS and Boko Haram. Then he might appreciate @AmericanSniper. I am proud of our defenders." 
 
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 Fonda said the movie was "powerful" and wrote: "Bravo Clint Eastwood." 
 
 With its $90m (£59m) takings, American Sniper broke the record for a January weekend as well as for any drama opening ever. 
 
 It virtually doubled industry expectations after expanding to some 3,500 screens from just a handful of movie theatres the day after scoring six Oscar nominations, including best actor for Cooper. ||||| Moore tweeted Sunday that his uncle was killed by a sniper. 
 
 Michael Moore has taken to Twitter to share his thoughts on snipers. 
 
 The Fahrenheit 9/11 director wrote that he grew up being told that snipers are cowardly. "My uncle killed by sniper in WW2," Moore wrote. "We were taught snipers were cowards. Will shoot you in the back." 
 
 "Snipers aren't heroes," he continued. "And invaders are worse." 
 
 Moore spoke directly about director Clint Eastwood's film American Sniper on his Facebook page. He praised the film for star Bradley Cooper's performance and for its antiwar sentiment, but he also wrote: "Too bad Clint gets Vietnam and Iraq confused in his storytelling. And that he has his characters calling Iraqis 'savages' throughout the film." 
 
 His comments come on the same weekend that the film earned $105.2 million over four days, marking the biggest opening haul ever for a nontentpole film. It landed six Oscar nominations Thursday, including best picture and best actor for Cooper. 
 
 American Sniper centers on real-life Iraq War soldier Chris Kyle, who tried to balance his career as the most prolific U.S. sniper with his family life. 
 
 Moore's tweets can be seen below. 
 
 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 — Michael Moore (@MMFlint) January 18, 2015 
 
 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. — Michael Moore (@MMFlint) January 19, 2015 
 
 Jan. 18, 6:20 p.m. Updated to clarify that Moore had not mentioned American Sniper in his tweets. THR regrets the error. 
 
 Email: Ryan.Gajewski@pgmedia.org 
 
 Twitter: @_RyanGajewski ||||| It is not only in America that Clint Eastwood’s Iraq war blockbuster “American Sniper” is proving controversial. 
 
 After just a handful of sometimes rowdy screenings, the film has been pulled from Baghdad’s only movie theater amid complaints from the Iraqi government — as well as viewers — that it “insults” Iraqis. 
 
 Similar allegations have clouded the film’s release in the United States, though not its box office success. Critics have hailed its gripping portrayal of real-life Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle and his exploits in Iraq as a cinematic triumph. Commentators have denounced it as being simplistic and giving a one-sided portrayal of the conflict. 
 
 In Iraq, the movie has come as a reminder of the vast gulf that divides Iraqi and U.S. perceptions of the bloody, complicated war, which left more than 4,000 Americans and well over 100,000 Iraqis dead — and is now drawing U.S. troops back. 
 
 “It glorifies Americans and makes Iraqis out to be nothing but terrorists,” said Ahmed Kamal, 27, a teacher, who downloaded the film for free on a pirate Web site because he didn’t want to pay to see a movie in which the hero refers to Iraqis as “savages.” 
 
 In “American Sniper,” Bradley Cooper plays U.S. Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle. (Warner Bros. UK) 
 
 “I wasn’t prepared to spend money to see it,” he said. “It portrays Americans as strong and noble, and Iraqis as ignorant and violent.” 
 
 The movie also omitted to note that some Iraqis worked with the Americans, said Sarmad Moazzem, 32, who was one of them. He served alongside U.S. troops for five years in an Interior Ministry logistics division and now works as a security adviser at the theater that pulled the film. 
 
 “The film makes out that all Iraqis are terrorists — men, women and children,” he said, “whereas, actually, there are some people who loved the Americans and wanted them to stay to help rebuild our country. The movie didn’t show any of them.” 
 
 He listed numerous inaccuracies, such as the identification of Sadr City, the Baghdad neighborhood where Shiite militias battled U.S. troops on numerous occasions, as a stronghold of al-Qaeda — which is a Sunni group. 
 
 Moreover, a scene in which Iraqis, including a child, attempted to take out the sniper didn’t ring true, according to his experiences. 
 
 “No one would stick around if there was an American sniper in the area,” he said. “As soon as anyone knew there was a sniper, everyone would run and hide.” 
 
 That scene, in which a child picks up a rocket-propelled-grenade launcher, provoked a furious outburst at one of the screenings of the film. Three spectators sitting in the front row jumped up from their seats and started cursing, said Mohammed Laith, 27, who was sitting a few rows behind. 
 
 Clint Eastwood's new film "American Sniper" has become the latest battleground in the culture wars. Washington Post columnist Alyssa Rosenberg explains why its politics matter. (Jorge Ribas/The Washington Post) 
 
 “They were shouting, ‘It’s all a lie,’ and ‘You are demeaning our culture,’ ” he recalled. After the three refused to sit down, security guards ejected them from the theater, he said. 
 
 The manager of the theater, located in Baghdad’s fancy new Mansour Mall, said he withdrew “American Sniper” last week after receiving a telephone call from a senior official at the Ministry of Culture warning him that he would face fines and possible closure if he continued to show it. 
 
 “He told me the film insults Iraqis,” said Fares Hilal, whose six-screen cinema opened last year and is the first to offer Iraqis an American-style moviegoing experience, including tubs of popcorn and the latest releases. 
 
 He immediately complied with the order, but with some regret. 
 
 “If we show it, we will be criticized. But if we don’t, we lose money,” he sighed. “A lot of people wanted to see this film.” 
 
 Nonetheless, many Iraqis seem to have seen it, mostly on Internet downloads. 
 
 And not all found it objectionable. Yasser Bakr, 17, who operates one of the mall’s carousels, was still a child when the events portrayed took place and only dimly recalls them. He said there was nothing in the film that gave him offense. 
 
 “It’s just a movie,” he shrugged. “About something that happened in the past.” 
 
 Mustafa Salim contributed to this report.
– American Sniper didn't just set a box-office record this weekend. It also triggered debate among Hollywood honchos apparently offended by the flick—who then said they really weren't, USA Today reports. Seth Rogen, for one, tweeted yesterday that the film "kind of reminds me of the movie that's showing in the third act of Inglorious Basterds," a reference to Nazi propaganda of a German sniper shooting Allied soldiers. But Rogen today tweeted, "I just said something 'kinda reminded' me of something else. I actually liked American Sniper." Enter Michael Moore, who posted: "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" That inspired tweets from Newt Gingrich ("Michael Moore should spend a few weeks with ISIS and Boko Haram") and Rob Lowe ("He's kidding, right?"). So Moore wrote a Facebook post in which he blamed Deadline Hollywood and the Hollywood Reporter for making it seem like "I don't like" the film. He goes on to laud Bradley Cooper, the costumes, hair, makeup, and editing, but adds: "Oh... and too bad Clint [Eastwood] gets Vietnam and Iraq confused in his storytelling. And that he has his characters calling Iraqis 'savages' throughout the film." Fox News reports on an "odd source" of American Sniper support—Jane Fonda—who tweets: "Powerful. Another view of 'Coming Home.' Bradley Cooper sensational. Bravo Clint Eastwood." (See how many calories Cooper ate per day to play the part of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle.)