text: 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. 
   
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   When you tweet with a location, Twitter stores that location. You can switch location on/off before each Tweet and always have the option to delete your location history. Learn more ||||| 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
target: – 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.)