comment #1

great scott says ...

Ah, capitalism in action.

comment #2

moviesquad says ...

Really? This has to be one of Moore's worst films ever. I caught a pre-screening of it for free, and I still wish I could ask for my money back.

The movie amounts to an incoherent, scattershot rant. There is so much prime material Moore could've used about the financial meltdown, yet he only dedicates a small chunk of the movie to that. Instead he focuses continually on a farmer who is being "forced out" of his house based on a loan he took out and now cannot repay, and a union uprising to demand $6k in back payments from a company that went out of business.

To top it off, he shows us how the democrats and republicans were both complicit in bailing out Wall Street and Big Business, and yet he adds in a segment singing the praises of Obama as our potential light in the darkness even though Obama hired three of the guys Moore paints as villains and continues the corporate/Wall St bailout policies started under Bush.

Besides the "praise change/Obama" segment, the shot of Katrina victims on their roof had to be the most laughable of the movie. Somehow, if we had only voted in FDR's second bill of rights, Katrina wouldn't have happened in Moore's fantasy world. He also questions why we don't ever see the execs of companies like AIG, etc begging for help from rooftops even though he spent a big chunk of the movie prior explaining that, that was exactly what these execs did during the financial crisis.

He ends with a call to action even though what that action should be is unclear. It can't be to vote for Democrats since Moore shows us in the movie how Democrats are just as evil as Republicans when it comes to crony-Capitalism.

comment #3

DeeZee says ...

movie: "Instead he focuses continually on a farmer who is being "forced out" of his house based on a loan he took out and now cannot repay,"

The point was they suckered him with a "cheap" loan which would be unaffordable later, just to swindle him out of his property.

"and a union uprising to demand $6k in back payments from a company that went out of business. "

That's not exactly the whole story. The company was not being given money by the bailed-out banks to continue, so the workers weren't being paid.

"and yet he adds in a segment singing the praises of Obama as our potential light in the darkness even though Obama hired three of the guys Moore paints as villains and continues the corporate/Wall St bailout policies started under Bush."

But his point about Obama is that he's still a wild card who may not obey his corporate donors so easily, if he thinks that the circumstances aren't balanced in favor of the working class and poor.

"He also questions why we don't ever see the execs of companies like AIG, etc begging for help from rooftops even though he spent a big chunk of the movie prior explaining that, that was exactly what these execs did during the financial crisis."

Actually, he made it clear they were black-mailing the feds by threatening to take down the market with them.

"He ends with a call to action even though what that action should be is unclear. "

That's the point. It's up to us to change the system for the better, not for him to give us hints.

comment #4

Flash Gordon says ...

DeeZee, there's no hyphen in "blackmail".

If Moore isn't careful, this movie might actually (God forbid) turn a profit.

comment #5

Flash Gordon says ...

You know, capitalism being a "sin" and all.

comment #6

Travis Crabtree says ...

Thanks to HE's banner ads for the past few weeks I feel like I've already seen the film about a half dozen times.

comment #7

Seal pup says ...

Crabtree, I really think your obsession with those banner ads is bordering on the unhealthy. I suspect it would be best for your own sanity if you just let it go.

comment #8

DeeZee says ...

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mikeinthenews/index.php?id=14432

Also from his Twitter post:
Backlash Begins: CBS has cancelled me on its Mon. morning show. After I criticized ABC/Disney on GMA, they didn't want me to do same to CBS.

comment #9

Travis Crabtree says ...

Thank you for your concern, Seal pup. I'm genuinely moved.

comment #10

reverent and free says ...

Sicko had lousy timing. One year earlier and it would have been at the height of the anti-Bush backlash pre-midterm election.

comment #11

Luke Y. Thompson says ...

I think based on experience, Moore probably didn't want to release a movie in an election year. Last time, it didn't work out so well, politically speaking (though he made a lot of money).

In one of the right-wing anti-Moore docs, there's a pretty funny montage of Moore endorsing presidential candidates, every one of whom went on to lose. He wasn't about to risk that again.

comment #12

ZayTonday says ...

I thought this movie was generally spot on but I had a few major issues with it. First; he tries to make the case that we should not have done the TARP program back in late 08. I'm as pissed as anyone that we had to give $700b to the financial sector but had we not done that we would have been facing economic armageddon. Payroll companies would stop paying out money, businesses would be unable to make payroll as a result and the majority of working class Americans would have been FUCKED as a result. Yes, our congressmen and senators get a shitload of money from Goldman Sachs and their (former) contemporaries, but that doesn't change the fact that we had to do what we did to avoid Great Depression Part 2: Bigger And Badder.

Also, while Moore is making this argument, he points out that people like Chris Dodd, Barney Frank, Larry Summers and Richard Holbrook are basically on the take and have benefitted from the way we have our system set up and then when he has the section dedicated to Obama there is a complete disconnect there, considering that Summers, Holbrook and Geithner (whom he makes out to be a complete fuckup) are ALL in high spots in this administration. I understand that Moore is trying to give Obama a chance but we need to hold his feet to the fucking fire. That whole "11th Commandment" attitude where you never speak ill of anyone in the party is one of the primary reasons why the crazies are running the GOP now and they have completely fucked our country over.

comment #13

ZayTonday says ...

oh and moviesquad, you basically hit the nail on the head too, probably a bit better than I did.

comment #14

azmoviegoer says ...

Some great points made by both Movie Squad and Zay Tonday. Bravo and than you both for the great analysis.

And Travis, this may scare you but I;m with you. Down with Capitalism, at least the part that involves overexposing Michael Moore's face. You really don't get a fair shake around here. It's obvious that you;'re intelligent, and from where I'm sitting, frequently hilarious too. The leftie politicians in this country need to held accountable just as much, if not more so, than the ones on the right because they're the ones with the majority. They are both screwing us royally with this sham of a political system we currently have.

comment #15

Redmond says ...

"Michael Moore's making a movie about capitalism but then he's going to make money. Ha! I'm Internet Witty."

Wow, talk about a joke that never gets old. Please, nobody stop using that one.

I would elaborate on the movie not being a call for Communism or even rampant socialism, but it's an attack on the current system of crony capitalism vis a vis Wall Street and corrupt politicians - of both parties. However, that would require employing nuance, so why bother?

comment #16

astrophore says ...

The TARP program is on the verge of turning a profit for all of us taxpayers in less than a year. And now it looks like healthier banks will be lending money to the government to allow weaker banks to fail and depositors to remain secured.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/214096

And the $700 billion also happened to protect a global financial sector on the verge of collapse.

Yeah, that was such a bad idea.

comment #17

Mighty Kornholio says ...

omg its against capitalism, but, like, he's gonna make profits and stuff. like totally so hypocritical

comment #18

Seal pup says ...

"Thank you for your concern, Seal pup. I'm genuinely moved".

Careful Travis. I'm sure you're aware sarcasm's been outlawed round these parts.

comment #19

DeeZee says ...

Zay: I think the problem is that the banks only got the money because they were able to hold the economy hostage, and not just because they were in the red. In fact, the economy got worse, even when they got their money, which is why
people view the situation as a fraudulent cash-grab, more than a genuine economic safety net.

astro: So you're saying you're for corporate welfare?

comment #20

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