Just saw Capitalism. Interesting result. (No spoilers)

[Ruby the Liberal]

One thing about being unemployed, you can get to the theatre while the previews are running and still find a seat in the back row. :D

Audience was about 1/3 full, and I guarantee I was the youngest there (in my 40s). There was an elderly couple also in the back row, a few seats away from me. The gentleman was upset and surprised throughout and vocal about it. :D At one point, he yelled "I voted for the wrong guy". Cracked me up.

After the film was over and the lights were back on, I was helping the woman down the stairs as her DH ahead of her was struggling to navigate them himself. She was uber pissed. Didn't know what to expect but saw MM promoting the film on her Teevee and talked DH into taking her. She didn't vote in the last election, but he had voted for McCain. He also just retired last month and is scared to death about his finances. He was simply fuming.

This was such a good thing for me to see, because I was not energized by this film in the least. In fact, I was greatly disappointed by it. SiCKO had me spitting nails with steam coming out of my ears when I left that showing. Capitalism just has me feeling depressed, overwhelmed and I am sure a few other adjectives that I am sure apply. Perhaps it is because nothing in this surprised me (other than a handful of trivia points that were new).

Perhaps this film wasn't meant for people like me, but for people like my theatre neighbors.

[ZombieHorde]

1. Thanks for the review. nt

[pokercat999]

2. I was going to the 10:30 show tonight however,

dinner reservations were not available till 9:15 so we'll try to go tomorrow. I too don't expect to be surprised but if nothing else it will be interesting to see the audience reaction.

[lunatica]

3. How would you have felt if it was stuff you didn't know?

I'm curious to know because so many people I talk to just don't have a clue. Would the movie open their eyes?

[Ruby the Liberal]

7. I took away 2 things from it.

1. Another DUer asked last week if anyone was ready to claim the label "Socialism". I responded that I was pretty sure. Now I know and joined DSA when I got home. I had been looking into it for a while - this film made it clear to me that what they stand for is important to me.

2. What you describe is exactly how I would classify the couple that I had the brief encounter with. Concerned but not sure why as they were likely not well informed. Their reaction to this film was vocal and visceral. I really don't think they were prepared for what they saw. I would venture to say that is a lot of people, and I can see now why MM has been pimping the Christian/Republican angle in his interviews. NO ONE was happy with the bailouts, but I think core Dems were alot more in tune at the time as to what was happening than the apolitical and the right wing.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. Thanks for your input.

:thumbsup:

[dysfunctional press]

5. i doubt that i'll take the time to see it at the theatre...

i'll probably rent it when it comes to dvd.

i had pretty much the same reaction to 'sicko' that you describe feeling about 'capitalism'...

i'm sure that seeing it will just make me even more depressed about living thru this era of american history, since it's fairly clear that nothing is going to change for the better in the remainder of my lifetime.

[Ruby the Liberal]

9. Yep, thats how I feel tonight

Its almost like SiCKO seemed doable as it was one industry. In Capitalism, he takes on the core of our system.

[truedelphi]

13. I am sorry that you feel that way.

And sorry that I feel that way.

And even sorrier that it IS that way.

[virgogal]

6. You were at the geezer showing,usually followed by the

early bird special. I'm old,that's what I do.

:-)

[Ruby the Liberal]

11. My game plan is to see it twice

I posted that earlier this week. I wanted to go to the geezer late-afternoon show as I knew it would be lightly attended and didn't want to miss anything. Tomorrow night, I am going to go to an 8:30 showing. There are a lot of totally-crack-you-up, make-you-cry and make-you-want-to-give-a standing-O moments, and I want to see it again with a livelier audience.

[virgogal]

19. I'll have to wait until next week,tomorrow is the chick-flick

"Bright Star" for my friend and me.

[Ruby the Liberal]

21. I look forward to your take on it!

Am looking forward to reading everyone's thoughts.

[virgogal]

25. His TV show was better than any of his movies,other than

"Roger and Me".

For some reason it just never caught on,but I loved it.

[middle distance]

8. just saw it; disappointed

I just saw it and didn't think it was as good as Sicko either. For one thing it was way too long, spending unnecessary amounts of time on certain segments (one of the foreclosures especially, and Moore didn't even tell us the family's story as to why/how they were foreclosed... as if all foreclosures are per se evil). the best part of the movie by far was his focus on wall street/derivatives and the bailout (but even that could have been more informative), but the rest of the movie seemed like filler--lots of depressing stories about people not making enough money or losing jobs. I recommend waiting for the video, you won't learn much new here.

btw, he gave Obama a free pass... annointing him the savior and then neglecting to tell us his complicity in all this corporate welfare. although he did mention that Goldman Sachs was his number one individual campaign contributor.

[Swamp Rat]

10. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[Ruby the Liberal]

12. Please don't post spoilers in this thread

Thanks.

Welcome to DU.

[middle distance]

15. oops

sorry, I didn't think a couple points would matter too much considering its a documentary.

thanks for the welcome.

[Ruby the Liberal]

18. Thats why I labeled the thread title "No spoilers"

It was about reaction, not meant to give away content to those who haven't seen it yet.

[middle distance]

23. got it

just don't really see how commenting on documentary content is spoiling the movie... this isn't a story with a plot line. apologies.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

20. ....

:popcorn:

[JDPriestly]

30. The foreclosure scenes were long for a reason. They bring home the

misery of the foreclosure process. Also, they made the point that many of the people who were foreclosed were living in homes that should have been theirs. They were not people who thoughtlessly bought houses they could not afford. Such people existed, but they are not necessarily the rule. I don't want to spoil the film.

As for the free pass for Obama, I'm not so sure. I hope Obama sees the film. It is a message to him more than to anyone else. I felt that the film was almost personally made for Obama's viewing.

I want to hear that Obama has seen the film. And I want to hear what he says in response. I kind of see the film as a challenge to Obama. I don't want to spoil it for those who have not seen it by saying why. But I felt that a lot of the scenes were intended to call out Obama.

[Ruby the Liberal]

32. "Make me do it"

Yep.

[Arctic Dave]

14. Heading to see it in 20 minutes.

[Ruby the Liberal]

17. Very interested to hear your take.

Enjoy!

[proud2BlibKansan]

22. Didn't you love it?? It's such a great film!!

[JDPriestly]

27. I loved, loved, loved it.

[Ruby the Liberal]

29. Yes -- it is a VERY important film.

While it depressed me, it energized at least 2 people who entered the theatre with uncertain expectations. Thats a win in my book!

When I see it again tomorrow night with a livelier, hopefully house-packed audience, I think I will enjoy it more. I wanted to feel the post-SiCKO anger in the gut.

My expectations were the problem.

[femrap]

24. I didn't know the FDR had

presented a second Bill of Rights....basically all the stuff that Europe and Japan ha\ve: unions, free health care, decent housing,.....basic security.

I hate corporations. There was an example of a co-op and there needs to be more of those!

I highly recommend the film....take someone who isn't as 'experienced' as most DUers concerning Capitalism and how the rich use propaganda to screw us.

[Ruby the Liberal]

28. Agreed -- this is the target audience, me thinks.

I get lost in a lot of climate change discussions as I am not a scientist. One thing about this film is that it makes the economics easy to understand for those who aren't economists or follow economic news.

[femrap]

33. Michael knows how to simplify complex

ideas....but his true talent is how he touches the human emotions.

[JDPriestly]

26. I just saw it and think it was Moore's greatest movie ever.

It is a call to action. You took action after leaving the theater. First, you talked to people and then you decided to affiliate yourself with others calling for economic justice. The film was effective. It was not meant to be fun.

[Ruby the Liberal]

31. I think the problem is self-pity in a sense

I left SiCKO wanting to find pitchforks and boiling oil. *I* wasn't energized in the same way with Capitalism, but the important thing is that others were. Others who were woken up by it.

I have 'me' syndrome tonight and need to look at the bigger picture here. :)