Posts by redowl90

John Robinson said:Give me specific examples of what he’s showing, and back them up with actual expert opinions. If you can do that, I'll gladly admit I'm wrong and concede that Michael Moore is some kind of 21st-century prophet bringing nothing but joy and prosperity to the world—so much so that I'll happily celebrate every single one of his appearances on screen. Until then......

Look, I also think Michael Moore's films are pure propaganda (especially Fahrenheit 9/11), and I really dislike how desperately he tries to rub our noses in how flawed the American system is and how bad things are here...

...but the undeniable truth remains: he’s actually portraying things exactly as they are.

John Robinson said:Moore probably interviewed fifty people, and the fifty-first one just happened to have some issue he could exploit to start ranting. Moore is the star of all his documentaries, not the actual subjects. He’s a massive, hypocritical jerk, and if you think this represents the entire USA, you should probably go jump into a pool deeper than three feet and stay there. This documentary is likely just some conspiracy theory born in a small town somewhere, only now it's being shown on big screens.

No. Moore isn't my only source of information regarding the state of things in the USA this time around.

OK. It’s pretty obvious you have a bone to pick with Moore and his films, but the things he portrays definitely aren't made up. Maybe they're propaganda (just like all of Fahrenheit 9/11, which was pretty obvious from the plane footage), but the fact remains that it's a truthful depiction—meaning these things actually happen. Unfortunately. And if that's the case, I'll just say to the USA: "Thanks... but no thanks."

John Robinson said:The economic indicators clearly show that a healthcare system like this just isn't working.

Hold on a second... So you’re actually arguing that the system in the USA is better? You know, where you pick an insurance provider, pay whatever astronomical figures they demand year after year, and then when you actually get sick and need surgery, the company just tells you: "NOPE! NO SURGERY FOR YOU! You mentioned having a cold 12 hours ago and didn't disclose it on the form we made you sign back then!!!"
Then some "doctor" walks in and basically says: "Look, think about this logically—if I deny you this surgery, I get a bonus! I'll end up with even more money, which I have plenty of anyway... But if I reject you, I'll have EVEN MORE! Because... who needs your health when I can make a profit, right?"

One more thing: you mentioned the country is struggling because of the economy... Well, we can agree on that. But would you honestly rather the government be broke due to debt, or would you rather *you* be broke for the exact same reason, especially if it means paying hundreds of dollars for Aspirin or a basic throat exam?
Don't get me wrong—neither option is good. But if you're choosing the lesser of two evils for an individual, you're always going to go with the first one. It’s like watching trashy daytime TV: every show is terrible, but something like *Thugs and Princesses* is still slightly less painful than the rest, so it ends up being the "best" choice... Even though it’s still bad. You see what I mean? 🙂

Yeah, the movie finally hit video rental stores and retail shops... It's a triple-disc DVD set.

quietdriver3 said:Maybe I’m just old-school or stuck in a socialist mindset, but hospitals should be built to actually help people first, and then worry about turning a profit...

👍

Anthony Phillips33 said:It depends on your perspective.
In the US, a doctor's monthly salary ranges from $50,000 to $100,000 $0.00—which is about four to six times the national average.
Meanwhile, in some other places, it might be $5,000 to $10,000 $0.00 (meaning it's significantly higher than the average there). It feels like there's still this lingering socialist mentality where people expect healthcare to be totally free, or they think paying $10,000 $0.00 for car insurance is fine, but paying $10,000 $0.00 for health insurance is somehow unacceptable.

In the US, hospitals are designed to turn a profit, which is just how capitalism works.
But in much of Europe, hospitals are constantly running deep deficits.

Personally, I don't have any issue with a socialized system as long as my healthcare stays affordable—basically, as long as I'm not forced to choose between paying $60,000 to stitch up a middle finger or $12,000 to fix a ring finger.
As an individual, it means absolutely nothing to me whether hospitals are profitable or not; my main concern is simply not having to shell out a fortune just to stay alive.

Besides, I don't think you can really compare health insurance to insuring a car, a house, or an apartment.

And of course, it's NOT okay to pay $10,000 for health insurance if they end up refusing to cover me just because I had a cold thirteen years ago and now I've developed cancer or a tumor.

It looks like I'm on a bit of a documentary binge this week. After watching Lee's brilliant film, I decided to dive into the latest one from Michael Moore.
I have to say, though, it was a pretty depressing experience. It wasn't because the filmmaking itself was bad—quite the opposite—but because Moore once again managed to highlight just how pathetic and misguided Americans can be.

There’s plenty of cheap sentimentality and humor mixed in, making it a definite "must-see" among this year's releases.

I don’t usually go out of my way for documentaries—partly because there isn't much good stuff out there, and partly because I just haven't been that interested in the genre lately—but I have to say, this one, which I stumbled upon purely by accident, really blew me away.
Spike Lee did an incredible job. Over nearly five and a half hours, he manages to weave together a complete narrative regarding the biggest natural disaster the US has faced this century. He stays focused for almost the entire run, though he does stumble once; personally, I felt the segment on the music from New Orleans was dropped in at a totally awkward moment.

The documentary is structured in four acts, as the title suggests, with each one running about an hour. Lee actually won an Emmy for Best Documentary Direction for this last weekend, and it rightfully took home top honors at Venice last year.
There is a fifth act that serves as a sort of epilogue. It isn't technically part of the main film, but rather a 105-minute bonus feature on the DVD. Honestly, it's probably the weakest part, though still somewhat interesting. The highlights are definitely the bits featuring Sean Penn talking about his time in New Orleans, even if he doesn't get much screen time in the actual documentary.

Bottom line: if you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it.
If anyone else has watched it, I'd love to hear what you thought. 🙂

Elizabeth Mendoza43 said:theater projectionists 🤔
How could that possibly have anything to do with them? They don't have the power to cut scenes out of a movie, or fix mistakes.

Come on, guys, use a little logic here—do you honestly think filmmakers during production (or even in the editing room) would miss something as obvious as a microphone sticking right in the middle of a shot? And not just once, but multiple times?!

Let's use our heads for a second...

Arthur Garcia59 said:I can let a hanging mic slide maybe once or twice if the movie is already pretty bad, but when a fixed mic is clearly visible in the top left corner of the frame for a good ten seconds, any attempt at building paranoia just falls apart completely.

Seeing microphones on screen isn't actually a flaw in the film itself; it’s just a sign of sloppy camera operators who clearly don't know how to do their jobs properly.

quietdriver3 said:It just lacks that slow descent into madness; there aren't any smooth transitions in the characters' personalities. It’s just pure chaos.

Oh, God... 🙄

...but the worst part is, I totally get it. I actually agree.

Austin Roberts8 said:Handheld camera work—you know, that shaky "walking" style. It’s used specifically because it pulls you right into the middle of the action, making everything feel way more visceral and real.
Unless you just don't get it.

I get that, but there's definitely a line between "immersive" and just being over the top.

Surprisingly relaxing entertainment.
The only real issue was the cinematography—there were moments where the camera shook so violently without any clear reason that it actually started giving me a headache.

Before I sat down to watch this, I didn't know a single thing about it. Honestly, that was probably for the best because I went in with zero expectations... And when you have no expectations and then see something like this, it basically has to be good.

The two leads are fantastic, and that entire final act is pure genius—especially the moment where Ashley Judd loses it and yells, "I'm a mother, a total Bug!" or something along those lines...

Paranoia and schizophrenia—I mean, who wouldn't want to watch that? 🙂

I honestly think the poll should have been phrased like this:

Which film industry is actually the best?
A) American
B) Everything else

Simple as that... 😉

Anthony Kim18 said:See, I wasn't looking at whole continents, I wanted to get down to specific nations...

You listed Americans, Mexicans, and Americans in general, but you left out Asians and the Japanese... That's a pretty big oversight. Plus, there's plenty more to be said regarding Germans and Spaniards...

Jerry Martin19 said:What kind of racist slang are we even talking about here? 🙂

It isn't really racist... I don't view that word as an insult... It's more like a term of endearment... 😉

American cinema is definitely the best, though I think this poll is missing all those great indie cult classics...

I don't really have an opinion on him. ☕

Does anyone happen to know if Rose Madder and Insomnia have been filmed yet?