At the Cinema - October 2009

Capitalism: A Love Story - 10 out of 10

You’ll like this movie if you:
a. like Michael Moore
b. were pissed off at the bailout, Tarp, etc.
c. suspect that money controls our government and would like to see how

Michael Moore only draws his fans, and that’s a shame, because in this movie he has few kind words for anyone in the political process, especially when it comes to the banking industry.

I’ve always thought the way he presents his material is hilarious and I think I once said he was the Woody Allen of documentaries. His previous movies were filled with some good belly laughs.

Those touches are here, but I have to report there’s very little funny in this movie. Even when you want to laugh, you can’t believe what you’re seeing. There’s real reporting here, and it’s pretty frightening. There are a few congressional heroes that agreed to go on camera, but by and large it looks like a complete turnover of Congress is in order.

Moore misses the boat a little bit with his conclusions on capitalism, but he sure makes you think.


Paranormal Activity – 7

You’ll like this movie if you:
a. like scary movies
b. prefer seeing them in a packed theater
c. are a teenager

Let me set the scene. I saw this in a theater with an old man sitting in the handicapped seats. Behind me were a lot of screaming teenaged girls with boyfriends who took some pleasure in escalating the scares. The old man would turn around and tell them to shut up. There was a lot of screaming. All in all, it was wildly entertaining.

So, much of the fun in this movie is in the audience reaction. Effective in its simplicity and the rather claustrophobic setting there are some very chilling moments here. Unlike the home movie Blair Witch Project, which it is most often compared to, this movie actually has an ending.
It is shot as a home movie, and the story of an on-going haunting is believable and gripping. Won’t be confused with great art, but it’s worth seeing if you like being shaken, not stirred.