At the Movies With Peter Travers: “Capitalism: A Love Story” and “Paranormal Activity”
It’s all about the recession this weekend At the Movies, as Rolling Stone movie critic Peter Travers falls for Michael Moore’s scathing look at Wall Street, Capitalism: A Love Story. In his documentaries, Moore has already taken on the issues of the auto industry (Roger & Me), guns (Bowling for Columbine), the Bush era (Fahrenheit 911) and health care (Sicko), but never before has Moore hit his topic more on the head. Whether he’s stringing yellow police tape around Wall Street like it was a major crime scene or confronting those whose actions spiraled into the recession, Moore pulls no punches, all while making an entertaining film. Moore has always been a filmmaker of the people, so his cameras also focus on those who were hurt most by the recession: the lower classes. “You’ll be laughing with tears in your eyes,” Travers says of Capitalism.
From a film about the recession to a movie that it was made for about five cents, only a dozen or so cinemas around the country will be able to see another Travers-recommended film, Paranormal Activity.
Shot in the style of Blair Witch Project and seemingly lifting its plotline from Ghost Hunters, Paranormal focuses on a couple who believe their house is haunted, so they roll their video cameras at night to horrifying results. Paramount is unleashing this terrifying beast as a limited release (mostly college towns, no NYC), however the movie’s official Website has an option for people who want to see PA to demand” the film come to their local cinemas. If Paranormal isn’t in your ‘hood, Travers recommends you click that Demand feature, and fast. This movie reportedly frightened Steven Spielberg to the point he was afraid to be left alone in a room. And that’s the dude who made Jaws, a film that prevented a whole generation of potential swimmers from ever going in the ocean.
And then there’s the dreaded Scum Bucket. Studios are becoming more and more reluctant to screen stinkers to critics, so Travers has to assign Scum based on trailer alone. Starring Bruce Willis and the worst wig in Hollywood history, the futuristic Surrogates is headed to the Bucket, as is the sci-fi horror show Pandorum. And then there’s the remake of Fame. To Travers, the one thing more terrifying than Paranormal Activity is the prospect of having to see Fame, so you’ll have to form your own opinion about a film we’re calling Performance Arts High School Musical.
Read This Week’s Reviews:
• Capitalism: A Love Story
Plus: Read Matt Taibbi’s story on how Goldman Sachs has engineered every major market manipulation since the Great Depression and watch him break down his findings in our exclusive video.