A comedy about 45 million people with no health care in the richest country on earth.
Opening June 29th at Galaxy Cinema in Cary.

IMDB: http://imdb.com/title/tt0386032/
RottenTomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sicko/

Speaking as a person who can afford a mortgage but not health insurance, I'm really interested in this film. It's supposedly got a lot less of Moore's commentary than his earlier films, for whatever that's worth--it's a good thing to me. Seeing as it is Michael Moore, I'm sure there will be a good deal of manipulation of the truth, I'm betting on it still being a good film, like his others, just one that has to be fact-checked after you leave the theater (if you give a shit).

This will be opening on June 29th at Galaxy Cinema in Cary, so come on out and see it. I'll try to see it on the 28th and post my thoughts here before it opens. Student tickets are $6, PBRs are cheap, popcorn is delicious.

Quote :

"An affecting and entertaining dissection of the American health care industry, showing how it benefits the few at the expense of the many."

--Alissa Simon, Variety

Quote :

"In a summer of dumb, shameless drivel, Moore delivers a movie of robust mind and heart. You’ll laugh till it hurts."

--Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

And, oddly enough, here's a really positive blurb from Fox News, of all sources:

Quote :

" Filmmaker Michael Moore's brilliant and uplifting new documentary, "Sicko," deals with the failings of the U.S. healthcare system, both real and perceived. But this time around, the controversial documentarian seems to be letting the subject matter do the talking, and in the process shows a new maturity."

6/14/2007 1:36:11 PM

Quote :

"Speaking as a person who can afford a mortgage but not health insurance"

There's no way that health insurance costs more than a mortgage.

6/14/2007 1:41:22 PM

So clearly he should sacrifice a place to live so he can have health insurance.

6/14/2007 1:42:05 PM

much like his books, his movies were getting progressively more preachy and thus lame. hopefully this will fall back to better times. i almost preferred it when noone knew who he was so you didn thave to explain that you werent a mindless crazy when going to see his movies (assuming you care)

6/14/2007 1:43:48 PM

Quote :

"Speaking as a person who can afford a mortgage but not health insurance, I'm really interested in this film. "

That's your fault, no one made you choose your career/education. Anyone who fully applies themselves in this country and is dedicated to succeed can.

Quote :

" PBRs are cheap, popcorn is delicious."

How much are PBRs? Do you guys serve pints or 12 ouncers?


P.S. The torrent is out, this movie is meh.

[Edited on June 14, 2007 at 1:45 PM. Reason : Ha, Bobbydigital already started locking this shit down]

6/14/2007 1:44:45 PM

^^ Roger & Me will probably always be my favorite

Quote :

"Anyone who fully applies themselves in this country and is dedicated to succeed can. "

LOL

6/14/2007 1:49:23 PM

Quote :

"How much are PBRs? Do you guys serve pints or 12 ouncers?"

We serve 12 ounce PBRs. YUMYUM!

6/14/2007 2:01:02 PM

How much are they?

What other snacks/foods do you serve?

I've found that few experiences rival that of a good movie/ PBR/ and Pizza

6/14/2007 2:03:22 PM

Quote :

"That's your fault, no one made you choose your career/education. Anyone who fully applies themselves in this country and is dedicated to succeed can. "

you're very knowledgeable

6/14/2007 2:08:04 PM

PBRs are $2.50, so about the same as at a bar (but cheaper than a small soda!). We have a bunch of sodas, great popcorn (cooked fresh in canola oil, unlike at a lot of the mainstream theaters that make a bunch ahead of time and in shitty oils), cookies from Sweet Jane's bakery, samosas from Udupi cafe, all the standard candy, some imported chocolates, espresso drinks (lattes, mochas, that sort of thing), over 10 kinds of beer, about 10 different wines...uh, and other stuff, too.

6/14/2007 2:09:57 PM

Samosas? Damn I love those things, they're like hot pockets but in a triangle.

And yes, anyone who wants to and is willing to put the work in can succeed.

I just stopped dating a 27 year old with a 9 year old son, she took online college classes, and is now a software engineer at cisco and just closed on a house. If a single woman with a kid can make it, anyone can.

6/14/2007 2:15:51 PM

PBRs are actually $2.00!

6/14/2007 2:18:38 PM

Hell yes, I was about to say 2.50 was up there, but you know theaters! 2.00 PBR makes it a good chance I'll get wrecked at this movie and yell at left wing pinko scum

6/14/2007 2:20:55 PM

Quote :

"And yes, anyone who wants to and is willing to put the work in can succeed. I just stopped dating a 27 year old with a 9 year old son, she took online college classes, and is now a software engineer at cisco and just closed on a house. If a single woman with a kid can make it, anyone can."

way to generalize the situation

[Edited on June 14, 2007 at 2:29 PM. Reason : MILF! nice]

6/14/2007 2:28:37 PM

you can setup an hsa for as low as $53 a month with bcbs...that has a $5k deductible with 100% after $5k in case of anything catastrophic, but it's sure better than no insurance at all.

6/14/2007 4:58:38 PM

attn: Malice

stop being a dick to spooky

[Edited on June 14, 2007 at 5:53 PM. Reason : or I'll kick your ass so hard you won't be able to afford the health insurance ]

6/14/2007 5:51:46 PM

I'm not being a dick to spooky

I appreciate his contributions to the music discussions. I however am strongly of the opinion that the american dream, while not as idealistic as it used to be, still exists for those willing to claim it.

6/14/2007 5:59:50 PM

I was unaware that Malice is Mr. Kadakia from Spellbound.

6/14/2007 7:31:59 PM

I'm better at spelling than any of those kids, actually.

6/14/2007 7:37:03 PM

Every time you mention Spellbound, I think you're talking about the Hitchcock movie for half a second.

6/14/2007 7:39:30 PM

then spell bourgeoisie.

6/14/2007 7:40:18 PM

the "american dream" has shifted and is not quite what it used to be.

6/14/2007 7:47:22 PM

I'll post my review in this thread.

6/14/2007 7:48:47 PM

Quote :

"Every time you mention Spellbound, I think you're talking about the Hitchcock movie for half a second."

but then you think, "Hmmm, this vinylbandit kid really is nerdy enough to love a documentary about spelling bees"

6/14/2007 8:13:35 PM

There was nothing funny about this movie.

6/14/2007 11:13:58 PM

Quote :

"Speaking as a person who can afford a mortgage but not health insurance"

Yeah, I can't afford health insurance at the present time either. If I went through my employer it would cost me close to $800/month for me, my wife, and 2 kids through BCBS. Granted thats awesome insurance with virtually no deductable, but still.

6/15/2007 1:08:06 AM

It's expensive, but you can get screwed without it.

Broke my ankle last fall, it would have cost about $8000 if I didn't have insurance.

6/15/2007 1:14:47 AM

Quote :

" "Speaking as a person who can afford a mortgage but not health insurance" There's no way that health insurance costs more than a mortgage."

Yeah you forget that some of America may have a mortgage on a single wide that is only $300 a month and shit just a buy-up plan from a corporation would easily alone equal that so you can imagine a person paying for their own policy.

[Edited on June 15, 2007 at 7:36 AM. Reason : quote]

6/15/2007 7:35:43 AM

Quote :

"Broke my ankle last fall, it would have cost about $8000 if I didn't have insurance."

^^^'s insurance would have run him $9600 for one year. So, go 10 months without breaking that ankle and you've broke even. Heck, that would have been $9600 in premiums and the deductible, so you'd have been out that much more. Still can't go without it though. 8K is sofa change when it comes to what kind of bills you can rack up with health care.

6/15/2007 8:07:53 AM

it costs me about $120 a month for super coverage where I work and the company covers about 65% of the full costs. So im no mathman but that equals to a shitload of money a month if I didnt have the company helping me out. Like fuckin 300 dollars just for me to be insured and hell if I had kids it would be triple and if I was old who knows.

I hate taxes but Im also not a complete asshole. If it costs me a few beers a year to help out other people who cant afford this shit then sign me up.

6/15/2007 8:16:03 AM

There are charities specifically designated to help the impoverished with medical bills, why don't you go ahead and participate, or will you only do it if it's government mandated?

6/15/2007 8:33:17 AM

Why do people think that the government owes them free health care? I think its great that many Americans are generous and contribute to charities, and I think charities could do a great job helping out needy folks who can't work or have other circumstances. But I think that health care is a choice for able-bodied Americans.

6/15/2007 12:41:21 PM

^Its not that the government OWES us free healthcare, but they need to at least do something. Those that are accepted and can afford health insurance get raped. A lot of people get denied insurance for simple reasons like Acne, or Severe Allergies, and shit like that.

6/15/2007 1:24:13 PM

If i was shitting acne I wouldn't expect approval for health care.

6/15/2007 2:04:17 PM

Quote :

"And, oddly enough, here's a really positive blurb from Fox News, of all sources:"

gee, its almost like they are fair and balanced

6/15/2007 3:12:13 PM

Quote :

"There are charities specifically designated to help the impoverished with medical bills, why don't you go ahead and participate, or will you only do it if it's government mandated?"

To answer your question I dont give to anything. Why...because im fuckin poor and pay enough taxes. Does that mean I cant say what I said.....whoooooo gives a shit.

and to ask another question...

for some reason im an asshole when I say Id rather shit on my money than have it go to blowing up Iraq and "supporting" the troops; so why dont we make taxes contributing to the military optional? It seems to fill a similar gap, which is protecting the well being of the citizens of the USA.

also far more than the "impoverished" live without health insurance. Ha i would guess the majority of the music I listen to is made by individuals without health insurance.

6/15/2007 5:22:49 PM

I don't want my money going to the war in Iraq either.

and I want as little of it as humanly possible going to uncle sam.

but a lack of health insurance is not the same thing as a lack of access to health care. With or without insurance, if you get in a car wreck, you'll be treated.

I don't get this sentiment that everyone has a god-given right to insurance. that's a load of crap.

6/15/2007 5:37:44 PM

DONT YOU READ THE BIBLE!!!!!!

MARK 23:3!!!!!

6/15/2007 5:39:45 PM

so like when politicians talk about "universal healthcare" they are just talking about "universal insurance"?

man i use to think universal healthcare was a good idea cause like canada and some european countries do it but i am def. against everyone getting free insurance

6/15/2007 5:41:06 PM

Link: sevenload.com

pretty heavy stuff at the beginning, he does go all "Hillary Clinton for President" in the middle of this clip. Pretty transparent too.

6/15/2007 6:44:53 PM

Right after he talks up hillary he calls her a sellout because she starts taking a ton of money from the insurance lobbyists

6/15/2007 6:54:19 PM

what the fuck is wrong with Slovenia?

6/15/2007 8:14:40 PM

Quote :

"With or without insurance, if you get in a car wreck, you'll be treated"

To wake up to thousands of dollars in hospital bills! Hooray!

6/15/2007 9:44:23 PM

^yes, it costs money so you have to pay for it. What a radical concept.

6/15/2007 10:41:23 PM

i'm just gonna get my children's children to pay for it

PROBLEM SOLVED

6/15/2007 10:47:43 PM

haha nice marko

6/15/2007 10:49:17 PM

they'll all be dead from global warming or whatever, so what do they care if they get the bill.

6/15/2007 11:01:37 PM

what if you woke up one day and someone told you if you didnt pay for this 10,000 dollar car you would die?

shitty id say

6/16/2007 12:17:29 AM

Nobody is denying care just because you can't pay for it. Sure it might bankrupt you, but you'd be alive.
To avoid this don't be poor. Anyway, if you are poor the state pays for most if not all medical care already.

6/16/2007 12:27:02 AM

Quote :

"Why do people think that the government owes them free health care? I think its great that many Americans are generous and contribute to charities, and I think charities could do a great job helping out needy folks who can't work or have other circumstances. But I think that health care is a choice for able-bodied Americans."

The government can't pay with money it doesn't have. If it's going to come from anywhere, I think it'd more likely be in the form of an additional tax than a reconfiguration of the federal budget. To this end, I think it's worthwhile for people to consider what aspects of living in an advanced society are truly valuable. Personally, I think there is great value having a society look after it's own - the fact is, not everyone in America is able-bodied enough to support the cost of health care and/or insurance by themselves.

Although it'd be interesting to quantify what tax increase would be necessary to totally pay for everyone's health care, I think a more realistic goal would be to make it highly subsidized. A good start in my opinion would be to eradicate the health insurance companies - not only does their profit cost the average American more money for something every person must have, but it mucks up the administration of health care as well (policy fine print, HMOs and doctor networks, for example). By cutting out the middleman, nationwide health care would be a more financially viable possibility.

A positive aspect (although conjecture) of health care subsidization is that people may be more likely to pay a bill that's in their realm of affordability. Receiving an astronomical hospital bill can come off as a joke to people who can't afford to pay - and I know there are people who refuse to pay.

6/16/2007 1:27:50 AM