The Occupy Wall Street Movement continues on with no signs of stopping even as the police get increasingly serious about evicting the protesters. While some may say the movement's message is not clear, visiting these protest camps shows that they are properly prepared. They have Internet access, funding from nonprofit groups, and a library providing free access to various materials.
But I wonder what movies they watch at night, or why they don't get one of those gigantic projection screens to show films on. If they ever do decide to do that, then here are some movies which I think are perfect for them to show.
On the surface John Carpenter's 1988 B-movie was about battling aliens, but underneath it was the director's cinematic grenade at the consumerist society that developed during the '80s. Carpenter at an American Cinematheque screening said "They Live" was his response to his "horror at the Reagan years."
It is one of the most politically subversive movies ever made, dealing with a declining economy, increasing unemployment, and a culture of greed (sound familiar?). Some of the characters' speeches about how we'll do anything to be rich and how we sell out everyday still play strongly in today's economically unequal world.
As the zombie apocalypse continues, the rich have found a luxurious sanctuary in the condominium complex called Fiddler's Green while everyone else lives in pathetic squalor. This condominium acts as a metaphor for Reaganomics and its promise of how the regular American can be rich too. Cholo DeMora (John Leguizamo) does a lot of dirty work for ruler of the city Paul Kaufman (the late Dennis Hopper) with the promise of getting an apartment there to live in, but of course he doesn't get one. It takes the bloodthirsty zombies to eliminate the differences between the rich and poor.
With this 1973 Disney animated movie, you'll cheer as Robin steals from the greedy Prince John, and you'll be quick to sneer at the Sheriff of Nottingham as he thinks nothing of taking money from a child in the name of collecting taxes. The Sheriff's smug demeanor is enough to make you want to punch him in the face -- and this is a G-rated movie! But if you have kids with you at this movement, this is probably the only movie from this list they'll be able to watch.
Thomas Anderson/Neo (Keanu Reeves) comes to discover the truth: The world as he knows it is a fake and humans have been enslaved by machines to be used as an energy source. An interesting allegory of how the rich profit off the ridiculous hours the working class is subjected to on a regular basis. It also fits in to how we're waking up to the truth of the world and making our stand.
"Roger & Me"/"Capitalism: A Love Story"
Say what you will about Michael Moore's documentary filmmaking (which to many seems biased and manipulative). He still gets at the truths in society which we can no longer ignore.
With "Roger & Me," we watch as General Motors eliminates thousands of jobs as labor in Mexico proves to be cheaper. This practice continues on to this day, and more cities like Flint, Michigan, are feeling its devastating impact. With "Capitalism: A Love Story," Moore shows how that 1 percent may control America's wealth, but they cannot control the other 99 percent.
If these movies have anything in common, it's that they're proof the '80s never left us.
See also:
"Capitalism: A Love Story" - Wall Street Gets a Smackdown!
"Robin Hood" Done the Ridley Scott/Russell Crowe Way
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