Hacker Cinema
Maxed Out
2006 · Film · documentary · 90 min
Directed by James D. Scurlock
Maxed Out takes us on a journey deep inside the American debt-style, where everything seems okay as long as the minimum monthly payment arrives on time. Sure, most of us may have that sinking feeling that something isn't quite right, but we're told not to worry. After all, there's always more credit!
2 positive2 neutralfrom 4 commenters
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4 comments on Hacker News
Yes, I mentioned debit cards in the second of the three sentences in my comment.
It's an important distinction to make. Credit is very much not something you should feel entitled to and issuer can and should be selective about who and what they issue credit for. Or course the credit industry itself is disgusting, but that's another issue (this was covered almost 20 years ago in a documentary Maxed Out).
This shouldn't be conflated with payments in general which is (imo) a much bigger problem. You should be entitled to spend the money you earn on exactly what you want, and to do it anonymously.
You can fight back: don't spend on credit and refuse to use a card when cash would suffice. We are losing, though. For stuff like Steam you have no other option (as far as I know).
Now this is an interesting take. I could be misremembering which documentary I saw this in, but if my recollection is correct, the documentary Maxed Out proposed that if everyone returned credit applications sent by mail to sender, the economics of credit applications would be much less feasible because they would pay the return rates. This was in 2006. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxed_Out
There was an eerily prescient 2006 documentary about consumer credit called "Maxed Out," which featured a scene where someone recalled going to a conference of bank and credit card executives, and one of the CC CEOs plainly stated: "The bulk of our profits come from people making minimum payments for the rest of their lives."
As for "pay-in-full" folks like you and me, credit card companies could care less. Whenever we pay with plastic, they get processing fees.
This is turning out to be a really awesome list; here are a few others I feel should be mentioned:
- Dear Zachery: one of my all time favorite documentaries. Amazingly tragic, depressing, and infuriating, but extremely well made. (http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Dear_Zachary_A_Letter_to_a_Son_About_His_Father/70095159?trkid=2361637)
- The Great Happiness Space: an interesting look into the lives of japanese male 'escorts'; the unfolding of the moral dilemmas they face in doing their job is quite fascinating. (http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Great_Happiness_Space/70067160?trkid=2361637)
- Heavy Metal In Baghdad: If you think running a startup is hard, multiply that difficulty a couple times just to get an idea of what these guys had to go through just to be able to play the music they enjoy. Don't have to be a metalhead to enjoy this one, but it helps \m/ (http://www.vbs.tv/watch/acrassicauda--2/heavy-metal-in-baghdad-feature), Also, be sure to checkout their follow-up, 'Heavy Metal in Istanbul' (http://www.vbs.tv/watch/acrassicauda--2/dvd-extra-heavy-metal-in-istanbul)
- Metal A Headbanger's Journey: Another one of my favorites, definitely a must watch if you're at all into metal; it basically traces the roots of metal, and explores all the different sub-genres and cultures it has spawned (http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/metal-headbangers-journey/)
- Standing In The Shadows Of Motown: Great doc about the greatest band no one has heard of; "This unheralded group of musicians had played on more number ones hits than the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Elvis and the Beatles combined - which makes them the greatest hit machine in the history of popular music. They called themselves the Funk Brothers." (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=7&ved=0CFkQtwIwBg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.google.com%2Fvideoplay%3Fdocid%3D-457607153062514364&ei=TNUHTtmkGYaCsQO1h53BDQ&usg=AFQjCNGz6jUK-Cl29OKlFuOwpVsxmwU85w)
- This Film Is Not Yet Rated: about the craziness that happens behind the film rating process (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CEQQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.netflix.com%2FMovie%2FThis-Film-Is-Not-Yet-Rated%2F70043954&ei=A9YHTqKyGY3msQOh_q3DDQ&usg=AFQjCNHrMy-duaWgtAfbu-0LQqqaoOkaMA)
- E=mc2 - Einstein and the World's Most Famous Equation: A look into the history behind all the scientific descoveries that led to Einstein's famous equation (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4144497206440839046#)
- Maxed out: Great look into the american credit card situation (http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Maxed-Out/70058892?trkid=438403)
- Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock?: A really cool, unique ride through the business of art (http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Who-the-Is-Jackson-Pollock/70064699?trkid=438403)
- Mr. Death - The Rise and Fall of Fred A Leuchter Jr.: About the fascinating life of an expert executioner (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=654178281151939378#)
- American Drug War: a look into what the war against drugs has done to the U.S. (http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/american-drug-war/)
- Between The Folds: A surprisingly interesting oragami documentary (http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Between-the-Folds/70120179?trkid=438403)
I'm sure I know of plenty more great ones, but these are all that came to mind at the moment...