Maxed Out


Price: $14.98 $13.99

 

Editorial Reviews


Product Description

Examines the various problems stemming from increasing consumer debt, corrupt practices within the industry, finance industry's ties to the government

Amazon.com

In Maxed Out, author/director James D. Scurlock (Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders) takes on America's debt crisis. Consequently, he touches on related issues like race, corporate malfeasance, and political subterfuge. Scurlock’s multi-media approach incorporates statistics, news excerpts, and interviews, but it's rarely dull (comedy bits from Louis CK and tunes from Queen and Coldplay don't hurt). Speakers include economic professors, debt collectors, pawn brokers, investigative reporters, beleaguered consumers, and even Robin Leach (Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous). Instead of New York and Los Angeles, he concentrates on mid-size cities, like Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, and Seattle. Plenty of small towns also come into play. Though he never presses the point himself, Scurlock allows his subjects to note the similarities between the credit industry and the drug trade (others use such incendiary terms as "rape"). One thing he neglects to mention, however, is pride. If house payments are ruining your life, selling that property may be the only solution. In most cases, however, it's hard not to feel for those individuals who didn't know what they were getting into before they signed their lives away. For some viewers, this will be a dispiriting documentary--three subjects recount the suicides of relatives who found their debt too much to bear--but in explaining exactly how lenders and creditors make money, Maxed Out can help others to avoid some of their most egregious practices. In other words, debt may be a downer, but knowledge is power. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

 

Customer Reviews


civil liberties Said: film doesn't mention that the nat'l debt is paid to the Federal Reserve ( Aug. 17th 2010 )

wow, have some tissues ready when you watch this film. several of these stories are really heartbreaking. i wasn't prepared for that, however i liked the personal stories as opposed to a bunch of stats and abstract discussions about americans in general.

i was bothered by one glaring omission in this film, and that is when the film spoke about the national debt... hey america, answer me this... to whom do we owe this debt? The Federal Reserve that's who. The Federal Reserve which is a private central bank, which prints money out of thin air, loans it to the government, then your and my tax dollars go to pay the interest on that loan back to the FED! It's all a big scam. the constitution provides that congress has the power to print money, but our country has been taken over by a private consortium of banks and it is these bankers that are basically ruling the country. the president answers to them. our gov't issues nothing but bonds and you and i are carrying around fiat paper money that is backed by nothing.

i was dismayed that by the end this film just became an anti-bush piece. now, i don't like bush either. he's about as awful as one gets, but if you think any of the democratic presidents cares more about the average american than repubs then you're just naive and deceiving yourself. go listen to alex jones or david icke and learn some truth.

WATCH the new film "THE SECRET OF OZ" by Bill Still instead. he advocates for a change from our current debt-money system to one geared toward greater prosperity for all, not just for the bankers.

JR Felisilda Said: Good information and stories about the Credit Industry ( Mar. 23rd 2010 )

This DVD had good information and features about handling credit. It would be more impactful if they would update the information that pertains to the new changes in credit that took effect this year (2010).

Amber Heimbach Said: Seen it and love it ( Mar. 12th 2010 )

I saw this documentary on tv. I was appauld by the outright disregard for human lives. We are no longer people simply numbers in some coporate paycheck. This documentary proves and shows everything we have always feared. That we are in this by ourselves . our only defense is our power as consumers. You want to take down credit card companies? Want to make them care? Hit them where it hurts in their wallets. Dont apply for credit cards. Take the advice from the other reviews too. buy this dvd and pay cash. Its totally worth it.

J. Cipriani Said: Content Great, Technical Features Suck ( Dec. 25th 2009 )

The material presented in this video is appropriate and totally relevant in today's economy. For content alone, I'd rate this DVD at least a four.

The problem is that the people who produced the technical features of this film are retarded. A common style used in documentaries these days is to show action or live footage and then follow with a screen of printed text to add factual commentaries on the footage. Obviously the producers of this DVD were either too lazy to preview their creation prior to release of the DVD for sale or they were too stupid to notice that the printed text they used was a) too small, b) lettering not at all crisp or clear and c) the use of a highly cursive type font that indicates the technician who created it was at the time under the influence of crack cocaine.

In order to read the pages of text within the movie footage, even if you have 20/20 vision you need to set with your nose about two inches away from the TV screen in order to read it ... and even then it is a struggle.

I mean, come on ... don't DVD producers actually watch their own crappy, shoddy productions before they pawn the junk off on an unsuspecting public?

Flower Said: This is real and true! needed it sooner. ( Dec. 9th 2009 )

I wish I would have came across this sooner! It is an awesome look inside debt and how it affects families. I thought this dvd was very educational and touching. You must see this. I think it will inform you and help you to start taking steps to either get out of debt or not get into debt. All children, families etc should watch this dvd. Try it you won't be disappointed!