Fast-paced and fascinating, Floored charts the story of Chicago's commodities exchanges, where adrenaline-fueled floor traders are at the center of an all-or-nothing game of constant capital accumulation and loss. Director James Allen Smith combines stock and contemporary footage, interviews, scenes from D.W. Griffiths' 1909 movie Corner in Wheat, and photo montages to explore all of the possible angles of this visceral form of legalized gambling, providing a sense of the history of the trading pits and the immense daily risk taken on by those who work there. Some of the more successful practitioners spin romantic tales of bloated excess and millions of dollars made in the blink of an eye. But then we begin to hear the stories of the losers in this enterprise, and quickly see the hidden costs, including drug and alcohol addiction, various other health problems, and suicide. Smith also documents the changes that have taken place since the 1990s, as the traditional mob environment—characterized by frenzied hand signals, shouted orders, and frantic scribbling—has given way to more impersonal computerized trading. DVD extras include two audio commentary tracks (one with Smith and editor Andrew McAllister; the other with CNBC contributors who appear in the documentary), the complete Corner in Wheat, deleted scenes, and more. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (M. Sandlin)
Floored
(2009) 77 min. DVD: $24.99, Blu-ray: $29.99. Typecast Releasing (avail. from most distributors). Volume 26, Issue 2
Floored
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: