# Wall Street Too

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-street-too/555233>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [September 27, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-street-too/555233 "2010-09-27T16:01:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-street-too/555233/1 "2010-09-27T16:01:19Z")

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Holy crap, what an awful movie. It’s about as subtle as a punch in the face. They use a kid playing with soap bubble to illustrate a financial bubble, then falling dominoes to show a collapse. They pull out cliches like “One definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”. Michael Douglas’ speech on the evils of speculation, which could be powerful, is just shown as a bunch of short sound bytes. Fusion technology apparently hangs on the ability of one man to convince investors to put up $100M. When they turn him down there is no one else in the world who can invest. Speaking of fusion, apparently it produces so little excess power that it needs to be powered by ocean convection currents rather than using it’s own excess energy to run itself. Stone should be shot.

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**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-street-too/555233/2 "2010-09-27T16:02:21Z")

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It’s not honestly called “Wall Street Too”, is it?

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**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-street-too/555233/3 "2010-09-27T16:12:52Z")

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“Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps”

> **[Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010) ⭐ 6.2 | Drama](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1027718/)**
>
> 2h 13m | PG-13

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**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-street-too/555233/4 "2010-09-27T16:19:40Z")

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Wow - I’m not sure that’s any better.

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**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-street-too/555233/5 "2010-09-27T19:19:47Z")

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“Wall Street 2: Electric Boogaloo” would be a much better title.

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**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-street-too/555233/6 "2010-09-27T19:23:57Z")

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Something about the trailer gives the impression that somebody gets shot… is that accurate?

I knew the movie would be double-sucky when Douglas utters the tagline in the trailer “I once said that ‘Greed is good.’ Now it’s legal.” It’s a wonder my eyes didn’t roll right out of their sockets…

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**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-street-too/555233/7 "2010-09-27T20:20:18Z")

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> [@JohnT](#):
>
> Something about the trailer gives the impression that somebody gets shot… is that accurate?

No, but there is one violent thing that happens.

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**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-street-too/555233/8 "2010-09-28T07:21:24Z")

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There is a plot development that was supposed to have been a complete surprise to a couple of the main characters. It was obvious to me what was going to happen, and should have been obvious to the characters involved.

One thing that bothered me was the blaming of the financial crisis on greed alone. Investors are always greedy, in the sense that they want to make money. In my opinion, the crisis was mostly due to stupidity - to the investment of a large part of the economy in a scheme that was guaranteed to collapse.

As for the line quoted by **JohnT** about greed - when has it ever been illegal? It sounds good but doesn’t hold up to rational thought. It’s facile and sanctimonious, which fits with the rest of the movie.

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**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-street-too/555233/9 "2010-09-28T14:57:36Z")

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That movie was such a mess, long, boring, and stupid. Apparently wall street traders are the most gullible people on earth, since an unfounded rumor can cause stocks to crash and not recover. If you’re really smart you can turn 100 million into 1 billion in about 3 months by getting a haircut and a bespoke suit. Oliver Stone has no idea why the economy melted down except that rich white men were involved.

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**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-street-too/555233/10 "2010-09-28T15:07:23Z")

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I read an interview with Oliver Stone in Playboy a few years back and came away thinking that Stone is flat-out bonkers. I wish I had kept the copy so I could share some of the crazy.

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**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-street-too/555233/11 "2010-09-28T15:57:44Z")

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> [@Khadaji](#):
>
> I read an interview with Oliver Stone in Playboy a few years back and came away thinking that Stone is flat-out bonkers. I wish I had kept the copy so I could share some of the crazy.

You threw away a Playboy magazine? I’ve never known anyone to do that (except mothers).

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**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-street-too/555233/12 "2010-09-28T17:08:59Z")

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Anybody posted a plot spoiler synopsis yet? I doubt I will see it, but I want to know the story.

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**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-street-too/555233/13 "2010-09-28T19:26:19Z")

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> [@Algher](#):
>
> Anybody posted a plot spoiler synopsis yet? I doubt I will see it, but I want to know the story.

> **[Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010) - Plot - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1027718/plotsummary/)**
>
> Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010) - Plot summary, synopsis, and more...

Here ya go. No quotes to avoid spoilers. 🙂

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**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-street-too/555233/14 "2010-09-28T19:31:18Z")

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> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#):
>
> > [@Khadaji](#):
> >
> > I read an interview with Oliver Stone in Playboy a few years back and came away thinking that Stone is flat-out bonkers. I wish I had kept the copy so I could share some of the crazy.
> 
> You threw away a Playboy magazine? I’ve never known anyone to do that (except mothers).

It’s only right to throw them into the woods for the next generation to find.

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**Author:** ![kath94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@kath94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kath94)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-street-too/555233/15 "2010-09-28T22:20:43Z")

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Haven’t seen the movie yet, but Mom wants to, so I guess I can’t get out of it. Here is my favorite movie spoiler site:

[http://www.themoviespoiler.com/Spoilers/wallstreet2.html](http://www.themoviespoiler.com/Spoilers/wallstreet2.html)

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**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-street-too/555233/16 "2010-09-28T22:25:24Z")

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> [@FordTaurusSHO94](#):
>
> “Wall Street 2: Electric Boogaloo” would be a much better title.

Actually laughed out loud - thanks 🙂

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**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-street-too/555233/17 "2010-09-29T00:17:37Z")

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> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#):
>
> As for the line quoted by **JohnT** about greed - when has it ever been illegal? It sounds good but doesn’t hold up to rational thought. It’s facile and sanctimonious, which fits with the rest of the movie.

The character portrayed by Douglas conducted corporate espionage and insider trading in the first movie.

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**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-street-too/555233/18 "2010-09-29T16:40:34Z")

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> [@Lute Skywatcher](#):
>
> > [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#):
> >
> > As for the line quoted by **JohnT** about greed - when has it ever been illegal? It sounds good but doesn’t hold up to rational thought. It’s facile and sanctimonious, which fits with the rest of the movie.
> 
> The character portrayed by Douglas conducted corporate espionage and insider trading in the first movie.

Espionage and insider trading are crimes. Greed itself has never been a crime. There are plenty of greedy people who don’t break the law in pursuit of their own enrichment.

Also, the crimes that Gordon Gekko committed in the first movie are still illegal.

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**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-street-too/555233/19 "2010-09-29T21:33:45Z")

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> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#):
>
> > [@Lute Skywatcher](#):
> >
> > The character portrayed by Douglas conducted corporate espionage and insider trading in the first movie.
> 
> Espionage and insider trading are crimes. Greed itself has never been a crime. There are plenty of greedy people who don’t break the law in pursuit of their own enrichment.
> 
> Also, the crimes that Gordon Gekko committed in the first movie are still illegal.

It strikes me as a linguistic short cut, likely due to the fact that he’s a composite of several real-life Wall Street bad boys. Or it could just be lazy writing.

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**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-street-too/555233/20 "2010-09-29T21:42:46Z")

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Often, the only interaction that movie directors and writers have with the market is in the form of entertainment corporate suits making restrictive “suggestions” about how they should film things. So I’m not surprised to see that the two don’t get along that well. Or to see that “suits = capitalism = annoying and bad!” groupthink has lead to sloppy reasoning as shown in the movie - if you don’t need to convince anyone, you don’t need to muster a coherent argument

[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-street-too/555233.md?page=2)
