Movies vs. Capitalism

Rivka and Frank share their thoughts about the new dystopian war film Civil War, written and directed by Alex Garland. They discuss the film’s seemingly complete lack of politics, other than its cynical view of war correspondents and journalists in general. They also get into the whole “Red vs. Blue” debate, how the film fails to contextualize our current conditions, and praise power couple Kirste...

Rivka and Frank are joined by actor Kate Eastman for a conversation about Hayao Miyazaki’s 1997 masterpiece Princess Mononoke. They discuss the film’s central theme of environmental equilibrium, the groundbreaking animation, some brief history of feudal Japan, the queer-coded love story, and how Ashitaka is the snack we’ve all been waiting for.  Princess Mononoke and History (Jonathan Hielkema) Ra...

Rivka and Frank unpack the 2023 Nicolas Cage film Dream Scenario, written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli. 🤝 TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism

Rivka and Frank are joined by journalist Rebecca Burns for a conversation about Robert Zemeckis’ 1988 masterpiece Who Framed Roger Rabbit. They talk about how the film draws inspiration from Los Angeles’ history, like “The Great Red Car Conspiracy” and the Chavez Ravine. They also discuss how the film’s “Toons” serve as a stand-in for LA’s marginalized communities, the incredible technical achieve...

Rivka and Frank are joined by writer and director Alex Hare for a conversation about the anti-capitalist banger Little Shop of Horrors. They talk about the musical’s production history and how creators Alan Menken and Howard Ashman set out to write a musical that was critical of capitalist social relations. They also unpack the myriad metaphors of Audrey II, whether Seymour is a complicit actor or...

Rivka and Frank are joined by comedian Jaffer Khan for a conversation about the 1998 Peter Weir / Jim Carrey masterpiece, The Truman Show. They discuss how Truman’s arc serves as a metaphor for radicalization, Guy Debord’s Society of the Spectacle and the commodification of genuine human experience, and how the film prophesied the self-surveillance state of social media. CeasefireToday.com 5Calls...

Rivka and Frank are joined by journalist and writer Seth Simons for a conversation about the 2021 Nicolas Cage drama Pig. They discuss the film’s central theme of creativity vs. commodification, cooking as one of the most communal forms of art making, the abusive and exploitative nature of the restaurant industry, and whether the character of Darius is the scariest produce supplier ever depicted o...

Rivka and Frank review the 2024 Academy Awards, AKA The Oscars. They discuss the pro-Palestinian protest outside the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, director Jonathan Glaser’s (somehow) controversial acceptance speech for The Zone of Interest, Emma Stone’s surprise victory, and all of glitz and glam of Hollywood’s biggest night.  CeasefireToday.com 5 Calls 🤝 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.co...

Rivka and Frank are joined by James Harr , creator of socialist apparel company Comrade Workwear , for a conversation about Mike Judge’s 2006 political satire Idiocracy, which could have offered a critique of the merger of corporate and state power and privatization, but instead seemed more interested in blaming the impoverished for their own lack of education. They also discuss whether they would...

Rivka and Frank have an in-depth discussion of Yorgos Lanthimos’ 2023 film Poor Things, the story of Bella Baxter, who receives an experimental brain transplant and embarks on a journey of self-discovery in her new body. They talk about how Bella’s journey embodies the Marxist concept of “dialectical materialism,” how the men in the film represent the full spectrum of patriarchal archetypes, and h...

Rivka and Frank are joined by author, content creator, socialist business proprietor, and host of the  Pick Me Up, I'm Scared podcast,  Madeline Pendleton to talk about John Woo’s unhinged magnum opus, Face/Off. They unpack the film’s depiction of the carceral system (magnet boots!), the extreme misogyny that runs through the film, and whether Castor Troy troy had a developed political ideology or...

Rivka and Frank are joined by returning guest, comedian CJ Koepp , to unpack the 2006 Disney-Pixar animated movie Cars, the story of sentient automobiles grappling with the economic devastation of deindustrialization. They also talk about the filmmakers' bizarre choices to animate their anthropomorphic cars with distinct racial characteristics along with long floppy tongues. Movies vs. Capitalism...

Rivka and Frank are joined by actor and writer Erica Bitton for a cautionary discussion of Katherine Heigl’s 2008 romantic comedy 27 Dressess, which serves as essential propaganda for the wedding-industrial complex. They also critique the film’s reductive portrayal of its two lead female characters, and pay homage to rom-com legend Judy Greer. 🤝 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_...

Rivka and Frank are joined by historian Harvey Kaye for a deep-dive on Tim Robbins’ Depression-era film Cradle Will Rock. The film tells the story of the Federal Theatre Project — a New Deal program that funded public theater productions around the U.S. during the Great Depression — and the reactionary forces that ultimately killed it. Rivka, Frank, and Harvey explore the film’s central themes of...

Rivka and Frank catch up on the TV series The Curse. They also revisit their conversation about Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer in the wake of the Academy Award nominations, unpack Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie’s Oscar snubs, and wonder why Hillary Clinton felt like she needed to weigh in. 🤝 TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism

Rivka and Frank are joined by artist and YouTube host Matt Strackbein, AKA The Letterhack , for a conversation about Tony Gilroy's 2007 film starring George Clooney, Michael Clayton, the story of a high-priced “legal fixer” who uncovers a deadly conspiracy perpetrated by his law firm’s corporate client. They discuss how Michael Clayton is ultimately a story about radicalization and redemption, and...

Rivka and Frank are joined by filmmakers Abigail Horton and Ryan Dickie to discuss their independent feature film Blow Up My Life , a dark comedy thriller set in the world of corporate pharmaceuticals. Abby and Ryan discuss their inspiration for making the film, and go into detail about the challenges producing and distributing independent film in the age of giant media conglomerates. 🤝 SUBSCRIBE...

Rivka and Frank are joined by author Joe Mayall for a deep (space) conversation about Ridley Scott’s 1979 science fiction and horror classic Alien. They explore how the film served as a warning against the erosion of organized labor in the U.S. during the late ’70s and early ’80s, how the film’s intentional choice to foreground the perspective of female and non-white characters, and how the androi...

Rivka and Frank chat about the flawed class politics (and flawless vibes) of Emerald Fennell’s new film Saltburn, starring Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi. They also critique Julia Roberts’ new Netflix film, Leave the World Behind — a neoliberal apocalypse fever dream.  🤝 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism

Rivka and Frank are joined by actor, writer, and educator Wren Mack to discuss the 1992 holiday classic The Muppet Christmas Carol. They break down why this particular adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel has become a staple of the holiday viewing schedule, including Michael Caine’s committed dramatic performance, Miles Gordon and Paul Williams’ score, and, of course, the friggin' Muppets.  Candle...

Rivka and Frank are joined by comedian and actor Melanie Vesey for a cheerful yet critical discussion about Frank Capra’s classic Christmas film starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed, It’s A Wonderful Life. They discuss how the film’s depiction of American and liberal idealism may have something to do with its staying power. They also question why Jimmy Stewart’s character George Bailey didn’t sim...

Rivka and Frank are joined by actor and comedian Brian Morabito for a heated debate about Ben Stiller’s 2001 comedy set in the world of high fashion, Zoolander, which seems more interested in portraying models as vapid rather than genuinely critiquing the destructive and exploitative fashion industry.  🤝 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism MVC donates its ad space to...

Rivka and Frank discuss David Fincher’s new hitman movie, The Killer, a thriller that explores the modern gig economy. They also chat about Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder’s new TV series The Curse, the commodification of pop icon Britney Spears and her autobiography The Woman In Me, and whether it’s ethical to enjoy stories about war, like Band of Brothers, which rules.  🤝 TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE...

Rivka and Frank take a break from watching movies to answer questions from listeners! They explain how the cooperative media production structure could supplant the Hollywood studio system, and share some of their favorite personal films — including the ones they still love, despite their terrible politics. They also discuss the recent wave of Hollywood blacklistings against entertainment professi...

Rivka and Frank are joined by screenwriter Josh Olson for a discussion of Sidney Lumet and Paddy Chayefsky’s 1976 dark satire Network. They unpack the film's depiction the ideological battle between the Greatest Generation and the Baby Boomers, and how the character of TV executive Dianna Christensen remains one of the most important film characters ever rendered on screen.  🤝 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PA...