Movies vs. Capitalism

Princess Mononoke (w/ Kate Eastman)

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)
Radical American Environmentalism and Wilderness Preservation: A Third World Critique (Ramaehandra Guha)
 
For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching Alex Garland’s 2024 dystopian thriller Civil War.
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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

Dream Scenario [PATREON PREVIEW]

Rivka and Frank unpack the 2023 Nicolas Cage film Dream Scenario, written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli.
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Who Framed Roger Rabbit (w/ Rebecca Burns)

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 achievements of the film, the tension between Disney and Warner Bros, and how Bob Hoskins is a sexy little hairy meatball. 
Against the Wind (The American Prospect, 2024)
For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 1997 Studio Ghibli Miyazaki masterpiece Princess Mononoke.
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MVC donates its ad space to progressive or leftist causes and organizations. If you’re interested in promoting your work, email us at moviesvscapitalism@gmail.com.
Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

Little Shop of Horrors (w/ Alex Hare)

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 abuse victim, and the show’s original (and much darker) ending. 
Alex’s Little Shop Playlist
Ember Cooperative
For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 1998 Robert Zemeckis film Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
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MVC donates its ad space to progressive or leftist causes and organizations. If you’re interested in promoting your work, email us at moviesvscapitalism@gmail.com.
Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

The Truman Show (w/ Jaffer Khan)

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
For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 1986 movie musical classic Little Shop of Horrors.
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MVC donates its ad space to progressive or leftist causes and organizations. If you’re interested in promoting your work, email us at moviesvscapitalism@gmail.com.
Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

Pig (w/ Seth Simons)

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 on-screen. 
Humorism.xyz
CeasefireToday.com
5Calls
For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 1998 Peter Weir / Jim Carrey classic The Truman Show.
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MVC donates its ad space to progressive or leftist causes and organizations. If you’re interested in promoting your work, email us at moviesvscapitalism@gmail.com.
Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

Oscars 2024

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
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MVC donates its ad space to progressive or leftist causes and organizations. If you’re interested in promoting your work, email us at moviesvscapitalism@gmail.com.
Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

Idiocracy (w/ Comrade Workwear)

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 actually use a recliner/toilet. Important stuff.
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MVC donates its ad space to progressive or leftist causes and organizations. If you’re interested in promoting your work, email us at moviesvscapitalism@gmail.com.
Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

Poor Things [PATREON PREVIEW]

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 how Emma Stone’s choices and performance make the film truly exceptional. They also talk about the Willy Wonka immersive experience scandal in Glasgow — one of the greatest scams capitalism has ever given us.
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Face/Off (w/ Madeline Pendleton)

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 was just in it for the LOLs. 
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MVC donates its ad space to progressive or leftist causes and organizations. If you’re interested in promoting your work, email us at moviesvscapitalism@gmail.com.
Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen