Movies vs. Capitalism

Zoolander (w/ Brian Morabito)

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. 
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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

The Killer, The Curse, Britney Spears, Band Of Brothers [PATREON PREVIEW]

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. 
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Ask MVC Anything

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 professionals who have been critical of the Israeli government’s siege of Gaza, including actors Melissa Barrera and Susan Sarandon.
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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

Network (w/ Josh Olson)

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. 
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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

Clueless (w/ Karen DiConcetto)

Rivka and Frank are joined by television and film writer Karen DiConcetto for a material analysis of a film about materialism: Amy Heckerling’s 1995 teen comedy Clueless. In today’s interview, Rivka, Frank, and Karen celebrate Heckerling’s brilliant script while unpacking the rampant materialism depicted by the film’s Beverly Hills teenagers — and how those themes were potentially harmful to its audience, particularly young women. They also draw a line between the lead character Cher Horowitz and the liberal charity model, and even go so far as to describe this film’s satire as “The Wolf of Wall Street for rich teenagers.” 
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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

Sorry to Bother You (w/ Boots Riley)

Rivka and Frank are joined by musician, activist, screenwriter, and director Boots Riley for a discussion about his film debut — the 2018 satire set in the world of telemarketing, Sorry to Bother You. Boots talks about his creative process, including his personal experience working in the telemarketing industry. They also discuss the depiction of organized labor in the film, how the story feels even more relevant in 2023 than it did five years ago, and how we could see a resurgence of “company towns” like the WorryFree Corporation.
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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

Killers of the Flower Moon, Fair Play, The Morning Show [PATREON PREVIEW]

Rivka and Frank discuss Martin Scorcese’s epic historical drama, Killers of the Flower Moon. They also chat about reading Karl Marx’s Capital, the gender politics of Netflix’s Fair Play, and the new season of the Apple TV+ series The Morning Show.
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Bee Movie (w/ CJ Koepp)

Rivka and Frank are joined by comedian and climate activist CJ Koepp for an analytical discussion about the 2007 animated feature and Jerry Seinfeld vehicle Bee Movie. Rivka, Frank, and CJ unpack the status quo-reinforcing themes of Bee Movie. They also lambast the film for being deeply unfunny, and size it up against the other animated bug movies from the same era (of which, surprisingly, there are a lot). 
Grief Café for Gaza
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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

The Wizard of Oz (w/ Francisco Pérez)

Rivka and Frank are joined by Francisco Pérez, an activist, educator, and the director of the Center for Popular Economics, who blows the lid off the 1939 movie-musical classic The Wizard of Oz. Francisco explains how L. Frank Baum’s original 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, offered an allegory for U.S. monetary policy and the populist economics movement of the 19th century. Specifically, the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890 which sought to upend the gold standard in order to ease the strain on indebted American farmers. 
Economics4Emancipation.net
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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

Antz (w/ Max Epstein)

Rivka and Frank are joined by Max Epstein, Head of Content for Means TV, a worker-owned streaming service, for an in-depth conversation about Dreamworks’ 1998 film Antz. They talk about the film’s depiction of class consciousness spreading throughout an ant colony, the theme of individualism vs. collectivism, and question if the screenwriter read Marx. 
Jewish Voices For Peace
Means TV
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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