Movies vs. Capitalism

Robocop (w/ Mike Benner)

Rivka and Frank are joined by TV writer and producer Mike Benner to discuss Paul Verhoeven's Robocop. They talk about how the film’s evil corporation, Omni Consumer Products, serves as a perfect stand-in for consolidated corporate power. They also unpack Verhoeven’s depiction of homoerotic male aggression as a metaphor for capitalist competition, and how the iconography of Robocop has been misappropriated by police officers who think the character is "cool" “badass” rather than “a cautionary metaphor for the dehumanization of police.”
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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

Dr. Strangelove (w/ Matthew Cunningham-Cook)

Rivka and Frank are joined by journalist Matthew Cunningham-Cook to dig into Stanley Kubrick’s dark satire about nuclear war, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. They explore the historical parallels between Dr. Strangelove and what actually transpired during the Cold War. Matthew explains how one of the film’s main characters was loosely based on eccentric anti-communist Air Force General Curtis "Bombs Away" LeMay. They also also touch on the influence of the right-wing anti-communist John Birch Society on 1950s American politics, and the origins of Operation Paperclip, in which the U.S. intelligence community recruited former Nazi military officials and scientists to help defeat the Soviet Union.
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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

Dude, Where’s My Car? (w/ Devon Young)

Rivka and Frank are joined by Devon Young, organizer and founder of the performance venue Little Secret LA, for a truly mind-altering conversation about the 2000 stoner comedy Dude, Where’s My Car? They discuss the concept of “male amnesia” and how the film’s protagonists, Jesse and Chester, progress through their adventure as unbiased babies. While the film remains immensely offensive upon a rewatch, Devon mentions a thesis by queer theorist Jack Halberstam that explores the characters’ latent heteroflexibility. Devon also tells Rivka and Frank the story of going on a date with the ’90s supermodel Fabio. 
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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

A Soldier’s Story (w/ Jason Myles)

Rivka and Frank are joined by musician, writer, and This Is Revolution host Jason Myles, to talk about the 1984 military drama, A Soldier’s Story, which depicts a racially motivated murder at a Louisiana Army base during World War II. They unpack how the film. based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play A Soldier’s Play,  presents the complex perspectives of the Black community on morality, respectability, and violence.
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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

Good Burger (w/ Andrew Ti)

Rivka and Frank are joined by comedy writer and podcaster Andrew Ti to unnecessarily analyze the 1997 Nickelodeon original movie Good Burger. They talk about Good Burger’s central theme of “good capitalism” versus “bad capitalism,” and how the film propagates the myth that some businesses are “nicer” than others. They also explore the bizarre racial dynamics of this kids movie written by middle-aged white men, starring Black teenagers, marketed to white children. Wild. 
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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

The Matrix (w/ Wren Mack)

As we celebrate Pride month, Rivka and Frank are joined by actor, director, and educator Wren Mack for a deep-dive conversation about Lana and Lilly Wachowski’s sci-fi masterpiece The Matrix, which has become a meaningful film for the LGBTQ community since its release in 1999. 
They discuss how The Matrix has been misappropriated by online right-wingers who believe they’ve been “red-pilled,” while completely misunderstanding the film’s central metaphor. They also unpack how the Wachowskis unintentionally created a transgender allegory in “Thomas Anderson versus Neo,” and talk about how the movie remains one of the most sexy and sweaty action films of all time.
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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

The Succession Finale (w/ David Sirota)

Rivka and Frank are joined by David Sirota to break down the series finale of HBO’s Succession. Now that the show has ended, will it be entered into the great television pantheon? Who was the most sympathetic character in the series? And who ultimately won? Presumably we answer these questions.
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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

Parasite (w/ Jessica Burbank)

Rivka and Frank are joined by political commentator Jessica Burbank to discuss Bong Joon-Ho’s 2019 masterpiece, Parasite, digging into the themes of class antagonisms, failed solidarity, and elitism that run through the characters' relationships. Also how the film uses “the smell” as a perfect metaphor for classism, and why being stinky in real life is actually a good thing.. 
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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

You’ve Got Mail (w/ Robin Johnson)

Rivka and Frank are joined by filmmaker and activist Robin Johnson to talk about Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan’s deranged rom-com You’ve Got Mail, arguing that the movie’s plot is essentially a pro-capitalist psychological thriller about a woman who is manipulated and subdued by her corporate oppressor. They discuss how film's characters are emblematic of 90s liberalism that uses racially coded language and casually jokes about falling in love with fascist dictators, and how the character of Joe Fox is a manipulative pathological liar whose only redeemable quality is that he’s played by Tom Hanks.
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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

V for Vendetta (w/ Evan from LOTP)

Rivka and Frank talk with Evan from Left of the Projector, a podcast that explores film from a leftist perspective, to discuss the Wachowskis’ 2005 graphic novel adaptation V for Vendetta. They ask questions like: How is V able to take down the English government all by himself? Where does he get all of his supplies? How did he inspire an entire country to revolt without a comprehensive organizing campaign? And when did he find the time to set up that elaborate domino run?? Rivka also points out how V’s torture and reinvention of Evie detracts from what could have been a compelling heroine’s journey.
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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