Movies vs. Capitalism

Telemarketers, Love Is Blind, Blowback, Kardashians [PATREON PREVIEW]

Rivka and Frank chat about the HBO documentary series Telemarketers, the return of reality TV series Love is Blind and Survivor, the cultural impact of the Kardashians, the historical narrative podcast Blowback, and more.
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Heaven’s Gate (w/ Matthew Donovan)

Rivka and Frank are joined by Matthew Donovan — founder of The Future Left and co-host of the Neoliberal Hell podcast — to discuss Michael Cimino’s epic  1980 Western Heaven’s Gate. They discuss the film’s depiction of law enforcement aligning itself with property owners in order to violently eradicate the immigrant underclass, the dichotomy of the class traitor vs. the class apologist, and the film’s infamous production.
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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

Back to the Future (w/ Jon Shelton)

Rivka and Frank are joined by Jon Shelton, professor of democracy and justice studies at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, for a conversation about the 1985 classic sci-fi comedy classic, Back to the Future. They explore the film’s focus on hyper-individualism as it relates to economic mobility, and critique the character of Doc Brown for his Silicon Valley style scientific approach, and  the flawed sexual politics ascribed to the movie's only female character.
The Education Myth: How Human Capital Trumped Social Democracy (Cornell University Press, 2023)
The Goldie Wilson Conspiracy (Yo! Black Pop Culture)
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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 Grapes of Wrath (w/ Harvey Kaye)

Rivka and Frank are joined by labor historian Harvey Kaye to discuss the classic 1940 film The Grapes of Wrath, and how today’s climate crisis bears frightening parallels to the Great Depression’s Dust Bowl, both man-made environmental and economic disasters. They also explore the film's portrayal of bankers and law enforcement, class consciousness and proletarian revolution, and how itremains one of America’s most optimistic stories about the power of solidarity. 
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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

First Reformed (w/ Andrew Perez)

Rivka and Frank are joined by journalist Andrew Perez to discuss the existential dread of Paul Schrader’s 2017 climate change drama First Reformed. They discuss the film’s masterful storytelling and performances, how its fictional villain is a perfect stand-in for real-world villains like Koch Industries, and its realistic portrayal of radicalization. 
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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

Titanic (w/ Dr. Erika Okamoto)

Rivka and Frank are joined by the host of the Cocktails and Capitalism podcast, Dr. Erika Okamoto, for a deep (ocean) dive conversation about James Cameron’s 1997 global smash hit Titanic. They discuss the parallels between today’s ecological crisis and the 1912 sinking of the Titanic, in which a person’s societal rank became a literal death sentence for more than 1,500 travelers and crew members. They also debate the internal conflict of Rose’s aristocratic life, the portrayal of the steerage class’ “poor-people party,” and whether or not Jack could have fit on that door.
John LaRoche: Titanic's Only Black Passenger (Kelly Carter Jackson, 2020)
Cocktails and Capitalism
Food Not Bombs
Stop Cop City
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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

Trading Places (w/ Jamel Johnson)

Rivka and Frank are joined by comedian Jamel Johnson to talk about the 1983 Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd comedy Trading Places. They explore the film's central theme of “nature vs. nurture” debate explored in the film, and its satirical depiction of the crusty upper class. Jamel also attributes the rise of neoliberalism in the 1980s in part to the success of Michael Jackson’s Thriller.
Love Is Blind Exploitation (More Perfect Union)
Bethenny Frankel Reality TV Union TikTok
NOlympics LA
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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

John Q (w/ Nina Turner)

Rivka and Frank are joined by former Ohio state senator and congressional candidate Nina Turner for a heartfelt discussion about the Denzel Washington health insurance drama John Q, the story of father who holds an emergency room hostage after learning his health insurance won’t cover his son’s heart transplant. Even though the film was made in 2002, its message and themes remain as relevant as ever. Nina shares her personal experience with the American health care system and talks about the country’s desperate need for universal health care. They also explore how the health care industry dehumanizes both patients and doctors, and how the film’s clear-eyed portrayal of John Q leads to even his hostages feeling sympathy for him.
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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

Barbie (w/ Jessie Kahnweiler)

Rivka and Frank are joined by filmmaker Jessie Kahnweiler for an off-the-walls discussion of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. They discuss the full-blown cultural phenomenon and how its overall message is emblematic of “plastic feminism.” They offer their conflicting feelings about the film’s success: how it is both a win for female filmmakers but an even bigger win for a toy company. Jessie also talks about her experience being on strike, as a member of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), and what’s at stake for artists in Hollywood.
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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

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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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