Movies vs. Capitalism
MOVIES VS. CAPITALISM explores the politics of your favorite films through an anti-capitalist lens and the crucial intersection between pop culture and politics. Each episode, hosts Rivka and Frank are joined by a guest for a critical discussion about a movie and the ideological messages baked into it.
Episodes
Rivka and Frank are joined by their dear friend Peter Moses—entrepreneur, creative producer, and co-founder of Rain Delay Media—for a deep dive into the Oscar-winning 1987 classic Moonstruck, starring Cher and Nicolas Cage. They unpack the film’s take on class, family, and a version of New York City that once felt economically possible.
Next week, we’re watching Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2025 film One Battle After Another.
Rivka and Frank are joined by returning guest and pod favorite, award-winning author and professor Harvey Kaye, to discuss the all-time classic Casablanca. The trio dig into why the film truly deserves its legendary status, its striking relevance to today’s political climate amid the rise of fascism in America, and the quietly radical politics behind the filmmaking itself.
For next week’s movie—snap out of it!—we’ll be watching Moo...
ust in time for Christmas, Frank and Rivka are back with their second holiday duet—this time breaking down The Santa Clause. The duo dive into the politics of this absolutely unhinged ’90s classic, from the divorced-dad trope to Scott Calvin being a full-on pos, the film’s fatphobic messaging, and Santa as the ultimate capitalist overlord.
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In time for the holidays, Rivka and Frank cover the 2000 Jim Carrey adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The duo dig into whether this Dr. Seuss classic is truly an anti-consumerist tale—or if it ultimately misses the mark. They also unpack Whoville as a surprisingly prophetic preview of our current plastic-surgery obsession and the class aesthetics baked into its cheerfully creepy smiles.
For next week’s movie, we’ll be...
This week, Rivka and Frank are joined by longtime social studies teacher and progressive activist Ron to discuss the 2005 Depression-era boxing drama Cinderella Man. Ron, who has taught for 23 years, uses the film in his 11th-grade classroom to explore politics on screen, and the trio digs into this classic “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” melodrama starring Russell Crowe.
For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 2000 holi...
This week, Rivka and Frank are joined by former projectionist, alt-weekly critic, and illustrator Nathan Gelgud to discuss the 1990 sci-fi Schwarzenegger hit Total Recall. The trio dive into the film’s take on transhumanism and techno-feudalism, as well as life on mars and how its futuristic anxieties still hit close to home.
For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 2005...
Just in time for Halloween, Rivka and Frank team up for a premium duet to discuss the wildly adored 2025 horror-thriller-musical Sinners. Written and directed by Ryan Coogler, the duo unpack the politics behind this genre-bending vampire film.
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For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 2005 Ron Howared depression era drama Cinderella Man.
...This week, Frank is joined by returning guest — psychotherapist and cinephile Shannon Amabile — to discuss the 1969 film They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? starring Jane Fonda and Michael Sarrazin. Set during the Great Depression, the film follows a group of desperate contestants competing in a grueling, dehumanizing dance marathon run by a sociopathic emcee. Shannon and Frank unpack the film’s haunting politics and enduring relevance...
This week, Rivka and Frank are joined by musical theater writer, playwright, and organizer Ben Bonnema to discuss Spielberg’s 1993 classic Jurassic Park. The trio digs into the film’s politics: what it suggests about de-extinction, how the park embodies capitalism’s knack for turning scientific wonder into a luxury good, and whether there’s even a glimpse of a socialist horizon in this dino-thriller.
For next week’s movie, we’ll be...
This week, Rivka and Frank are joined by Assad Shalhoub, co-host of the Habibi House Podcast, for a deep dive into the 2001 thriller Spy Game, starring Robert Redford and Brad Pitt. Together they unpack the film’s overt racism, its relentless Islamophobia, and its unmistakable role as propaganda for the CIA.
For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching Spielberg’s epic classic Jurassic Park.
This week Frank is joined by returning guests Harvey Kaye (award-winning author and Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay) and Jon Shelton (professor and chair of Democracy and Justice Studies). In honor of Labor Day they discuss the John Sayles union drama Matewan and dive into labor issues, with insights on workers’ rights and the fight for social democracy.
For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 2001 ...
This week, Frank is joined by comedian and actress Andrea More (STICK) and returning guest Mike Benner (Bob’s Burgers) to talk about the Paul Rudd/Jason Segel bromantic comedy I Love You, Man. Together, they unpack the epidemic of male loneliness, the pitfalls of toxic masculinity, and how male friendships are portrayed on screen—especially compared to female ones.
Rivka and Frank are joined by former New York City mayor Bill de Blasio to discuss the 1964 political thriller Seven Days in May. The three examine how this Cold War classic starring Kirk Douglas remains strikingly relevant in Trump’s America, unpacking its themes of a divided nation, nuclear tensions, fragile peace treaties, and the threat of a military coup.
For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 2009 bromance comedy I Love...
Frank and Rivka are joined by journalist Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) to discuss the horror film It Follows. The trio unpack the movie’s portrayal of suburban horror, the constant threat of violence against women, and how the film resonates in the context of COVID and our current cultural climate.
For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 1964 drama Seven Days in May.
Rivka and Frank are joined by Brooklyn-based playwright Andy Boyd to talk about the Coen brothers’ 2016 movie Hail, Caesar!. They get into the film’s portrait of 1950s Hollywood, its sharp send-up of the capitalist studio system, and what it reveals about the uneasy marriage of religion, politics, and mass entertainment.
For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 2014 horror movie It Follows.
This week on Movies vs. Capitalism, Frank is joined by labor historian and pod favorite Harvey Kaye to talk about Warren Beatty’s REDS. They dig into the film’s take on the Russian Revolution, American radicalism, and what Hollywood gets right—and wrong—about revolution.
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For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 2016 Coen Brothers movie ...
Rivka and Frank are joined by Daniel from the new podcast ‘The Sickle and the Hammer: A Socialist History of the Soviet Union’ to talk about the 2001 Soviet-era drama Enemy at the Gates. If you’ve ever wondered what the Western capitalist perspective is on the siege of Stalingrad - this is the movie for you! We unpack all of the propaganda, historical inaccuracies, and flat out lies baked into the film. Because it turns out you’ll ...
Rivka and Frank are joined by journalist and Zeteo staff writer Prem Thakker to discuss Stephen Spielberg and Tom Cruise’s 2002 sci-fi dystopian crime thriller Minority Report. The three talk about the film’s critique of the modern day surveillance state, the philosophical concept of “pre-crime”, and whether the entire movie could have been avoided if John Anderton had just told his colleagues that some weird shit went down in the ...
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Rivka and Frank are joined by MVC all-star Harvey Kaye to discuss Michael Moore’s 2009 documentary Capitalism, A Love Story. They talk about the film’s radicalizing potential, its portrayal of the 2008 financial crisis, what Moore could have done better, and Obama.
Rivka and Frank are joined by attorney and legal organizer Don to talk about the 1981 cult classic Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior. The three compare the political formations and ideologies inherent to both the communists of proto-Gastown and the violent raiders of Lord Humungus’ gang. They also unpack the nature of the film’s unreliable narrator, whether Max is even a good guy (a former cop?!), and if aesthetic expression is a fundame...
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