Movies vs. Capitalism
MOVIES VS. CAPITALISM explores the politics of your favorite films through an anti-capitalist lens. Each episode, hosts Rivka and Frank are joined by a guest for a critical discussion about a film and how it’s obviously a scathing indictment of late-stage capitalism. Examining the crucial intersection between pop culture and politics — and unpacking the ideological messages baked into our favorite movies.
Episodes
Rivka and Frank share their thoughts about the new dystopian war film Civil War, written and directed by Alex Garland. They discuss the film’s seemingly complete lack of politics, other than its cynical view of war correspondents and journalists in general. They also get into the whole “Red vs. Blue” debate, how the film fails to contextualize our current conditions, and praise power couple Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons.
🤝 TO HE...
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)
- Radi...
Rivka and Frank unpack the 2023 Nicolas Cage film Dream Scenario, written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli.
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 origi...
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 betw...
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.
For next week’s movie, we...
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.
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.
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MV...
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. Impo...
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 perform...
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.
🤝 SUB...
Rivka and Frank are joined by returning guest, comedian CJ Koepp, to unpack the 2006 Disney-Pixar animated movie Cars, the story of sentient automobiles grappling with the economic devastation of deindustrialization. They also talk about the filmmakers' bizarre choices to animate their anthropomorphic cars with distinct racial characteristics along with long floppy tongues.
Movies vs. Capitalism has been nominated for an Ambie Awar...
Rivka and Frank are joined by actor and writer Erica Bitton for a cautionary discussion of Katherine Heigl’s 2008 romantic comedy 27 Dressess, which serves as essential propaganda for the wedding-industrial complex. They also critique the film’s reductive portrayal of its two lead female characters, and pay homage to rom-com legend Judy Greer.
Rivka and Frank are joined by historian Harvey Kaye for a deep-dive on Tim Robbins’ Depression-era film Cradle Will Rock. The film tells the story of the Federal Theatre Project — a New Deal program that funded public theater productions around the U.S. during the Great Depression — and the reactionary forces that ultimately killed it. Rivka, Frank, and Harvey explore the film’s central themes of ownership in the arts and political...
Rivka and Frank catch up on the TV series The Curse. They also revisit their conversation about Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer in the wake of the Academy Award nominations, unpack Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie’s Oscar snubs, and wonder why Hillary Clinton felt like she needed to weigh in.
Rivka and Frank are joined by artist and YouTube host Matt Strackbein, AKA The Letterhack, for a conversation about Tony Gilroy's 2007 film starring George Clooney, Michael Clayton, the story of a high-priced “legal fixer” who uncovers a deadly conspiracy perpetrated by his law firm’s corporate client. They discuss how Michael Clayton is ultimately a story about radicalization and redemption, and how the film viscerally depicts the...
Rivka and Frank are joined by filmmakers Abigail Horton and Ryan Dickie to discuss their independent feature film Blow Up My Life, a dark comedy thriller set in the world of corporate pharmaceuticals. Abby and Ryan discuss their inspiration for making the film, and go into detail about the challenges producing and distributing independent film in the age of giant media conglomerates.
Rivka and Frank are joined by author Joe Mayall for a deep (space) conversation about Ridley Scott’s 1979 science fiction and horror classic Alien. They explore how the film served as a warning against the erosion of organized labor in the U.S. during the late ’70s and early ’80s, how the film’s intentional choice to foreground the perspective of female and non-white characters, and how the android character of Ash represents the d...
Rivka and Frank chat about the flawed class politics (and flawless vibes) of Emerald Fennell’s new film Saltburn, starring Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi. They also critique Julia Roberts’ new Netflix film, Leave the World Behind — a neoliberal apocalypse fever dream.
Rivka and Frank are joined by actor, writer, and educator Wren Mack to discuss the 1992 holiday classic The Muppet Christmas Carol. They break down why this particular adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel has become a staple of the holiday viewing schedule, including Michael Caine’s committed dramatic performance, Miles Gordon and Paul Williams’ score, and, of course, the friggin' Muppets.
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