Movies vs. Capitalism

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 watching the 1969 Jane Fonda drama They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?  🤝 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism 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. Editing by John Patrick | Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

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.  🤝 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism 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. Editing by John Patrick | Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

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 CIA thriller SPY GAME.. 🤝 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism 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. Editing by John Patrick | Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

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. 🤝 TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching John Sayles’ union drama Matewan. 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. Editing by John Patrick | Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

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 You, Man. 🤝 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism 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

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. 🤝 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism 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

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. 🤝 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism 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

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. 🤝 TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 2016 Coen Brothers movie Hail, Caeser!

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 betray your entire belief system if the girl you like doesn’t like you back. We also talk about Daniel’s podcast, which is a comprehensive telling of the Russian revolution told from a socialist perspective.  The Sickle and the Hammer: A Socialist History of the Soviet Union For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 1981 drama REDS.  🤝 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism 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

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 milk vat.  For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching 2001 film Enemy at the Gates. 🤝 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism 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

While we're on hiatus, we're unlocking this episode from behind the paywall! Thank you all for listening and your support :) 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. 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

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 fundamental component of post-apocalyptic survival.  MVC will be taking a break for May but will return with new episodes in June! 🤝 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism 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 In addition, here are Don's expanded notes on the film: Superstructure and Base   What is the base of the tribe outside? Scavenging, primary accumulation  What sort of superstructures does that produce? Militaristic, violent, extremely hierarchical What is the base of the Papagallo tribe? Maintaining the pump  What superstructures does it produce? More communal, democratic, we need everyone, we will all help and allow everyone to help (assuming it’s not a myth)    We can see the tension between the destroyed economic base but the lagging superstructure. Most clearly exemplified in how the characters approach agreements. They call them “contracts”, but they’re clearly not going to a court to enforce them. We see a number of times that they actually know there isn’t anything to enforce, all parties talk about just backing out of agreements.  I think we see this in this country in our own society now. The economic base of this country has changed significantly since the mid-century compact. The broad-based middle class really doesn’t exist. The political structures we had that served and responded to it have lagged. There’s no need to maintain a broad-based middle class without the threat of an alternative system in the form of the Soviet Union. That threat meant that there had to be some forward momentum on wages, workers rights etc. We had to show progress on a lot of issues to be able to claim that the alternative system was worse. In the political sense that incentivised compromise. At least one element of the American political superstructure (the Republican party) has realized that there’s nothing enforcing that anymore, there's no external threat to the system that requires progress and compromise. What's not so clear is if the other has realized this (Dems).  

This week, Rivka and Frank dive into two of the most talked-about shows of the season: The White Lotus and Severance. They explore how Severance brilliantly captures Marx’s concept of worker alienation, debate whether The White Lotus functions as true satire or simply a glossy drama about wealthy vacationers, and discuss the political implications each series leaves us with. For next week, we’ll be watching the post-apocalyptic Mel Gibson epic MAD MAX 2: The Road Warrior. 🤝 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism 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

Rivka and Frank are joined by MVC editor John for a deep-dive into the sci-fi parody Galaxy Quest. They unpack the film’s clear affection for Star Trek, its sharp satire of fan culture and conventions, and why David Mamet once praised it as one of the best-structured screenplays in modern film. Speaking of space, Frank and Rivka give their take on girlboss billionaire’s modern day galaxy quest in today’s topical.  For next week we’ll be talking about TV, discussing the season finales of Severance and White Lotus. 🤝 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism 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

Rivka and Frank return with another duet to revisit a childhood staple: Jumanji, the Robin Williams-led adventure that shaped a generation’s imagination. But as they unpack the film, it becomes clear that it’s doing more than telling the story of a man trapped in a magical board game. Beneath the surface, Jumanji reflects deeper currents—tracing the shadows of American and European imperialism, colonial legacy, and the quiet manipulations of capitalist logic.  🤝 TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 1999 sci-fi satire Galaxy Quest.

Rivka and Frank are joined by 3 time Emmy Nominated writer and comedian Ellory Smith to discuss the 1998 Disney / Pixar film A Bug’s Life. The trio deep dive into this radical animation, discussing its themes of exploitation and surplus value. They also discuss how the circus bugs symbolize mutual aid, and, in a controversial twist, they ask: Is Flick actually the hyper-individualistic villain of the story? For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 1995 Robin Williams classic Jumanji.   🤝 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism 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

Rivka and Frank are joined by author, activist, and former presidential candidate Marianne Williamson to discuss Jason Reitman’s 2009 comedy drama Up in the Air — a movie where George Clooney flies around the country firing people. The three discuss the film’s context coming out shortly after the 2008 financial crisis, the film’s depiction of “corporate loyalty” culture, and how treating people like numbers on a spreadsheet leads to feelings of extreme alienation. For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 1998 Disney / Pixar film A Bug’s Life.  🤝 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism 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

Rivka and Frank are joined by organizer and playwright Jesse Jae Hoon to delve into the 2008 Michel Gondry film Be Kind Rewind. Together, the trio explore how this quirky comedy, starring Mos Def and Jack Black, offers a poignant commentary on the power of community organizing and storytelling within movements. Frank and Rivka also discuss the current workers strike at Alamo Drafthouse.  Alamo Drafthouse Workers Strike Fund More about Jesse Jae Hoon Theater Workers for a Ceasefire Next week, we'll be watching the 2009 George Clooney dramedy Up in the Air with special guest Marianne Williamson. . 🤝 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism 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

Rivka and Frank join forces to dissect the 2024 indie horror gem I Saw the TV Glow, directed by Jane Schoenbrun. The pair dive into the film's political subtext, its hauntingly beautiful portrayal of suburban oppression, and its poignant power as a trans allegory. 🤝 TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 2008 comedy Be Kind Rewind.

Rivka and Frank are joined by comedian Cassie Willson to discuss the 2001 Pixar classic Monsters, Inc. The trio dives into how the story of two monsters whose job is to extract energy through the exploitation of vulnerable human children offers a rich political allegory. This week, Rivka and Frank also cover the 2025 Oscars. Next week, we'll be watching the 2024 horror-fantasy I Saw the TV Glow. 🤝 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism 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