Left of the Projector

We are joined this week by author, screen writer, and friend of the show, Briana Cox to talk about Ryan Coogler's endeavors under the banner of the Marvel Cinematic universe: Black Panther 1 and 2. Both movies feature Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Letitia Wright, Martin Freeman, among many others. Looking back we discuss the impact the first film had on the culture, our love/hate relationship with the first film and the failures of the second, how both movies sugar coat the CIA's history of violating the sovereignty of African nations, and one of the most important thing the movies did was open mainstream audiences to the beauty of Afrofuturism.To check out some of the works mentioned during the episode, follow these links:Born in FlamesSpace is the PlaceNaked RealityBeasts of the Southern WildSpider-Man: Into the Spider-VerseSpider-Man: Across the Spider-VerseInto the Mother Lands: An Afrofuturist TTRPGGuest LinksOfficial WebsitePreorder Indigent!Briana on InstagramBriana on ThreadsLeft of the Projector LinksOfficial WebsiteLeft of the Projector on InstagramLeft of the Projector on PatreonLeft of the Projector on ThreadlessHost LinksEvan's LetterboxdBill's InstagramBill's LetterboxdWard's...

Are you listening closely? Every podcast consists of three parts, or acts. The first part is called the pledge, and that’s where I tell you that this week on Left of the Projector, we are dipping into the filmography of Christopher Nolan with his 2006 film The Prestige. That’s the ordinary part of this episode.The second act is called the Turn. That’s where I tell you all the amazing actors in this episode from the great David Bowie, to Hugh Jackson, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scartlett Johansson, Rebecca hall and andy serkis. This is where we take the ordinary and tell you we are going to do something extraordinary. We have Alexa Speed as our guest today, whom you may know from her page Cut off the Spigot…And now, though, we have to deliver the 3rd act, the hardest part…the part we call the Prestige…Guest LinksOfficial Cut Off the Spigot SiteCut Off the Spigot on InstagramLeft of the Projector LinksOfficial WebsiteLeft of the Projector on InstagramLeft of the Projector on PatreonLeft of the Projector on ThreadlessHost LinksEvan's LetterboxdBill's InstagramBill's LetterboxdWard's InstagramWard's Letterboxd

In a time long, long ago. Before Jedi and wookies or misunderstanding of parsecs, a man made a movie that was less of a film and more of a performance art piece. That director was George Lucas and that work was his directorial debut, THX 1138.This week we are joined by friend of the show Amanda Joy Moon to discuss Lucas's first feature film, a profoundly different piece from anything he ever made from that point on. Released in 1971, THX 1138 stars Robert Duvall as the eponymous THX 1138, Donald Pleasence, Don Pedro Colley, Maggie McOmie and Ian Wolfe in a piece filmed more like a documentary than a feature film depicting life in a bleak dystopian world of work, drug induced compliance, outlawed sexual and physical interaction, and the complete absorption of religion by the state and capital. We discuss the metaphorical nature of the film, Amanda offers some incredible book recommendations, and we all condemn Lucas for going back and shoving CGI remakes into this film like he did to Star Wars. Guest LinksAmanda on InstagramRiotGRRRLPrintz on InstagramRiotGRRRLPrintz on etsyLeft of the Projector LinksOfficial WebsiteLeft of the Projector on InstagramLeft of the Projector on PatreonLeft of the Projector on ThreadlessHost LinksEvan's LetterboxdBill's InstagramBill's LetterboxdWard's InstagramWard's Letterboxd

Evan and Bill discuss the newest entry in the 28 Days Later series, "28 Years Later- The Bone Temple". Directed by Nia DaCosta and written by Alex Garland, the film stars Ralph Fiennes reprising his role as Dr. Ian Kelson and Alfie Williams as Spike, alongside newcomers Chi Lewis-Parry, Jack O'Connel, Erin Kellyman, Emma Laird, Sam Locke, and Mirren Mack among others.Listeners beware because this episode is not free of spoilers, including a bombshell reveal at the last moment of the film. We discuss the evolution of zombie films, how this series is closer to Romero's vision of zombies than many fans give it credit for, and the way in which it reflects some harsh realities we all need to grapple with during these very difficult times.Left of the Projector LinksOfficial WebsiteLeft of the Projector on InstagramLeft of the Projector on PatreonLeft of the Projector on ThreadlessHost LinksEvan's LetterboxdBill's InstagramBill's LetterboxdWard's InstagramWard's Letterboxd

This week we are joined by friend of the show, Seizethemeansshirts to discuss Steven Soderbergh's "Ocean's Eleven." With an ensemble cast of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Bernie Mac, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Elliot Gould, Carl Reiner, Andy Garcia and Julia Roberts (among others), this remake of the Rat Pack's own Ocean's Eleven from 1960 went on to spawn two trilogies and a spin off led by Sandra Bullock.We discuss the creation of wealth, the unity of the proletariat vs the schisms of the capitalists and their fundamental atomization, our guest points out more inconsistencies in the heist than one of us is comfortable with and we still come out unable to decide whether this is the greatest remake of all time or just one of the greatest remakes of all time.Guest LinksSeize the Means Shirts on EtsySeize the Means Shirts on InstagramSeize the Means Shirts on YoutubeLeft of the Projector LinksOfficial WebsiteLeft of the Projector on InstagramLeft of the Projector on PatreonLeft of the Projector on ThreadlessHost LinksEvan's LetterboxdBill's InstagramBill's LetterboxdWard's InstagramWard's Letterboxd

This week on the show, we are hot off the presses with Marty Supreme with friend of the show Mariah (Hungry Rye). We discuss the myth of meritocracy and the hollowness of the self made man. There is a lot of meat in this film and the Josh Safdie delivers a masterful script and has you locked in for 2.5 hours despite the film being about table tennis.The film serves as satire but wilil be misunderstoof by dude bros and self proclaimed alpha males. We disect these contradictions and much more!Left of the Projector Linkshttps://boxd.it/5T9O1https://leftoftheprojectorpod.threadless.com/https://www.instagram.com/the_red_gobbo/https://www.instagram.com/millennialmarxist1/https://leftoftheprojector.com

Left of the Projector Linkshttps://boxd.it/5T9O1https://leftoftheprojectorpod.threadless.com/https://www.instagram.com/the_red_gobbo/https://www.instagram.com/millennialmarxist1/https://leftoftheprojector.com

This week we discuss one of the most important revolutionary films ever produced, "The Battle of Algiers." Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo and staring Jean Martin, Saadi Yacef, Brahim Hadjadj and Tommaso Neri, the film was released in 1966 and portrays the actions undertaken by rebels during the Algerian War against the French occupation of Algeria. Released only four years after the Algerian War and the successful revolution and independence of Algeria from the French, and less than a decade after the events of the film itself, "The Battle of Algiers" was shot on location and is cast almost entirely with members of the Algerian community who were participants in the revolution or lived through it. We discuss the impact the film had on society at large, the way in which it starkly portrays the violence of revolution while perfectly capturing the inherent humanity of those of us who want to bring about a better future for all even though we must use the tools of violence to do so.To discuss the film we are joined by Aaron, a good friend of one of our hosts, an activist, an organizer, and a man with more to say about this film than we could ever fit into a single episode. Left of the Projector Linkshttps://boxd.it/5T9O1https://leftoftheprojectorpod.threadless.com/https://www.instagram.com/the_red_gobbo/https://www.instagram.com/millennialmarxist1/https://leftoftheprojector.com

This week we discuss the perfect film for everyone with a "World's Greatest Dad" mug tucked away in a cabinet, "Oldboy." The original from South Korea, not the US remake. Released in 2003, "Oldboy" was directed by Park Chan-wook and stars Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae and Kang Hye-jung. Widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time, and is considered a classic of modern South Korean Cinema. A masterpiece of revenge, the film tells the story of Oh Dae-su and his search for answers and justice following his imprisonment of 15 years in a mysterious private prison. We discuss what the film has to say about loss of community, the carceral system, and how capitalism creates a society that functions as a prison as surely as a cell door and barbed wire does. Left of the Projector Linkshttps://boxd.it/5T9O1https://leftoftheprojectorpod.threadless.com/https://www.instagram.com/the_red_gobbo/https://www.instagram.com/millennialmarxist1/https://leftoftheprojector.com

We discuss the newest Knives Out mystery in a new Home Box Office Drop! Directed, and written by Rian Johnson, the newest entry in the Knives Out franchise of course features Daniel Crain returning as Benoit Blanc, alongside Josh O'Connor, Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Cailey Spaeny, Thomas Hayden Church, Daryl McCormack, Jeremy Renner, and Mila Kunis. In this episode we talk about Marx's theory on alienation under capitalism (a favorite topic of late), the marriage between the western Christian church and capitalism, the slow burn that is Knives Out, and how Benoit Blanc falls outside of the police and capital partnership and is thus excluded from the fact that ALL cops are in fact bastards. Left of the Projector Linkshttps://boxd.it/5T9O1https://leftoftheprojectorpod.threadless.com/https://www.instagram.com/the_red_gobbo/https://www.instagram.com/millennialmarxist1/https://leftoftheprojector.com

Number 2 in our Gareth Edward series! Following his directorial debut with "Monsters" (see episode 210!) Edwards was brought on to breathe new life into the king of all monsters with Legendary Entertainment's "Godzilla!" Using the skills he honed with "Monsters," Edwards creates a tense monster movie starring the greatest monster of cinema history (according to one host at least). We discuss the claims that this film glorifies the US military, the contrast between Legednary's version of Godzilla versus Toho Studio's, one of us admits to crying in the movie theatre when Godzilla uses his atomic blast for the first time in the movie, and Ward challenges Edwards again to come on the show and tell us to our faces whether he is intentionally making anti imperialist films that portray the US and capitalism as the villain or if it is all just coincidence. Left of the Projector Linkshttps://boxd.it/5T9O1https://leftoftheprojectorpod.threadless.com/https://www.instagram.com/the_red_gobbo/https://www.instagram.com/millennialmarxist1/https://leftoftheprojector.com

We close out the holiday season with one of the all time greats, The Muppet Christmas Carol. Joining us is friend of the show Jackie; a librarian, Muppet aficionado, and the wife who fuels the revolutionary love of one of our hosts (it's the host that name drops his wife more than he does Marx or Lenin).Widely recognized as one of the most faithful adaptations of the Dickens' classic, the film stars Michael Caine as Scrooge, Gonzo the Great as Charles Dickens, Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit, and Rizzo the Rat as himself and was the first Muppet film directed by Jim Henson's son Brian Henson following the death of his father. We discuss the accuracy of the movie, the influences that led Dickens to write the story in the first place, what the story has to say about alienation, and how two Marleys is better than one amongst other things.Only two more sleeps 'til Christmas 2025, and here at Left of the Projector we wish for a world where all us meeces can have cheeses.**Cheeses in this case is a unified and liberated working class working towards fully automated luxury gay space communism. Obviously. Left of the Projector Linkshttps://boxd.it/5T9O1https://leftoftheprojectorpod.threadless.com/https://www.instagram.com/the_red_gobbo/https://www.instagram.com/millennialmarxist1/https://leftoftheprojector.com

This week we are joined by a very special guest. Activist, organizer, horror aficionado, friend of the show, and the woman that holds up more than half the sky for one of our hosts, Joy, joins us to talk about the 1974 classic Black Christmas. Written by Roy Moore and directed by Bob Clark, this seminal horror classic starring Olivia Hussey and Margot Kidder is widely considered the earliest iteration of the slasher film and contains feminist themes that run counter to many of the films that would follow in its footsteps. We discuss the absolute failure of every man in the film, how police in Canada are apparently as incompetent as the police in the US, and how almost every slasher since Black Christmas has failed to live up to its standard of intelligent characters being failed by others as opposed to being too dumb to live. Left of the Projector Linkshttps://boxd.it/5T9O1https://leftoftheprojectorpod.threadless.com/https://www.instagram.com/the_red_gobbo/https://www.instagram.com/millennialmarxist1/https://leftoftheprojector.com

Today we are joined by longtime friends of the show, Caitlyn and Cullen of Caitlyn's Conspiracy Corner to talk about not one, but three movies, one of the greatest trilogies of all time, Robert Zemekis's Back to the Future 1, 2, & 3! These movies need little introduction, but for the uninitiated, the films star Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd as they travel back and forth through time to remedy the mistakes they both inadvertently cause for their own past and future selves. We discuss what the films mean to us, how they may or may not be indicative of the culture of Reagan's America, and how the third movie is either a worthy entry to the franchise or a terrible tacked on addition to an otherwise perfect duology. Your mileage may vary on it, and it doesn't seem like any of us got 88 mph out of it. Left of the Projector Linkshttps://boxd.it/5T9O1https://leftoftheprojectorpod.threadless.com/https://www.instagram.com/the_red_gobbo/https://www.instagram.com/millennialmarxist1/https://leftoftheprojector.com

We are joined by author and screenwriter Briana Cox to talk about one of her favorite vampire movies, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night. Released in 2014, the film is a Farsi language horror film written and directed by Ana Lily Amirpour, and stars Sheila Vand, Arash Marandi, Mozhan Marnò, Marshall Manesh, and Dominic Rains. The film was promoted as the "first Iranian vampire Western" and was partially funded through an Indigogo campaign.We discuss the vampire as a symbol of both alienation and predation, the vampiric nature of capitalism itself, and attempts to break the cycles of predation and parasitism thrust upon us within this system and the bleakness of Bad City's "dead body ditch" being the only source of community within the film.You can follow Briana on Instagram or Threads, preorder their book Indigent, visit their website and support them on ko-fi.Left of the Projector Linkshttps://boxd.it/5T9O1https://leftoftheprojectorpod.threadless.com/https://www.instagram.com/the_red_gobbo/https://www.instagram.com/millennialmarxist1/https://leftoftheprojector.com

We return to our happy place, the bleak and horrifying universe of Alien with a deep dive into the newest entry in the franchise, Hulu's Alien Earth. Created by Noah Hawley, and starring Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Essie Davis, Samuel Blenkin, Babou Cessay, Adarsh Gourav, Erana James, Lily Newmark, Timothy Olyphant, Jonathan Ajayi, and David Rysdahl alongside the breakout star of the series, the Eye midge (among others), the series brings the Alien universe home to Earth for the first time ever on the big or little screen. Joining us again is fellow Alien/Predator superfan and friend of the show, Joe Wrote to discuss how the show explores the arrested development of capitalists, xenomorphs as an allegory for capitalism's need for infinite growth in a world of finite resources, and how science fiction is meant to serve as a warning to not build the torment nexus. Not an inspiration. Left of the Projector Linkshttps://boxd.it/5T9O1https://leftoftheprojectorpod.threadless.com/https://www.instagram.com/the_red_gobbo/https://www.instagram.com/millennialmarxist1/https://leftoftheprojector.com

Jade: https://www.instagram.com/jadestradamus/Left of the Projector Linkshttps://boxd.it/5T9O1https://leftoftheprojectorpod.threadless.com/https://www.instagram.com/the_red_gobbo/https://www.instagram.com/millennialmarxist1/https://leftoftheprojector.com

Spoilers beware! This episode contains important plot points and major spoilers for the end of the film! Don't say we didn't warn you!We talk about the newest entry in the Predator franchise, Dan Trachtenberg's "Predator: Badlands" in theatres now! Starring Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, "Badlands" has been rated 3.5 or better and certified fresh by those who saw it, and too woke for dudes moldering in their basement. Join us for this special Box Office Drop episode as we discuss why we think "Badlands" is a worthy entry to the Predator franchise and tear apart some of the internet's worst opinions on the film. Left of the Projector Linkshttps://boxd.it/5T9O1https://leftoftheprojectorpod.threadless.com/https://www.instagram.com/the_red_gobbo/https://www.instagram.com/millennialmarxist1/https://leftoftheprojector.com

This week we are joined by Jason Christian of Cold War Cinema to talk about 1984's propaganda vehicle, "Red Dawn." Directed by John Milius, the film stars Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, Lea Thompson, Jennifer Grey and C. Thomas Howell as teenagers engaging in a guerilla war against the completely improbable and nonsensical invasion of the United States by the combined forces of the Soviet Union, Cuba, and Nicaragua. We discuss the paradox of the Soviet Union in cinema as the most dangerous evil in the world while simultaneously being incredibly stupid, how that is a more accurate representation of the US in reality, Milius's reputation as a right wing crank, the deep ties between US cinema and anti communist propaganda, and ask Jason why he made us watch this absolute dog's dinner of a movie. Cold War Cinema:https://coldwarcinema/https://x.com/Cold_War_Cinemahttps://x.com/JasonAChristianhttps://jasonchristianwrites.com/Left of the Projector Linkshttps://boxd.it/5T9O1https://leftoftheprojectorpod.threadless.com/https://www.instagram.com/the_red_gobbo/https://www.instagram.com/millennialmarxist1/https://leftoftheprojector.com

Evan and Ward are joined by Jacob and Lenore from Socialist Shelf to discuss Sam Raimi's "Drag Me To Hell." Released in 2009, the film was written by Raimi alongside his brother Ivan Raimi and stars Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao, David Paymer, and Adriana Barraza. We discuss the obvious class divides and their effect on characters, housing, and the consequences of being a class traitor. Something which we all would like to see more of off screen. Bring your religious reliquaries and crosses, stock up on holy water and call the B.P.R.D. - capitalism isn't the only demonic entity that shows up in this one.The Socialist Shelfhttps://pod.link/1665378700https://bsky.app/profile/socialistshelf.bsky.socialhttps://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/roundfire-books/our-books/they-called-her-rebelLeft of the Projector Linkshttps://boxd.it/5T9O1https://leftoftheprojectorpod.threadless.com/https://www.instagram.com/the_red_gobbo/https://www.instagram.com/millennialmarxist1/https://leftoftheprojector.com