Movies vs. Capitalism

Rivka and Frank are joined by Jon Shelton, professor of democracy and justice studies at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, for a deep dive on the 1985 classic Back to the Future. 

In today’s episode, the MVC group discusses the film’s focus on hyper-individualism as it relates to economic mobility. They also critique the character of Doc Brown for his reckless “Silicon Valley-esque” scientific approach, and unpack the ...

Rivka and Frank are joined by labor historian Harvey Kaye to discuss the classic 1940 film The Grapes of Wrath. 

The group discusses 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 how the film offers a sharp portrayal of bankers and law enforcement, class consciousness and proletarian revolution, and remain...

Rivka and Frank are joined by Lever senior editor and reporter Andrew Perez to discuss the existential dread of Paul Schrader’s 2017 climate change drama First Reformed. 

The group discusses 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 gripping portrayal of violent radicalization. 

A rough transcript of the episode is...

Rivka and Frank are joined by the host of the Cocktails and Capitalism podcast, Dr. Erika Okamoto, for a deep-dive conversation about James Cameron’s 1997 global smash hit Titanic. 

The group draws parallels between today’s ecological crisis and the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic, in which a person’s societal rank became a literal death sentence for more than 1,500 travelers and crew members. They also dig into the interna...

Rivka and Frank are joined by comedian and podcaster Jamel Johnson to break down the 1983 Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd comedy Trading Places. 

The team digs into the “nature vs. nurture” debate explored in the film. They also praise the film’s satirical depiction of the crusty upper class, while pointing out the film’s problematic racism and sexism. Finally, Jamel attributes the rise of neoliberalism in the 1980s in par...

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. 

John Q is the story of father and husband John Quincy Archibald who holds an emergency room hostage after learning his health insurance won’t cover his young son’s heart transplant. Even though the film was made in 2002, its message and themes ...

Rivka and Frank are joined by filmmaker Jessie Kahnweiler for an off-the-walls discussion of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. 

The group unpacks the 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 and an even bigger win for the toy company, Mattel. Jessie also talks about her experience being...

Rivka and Frank are joined by TV writer and producer Mike Benner to discuss the classic action movie Robocop. 

The group discusses how the film’s evil corporation, Omni Consumer Products, serves as a perfect stand-in for consolidated corporate power and greed. They also unpack Verhoeven’s depiction of homoerotic male aggression as a metaphor for capitalist competition, and how the titular character of Robocop has been misap...

Rivka and Frank are joined by Lever reporter Matthew Cunningham-Cook for an educational (and terrifying) conversation about Stanley Kubrick’s satirical masterpiece Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. 

The group unpacks the historical parallels between Dr. Strangelove and what actually transpired during the Cold War. Matthew explains how one of the film’s main characters, Brigadier General J...

Rivka and Frank are joined by Devon Young, organizer and founder of the performance venue Little Secret LA, for a mind-altering conversation about the 2000s stoner comedy Dude, Where’s My Car?

The group discusses the concept of “male amnesia” and how the film’s protagonists, Jesse and Chester, progress through their bizarre adventure as unbiased lumps of clay. While the film remains immensely offensive upon a rewatc...

Rivka and Frank are joined by musician, writer, and This Is Revolution podcast host Jason Myles. Jason joins the MVC team for a discussion about the 1984 military drama, A Soldier’s Story, which depicts a racially motivated murder at a Louisiana Army base during World War II. 

The group unpacks how the film (based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play A Soldier’s Play) presents the complex perspectives of the Black community o...

Rivka and Frank are joined by comedy writer and podcaster Andrew Ti for an insightful discussion about the 1997 Nickelodeon original movie Good Burger.

The group digs into Good Burger’s central theme of “good capitalism” versus “bad capitalism,” and how the film propagates the myth that some businesses are “nicer” than others. They also unpack the bizarre racial dynamics of a kids movie written by middle-aged white men,...

As we celebrate Pride month, Rivka and Frank are joined by actor, director, and educator Wren Mack for a deep-dive conversation about Lana and Lilly Wachowski’s sci-fi masterpiece The Matrix, which has become a meaningful film for the LGBTQ community since its release in 1999. 

The MVC group discusses how The Matrix has been misappropriated by online right-wingers who believe they’ve been “red-pilled,” while completely misu...

Rivka and Frank are joined by David Sirota to break down the series finale of HBO’s Succession. 

When it comes to satirizing corporate media and the billionaire oligarchs who run it, no TV series has done it as effectively as Succession. Its depiction of the dysfunctional ultra-wealthy is at times hilarious but also terrifying, sheerly due to the immense power they wield. Now that the show has ended, will it be entered into...

Rivka and Frank are joined by political commentator Jessica Burbank to discuss Bong Joon-Ho’s 2019 masterpiece Parasite. 

The group digs into the themes of class relations, failed solidarity, and elitism that run through the film’s complicated social dynamics. They also break down how the film uses “the smell” as a perfect metaphor for working class disdain, why being stinky in real life is actually a good thing, and how th...

Rivka and Frank are joined by filmmaker and activist Robin Johnson to discuss Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan’s deranged rom-com classic You’ve Got Mail.

The group argues that the movie’s plot is essentially a pro-capitalist psychological thriller about a woman who is manipulated and subdued by her corporate oppressor. The film is emblematic of 90s white liberalism that uses racially coded language and casually jokes about falling ...

Rivka and Frank talk with Evan from Left of the Projector, a podcast that explores film with a leftist perspective, to discuss the Wachowskis’ 2005 graphic novel adaptation V for Vendetta. 

The group discusses the film’s depiction of revolutionary organizing, asking questions like: How is V able to take down the English government all by himself? From where does he get all of his supplies? How did he inspire an entire count...

This week, historian Harvey Kaye joins the show for a boisterous discussion of the 1992 live-action musical Newsies. The group questions how it was possible for a major corporate studio like Disney to produce a movie about labor organizing in which police literally punch children in the face. They unpack how the film’s two main characters represent the dichotomy between labor “activists” and “intellectuals.” And Harvey reg...

Rivka and Frank are joined by The Lever’s social media manager Jordan Uhl for a humorous yet critical discussion of David Fincher’s 2010 tour de force The Social Network. 

The group gets into how the film portrays Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg as a sharp-witted outcast, even though the real-life Zuckerberg is best described as, “if vanilla pudding was annoying.” They also break down the film’s misogynistic gender politic...