Movies vs. Capitalism

Rivka and Frank are joined by Pamela Capalad and Dyalekt, an anti-capitalist artist power couple who co-founded a financial liberation program for creators of color called See Change. The group discusses Sylvester Stallone's 1976 American classic, Rocky, and how its characters and themes are deeply rooted in the fabric of American capitalism, from the glorification of the "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" mentality to the starving artist trope perpetuated by Stallone. They also explore Rocky as the "Great White Hope," examining the triumph of white, working-class individualism in response to the collectivism of the Black Panther Party, the Civil Rights movement, and affirmative action of the era. getshameless.com  seechangecommunity.com pocketschange.comcast 🤝 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

MVC will be taking an indefinite hiatus while Frank deals with his back injury - we'll hopefully be back in the next few weeks or months. You can listen to Frank's announcement here. Love you, comrades. We'll talk to you soon.

Rivka and Frank are joined by historian and co-host of the American Prestige podcast, Daniel Bessner, to discuss Joe Dante’s 1990 cult classic, Gremlins 2: The New Batch. They explore the film’s anti-capitalist themes, its self-aware satire of franchised movie sequels, and, naturally, which Gremlin has the best politics. The Life & Death of Hollywood (Harper’s Magazine) American Prestige Podcast 🤝 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

Dive into the dystopian world of a train where class struggles unfold against a backdrop of freezing despair. The hosts dissect the film's Marxist themes and the role of collaborators in revolutions. Discover how airplanes symbolize our modern caste system and why Captain America fits this narrative perfectly. They also tackle the implications of capitalism on cultural value, creativity, and the impact of big media decisions. As they analyze characters and plot, they revel in the inevitable conflict between the ruling and working classes.

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. 🤝 TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism Next week’s movie will be Bong Joon-ho’s sci-fi action masterpiece Snowpiercer.

Rivka and Frank are joined by playwright Thalia Sablon for a conversation about the wild 2001 screwball comedy Rat Race. They discuss how the film's celebrity-packed cast represents a dying culture, the shockingly anti-capitalist character arcs, and how the movie may have been an inspiration for Squid Game.  Thalia Sablon - Website For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 2009 documentary Capitalism: A Love Story. 🤝 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

Comedian Kate Willett joins the hosts to discuss 'Rosemary’s Baby'. They explore themes of control over women's bodies, Mia Farrow's performance, and the film's reflection of 60s political turbulence. The conversation dives into Catholicism, gender bias, and gaslighting, drawing parallels to modern issues like social media manipulation and anti-capitalist activism.

Investigative reporter Nomiki Konst joins the hosts to discuss the film Never on Sunday, exploring themes of alienation from Western culture, Greek revolutionary spirit, and Jules Dassin's blacklist history. Nomiki also shares insights on her documentary Losing Puerto Rico.

Rivka and Frank are joined by professional organizer and agit-prop creator Anthony DePice to discuss Christopher Nolan’s 2008 Batman movie The Dark Knight. Is Joker a master organizer? Where was the Gotham Rec Center? Does Alfred ever get a break? All these questions and more on this black-pilled episode. For next week's movie, we'll be watching the 1960 comedy Never on a Sunday. 🤝 TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism

Rivka and Frank are joined by comedian Kelly Kaufman, to discuss the 2014 jazz thriller Whiplash. This film is Damian Chazelle’s breakout feature starring JK Simmons and Miles Teller. They talk about abusive power dynamics in the arts, toxic masculinity and the dangers of perfectionism under capitalism. Frank and Rivka also discuss the recent rants of comedian Jerry Seinfeld against the left and gen z.  For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 2007 iconic Batman movie The Dark Knight. 🤝 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