Movies vs. Capitalism

Rivka and Frank discuss David Fincher’s new hitman movie, The Killer, a thriller that explores the modern gig economy. They also chat about Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder’s new TV series The Curse, the commodification of pop icon Britney Spears and her autobiography The Woman In Me, and whether it’s ethical to enjoy stories about war, like Band of Brothers, which rules.  🤝 TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism

Rivka and Frank take a break from watching movies to answer questions from listeners! They explain how the cooperative media production structure could supplant the Hollywood studio system, and share some of their favorite personal films — including the ones they still love, despite their terrible politics. They also discuss the recent wave of Hollywood blacklistings against entertainment professionals who have been critical of the Israeli government’s siege of Gaza, including actors Melissa Barrera and Susan Sarandon. 🤝 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 screenwriter Josh Olson for a discussion of Sidney Lumet and Paddy Chayefsky’s 1976 dark satire Network. They unpack the film's depiction the ideological battle between the Greatest Generation and the Baby Boomers, and how the character of TV executive Dianna Christensen remains one of the most important film characters ever rendered on screen.  🤝 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 television and film writer Karen DiConcetto for a material analysis of a film about materialism: Amy Heckerling’s 1995 teen comedy Clueless. In today’s interview, Rivka, Frank, and Karen celebrate Heckerling’s brilliant script while unpacking the rampant materialism depicted by the film’s Beverly Hills teenagers — and how those themes were potentially harmful to its audience, particularly young women. They also draw a line between the lead character Cher Horowitz and the liberal charity model, and even go so far as to describe this film’s satire as “The Wolf of Wall Street for rich teenagers.”  🤝 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

Boots Riley, musician, activist, screenwriter, and director, joins Rivka and Frank for a discussion on his film Sorry to Bother You. They delve into his creative process, depiction of organized labor, and the relevance of the story in 2023. They also explore the idea of 'company towns' and the impact of technology on jobs. The conversation touches on the evolution of film, storytelling, and the themes in the movie.

Rivka and Frank discuss Martin Scorcese’s epic historical drama, Killers of the Flower Moon. They also chat about reading Karl Marx’s Capital, the gender politics of Netflix’s Fair Play, and the new season of the Apple TV+ series The Morning Show. 🤝 TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON 🤝 www.patreon.com/movies_vs_capitalism

Rivka and Frank are joined by comedian and climate activist CJ Koepp for an analytical discussion about the 2007 animated feature and Jerry Seinfeld vehicle Bee Movie. Rivka, Frank, and CJ unpack the status quo-reinforcing themes of Bee Movie. They also lambast the film for being deeply unfunny, and size it up against the other animated bug movies from the same era (of which, surprisingly, there are a lot).  Grief Café for Gaza 🤝 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 Francisco Pérez, an activist, educator, and the director of the Center for Popular Economics, who blows the lid off the 1939 movie-musical classic The Wizard of Oz. Francisco explains how L. Frank Baum’s original 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, offered an allegory for U.S. monetary policy and the populist economics movement of the 19th century. Specifically, the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890 which sought to upend the gold standard in order to ease the strain on indebted American farmers.  Economics4Emancipation.net 🤝 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

Max Epstein, Head of Content for Means TV, joins the hosts to discuss Dreamworks' film Antz. They explore themes of class consciousness, individualism vs. collectivism, and question if the screenwriter read Marx. They also delve into the cultural context, character designs, diversity representation, politics, and propaganda in the movie. The speakers express their love for controversial scenes, anti-capitalist values, and discuss building and expanding the platform of Means TV.

Rivka and Frank are joined by Patricia Resnick, screenwriter of the iconic 1980 comedy 9 to 5, for a firsthand conversation about the radical pro-labor film. Patricia describes the history of 9 to 5, including the lived experiences of female office workers she spent time with, and how studio executives were afraid to make a movie about three women kidnapping their boss. They also discuss 9 to 5’s depiction of the intersection of capitalism and patriarchy, and its recent cultural resurgence as a popular anti-capitalist film. Auditions Are Work Unlock Her Potential 🤝 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