Movies vs. Capitalism

Jamel Johnson, comedian and podcaster, joins the hosts to discuss the film Trading Places and its exploration of wealth inequality. They delve into the 'nature vs. nurture' debate, praise the satirical depiction of the upper class, but also highlight the film's problematic racism and sexism. The rise of neoliberalism in the 1980s is attributed in part to the success of Michael Jackson's Thriller. They touch on exploitative practices in reality TV, power dynamics within organizations, and the LA comedy scene. The differences in public transit between Los Angeles and New York are also compared.

In this discussion, Nina Turner, a former Ohio state senator and an advocate for economic justice, shares her insights on the film 'John Q'. She connects its 2002 narrative about a father's desperation for his son's heart transplant to the ongoing crisis of the American healthcare system. Nina reflects on her own experiences with healthcare, emphasizing the urgent need for universal coverage. The conversation also critiques how the industry dehumanizes patients and explores the film's poignant portrayal of empathy, highlighting the relevance of its themes today.

Rivka and Frank are joined by filmmaker Jessie Kahnweiler for an off-the-walls discussion of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. They discuss the full-blown 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 but an even bigger win for a toy company. Jessie also talks about her experience being on strike, as a member of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), and what’s at stake for artists in Hollywood. 🤝 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 TV writer and producer Mike Benner to discuss Paul Verhoeven's Robocop. They talk about how the film’s evil corporation, Omni Consumer Products, serves as a perfect stand-in for consolidated corporate power. They also unpack Verhoeven’s depiction of homoerotic male aggression as a metaphor for capitalist competition, and how the iconography of Robocop has been misappropriated by police officers who think the character is "cool" “badass” rather than “a cautionary metaphor for the dehumanization of police.” 🤝 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 Matthew Cunningham-Cook to dig into Stanley Kubrick’s dark satire about nuclear war, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. They explore the historical parallels between Dr. Strangelove and what actually transpired during the Cold War. Matthew explains how one of the film’s main characters was loosely based on eccentric anti-communist Air Force General Curtis "Bombs Away" LeMay. They also also touch on the influence of the right-wing anti-communist John Birch Society on 1950s American politics, and the origins of Operation Paperclip, in which the U.S. intelligence community recruited former Nazi military officials and scientists to help defeat the Soviet Union. 🤝 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 Devon Young, organizer and founder of the performance venue Little Secret LA, for a truly mind-altering conversation about the 2000 stoner comedy Dude, Where’s My Car? They discuss the concept of “male amnesia” and how the film’s protagonists, Jesse and Chester, progress through their adventure as unbiased babies. While the film remains immensely offensive upon a rewatch, Devon mentions a thesis by queer theorist Jack Halberstam that explores the characters’ latent heteroflexibility. Devon also tells Rivka and Frank the story of going on a date with the ’90s supermodel Fabio.  🤝 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 musician, writer, and This Is Revolution host Jason Myles, to talk about the 1984 military drama, A Soldier’s Story, which depicts a racially motivated murder at a Louisiana Army base during World War II. They unpack how the film. based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play A Soldier’s Play,  presents the complex perspectives of the Black community on morality, respectability, and violence. 🤝 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 comedy writer and podcaster Andrew Ti to unnecessarily analyze the 1997 Nickelodeon original movie Good Burger. They talk about 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 explore the bizarre racial dynamics of this kids movie written by middle-aged white men, starring Black teenagers, marketed to white children. Wild.  🤝 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

Actor, director, and educator, Wren Mack joins the MVC group to discuss The Matrix's anti-capitalist metaphor and its unintended transgender allegory. They also touch on the film's impact on the LGBTQ community, its misinterpretation by online right-wingers, and its reputation as an entertaining action film.

Rivka and Frank are joined by David Sirota to break down the series finale of HBO’s Succession. Now that the show has ended, will it be entered into the great television pantheon? Who was the most sympathetic character in the series? And who ultimately won? Presumably we answer these questions. 🤝 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