This week Frank is joined by returning guests Harvey Kaye (award-winning author and Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay) and Jon Shelton (professor and chair of Democracy and Justice Studies). In honor of Labor Day they discuss the John Sayles union drama Matewan and dive into labor issues, with insights on workers’ rights and the fight for social democracy.

For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 2001 CIA thriller SPY GAME..

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Editing by John Patrick | Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

This week, Frank is joined by comedian and actress Andrea More (STICK) and returning guest Mike Benner (Bob’s Burgers) to talk about the Paul Rudd/Jason Segel bromantic comedy I Love You, Man. Together, they unpack the epidemic of male loneliness, the pitfalls of toxic masculinity, and how male friendships are portrayed on screen—especially compared to female ones.

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For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching John Sayles’ union drama Matewan.

MVC donates its ad space to progressive or leftist causes and organizations. If you’re interested in promoting your work, email us at [email protected].

Editing by John Patrick | Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

Rivka and Frank are joined by former New York City mayor Bill de Blasio to discuss the 1964 political thriller Seven Days in May. The three examine how this Cold War classic starring Kirk Douglas remains strikingly relevant in Trump’s America, unpacking its themes of a divided nation, nuclear tensions, fragile peace treaties, and the threat of a military coup.

For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 2009 bromance comedy I Love You, Man.

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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

Frank and Rivka are joined by journalist Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) to discuss the horror film It Follows. The trio unpack the movie’s portrayal of suburban horror, the constant threat of violence against women, and how the film resonates in the context of COVID and our current cultural climate.

For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 1964 drama Seven Days in May.

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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

Rivka and Frank are joined by Brooklyn-based playwright Andy Boyd to talk about the Coen brothers’ 2016 movie Hail, Caesar!. They get into the film’s portrait of 1950s Hollywood, its sharp send-up of the capitalist studio system, and what it reveals about the uneasy marriage of religion, politics, and mass entertainment. 

For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 2014 horror movie It Follows.

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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

This week on Movies vs. Capitalism, Frank is joined by labor historian and pod favorite Harvey Kaye to talk about Warren Beatty’s REDS. They dig into the film’s take on the Russian Revolution, American radicalism, and what Hollywood gets right—and wrong—about revolution.

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For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 2016 Coen Brothers movie Hail, Caeser!

Rivka and Frank are joined by Daniel from the new podcast ‘The Sickle and the Hammer: A Socialist History of the Soviet Union’ to talk about the 2001 Soviet-era drama Enemy at the Gates. If you’ve ever wondered what the Western capitalist perspective is on the siege of Stalingrad - this is the movie for you! We unpack all of the propaganda, historical inaccuracies, and flat out lies baked into the film. Because it turns out you’ll betray your entire belief system if the girl you like doesn’t like you back. We also talk about Daniel’s podcast, which is a comprehensive telling of the Russian revolution told from a socialist perspective. 

For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching the 1981 drama REDS. 

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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

Rivka and Frank are joined by journalist and Zeteo staff writer Prem Thakker to discuss Stephen Spielberg and Tom Cruise’s 2002 sci-fi dystopian crime thriller Minority Report. The three talk about the film’s critique of the modern day surveillance state, the philosophical concept of “pre-crime”, and whether the entire movie could have been avoided if John Anderton had just told his colleagues that some weird shit went down in the milk vat. 

For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching 2001 film Enemy at the Gates.

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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

While we're on hiatus, we're unlocking this episode from behind the paywall! Thank you all for listening and your support :)

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.

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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

Rivka and Frank are joined by attorney and legal organizer Don to talk about the 1981 cult classic Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior. The three compare the political formations and ideologies inherent to both the communists of proto-Gastown and the violent raiders of Lord Humungus’ gang. They also unpack the nature of the film’s unreliable narrator, whether Max is even a good guy (a former cop?!), and if aesthetic expression is a fundamental component of post-apocalyptic survival. 

MVC will be taking a break for May but will return with new episodes in June!

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Artwork by Rufus Paisley | Theme song by JustBen

In addition, here are Don's expanded notes on the film:

What is the base of the tribe outside? Scavenging, primary accumulation 

What sort of superstructures does that produce? Militaristic, violent, extremely hierarchical

What is the base of the Papagallo tribe? Maintaining the pump 

What superstructures does it produce? More communal, democratic, we need everyone, we will all help and allow everyone to help (assuming it’s not a myth)   

We can see the tension between the destroyed economic base but the lagging superstructure. Most clearly exemplified in how the characters approach agreements. They call them “contracts”, but they’re clearly not going to a court to enforce them. We see a number of times that they actually know there isn’t anything to enforce, all parties talk about just backing out of agreements. 

I think we see this in this country in our own society now. The economic base of this country has changed significantly since the mid-century compact. The broad-based middle class really doesn’t exist. The political structures we had that served and responded to it have lagged. There’s no need to maintain a broad-based middle class without the threat of an alternative system in the form of the Soviet Union. That threat meant that there had to be some forward momentum on wages, workers rights etc. We had to show progress on a lot of issues to be able to claim that the alternative system was worse. In the political sense that incentivised compromise. At least one element of the American political superstructure (the Republican party) has realized that there’s nothing enforcing that anymore, there's no external threat to the system that requires progress and compromise. What's not so clear is if the other has realized this (Dems).