This week, Rivka and Frank are reunited with Daniel, host of The Sickle and the Hammer: A Socialist History of the Soviet Union, to discuss another classic: Rain Man. Remarkably, this is the second film in a row we've watched in which Tom Cruise plays a yuppie asshole with a heart of gold. Daniel shares why Rain Man holds deep meaning for him—not only personally, but politically as well.

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

This week, Rivka and Frank are joined by favorite returning guest Harvey Kaye to discuss the Reagan-era film that made Tom Cruise an icon: Risky Business. The trio dives into the film’s neoliberal fantasy, its questionable sex politics, and more.

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

This week, Rivka and Frank are joined by the third leg of the MVC team: editor John. Together, they discuss Father Hood, the 1993 Patrick Swayze comedy-action thrille (not to be confused with Kevin Hart’s Fatherhood). Buried beneath the film’s utterly unhinged plot, the trio uncover the politics of its era, including the decade’s fascination with the “deadbeat dad turns out to have a heart of gold” trope. 

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

This week, Rivka and Frank are rejoined by another pod favorite Kate Eastman (ig: @k8beastman) to break down the cult-classic American Psycho. The trio discuss everything from the powers and failures of satire, Patrick Bateman as the embodiment of capitalism and the original incel. 

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

This week, Rivka and Frank are rejoined by pod favorite Joe (of Joewrote) to take on the much-requested Starship Troopers. Together, they dig into the film’s anti-imperialist politics. The group discuss the film’s anti-imperialist politics and its connections (if any) to the current “manosphere” of today. 

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

This week, in a rare turn for the pod, we head to television. Rivka and Frank are joined again by actor and cultural worker Chris Myers to discuss the widely beloved and much-talked-about series Andor, Season 1. The trio explore what lessons the political left might draw from Tony Gilroy’s writing, digging into Cassian Andor’s radicalization, the community and culture of Ferrix, Luthen as an accelerationist organizer, and more.

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

This week, Rivka and Frank are joined by a guest who wishes to remain anonymous—a lifelong New Yorker deeply involved in the historic preservation community—to discuss Hal Ashby’s debut film The Landlord. Starring Beau Bridges and Diana Sands, the film is a sharp, unruly satire about the gentrification of Park Slope. It’s a wild ride, and our guest brings essential context to the history and impact of gentrification in New York City.

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

Rivka and Frank are back with another premium duet, throwing their hats into the discourse around Paul Thomas Anderson’s newly Oscar-nominated One Battle After Another. The duo dig into the film’s so-called revolutionary politics, unpacking its anti-revolutionary core, hollow portrayal of the left, and the real impact of that framing.

Rivka and Frank are joined by their dear friend Peter Moses—entrepreneur, creative producer, and co-founder of Rain Delay Media—for a deep dive into the Oscar-winning 1987 classic Moonstruck, starring Cher and Nicolas Cage. They unpack the film’s take on class, family, and a version of New York City that once felt economically possible.

Next week, we’re watching Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2025 film One Battle After Another.

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

Rivka and Frank are joined by returning guest and pod favorite, award-winning author and professor Harvey Kaye, to discuss the all-time classic Casablanca. The trio dig into why the film truly deserves its legendary status, its striking relevance to today’s political climate amid the rise of fascism in America, and the quietly radical politics behind the filmmaking itself.

For next week’s movie—snap out of it!—we’ll be watching Moonstruck.

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