On this week’s Movies vs. Capitalism, Rivka and Frank are joined by David Sirota to break down the series finale of HBO’s Succession. When it comes to satirizing corporate media and the billionaire oligarchs who run it, no TV series has done it as effectively as Succession. Its depiction of the dysfunctional ultra-wealthy is at times hilarious but also terrifying, sheerly due to the immense power they wield. On today’s MVC, Rivka, Frank and David do a deep-dive on the series finale. Now that the show has ended, will it be entered into the great television pantheon? What were some of the most shocking and stand-out moments? And is there anything they wish the Succession finale had done differently?A rough transcript of the episode is available here.MVC will be going on hiatus for the next two weeks, but will return on 6/20. This podcast relies on listeners like you to keep the show going:Go to MVCpod.com to become a supporter or leave us a tip. Supporters will also get access to The Lever’s premium content, including their exclusive newsletters, private podcast feed, e-books, and live events. MVC strives to practice its values as anti-capitalist media and will not be selling traditional advertisements. Instead, we will be donating our ad space to progressive or leftist causes. If you’re part of an advocacy organization, mutual-aid group, a worker co-op, a political campaign, or some other org, and you are interested in promoting your work on MVC, you can email us at [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok.You can also watch our full episodes on YouTube.Produced by The LeverArtwork by Rufus Paisley

On this week’s Movies vs. Capitalism, Rivka and Frank are joined by political commentator Jessica Burbank to discuss Bong Joon-Ho’s 2019 masterpiece Parasite. In the midst of increasing wealth inequality and rising poverty across the planet, it’s no surprise that this film — a violent parable about class conflict — became a cultural phenomenon. The group digs into the themes of class relations, failed solidarity, and elitism that run through the film’s complicated social dynamics. They also break down how the film uses “the smell” as a perfect metaphor for working class disdain, why being stinky in real life is actually a good thing, and how the film gave us one of our greatest modern memes. For next week’s episode, the group will be discussing the series finale of Succession. This podcast relies on listeners like you to keep the show going: Go to MVCpod.com to become a supporter or leave us a tip. Supporters will also get access to The Lever’s premium content, including their exclusive newsletters, private podcast feed, e-books, and live events. MVC strives to practice its values as anti-capitalist media and will not be selling traditional advertisements. Instead, we will be donating our ad space to progressive or leftist causes. If you’re part of an advocacy organization, mutual-aid group, a worker co-op, a political campaign, or some other org, and you are interested in promoting your work on MVC, you can email us at mov[email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok.You can also watch our full episodes on YouTube.A rough transcript of the episode is available here.Produced by The LeverArtwork by Rufus Paisley

On this week’s Movies vs. Capitalism, Rivka and Frank are joined by filmmaker and activist Robin Johnson to discuss Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan’s deranged rom-com classic You’ve Got Mail. The group argues that the movie’s plot is essentially a pro-capitalist psychological thriller about a woman who is manipulated and subdued by her corporate oppressor. The film is emblematic of 90s white liberalism that uses racially coded language and casually jokes about falling in love with fascist dictators and, they insist, the character of Joe Fox is a full-blown psychopath whose only redeemable quality is that he’s played by Tom Hanks. Next week's movie is the 2020 Academy Award-winner for Best Picture, Parasite.This podcast relies on listeners like you to keep the show going. Go to MVCpod.com to become a supporter or leave us a tip. Supporters will also get access to The Lever’s premium content, including their exclusive newsletters, private podcast feed, e-books, and live events. MVC strives to live its values as anti-capitalist media and will not be selling traditional advertisements. Instead, we will be donating our ad space to progressive or leftist causes. If you’re part of an advocacy organization, mutual-aid group, a worker co-op, a political campaign, or some other org, and you are interested in promoting your work on MVC, you can email us at [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok.You can also watch our full episodes on YouTube.A rough transcript of the episode is available here.Produced by The LeverArtwork by Rufus Paisley

On this week’s Movies vs. Capitalism, hosts Rivka Rivera and Frank Cappello talk with Evan from Left of the Projector, a podcast that explores film with a leftist perspective, to discuss the Wachowskis’ 2005 graphic novel adaptation V for Vendetta. The group discusses the film’s depiction of revolutionary organizing, asking questions like: How is V able to take down the English government all by himself? From where does he get all of his supplies? How did he inspire an entire country to revolt without a comprehensive organizing campaign? And when did he find the time to set up that elaborate domino run? Rivka also points out how V’s torture and elevation of Evie (Natalie Portman) detracts from what could have been a compelling heroine’s journey.Rivka and Frank also discuss last week’s Met Gala, and whether or not it’s possible to attend an elite cultural event while successfully protesting said event.For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching You’ve Got Mail.This podcast relies on listeners like you to keep the show going:Go to MVCpod.com to become a supporter or leave us a tip. Supporters will also get access to The Lever’s premium content, including their exclusive newsletters, private podcast feed, e-books, and live events. MVC strives to live its values as anti-capitalist media and will not be selling traditional advertisements. Instead, we will be donating our ad space to progressive or leftist causes. If you’re part of an advocacy organization, mutual-aid group, a worker co-op, a political campaign, or some other org, and you are interested in promoting your work on MVC, you can email us at [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok.You can also watch our full episodes on YouTube.A rough transcript of the episode is available here.Produced by The LeverArtwork by Rufus Paisley

This week, historian Harvey Kaye joins the show for a boisterous discussion of the 1992 live-action musical Newsies. The group questions how it was possible for a major corporate studio like Disney to produce a movie about labor organizing in which police literally punch children in the face. They unpack how the film’s two main characters represent the dichotomy between labor “activists” and “intellectuals.” And Harvey regales the group with additional historical context about the Gilded Age, the Bonus March, and the “neoliberal turn” of the 1970s. In addition, Rivka and Frank discuss the potential Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike over the rates of minimum basic agreements and streaming residuals — and what it means for the future of film and television. The strike, which would include more than 10,000 writers and be the first such WGA action in 16 years, has the potential to shut down film and TV production nationwide.For next week’s movie, we’ll be watching V for Vendetta.This podcast relies on listeners like you to keep the show going. Go to MVCpod.com to become a supporter or leave us a tip. Supporters will also get access to The Lever’s premium content, including their exclusive newsletters, private podcast feed, e-books, and live events. MVC strives to live its values as anti-capitalist media and will not be selling traditional advertisements. Instead, we will be donating our ad space to progressive or leftist causes. If you’re part of an advocacy organization, mutual-aid group, a worker co-op, a political campaign, or some other org, and you are interested in promoting your work on MVC, you can email us at [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok.You can also watch our full episodes on YouTube.A rough transcript of the episode is available here.Produced by The LeverArtwork by Rufus Paisley