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PODCAST

Proletarian Contrarian

Proletarian Contrarian

Join Lewis and Nick as they analyze, from a leftist perspective, some of the most under-performing and underappreciated films they can find, and honor those workers whose contributions would otherwise go unnoticed.

arts

All Episodes

01:32:08

Episode 44: Don't Call It A Gremlin("Tales from the...

Proletarian Contrarian ·

2019/10/29

Just in time for Halloween comes the spookiest of genre offerings...a horror anthology film! Starring baby Steve Buscemi, baby Julianne Moore, and baby Christian Slater! Lewis and Nick delve into the depths of terror as they uncover a formative childhood vignette and a galaxy-brained Batman take, respectively. Some tasteful shooting techniques, clever story ideas, and plausible leftist reads make for a fun, scary little collection of frights. Our Patreon: www.patreon.com/pro_con Music- "when the

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01:18:50

Episode 43: The Virgin Patience Phillips, the Chad...

Proletarian Contrarian ·

2019/10/21

Pro/Con's resident mascot, Celeste the Cat, was very pleased with this week's episode: "Catwoman" (2004). This weirdo adaptation is the last DC movie from the pre-Nolan era. More interesting is how closely it mirrors 2019's "Joker" in a surprising number of ways. It isn't exactly the most well-developed piece of pop feminist cinema, but it's distinctly more unique than most superhero fare. Our Patreon: www.patreon.com/pro_con Music- "when the struggle itself becomes identified with a series of

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01:31:48

Episode 42: Faye Dunaway's Magical Mystery Minecart...

Proletarian Contrarian ·

2019/10/16

It's a bomb...it's a flop...it's actually pretty damn great! Lewis and Nick take to the skies to defend "Supergirl" (1984), the unjustly-maligned Kryptonian stepchild of the Donnerverse super-films. The story and cinematography are adequate, but what truly elevates this flick into greatness is the amazingly-campy acting. Faye Dunaway and Peter O'Toole unleash some serious, showstopping performances that are too powerful to be contained in the Hollywood Phantom Zone of early superhero movies. Our

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01:24:48

Episode 41: Borecraft ("Warcraft," 2016) feat. Hailey...

Proletarian Contrarian ·

2019/10/10

Lewis and Nick summon Hailey (Little Thief) to lend her expertise to the Pro/Con review of "Warcraft" (2016). If nothing else, the big-budget, ill-fated, somewhat-engrossing film is a very faithful adaptation of the source material--this may or may not be an endorsement, depending upon the kind of childhood you had. Does the plight of the orcs present a racist stereotype, a compelling leftist metaphor, or a little of both? The only thing we're giving away at this point is that a guard is

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01:10:42

Episode 40: Blunt Testicular Trauma ("Rumor Has It,"...

Proletarian Contrarian ·

2019/09/30

Remember that 1967 classic "The Graduate"? Ever think it needed a shitty sequel? Well you're in luck, because Rob Reiner made his very own fanfic sequel, "Rumor Has It" (2005). An agonizingly-indulgent project, the film is preoccupied with the original's superficial drama at the expense of its themes. Lewis and Nick veer wildly off course on this one, folks. We can promise some entertaining tangents at least. Our Patreon: www.patreon.com/pro_con Music- "when the struggle itself becomes identified

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01:44:43

Episode 39: Joker Mindset ("Suicide Squad," 2016)

Proletarian Contrarian ·

2019/09/24

With the freakin' Joker movie coming out soon, we had to go back to the scene of the crime to determine what made DC so desperate to begin with. Turns out it was Academy-Award-winning(!) "Suicide Squad" (2016), a rather offbeat piece which Lewis and Nick charitably interpret as a critique of the inherently corrupt nature of the contemporary US police state. We deserve 10 years off of our life sentences for this act of heroism, folks. Our Patreon: www.patreon.com/pro_con Music- "when the struggle

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01:34:18

Episode 38: Niko Bellic Speedrun ("Behind Enemy...

Proletarian Contrarian ·

2019/09/16

Hop in your F/A-18F Super Hornet and plot a course for 2001, because Lewis and Nick have brought in amateur Bosnian War scholar Jose for consultation on "Behind Enemy Lines" (2001). Jose teaches us more about the Bosnian conflict of 1992-95 in 10 minutes than we've learned in 10 years, and he's just as eager to wallop this trash as we are. Starring a horribly miscast Owen Wilson and a sleepwalking Gene Hackman, "Behind Enemy Lines" is most interesting as one of the earliest relics of War on Terror

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01:55:39

Episode 37: Blackpilled Boomer Bloodlust ("Death...

Proletarian Contrarian ·

2019/09/13

Lewis and Nick experience strong pangs of thanatos as they suffer through 2018's "Death Wish." Truly an exercise in courting the death drive, this morality fable from Eli Roth re-imagines the 1974 original, depicting vigilante fantasy through a contemporary, smartphone-saturated lens. Curiously enough, the narrative of Bruce Willis taking the law into his own hands presents an inadvertently leftist critique of reactionary violence. "My Son Killed Adolf Hitler" by Sheldon Roth:

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00:35:29

Episode 36: Media Mass - Worldbuilding

Proletarian Contrarian ·

2019/09/06

Pro/Con's first Media Mass episode! This series explores the tension between audiences, art, and the influence of capital in storytelling across all media. Our inaugural sermon discusses the concept of worldbuilding, a term and approach that has garnered something of a contentious reputation. Lewis and Nick explain their problems with the concept, and discuss positive and negative instances of "building worlds." "Against Worldbuilding" by Lincoln Michel - https://bit.ly/2ltuyi4 "In Defense of

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01:10:02

Episode 35: CHOAM Nomsky ("Dune," 1984) feat. Cooper...

Proletarian Contrarian ·

2019/08/30

"The pod must post." Welcome, Fremen, to the Pro/Con review of "Dune" (1984), featuring guest host Cooper (@ Podcastcocooper). This infamous Lynchian feature is an odd beast, interminable and byzantine--which isn't necessarily a knock against it!--yet buckles beneath the scope of its source material. Nevertheless, there's plenty here for the Herbert neophyte and disciple alike. Prepare your soul for a spicy one, folks. Cooper's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/podcastcocoopercherry Our Patreon:

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01:15:15

Episode 34: Hey, We're Barkin' Here! ("Look Who's...

Proletarian Contrarian ·

2019/08/24

Merry Christmas in August! Molly (@ socialistdogmom) joins Lewis and Nick to tackle the first Pro/Con holiday film, "Look Who's Talking Now" (1993). The disastrous third entry of a quirky, ADR-laden trilogy, the film features strong voiceover performances from Danny DeVito and Diane Keaton as a couple of lovable mutts. John Travolta and Kirstie Alley also appear. Molly's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/socialistdogmom Our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pro_con "Why Look At Animals" essay by

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01:44:56

Episode 33: Bringing Sexy Time Back ("In Time," 2011)...

Proletarian Contrarian ·

2019/08/16

The neoliberal hellscape we live in was brought to life right before our eyes...just in time for the end of the summer. Mark (@ Rhea_Wept) brought one of his favorite movies to Pro/Con: "In Time" (2011). A horrifyingly accurate vision of the present, "In Time" strips away all pretense, eradicating any perceived boundaries between time and capital. Such an archetypal sci-fi premise demands strong performances and writing, which the cast and crew, led by one Justin Timberlake, somewhat shockingly

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01:10:51

Episode 32: The Minions Meme Master ("Minions," 2015)...

Proletarian Contrarian ·

2019/08/06

CALLING ALL MINIONS--CALLING ALL MINIONS: Pro/Con has devoted an entire episode to cracking the code behind "Minions" (2015), and they've recruited their own minion to do so. Lucas (@ OofMadonn) joins Lewis and Nick to lend his expert Minion Opinion, gleaned from exhaustive posting across various Minions Memes Facebook pages. The film is a late capitalist masterpiece, uncomfortably representative of the state of labor today. The Minions themselves are perfect as farcical representations of the

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01:15:33

Episode 31: Zack Snyder's Bechdel Test Scantron...

Proletarian Contrarian ·

2019/08/01

Take a bunch of up-and-coming young actresses, a slew of guns and katanas, and a few tabs of acid. Drop everything in the blender of a 14-year-old boy's mind and you get "Sucker Punch" (2011), Zack Snyder's homage to fantasy ultraviolence, surviving the toxic patriarchy of the U.S. mental health system, and independent female characters. A very weird film, "Sucker Punch" devotes too much of its run time to its convoluted frame story structure at the expense of the emotional development of its

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01:07:58

Episode 30: Snipes Was Right ("Blade: Trinity," 2004)

Proletarian Contrarian ·

2019/07/25

Pop on those shades, strap on your knives, and step into the daylight with Lewis and Nick as they take the fight to this week's target: "Blade: Trinity" (2004). Following the groundbreaking "Blade" and the spirited "Blade II," Trinity is a disappointing finisher to say the least. Wesley Snipes knew the score, nevertheless putting in admirable effort to this bloodless finale, elevating certain sequences and infusing the flick with enough zest to keep it stumbling until it reaches its demise. However,

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01:02:40

Episode 29: Hardboiled Bolshevism ("Red Heat," 1988)

Proletarian Contrarian ·

2019/07/17

Who's a more believable badass, Arnold Schwarzenegger or Jim Belushi? Correct answer: Fred Hampton, because all three star in 1988's "Red Heat" (a caricature of Hampton has a strong supporting role, at least). Given that this flick was the first American film with the distinction of being allowed to film in Moscow's Red Square, follow the Pro/Con boys as they travel from the USSR to Chicago, doggedly chronicling the tired Schwarzenegger/Belushi buddy cop energy. Shockingly enough, "Red Heat" doesn't

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01:16:51

Episode 28: Hulk SMASH Military Industrial Complex...

Proletarian Contrarian ·

2019/07/10

You wouldn't like us when we're angry....you also probably wouldn't like us when we're trying to remember D-list Marvel character names. Join Lewis and Nick as they tackle "Hulk" (2003), one of the more infamous of the pre-Disney Marvel movies. Directed with admirable aplomb by Ang Lee, "Hulk" is as big and as bold as its titular character. Catholic repression, the War on Terror, nerds being too pedantic to appreciate a good thing before it's gone...this one's got it

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01:18:36

Episode 27: Antifa Buffalo Supersoldiers ("Posse,"...

Proletarian Contrarian ·

2019/07/01

A lean, hardened outlaw rode straight onto the Pro/Con screens from the dry, dusty wasteland of the 90's this weekend: "Posse" (1993), directed by and starring Mario Van Peebles. Join Lewis and Nick as they follow the winding, wayward quest of a group of Buffalo Soldiers on the run from Cuba to New Orleans to the Western US Territories. An uncommonly political film for the 90's, "Posse" captures a bold, revisionist snapshot of a history more fascinating than is commonly

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01:21:23

Episode 26: PLO Rangers ("Saban's Power Rangers," 2017)

Proletarian Contrarian ·

2019/06/22

Coming to you from a team of podcasters with attitude is Pro/Con's review of "Saban's Power Rangers," (2017). This is one of the more unique genre films reviewed on the show in that it's pretty good, based primarily on the strength of the fairly deep characterization of all five leads. This is 90's nostalgia done about as well as it can be done, folks. https://www.patreon.com/pro_con Lil Nas X surprising the kids of Lander Elementary - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yvxqwlENxU Music- "when the

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00:56:06

Episode 25: A Star Is Bored ("Glitter," 2001)

Proletarian Contrarian ·

2019/06/15

We picked a real bomb coming off Star Wars Month: 2001's "Glitter," shockingly *not* Mariah Carey's film debut, but certainly the role that cemented her diva reputation. Inversely, of course, this movie is pretty boring, only managing to differentiate itself from the legions of other artist narratives by presenting a surprisingly cynical depiction of show business. Come for Carey's voice, stay for the weird, wonky edits and special effects. https://www.patreon.com/pro_con Music- "when the struggle

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104 results

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