In this episode we are joined again by Dr. James Dennis LoRusso to discuss Tom Cruise's latest blockbuster TOP GUN (2022), the way it appropriates the trope of the 'Hero's Journey' to advertise for the military-industrial complex, and hear a sp

Werckmeister Harmonies, Béla Tarr, and the Cosmic Dance of Existence

Jun 12th, 2022 47m 59s

In this episode of Fascism in Cinema we are joined again by Devon Supeene from the National Film Board of Canada! We discuss the Hungarian director Béla Tarr, his classic WERKMEISTER HARMONIES (2000), and the cosmic struggle of despair and hop

Snowden, Spyware, and Surveillance Capitalism

May 29th, 2022 51m 17s

In this hodgepodge episode Nathan and Tenzan discuss (1) Ronan Farrow's latest article in The New Yorker, "How Democracies Spy on Their Citizens," and the invasive 'Pegasus' spyware that is now used by governments around the world; (2) the cine

Midsommer and the Appeal of Ritual and Myth to the Far Right

May 14th, 2022 57m 40s

Our special guest in this week's episode is Devon Supeene, from the National Film Board of Canada! Together we discuss Ari Aster's latest film MIDSOMMER (2019) and the appeal of ritual and myth to the Far Right. At the end of the episode, Natha

Nomadland and the Desolation of Capitalism

Apr 30th, 2022 44m 30s

In this episode we are joined by Dr. James Dennis LoRusso to discuss NOMADLAND (2021) and its depiction of the desolation of American capitalism. We start off discussing the formation of the Amazon Labour Union (ALU) in Staten Island last mont

The Batman and the Cinematic Political Imaginary

Apr 10th, 2022 1h 4m

In this episode we are joined by Dennis LoRusso to discuss THE BATMAN (2022) and the legacy of Batman reboots in general. Nathan tells us about his childhood Batcave, we discuss cop movies, and consider what these constant Batman reboots tell

V for Vendetta and Freedom from Tyranny

Mar 25th, 2022 44m 19s

What is freedom? Can freedom from tyranny only be found through the dissolution of the state? To explore this question and others, Nathan and I are joined by Dr. Sarah Kleeb--Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough, Center

JoJo Rabbit, or How to Critique Fascism with Comedy

Mar 13th, 2022 41m 48s

In this episode we are again joined by Ting Guo and Eddy Wang to discuss the hilarious and controversial JOJO RABBIT (2019), by director Taiki Waititi. We explore how magical realism, play, and platonic love can be used to critique Fascism in C

The Wife of a Spy, Love, and Slow Cinema

Mar 10th, 2022 46m 20s

In this episode we are joined by two brilliant guests, Ting Guo and Eddy Wang, to discuss the war in Ukraine, how to critique fascism in cinema through representations of human suffering, love, and slow cinema in THE WIFE OF A SPY (2020)—a film

Westerns Smesterns -- The Searchers

Feb 24th, 2022 42m 40s

In this episode I am joined by Dr. Matt Sheedy, visiting professor in the department of North American Studies at the University of Bonn, Germany. Together we discuss the trucker convoy for Freedom and dive deep on Westerns to unpack the traces

The Birth of a Nation as The Birth of Fascism in Cinema

Feb 18th, 2022 36m 49s

In this episode we outline the aims of our podcast, I struggle to say names properly, we discuss The Birth of a Nation (1915), and connect the racist content of the film to our contemporary cinematic and political imaginaries. Support the show

Watchmen and The American Dream

Feb 8th, 2022 53m 35s

In this inaugural episode, Nathan and I discuss the far right convoy ravaging the nation of Canada, forecast the downfall of O'Toole, big-up spider-man, and go in deep on the WATCHMEN (2009) to unpack Zack Snyder's fascist aesthetic.Support the

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