This week’s episode of Someone Else’s Movie was recorded the day after the US election — in fact, Kamala Harris conceded while we were talking — so politics were an intrinsic part of the conversation.

Fortunately, the movie under discussion welcomes a political lens. My guest, writer-director Gillian McKercher — whose tense new drama Lucky Star makes its Toronto bow this Saturday in the Reel Asian Film Festival — chose Martin Eden, Pietro Marcello’s bold and brawny reinterpretation of Jack London’s novel about a roughneck sailor who decides to get an education, ultimately reinventing himself as a strident individualist as Europe hurtles towards war.

It’s a hell of a picture, as the kids say, and the perfect movie for the moment, so Gillian and I found plenty to talk about. You should listen to it! Subscribe to the show at Apple, Spotify, YouTube Podcasts or on your podcatcher of choice, or download the episode directly from the web and listen to it as you feverishly work on your latest manifesto. We’ve all been there.

And then you can read my latest manifesto, disguised as a new edition of Shiny Things! Last week I spun up a trio of new releases: M. Night Shyamalan’s maddening Trap, Zoë Kravitz’ brilliant Blink Twice and Steven Kostanski’s delirious Frankie Freako. Something for everyone, even the masochists. Have you subscribed? There’s a free option, you know.

… oh, and I was going to remind you all about tonight’s See the North screening of Winter Kept Us Warm, but it appears to be sold out. Sorry about that! Next month’s will be announced shortly. Keep an eye out!