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Episode 053: False Memories AND a Trip to Mars? Sign Me Up! Total Recall (1990)
Join Alex as he discusses a timeless sci-fi classic from Paul Verhoeven and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Total Recall (1990)! Of course, this movie is all about how you might implant memories into a person, giving them the experience without the experience! We follow Doug Quaid, having an existential crisis in his life, realizing he got his memories changed into false ones by a criminal syndicate called the Agency. Do these false memories, from Rekall Inc., really mean he’s a new person? Join the discussion of the 90s best — yeah, we said it — sci-fi jaunt from Phillip K. Dick and Verhoeven.…
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Episode 052: We Might Love David If He Wasn’t So Creepy — A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) with Jim Davies
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Jim Davies in a discussion of the portrayal of artificial intelligence, consciousness, and love in Steven Spielberg’s Pinocchio-esque film, A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (2001)! We explore the idea of artificial intelligence, what it means to be conscious or sentient, and how well the film works on these fundamentally hard-to-define fronts. Though Jim is a cognitive scientist, Alex also asks him about the film’s idea of love and what it means to be loved, which hits at The Velveteen Rabbit‘s ideal of what it means to be real and who is worthy of love! Listen, we think David, who was played so well by Haley Joel Osment, could be loved if he just didn’t act so oddly.…
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Episode 042: A Trans, Religious, Simulation Allegory, Oh My! The Matrix Film Franchise
Join Alex in an exploration of the themes and allegories — that have a psychological flair, of course — in The Matrix (1999) film franchise! In this episode, Alex dives into the Wachowski sisters’ true meaning of the first film, which was a transgender allegory. He also explores the iconic religious allegory, as well as a discussion about simulation theory. Some other details are also discussed, like how you can really function with a giant spike shoved into the back of your skull! (Hint: you can’t.) While there is minimal discussion of the new film, The Matrix: Resurrections (2021), consider this a minor spoiler alert!…
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Episode 040: Wait, A Chimp Can Fly A Plane?! Project X (1987) with Karen Brakke
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Karen Brakke in a discussion of the various psychological concepts in the unofficial sequel to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Project X (1987), starring Matthew Broderick and Helen Hunt. This film is fascinating for its portrayal of animal cognition, animal rights in research, and just how similar Broderick’s character is just another Ferris Bueller! We also have an interesting discussion regarding various projects occurring around the same time period in psychology, and marvel about how well they portrayed a psychology graduate student!
Check out the Southeastern Teaching of Psychology Conference here: 2022 SETOP
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Episode 039: Do You Remember the Last Time We Talked About This Film? Memento (2000)
Join Alex in an renewed exploration of the memory issues and portrayal Memento (2000)! We first talked about this film all the way back in July 2019, in Episode 000. In this episode, Alex dives a little deeper into the portrayal of anterograde amnesia and the ultimate outcome of the story, including the speculation about which character is telling the truth. This is truly a wonderful film that does a pretty decent job at exploring how anterograde amnesia might work in the wild. And let’s not forget Christopher Nolan’s wonderful storytelling technique of a backwards narrative!
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com…
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Episode 037: This Film is One Giant Racist and Sexist Fest! Crash (2004) with Karenna Malavanti
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Karenna Malavanti in a discussion of the various psychological concepts in the wildly controversial film, Crash (2004)! It’s controversial because even writer-director Paul Haggis doesn’t think it should have won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Oh, and the fact that each scene or connected vignette features truly awful human beings! But we wade into the controversy and discuss racism, sexism, prejudice, and stereotypes… so *crash* into us!
Follow Karenna on Twitter: @KMalavanti
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com), on Facebook (@CinPsyPod), or Twitter (@CinPsyPod).…
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Episode 034: This is One Reality Show That Definitely Isn’t Ethical—The Truman Show (1998) with Mehwish Safdar
Join Alex and Virginia Commonwealth University undergrad Mehwish Safdar in a discussion of the various psychological concepts in the wildly unethical, but touching lark The Truman Show (1998). The film stars Jim Carrey, in a shift from his sillier roles earlier in the 90s, as the titular Truman Burbank. He’s the real person in an elaborate reality show. Joining him are Ed Harris and Laura Linney as the creator Christof and his fake wife, respectively. It’s a fantastic ride and could be useful in discussions beyond ethics!
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com), on Facebook (@CinPsyPod), or Twitter (@CinPsyPod).…
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Episode 018: The Stereotypes Slashed Me Harder Than the Actual Knives! Scream (1996) with Angela Bell
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Angela Bell in a discussion of the psychological concepts in Scream (1996), Wes Craven’s reimagining and spoofing of his own slasher films. Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, and lots more star in this movie that has so many gender stereotypes and aggression, our eyes rolled too far back in our heads and now we’re permanently stuck like that. Also find out how Craven got his start in film–and how that relates to Randy’s horror movie rules!
Check out recent articles on racial equality, equity, and justice current events that feature Dr. Bell!
Forbes: You’re More Racist Than You Think: How Your Mental Biases Perpetuate Racism And How To Fix Them
CNN.com:… -
Episode 011: I’m Going to Fast Forward to the Last Person’s Testimony—Rashomon (1950)/Knives Out (2019) with Celeste Pilegard
Join Alex and Celeste Pilegard as they discuss Rashomon (1950) and Knives Out (2019), two films cut from the same cloth (pun intended)! In this episode, the Rashomon effect is explored deeply, with discussions on police line-ups & eyewitness testimony, and whether we live in a shared reality. You really can’t miss this whodunnit extravaganza!
Also, check out Celeste’s Cognitive Psychology OER textbook (Cognitive Foundations)!Read/download the transcript (may contain errors) here.
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com), on Facebook (@CinPsyPod), or Twitter (@CinPsyPod). We’d love to hear from you!…
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Episode 007: Despite All Her Rage, Ava is Still Just a Rat in a Cage! Ex Machina (2015)
Join Alex in a solo episode as he discusses of the psychological concepts in Alex Garland’s sci-fi headspace thriller Ex Machina (2015), starring Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, and Alicia Vikander in literally the only three main speaking roles. If this is our future, we clearly need to start welcoming our robot overlords.
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