CinemaPsych Podcast
102 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 days ago - ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsWhere psychology meets films. We dissect and analyze popular films and their psychological content.
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Episodes
Episode 079: No, There Isn't a Gay Blood Test — Boy Erased (2018) with Lee Golembiewski
April 15, 2024 16:07 - 1 hour - 88.9 MBJoin Alex and guest host Dr. Lee Golembiewski as they discuss the harrowing true story of a young gay man enduring conversion therapy in the US South in Boy Erased (2018). The film stars Lucas Hedges as Jared, playing a version of Garrard Conley, who wrote a memoir of the same name in 2016, detailing his journey through conversion therapy in the early 2000s. The film also stars Russell Crowe as his pastor father, who ultimately made the decision to send Jared to the harmful Christian minist...
Episode 078: Drugs are Bad, MMKay? Requiem for a Dream (2000) with Melissa Maffeo
March 25, 2024 16:11 - 1 hour - 98.1 MBJoin Alex and guest host Dr. Melissa Maffeo as they delve into the seedy world of drug addiction in one of Darren Aronofsky's earlier films Requiem for a Dream (2000). The film stars up-and-coming Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, and Marlon Wayans, as well as Hollywood great Ellen Burstyn, as four folks who get caught up in their addictions, fueled by their dreams of better lives and fame. In true Aronofsky form, the visuals and filmmaking get you caught up in these addictions, how they manife...
Episode 077: Metascience, Faith, and Confirmation Bias... in Space! Contact (1997) with Jacob Miranda
March 04, 2024 17:09 - 1 hour - 89.1 MBJoin Alex and guest host Dr. Jacob Miranda as they explore the metascience, confirmation bias, and the nature of faith vs. science in the sci-fi epic, Contact (1997). The film, directed by Robert Zemeckis and cowrote by Carl Sagan himself, stars Jodie Foster as Ellie Arroway, a SETI scientist who helps discover a message from the stars. The film also stars Matthew McConaughey, a religious person who acts as a foil for Ellie's scientifically-oriented mind. Confirmation bias reins in all aspec...
Episode 076: The Technosocial Commentary isn't So Subtle — The Circle (2017)
February 12, 2024 17:18 - 1 hour - 69.8 MBJoin Alex as he takes a solo look at the prophetic alternate reality in The Circle (2017), a film about a tech company and social media conglomerate that is parts Apple and other parts Facebook. The film, directed by James Ponsoldt and starring Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, Karen Gillan, John Boyega, and Patton Oswalt, explores the chaotic world of a tech company that creates technology to link everyone together and put cameras all over the world. You know, your typical data-farming and unregulate...
Episode 075: Disability and Laughing, They Do Go Together — The Fundamentals of Caring (2016) with Crissa Draper
January 22, 2024 15:51 - 1 hour - 94.6 MBJoin Alex and guest host Dr. Crissa Draper as they discuss the the ins and outs of caring for a person with disabilities and the impact of grief in The Fundamentals of Caring (2016)! The films stars Paul Rudd as Paul Rudd playing a guy named Ben Benjamin, a father looking to make a major change in his life, becoming a full-time in-home caretaker. His first client is irascible Trevor, played by Craig Roberts, who has muscular dystrophy and is confined to a wheelchair. The film was written and...
Episode 074: Virgil Picked Up His Hammer and Saw, and Hated it — At First Sight (1999) with KatieAnn Skogsberg
January 01, 2024 17:25 - 1 hour - 98.8 MBJoin Alex and guest host Dr. KatieAnn Skogsberg as they discuss the fascinating story inspired by a true one, about a man who regains his sight after being blind for decades, in At First Sight (1999)! The story follows Val Kilmer's Virgil Adamson, as he receives cataract surgery and begins to "see", exploring a whole new world of visual sensations, all for a woman he met massaging, played by Mira Sorvino. The story mirrors the real life struggles of Shirley Jennings, a blind man who underwen...
Episode 073: Self-Expansion Theory Across the Multiverse! Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) with Mona Xu
December 11, 2023 14:39 - 1 hour - 98 MBJoin Alex and guest host Xiaomeng (Mona) Xu as they discuss the multiverse romp Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022), a film by writer-director team Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (the Daniels), starring Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Jamie Lee Curtis, James Hong, and Stephanie Hsu. They explore self-expansion theory in identity formation, across the multiverse, as well as the central theme of the film: relationships within the immigrant experience. There's a lot of silliness to be had h...
Episode 072: Gender Expression and The Patriarchy and Toys! Barbie (2023) with Molly Metz
November 20, 2023 15:24 - 1 hour - 87.8 MBJoin Alex and returning guest host Dr. Molly Metz as they jump into the pink land that is Barbie (2023)! There's so much in this episode that they crammed in, and they didn't even get to everything. Alex and Molly explore gender expression, gender identity, masculinity, femininity, queerness, relationships, and of course, the role Barbie has had in Western/American culture since her debut in the 1950s. There are lot of great nuggets of info and a lot of laughs, and that's just in the podcas...
Episode 071: Four Walls, Infinite Feels — Room (2015) with Chelsea Robertson
October 30, 2023 13:54 - 1 hour - 90.7 MBJoin Alex and guest host Dr. Chelsea Robertson as they discuss the tragedy and the triumph of a mother and her 5-year-old son in the heart-wrenching book adaptation of Room (2015). They explore the social and cognitive development of Jack, the little boy, who for five years, has only known the inside of a shed that they call "Room." We also explore the role of trauma in both Jack and his Ma, Joy, as they navigate their life inside and outside of Room. It's a tough book, it's a tough movie, ...
Episode 070: Physics Avengers... Assemble! Oppenheimer (2023) with Sy Islam
October 09, 2023 14:42 - 1 hour - 67.3 MBJoin Alex and guest host Dr. Sy Islam as they discuss the smash-hit from 2023, Oppenheimer! Christopher Nolan's three-hour peek behind the creation of the team that formed the Manhattan Project and the literal fallout from the creation and dropping of the first atomic bombs, featuring the amazing performances by Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, and Josh Hartnett, among many many more others. The pair discuss the formation of the "Physics Avengers" f...
Episode 069: The Doc with Staged Wilderness and Cultural Missteps—Nanook of the North (1922) with Phil Duncan
September 18, 2023 13:14 - 1 hour - 59 MBJoin Alex and guest host Dr. Phil Duncan as they discuss cinema's first documentary, Nanook of the North (1922), which was actually the second filming of said documentary! Dr. Duncan is a cinema studies professor and documentarian filmmaker, so he comes with receipts about how this documentary is more like a docudrama, with behind-the-scenes drama and some piping hot tea about the filmmaker, Robert Flaherty. Check back for a link to his documentary, Mississippi Mud: The Natural History of ...
Episode 068: This Music Makes Me Feel... The Psychology of Star Wars (1977) Music with Jim Davies & Joe Kraemer
August 28, 2023 14:16 - 1 hour - 68.8 MBJoin Alex and guest hosts Dr. Jim Davies and Hollywood composer Joe Kraemer as they discuss the powerful music of composer John Williams' immaculate score of Star Wars (1977) and its subsequent film franchise. In 2015, the two guests hosts wrote a chapter — after decades of friendship and a shared love of nerd culture and music — on the psychology of the music from the famous sci-fi/fantasy film from George Lucas. The trio chat about how the music makes the viewer feel and how Williams uses...
Episode 067: A Real Life Schizophrenia Experience — A Beautiful Mind (2001)
August 07, 2023 14:46 - 55 minutes - 50.5 MBJoin Alex as he discusses wonderfully brilliant biopic of John Forbes Nash, Jr. in A Beautiful Mind (2001). The movie focuses on John Nash's struggle with finding an original idea to make his mark while also battling schizophrenia and the paranoid delusions and hallucinations it brought. The episode takes a an accuracy approach, since we are talking about an actual historical figure. What was true about Joh Nash's experience with the psychological disorder and how did director Ron Howard po...
Episode 066: Tarantino Characters Flirting with Religion and Morality? Pulp Fiction (1994) with Jason Spiegelman
July 17, 2023 13:44 - 1 hour - 62.5 MBJoin Alex and returning guest host Jason Spiegelman as they discuss another one of Quentin Tarantino's classic, dare we say, most popular film, Pulp Fiction (1994). Much like their last episode, they spend most of the time just chatting about their favorite scenes and lines from the classic gangster-like film that weaves in and around different converging storylines. Live from their hotel room at the 2023 AP Psych Reading, they celebrate the podcast's fourth anniversary. chatting about mora...
Episode 065: Milgram’s Conclusions on Obedience are Shocking! Experimenter (2015) with Sophie Halliday
June 26, 2023 15:58 - 1 hour - 75.5 MBJoin Alex and guest host Sophie Halliday as they chat about the historical and psychological impact of Stanley Milgram's famous experiments on obedience and social influence in Michael Almereyda's Experimenter (2015), the other historical psychology movie that came out that year. This biopic stars Peter Sarsgaard as the titular character, with Winona Ryder, Jim Gaffigan, and several other star appearances as participants in the obedience studies. This witty drama-comedy takes the audience i...
Episode 064: Sex, Drugs, and Psychoanalysis? A Dangerous Method (2011) with Sheila Thomas
June 05, 2023 15:09 - 1 hour - 76.6 MBJoin Alex and guest host Dr. Sheila Thomas as they chat about the connection and the eventual schism of Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud in David Cronenberg's psychological thriller (?) A Dangerous Method, based on the book A Most Dangerous Method: The Story of Jung, Freud, and Sabina Spielrein, and the stage play The Talking Cure. The film stars Michael Fassbender as Jung and Viggo Mortensen as Freud, with Kiera Knightley as Sabina Spielrein. Spielrein enters Jung's life as a woman with hysteri...
Episode 063: Intersectionality is a Real Concept, Y’all — The Color Purple (1985) with Wind Goodfriend
May 15, 2023 15:38 - 1 hour - 75.4 MBJoin Alex and returning guest host Dr. Wind Goodfriend in a discussion of the psychological concepts in Steven Spielberg's critical hit drama The Color Purple (1985), which stars a breakout performer Whoopi Goldberg, amazing Oprah Winfrey, and the immaculate Danny Glover (albeit a terrible character)! The main topic on the agenda: intersectionality, and what it meant for Black folks in Jim Crow rural south, but also Black women and the bonds they make and break. It's a window into a challen...
Episode 062: Listen! It’d Be a Lot Cooler If You Did — Dazed and Confused (1993) with Chris Miller
April 24, 2023 13:58 - 1 hour - 75.6 MBJoin Alex and guest host Dr. Chris Miller as they discuss the wild and crazy Richard Linklater film Dazed and Confused (1993), a movie that came out in the 90s, but set in the mid-1970s. The film follows teens, such as Jason London, Anthony Rapp, Adam Goldberg, Parker Posey, Joey Lauren Adams, and Ben Affleck, as they end the school year with epic hazing for those matriculating students and a wild party in the forest. There's a lot of adolescent and young adult drama, as well as some solid ...
Episode 061: McMurphy’s Stay at the State Hospital — One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
April 03, 2023 17:49 - 1 hour - 64.2 MBJoin Alex as he discusses One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), a tour de force from Milos Forman, Jack Nicholson, and Louise Fletcher! The film follows Randall McMurphy, an inmate at a work camp in Oregon who successfully (?) tricks them into thinking he's insane and so he gets transferred to the Oregon State Hospital, a psychiatric facility. This episode explores the state of treatment in the early 1960s in America and elsewhere in the Western world, as well as the Dark Triad set of per...
Episode 060: Baseball is a Game of Statistics! Moneyball (2011) with Jessica Hartnett
March 13, 2023 14:04 - 1 hour - 60.7 MBJoin Alex and guest host Dr. Jessica Hartnett as they discuss the wonderful game of baseball and the even more wonderful subject of statistics in the film Moneyball (2011), a movie adapted from a book based on another book about all the stats in baseball! And as baseball fans AND teachers of stats, imagine the gushing and the excitement about two amazing topics all rolled into one! Follow as they discuss the wonderful portrayals by Brad Pitt as real-life baseball general manager Billy Beane...
Episode 059: He Wasn’t Even Supposed to Be There Today! Clerks (1994) with Nic Baldwin
February 20, 2023 15:03 - 1 hour - 61.4 MBJoin Alex and guest host Nicholas Baldwin as they discuss the wild antics of two clerks in Kevin Smith's cult class Clerks (1994). Follow Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randall (Kevin Anderson) as they navigate a day of true terribleness at a strip mall with the Quik Stop and the movie store. Oh, and let's not forget Jay and Silent Bob! The psych concepts are numerous in the world of Industrial-Organizational Psych and Nic is here to explain how even a clerk of a store are worthy of a closer ...
Episode 058: Can I Persuade You To Stop Smoking? Thank You For Smoking (2005) with Ed Hansen
January 30, 2023 15:36 - 1 hour - 97.7 MBJoin Alex and returning guest host Dr. Ed Hansen in a discussion of the various psychological concepts in the hilarious and sardonic dark comedy Thank You For Smoking (2005). The film was written and directed by Jason Reitman, and stars Aaron Eckhart, Maria Bello, David Koechner, Cameron Bright, J.K. Simmons, William H. Macy, and Robert Duvall — a ton of huge names in a tight film that explores major health psychology and persuasion concepts. How does the film parody one of the leading caus...
Episode 057: Conditioning Kids to Not Chop Down Trees — The Lorax (2012) with Kiersten Baughman
January 09, 2023 15:06 - 1 hour - 62.2 MBJoin Alex and returning guest host Dr. Kiersten Baughman as they discuss the many clear learning principles in Dr. Seuss' beloved classic The Lorax (2012), or more directly, the modern retelling of the classic, featuring songs! They discuss classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and social learning theory, all found within the main story of conservationism and anti-capitalism! I know marshmallows are lovely, but they are worth cutting down all the trees, my little bear friends! As th...
Episode 056: How Did Psychology Hurt Scott Calvin? The Santa Clause (1994)
December 19, 2022 14:58 - 55 minutes - 50.5 MBJoin Alex as he discusses a timeless Christmas classic, The Santa Clause (1994), starring Tim Allen in one of his more-famous roles. Watch as he becomes Santa after being tricked into it by magical law — this sounds like real life — and as he spends the entire runtime throwing psychiatry and psychology under the bus! It's almost like the real Tim Allen put in his own disdain for an entire professional field into the movie! But don't forget about all the great examples of belief perseverance...
Episode 055: Autism and a Better Life for Cattle — Temple Grandin (2010) with Sara Bagley
November 28, 2022 17:40 - 1 hour - 61.2 MBJoin Alex and returning guest host Dr. Sara Bagley as they embark on a discussion of Autism Spectrum Disorder and visual eidetic memory in the lovely and inspiring biopic of the real-life ASD advocate AND cattle-life revolutionary, Temple Grandin in HBO's Temple Grandin (2010)! They discuss the basics of ASD, what the film gets right and what the film ditches for the sake of the narrative, as well as Dr. Grandin's amazing shift in the cattle industry's practices. They include nuggets of vis...
Episode 054: Fatphobia and Misogyny in a Romantic Comedy? That Can’t Be! Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001) with Jordan Wagge
November 07, 2022 17:08 - 1 hour - 58.7 MBJoin Alex and returning guest host Dr. Jordan Wagge (Twitter: @jorowags) as they take a closer look at the problematic themes and issues in 2001's Bridget Jones's Diary! A successful vehicle for Renee Zellweger, which spawned two sequels, it does have strong "romantic comedy" vibes, which includes things like fatphobia, misogyny, sexual harassment, and a lot more! Would it hold up today? Probably not, and not just because of those things — just look at how many people are smoking cigarettes...
Episode 053: False Memories AND a Trip to Mars? Sign Me Up! Total Recall (1990)
October 17, 2022 16:06 - 1 hour - 61.1 MBJoin 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...
Episode 052: We Might Love David If He Wasn’t So Creepy — A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) with Jim Davies
September 26, 2022 16:18 - 1 hour - 86.2 MBJoin 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, whic...
Episode 051: Hans Landa is a Psych Case Study—Inglorious Basterds (2009) with Jason Spiegelman
September 05, 2022 14:31 - 1 hour - 83.7 MBJoin Alex and returning guest host Jason Spiegelman as they discuss a one of Quentin Tarantino's classic westerns... set during World War II, and in France, Inglorious Basterds (2009). Rather than naming specific psychological principles in this discussion, a focus is on the characters, their motivations, and the scenes in which those motivations are readily apparent. What does it mean to express unfettered glee at the death of Nazis? Why would a German soldier really think using the wrong ...
Episode 050: Self-Discovery Right Before a Wedding is Ill-Advised — The Philadelphia Story (1940)
August 16, 2022 14:31 - 1 hour - 64.8 MBJoin Alex as he discusses a solid romantic screwball comedy from the early film days, The Philadelphia Story (1940), starring Golden Age of cinema heavyweights like Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and James Stewart! In this episode, we'll explore how Katherine Hepburn's character, Tracy, comes to learn more about herself through social psychological principles regarding the formation of the SELF. Alex also dives into the portrayal of gender roles, as this movie revolves around Tracy's very...
Episode 049: Birthdays Are Random, Folks — Born on the Fourth of July (1989) with Anthony Zoccolillo
July 04, 2022 14:00 - 1 hour - 68.1 MBJoin Alex and returning guest host Dr. Anthony Zoccolillo as they discuss the middle film of Oliver Stone's Vietnam trilogy, Born on the Fourth of July (1989). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), patriotism, and activism are fantastic topics to explore in this war film based on the life of a real Vietnam veteran that went from blind patriot to leading antiwar activist, Ron Kovic. It really puts events of today in perspective, sheesh... Check out 50 States of Terror episode that Zocc was ...
Episode 048: Who Woulda Thunk Superheroes Would Make Decent Leaders? The Marvel Cinematic Universe with Sy Islam & Gordon Schmidt
June 13, 2022 12:41 - 1 hour - 67.2 MBJoin Alex and guest hosts Drs. Sy Islam and Gordon Schmidt in a discussion of the various leadership qualities of several Marvel superheroes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (2008 - Present)! The Universe is huge, there are so many movies, but the characters span several movies, played by the same actors, so we have the ability to track growth and development in this action-adventure genre! Sy and Gordon literally wrote the book on leadership in the MCU, so join us to find out which chara...
Episode 047: I Wouldn’t Say I’ve Been Missing Work—Office Space (1999) with Ed Hansen
May 23, 2022 15:27 - 1 hour - 94.8 MBJoin Alex and guest host Dr. Ed Hansen in a discussion of the various psychological concepts in the sharp witty satire of late-1990s office work in Mike Judge's Office Space (1999)! It's high time we discussed the often-neglected child of psychology, Industrial-Organizational Psychology, and all that it has to offer in this laugh-filled podcast episode exploring a laugh-inducing commentary on bad bosses, crappy office work environments, and toxic corporate mentality. The movie starts Ron Li...
Episode 046: Let’s Talk About Sex... Research — Kinsey (2004) with Leslee Koritzke
May 02, 2022 15:42 - 1 hour - 78.7 MBJoin Alex and guest host Leslee Kortizke in a discussion of the various psychological concepts in the biopic of Dr. Alfred Kinsey in the aptly-named Kinsey (2004)! The discussion is of course on the titular character's groundbreaking work on the sexual behaviors of Americans in the 1940s and 1950s, an extremely taboo subject of the time! The episode features an exploration of the precursors to the work, as portrayed in the film, with an explanation of the methods used and a critique of the ...
Episode 045: A Juicy 90s Satire of Conversion Therapy—But I’m a Cheerleader (1999) with Molly Metz & Will Ryan
April 10, 2022 20:32 - 1 hour - 87.1 MBJoin Alex and guest hosts Drs. Molly Metz & Will Ryan as the three dissect and discuss the bubbly and rich 90s satire But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)! The film stars Natasha Lyonne and Clea Duvall as lesbians forced to attend a straight conversion camp. While the content is heavy — conversion therapy is wrong at all levels for both orientation AND gender conversion — if you're ready to laugh at the absurdity of it all, tag along! The trio chat about gender identity and roles, sexual orientatio...
Episode 044: Wait, Zimbardo Didn’t Do An Experiment? The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015) with Keli Braitman and Jen Simonds
February 28, 2022 17:31 - 1 hour - 83.7 MBJoin Alex and guest hosts Drs. Keli Braitman and Jen Simonds as the three dissect and discuss the dramatic take on the real life The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015)! The film stars Billy Crudup as the real Dr. Philip Zimbardo, a psychologist who became famous for putting college-aged men in a fake prison in the basement of the psychology building in the summer of 1971, letting guards treat these men as less than humans. We tackle the ethical issues, the psychology of the situation, and ho...
Episode 043: A Disney Version of a Discussion on Racial Prejudice—Remember the Titans (2000) with Wind Goodfriend
February 07, 2022 16:31 - 1 hour - 73.7 MBJoin Alex and returning guest host Dr. Wind Goodfriend in a discussion of the psychological concepts in the uplifting but superficial film, Remember the Titans (2000)! We discuss whether the discussion and commentary in this "Based on a True Story" story holds up in our modern discussion on prejudice and race, dive deep into the Allport theory of contact and cooperation and the Sherif Robbers Cave field experiment, and finally chat about the real life events surrounding this story versus th...
Episode 042: A Trans, Religious, Simulation Allegory, Oh My! The Matrix Film Franchise with Alex Swan
January 17, 2022 17:12 - 1 hour - 76.8 MBJoin 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: y...
Episode 041: If Freud is the Butt of the Jokes, What Does it Mean? What About Bob (1991) with Jordan Wagge
December 06, 2021 14:33 - 1 hour - 71 MBJoin Alex and returning guest host Dr. Jordan Wagge (Twitter: @jorowags) as they take a closer look at the goofy Bill Murray comedy What About Bob? (1991). This Frank Oz classic that also stars Richard Dreyfuss as Dr. Leo Marvin is a wild ride in anxiety, therapy, and Freud jokes! Alex and Jordan officially start the Dr. Leo Marvin Haters Club and decide he is one of the worst people — not just therapist — in the world. But remember, don't think too hard about the psych portrayal in the mov...
Episode 040: Wait, A Chimp Can Fly A Plane?! Project X (1987) with Karen Brakke
November 15, 2021 15:09 - 1 hour - 76.6 MBJoin 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,...
Episode 039: Do You Remember the Last Time We Talked About This Film? Memento (2000) with Alex Swan
October 25, 2021 14:20 - 1 hour - 64.2 MBJoin 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 no...
Episode 038: Men Can Get Really Angry! 12 Angry Men (1957 & 1997) with Jordan Wagge & Jason Spiegelman
October 04, 2021 14:42 - 1 hour - 89.6 MBJoin Alex and returning guest hosts Dr. Jordan Wagge and Jason Spiegelman as the three dissect and discuss the two major American versions of the stage play and short story 12 Angry Men! The first major release was in 1957, written and directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Henry Fonda. The second, made-for-TV movie, was released in 1997, and starred several great actors, including John Lemmon, William Peterson, James Gandolfini, Mykelti Williams, Tony Danza, and the venerable George C. Scot...
Episode 037: This Film is One Giant Racist and Sexist Fest! Crash (2004) with Karenna Malavanti
September 13, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 66.8 MBJoin 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 ...
Episode 036: Wait, the Prison Was a Metaphor? The Shawshank Redemption (1994) with Justine Egan-Kunicki
August 23, 2021 13:57 - 1 hour - 82 MBJoin Alex and returning guest host Dr. Justine Egan-Kunicki in a discussion of the various psychological concepts in the classic prison film, The Shawshank Redemption (1994), a film based on a novella by Stephen King that doesn't have any horror or supernatural elements. Just good old fashioned, mid-century prison brutality! It is set in Maine, though... anyway, the episode explores psychological prison, institutionalization, and hope. It stars Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins in perhaps two ...
Episode 035: Mental Health, Sexuality, and Suicide, Oh My! The Hours (2002) with Crystal Steltenpohl
August 02, 2021 13:24 - 1 hour - 89.6 MBJoin Alex and Dr. Crystal Steltenpohl in a discussion of the various psychological concepts in the crushing, but a poignant look at relationships and happiness, film The Hours (2002). The film stars Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, and Meryl Streep as three women struggling with their mental health, relationships, and happiness, connected by the story written by the famous Virginia Woolf. Listen, Nicole Kidman's prosthetic nose was great to be like Virginia, but it didn't change color! Check...
Episode 034: This is One Reality Show That Definitely Isn't Ethical—The Truman Show (1998) with Mehwish Safdar
July 12, 2021 13:40 - 1 hour - 55 MBJoin 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 usef...
Episode 033: With L-Dopa, You Too Can Do the Hokey Pokey (But Only if You're Rigid)—Awakenings (1990) with Sara Bagley
June 21, 2021 13:53 - 1 hour - 77.9 MBJoin Alex and guest host Dr. Sara Bagley in a discussion of the psychological concepts in the wonderful film based on the book of the same name, written by Dr. Oliver Sacks, Awakenings (1990)! The film stars Robin Williams as a facsimile of Dr. Sacks and Robert De Niro in one of his strongest method roles. We discuss everything you wanted to know about L-Dopa and dopamine, among this wild trip based in truth. Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanp...
Episode 032: How Stalking and Insurance Scams Drive a Person Insane—Unsane (2018) with Alex Swan
May 31, 2021 14:00 - 59 minutes - 54.4 MBJoin Alex in a solo episode as he discusses the psychological concepts in a sleeper indie thriller directed by Steven Soderbergh, Unsane (2018). It stars Claire Foy as a woman suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from a stalker, but everyone at the health clinic thinks she's delusional, because who stalks these days, amirite? Anyway, it's a cautionary tale about believing women and insurance scams! The idea for covering this film came from a General Psychology class Watch Par...
Episode 031: CinemaPsych at the Midwestern Psychological Association Conference 2021—What's Your Film Pedagogy?
May 10, 2021 14:24 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MBJoin Alex in a special episode of the podcast! In this ep, Alex hosts a Roundtable Discussion at the Annual Conference of the Midwestern Psychological Association, held virtually in 2021 due to the ongoing COVID pandemic. Several educators in psychology joined to discuss their film pedagogy. Full episode notes, including the participants info and an episode transcript, go here.
Episode 030: I Can't Get Over the Stalker Behavior! 50 Shades of Grey (2015) with Kiersten Baughman
April 19, 2021 15:46 - 1 hour - 59.6 MBJoin Alex and guest host Dr. Kiersten Baughman in a discussion of the psychological concepts in the poorly-acted but provocative BDSM LARP, 50 Shades of Grey (2015)! Starring Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan, this film really shows how a stalker can ultimately win: just be rich! 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! Don't forget to check out our Patreon and/or Pay...