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Where psychology meets films. We dissect and analyze popular films and their psychological content.
Episodes
Thursday Jul 03, 2025
Thursday Jul 03, 2025
Join Alex and returning guest host Dr. Jordan Wagge as they celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of the first summer blockbuster films, Jaws (1975)! One of Steven Spielberg's great filmmaking achievements, featuring one of the best dolly zoom shots in cinema history, as well as a fully functional animatronic sharks, affectionately named Bruce. Starring Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw, as three very different shark hunters when a great white attacks a small summer island. The episode explores biases by one infamous mayor, including the dynamics of each of the three men as they struggle to end the horror of brutal shark attacks. And as always when Jordan joins the show, lots of laughs and irreverent observations and humor. Duuun dun… duuun dun… duun dun, dun dun, dun dun, dun dun…
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com), on Facebook (@CinPsyPod), or Threads/Instagram (@cinemapsych_podcast). We'd love to hear from you!
Don't forget to check out our Paypal link to contribute to this podcast and keep the lights on! Don't forget to check out our MERCH STORE for some great merch with our logo and other designs!
Legal stuff:
1. All film clips are used under Section 107 of Title 17 U.S.C. (fair use; no copyright infringement is intended).
2. Intro and outro music by half.cool ("Gemini"). Used under license.
3. Film reel sound effect by bone666138. Used under license CC-BY 3.0.
Episode Transcription
Go to this link to read a transcript generated by Whisper AI Large V3 Model. Disclaimer: It is not edited and may contain errors!
Monday Jun 09, 2025
Monday Jun 09, 2025
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Shlomit Flaisher-Grinberg as they discuss the neuroscience behind Pixar's brilliant Ratatouille (2007), directed by Brad Bird and starring the voices of Patton Oswalt as Remy, Ian Holm as Skinner, Brad Garrett as Gusteau, Janeane Garofalo as Colette, Lou Romano as Linguini, and Peter O'Toole as Anton Ego. This lovely movie about following your dreams has a ton of psychological concepts hidden within, from the sensation and perception of food, how Remy controls Linguini, and how Rats just get a bad rap. Shlomit shares her experiences working with rats as a graduate student, postdoc, and university professor — perhaps she wouldn't want them in her kitchen, though (she says yes but backs off a bit!).
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com), on Facebook (@CinPsyPod), or Threads/Instagram (@cinemapsych_podcast). We'd love to hear from you!
Don't forget to check out our Paypal link to contribute to this podcast and keep the lights on! Don't forget to check out our MERCH STORE for some great merch with our logo and other designs!
Legal stuff:
1. All film clips are used under Section 107 of Title 17 U.S.C. (fair use; no copyright infringement is intended).
2. Intro and outro music by half.cool ("Gemini"). Used under license.
3. Film reel sound effect by bone666138. Used under license CC-BY 3.0.
Episode Transcription
Go to this link to read a transcript generated by Whisper AI Large V3 Model. Disclaimer: It is not edited and may contain errors!
Thursday May 22, 2025
Thursday May 22, 2025
Join Alex and returning guest host Dr. Marc Klippenstine for a personalized discussion on birding, bird-watching, and psychology: The Big Year (2011). The film stars comedy powerhouses Jack Black, Steve Martin, and Owen Wilson, as three men who love birding so much, they all attempt the Audubon Society's "Big Year". Birding is a hobby that relies on bottom-up and top-down processing, cooperation, friendship, and a little bit of intrinsic motivation! But what happens when ambition gets in the way of personal relationships? This question and more are discussed in a wonderful chat about the portrayal of birding in this film from a birder himself! Can you spot all the birds in the film?
Want to learn more about East Central University's Psychology Programs? Go here: https://www.ecok.edu/academics/colleges-and-schools/college-education-and-psychology/department-psychology
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com), on Facebook (@CinPsyPod), or Threads/Instagram (@cinemapsych_podcast). We'd love to hear from you!
Don't forget to check out our Paypal link to contribute to this podcast and keep the lights on! Don't forget to check out our MERCH STORE for some great merch with our logo and other designs!
Legal stuff:
1. All film clips are used under Section 107 of Title 17 U.S.C. (fair use; no copyright infringement is intended).
2. Intro and outro music by half.cool ("Gemini"). Used under license.
3. Film reel sound effect by bone666138. Used under license CC-BY 3.0.
Episode Transcription
Go to this link to read a transcript generated by Whisper AI Large V3 Model. Disclaimer: It is not edited and may contain errors!
Monday Apr 28, 2025
Monday Apr 28, 2025
Join Alex and guest host Dr. T.R. Brooks as they discuss the intriguing and horrifying implications of a series of pandemics that rob people of their beloved senses in Perfect Sense (2011). The independent sleeper stars Ewan MacGregor, a chef, and Eva Green, an epidemiologist, who embark on a love story in the midst of these catastrophic events. While the doctors and scientists are trying to figure out a pattern to these illnesses that lead to mass sense loss, the chefs and the artists of the world try to cope and adapt. What would you do if all you could do was adapt to a sense that may never return? It is an intriguing question and Dr. Brooks attempts to share insights from the COVID-19 to ground the haunting premise in perceptual science. Good luck in this brand new world!
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com), on Facebook (@CinPsyPod), or Threads/Instagram (@cinemapsych_podcast). We'd love to hear from you!
Don't forget to check out our Paypal link to contribute to this podcast and keep the lights on! Don't forget to check out our MERCH STORE for some great merch with our logo and other designs!
Legal stuff:
1. All film clips are used under Section 107 of Title 17 U.S.C. (fair use; no copyright infringement is intended).
2. Intro and outro music by half.cool ("Gemini"). Used under license.
3. Film reel sound effect by bone666138. Used under license CC-BY 3.0.
Episode Transcription
Go to this link to read a transcript generated by Whisper AI Large V3 Model. Disclaimer: It is not edited and may contain errors!
Monday Apr 07, 2025
Monday Apr 07, 2025
Join Alex and returning guest host Dr. Melissa Maffeo as they discuss the hilarious memory mishaps in Adam Sandler's 50 First Dates, also starring Drew Barrymore, Sean Astin, and Dan Aykroyd. Barrymore plays a woman, Lucy, who had suffered brain trauma, and when she goes to sleep, her brain resets to that same day. Sandler's Henry Roth falls in love with her and wants to create a life with her, despite this very large limitation. Psychological concepts of memory, consolidation, learning, and consent are explored, even through all the hilarious moments that make most laugh out loud! There's a very real possibility that Lucy's brain is constantly blackout drunk!
Check out the Neuroscience Teaching Conference, Summer 2025 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, at Wake Forest University!
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com), on Facebook (@CinPsyPod), or Threads/Instagram (@cinemapsych_podcast). We'd love to hear from you!
Don't forget to check out our Paypal link to contribute to this podcast and keep the lights on! Don't forget to check out our MERCH STORE for some great merch with our logo and other designs!
Legal stuff:
1. All film clips are used under Section 107 of Title 17 U.S.C. (fair use; no copyright infringement is intended).
2. Intro and outro music by half.cool ("Gemini"). Used under license.
3. Film reel sound effect by bone666138. Used under license CC-BY 3.0.
Episode Transcription
Go to this link to read a transcript generated by Whisper AI Large V3 Model. Disclaimer: It is not edited and may contain errors!
Monday Mar 17, 2025
Monday Mar 17, 2025
Join Alex and friend-of-the-show returning guest host Jason Spiegelman as they discuss the leadership and heist psychology of the remake Ocean's Eleven (2001), directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, and so many other amazing actors. The art of con, deception, and planning are central foci in the discussion, along with leadership styles and some fun trivia about the movie. They also invoke several comparisons of these same concepts and themes in the immediate sequel Ocean's Twelve (2004). This discussion is a steal!
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com), on Facebook (@CinPsyPod), or Threads/Instagram (@cinemapsych_podcast). We'd love to hear from you!
Don't forget to check out our Paypal link to contribute to this podcast and keep the lights on! Don't forget to check out our MERCH STORE for some great merch with our logo and other designs!
Legal stuff:
1. All film clips are used under Section 107 of Title 17 U.S.C. (fair use; no copyright infringement is intended).
2. Intro and outro music by half.cool ("Gemini"). Used under license.
3. Film reel sound effect by bone666138. Used under license CC-BY 3.0.
Episode Transcription
Go to this link to read a transcript generated by Whisper AI Large V3 Model. Disclaimer: It is not edited and may contain errors!
Tuesday Feb 25, 2025
Tuesday Feb 25, 2025
Join Alex as he takes a solo look at a recent science fiction film featuring Casey Affleck and Laurence Fishburne, Slingshot (2024). The title refers to the maneuver three men — or is it only one? — must complete around Jupiter, using its gravity well to gain speed on the way to Saturn's moon, Titan. We also flashback to the time before, when Affleck's John is training to make this years-long flight, while makes an ill-fated connection with Zoe. We see John slowly lose his connection with reality on this spaceflight — is there precedent in real spaceflight for the psychological effects? Have a listen to find out!
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com), on Facebook (@CinPsyPod), or Threads/Instagram (@cinemapsych_podcast). We'd love to hear from you!
Don't forget to check out our Paypal link to contribute to this podcast and keep the lights on! Don't forget to check out our MERCH STORE for some great merch with our logo and other designs!
Legal stuff:
1. All film clips are used under Section 107 of Title 17 U.S.C. (fair use; no copyright infringement is intended).
2. Intro and outro music by half.cool ("Gemini"). Used under license.
3. Film reel sound effect by bone666138. Used under license CC-BY 3.0.
Episode Transcription
Go to this link to read a transcript generated by Whisper AI Large V3 Model. Disclaimer: It is not edited and may contain errors!
Monday Feb 03, 2025
Monday Feb 03, 2025
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Jill Swirsky as they enter the world of musical theater put to film in Robert Wise's wonderful adaptation of The Sound of Music (1965)! A musical about a man (played by Christopher Plummer) who treats his kids like sailors and woman (played by Julie Andrews) who just wants to sing with Nazism as a backdrop is a perfect exploration of psychology! From developmental theories, to grief and loss, to identity and relationships, this wonderful musical with amazing songs offers a great exploration of basic psychological concepts. This podcast episode is one of my favorite things!
Read Dr. Swirsky's Psi Chi blog Psychology Pop Culture Corner contributions on more musicals!
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com), on Facebook (@CinPsyPod), or Threads/Instagram (@cinemapsych_podcast). We'd love to hear from you!
Don't forget to check out our Paypal link to contribute to this podcast and keep the lights on! Don't forget to check out our MERCH STORE for some great merch with our logo and other designs!
Legal stuff:
1. All film clips are used under Section 107 of Title 17 U.S.C. (fair use; no copyright infringement is intended).
2. Intro and outro music by half.cool ("Gemini"). Used under license.
3. Film reel sound effect by bone666138. Used under license CC-BY 3.0.
Episode Transcription
Go to this link to read a transcript generated by Whisper AI Large V3 Model. Disclaimer: It is not edited and may contain errors!
Monday Jan 13, 2025
Monday Jan 13, 2025
Join Alex and returning guest host Dr. Anthony Zoccolillo as they discuss both Twister (1996) and its remake/redo/spiritual sequel, Twisters (2024), under the guise of the psychology of nostalgia, and why Hollywood makes these remakes or long-gapped sequels. As people age, why do they seek comfort or lionize art that reflects a different time? Do the film compare in story and spectacle? The pair also explore how both films deal with PTSD and surviving trauma with how the characters progress through the natural disasters in the films. One thing they know for sure: that's going to be a no on storm-chasing!
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com), on Facebook (@CinPsyPod), or Threads/Instagram (@cinemapsych_podcast). We'd love to hear from you!
Don't forget to check out our Paypal link to contribute to this podcast and keep the lights on! Don't forget to check out our MERCH STORE for some great merch with our logo and other designs!
Legal stuff:
1. All film clips are used under Section 107 of Title 17 U.S.C. (fair use; no copyright infringement is intended).
2. Intro and outro music by half.cool ("Gemini"). Used under license.
3. Film reel sound effect by bone666138. Used under license CC-BY 3.0.
Episode Transcription
Go to this link to read a transcript generated by Whisper AI Large V3 Model. Disclaimer: It is not edited and may contain errors!
Monday Dec 02, 2024
Monday Dec 02, 2024
Join Alex and returning guest host Dr. Ed Hansen in a festive discussion of a recent, but to-be-considered a holiday classic, Alexander Payne's The Holdovers (2023). This is a story of a young, ne'er-do-well (Dominic Sessa as Angus Tully) who meets an immovable force in an old, curmudgeonly boarding school classic teacher (Paul Giamatti as Paul Hunham). They're both "heldover" the winter holidays at the prestigious Barton Academy, with a grieving mother played by Da'Vine Joy Randolph. Over the course of the break, the three learn more about each other and how to navigate an unforgiving landscape of adolescence and obsolescence. Psych concepts explored include generativity vs. stagnation, identity, isolation and grief, the stages of grief/death, and because Ed joined us, of course there's always some I/O psych involved. Because it's so random, we also speculate how Hunham would deal with the current wave of Generative AI taking over the education landscape! Stay for the fellowship, hold over with us!
Follow Ed on BlueSky: @EdHansen_PhDAD
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com), on Facebook (@CinPsyPod), or Threads/Instagram (@cinemapsych_podcast). We'd love to hear from you!
Don't forget to check out our Paypal link to contribute to this podcast and keep the lights on! Don't forget to check out our MERCH STORE for some great merch with our logo and other designs!
Legal stuff:
1. All film clips are used under Section 107 of Title 17 U.S.C. (fair use; no copyright infringement is intended).
2. Intro and outro music by half.cool ("Gemini"). Used under license.
3. Film reel sound effect by bone666138. Used under license CC-BY 3.0.
Episode Transcription
Go to this link to read a transcript generated by Whisper AI Large V3 Model. Disclaimer: It is not edited and may contain errors!