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Episodes
Where psychology meets films. We dissect and analyze popular films and their psychological content.
Episodes

Mar 8, 2021
Mar 8, 2021
1hr 22 min
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Shana Southard-Dobbs in a discussion of the psychological concepts in the somber and illustrative film, Still Alice (2014)! Alzheimer's disease is front and center in this tour de force by Julianne Moore. Both Shana and I thought some of the aspects of the film came too close to home, but not for the memory loss, but that it happens to a college professor and cognitive scientist!
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com) or on Facebook (@CinPsyPod). We'd love to hear from you!
Don't forget to check out our Paypal links 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!
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 Sro ("Self-Driving"). Used under license CC BY-SA 4.0.
3. Film reel sound effect by bone666138. Used under license CC BY 3.0.
4. Additional music: "Et Voila". Used under license.
Episode Transcript
Go to this link to read a transcript generated by Whisper AI Large V3 Model. Disclaimer: It is not edited and may contain errors!

Feb 15, 2021
Feb 15, 2021
54 min
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Will Ryan in a discussion of the psychological concepts in the whimsical fairy tale, Pleasantville (1998)! This film has so many lovely allegories, so we explore as many as we can in a short amount of time. Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon are fantastic in these early roles of their careers, with William H. Macy doing a great job asking... "Where is my dinner?"
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com) or on Facebook (@CinPsyPod). We'd love to hear from you!
Don't forget to check out our Paypal links 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!
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 Sro ("Self-Driving"). Used under license CC BY-SA 4.0.
3. Film reel sound effect by bone666138. Used under license CC BY 3.0.
4. Additional music: "Et Voila". Used under license.
Episode Transcript
Go to this link to read a transcript generated by Whisper AI Large V3 Model. Disclaimer: It is not edited and may contain errors!

Jan 25, 2021
Jan 25, 2021
1hr 2 min
Join Alex and Anthony Zoccolillo as they discuss the great but problematic Rain Man (1988). These are some wonderful performances by Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman, but the autism portrayal was a product of its time. After you listen to this podcast episode, pull up a chair and watch The People's Court!
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com) or on Facebook (@CinPsyPod). We'd love to hear from you!
Don't forget to check out our Paypal links 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!
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 Sro ("Self-Driving"). Used under license CC BY-SA 4.0.
3. Film reel sound effect by bone666138. Used under license CC BY 3.0.
4. Additional music: "Et Voila". Used under license.
Episode Transcript
Go to this link to read a transcript generated by Whisper AI Large V3 Model. Disclaimer: It is not edited and may contain errors!

Jan 4, 2021
Jan 4, 2021
1hr 44 min
Join Alex and guest host Michael Alexander in a discussion of the psychological concepts in the X-Men film franchise (2000-2019), films where the allegories for civil rights for minority populations and groups hit you like Magneto would hit you with a steel bar! We do also delve into the 90s cartoon and of course discuss the comic books that informed these films.
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com) or on Facebook (@CinPsyPod). We'd love to hear from you!
Don't forget to check out our Paypal links 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!
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 Sro ("Self-Driving"). Used under license CC BY-SA 4.0.
3. Additional music: "Et Voila". Used under license.
Episode Transcript
Go to this link to read a transcript generated by Whisper AI Large V3 Model. Disclaimer: It is not edited and may contain errors!

Dec 14, 2020
Dec 14, 2020
46 min
Join Alex in a solo episode as he discusses the psychological concepts in a well-filmed but strikingly strange film The Lighthouse (2019). It stars Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe, ONLY, as we explore the descent (?) into madness when guilt, excessive drinking, and isolation make a formidable cocktail. This episode also represents a different delivery method, much like Episode 022/Fight Club, with the bulk of the discussion happening during a live stream of Alex's (https://twitch.tv/cogpsychprof), with participation and some shoutouts to Twitch chat. It also includes some sound bites that will sound different, because they were recorded in May 2020 during a live Watch Party.
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com) or on Facebook (@CinPsyPod). We'd love to hear from you!
Don't forget to check out our Paypal links 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!
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 Sro ("Self-Driving"). Used under license CC BY-SA 4.0.
3. "Et Voila" used under license.
Episode Transcript
Go to this link to read a transcript generated by Whisper AI Large V3 Model. Disclaimer: It is not edited and may contain errors!

Nov 23, 2020
Nov 23, 2020
1hr 24 min
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Sully Coleman in a discussion of the psychological concepts in Stanley Kubrick's wild psychological horror The Shining (1980), a film where you get the sense something is wrong—perhaps it's all the ghosts in the hotel OR, and hear me out, it's Jack's unrelenting narcissism!
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com) or on Facebook (@CinPsyPod). We'd love to hear from you!
Don't forget to check out our Paypal links 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!
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 Sro ("Self-Driving"). Used under license CC BY-SA 4.0.
3. Additional music: "Et Voila". Used under license.
Episode Transcript
Go to this link to read a transcript generated by Whisper AI Large V3 Model. Disclaimer: It is not edited and may contain errors!

Oct 26, 2020
Oct 26, 2020
56 min
Join Alex in a solo episode as he discusses the psychological concepts in a wild ride of a film, Fight Club (1999), starring Edward Norton and Brad Pitt as <<SPOILER ALERT>> the same person... but actually different people? This episode is also an experimental delivery, with the bulk of the discussion happening during a live stream of Alex's (https://twitch.tv/cogpsychprof), with participation and some shoutouts to Twitch chat.
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com) or on Facebook (@CinPsyPod). We'd love to hear from you!
Don't forget to check out our Paypal links to contribute to this podcast and keep the lights on!
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 Sro ("Self-Driving"). Used under license CC BY-SA 4.0.
3. "Et Voila" used under license.
Episode Transcript
Go to this link to read a transcript generated by Whisper AI Large V3 Model. Disclaimer: It is not edited and may contain errors!

Oct 12, 2020
Oct 12, 2020
1hr 4 min
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Lyra Stein in a discussion of the psychological concepts in Split (2016), a film where M. Night Shyamalan returns to the height of his powers in an exploration of Dissociative Identity Disorder, but breaks that whole thing by bringing in some supernatural elements. James McAvoy is so good, though!
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com) or on Facebook (@CinPsyPod). We'd love to hear from you!
Don't forget to check out our Paypal links to contribute to this podcast and keep the lights on!
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 Sro ("Self-Driving"). Used under license CC BY-SA 4.0.
3. Additional music: "Et Voila". Used under license.
Episode Transcript
Go to this link to read a transcript generated by Whisper AI Large V3 Model. Disclaimer: It is not edited and may contain errors!

Sep 21, 2020
Sep 21, 2020
1hr 9 min
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Jordan Wagge in a discussion of the psychological concepts in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), a cerebral (pun intended!) romp with Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, written by Charlie Kaufman. We don't recommend getting a procedure to erase memories, for any reason!
You can also find Jordan on BlueSky: @jorowags.bsky.social
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com) or on Facebook (@CinPsyPod). We'd love to hear from you!
Don't forget to check out our Paypal links to contribute to this podcast and keep the lights on!
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 Sro ("Self-Driving"). Used under license CC BY-SA 4.0.
3. Additional music: "Et Voila". Used under license.
Episode Transcript
Go to this link to read a transcript generated by Whisper AI Large V3 Model. Disclaimer: It is not edited and may contain errors!

Aug 31, 2020
Aug 31, 2020
1hr 22 sec
Join Alex and returning guest host Jason Spiegelman as they discuss the family dynamics in the fly fishing period piece, A River Runs Through It (1992). The film stars Brad Pitt, Tom Skerritt, and Craig Sheffer as father and sons just trying to make it in early 20th century Montana. Honestly, the only thing you can really focus on are the amount of stares people make and all the fly fishing. Makes you want to forget all your troubles and just go wade out into a river!
Check out a fun, early-in-podcast-producing moment from the last time Jason joined us. It's what some would call "bloopers": https://youtu.be/chzXtfvSyXc
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com) or on Facebook (@CinPsyPod). We'd love to hear from you!
Don't forget to check out our Paypal links to contribute to this podcast and keep the lights on! Check out our sweet Merch Store!
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 Sro ("Self-Driving"). Used under license CC BY-SA 4.0.
3. Additional music: "Weekend in Tattoine". Used under license.
Episode Transcript
Go to this link to read a transcript generated by Whisper AI Large V3 Model. Disclaimer: It is not edited and may contain errors!
