CinemaPsych Podcast

Episode 101: Basic Film Editing and Human Perception are a Match Made in Cinema Heaven! The Cinema Within (2024) with Chad Freidrichs

Join Alex and guest host Chad Freidrichs, documentary filmmakers, as they discuss one of Chad's recent releases, The Cinema Within (2024). The documentary cleverly explores and visualizes one of film's greatest mysteries: how humans intuitively process film editing's most basic pieces: the cut! The pair discuss film theory and how it relates to cognitive processes and perception. While documentaries are rare on this show, it's a great exploration of how human psychology allows the cinematic experience to work and how it has been astonishing movies goers for nearly 140 years! If you're intrigued by cinema and film as an art form, have a listen to this film, watch the documentary and explore the science behind it!

Head to cinemwithin.com to watch the documentary and explore the educational features associated with the film!

To read Sermin Ildirar's work explored in the documentary, go here: Watching Film for the First Time:
How Adult Viewers Interpret Perceptual Discontinuities in Film or to find out more about audio's impact in the visual processing, go here: Audio Facilitates the Perception of Cinematic Continuity by First-Time Viewers

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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). Permission obtained from the copyright holder, Chad Freidrichs.
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!

Episode 100: The Past Six Years and Episodes of Shows and Psychology Squeezed into Three Hours — Worth It!

Join Alex in a celebration of the past six years of CinemaPsych Podcast content and 100 episodes! It's been a journey, with so many films and guests, and so what better way to highlight that time with a clip show! In this double-sized episode, explore some of my favorite moments and discussions, from great films, actors, and directors to awesome psychology content and critical thinking in art. In addition to the past episode clips, Alex describes the new additions to the website, a reimagined resource for this show and the larger aim of film pedagogy in psychology. The film and clips discussed are grouped by broad psychology category. Of course, if you love what you hear in this super-sized episode, you should check out the rest the show!

This episode features clips from the following episodes, in order of appearance:

1. Clip from the first show, affectionately numbered Episode 000: An Introduction & a Memento (2000) for the Future
2. A quick defintion of amnesia and how it is used in the film Memento (2000): Episode 039: Do You Remember the Last Time We Talked About This Film? Memento (2000)
3. An introduction to the emotions in Inside Out (2015), with Dr. Molly Metz: Episode 010: I Need to Remember That Jingle Like I Need An HQ Crisis in My Head! Inside Out (2015) with Molly Metz
4. A brief primer on Gestalt problem solving in Cast Away (2000) by Dr. Marc Klippenstine: Episode 002: Is Being Stranded a Problem? Cast Away (2000) with Marc Klippenstine
5. Social influence and jury deliberations, featuring Dr. Jordan Wagge and Jason Spiegelman, in both versions of 12 Angry Men (1957/1997): Episode 038: Men Can Get Really Angry! 12 Angry Men (1957 & 1997) with Jordan Wagge & Jason Spiegelman
6. Along a similar vein, Dr. Olivia Aspiras explains social conformity and relational aggression in Mean Girls (2004): Episode 005: On Podcasts, We Wear Pink—Mean Girls (2004) with Olivia Aspiras
7. Dr. Christina Ragan "rages" on the 10% brain myth depicted in Lucy (2014): Episode 009: One Neuron, You’re Alive; Two Make a Pair! Lucy (2014) Rage Watch with Christina Ragan
8. Exploring Oliver Sacks and when real life meets drama with Dr. KatieAnn Skogsberg in At First Sight (1999): Episode 074: Virgil Picked Up His Hammer and Saw, and Hated it — At First Sight (1999) with KatieAnn Skogsberg
9. How classical and operant conditioning are differentiated in A Clockwork Orange (1971) with Dr. Wind Goodfriend: Episode 001: Come Viddy, Me Little Droogies—A Clockwork Orange (1971) with Wind Goodfriend
10. Learning is either baby steps or flooding in What About Bob? (1991) with Dr. Jordan Wagge: Episode 041: If Freud is the Butt of the Jokes, What Does it Mean? What About Bob (1991) with Jordan Wagge
11. Learn a little about the history of chimp language projects with Dr. Karen Brakke and how they were depicted in Project X (1987): Episode 040: Wait, A Chimp Can Fly A Plane?! Project X (1987) with Karen Brakke
12. Get a quick rundown of the developmental stages of each of the Von Trapp children from The Sound of Music (1965) with Dr. Jill Swirsky: Episode 092: Developmental Psychology… In Song Form! The Sound of Music (1965) with Jill Swirsky
13. Learn a little something about Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (OCBs) in Office Space (1999) with Dr. Ed Hansen: Episode 047: I Wouldn’t Say I’ve Been Missing Work—Office Space (1999) with Ed Hansen
14. Learn the opposite of OCBs with Counterproductive Worplace Behaviors (CWBs) in Clerks (1994) with Nic Baldwin: Episode 059: He Wasn’t Even Supposed to Be There Today! Clerks (1994) with Nic Baldwin
15. Explore the history of L-dopa and how experimenting with it changed the lives of so many patients in Awakenings (1990) with Dr. Sara Bagley: Episode 033: With L-Dopa, You Too Can Do the Hokey Pokey (But Only if You’re Rigid)—Awakenings (1990) with Sara Bagley
16. Get a great psychological definition of addiction from Dr. Melissa Maffeo as portrayed in Requiem for a Dream (2000): Episode 078: Drugs are Bad, MMKay? Requiem for a Dream (2000) with Melissa Maffeo
17. Sports and stats are a dream made in heaven, at least in Moneyball (2011) and to Dr. Jess Hartnett: Episode 060: Baseball is a Game of Statistics! Moneyball (2011) with Jessica Hartnett
18. Hypothesis testing is the core feature of Groundhog Day (1993), as devised by Dr. Jordan Wagge: Episode 083: Behaviorism and Research Methods on Repeat? Sign Me Up! Groundhog Day (1993) with Jordan Wagge
19. Explore the reasons why satire might be a good avenue for discussing hard topics, like the conversion therapy in But I'm a Cheerleader (1999) with Drs. Molly Metz and Will Ryan: Episode 045: A Juicy 90s Satire of Conversion Therapy—But I’m a Cheerleader (1999) with Molly Metz & Will Ryan
20. Learning about the true definition of "gaslighting," its resurgence into the lexicon, what students think of it now and its origin in Gaslight (1940) with Dr. Wind Goodfriend: Episode 089: You Haven’t Listened to this Episode, You’re Forgetful — Gaslight (1944) with Wind Goodfriend
21. Explore the rivalry of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, two heavyweight sin early Western psychology, and this rivalry's portrayal in A Dangerous Method (2011) with Dr. Sheila Thomas: Episode 064: Sex, Drugs, and Psychoanalysis? A Dangerous Method (2011) with Sheila Thomas
22. Discover how accurate the depiction of the 1970s was in The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015) with Dr. Keli Braitman and the late, great Dr. Jen Simonds: Episode 044: Wait, Zimbardo Didn’t Do An Experiment? The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015) with Keli Braitman and Jen Simonds
23. In a final bonus segment, Alex shares one of his most favorite moments from the past six years, with a quick introduction to how the music of Star Wars (1977) was intended to make you feel with Dr. Jim Davies and Hollywood composer Joe Kraemer: Episode 068: This Music Makes Me Feel… The Psychology of Star Wars (1977) Music with Jim Davies & Joe Kraemer

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!

Episode 099: My Availability Heuristic Says It’s a Shark Attack! Jaws (1975) with Jordan Wagge

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!

Episode 098: Rats Cooking in the Kitchen? Sure, I’ll Bite — Ratatouille (2007) with Shlomit Flaisher-Grinberg

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!

Episode 097: Using My Ambition and Bottom-Up Processing for Birding! The Big Year (2011) with Marc Klippenstine

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!

Episode 096: Glasgow Senses Falling Down, Falling Down — Perfect Sense (2011) with T.R. Brooks

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!

Episode 095: Lucy's Consolidation is Broken or She Gets Blackout Drunk Everyday! 50 First Dates (2004) with Melissa Maffeo

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!

Episode 094: It Takes a Good Leader to Plan a Successful Heist — Ocean's 11 (2001) with Jason Spiegelman

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!

Episode 093: What Could Go Wrong on a Long Spaceflight—Slingshot (2024)

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!

Episode 092: Developmental Psychology... In Song Form! The Sound of Music (1965) with Jill Swirsky

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!