Celluloid Dreams: The Psychology of Film

Michael
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Film History

Join Matt & Mike as they discuss the psychological underpinnings of films from the beginning of film as an art form to the present. Subject matter includes discussion of films addressing psychological issues, whether it be mental illness or a psychological or spiritual exploration with more universal applicability, the techniques used to create an emotional or intellectual reaction when watching a film, and the ultimate psychological impact of a film.

  1. 1d ago

    Episode 20: Film School Finale: Save the Cat or Kill the Dog - Featured Film: Chinatown

    Matt & Mike complete the film school with a breakdown of the primary narrative types of films released by Hollywood as outlined by Blake Snyder in his "Save the Cat" series of books. Those categories are the following: 1) The Golden Fleece (essentially the Hero's Journey and the road movie) 2) Monster in the House (horror films) 3) Out of the Bottle (fable-like stories involving magic) 4) Dude with a Problem (everyman hero stories) 5) Rites of Passage (includes coming of age, mid-life and existential crisis, and death-related films, but also separation and addiction stories) 6) Buddy Love (includes both romantic stories and platonic buddy films) 7) Whydunit? (mysteries, thrillers and noir films) 8) The Fool Triumphant (includes both comedic films and dramatic fish out of water stories) 9) Institutionalized (any story where the protagonist deals with a group which may require him to change to join the group or that he challenges to undermine that group) 10) Superhero (includes comic and story book heroes, as well as historical heroes that were remarkably influential and gifted) When discussing the Whydunit? category, focus on the plot elements and themes of Chinatown will illuminate why that film is such a masterpiece of this story type. After exploring the insights that Save the Cat has to offer, screenwriter Paul Guyot's critique of Save the Cat, entitled "Kill the Dog," is explored in order to address how a film should address the tropes of a certain story type only for the purpose of either subverting those tropes or drilling down to provide deeper illumination of the themes explored by that story type. Finally, the film school will end on an examination of various narrative devices used in dramatic films, including structural reversals (aka plot twists, so SPOILER ALERT for that section of the podcast), common visual tropes and dialogue tropes.

  2. Oct 25

    Episode 19: The Year In Film: 1979 - Featured Film: Alien

    Matt & Mike dive deep to discuss the various elements that comprise Ridley Scott's Alien -- explaining how it is not only an exciting science fiction premise with a strong dose of body horror, but also an exploration of how the merger of technology and humanity could manifest into something that is less recognizably human than what our society hopes to achieve by creating such technology. Expanding on themes raised by 2001: A Space Odyssey concerning the dangers of artificial intelligence, the film goes further in exploring how corporate greed could fuel the destruction of humanity through the use of artificial intelligence, a highly relevant message for today's world. The xenomorph is a symbol of what the "perfectly efficient" apex predator without a conscience would resemble, and it's representation has echoed in our pop culture ever since the film's release. At the time of its release, the film was also recognized as a groundbreaking vehicle for establishing the female action hero icon, which continued to be developed through the crowd-pleasing sequel, Aliens, which solidified the importance of the franchise in this regard. For all these reasons and more, Alien is an important piece of speculative fiction, that also operates as a nerve-shattering sci-fi/horror film that both shocks and delights. As it would so happen, around the time we completed this episode, Tom Skerritt, the talented performer who first made a splash in feature films in M*A*S*H from 1970, and memorably portrayed Captain Dallas of the Nostromo in this film, sadly passed away. We dedicate this episode to his memory, not only for what he contributed to this film, but also to so many other meritorious works, including The Dead Zone and Contact.

  3. Oct 11

    Episode 18: The Year in Film: 1979 - Top Ten Lists & Honorable Mentions

    Matt & Mike count down their Top Ten Films from 1979, and discuss their Honorable Mentions, as well as films from 1979 they missed that they still want to see. This episode also includes a focused discussion of Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now, though the featured film for 1979, Ridley Scott's Alien, will be analyzed in a much more detailed fashion in the next episode, coming soon...

  4. Sep 27

    Episode 17: Celluloid Dreams Film School Part 11: Drama Elements & Tropes 2: Featuring - Obsession

    Mike & Matt complete their discussion about some of the most common situational archetypes and story tropes in dramatic narratives, as well some common story beats. In the course of discussing the Ill-Fated Romance archetype, an in depth discussion of Curry Barker's 2026 smash release "Obsession" ensues, in which Mike and Matt break down how Barker takes a classic wish fulfillment plot line and makes it fresh by infusing it with ill-fated romance story elements. Episode topics are as follows: Good vs Evil situational archetype Ill-Fated Romance situational archetype Analysis of "Obsession" The Tragic Misunderstanding story trope The Point of No Return story beat The Underdog Struggle situational archetype The Rags-to-Riches offshoot of the Underdog Struggle The Secret Legacy story trope The Broken Pedestal story trope The Fish Out of Water situational archetype The Enemies to Allies situational archetype The Ticking Clock story trope The False Victory story beat

  5. Sep 14

    Episode 16: The Year in Film: 1975 - Featuring: Jaws

    Matt & Mike count down their top 10 films and honorable mentions from the year 1975, with a focused discussion on Steven Spielberg's masterpiece, Jaws. When discussing the film, the duo analyze the many aspects that make Jaws one of the quintessential American films, as well as being one of the greatest films of all time. If you question whether Jaws is more than just the film that spawned the modern blockbuster, listen in to find out why it is gaining increasing attention as an artistic triumph that speaks more about American society in the present day than just about any other film. Matt & Mike also discuss how the film explores the psychology of the three main characters in particular, in addition to addressing the filmmaking techniques that affect the viewer psychologically.

  6. Aug 31

    Episode 15: Celluloid Dreams Film School Part 10: Drama Elements & Tropes - Featuring: The Odyssey

    Mike and Matt discuss the various elements that are characteristic to the dramatic form of storytelling, including standard character archetypes and narrative tropes. In particular, Matt & Mike focus on some of the most common thematic situational archetypes that are related to rites of passage storylines, such as Coming of Age, Midlife Crisis, Existential Crisis and Death & Rebirth. Throughout the episode, various aspects of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey will be analyzed, particularly how Odysseus exemplifies the epic hero archetype, as well as how The Odyssey fits into a Midlife / Existential Crisis situational archetype, utliizes the Sins of the Father & Atonement / Redemption narrative tropes, and explores themes of death and rebirth. Additionally, Matt & Mike will discuss some of the controversies surrounding The Odyssey and how Christopher Nolan uses many of the cinematic tools discussed in prior episodes of the film school to make The Odyssey an immersive experience. With so much to discuss in regard to situational archetypes, this episode is part 1 of 2, with the forthcoming Episode 17 wrapping up the exploration of that topic.

  7. Aug 17

    Episode 14: The Year in Film: 1972 - Featuring: The Godfather

    Mike and Matt begin their exploration of the last 100 years of film, one year at a time. First up is a year very early in their own upbringing, with a focus on a film generally considered to be the most culturally prominent film in American cinema, The Godfather. Universally loved by filmgoers and critics alike, The Godfather is the perfect starting point for this filmic exploration. For each episode in the "Year in Film" series, Mike and Matt will provide a list of their top films of that year, before diving into the primary subject of the episode. Following analysis of the featured film, a brief discussion of the impact of that film on subsequent related works wraps up the episode. ERRATA: When discussing their top 10 films of 1972, Mike neglected to mention the title of one of his selections, The New Centurions, directed by Richard Fleischer, based on the novel by Joseph Wambaugh, and starring George C. Scott and Stacy Keach.

  8. Aug 3

    Episode 13: Celluloid Dreams Film School Part 9: Comedy Subgenre Elements & Tropes

    Matt & Mike continue their discussion of various comedy subgenres, including Slapstick, Spoofs, Teen Comedies, Mockumentaries, Satire, and Dark Comedy. For each subgenre, tropes and subversions of those tropes are discussed, citing numerous examples for each category, including the following: Classic Slapstick - Safety Last!, City Lights, The GeneralModern Slapstick - Blazing Saddles, Airplane!, The Naked GunSlapstick Subversion - Life is BeautifulSpoofs - Young Frankenstein, Scary Movie, Don't Look UpSpoof Subversion - ScreamTeen Comedies - The Breakfast Club, Clueless, SuperbadTeen Comedy Subversions - Fast Times at Ridgemont High, ElectionMockumentaries - This Is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in ShowMockumentary Subversion - District 9Satire - Sullivan's Travels, The Producers, NetworkSatire Subversions - The Truman Show, One Battle After AnotherBureaucratic Satire - Brazil, Robocop, Starship TroopersMenippean Satire - Dr. Strangelove, M.A.S.H., Don't Look UpDark Comedy - Harold & Maude, The Ref, Pulp FictionDark Comedy Subversions - Funny Games, The Banshees of InishirinDark Satires - Fargo, The Big Lebowski, HeathersDark Satire Subversions - Inglorious Basterds, Parasite

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Join Matt & Mike as they discuss the psychological underpinnings of films from the beginning of film as an art form to the present. Subject matter includes discussion of films addressing psychological issues, whether it be mental illness or a psychological or spiritual exploration with more universal applicability, the techniques used to create an emotional or intellectual reaction when watching a film, and the ultimate psychological impact of a film.

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