CinemaPsych Podcast
Where psychology meets films. We dissect and analyze popular films and their psychological content.
Episode 122: Magic Hijacks Your Weak Attentional Systems, Even if You Look Close — Now You See Me (2013) with Chelsea Bell
Join Alex and Chelsea Bell as they explore the magical world of illusion craft and sleight of hand in Now You See Me (2013), Louis Leterrier's hodge-podge of heist, mystery, and real-world magic. The film is a dominant ensemble, featuring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Melanie Laurent. The different kinds of magic portrayed are discussed, along with the ways that magic, illusion, and misdirection work on the limitations of the human brain, including attention and cognitive biases. The episode also forays into topics related to magic, like hypnosis...
Episode 121: Play and Parenting Styles Help the Medicine Go Where? Mary Poppins (1964) with Jill Swirsky
Join Alex and returning guest host Dr. Jill Swirsky as they dive into perhaps one of the best musicals put to film, Mary Poppins (1964)! The film stars Julie Andrews in the titular role, with Dick Van Dyke as the lovable Bert. The film follows the Banks family, one in desperate need of a nanny to help not only the kids navigate their growing bodies and responsibilities, but to let George Banks, the patriarch of the family, get back to his playful roots. The discussion picks up this idea of creativity and learning through play with "A Spoonful...
Episode 120: Top 10 Film Titles to Teach in Psychology with Ed Hansen
Join Alex and friend of the show Dr. Ed Hansen as they discuss their Top 10 films for teaching across the psychology course spectrum in this special format episode! Both attempted to curate a list that spans different psychology courses within a typical undergraduate curriculum. The interesting thing to note about their lists, however, is that they did tend to stray close to their research and training background, or in the courses they tend to teach most often. The lists were compiled in "secret" so they weren't influenced by the other. Even still, they had two overlapping films...
Episode 119: Hearing and Sound Localization, the Alien Way — A Quiet Place (2018) with T.R. Brooks
Join Alex and returning guest Dr. T.R. Brooks as they try to survive the post-apocalyptic invasion of blind aliens with really good hearing in the film A Quiet Place (2018). The film was directed by John Krasinski, starring himself, real-life wife Emily Blunt, deaf actress Millicent Simmonds, and child actors Cade Woodward and Noah Jupe. We follow a family trying to survive this invasion, trying their hardest to not make any sounds ever, but these pesky aliens have some wild hearing abilities in spite of their blindness. Topics focus on hearing, sound localization, and the attention required...
Episode 118: Creativity is Like a Silly Impish Laugh, it’s Partly About the Person — Amadeus (1984) with Annie Ditta
Join Alex and Dr. Annie Ditta as they giggle along with Mozart in Miloš Foreman's masterpiece Amadeus (1984)! The film follows Antonio Salieri, played wonderfully by F. Murray Abraham, as he recounts his adoration turned jealousy turned pity toward Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, played brilliantly by Tom Hulce. The episode focuses on the role of creativity in creating such music that stands the test of time. The idea is that Amadeus is the full package when it comes to creative thinking, and while Salieri was creative, he is missing some aspects that were found within Mozart. And one of t...
Episode 117: Is it Nature or Nurture that Gets You into Space? Gattaca (1997) with Alan Whitehead
Join Alex and Dr. Alan Whitehead as they tackle the age-old debate in psychology explored in the film Gattaca (1997) — nature vs. nurture! The film was written and directed by Andrew Niccol and stars Ethan Hawke as Vincent, a man who was born normally (a shock, we know!) and predicted to die at 30 years old. He doesn't accept that fate based on his genes alone and vows to go to Titan by using Jude Law's Jerome Eugene Morrow's life, a man who was a genetic wunderkind. The film also stars Uma Thurman as Irene, Vincent's love interest (and Et...
Episode 116: No Matter the Culture — Parents, Listen to Your Kids! Spirited Away (2001) with Ethan Harrod
Join Alex and Dr. Ethan Harrod as they navigate the spirit world in Hayao Miyazaki's masterpiece Spirited Away (2001)! The English language dubbed version features the voice acting of Daveigh Chase (RIP :'( ), Suzanne Pleshette, Jason Marsden, and Susan Egan. Chihiro is a little girl whose family is moving, when they happen upon a strangely deserted resort town. Her parents turn into pigs after eating some food, they are subsumed within a spirit world, and Chihiro, now named Sen, must navigate working for an evil witch named Yubaba so she can find her parents, turn them back into...
Episode 115: Linguists Rejoice! A Movie about Language — Oh, it’s Aliens? Arrival (2016) With Jeff Punske
Join Alex and Dr. Jeff Punske as they explore the linguistic and cognitive aspects of Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi masterpiece, Arrival (2016). The film stars Amy Adams as Dr. Louise Banks, a renowned linguist, and Jeremy Renner as a renowned theoretical physicist. Together, they must decipher an extremely complex language from newly-arrived extraterrestrials, referred to as the heptapods. But as Louise begins to learn their language, she begins to experience time differently! Alex and Jeff explore the nature of cognition and language and discuss how the film uses the Sapir-Whorf hypotheses to explain how Louise ultimately experiences her life...
Episode 114: If We're Going to Do Homages, Let's Do Psych Ones — High Anxiety (1977) with Ed Hansen
Join Alex and friend of the show Dr. Ed Hansen as they discuss the delightfully silly and usefully psychological High Anxiety (1977), Mel Brooks' send-up to the master filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock. The film stars Brooks as Dr. Richard Thorndyke, a world-renowned psychiatrist who begins a new career at the Psycho-Neurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous. Joining him are his normal contributors, including Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman, and Madeline Kahn. When Thorndyke is framed for murder, he must use all the Hitchcockian tools at his disposal to clear his name. Of course, no discussion of Hitchcock films can...
Episode 113: Do Some Weed, Then Do a Murder — Reefer Madness (1938)
Join Alex in a solo episode as he has some fun with the day this episode goes out to the public: 4/20! The film explored is the oft-ridiculed Reefer Madness (1938), a propaganda film against the drug marijuana. Originally, it was meant to be an education film for parents so that they may notice the warning signs produced by a church group. The film earned cult status when it was shown in the exploitation film circuit in the '30s & '40s, earning immortality when efforts to preserve its historical status were undertaken in the 1970s. The film exaggerates...
Episode 112: Hiding Acting Classes from Your Family is a Gendered Secret? City Island (2009) with Kayla Sargent
Join Alex and Prof. Kayla Sargent as they explore the wild web of secrets and gender psychology in the independent film City Island (2009). The film follows the Bronx*-island-of-the-same-name patriarch Vince, played by Andy Garcia, as he attempts to change his career from prison correctional officer to actor, a secret he keeps hidden from his wife and family. Perhaps a much larger issue is that he finds his long-lost son, also unknown to the family, in the prison he works at. The other members of the family all of something they're not sharing, and the episode explores...
Episode 111: But What if He WAS His Mother, Rather Than Just Obsessed? Psycho (1960)
Join Alex in a solo episode as he explores the more overt mother obsession themes in Hitchcock's Psycho (1960). The film released two years after Hitchcock's Vertigo, which had subtler mother obsession themes. In this film, which stars Janet Leigh as Marion Crane and Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates, Hitchcock specifically smacks the audience over the head with the overt Oedipal complex and Freudian themes. Hailed as a masterpiece in its own right, Psycho is considered to be Hitchcock's first horror movie, with a insane lasting cultural impact, the least of which the shrieking violins. The discussion is...
Episode 110: There's Nothing Like a Freudian Obsession of Mother — Vertigo (1958) with Daniel Kieckhefer
Join Alex and film studies professor Daniel Kieckhefer as they explore the deeper meaning in Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece Vertigo (1958). The film stars James Stewart as a boyish former SFPD detective, haunted by a near-death experience that leaves him with extreme vertigo. He's called on as a private detective to investigate a woman, played by Kim Novak, who is seemingly possessed by a dead relative. This paper-thin mystery (as the critics at the time called it) is not what Hitchcock wanted audiences to pay attention to, however; as Daniel explains, this is classic Freudian Oedipal complex. The duo...
Episode 109: Grief and Guilt Can Take You on a Journey into Darkness — Herman (2025) with Dir. Andrew Vogel
Join Alex and filmmaker Andrew Vogel, director of the new psychological horror/thriller film, Herman (2025), as they discuss the themes and psychological concepts found within his directorial debut! The film follows a harrowing evening experienced by the titular character, Herman, played by Colin Ward. Herman is dealing with the grief and guilt losing his wife 40 years ago and it manifests as some form of darkness. The pair discuss these topics from a psychological perspective, including how religious psychology plays a role, as well as psychosis as meaning-making rather than a mental disorder. There's a lot up to...
Episode 108: Sometimes You Just Need a Frontal Lobotomy — Shutter Island (2010)
Join Alex in a solo episode as he explores the Scorsese psychological thriller Shutter Island (2010)! Starring Leonard DiCaprio as a troubled US Marshal, the film follows the Marshal’s investigation into the disappearance of a patient at a psychiatric facility and prison for the criminally insane on a desolate, rocky island in the mid-1950s. However, beneath the surface, sinister forces lurk, and the episode delves into the mysteries surrounding the case. It explores the potential psychological and psychiatric diagnoses for the characters (whether it’s schizophrenia or something else entirely). Additionally, the film sheds light on the...
Episode 107: Believing in Angels Really Does Enhance Sports Performance! Angels in the Outfield (1994) with Corinne Hobbs
Join Alex and Corinne Hobbs as they dive into a headfirst slide in home, exploring the mid-90s Disney hit Angels in the Outfield (1994)! Corinne is working toward her doctoral dissertation about coaching and pregame speeches, and knows all things sports psychology, so this is the perfect film to explore. The pair discuss how George Knox (Danny Glover) evolves as a coach, from curmudgeon to a strong believer in his players and the truth that anything can happen. A discussion of faith in sports follows, including how superstitions play a role in an elite athlete's sphere of...
Episode 106: No Mnemonics Detected but at Least We Have Jones — Johnny Mnemonic (1995) with Celeste Pilegard
Join Alex and Celeste Pilegard as they discuss the first of two Keanu Reeves dystopian cyberpunk future films, Johnny Mnemonic (1995). The film was directed by Robert Longo and he quit filmmaking after this one. A film having to do with storing other people's memories in your head while others suffer from a debilitating disease caused by electronics, while set in 2021... you have to wonder if the author of the short story, William Gibson, was some sort of soothsayer! The pair discusses the interesting memory portrayals and their relation to scientists' current understanding of memory, as well as...
Episode 105: Defying Gravity is the Self-Actualization Anthem We All Needed — Wicked (2024) with Jill Swirsky
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Jill Swirsky as they enter the world of musical theater yet again, this time traveling to the land of Oz in Wicked (2024)! The film is an adaptation of the Broadway play, which was an adaptation of the novel by Gregory Maguire. We follow Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo, the eventual Wicked Witch of the West, on her journey as a child and young adult. Along the way, she learns about her true magical abilities but ultimately becomes the villain of Oz when she uncovers a terrible secret. Along for the ride...
Episode 104: The Family That Crimes Together Stays Together — The Godfather (1972) with Jon Mandracchia
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Jon Mandracchia as they become members of the Corleone family discussing Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather (1972). This first part stars Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone, a mafia Don whose life is based on tradition. Also starring Al Pacino as Michael, Vito's son, who unexpectedly, but with his full throat, becomes the new Don. Robert Duvall, James Caan, Diane Keaton, and many others bring an amazing cast of characters to life. The conversation centers around criminogenic thinking, the cognitive processes that lead to criminal behavior, and inputs into that thinking, like the...
Episode 103: Finding Love, Family, & Metaphorical Food Through Psychodynamic Therapy — Antwone Fisher (2002) with Katherine Marshall Woods
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Katherine Marshall Woods as they explore the psychodynamic themes in Denzel Washington's directorial debut, Antwone Fisher (2002). The film also stars Washington, and in his Hollywood debut, Derek Luke plays the titular character. The film was based on the real Fisher's autobiography, Finding Fish (2001), and is about a man with anger issues on a hair trigger. But as the two psychologists explore in this episode, perhaps its because he's hungry for family, for a place of belonging, and to find those folks who won't abandon him like his early family. It's an...
Episode 102: Hitchcock, Freudian Theory, and the Perfect Murder — Strangers on a Train (1951) with Brooke Cannon
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Brooke Cannon as they explore one of Alfred Hitchcock's brilliant thrillers, Strangers on a Train (1951). The film stars Farley Granger as a tennis pro, Guy Haines, who meets stranger Bruno Antony on... you guessed it, a train! Bruno hates his dad, Guy wants to divorce his wife, and well, Bruno tinks they are going to share a pair of murders — criss-cross! Intrigue erupts as Bruno follows through, but Guy thought he was joking. The episode explores the Freudian theory Hitchcock was a fan of, along with the Dark Triad personality theory. Th...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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!
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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 effect...
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...
Episode 091: Ah, Feeling Nostalgic... for Tornadoes? Twister (1996) and Twisters (2024) with Anthony Zoccolillo
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...
Episode 090: Barton Men Don't Lie, Except When They Do! The Holdovers (2023) with Ed Hansen
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...
Episode 089: You Haven't Listened to this Episode, You're Forgetful — Gaslight (1944) with Wind Goodfriend
Join Alex and returning guest host Dr. Wind Goodfriend in a discussion of the psychological concepts found in the amazing psychological thriller Gaslight (1944) — THE origin of the word de jour "gaslighting" ! The film stars award-winning Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer, as woman who's reality is being warped by her conniving and selfish husband, respectively. Within the psychological manipulation of gaslighting, the hosts also explore the ways emotional and psychological abuse is carried out in these kinds of relationships and even discuss a new scale that aims to help folks determining if they/re under the gaslighting spell!
...Episode 088: I Wasn't Expecting to Be in This Movie! Inside Out 2 (2024)
Join Alex as he takes a solo look at the sequel to a film that lives in our hearts and our heads, Inside Out 2 (2024). While the film has a lot to live up to from its predecessor, this new entry into Riley's head isn't a slouch. A new dynamic and new emotions enter the picture as Riley turns 13 years old and beings puberty during a summer hockey camp. Of the new emotions, Anxiety (voiced by Maya Hawke), butts heads with Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler), and well, lots of wild and crazy events happen as they try...
Episode 087: Flying Fighter Jets Requires Some Task Analysis — Top Gun: Maverick (2022) with Nic Baldwin
Join Alex and returning guest host Nic Baldwin as they chat about the job analysis required to fly fighter planes on a super dangerous mission against an unnamed enemy in Top Gun: Maverick (2022). Tom Cruise returns to the role of Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, with a new crop of young Top Gun pilots, including Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, among others, as they figure out how to complete this really hard... nay, "impossible" mission in F-18s against 5th generation fighters (which mat or may not be AI-controlled airplanes). With amazing visual combined with an original story...
Episode 086: It's Not Voyeurism if Your Windows Are Open! Rear Window (1954) with Jane Halonen
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Jane Halonen as they creepily peer into Alfred Hitchcock's psychological thriller Rear Window (1954). The film stars James Stewart and Grace Kelly, with minor roles from Thelma Ritter, Wendell Corey, and Raymond Burr. Another character in this film is the set, which was a meticulous reconstruction of a small Greenwich Village courtyard, meant to evoke paranoia and claustrophobia. In the addition, the duo reflects on voyeurism, scopophilia, and the various psychological ideas surrounding watching others when you can't do anything else in the heat of a dreary summer. Perhaps your thoughts will...
Episode 085: Everyone Could Use a Little Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy — Good Will Hunting (1997) with Ed Hansen
Join Alex and returning guest host Dr. Ed Hansen in a discussion of cognitive-behavioral therapy and socio-developmental psychology in the Oscar-winning writer/stars Matt Damon and ben Affleck breakout Good Will Hunting (1997). But let's not forget the runaway star of this movie, the other Oscar-winner of this film, Robin Williams! In a film directed by Gus Van Sant, Matt plays Will Hunting, a troubled but brilliant young adult who eschews therapy but ultimately benefits from Carl Rogers' ideas embodied in cognitive-behavioral therapy. Join them as they pahrk the cahr at Hahvahrd Yahrd and chat! Wicked ahwesome!
<...Episode 084: How to Spot a True Narcissist in One Easy Step — Whiplash (2014) with Simon Rogoff
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Simon Rogoff as they explore the blatant narcissism in Damien Chazelle's jazz drumming masterpiece Whiplash (2014). Starring Miles Teller as Andrew Nieman, the jazz student, and J.K. Simmons as Fletcher, the jazz teacher, this film goes hard. Fletcher is the worst of the worst teacher, who justifies his actions by thinking he'll one day create the best jazz musician, while Andrew will top at nothing to become the next Charlie Parker. Explorations include, narcissism, of course, but also resiliency, perfectionism, and whether there are two narcissists in the movie, or just...
Episode 083: Behaviorism and Research Methods on Repeat? Sign Me Up! Groundhog Day (1993) with Jordan Wagge
Join Alex and returning guest host Dr. Jordan Wagge as they wax poetic and deep on one of Bill Murray's best, Groundhog Day (1993). Written and directed by comedy ace Harold Ramis and also starring Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, and Stephen Tobolowsky, this movie has become timeless with the question: what would you do with a day that repeats over and over? The concepts explored in the episode feature heavily in behaviorist and learning principles, as well as a discussion of research methods and hypothesis testing. Of course Phil needs to learn how to be a better human...
