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.

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...

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

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.

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.

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.

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 General
• Modern Slapstick - Blazing Saddles, Airplane!, The Naked Gun
• Slapstick Subversion - Life is Beautiful
• Spoofs - Young Frankenstein, Scary Movie, Don't Look Up
• Spoof Subversion - Scream
• Teen Comedies - The Breakfast Club, Clueless, Superbad
• Teen Comedy Subversions - Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Election
• Mockumentaries - This Is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show
• Mockumentary Subversion - District 9
• Satire - Sullivan's Travels, The Producers, Network
• Satire Subversions - The Truman Show, One Battle After Another
• Bureaucratic Satire - Brazil, Robocop, Starship Troopers
• Menippean Satire - Dr. Strangelove, M.A.S.H., Don't Look Up
• Dark Comedy - Harold & Maude, The Ref, Pulp Fiction
• Dark Comedy Subversions - Funny Games, The Banshees of Inishirin
• Dark Satires - Fargo, The Big Lebowski, Heathers
• Dark Satire Subversions - Inglorious Basterds, Parasite

Topics include the following for comedy:

*Standard elements of a comedy include humorous situations typically established by either exaggerating a situation or character qualities depicted in the narrative.

*Some character archetypes in comedies include tricksters, lovable losers, the straight man, the man-child, deadpan eccentrics, fish out of water and the everyman.

*Common comedy narrative tropes include misunderstandings between characters that cause conflict, a lovable loser that ends up a winner, odd couples with opposite qualities, physical humor, and one-liners.

*This episode addresses the romantic comedy and screwball comedy in detail, with other genres to be discussed in the next episode.

*Romantic comedy tropes include either enemies to friends or meet cute introduction of characters, opposites attract, a makeover scene, and a final grand gesture to support a love conquers all theme.

*Screwball films include many of the same tropes as standard romantic comedies, but typically also include rapid fire dialogue. At times, screwball plotlines explore the remarriage trope as opposed to the initial phase of a relationship that is standard in the modern rom-com.

*Notable subversions of the romantic comedy include Annie Hall, (500) Days of Summer, Anora and Jerry Maguire.

*Notable subversions of the screwball comedy include Arsenic and Old Lace, Raising Arizona, and War of the Roses.

Topics include the following for musicals:

*Musicals often use frame stories or fantasy/dream sequences to justify breaking into song within the narrative.

*Animated films incorporate many of the same elements as live action musical films, while musical biopics are typically dramas with musical sequences that are explained within the world of the story.

*Character archetypes in musicals include the ingenue/dreamer, tortured visionary, cynic, diva, icon, ringmaster and comic sidekick.

*Notable musical subversions include The Red Shoes, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Dancer in the Dark, Cabaret, All That Jazz, Black Swan, Pink Floyd: The Wall, and musical biopics generally.

*Musical song tropes include the Opening Song, I Want Song, Villain Song, Reprise, 11 O'Clock Song, Showstopper, and Grand Finale.

Please join us for the second part of the Comedy discussion, in which slapstick, spoofs, mockumentaries, teen comedies, satires, and dark comedy will be explored in our next episode.

Topics include the following:

• Indications of a standard first person narrative structure include use of narration and/or point of view shots.
• However, in many instances, a third person limited perspective that shows only the environment the protagonist sees throughout a story is the format for conveying a specific character's perspective.
• Voiceover can take the form of either a character relaying information directly to the audience through narration or in the form of a flow of consciousness voiceover within the character's mind.
• Some films use voiceover by multiple characters to either convey competing views of the characters ("Casino") or a collective consciousness of the characters ('The Thin Red Line").
• Some meta films that address the filmmaking process work as first person narratives by personifying the filmmaker within the film with either minimal voiceover exposition ("8 1/2") or explicit narration detailing the creative process ("Adaptation").
• Some unreliable first person narrative structures, such as "Rashomon," are designed to convey the subjective nature of reality, while others convey the warping of reality by mental illness.
• Dream sequences can be used to reveal the inner world of the protagonist visually, or otherwise serve as internal catalysts for actions they take.
• Hallucinations can be used in storytelling to either project the warped perspective a character experiences or reveal aspects of a greater reality not normally perceived by the character.
• Flashbacks are typically used to convey how a character subjectively experienced events that happened in the past, but also can be used to convey how a listener perceives a version of events conveyed to them by that character.
• Flashforwards raise the issue of whether the future is predetermined or if there is free will to change what has been prophesized.
• Ultimately, all of these narrative devices enable filmmakers to address subjective reality and emotional truth, which is at the heart of storytelling.

Even though plot details may differ between narratives, universal themes are often explored through storylines that long predate the existence of film. Additionally, other sources of inspiration can influence various aspects of a film, including its visual expression of ideas and tone. Examples of sources of inspiration include the following:

• Oral storytelling history
• Religious and mythological stories
• Stage Plays - both classic and modern
• Short Stories & Novels - both classic and modern
• Graphic Novels & Comic Books
• Videogames
• Artwork & Music
• Radio, newsreels & newspapers
• Other Films - both foreign & domestic
• The Entertainment Industry itself
• Actual Life Events and Non-Fiction materials based upon such events
• The Collective Unconscious (assuming Carl Jung is correct)

Some examples of Themes explored in film and its source material include the following:

• Good vs Evil
• Coming of Age
• Search for Identity
• Death & Rebirth

Archetypal characters depicted in films and its source materials include the following:

• Hero
• Shadow
• Mentor
• Trickster
• Shapeshifter
• Herald

Narrative structures for storytelling discussed within this video include the following:

• Linear - including backward linear
• Nonlinear / Fractured
• Circular - including repeating time loop, time paradox, and thematic circular structures.
• Bookends
• Mythical Hero storylines that include a call to adventure

Further exploration of narrative structures and devices to be continued over the next few episodes...

• Techniques used when filming the performance of actors.
• Editing techniques for dialogue scenes.
• Establishing character through action.
• How dialogue styles and rhythms either elevate or ground the execution of a film.

Primary takeaways are as follows:

• Distance, framing and motion of cinematography can be used to balance between establishing geography and highlighting key emotional moments that a filmmaker seeks to accentuate.
• The most important aspect of editing character interaction is to capture the emotion of a scene, with other key aspects being maintaining essential elements of the plot and not disorienting the audience with a bad cut.
• Elevated dialogue creates a more poetic version of reality, while naturalistic dialogue grounds a film in a less stylized manner to resemble the real world.
• Voiceover narration can at times be straightforward to bring to light additional plot details or provide insight into a character's inner world. However, narration can also be unreliable to make the audience believe something other than what actually transpired in the story.

1) Locations - whether it be a soundstage or a natural location.

2) Costumes - past, present, or future all require authenticity.

3) Props - what are the props that either make the film feel lived in or define character.

4) Makeup - especially that which fully transforms the actor into the character he or she assumes.

5) Visual effects - to either enhance the setting or character transformation, including motion capture.

Once the setting is established for the actor, the primary aspect required to bring the scene to life is performance. A few aspects regarding performance explored in the episode include the following:

1) Casting - whether to typecast or cast against type.

2) Exterior vs interior acting - stagecraft to play to the back row in comparison to the Method taught by Lee Strasberg or the Adler technique attributed to Stella Adler.

3) Non-professional actors - under certain circumstances, is it better for a person to simply be who they are before the camera?

4) What is the future for AI characters in film?

The first portion of the episode concerns the impact on film by the addition of synchronized sound, as well as how sound is mixed to add psychological resonance to a film. The second portion dives into film scoring and use of needle drops to promote associations to particular songs.

Some of the composers and their important works discussed in this episode include masters like John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, John Barry, James Horner, Hans Zimmer, Wendy Carlos, Tangerine Dream and Angelo Badalamenti.

Examples illustrating each aspect of editing include discussion of landmark montage set pieces from Battleship Potemkin and Citizen Kane to The Untouchables and Inception; the power of parallel editing in such masterpieces as The Godfather, Magnolia and Requiem for a Dream; and jaw dropping, seemingly continuous shots as seen in such films as Alfred Hitchcock's Rope, Children of Men and Sinners. Surreal cinema from Maya Deren's Meshes of the Afternoon to David Lynch's Mulholland Drive are also discussed.

Takeaways:

* The art of picture editing is to juxtapose images in such a manner as to either create seamless action for storytelling purposes or convey complex ideas that go beyond the surface level plot of a film.
* Montage is the art of using picture editing to make the assembled pieces have value that is greater than the sum of the individual parts, either intellectually or emotionally.
* Montage strategy can either be as objective as following the number of frames between each cut or as subjective as determining how one image juxtaposed against another should create an emotional reaction in the viewer.
* Surrealism is the juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated elements that when combined create a kind of dream logic that may not be rationally explainable as much as felt emotionally.

Takeaways

• Cinematography is a complex aspect of filmmaking that directly affects the psychological impact of a film.
• Understanding the historical evolution of film formats provides insight into the development of cinematographic techniques.
• Cinematographic perspective, including the use of point of view shots and camera movement, plays a crucial role in creating a compelling cinematic experience.
• Choices of lenses, angles, lighting and filming speed can convey a skewed world view to alter the psychological landscape of a film.

The final lists are as follows:

Matt's 30 Favorites:

2001: A Space Odyssey

Alien

Apocalypse Now

Blade Runner

Chinatown

The Dark Knight

The Empire Strikes Back

The French Connection

The Godfather

Goodfellas

Goldfinger

Heat

Inception

Jaws

King Kong (1933)

L.A. Confidential

Lawrence of Arabia

LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Psycho

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Road to Perdition

Robocop

The Right Stuff

Scarface

Seven

The Shawshank Redemption

Star Wars

Superman - The Movie

Videodrome

Mike's 30 Favorites:

Alien

The Godfather

Jaws

Blade Runner

The Terminator

All the President's Men

The Shining

Marathon Man

Memento

Goodfellas

Chinatown

Requiem for a Dream

Halloween

Raiders of the Lost Ark

M*A*S*H

Inception

Die Hard

Gladiator

Seven

Mulholland Dr.

Videodrome

The Tree of Life

Abre Los Ojos (Open Your Eyes)

Manhunter

Gravity

Interstellar

Citizen Kane

Carrie

Don't Look Now

A Nightmare on Elm St.

Matt's Honorable Mentions:

The Abyss

Aliens

American Graffiti

Back to the Future

Bride of Frankenstein

Casino Royale

Citizen Kane

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Creature from the Black Lagoon

The Dead Zone

Dracula (1931)

The Exorcist

Fantasia

Frankenstein (1931)

Gladiator

The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly

The Godfather - Part 2

Halloween

Interstellar

Pan's Labyrinth

Pulp Fiction

Saving Private Ryan

Scarface (1983)

Schindler's List

Skyfall

The Spy Who Loved Me

The Terminator

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Touch of Evil

Toy Story

Zodiac

Mike's Honorable Mentions:

The Dark Knight

The Lion King

The Godfather - Part 2

Casablanca

All About Eve

On the Waterfront

Heat

Black Narcissus

Persona

The Big Lebowski

Sex, Lies, & Videotape

Pi

The Fog

Tootsie

Wall Street

The Virgin Suicides

Up

Sunrise

Dangerous Liaisons

Dressed to Kill

Dune - Part 2

Blazing Saddles

8 1/2

Apocalypse Now

Aliens

La La Land

Amelie

Witness

The Insider

In a Lonely Place

Chinatown

LA Confidential

The French Connection

Die Hard

Goldfinger

Marathon Man

Heat

Manhunter

Goodfellas

Scarface

Road to Perdition

The Shawshank Redemption

Requiem for a Dream

SPOILER ALERT: Again, all elements of a film are fair game for discussion, so if you haven't seen all of these films and you don't want to know the ending, skip past that film and listen to the next entry.

In particular, Matt shares his family connection to "The Right Stuff" due to his father's lifetime of military service and flight experience. Mike relates how Christopher Nolan keeps making films he wishes he had the chance to make, with "Interstellar" having particular personal meaning for its exploration of the boundary between the scientific and the spiritual that has fascinated Mike since he was in high school.

Other films discussed range from the political, such as the journalistic "All the President's Men" and wickedly satirical "Robocop," to the darkly thrilling, like "The Shining" and "Seven." And there's much more to come in future episodes...

SPOILER ALERT: Discussion of all time great films at times must include mention of a film's ending or key twists in the story, so be forewarned that all aspects of a film are fair game for discussion!