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Philosophy In Film: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Chris McTavish, Alain Beauclair and Craig Nickel
A fun and accessible podcast that explores philosophical ideas and themes in popular films.
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- Oct 1, 20261h 44m
Philosophy In Film - 108 - Ex Machina
This week on Philosophy in Film, the gang enters the glass-walled world of Alex Garland's 2014 sci-fi thriller, Ex Machina. When programmer Caleb is invited to the secluded estate of enigmatic tech mogul Nathan, he finds himself enlisted to evaluate Ava, an advanced artificial intelligence whose apparent consciousness raises questions that become increasingly difficult to contain. Before long, the experiment turns toward bigger questions about intelligence, desire, creation, and who exactly is testing whom. Alain delivers a streamlined Beauclair Synopsis , setting the stage before Chris enters Philosopher's Corner to examine the film's questions about consciousness and artificial intelligence. The Round Table puts Ava through three lenses: the Turing Test, the Pygmalion myth, and the darker possibilities of AI, including what it might want from us and what goals it might pursue on its own. Reviews follow before Craig steps into the spotlight with Producer's Notes , while Mailbag then closes the doors on the experiment. As always, we explore the philosophical and non-philosophical aspects of the film, because the question isn't just whether AI can think, but what happens when it starts thinking about us. 🍻 Featured Beer 🍻 - I/O New England IPA by Town Square Brewing Co. (Edmonton, AB)
- Aug 4, 20262h 9m
Philosophy In Film - 107 - The Odyssey
Episode 107: The Odyssey This week on Philosophy in Film, the gang sets sail with Christopher Nolan's ambitious retelling of The Odyssey, breathing new life into Homer's timeless epic of monsters, memory, and the long road home. After the fall of Troy, the cunning Odysseus embarks on a perilous journey across unfamiliar seas, where every island, temptation, and trial tests not only his resolve, but the very man he hopes to become before returning to Ithaca. Craig hoists the sails with Producer's Notes , while Alain charts the voyage with the Beauclair Synopsis , navigating a course through gods, monsters, shipwrecks, and impossible choices. In Philosopher's Corner , Chris charts the course from nostos, the Greek ideal of homecoming, to the modern notion of nostalgia, revealing why the journey home has always been about more than distance. The gang then gathers at the Round Table , where myth, history, and humanity collide before Reviews and Mailbag guide us safely back to shore. As always, we explore the philosophical and non-philosophical aspects of the film, because every voyage changes the traveller, but only a few lead us home. 🍻 Featured Beer 🍻 - Pyrrhic Victory by Small Gods Brewing Co. X Field House Brewing Co. (Sidney, BC)
- Jun 30, 20262h 18m
Philosophy In Film - 106 - Dogville
Episode 106: Dogville This week on Philosophy in Film, the gang steps onto the chalk-lined streets of Lars von Trier's provocative 2003 drama, Dogville. When the mysterious Grace arrives seeking refuge from a pair of gangsters, the isolated mountain town reluctantly offers her shelter. But as hospitality gives way to exploitation, kindness slowly curdles into cruelty, revealing just how thin the line between virtue and self-interest can be. Craig draws the map with Producer's Notes , while Alain walks the bare stage for the Beauclair Synopsis , guiding us through Dogville's quiet descent from generosity to moral collapse. In Philosopher's Corner , Chris shines a light on Immanuel Kant's notion of radical evil, asking what happens when ordinary people gradually learn to justify the unjustifiable. The gang then gathers at the Round Table , where every line in the sand is up for debate before Reviews pulls back the curtain for one final look. As always, we explore the philosophical and non-philosophical aspects of the film, because sometimes the darkest places are the ones that seem the most welcoming. 🍻 Featured Beer 🍻 - Saints and Sinners IPA by Dog Island Brewing (Slave Lake, AB)
- Jun 2, 20261h 40m
Philosophy In Film - 105 - Back to the Future
Episode 105 - Back to the Future Great Scott! This week on Philosophy in Film, the gang travels back in time to 1985 with Robert Zemeckis' beloved sci-fi adventure classic, Back to the Future. When Marty McFly is accidentally sent back to 1955 in a time machine built by the eccentric Doc Brown, he quickly discovers that history is far easier to disrupt than repair. Craig kicks things off, generating 1.21 gigawatts of Producer's Notes , while Alain fires up the DeLorean for the Beauclair Synopsis . In Philosopher's Corner , Chris engages the flux capacitor to navigate the film's famously tangled family tree. The gang then convenes at the Round Table , where timelines intersect, paradoxes emerge, and nobody can quite agree on the rules. Reviews and Mailbag bring us safely back to the present, wrapping up the episode before the timeline can drift any further. As always, we explore the philosophical and non-philosophical aspects of the film, because where we're going, we don't need…roads. Come visit us at https://philosophyinfilm.ca/! 🍻 Featured Beer 🍻 - "Why Don't You Make Like A Tree And Get Outta Here" NZ Cascade Pale Ale by Backcountry Brewing (Squamish, BC)
- May 12, 20262h 8m
Philosophy In Film - 104 - Glory Daze
Episode 104: Glory Daze This week on Philosophy in Film, the gang cracks open a time capsule with Glory Daze, the scrappy 1995 Gen-X comedy filled with graduation panic, beer-soaked nostalgia, and an early Ben Affleck appearance before the Hollywood spotlight hit. Set over one chaotic night before graduation, the film follows a group of college friends desperately clinging to youth before adulthood finally calls their bluff. Craig stumbles into Producer's Notes , while Alain pulls an all-nighter for the Beauclair Synopsis , tracing the film's blend of drunken nostalgia and quarter-life existentialism. In Philosopher's Corner , Chris settles into the film's strange limbo between youth and adulthood, unpacking the quiet panic that comes with realizing freedom, responsibility, and identity rarely arrive at the same time. The gang gathers at the Round Table to kick around one last semester of chaos before Reviews and Mailbag crack open a final beer and stumble across the graduation stage into the night. As always, we explore the philosophical and non-philosophical aspects of the film, because sooner or later, everybody has to leave campus. 🍻 Featured Beer 🍻 - Mixtape Hazy IPA by Polyrhythm Brewing (Edmonton, Alberta) https://philosophyinfilm.ca/
- Mar 24, 20261h 45m
Philosophy In Film - 103 - Stand by Me
Episode 103: Stand by Me This week on Philosophy in Film, the gang sets out down the tracks with Rob Reiner's beloved coming-of-age classic, Stand by Me. Based on Stephen King's novella The Body, the film follows four boys as they leave in search of a missing body. What begins as childhood curiosity slowly unfolds into a meditation on friendship, memory, and the quiet moment when innocence gives way to experience. Craig packs the provisions with Producer's Notes , while Alain walks the rails through the Beauclair Synopsis , tracing the boys' winding path through campfire confessions and junkyard trials. In Philosopher's Corner , Chris reflects on the fragile architecture of childhood friendship, asking how loyalty, vulnerability, and social circumstance shape who we become long after the journey ends. The gang gathers at the Round Table to revisit the film's enduring emotional resonance, weighing nostalgia against realism and asking why stories of youth often feel clearest in retrospect. Reviews bring the trip home, as we reflect on a film that continues to find new meaning with each revisit. As always, we explore the philosophical and non-philosophical terrain of the film, because sometimes the longest journeys are the ones we only recognize after we've grown up. 🍻 Featured Beer 🍻 - Alberta's Great Out S'mores Milk Stout by Hub Town Brewing (Okotoks, AB)
- Feb 24, 20262h 1m
Philosophy In Film - 102 - Slap Shot
Episode 102: Slap Shot With Special Guest: Megan Craig (Associate Professor of Philosophy and Art, Stony Brook University) The gloves are off this week on Philosophy in Film as the gang faces off with George Roy Hill's bruising classic, Slap Shot! Set in the fading mill town of Charlestown, the film follows player-coach Reggie Dunlop, played by Paul Newman, as he tries to save a failing hockey team by leaning into spectacle, violence, and the sudden popularity of the Hanson Brothers. What begins as a desperate bid for ticket sales spirals into a question about integrity, entertainment, and what happens when winning becomes secondary to drawing blood. At centre ice, Craig drops the puck with Producer's Notes (), while Alain takes out some teeth with the Beauclair Synopsis (). In Philosopher's Corner, Chris digs into the film's storied history and stitches connections to our hometown. The gang heads to the penalty box for the Round Table () to consider the ethics of aggression, masculinity on ice, and the simmering class tensions bubbling beneath the boards. Reviews sound the final buzzer as we tally the hits, the heart, and whether Slap Shot earns its place in the hall. As always, we explore the philosophical and non-philosophical aspects of the film, because when the crowd wants a fight, someone still has to decide what the game is really about. 🍻 Featured Beer 🍻 - Cabin Beer Everyday Lager by Cabin Brewing Company (Calgary, AB)
- Feb 3, 20262h 2m
Philosophy In Film - 101 - One Battle After Another
Episode 101: One Battle After Another This week on Philosophy in Film, the gang locks in on Paul Thomas Anderson's sprawling, darkly funny, and relentlessly restless epic, One Battle After Another. Inspired by Thomas Pynchon's Vineland, the film follows Bob, a washed-up former revolutionary played by Leonardo DiCaprio, who's forced back into a life he thought he'd escaped when his daughter disappears and an old enemy resurfaces. Craig kicks off the revolution with Producer's Notes . Alain tackles the Beauclair Synopsis , charting Bob's return to dangerous terrain where revolution, paranoia, and fatherhood overlap in uneasy ways. From the Philosopher's Corner , Chris traces how the film wrestles with paternal responsibility and competence. The gang then sits at the Round Table where they attempt to reveal the film's galactic roots while relating it to Star Wars. The episode follows a crest and dip in the road as Reviews and Mailbag close us out. As always, we explore the philosophical and non-philosophical terrain of the film, because when every battle leaves a mark, the hardest fight is often with what you carry forward. We have a new website! Come visit us and check it out! https://philosophyinfilm.ca/ 🍻 Featured Beer 🍻 - Chiquita Mexican Cerveza by Town Square Brewing (Edmonton, AB)
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