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 Dark Triad personality traits. Further, an there is an exploration of the mafia as an extension of Italian American immigrant culture and how this film portrays the softer side of power politics and dynamics. Listening to this episode is an offer you can't refuse!

Learn more about Avila University's Master's in Counseling program, email Jon to ask questions, or head to his Research Gate profile to read his work!

If you like this content, you might like my new Audible audiobook/course, A Psychologist Goes to the Movies, available now! It features six films that have been on this show, condensed into 25-30 min essays, researched and analyzed.

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:

Go to this link to read a transcript generated by Whisper AI Large V3 Model. Disclaimer: It is not edited and may contain errors!