Two Philosophers Drink Beer & Discuss Film

This is the final episode of 'Two Philosophers Drink Beer & Discuss Film'. In it, we talk about our experience of doing the podcast and why we have decided to end it. We also make one final film recommendation before having a farewell toast courtesy of some delicious beers from Mescan Brewery and Whiplash Beer. Thank you so much for listening to our podcast over the last couple of years. All of the episodes will remain online for another year, if you would like to listen to them again.

In this episode, we examine the 2013 film 'Her', directed by Spike Jonze and starring Joaquin Phoenix with Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, and Olivia Wilde. Our conversation highlights a mood of loneliness as central to the film and explores Hannah Arendt's view that loneliness constitutes one of the main characteristics of modern life. We then consider the manner in which, what Shoshana Zuboff labels, 'surveillance capitalism' functions as an central aspect of the operating system that Theodore becomes romantically involved with in the film. Our discussion concludes by referencing, friend of the show, Isabel Millar to demonstrate how the concept of 'intelligence' has been largely misunderstood by much of the current thinking on the issue of artificial intelligence, before offering some final reflections on what Samantha's sexuality intimates about her as an individual subject. Follow us on twitter.com/twophilpodcast or instagram.com/twophilpodcast to get involved with the discussion.

In this episode, we consider the 1996 cult classic 'Trainspotting', directed by Danny Boyle and starring Ewan McGregor. Our discussion consults the early writings of Emmanuel Levinas to offer an existential phenomenological analysis of addiction, before considering some of the more totalitarian aspects of the society depicted in the film with reference to Francis Fukuyama, Ayn Rand, and Herbert Marcuse. Greg also makes a surprising revelation that may threaten the very premise of our show! Follow us on twitter.com/twophilpodcast or instagram.com/twophilpodcast to get involved with the discussion.

In this episode, we discuss the 2014 film 'Calvary', directed by John Michael McDonagh and starring Brendan Gleeson. Our discussion highlights, as central to this film, an examination of whether or not Christianity holds any relevance for today's society. Along these lines, we start by outlining the contemporary situation of nihilism that each of the characters seem to occupy in the film. We then explore the difference between Christianity, as a particular worldview with an accepted doctrine upheld by the church establishment, and the phenomenology of Christian life, which offers a way of describing specific lived experiences independent from any ideological system of thought and which cannot be accounted for within a traditional Greek philosophical framework. Our discussion concludes by considering the lived experience of forgiveness as a value from the biblical tradition that Calvary deems to still hold significance for our time. These reflections are accompanied by a couple of basic lagers from Hüfi and Tuborg. Follow us on twitter.com/twophilpodcast or instagram.com/twophilpodcast to get involved with the discussion.

In this episode, we consider the 2014 film 'Interstellar', directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Matthew McConaughey with Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain. Our discussion critiques the manner in which the film appears to support a notion of scientific progress that falls in line with the political projects of imperialist expansion and extractive capitalism. Following an historical exploration of these themes, we consult Karl Popper to help us properly understand the scientific method in order to determine the exact character of scientific knowledge claims. Once this has been ascertained, our discussion concludes by presenting an alternative view of scientific progress that remains apolitical and achieves its validity from a consensus among impartial observers of inductive data. These reflections are washed down with a Corona Extra as well as a gluten free lager from Foxes Rock. Follow us on twitter.com/twophilpodcast or instagram.com/twophilpodcast to get involved with the discussion.

In this episode, we discuss the 2019 film 'The Farewell', directed by Lulu Wang and starring Awkwafina. Our conversation ponders the ethics of lying, the link between the awareness of one's own death and personal identity, the clash of Western and Eastern cultures in the film, as well as the idea that all communities and traditions are founded upon, what Plato called, a noble lie. These reflections are accompanied by some beers from Bryghuset Braustein and Wicklow Wolf Brewing Company. Follow us on twitter.com/twophilpodcast or instagram.com/twophilpodcast to get involved with the discussion.

In this episode, we consider the 2017 film 'Get Out', directed by Jordan Peele and starring Daniel Kaluuya, with Allison Williams and Lakeith Stanfield. Our discussion primarily analyses the film in relation the concepts of race, language, and colonialism as expounded by Frantz Fanon in his seminal work 'Black Skin, White Masks'. Nevertheless, we also examine the particular manner in which consciousness is depicted in the film with the help of Edmund Husserl's research in phenomenology. Along these lines, we explore the concept of embodiment and question the possibility of transferring consciousness from one body to another. These reflections are accompanied by a couple of tasty beers from Nørrebro Bryghus and 9 White Deer Brewery. Follow us on twitter.com/twophilpodcast or instagram.com/twophilpodcast to get involved with the discussion.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr Isabel Millar to analyse the 2018 film 'High Life', directed by Claire Denis and starring Robert Pattinson with Juliette Binoche, Mia Goth, and André 3000. Our discussion focuses on the psychoanalytic aspects of the film, particularly in relation to the concepts of taboo, sexuation, jouissance, the gaze, and time. We also reflect upon the significance of these concepts with respect to a central feature of the film, namely, the black hole. Over the course of our conversation, we make reference to many thinkers, including Jacques Lacan, Sigmund Freud, Jacques Derrida, Martin Heidegger, Georges Bataille, Søren Kierkegaard, Joan Copjec, and Todd McGowan. Follow us on twitter.com/twophilpodcast or instagram.com/twophilpodcast to get involved with the discussion.

In this episode, we consider the film 'American Psycho' from 2000, directed by Mary Harron and starring Christian Bale as the infamous Patrick Bateman. Our discussion attempts to make sense of the fact that Bateman's two heroes are Donald Trump and Ted Bundy. We thus reflect upon the relationship between capitalism and sadism. In doing so, we make reference to Karl Marx, Theodor W. Adorno, Sigmund Freud, Edward Bernays, Dan Stein, Jon Ronson, Matthew McManus, Fredric Jameson, and Gilles Deleuze. Our conversation is accompanied by some beers from Station Works Brewery and Privatbrauerei Kaiserdom. Follow us on twitter.com/twophilpodcast or instagram.com/twophilpodcast to get involved with the discussion.

In this episode, we consider the 1993 film 'Groundhog Day', directed by Harold Ramis and starring Bill Murray with Andie MacDowell. We begin by highlighting the manner in which the film incites thoughts relating to the monotony of everyday life in the modern world, before moving on to an exploration of Arthur Schopenhauer's ontological pessimism in relation to Friedrich Nietzsche's existential optimism. Central to our discussion here are Nietzsche's concepts of the eternal recurrence of the same and amor fati. We conclude by offering some reflections on the relationship between art and ethics in the film. Our conversation is accompanied by some beers from Bryggeriet S.C. Fuglsang and Van Pur Brewery. Follow us on twitter.com/twophilpodcast or instagram.com/twophilpodcast to get involved with the discussion.