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Is Ava culpable for the crimes she’s done at the end of the film? In this episode, we start by chatting about how the film influences how the audiences feel about the characters through the male gaze. Our conversation then turns to whether Ava should be considered a bad character if her actions were pre-determined by the coding that Nathan created for her.

Let us know what you think and chat with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WTF_WithUs

Check out our YouTube channel for extended conversations and outtakes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1O6GFhumzrq8qNBYZuF_1Q

Theme Music Credit: Ultra Lights by Stefan Kartenberg (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/JeffSpeed68/61225 Ft: Javolenus

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Who do we build technology for? In this episode, we talk about the biases within the tech industry and how the film explores the this topic. We also chat about the gendered technology we interact with (some that we interact with on a daily basis) and how historical biases influence the way technology is built.

References:

World Economic Forum “ This is why AI has a gender problem”: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/06/this-is-why-ai-has-a-gender-problem/

Screen Rant “Ex Machina's Alternate Ending Explained”: https://screenrant.com/ex-machina-movie-alternate-ending-explained/

Paste Magazine “A Moral Question: Gender and (Re)production in A.I. Artificial Intelligence 20 Years Later”: https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/ai-artificial-intelligence-gender-reproduction/

Let us know what you think and chat with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WTF_WithUs

Check out our YouTube channel for extended conversations and outtakes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1O6GFhumzrq8qNBYZuF_1Q

Theme Music Credit: Ultra Lights by Stefan Kartenberg (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/JeffSpeed68/61225 Ft: Javolenus

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Who is to blame for what happened in Ex_Machina? In this episode, we start our Ex_Machina conversation with a chat about the power dynamics within the three main characters within the film. We also talk about how the film showcases the themes of power, influence and ego in the tech industry.

Let us know what you think and chat with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WTF_WithUs

Check out our YouTube channel for extended conversations and outtakes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1O6GFhumzrq8qNBYZuF_1Q

Theme Music Credit: Ultra Lights by Stefan Kartenberg (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/JeffSpeed68/61225 Ft: Javolenus

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In this celebratory 100th episode, we look back on the film genres we’ve talked about and discuss films that we didn’t get a chance to chat about. We also talk about potential genres we’ll talk about in the future and shout out two films that we love but that don’t naturally come up in conversation. The start of the episode also includes our final thoughts on Wall-E.

Spiels on Reels: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb7OrCuVpVFNxaA8DyY__mw

Let us know what you think and chat with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WTF_WithUs

Check out our YouTube channel for extended conversations and outtakes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1O6GFhumzrq8qNBYZuF_1Q

Theme Music Credit: Ultra Lights by Stefan Kartenberg (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/JeffSpeed68/61225 Ft: Javolenus

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Why do most films seem to present us with a hopeless future? In this episode, we chat about why most films seem to paint bleak futures, the demise of Earth or the end of the human race. We also talk about why there is a lack of optimism in sci-fi, documentaries and beyond. Lastly, we chat about utopias and how those stories usually reveal themselves as dystopic societies.

References:

Vlogbrothers “Are You Stuck In The Sad Gap”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbPY2hyU3zk&ab_channel=vlogbrothers

Let us know what you think and chat with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WTF_WithUs

Check out our YouTube channel for extended conversations and outtakes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1O6GFhumzrq8qNBYZuF_1Q

Theme Music Credit: Ultra Lights by Stefan Kartenberg (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/JeffSpeed68/61225 Ft: Javolenus

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Do AI romances work on screen? In this episode, we chat about Wall-E and Eve’s romance and how that differs from a human-AI romance. Our conversation also turns to the unique perspective an AI protagonist brings to a story and the unique perspective we experience from various Pixar films.

Let us know what you think and chat with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WTF_WithUs

Check out our YouTube channel for extended conversations and outtakes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1O6GFhumzrq8qNBYZuF_1Q

Theme Music Credit: Ultra Lights by Stefan Kartenberg (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/JeffSpeed68/61225 Ft: Javolenus

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Was Wall-E successful as a sci-fi film? And, how does Wall-E work for both the adult and kid audiences? In this episode, we chat about whether animated sci-fi movies work, and whether we think Wall-E has a happy ending. We also chat about how sci-fi tropes and storylines can work for both adults and children.

Let us know what you think and chat with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WTF_WithUs

Check out our YouTube channel for extended conversations and outtakes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1O6GFhumzrq8qNBYZuF_1Q

Theme Music Credit: Ultra Lights by Stefan Kartenberg (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/JeffSpeed68/61225 Ft: Javolenus

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How is sacrifice used in storytelling and when is it most successful? In this episode, we talk about the act of sacrifice in real life and how a person’s sacrificial act might impact their loved ones. We also chat about Matt Damon’s role in this film, and how sacrifice that doesn’t result in death may impact the character’s mental state after the sacrificial act.

References:

All The Tropes “Heroic Sacrifice”: https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Heroic_Sacrifice

Let us know what you think and chat with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WTF_WithUs

Check out our YouTube channel for extended conversations and outtakes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1O6GFhumzrq8qNBYZuF_1Q

Theme Music Credit: Ultra Lights by Stefan Kartenberg (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/JeffSpeed68/61225 Ft: Javolenus

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Even though the film felt slightly fantastical, Lara explains that a lot of Interstellar is based on real science. We chat about whether realism is important for the sci-fi genre, and space movies in particular. This conversation leads to a chat about other genres, like true crime, and the importance of having the right balance of realism and entertainment.

References:

Den of Geek “Interstellar: Kip Thorne and Jonathan Nolan Talk Science Behind the Movie”: https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/interstellar-kip-thorne-and-jonathan-nolan-talk-science-behind-the-movie/

TIME “What's the Most Realistic Movie About Space? Here's What 8 Movies Got Right—and Wrong”: https://time.com/5627032/most-realistic-space-movies/

SPACE.com “5 most realistic space movies”: https://www.space.com/realistic-space-movies

Let us know what you think and chat with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WTF_WithUs

Check out our YouTube channel for extended conversations and outtakes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1O6GFhumzrq8qNBYZuF_1Q

Theme Music Credit: Ultra Lights by Stefan Kartenberg (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/JeffSpeed68/61225 Ft: Javolenus

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How does Nolan’s use of time in Interstellar compare with his other films? In this episode, we talk about why Nolan is so fascinated with time and which of his time concepts we prefer. We also chat about why the impact of aging in Interstellar is so impactful compared with other representations of the passage of time. Our conversation ends with a general discussion about time in the sci-fi genre and how it’s been explored in other films.

References:

Fortress of Solitude “Understanding Christopher Nolan’s Obsession With Time“: https://www.fortressofsolitude.co.za/understanding-christopher-nolans-obsession-with-time/

Screen Rant “Why Christopher Nolan Is So Obsessed With Time In His Movies”: https://screenrant.com/christopher-nolan-movies-time-stories-obsession-explained/

Let us know what you think and chat with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WTF_WithUs

Check out our YouTube channel for extended conversations and outtakes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1O6GFhumzrq8qNBYZuF_1Q

Theme Music Credit: Ultra Lights by Stefan Kartenberg (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/JeffSpeed68/61225 Ft: Javolenus