In our podcast we use the Island as a metaphor. In the shifting tides of a relativistic computer generated worlds portrayed in modern sci-fi, populated by time-traveling worm-holes, supernatural aliens, and mystical superpowers, we are going to find our way back down to earth, where we actually live. Other philosophical investigations of film, such as the many “The Philosophy of..” book reviews of film and television, will take the position that philosophical content must be investigated from a position of complete neutrality.

Written by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, Life is a film exploring the concept of man’s first encounter with life beyond earth. A group of multi-national scientists work to identify traits of a new alien life form aboard the International Space Station. Security becomes compromised during observation, and a death match between the species ensues as they compete to adapt or perish. Who are YOU rooting for?

Two very popular shows provide counterpoints for two differing world-views. Few reviews of these films take the film’s philosophical ideas seriously. They describe them like a clever puzzle or they simply help you consider that those ideas might be true. Here on Phi-Fi we want you to also ask “and then, what?” We want to look more closely at the philosophical ideas and then judge the belief system that would result. We are going to investigate how these different world-views directly conflict and contradict, and how those contradictions can lead to conflicts in the real world.

The indie game, Black Friday, is an ambitious attempt by Navid Khonsari and developers at INK Publishing to immerse their audience into a civil rebellion. Players take agency over the Character of Reza, son of an affluent conservative family, who must decide his path during the tipping point of the Iranian Revolution.

The premise is unconventional to western audiences and that’s the game’s allure. You assume the role of a photographer turned activist amidst a surging movement. Our character is influenced by family and friends who challenge his ideals of what’s right and wrong in a country undergoing transformation. Will he choose to abandon the camera for more violent forms of protest? Will he fight to defend others from violence? Do his photos communicate a message of his choosing, or will the message be chosen for him? Does he have any say in where the movement is heading?

We have discussed heroes in earlier episodes, such as Zaphir (Chuck Norris Vs Communism), Solomon Northup (12 Years a Slave), Mogly (Jungle Book), and Ray Gaines (San Andreas). We’ve looked specifically at the affect of heroic vision on the young minds featured in “Chuck Norris vs. Communism”. We hadn’t considered how deep our exploration into the superhero universe would become when we chose to cover Pixar’s The Incredibles, but since our last podcast we’ve come to understand much more about the ideas behind the lore of these modern marvels.

PG-13 | 1h 54min | Action, Adventure, Drama | 29 May 2015 (USA) Synopsis: In the aftermath of a massive earthquake in California, a rescue-chopper pilot makes a dangerous journey with his ex-wife across the state in order to rescue his daughter.

Paul Giamatti plays a Dr Lawrence Hayes. His assistant, Dr. Kim Park, sacrifices himself saving a girl, and after the fact the mother appears shortly thereafter to retrieve her daughter. The mother did not thank the Dr Lawrence Hayes. He stood in shock that his colleague is dead. They are shown together in a photo of the Dr Lawrence Hayess office. They embrace in a side hug and put their fists together for the photo. They are very close. Dr Lawrence Hayes continues his mission of creating a predictive system for earthquake detection. They discover a massive quake scheduled to affect the andreas fault.

Ray Gaines is a father recently divorced by his wife and by proxy, his family. The mother is moving in with a new guy who’s replacing Ray Gaines’s role in the family. The new guy makes mentyion to the daughter that he will never try to take her father’s place or get in the way of their relationship. He never had any kids because he was always too busy raising these (buildings). He’s an architect.

12 Years a Slave (2013) R | 2h 14min | Biography, Drama, History | 8 November 2013 (USA) IMDb Today we discuss the 2013 Oscar-winning film “12 Years a Slave”. We’re going to talk about Judging the law Exploring how slaves are deprived of identity, rights and humanity And the consequences for the society that permits it. The Making of a Slave It takes coordinated and systematic work to break down an individual into a slave.

Jungle Book 2016 | PG |106 min | Adventure, Drama, Family |IMDb Contents Jungle Book, the 2016 Disney hit We’re going to discuss the law of the jungle, egalitarianism vs innovation, and problems with describing capitalism as survival of the fittest. We’re also going to talk about learning to be a man in a world full of animals. Themes The Law of the Jungle Appeal to Nature Does not actually have a good reputation Is used as a description of capitalism Survival of the fittest Dog-eat-dog Every man for himself The goal of which is hedonism Not a code for a rational animal Not a philosophy for living on Earth A nature-driven description of an archetype selfishness But this view does not tell you what actually constitutes your self-interest.

Hitler awakes in a field in Berlin, Germany Circa 2014, and continues life as he knows it since his disappearance in 1945. Meanwhile, a struggling freelance journalist sees his chance to get a his big break. People are still fascinated by this charismatic leader and the atrocities he committed in the name of the homeland. So how is this Hitler movie different from the others? Look Who’s Back provides the audience with a chance to see how such a leader rose to power then, and how it could still happen after nearly a century.