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?

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.

Film: Chuck Norris vs Communism (2015) 1h 18min | Documentary, Comedy, History | 12 November 2015 (Germany) A documentary about how western films were smuggled into Romainia during the rise of VHS

Key Points Why did we pick a documentary for our first film, even though our focus is Philosophy in Fiction? What is the film about? How did contraband films change Romanian culture? How does it compare to western culture from the same era? How did Zamfir create and develop the film market? In what ways does this film reflect media access on the internet today?

How is this film related to Phi-Fi?

Phi-Fi is about the philosophical impact of fiction on our lives, and by philosophical I mean the core basis of knowledge about reality and our place in it. So this documentary touches on the importance of philosophy thought and conversation through the medium of drama. Drama provides moral and aesthetic use cases and a common knowledge narrative through which conversations can be worked through and common ground can be reached.