Movies & Us

Ep. 106 - The Social Dilemma (2020) with featured guest: Abby Cerchio

In this episode of The Strategic Whimsy Experiment, Jen and Sarah are joined by Abby to discuss The Social Dilemma. They break down the information shared in Netflix’s latest documentary and discuss the role of social media in our society. They wonder about the future of technology and contemplate potential next steps that can be taken.
What did you think of The Social Dilemma? Has watching this documentary influenced how you view social media?
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Ep. 105 - Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

Jen and Sarah review 2012’s Safety Not Guaranteed in this episode of The Strategic Whimsy Experiment. They compare the film’s overall tone and message with its whimsical ending and wonder how the film could’ve felt more cohesive. They also discuss how society has changed since 2012 and which characters didn’t age very well.
What did you think of Safety Not Guaranteed? How does this compare with other time travel films?
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Contact us with any questions or comments at strategicwhimsyexperiment@gmail.com.

Ep. 104 - A Quiet Place (2018) with featured guest: Sydney Daigre

Jen and Sarah are joined by special guest Sydney to review A Quiet Place in this episode of The Strategic Whimsy Experiment. They discuss the ways this film differentiates itself from the horror genre, including the strong emotional cues and the character development. They also speculate about the film’s sequel and share whether they are looking forward to spending more time with these characters.
What did you think of A Quiet Place? Are you excited to see A Quiet Place 2?
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Contact us with any questions or comments at strategicwhimsyexperiment@gmail.com.

Ep. 103 - Boys State (2020)

Jen and Sarah review Boys State in this episode of The Strategic Whimsy Experiment. They discuss the different takeaways from the documentary and what this film says about our society as a whole. The speculate about what Girls State might look like and wonder how these events change from state to state and year to year.
What did you think of Boys State? Would you want to watch a Girls State documentary?
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Contact us with any questions or comments at strategicwhimsyexperiment@gmail.com.

Ep. 102 - Mulan (2020) with featured guest: Yeon Soo Kim

In this episode of The Strategic Whimsy Experiment, Jen and Sarah are joined by a special guest, Yeon Soo, to discuss Disney’s Mulan. They compare and contrast this remake with the original film and discuss some of the new additions to the story. They also share some theories about why characters were added or removed and how those creative choices affected the film’s message as a whole.
What did you think of Mulan? How does it compare with the original?
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Contact us with any questions or comments at strategicwhimsyexperiment@gmail.com.

Ep. 101 - The Shining (1980) with featured guest: Erin Pudenz

In this episode of The Strategic Whimsy Experiment, Jen and Sarah are joined by a special guest, Erin, to discuss The Shining. They share their thoughts on the characters and casting in this classic horror film. And they even share some theories about the plot’s twists and turns.
What did you think of The Shining? What do you think it’s all about?
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Contact us with any questions or comments at strategicwhimsyexperiment@gmail.com.

Ep. 100 - Birdman or (The 100th Episode)

In this very special 100th episode of The Strategic Whimsy Experiment, Jen and Sarah celebrate! They share their favorite moments and episodes from the last year, along with the meaning behind the name and why they started the podcast. Then, they review Birdman, a film that goes back to the origins of SWE. They discuss the film’s overwhelming intentionality, the three-dimensional characters, and some of its main themes.
Do you have a favorite moment of The Strategic Whimsy Experiment? Share it with us!
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Contact us with any questions or comments at strategicwhimsyexperiment@gmail.com.

Ep. 99 - GoldenEye (1995)

Martinis, women, spies… oh my! In this episode of The Strategic Whimsy Experiment, Jen and Sarah review GoldenEye. They discuss the various women in the film and how the inclusion of female voices has changed the industry. They also wonder what exactly makes a Bond film a Bond film and comment on the importance of viewing a film through the lens of when it was made.
What did you think of GoldenEye? How do you think its reception in 1995 differs from how we view it today?
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Contact us with any questions or comments at strategicwhimsyexperiment@gmail.com.

Bonus Ep - Revisiting Capernaum (2018) with featured guest: Omar Haj Ibrahim

Jen and Sarah are joined by a special guest, Omar, to revisit their conversation about the 2018 film, Capernaum. In the aftermath of the explosion in Beirut in early August, Nadine Labaki’s film is even more hauntingly relevant. In this episode of The Strategic Whimsy Experiment, they discuss the current state of events on the streets in Lebanon and what can be done to help in the aftermath of this terrible crisis.
Ways to support:
Lebanese Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org.lb/
Impact Lebanon: https://www.impactlebanon.org/
Baytna Baytak: https://www.baytnabaytak.com/home
Follow us on Instagram @strategicwhimsyexperiment and on Twitter @strategicwhimsy.
Contact us with any questions or comments at strategicwhimsyexperiment@gmail.com.

Ep. 98 - Guy And Madeline On A Park Bench (2009)

Jen and Sarah review Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench in this episode of The Strategic Whimsy Experiment. This senior thesis turned feature-length film shows Damien Chazelle’s creativity as he experimented with various techniques and themes. They discuss how this is a pretty terrible film when viewed on its own, but takes on much more meaning when viewed in the context of his later work.
What did you think of Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench? Do you think this gives more meaning to Chazelle’s later films?
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Contact us with any questions or comments at strategicwhimsyexperiment@gmail.com.