Empathy Machines

Empathy Machines

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Your hosts Scott Anderson and Eric Abraham take turns in choosing four movies from a particular director and sit down for a discussion on the themes, choices and narrative for each chosen work. We encourage you to listen along regardless if you've seen the movie or not, but be warned, each episode contains spoilers from the start.

Eric Abraham, Scott Anderson


    • Apr 22, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 1h 6m AVG DURATION
    • 31 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Empathy Machines

    Ocean's Twelve

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2025 60:49


    Daniel Ocean recruits one more team member so he can pull off three major European heists in this sequel to Ocean's Eleven. 2004. Steven Soderbergh.

    Erin Brockovich

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2025 63:54


    A flamboyant law firm secretary works tirelessly to gain justice for a small town wrecked by a utility company's pollution. Steven Soderbergh. 2000.

    Bird

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2025 73:06


    Bailey lives with her brother Hunter and her father Bug, who raises them alone in a squat in northern Kent. Bug doesn't have much time to devote to them. Bailey looks for attention and adventure elsewhere. Andrea Arnold. 2024.

    American Honey

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2025 55:32


    A teenage girl with nothing to lose joins a traveling magazine sales crew, and gets caught up in a whirlwind of hard partying, law bending and young love as she criss-crosses the Midwest with a band of misfits. Andrea Arnold. 2016.

    Wuthering Heights

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2025 50:32


    A poor boy of unknown origins is rescued from poverty and taken in by the Earnshaw family where he develops an intense relationship with his young foster sister, Cathy.

    Fishtank

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2025 63:37


    Everything changes for 15-year-old Mia when her mum brings home a new boyfriend. Andrea Arnold. 2009.

    Rust and Bone

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2025 64:36


    Put in charge of his young son, Alain leaves Belgium for Antibes to live with his sister and her husband as a family. Alain's bond with Stephanie, a killer whale trainer, grows deeper after Stephanie suffers a horrible accident. Jacques Audiard. 2012.

    A Prophet

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2024 53:30


    A delinquent Muslim man struggles to get by in prison until he is taken under the wing of a powerful mob boss. But his gradual rise through the mob's ranks brings him in conflict with his mentor. Jacques Audiard. 2009.

    The Beat That My Heart Skipped

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2024 68:17


    Will Thomas still lead a life of crime and cruelty, just like his thuggish father, or will he pursue his dream of becoming a pianist? Jacques Audiard. 2005.

    Read My Lips

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2024 64:12


    She is almost deaf and he lip-reads. He is an ex-convict. She wants to help him. He thinks no one can help except himself. Jacques Audiard. 2001.

    Halloween Special - The Thing (1982)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2024 74:56


    A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims. John Carpenter. 1982. Music Credit 'Halloween Long Edit' by Alex-Productions.

    Lovers Rock

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2024 55:21


    A single evening at a house party in 1980s West London sets the scene, developing intertwined relationships against a background of violence, romance and music. Steve McQueen. 2020.

    Widows

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2024 66:22


    Four women with nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands' criminal activities take fate into their own hands and conspire to forge a future on their own terms. Steve McQueen. 2018.

    Shame

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2024 64:21


    A sex addict's carefully cultivated private life falls apart after his sister arrives for an indefinite stay. Steve McQueen. 2011.

    Hunger

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2024 71:06


    Irish republican Bobby Sands leads the inmates of a Northern Irish prison in a hunger strike. Steve McQueen. 2008.

    The Outside

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2024 57:56


    Longing to fit in at work, awkward Stacey begins to use a popular lotion that causes an alarming reaction, while an unnerving transformation takes shape. Ana Lily Amirpour. 2022.

    Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2024 58:02


    A girl with unusual powers escapes from a mental asylum and tries to make it on her own in New Orleans. Ana Lily Amirpour. 2021.

    The Bad Batch

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2024 63:02


    In a desert dystopia, a young woman is kidnapped by cannibals. Ana Lily Amirpour. 2016.

    A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2024 66:20


    In the Iranian ghost-town Bad City, a place that reeks of death and loneliness, the townspeople are unaware they are being stalked by a lonesome vampire. Ana Lily Amirpour. 2014.

    Blonde

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2024 65:14


    The story of American actress Marilyn Monroe, covering her love and professional lives. Andrew Dominik. 2022.

    Killing Them Softly

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2024 77:07


    Jackie Cogan is an enforcer hired to restore order after three dumb guys rob a Mob protected card game, causing the local criminal economy to collapse.

    The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2024 72:46


    Robert Ford, who has idolized Jesse James since childhood, tries hard to join the resurgent gang of the Missouri outlaw, but gradually becomes resentful of the bandit leader.

    Chopper

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2024 83:47


    Chopper tells the intense story of Mark "Chopper" Read, a legendary criminal who wrote his autobiography while serving a jail sentence in prison. His book, "From the Inside", upon which the film is based, was a best-seller. Andrew Dominik. 2000.

    Joy Ride

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2024 65:51


    Three young people on a road trip from Colorado to New Jersey talk to a trucker on their CB radio, then must escape when he turns out to be a psychopathic killer. John Dahl. 2001.

    Rounders

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2024 61:19


    A young, reformed gambler must return to playing high stakes poker to help a friend pay off loan sharks, while balancing his relationship with his girlfriend and his commitments to law school. John Dahl. 1998.

    Unforgettable

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2024 58:02


    A Seattle medical examiner uses an experimental memory transference drug to unravel the mystery surrounding his Wife's brutal murder. John Dahl. 1996.

    The Last Seduction

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2024 61:52


    A devious sexpot steals her husband's drug money and hides out in a small town where she meets the perfect dupe for her next scheme. John Dahl. 1994.

    There Will Be Blood

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2024 77:58


    A story of family, religion, hatred, oil and madness, focusing on a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business. Paul Thomas Anderson. 2007.

    Magnolia

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2024 87:20


    An epic mosaic of interrelated characters in search of love, forgiveness and meaning in the San Fernando Valley. Paul Thomas Anderson. 1999.

    Boogie Nights

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2024 87:18


    Back when sex was safe, pleasure was a business and business was booming, an idealistic porn producer aspires to elevate his craft to an art when he discovers a hot young talent. Paul Thomas Anderson. 1997.

    Hard Eight

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2024 75:01


    Professional gambler Sydney teaches John the tricks of the trade. John does well until he falls for cocktail waitress Clementine. Paul Thomas Anderson. 1996.

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