Episode 303 - The Emotional Effect of Split Screens *Special Episode*

Phil here: This special episode grew out of a statement I made that I've never been moved to tears by a split screen moment in a film, and that they were cold, technical exercises.  Andrew counters with examples from CARRIE (1976) and other projects that he found particularly moving.  But I stood by my point that the natural distancing effect of a split screen prevents the viewer from getting emotionally close enough to a film to actually cry.  Returning guest Bob joins the discussion, which begins with an example from 500 DAYS OF SUMMER, perhaps the saddest split screen moment in recent movie history.  Split screens appeal to our intellect, not our hearts.  Nevertheless, the three of us had a great discussion about this topic. You can download the podcast here by right-clicking on the hypertext link and choosing "save as", or you can use the convenient player attached to this post.