History WebVideo / RobAger

* ''Film/{{Frenzy}}''

Rob Ager (born 1973) is a British internet-based independent film director, self-help theorist and political activist who is best known for his analytic discussions of themes, hidden messages and other detailed stuff in mainstream films. His website, "Collative Learning", features many written analyses and video reviews of films like as well as non-movie related stuff, like hidden symbolism in the work of pop band Music/TheProdigy. He became notable after he posted his videos on Website/YouTube, where he attracted a large audience and attention from popular news media, which has seen both praise and criticism of his content. Some of his analyses are only available on his website (either written or with a video on order), while other stuff is available on [=YouTube=].

* ''Film/{{Elephant}}''

So far he has analyzed themes in films such as:

Ager's interpretations of ''The Shining'' have received a great deal of popular media coverage, though Ager chose not to take part in the documentary film ''Room 237'', citing that he wasn't impressed with the line of other interviewees. In response to his critics, Ager has referred to his viral video claiming that the sets of the Overlook Hotel were designed (deliberately in his opinion) to spatially disorientate the viewer. Ager notes that although screenwriter John August published a debunk of Ager's video on his blog, Ager's interpretation of the film was confirmed a year after he posted it when Jan Harlan, executive producer of ''The Shining'', confirmed the impossible set designs were deliberate after all.

Ager's assertion that the monolith of ''2001: A Space Odyssey'' represents the cinema screen (tilted on its side to look like a doorway) has proved to be one of his most popular videos. Dan Leberg of Georgetown Univerity published a paper objecting that the theory was first espoused by Gerard Loughlin, though the article supplies no evidence that Ager had plagiarized Loughlin, being that Ager's video essay on the topic is more in depth than Loughlin's and provides further comment on how such interpretation impacts the rest of the movie as a whole. Jay Weidner has also claimed to be the originator of the monolith/screen interpretation. It may be that all three sources reached similar conclusions independently. Leberg also complained that Ager's video on the monolith was unduly influencing his own film students.

In another video, Ager asserted that IBM's ProductPlacement in ''2001'', and the inclusion of the dying HAL computer singing the song Daisy Bell (also sung by IBM's first talking computer) is proof that Creator/StanleyKubrick intended a direct parallel between HAL and IBM. [[WordofGod Kubrick and Clarke themselves]] said it was coincidence that HAL actually stood for IBM (to the point of it being [[TakeThat made fun of in the book sequel]]). However, the IBM issue has continued to be controversial in that archived letters between Kubrick and IBM, since made public, reveal disputes between the parties. Biographer Vincent Lobrutto has claimed that IBM executives cautioned their employees against watching Kubrick's film, as they were unhappy with the final product.

Ager's interpretations of ''The Shining'' have received a great deal of popular media coverage, though Ager chose not to take part in the documentary film ''Film/Room237'', citing that he wasn't impressed with the line of other interviewees. In response to his critics, Ager has referred to his viral video claiming that the sets of the Overlook Hotel were designed (deliberately in his opinion) to spatially disorientate the viewer. Ager notes that although screenwriter John August published a debunk of Ager's video on his blog, Ager's interpretation of the film was confirmed a year after he posted it when Jan Harlan, executive producer of ''The Shining'', confirmed the impossible set designs were deliberate after all.

In another video, Ager asserted that IBM's ProductPlacement in ''2001'', and the inclusion of the dying HAL computer singing the song Daisy Bell (also sung by IBM's first talking computer) is proof that Creator/StanleyKubrick intended a direct parallel between HAL and IBM.[[WordofGod Kubrick and Clarke themselves]] said it was coincidence that HAL actually stood for IBM (to the point of it being [[TakeThat made fun of in the book sequel]]). However, the IBM issue has continued to be controversial in that archived letters between Kubrick and IBM, since made public, reveal disputes between the parties. Biographer Vincent Lobrutto has claimed that IBM executives cautioned their employees against watching Kubrick's film, as they were unhappy with the final product.

Rob Ager (born 1973) is a British internet-based independent film director, self-help theorist and political activist who is best known for his analytic discussions of themes, hidden messages and other detailed stuff in mainstream films. His Web site, "Collative Learning", features many written analyses and video reviews of films like as well as non-movie related stuff, like hidden symbolism in the work of pop band Music/TheProdigy. He became notable after he posted his videos on Website/YouTube, where he attracted a large audience and attention from popular news media, which has seen both praise and criticism of his content. Some of his analyses are only available on his website (either written or with a video on order), while other stuff is available on Youtube.

Ager's interpretations of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining have received a great deal of popular media coverage, though Ager chose not to take part in the documentary film Room 237, citing that he wasn't impressed with the line of other interviewees. In response to his critics Ager has referred to his viral video claiming that the sets of The Shining's overlook hotel were designed (deliberately in his opinion) to spatially disorientate the viewer. Ager notes that although screenwriter John August published a debunk of Ager's video on his blog, Ager's interpretation of the film was confirmed a year after he posted it when Jan Harlan (executive producer of The Shining) confirmed the impossible set designs were deliberate after all.

Ager's assertion that the monolith of 2001: A Space Odyssey represents the cinema screen (tilted on its side to look like a doorway)has proved to be one of his most popular videos. Dan Leberg of Georgetown Univerity published a paper objecting that the theory was first espoused by Gerard Loughlin, though the article supplies no evidence that Ager had plagiarized Loughlin, being that Ager's video essay on the topic is more in depth than Loughlin's and provides further comment on how such interpretation impacts the rest of the movie as a whole. Jay Weidner has also claimed to be the originator of the monolith / screen interpretation. It may be that all three sources reached similar conclusions independently. Leberg also complained that Ager's video on the monolith was unduly influencing his own film students.

In another video Ager asserted that in 2001: A Space Odyssey IBM's ProductPlacement in the film, and the inclusion of the dying HAL computer singing the song Daisy Bell (also sung by IBM's first talking computer) is proof that Kubrick intended a direct parallel between HAL and IBM.[[WordofGod Kubrick and Clarke themselves]] said it was coincidence that the computer HAL in "2001: A Space Odyssey" actually stood for IBM (to the point of it being [[TakeThat made fun of in the book sequel]]. However, the IBM issue has continued to be controversial in that archived letters between Kubrick and IBM, since made public, reveal disputes between the parties. Biographer Vincent Lobrutto has described that IBM executives cautioned their employees against watching Kubrick's film, as they were unhappy with the final product.

An upcoming French documentary about the Mad Max series features Ager as an interviewee, billed alongside director George Miller and Noam Chomsky.

Ager's opinions and interpretations have been criticized by some as being [[EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory a bit far-fetched]] or just planting EpilepticTrees, but have also received praise from the likes of AV Club, Time Entertainment and Entertainment Weekly. His reviews are quite interesting and shed new light on films you may already know by heart, but Ager can also be very political in his output and occasionally veers toward conspiracy theory territory.

* ''Film/MadMax''

* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: He doesn't hide his local accent.

'''Rob Ager''' (born 1973) is a British internet-based independent film director, self-help theorist and political activist who is best known for his analytic discussions of themes, hidden messages and other detailed stuff in mainstream films. His Web site, "Collative Learning", features many written analyses and video reviews of films like as well as non-movie related stuff, like hidden symbolism in the work of pop band Music/TheProdigy. He became notable after he posted his videos on Website/YouTube, where he attracted a large audience and attention from popular news media, which has seen both praise and criticism of his content. Some of his analyses are only available on his website (either written or with a video on order), while other stuff is available on Youtube.

* ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet''

* ''Film/FlashGordon''

* TheConspiracy: His videos often fuel these kinds of ideas and he made an entire video on how to make sense out of conspiracy theories. He even tells his viewers that they are free not to believe him.

** He frequently dismisses belief in the TheIlluminati as nonsense, which also sets him apart from most conspiracy theorists.

* UsefulNotes/WithEuropeButNotOfIt: According to Ager, Creator/StanleyKubrick intended the Nazi imagery in ''Film/AClockworkOrange'' and the film's prominent use of the fourth movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (coincidentally the anthem of the European Union) as a warning about the dangers of the totalitarian mindset of the Nazis re-emerging indirectly via the European Union. The closest Ager comes to a sourced quote from the director to support his interpretation is Kubrick's description that the film "warns against the new psychedelic fascism -- the eye-popping, multimedia, quadrasonic, drug-oriented conditioning of human beings by other beings -- which many believe will usher in the forfeiture of human citizenship and the beginning of zombiedom." Ager also cites Kubrick's history of political controversy in movies like Dr Strangelove and Eyes Wide Shut. Kubrick hardly talked about his movies at all, so it's very difficult to really know what he meant with certain symbolism in his work. Also, ''A Clockwork Orange'' takes place in the UK, although Ager does talk about the film's implications about non-EU corruption generally in his extended written analysis on his website. As some critics have noticed: Ager was once a member of the Liverpudlian representative of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), which opposes Britain’s membership of the European Union. This makes him not completely unbiased regarding the matter.

[[quoteright:301:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rob_ager_8941.jpg]]

* UsefulNotes/WithEuropeButNotOfIt: According to Ager, Creator/StanleyKubrick intended the Nazi imagery in ''Film/AClockworkOrange'' as a warning for the hidden agenda of the UsefulNotes/EuropeanUnion and [[ANaziByAnyOtherName infiltration of Nazi and Fascist ideologies within it]]. Ager does not really bring in actual sources to back up his claims that Kubrick solely had the EU in mind, left alone that this was an actual message of the director. Kubrick hardly talked about his movies at all, so it's impossible to really know what he meant with certain symbolism in his work. Also, ''A Clockwork Orange'' takes place in the UK, but for some reason Ager [[PatrioticFervor doesn't assume that the movie could be a warning about infiltration of Nazi and Fascist ideologies in the UK government]]. As some critics have noticed: Ager was once a member of the Liverpudlian representative of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), which opposes Britain’s membership of the European Union. This makes him not completely unbiased regarding the matter.

* ProperlyParanoid: His detractors dismiss Ager often as being nothing more than a conspiracy theorist. He defends himself by stating that he just reviews films and doesn't rally people to believe in conspiracy theories. Though his own opinions sometimes shine through (see also below: UsefulNotes/WithEuropeButNotOfIt)

* OutOfCharacterMoment:
** Despite his reputation for discovering previously overlooked details and facts Ager admitted that he was actually mind bogglingly unaware that the film ''Film/StarshipTroopers'' had satirical anti-militaristic undertones when he first saw it. He then spent the rest of his review exploring these themes in detail.