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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 {{review}}s 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=].


[[folder:Works analyzed by Rob Ager]]

* ''Film/AIArtificialIntelligence''
* ''Film/{{Alien}}''
* ''Film/{{Aliens}}''
* ''Film/AnAmericanWerewolfInLondon''
* ''Film/TheBigLebowski''
* ''Film/TheBirds''
* ''Film/BladeRunner''
* ''Film/AClockworkOrange''
* ''Film/CapeFear''
* ''Film/{{Creepshow}}''
* ''Film/DrStrangelove''
* ''Film/Elephant2003''
* ''Film/TheExorcist''
* ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial''
* ''Film/EyesWideShut''
* ''Film/{{Flash Gordon|1980}}''
* ''Film/{{Frenzy|1972}}''
* ''Film/FullMetalJacket''
* ''Film/{{Halloween 1978}}''
* ''Film/{{Hellraiser}}''
* ''Film/HighPlainsDrifter''
* ''Film/{{Inception}}''
* ''Film/MadMax1''
* ''Film/TheMaster''
* ''Film/TheMatrix''
* ''Film/MulhollandDrive''
* ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984''
* ''Film/NoCountryForOldMen''
* ''Film/{{Psycho}}''
* ''Film/PsychoII''
* ''Film/PulpFiction''
* ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk''
* ''Film/ReservoirDogs''
* ''Film/RoboCop1987''
* ''Film/TheShining''
* ''Film/StarshipTroopers''
* ''Franchise/StarTrek''
* ''Film/TaxiDriver''
* ''Film/TheTerminator''
* ''Film/TheTexasChainSawMassacre1974''
* ''Film/TheyLive''
* ''Film/TheThing1982''
* ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey''
* ''Film/TheWarriors''
[[/folder]]

An upcoming French documentary about the ''Film/MadMax'' 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'' 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 [[ConspiracyTheorist conspiracy theory]] territory.

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!!Rob Ager provides examples of:

* AudienceParticipation: He often changes or adapts earlier versions of his analyses, based on interesting suggestions or new information, sent in by readers and viewers.
* CallBack and ContinuityNod: He notices several call-backs and continuity nods to earlier scenes in certain films. Or to other films by that same director.
* CensorBox: He censors nudity so that [=YouTube=] doesn't remove his videos.
* 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.
* DeadpanSnarker: Occasionally indulges in this, the biggest example being the ''Film/{{Alien}}'' video mentioned under TakeThatCritics.
* OopNorth: Hails from Liverpool.
* PopCulturalOsmosis: Ager is probably better known as a movie analysist at the moment than for his own low-budget movies.
* ProperlyParanoid: Some of his detractors dismiss Ager as being nothing more than a conspiracy theorist, though most of his videos do not feature conspiracy theory related content. Ager has published political campaign content separately from his film analysis videos, though inevitably his political views sometimes spill over into his film analysis content.
* ReferenceOverdosed: Ager uses a lot of sources and cites them by name, too.
* SceneryPorn: Ager's reviews make you appreciate the attention to details and backgrounds in films more.
* SmallNameBigEgo: A good third of his personal website is accusations of libel.
* SubliminalSeduction: He finds several examples of these. He also does this in his own movie projects.
* TakeThatCritics: He once made a video about ''Film/{{Alien}}'' which was basically one gigantic "fuck you" aimed at all the people who claim a lot of his theories are far-fetched. All the stuff he mentioned in the video was tongue in cheek and ridiculously over the top.
* WorldOfSymbolism: Or FauxSymbolism to some.

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