Don't you find the paradox that loneliness is common but isolating interesting? Yeah, me too. Listen in as I discuss 5 of my favorite examples of the human condition, including Requiem for a Dream (2000), The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2005), and Happiness (1998). 

Based on Andrew Neiderman's novel by the same name, Pin (1988) is a dark and emotional journey of a family as they navigate Leon's growing relationship with an anatomy dummy.  SOURCES/INFORMATION IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095871/  Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pin_(film)  Starburst Article: https://www.starburstmagazine.com/reviews/dvd-review-pin-1988/#:~:text=Pin%2C%20however%2C%20is%20a%20different,Pin%20is%20talking%20to%20him. 

  SOURCES/INFORMATION Inland Empire: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460829/ Salo: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073650/ The Holy Mountain: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071615/  Dancer in the Dark: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0168629/  Mirror: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072443/ 

Beneath the peeling wallpaper and flickering lights lurks something sinister—an evil force tied to their past and the choices they made to survive. Unpack Remi Weekes’s haunting directorial debut, His House—a psychological horror film that blends supernatural terror with the real-life trauma of displacement with me.   SOURCES/INFORMATION IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8508734/  The Anglo-Egpytian Conquest: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Egyptian_conquest_of_Sudan#:~:text=The%20Anglo%2DEgyptian%20conquest%20of,Sudan%20became%20independent%20in%201956 Survivor Guilt: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor_guilt 

SOURCES/INFORMATION IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289043/ Rage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rage_(emotion)  Mad Cow Disease: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bovine_spongiform_encephalopathy#Spread_to_humans  Mad Cow Disease Symptoms: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/creutzfeldt-jakob-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20371226  Ebola: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebola  Rabies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabies Production Notes: https://cinema.com/articles/1465/28-days-later-production-notes.phtml#google_vignette  Deep Focus Review: https://www.deepfocusreview.com/definitives/28-days-later/ 

SOURCES/INFORMATION Voyeur: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7588790/ Who Took Johnny: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2704816/?ref_=tturv_ov_bk Capturing The Friedmans: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0342172/  Abducted in Plain Sight: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3444312/ Tell Them You Love Me: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29142525/  Caniba: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7225942/  Paradise Lost: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117293/ The Act of Killing: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2375605/  Tickled: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5278506/  The Contestant: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13940818/  Finders Keepers: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3462002/ 

Lately, we cannot even watch the news or go to a work conference without talking about AI. AI is being utilized everywhere, all the time, whether you know it or not. Alex Garland's 2014 film Ex Machina warns us of the evolution of AI, what it is capable of, and being careful what you wish for. ** this podcast episode was generated using an AI cloned version of my voice using ElevenLabs ** SOURCES/INFORMATION IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0470752/  Mary in a Black and White Room: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_argument The Turing Test: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_test  What Is It Like to Be a Bat?: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Is_It_Like_to_Be_a_Bat%3F  Hubris: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hubris

  SOURCES/INFORMATION IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0154420/ Dogme 95: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogme_95 Incest: https://patient.info/doctor/incest Child Sexual Abuse Attributions: Are They Different Depending on Mothers' vs Fathers' Reactions?: https://journals.copmadrid.org/apj/art/apj2025a5 Cinematic Depictions of Boyhood Sexual Victimization: https://www.richardgartner.com/fcinematicZ.html Why Do People Sexually Abuse Children?: https://www.ceopeducation.co.uk/parents/articles/why-do-people-sexually-abuse-children/ 

  SOURCES/INFORMATION IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1675192/ Paranoid Schizophrenia: https://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/schizophrenia-paranoia Catatonic Schizophrenia: http://webmd.com/schizophrenia/mental-catatonic-schizophrenia-overview Disorganized Schizophrenia: https://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/hebephrenic-schizophrenia Director Interview Quotes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_Shelter 

Michael Haneke's The Seventh Continent (1989) is a harrowing look into a seemingly normal family. Haneke's first feature film will leave you shocked, appalled, and change your perspective on life in a way that you never could have imagined. SOURCES/INFORMATION IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098327/  The Criterion Collection: https://www.criterion.com/boxsets/6323-michael-haneke-trilogy?srsltid=AfmBOoq9I-ccwFaO273qPO8Bz_K03xFcU7YsDenM1UJ6E3yg005Ep3S5  Nihilism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihilism

In 1992, Benny's Video would have absolutely rocked my world. I can tell you that today, it still does. This timeless and gut-wrenching film highlights what it means to be a person in the world today of continuous and increasingly violent media. If nothing else, watch this film to learn about yourself.   SOURCES/INFORMATION IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103793/  Narcissus: https://www.worldhistory.org/Narcissus/  Time-Image Discussion: https://www.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/r1z7u0/deleuze_time_image/ Supermodernity, Capital, and Narcissus: The French Connection to Michael Haneke’s Benny’s Video by Mattias Frey: https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=cb14102e47fbec4eafe9a94d2ceb5cc710d74e89  Airplane Game: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airplane_game

I fear that presenting any context before listening will spoil everything that is in store for you in this episode, so I will not. Here is my first David Lynch episode, and I will ensure it is not my last.    SOURCES/INFORMATION IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074486/#:~:text=Henry%20Spencer%20tries%20to%20survive,of%20his%20newborn%20mutant%20child.  Spermatozoon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spermatozoon  Straight Stories: Class, Exploitation and Americana in the FIlms of David Lynch: https://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/33547/1/Roberts_LR_Film_MbR_2023.pdf Between Self and Other: Abjection and Unheimlichkeit in the Films of David Lynch by Adam Dianiel Jones: https://theses.ncl.ac.uk/jspui/bitstream/10443/1230/1/Jones%2c%20A.%2011.pdf  Powers of Horror by Julia Kristeva: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powers_of_Horror

Wish you had gone to Sundance Film Festival this year? Never fear! I attended during the opening weekend and am here to provide you with all of the films I was able to see. Kick back, relax, and let me provide you with a Sundance 2025 recap.   SOURCES/INFORMATION April (2024): https://festival.sundance.org/program/film/67531c96707ccd6b2d08815e LUZ (2025): https://festival.sundance.org/program/film/675329b368b8b7eb9bfe4842 The Ugly Stepsister (2025): https://festival.sundance.org/program/film/67532dd9707ccd17c608a2b4 Andre is an Idiot (2025): https://festival.sundance.org/program/film/675333aa68b8b73e67fe584a The Things You Kill (2025): https://festival.sundance.org/program/film/6753302768b8b73647fe4f26  Sukkwan Island (2025): https://festival.sundance.org/program/film/67532ef068b8b7b657fe4dba  Predators (2025): https://festival.sundance.org/program/film/6753318d68b8b7e6f3fe531c  The Thing with Feathers (2025): https://festival.sundance.org/program/film/67532523707ccdd157088fb0 

Hello dear listeners! Welcome back to another wonderful year together. Let's start 2025 off right together by talking about Curry Barker's award winning short film, The Chair (2023). SOURCES/INFORMATION The Film: https://youtu.be/mhazCS14Tas IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15408560/ Alzheimer's: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20350447#:~:text=Symptoms%20such%20as%20memory%20loss,Explain%20symptoms%20of%20another%20illness. Schizophrenia: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/schizophrenia/symptoms-causes/syc-20354443 Hallucinations vs Delusions: https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/hallucinations-vs-delusions#schizophrenia Substance Abuse Disorder: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/drug-addiction/symptoms-causes/syc-20365112 

Are you ready to take The Substance? I, for one, would never ever in a million years. Listen along as I review this impactful satire about the experience of aging as women.   SOURCES/INFORMATION IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17526714/   The Cut Article: https://www.thecut.com/article/review-the-substance-movie-gets-aging-wrong.html IPSOS Article: https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/most-americans-experience-feeling-dissatisfied-with-body-looks-from-time-to-time American Society of Plastic Surgeons: https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/briefing-papers/briefing-paper-cosmetic-surgery-tourism Priory Group: https://www.priorygroup.com/blog/the-risks-of-cosmetic-surgery-for-body-dysmorphic-disorder-patients#:~:text=Cosmetic%20surgery%20and%20BDD,another%20aspect%20of%20their%20appearance.BDD Foundation: https://bddfoundation.org/information/feelings-and-symptoms/

Perfect Blue is a groundbreaking psychological thriller that blurs the lines between reality and illusion in a way that I previously thought only David Lynch could do. Tune in, turn on, and drop out, as I guide you through the themes of identity, mental illness, and how those around us can impact both.    SOURCES/INFORMATION IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0156887/  Susan J. Napier Essay: Napier, Susan J. “‘Excuse Me, Who Are You?’: Performance, the Gaze, and Female in the Works of Kon Satoshi.” Cinema Anime , PALGRAVE MACMILLAN, New York, NY, 2006, pp. 23–41. Perfect Blue Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_Blue#Plot Dissociative Identity Disorder: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9792-dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder Double Bind:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_bind  Reddit Thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueFilm/comments/ozkrop/comment/h843gx1/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

In this episode, I take a deep dive into Stanley Kuckbrick's controversial classic, A Clockwork Orange, exploring the controversy of free will, societal control, and violence. Whether you are a longtime fan of the film or a first time viewer, this episode will challenge and shape your perception.   SOURCES/INFORMATION IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066921/  Aversion Therapy:https://www.britannica.com/science/aversion-therapy#:~:text=Aversion%20therapy%20causes%20a%20patient,therapy%20are%20electrical%20and%20chemical Aversion Therapy Effectiveness: https://www.britannica.com/science/aversion-therapy#:~:text=Aversion%20therapy%20causes%20a%20patient,therapy%20are%20electrical%20and%20chemical Oxford English Dictionary: https://www.oed.com/dictionary/clockwork-orange_n?tl=true#:~:text=Alex%20has%20been%20deprived%20of,human%20but%20is%20only%20mechanical Free Will: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_will  Free Will and Moral Responsibility: https://iep.utm.edu/freewill/#:~:text=We%20most%20often%20think%20that,not%20to%20walk%20her%20dog.

Ever since Kinds of Kindness hit the scene, my love and passion for Yorgos has been reignited. Please enjoy this special rebroadcast episode of the 2009 masterpiece, Dogtooth.

LONGLEGS is a film that blends psychological tension, the paranormal, and haunting atmosphere. I explore the unique narrative structure, the themes of identity, societal presentation, and the significance of all of the white houses.    SOURCES/INFORMATION Longlegs Timeline: https://www.reddit.com/r/longlegsmovie/comments/1f0gw0c/finally_made_a_timeline/  Cuckoo Birds: https://www.forestwildlife.org/where-do-cuckoos-lay-their-eggs/  Alpha_Lemur: https://www.reddit.com/r/longlegsmovie/comments/1e193ht/happy_birthday_theory/  Red Piano: https://theghostinmymachine.com/2024/05/20/encyclopaedia-of-the-impossible-the-red-piano/ Birthday Murders: https://thebirthdaymurders.net/ IMDB: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt23468450/  

This episode is a slight deviation from my normal episode format. I was feeling incredibly passionate about this topic and felt compelled to share it with you all. I am sure you will enjoy it and learn, nonetheless.    SOURCES/INFORMATION Clover, Carol J. “Her body, himself: Gender in the slasher film.” Representations, vol. 20, 1987, pp. 187–228, https://doi.org/10.2307/2928507 Cowan, Gloria and O’Brien, Margaret. “Gender and Survival vs. Death in Slasher Films: A Content Analysis.” Sex Roles, vol. 23, 1990, pp. 197-196. Lukowski, Sarah. “ Female Victimization in the 1970s and 1980s Slasher Film.” Suffolk University, 2022. Harrington, Erin. Women, Monstrosity and Horror Film: Gynaehorror. Routledge.