Tag: Depression

Mental Health, Personal Essays

Time to Be Honest: Depression, Film And Me

“So, for how long have you been depressed for?” This was the question once posed to me by a counsellor during our first counselling session. “I dunno.” I shrugged in response. “Ever since I was a kid, I think.” It sounds like an exaggeration but to some extent, it’s true. In my life there have been two consistencies: depression and film. Both elements are so entwined in my life that it’s easier for me to recall the events of a film rather than the events of my life. Continue reading Time to Be Honest: Depression, Film And Me

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Female Filmmaker, Personal Essays, Women in Film

Why “She Dies Tomorrow” is the ‘Perfect’ Representation of 2020 as a Year

“She Dies Tomorrow” is a horror film like nothing else you’ll see this year. With no word of a lie, you will either fall into two camps after watching this film, meaning you’ll either love it or you will hate it. It’s that type of film which will either bore you to tears (tears of frustration or rage) or it’ll leave you dizzy and intoxicated by its surreal, haunting beauty. Looking online at the audience scores and reviews, “She Dies Tomorrow” seems to have frustrated many regular viewers (basically anyone who isn’t a film critic), and this is understandable. The film marketed as a straightforward ‘ordinary’ horror flick, but there’s nothing straightforward nor ordinary about “She Dies Tomorrow”. If anything, the film and its reaction sums up the bizarre and surreal world we find ourselves in. You either belong to one side of the spectrum, there is no middle ground. You’re either on the side of the film critic or you’re against them. Continue reading Why “She Dies Tomorrow” is the ‘Perfect’ Representation of 2020 as a Year

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Film Reviews, Mental Health, Reviews

Mental Health Awareness Month Review: “Christine”

I remember watching “Christine” (2016) the first time.  I went into the film knowing nothing about Christine Chubbuck or her life.  I knew minimal about broadcast journalism in the 1970s.  But watching the film was an eye-opening and haunting experience.

The real life Christine Chubbuck is not a household name. She was a television reporter in the Sarasota, Florida area, and worked on human stories; finding interest in the seemingly mundane about people. But in the 1970s, the world was shifting from feel-good news pieces to the mentality of “If it bleeds, it leads.” The 1970s is when we saw the rise of the Vietnam War, and serial killers dominated headlines. There was a paradigm shift and Chubbuck was not ready.  Sure, she was interested in politics and asking tough questions, but she was intrigued with others, how they operated and what made them tick. Continue reading Mental Health Awareness Month Review: “Christine”

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Film Reviews, Mental Health, Retrospect Reviews, Reviews

Mental Health Awareness Month: “Garden State” Review

“Garden State” (2004) is a mixed bag for a number of reasons. But some aspects of its depiction of mental health are very well portrayed, especially for its time.

Andrew (Zach Braff) returns to his home town to attend his mother’s funeral. He’s depressed with a lot of baggage, and is now dealing with grief as best he can in his highly medicated state. While there he meets Sam (Natalie Portman) who encourages him to see life differently. Over the course of a few days, Andrew works on closing a painful chapter in his life and reopening a new and more hopeful one. Continue reading Mental Health Awareness Month: “Garden State” Review

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Netflix, Personal Essays, Reviews, Television Review

Four Reasons Bojack Horseman is going to die by suicide (and one reason why he won’t)

January 20th, 2020 is a date that will go down in infamy as the end of one the greatest eras in modern television : the brief but powerful reign of “Bojack Horseman”, star of screen and book. Five and a half moving, funny, poignant, brilliant seasons have left little doubt that Raphael Bob Waksberg and friends will knock the final six episodes out of the park but there are many questions left about how our dubious hero will say his final goodbyes.

Besides “The Office” ( the soundtrack of my life) there are few shows I have examined as carefully or studied as intensely as “Bojack Horseman”. It is the only show I’ve ever loved enough to consider a fan tattoo. My careful examination of a show that rewards careful examination has revealed the following : Bojack Horseman’s (Will Arnett) life is in danger. Continue reading Four Reasons Bojack Horseman is going to die by suicide (and one reason why he won’t)

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Acting, Best Actresses of The Decade, Female Characters, Women in Film

Best Actress of the Decade, Entry No. 26: Kirsten Dunst

To celebrate the last decade 2010-2019 we are counting down the best actresses and discussing some of their most notable and memorable performances of the last decade. With the help of Film Twitter, the ITOL team have selected 30 actresses. Entry No. 26 is Kirsten Dunst, and writer Bee Garner discusses her favourite performance by Dunst over the last decade. Continue reading Best Actress of the Decade, Entry No. 26: Kirsten Dunst

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31 Days of Horror, Female Characters, Personal Essays, Women in Film

Run From Your Wife: Exploring The Horror of Marriage In Possession and Antichrist

There are two: Two horror films, two male directors, two couples, two marriages on the rocks, two Deadly Women to be feared, two men at the mercy of these women. Chaos and Order, Man and Woman. The films in question our Lars Von Trier’s “Antichrist” (2009) and Andrzej Żuławski (1981), the films may have been made decades apart, but they share such striking similarities that it’s hard not to discuss one without referencing the other. Both films depict an underlying fear of women, seen through the fearful gaze of the male directors and the male characters.The women represent Chaos and disorder, their male partners are on a quest to fix these women and restore order. Continue reading Run From Your Wife: Exploring The Horror of Marriage In Possession and Antichrist

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