-
Episode 114: If We’re Going to Do Homages, Let’s Do Psych Ones — High Anxiety (1977) with Ed Hansen
Join Alex and friend of the show Dr. Ed Hansen as they discuss the delightfully silly and usefully psychological High Anxiety (1977), Mel Brooks’ send-up to the master filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock. The film stars Brooks as Dr. Richard Thorndyke, a world-renowned psychiatrist who begins a new career at the Psycho-Neurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous. Joining him are his normal contributors, including Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman, and Madeline Kahn. When Thorndyke is framed for murder, he must use all the Hitchcockian tools at his disposal to clear his name. Of course, no discussion of Hitchcock films can be made without a discussion of Freud, as well as the use of the term “High Anxiety”, using humor as a means to cope with anxiety, the role of suspense to build a crescendo of anxiety, and a brief foray into institutionalization and its foibles.…
-
Episode 108: Sometimes You Just Need a Frontal Lobotomy — Shutter Island (2010)
Join Alex in a solo episode as he explores the Scorsese psychological thriller Shutter Island (2010)! Starring Leonard DiCaprio as a troubled US Marshal, the film follows the Marshal’s investigation into the disappearance of a patient at a psychiatric facility and prison for the criminally insane on a desolate, rocky island in the mid-1950s. However, beneath the surface, sinister forces lurk, and the episode delves into the mysteries surrounding the case. It explores the potential psychological and psychiatric diagnoses for the characters (whether it’s schizophrenia or something else entirely). Additionally, the film sheds light on the state of psychiatric and psychological care during that era in the United States.…
-
Episode 103: Finding Love, Family, & Metaphorical Food Through Psychodynamic Therapy — Antwone Fisher (2002) with Katherine Marshall Woods
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Katherine Marshall Woods as they explore the psychodynamic themes in Denzel Washington’s directorial debut, Antwone Fisher (2002). The film also stars Washington, and in his Hollywood debut, Derek Luke plays the titular character. The film was based on the real Fisher’s autobiography, Finding Fish (2001), and is about a man with anger issues on a hair trigger. But as the two psychologists explore in this episode, perhaps its because he’s hungry for family, for a place of belonging, and to find those folks who won’t abandon him like his early family. It’s an engaging story and an even better analysis.…
-
Episode 056: How Did Psychology Hurt Scott Calvin? The Santa Clause (1994)
Join Alex as he discusses a timeless Christmas classic, The Santa Clause (1994), starring Tim Allen in one of his more-famous roles. Watch as he becomes Santa after being tricked into it by magical law — this sounds like real life — and as he spends the entire runtime throwing psychiatry and psychology under the bus! It’s almost like the real Tim Allen put in his own disdain for an entire professional field into the movie! But don’t forget about all the great examples of belief perseverance and belief revision amongst the characters! Just press play on this episode — your ears will know what to do!…
-
Episode 041: If Freud is the Butt of the Jokes, What Does it Mean? What About Bob (1991) with Jordan Wagge
Join Alex and returning guest host Dr. Jordan Wagge (BlueSky: @jorowags.bsky.social) as they take a closer look at the goofy Bill Murray comedy What About Bob? (1991). This Frank Oz classic that also stars Richard Dreyfuss as Dr. Leo Marvin is a wild ride in anxiety, therapy, and Freud jokes! Alex and Jordan officially start the Dr. Leo Marvin Haters Club and decide he is one of the worst people — not just therapist — in the world. But remember, don’t think too hard about the psych portrayal in the movie, it’s a comedy!
Please leave your feedback on this post, the main site (cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com…