PSYCHOCINEMATIC

TRANSCRIPT HERE   Jordan Bastian, film and artistic genius, joins Steph as we tackle the chaotic wonder that is Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022), by eccentrically amazing duo Daniels. Does the film not just depict undiagnosed adult ADHD, but embody what it’s like to live with it? Does it hold up as an indie form of the wave of immigrant American intergenerational trauma films (e.g. Turning...

TRANSCRIPT HERE   Our second focus on the auteur who loves to lightly and heavily traumatise us, Darren Aronofksy- is a deep swan dive into 2010's Black Swan starring Natalie Portman. Joining us is Ash Roberts*, Hot Girl's Theory Podcasts' other half! Ash shares her history of, in her words her 'spicy mental health cocktail', and how her experience of Autism and Bipolar Disorder has parallels with...

TRANSCRIPT HERE   Steph is the luckiest daughter to be able to interview her retired engineer father, Frank (or Franco) Fornasier, on the podcast today, as they reflect on the film and play Looking for Alibrandi (2000 and 2022 respectively). Frank tells Steph what it was like growing up in Brisbane as an Italian boy with an extremely religious mother, and tyrannical unaffectionate father. Topics i...

TRANSCRIPT HERE Our first foray into the Darren Aronofsky Mental Illness Universe, today we have the editing genius and dead-pan-ly funny Nic Fornasier to talk about the slap in the face that is REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (2000). Join us as Nic takes us throw what he relates to in the film (and what he absolutely does not relate to), how it compares to other ‘Don’t do drugs!’ films of the 2000’s, and whe...

TRANSCRIPT HERE   For Psychocinematic’s first foray into the documentary film, Steph discusses the Netflix documentary Keep Sweet Pray and Obey, with the inspiring (and multitasking) Merowyn Olaver, a nurse, writer, mental health & domestic violence advocate, breast cancer previvor, AND a mother as well. Steph and Merowyn discuss the psychology of religion, how it differs from that of cults or cul...

TRANSCRIPT HERE Steph has the insightful Indi Gage from Hot Girls Theory podcast to talk about a movie they both adore, Michel Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), written by Charlie Kaufman. We discuss how the film raises questions about our experience of relationships and the way our fallible memory can shape how we see them, as well as how we relate to the character of Clement...

TRANSCRIPT HERE Maz and Steph join forces again to discuss the time travel mental illness tale of the modern world, Netflix’s Russian Doll, created and starring our husky queen Natasha Lyonne. We take a deep dive into the depictions of intergenerational trauma (our fave), complex PTSD, OCD and substance use, within a fun and at times hilarious time travel plot. We related more to this one than we...

TRANSCRIPT HERE Our lovely guest host Clary Garrett starts off our episode by generously discussing her experience with perinatal depression, anxiety and psychosis, and what it was like to re-visit her experience while filming You Can’t Ask That on ABC. Clary and Steph then get deep into the depiction of postnatal depression on Netflix’s Big Mouth spinoff series, Human Resources. Do we overthink i...

TRANSCRIPT HERE Who can build a sunrise? Sprinkle it with dew? Not Roald Dahl that’s for sure. Maz Fornasier returns to discuss the 1971 cult movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, based off the 1964 novel by Roald Dahl*. Come with us as we explore the racist origins of the Oompa Loompas, the eccentric character of Willy Wonka, and the themes of fatphobia, classism, and ableism throughout th...

TRANSCRIPT HERE     We finally did it listeners, we’ve covered our first Disney film! Of course it’s the ridiculously popular Encanto (2021), which no one has stopped singing ever since it turned up mid pandemic. Join Steph and her Disney expert bestie Heidy White as they delve into the themes of intergenerational trauma, family expectation & pressure, and the inevitable resulting variety of menta...

TRANSCRIPT HERE   Welcome to West Covina, California, where manic pixie dreamgirls actually go on to receive appropriate mental health diagnoses. Join Steph with esteemed psychology and sleep researcher Dr Elise McGlashan, as they discuss their very favourite show and try to be impartially critical about its depiction of Borderline Personality Disorder. We talk about how while we do not ourselves...

TRANSCRIPT HERE    The world of disability representation was on Ryan O'Connell's shoulders when Netflix gave him a deal to create a series based on his memoir of life with Cerebral Palsy. So how do we rate it? Join Steph with Peta Hooke, disability activist and creator of the I Can't Stand Podcast, as we dissect the two part series.  Follow Peta on insta at @petahooke Listen to Peta's podcast I C...

TRANSCRIPT HERE Our 25th episode has the brilliant Washington DC based journalist, author and autism advocate Eric Michael Garcia joining Steph to discuss Netflix’s extremely polite series Atypical (2017-2020). We drag it just as politely, and discuss what it does well, what it neglects, and what promising ideas it doesn’t really flesh out. We also discuss the problems with autism parenting cultur...

TRANSCRIPT HERE Join Steph and the vibrant Jossie Williams as they dissect the indie Paul Dalio film Touched With Fire. Jossie takes us through her own journey of diagnosis, treatment and life with bipolar disorder and how it compares to the depiction in the movie. We also rag on Silver Linings Playbook a little, soz. Could this be the film that finally fully passes the Psychocinematic test? Does...

TRANSCRIPT HERE On our last main episode of the year, Maz and I dive far more deeply than most would into the most iconic highschool mid 90’s movie, Clueless (1995) directed by Amy Heckerling and starring the almost-forgotten Alicia Silverstone. We discuss why Cher definitely has ADHD and why her plight is so relatable to Maz (although not because she has a crush on her ex-step-sibling). Does Clue...

TRANSCRIPT HERE Happy International Day of People with Disability!! Join me (Steph) as I have a big gush about the documentary Crip Camp and a little rant about ableism, and direct your attention to the ‘mother of disability’ Judy Heumann as well as some of the many disability activists that I look to, leading the work in inclusion in Australia and the world. This episode was to be only available...

TRANSCRIPT HERE   It’s our 20th episode Psychocinemaniacs! Who knew we’d make it this far! Buckle up for some wild rides as we delve into the 3 biggest movies of their decades featuring Dissociative Identity Disorder*. Primal Fear (1996), Identity (2003) and Split (2016). Steph and Maz discuss the wild assertions each film make, and the actual statistics around criminal activity, murder, and disso...

TRANSCRIPT HERE   Maz and Steph finally present to you the magnum opus of podcast content about Mental Illness in film. They watched both versions of telemovies Sybil, and now you don’t have to. That, is the 1976 version starring Sally Field and Joanne Woodward, and the 2007 version starring Jessica Lange and Tammie Blanchard. (Our cover image contains the font they used in that 2007 version, whic...

TRANSCRIPT HERE Here is part 2 bbs!  In this episode, Maz gets political, which means she does smoke a lot in the recording. She also does the best impression of Chet Hanks I've ever heard.  We talk about the myriad of terrible stereotypes this movie highlights, and of course the harmful message not only to people with intellectual impairments, but to the American people who were about to vote in...

TRANSCRIPT HERE Today, Maz and I discuss THE FILM of 1994 (because the academy inappropriately sidelined Pulp Fiction), directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Eric Roth. Part 1 starts to unravel some of the reasons why you probably shouldn’t love this movie including how the character of Forrest was developed, its depiction of disability, and how it trivializes events of American history. Tomo...

TRANSCRIPT HERE Simpsons part 2 is here! For our second part of episode 12, special guest Nathan Phillips and Steph look at the two episodes Moaning Lisa (Season 1 episode 6) and Fear of Flying (Season 6 episode 11), the stereotypes of the Simpsons and how they evolved (or devolved), and how these episodes shaped our understanding of mental illness. Is Bart society?? Should Maggie be at a jazz clu...

TRANSCRIPT HERE Here we are in the Simpsons universe! For our first part of episode 12, special guest Nathan Phillips and Steph look at the two episodes Moaning Lisa (Season 1 episode 6) and Fear of Flying (Season 6 episode 11), the history of the early Simpsons, and how accurate we believe their depictions of mental illness and therapy are, with a bit of our own experience thrown in. Nathan is a...

TRANSCRIPT HERE Thanks for your patience lucky ducks, bet you were chomping at the bit to finish this episode! Here it is, PART 2 OF 2! Brother of the podcast and editor Nic Fornasier joins Steph as they explore the dysfunctional family opus, The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), directed by Wes Anderson and written by Wes and Owen Wilson. Together they ask the question, can narcissistic dads who abandon t...

TRANSCRIPT HERE PART 1 OF 2! Brother of the podcast and editor Nic Fornasier joins Steph as they explore the dysfunctional family opus, The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), directed by Wes Anderson and written by Wes and Owen Wilson. Together they ask the question, can narcissistic dads who abandon their kids make up for the resulting trauma? And if so does this movie portray this situation with nuance an...

TRANSCRIPT HERE For our TENTH episode, Maz Fornasier joins us again as we dissect the ethereal adolescent world of The Virgin Suicides (1999) directed by Sofia Coppola and based on the novel by Jeffrey Eugenides. Listen as Maz and I explain our journey of love and hate of the film, and how it’s narration through the male gaze causes some problematic influence on the audience. BIG trigger warning,...