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<p><em>Intro by Maria</em></p>



<p>In this episode, Brandon and I discuss the 2009 film <em>500 Days of Summer</em>. Here’s what that movie is about: Tom, a young guy who is obsessed with falling in love, “falls in love” (and I’m doing air quotes) with Summer. The film follows the 500 days of Tom being “in love”—again, air quotes—with Summer.&nbsp;</p>



<p>During that time, Tom wants nothing more than a true relationship with Summer, even though Summer from the start tells him she doesn’t want a relationship. When they break up, Tom is in shambles, especially after he finds out Summer is engaged and getting married. Coming from someone who clearly stated she was NOT interested in relationships, this is shocking for Tom, and he basically becomes one of those whiny little boys who doesn’t understand how he, a nice boy, didn’t eventually get the girl. As if that’s the only thing that counts.</p>



<p>Listen, the movie isn’t entirely horrible. There are bits of truth in there about relationships, and Brandon and I can relate to a lot of the things shown in this film, especially the link between identity and the type of music or films you enjoy.</p>



<p>However, this movie also has something in it that is annoying, and that’s the manic pixie dream girl. If you don’t know, the manic pixie dream girl, or MPDG, mepejdg, is a female character that only exists to further a man in some way, whether that is by teaching him about life or saving him from his wretched manly self.</p>



<p>During the episode we talk a lot about this and the movie, so I’m not going to give it all away now. You’ll just have to stay tuned to this next episode of <em>Peculiar Picture Show</em>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="show-summary">Show Summary</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="general-a-hipster-film-exposing-nice-guys">General: A hipster film exposing nice guys</h3>



<p><em>Brandon</em>: Not first time seeing this, but this movie is “right up my alley”; hipster film; main characters are real musicians</p>



<p><em>Maria</em>: Movie not on our list–decided to continue this “nice guy” movie idea; not first time seeing this</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="like-strangely-relatable-with-a-great-indie-soundtrack">Like: Strangely relatable with a great indie soundtrack</h3>



<p><em>Brandon</em>: Hipster aspects; identity in music; relatable on numerous levels; points out the hypocrisy of feminist hipster men; the way the story was told and artistic choices</p>



<p><em>Maria</em>: Indie music cred; unconventional storytelling; some truth in attraction and love here; entertaining flick</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="dislike-a-passive-female-protagonist-and-a-cliche-ending">Dislike: A passive female protagonist and a cliche ending</h3>



<p><em>Brandon</em>: Wanted Summer to stand up for herself more; a lot of stories about guys like Tom</p>



<p><em>Maria</em>: Ending&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="mental-health-manic-pixie-dream-girls-are-male-fantasy-fiction">Mental Health: Manic Pixie Dream Girls are male fantasy fiction</h3>



<p><em>Brandon</em>: So-called feminist men who are actually horrible; problems with being an ally and associating that with identity (for some); Tom benefited from a culture that oppresses women even though he calls himself an ally&nbsp;</p>



<p><em>Maria</em>: Manic pixie dream girl (MPDG)</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="quotes">Quotes</h2>



<p><em>Maria</em>: All of the movies about women being obsessed with men make women out to be serial killers. They don’t ever get the “you were right! You should have boiled my rabbit!” speech. They’re just crazy.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="next-movie">Next Movie</h2>



<p><strong>Inglourious Basterds (2009)</strong> vs. Rachel Getting Married (2008)</p>


<description>Maria and Brandon discuss the 2009 film 500 Days of Summer, which is a really good example of a movie that shows us the toxic ways people can view love. During the episode we discuss the regular but also touch upon the manic pixie dream girl idea.</description>

Maria and Brandon discuss the 2009 film 500 Days of Summer, which is a really good example of a movie that shows us the toxic ways people can view love. During the episode we discuss the regular but also touch upon the manic pixie dream girl idea.

500 Days of Summer: A Deconstruction of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl


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<p><em>Intro by Maria</em></p>



<p><strong>Trigger warning:</strong> The next episode of Peculiar Picture Show talks about trauma, war, rape, and PTSD. If these topics are sensitive to you, then feel free to skip this episode.</p>



<p>You talkin’ to me? Are you <em>talkin’ </em>&nbsp;to me? I’m the only one here. Who else would you be talkin’ to?</p>



<p>Chances are this monologue is terribly familiar to you—whether you’ve seen the 1976 Martin Scorsese film <em>Taxi Driver</em> or not. It’s these famous movie lines that come to define Travis Bickle, a young Vietnam War vet who has insomnia, so he starts driving New York City cabs at night to pass the time.</p>



<p>We tag along with Travis as he drives around the city, picking up various characters and just trying to pass the time. During these outings, we learn that Travis likes to visit porn theaters. He also stalks a woman who really isn’t interested in him, and it’s this rejection that seems to cause Travis to snap, deciding to assassinate a presidential candidate. At the same time, he comes across Iris, a 12-year-old prostitute, played by Jodie Foster, and feels a connection to her—almost like a fatherly one, which eventually leads to bloodshed.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Travis Bickle is essentially an unredeemable character. No one wants him to kill a politician just because a woman who supports that politician rejected him—even if the politician is scum.</p>



<p>Spoilers, though. He doesn’t succeed. So he decides to kill the next best thing: Iris’s pimp and all the other men taking advantage of her. The movie climaxes in a blaze of bullets and blood, and Iris watches the slaughter. Travis is injured, but he survives, and he becomes a hero—a taxi driver who rose above the scum and addressed injustice by saving a 12-year-old from garbage people. The woman who rejects him earlier in the film also comes back to pay her respects to the newly found hero, and the movie ends with this commentary about the thin line between heroism and villainy.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Brandon and I also believe this movie comments on post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD—even though it’s not explicit in the film—so a good amount of our time is focused on the history of PTSD and its symptoms. I also discuss my personal experience with trauma.&nbsp;</p>



<p>So sit back, hail yourself a cab, and put on your seatbelt because you’re about to speed through to this next episode of Peculiar Picture Show.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="sources">Sources</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li><a href="https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/essentials/history_ptsd.asp">https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/essentials/history_ptsd.asp</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181586/" rel="nofollow">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181586/</a></li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="show-summary">Show Summary</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="general-a-great-70s-film-that-inspired-a-real-killer">General: A great 70s film that inspired a real killer</h3>



<p><em>Brandon</em>: Love 1970s film because there’s not as many “Hollywood” happy endings; <em>Joker</em> seems to want to have been this movie because they were afraid for the Joker to be an awful person</p>



<p><em>Maria</em>: Robert De Niro became Jodie Foster’s mentor for this movie; movie inspired John Hinckley Jr to become obsessed with Foster and also to try to assassinate Reagan</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="like-great-characters-and-performances-and-surprisingly-socially-aware">Like: Great characters and performances, and surprisingly socially aware</h3>



<p><em>Brandon</em>: Initially liked this because thought it was complex, but upon re-watching, didn’t seem like it was a positive view of mental illness; film did have awareness of issues, as seen in changes to the original script; doesn’t condone Travis’s actions (feminist?); original perhaps would have commented upon toxic masculinity more than mental illness/PTSD; the ending; character portrait</p>



<p><em>Maria</em>: Character-driven; interesting and kept my attention; classic film; interesting for its time; performances&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="dislike-female-abuse-stemming-from-male-trauma">Dislike: Female abuse stemming from male trauma</h3>



<p><em>Brandon</em>: First 45 minutes extremely slow, boring; jazz soundtrack, particularly the first time</p>



<p><em>Maria</em>: Jazz soundtrack (when Brandon brought this up); fatigued by the way women are treated in some movies; slightly uncomfortable with the abuse</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="mental-health-the-history-of-ptsd-and-personal-experiences-with-it">Mental Health: The history of PTSD, and personal experiences with it</h3>



<p><em>Brandon</em>: History of PTSD; “official” in 1980, so wasn’t really a term when this movie came out, but has existed for quite some time; in 1980 it was controversial because it emphasized external factors, rather than internal</p>



<p><em>Maria</em>: Personal experiences with trauma; symptoms of PTSD</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="next-movie">Next Movie</h2>



<p>Inglourious Basterds (2009) vs. Rachel Getting Married (2008) vs. <strong>500 Days of Summer (2009)</strong></p>


<description>Maria and Brandon discuss the 1976 Martin Scorses film Taxi Driver. They do the normal liking and disliking stuff, but when they get to the mental health section, they focus on PTSD.</description>

Maria and Brandon discuss the 1976 Martin Scorses film Taxi Driver. They do the normal liking and disliking stuff, but when they get to the mental health section, they focus on PTSD.

Taxi Driver: You Talkin’ to Me? (and PTSD)


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<p><em>Intro by Brandon</em></p>



<p><em>Lady Bird</em> is probably one of my favorite movies. It’s a Millennial coming of age story, and it’s written and directed by a real Millennial—something we haven’t seen in a lot of similar stories. As such, there are a lot of personal touches in the film that a lot of us Millennials dealt with growing up that are hard to describe but, oddly, easy to relate to. Couple that with some smart humor and you’ve got a pretty amazing film.</p>



<p>The plot follows Christine McPherson, or Lady Bird, as she has named herself. Lady Bird is a senior in high school who wants to leave her hometown and be her own person. To do that, though, she has to deal with her own academic ineptitude, her youthful naivety, a major financial recession, and a mother who just doesn’t seem to be pleased with anything she does. None of these things represent an insurmountable task, but the film is more about the journey than the destination and who Lady Bird is along the way.</p>



<p>If you haven’t seen this, it’s an excellent movie, and Maria and I were hard pressed to find anything negative to say about it. It doesn’t spell things out for you, though. Not that it’s particularly hard to understand or enjoy, but there’s more going on here than a story about a teenage girl. The film is subtle and smart in a way that many coming of age films flounder.</p>



<p>Maria spends some time talking about shame, which is something Lady Bird experiences but doesn’t really talk about. The realness of the shame in this film was no doubt helped by the fact that there was a female protagonist, directed and written by a woman—a rarity in the film world. I spend some time talking about how this film encapsulates the experience many Millennials had growing up, and what we’re still putting up with today. Spoiler alert: Millennials put up with a lot growing up, and it’s made many of us reluctant to accept the label.</p>



<p>So, I don’t have a witty lead in for this one, but this is a film that Maria and I both related to on a pretty personal level. I hope you enjoy our thoughts on it in this episode of Peculiar Picture Show, the podcast that talks about movies, maladies, and mental health.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="show-summary">Show Summary</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="sources">Sources</h3>



<p><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-scientific-underpinnings-and-impacts-of-shame/">https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-scientific-underpinnings-and-impacts-of-shame/</a></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="general-an-intellectual-film-about-growing-up">General: An intellectual film about growing up</h3>



<p><em>Brandon</em>: Instantly related to it; only movie about high school that makes me miss high school</p>



<p><em>Maria</em>: Takes place in Sacramento, 2002; directed by Greta Gerwig; nominated for several Academy Awards; coming-of-age story; probably biased since we are writers/artists</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="like-realistic-portrayal-of-shame-with-lots-of-personal-touches">Like: Realistic portrayal of shame, with lots of personal touches</h3>



<p><em>Brandon</em>: Writing; directing; details; seemed very real, especially about Christian teenagers; humor; the character Lady Bird; relatable</p>



<p><em>Maria</em>: Out of all films we’ve seen so far, this might be the one I relate to the most; had similar feelings that Lady Bird did, like feelings of shame about house, not having much money, wanting to leave hometown; writing; dialogue; acting; everything</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="dislike-not-much-to-hate">Dislike: Not much to hate</h3>



<p><em>Brandon</em>: Nothing</p>



<p><em>Maria</em>: Nothing; I can’t imagine someone not enjoying it</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="mental-health-shame-emotional-labor-and-millennial-mental-health">Mental Health: Shame, emotional labor, and Millennial mental health</h3>



<p><em>Brandon</em>: Emotional labor; Millennial coming-of-age story</p>



<p><em>Maria</em>: Effects of shame/guilt on mental health</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="quotes">Quotes</h2>



<p><em>Brandon</em>: Every woman understands the concept of putting in emotional labor to keep other people happy; whereas with men, it’s kinda seen as a virtue to not care about that.</p>



<p><em>Brandon</em>: That’s what this movie is: a chance for Millennials to define for themselves what [the label of Millennials] means.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="next-time">Next time</h2>



<p><strong>Taxi Driver (1976)</strong> vs. Almost Famous (2000)</p>


<description>Lady Bird is a 2019 film written and directed by Greta Gerwig. Brandon and Maria discuss this Millennial coming-of-age film with a strong female voice, and they wholeheartedly agree that the movie is a great one. Brandon focuses on this movie’s Millennial voice, and Maria focuses on the effects of guilt and shame.</description>

Lady Bird is a 2019 film written and directed by Greta Gerwig. Brandon and Maria discuss this Millennial coming-of-age film with a strong female voice, and they wholeheartedly agree that the movie is a great one. Brandon focuses on this movie’s Millennial voice, and Maria focuses on the effects of guilt and shame.

Lady Bird: A Millennial Coming-of-Age Story


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<p><em>Intro by Maria</em></p>



<p>The Joker is one of the most recognizable comic supervillains of all time. Even if you’re not a fan, you know who he is, so I guess it’s no surprise that this iconic character has had a variety of portrayals throughout the years.</p>



<p>In 2019, the film <em>Joker</em> was released, this time played by Joaquin Phoenix. This “new” version of the Joker is more realistic, showing him having a job as a rent-a-clown and taking care of his mother. He seems less like a comic book character and more like someone who is struggling.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Struggling against what, you ask? Cue the mental illness! Yes, this movie explicitly comments upon the Joker’s mental health issues and mental illness. In fact, when this movie came out, Brandon and I had already been releasing our podcast episodes, and so I started to get a bunch of suggestions from friends that we should review this movie because it was so blatantly mental-health focused. And so in early 2020, when Brandon and I picked our 2019 movie picks, it was my pick.</p>



<p>Now, just because the movie comments on mental illness doesn’t necessarily mean it helps the stigma around it. The film struggles in this regard. While Phoenix’s portrayal of the Joker is complex, the character’s motivation seems simplistic, driven to become the murderous Joker because he is a victim of his circumstances without enough condemnation by the film’s makers for Brandon to be satisfied.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Furthermore, the movie blames the Joker’s mother—herself suffering from mental illness and past trauma and abuse—for all his troubles, and that may have been the worst part of the movie for us as it perpetuates the idea that victims have control over their situations at all times and have the power to stop it. We know this isn’t true, so why does a movie as recent as this still back this lie?</p>



<p>So if you haven’t seen this movie yet, that’s OK. Brandon would tell you that you’re not missing much, so just skip it. All you need to do is put on a happy face as we delve into the next episode of <em>Peculiar Picture Show</em>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="sources">Sources</h2>



<ol class="wp-block-list"><li><a href="https://ps.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ps.52.7.953">https://ps.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ps.52.7.953</a></li><li><a href="http://www.mentalhealthcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/mentalhealthcenter.org_ebook_mental_illness_and_crime_print.pdf">http://www.mentalhealthcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/mentalhealthcenter.org_ebook_mental_illness_and_crime_print.pdf</a></li><li><a href="https://www.psypost.org/2020/05/watching-the-movie-joker-linked-to-an-increase-in-prejudicial-attitudes-toward-those-with-mental-illness-56892">https://www.psypost.org/2020/05/watching-the-movie-joker-linked-to-an-increase-in-prejudicial-attitudes-toward-those-with-mental-illness-56892</a></li></ol>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="show-summary">Show Summary</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="general-joker-and-this-mental-health-podcast-are-a-match-made-in-heaven">General: Joker and this mental health podcast are a match made in heaven</h3>



<p><em>Brandon</em>: Movie was made for this podcast; first time seeing film; movie takes place in the early 1980s; many people divided over this film&nbsp;</p>



<p><em>Maria</em>: My pick; won two Oscars; conflicted about this film</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="like-there-was-an-attempt-at-a-movie-about-mental-illness">Like: There was an attempt (at a movie about mental illness)</h3>



<p><em>Brandon</em>: Directing; editing; use of music; Phoenix’s portrayal of Arthur Fleck (won an Oscar); technical aspects; tried to make a statement about mental illness; style</p>



<p><em>Maria</em>: Movie about mental illness first, then a villain origin story; style; entertaining&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="dislike-toxic-masculinity-and-a-surprising-lack-of-risks">Dislike: Toxic masculinity and a surprising lack of risks</h3>



<p><em>Brandon</em>: Seems to revel in toxic masculinity; some things don’t really make sense and seem forced—seemed to throw in hot talking points; movie didn’t take enough risks</p>



<p><em>Maria</em>: Uncomfortable film; Joaquin Phoenix;&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="mental-health-hurting-perceptions-of-mental-illness-and-trauma">Mental Health: Hurting perceptions of mental illness and trauma</h3>



<p><em>Brandon</em>: Criminality and mental illness; how film can affect people’s views of mental illness</p>



<p><em>Maria</em>: Victim blaming/shaming</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="quotes">Quotes</h2>



<p><em>Brandon</em>: Toxic masculinity is finding ways to justify violent and abhorrent behavior. And so if you look at gun culture, it’s all about finding ways to glorify people who have used guns to solve problems, who have resorted to violence because that was the only course of action, and you have this entire group of people that dream up scenarios where violence is the noble thing to do. This extends into police culture and into a lot of things, and it’s tied to toxic masculinity.</p>



<p><em>Brandon</em>: This movie kinda has a reputation for being edgy, but one interesting thing they could have done is just let Arthur Fleck be a terrible irredeemable person, but they didn’t do that. They constructed an entire world to be mean to him and unfair to him so he would have to resort to violence. It’s like incel fan fiction.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="next-time">Next time</h2>



<p><strong><em>Lady Bird</em> (2017)</strong> vs. <em>Star Trek: First Contact</em> (1996)</p>


<description>Joker is a 2019 film centered on the origin story of DC’s Joker. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, the movie may be the first of its kind to focus more on mental health and mental illness than any other supervillain story up until this point. Maria and Brandon talk about this, its impact on how mental illness is viewed, and what the film has to say about toxic masculinity.</description>

Joker is a 2019 film centered on the origin story of DC’s Joker. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, the movie may be the first of its kind to focus more on mental health and mental illness than any other supervillain story up until this point. Maria and Brandon talk about this, its impact on how mental illness is viewed, and what the film has to say about toxic masculinity.

Joker: Why So Seriously Wrong on Mental Illness?


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<p>Maria and Brandon talk about what they like in horror movies, Halloween traditions, and their favorites in the genre.</p>


<description>Maria and Brandon talk about what they like in horror movies, Halloween traditions, and their favorites in the genre.</description>

Maria and Brandon talk about what they like in horror movies, Halloween traditions, and their favorites in the genre.

Maria and Brandon on Horror Movies

Hosts Brandon Gregory and Maria Milazzo, two neurodivergent former English majors, talk about movies as they relate to mental health, mental illness, and invisible illness. From blockbuster hits to arthouse films, there are plenty of movies commenting on these issues. Conditions ranging from depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder to PTSD, emotional abuse, and oppression are discussed.

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