A life update. I wanted to let people know where I'm at right now and how things are going for me.

In this mini episode, I talk about David Cronenberg's 1988 film, "Dead Ringers." I primarily discuss the dangers of co-dependency and how the film looks at the way men control women's bodies. These mini episodes are unfiltered, raw, and less in-depth than my regular episodes. They're a space for me to talk casually about a film and also about my life. There is minimal research done, and I mainly share my immediate thoughts and feelings about a film.

These mini episodes are unfiltered, raw, and less in-depth than my regular episodes. They're a space for me to talk casually about a film and also about my life. There is minimal research done, and I mainly share my immediate thoughts and feelings about a film. In this mini episode about David Lynch's 1997 film, "Lost Highway," I talk about how what we bury always surfaces and all the different parts of ourselves that we don't understand. There are spoilers in this episode. I'm on...

These mini episodes are unfiltered, raw, and less in-depth than my regular episodes. They're a space for me to talk casually about a film and also about my life. There is minimal research done, and I mainly share my immediate thoughts and feelings about cinema. In this episode, I talk about how cinema was one of the things that saved me in the years after I lost my dad when I was a teenager.

These mini episodes are unfiltered, raw, and less in-depth than my regular episodes. They're a space for me to talk casually about a film and also about my life. There is minimal research done, and I mainly share my immediate thoughts and feelings about a film. In this episode, I talk about surrealist cinema and the way that film allows us to enter a fascinating dream world. When we live in dreams, we live in possibility. I mention Maya Deren, Suzann Pitt, David Lynch, Dorothea Tanning, and...

These mini episodes are unfiltered, raw, and less in-depth than my regular episodes. They're a space for me to talk casually about a film and also about my life. There is minimal research done, and I mainly share my immediate thoughts and feelings about a film. In this mini episode about David Lynch's 2001 film, "Mulholland Drive," I talk about living inside the mystery of a work of art and what it means to be a broken woman who longs for wholeness. There are spoilers in this episode.

These mini episodes are unfiltered, raw, and less in-depth than my regular episodes. They're a space for me to talk casually about a film and also about my life. There is minimal research done, and I mainly share my immediate thoughts and feelings about a film. In this mini episode about Ridley Scott's 1979 film, "Alien," I talk about changes I've been going through and how this film made me think about the things we let into our lives and the monsters we battle.

In this short episode, I talk about why I'm taking a break from the podcast. I thank everyone who has listened over the years. I'm deeply appreciative.

In this episode, I talk about Robert Eggers's 2015 film, "The Witch." It looks at a New England Puritan family in the 1600s that is exiled from their community. They go to live in a remote area, and terrifying things begin to happen. The eldest daughter is blamed for these events and accused of being a witch. I talk about witch hunts, the feminist aspects of the film, my very personal reaction to the ending, and much more. There are spoilers in this episode. Full show notes:...

In this episode, I talk about the 1945 film "Humoresque." Joan Crawford plays a socialite tormented by her love for a younger man--played by John Garfield--who is a passionate violinist trying to break into the music world. Her money and connections help him find success, but her hard-drinking and intense desire lead to her own self-destruction. I adore this film. I talk about the music in it, how it looks at desire, and much more. As always, there are spoilers in this episode. Full show...

In this episode, I talk about Michael Curtiz's 1945 film "Mildred Pierce." Joan Crawford won an Oscar for her performance as the title character, a mother who, in the wake of the end of her marriage, starts her own restaurant business and tries to give a better life to her two daughters--Veda and Kay. But her eldest daughter Veda has an insatiable and destructive desire for material possessions and Mildred will stop at nothing to give Veda all that she wants. This is a magnificent film about...

In this episode, I talk about Mike Newell's 1991 film, "Enchanted April." It's about four women in 1920s Britain who rent a castle in the Italian countryside. Their vacation in Italy will forever transform their lives. The much-needed break from ordinary life leads to spiritual rejuvenation, a deep connection to nature, and a powerful bond with each other. There are spoilers in this episode. Full show notes:...

In this episode, I talk about Audrey Wells's 2003 film, "Under the Tuscan Sun." I've loved this film since I was a teenager. It stars Diane Lane as a woman who goes through a devastating divorce and goes to Italy and renovates a house. In the process of this home renovation, she reconnects with life and experiences emotional renewal. For me, this film is really about a woman who survives heartbreak and creates a new life for herself. This episode contains spoilers. Full show notes:...

In this episode, I talk about Michael Haneke's controversial and thought-provoking 1997 film, "Funny Games." It's a thriller that breaks all the rules and raises questions about the representation of violence in mass media. A family is terrorized in their vacation home by two young men who take enjoyment in brutality and degradation. Haneke uses surprising and unexpected techniques to confront the audience of his film and to make us think deeper and more critically about the violence and...

In this episode, I talk about Michael Haneke's 2012 film, "Amour." It's about Georges and Anne, an elderly Parisian couple who have their lives turned upside down after Anne suffers a stroke. This is a deeply devastating film that resonated with me. For over a year now, my mom has been struggling with her health and I've become a caregiver for her. I talk about the difficult experience of caring for someone and watching them suffer. I hope that, by sharing my experience, I can help others or...

In this episode, I'm talking about Jane Campion's 2009 film, "Bright Star." It's about the brief but beautiful love story between the poet John Keats and a young woman named Fanny Brawne. John Keats is considered one of the greatest poets who ever lived but he died young, before he and Fanny could create a life together. Their romance was marked by distance and the ever-present shadow of death but his passionate letters to her--which are featured throughout the film--reveal how deeply he was...

In this episode, I talk about Jane Campion's 2003 film, "In the Cut." Meg Ryan plays, Frannie, an English teacher who becomes embroiled in a murder investigation after parts of a woman's body are found in her garden. She may have even seen the murder victim shortly before the crime. After the lead detective on the case interviews her, the two of them become involved in a dark, torturous relationship. "In the Cut" is a deeply erotic and feminist film that centers female sexuality and female...

In this episode, I talk about Wim Wenders's 1988 film, "Wings of Desire." It's about an angel who falls in love with a trapeze artist and is willing to give up eternity and become human in order to be with her. I think this is such a powerful and poetic film about love, connection, and what it means to be human. It's a life-affirming film that always reminds me of the beauty of being alive. There are spoilers in this episode.

In this episode, I talk about Joachim Trier's 2011 film "Oslo August 31st." It follows Anders, a young man just out of rehab for heroin addiction, as he walks around the city of Oslo, meeting old friends and trying to decide if life is worth living. I think this is a powerful and unforgettable film that reminds us of the beauty of being alive. It's one of my favorite films from the 2010s, and I urge you to watch it if you haven't seen it yet. There are major spoilers in this episode. I also...

In this episode, I talk about RaMell Ross's 2018 documentary, "Hale County This Morning, This Evening." In 2009, RaMell Ross moved to Hale County in Alabama to teach photography and coach basketball. While living there, he started to film the people around him. He recorded over 1300 hours of footage. From that material, he culled and mined images that are startling, poetic, and beautiful--images that bear witness to the complexities and struggles of black life in the rural South. Through the...

In this episode, I'm talking about Julie Dash's 1991 film Daughters of the Dust. This is a dreamlike film that focuses on the Peazant family who live on the sea islands off the coast of the Carolinas. They gather together for one last time on the eve of their departure from the island. It's a stunning cinematic achievement that looks at the bonds of family, the ghosts of history, and the rich lives of African American women. Dash has the distinction of being the first black woman to direct a...

In this episode, I talk about Lynne Littman's 1983 film, "Testament." It's about how a mother and her children in a California town survive the aftermath of a nuclear bombing. We don't know who dropped the bombs, what has happened in the rest of the country, and we're not provided any political details. The film is solely about this family and how they confront the gradual and horrifying deterioration of their bodies due to radiation poisoning and the breakdown of society. Without a doubt,...

In this episode, I talk about Olivier Assayas's 2014 film "Clouds of Sils Maria." It's a complex film starring Juliette Binoche as Maria Enders, an actress who shot to stardom in her youth when she acted in a play about an older woman who is seduced by a younger woman. 20 years ago, she played the younger woman but now, in a revival of the play, she is set to play the older woman. This role brings up her fears about aging. Kristen Stewart stars alongside Binoche as an assistant to Maria...

In this episode, I talk about John Cassavetes's 1977 film, "Opening Night." It's about an actress named Myrtle Gordon (played by the magnificent Gena Rowlands) who witnesses the death of one of her fans and begins to spiral into a breakdown as she struggles to do a play that forces her to confront her feelings about aging. I talk all about why I love this film and Gena's performance but I also talk about some complicated and overwhelming feelings I've had since turning 30 last year and how...