Welcome to Season Six of Popcorn Psychology!! We are kicking off this season with the 2023 Oscar winner for Best Picture: Everything Everywhere All At Once! We deep dive into the subject of intergenerational trauma between the main character Evelyn with both her father and her daughter. We also explore the movie’s themes on nihilism and existentialism. Come listen and don’t get sucked into the bagel!!

Happy Valentine’s Day! Let’s travel back in time to the height of quirky hipsterdom, 2009, and dive into 500 Days of Summer! This movie has been heavily requested for almost the entire time we’ve been doing the podcast. As the movie reminds us several times, this is NOT a love story! So we will be breaking down the concept of “Situationships”, what are they, how do you end up them, and how to get out of them. So check it out unless you want to end up like a Tom.

Surprise! In this episode we are joind by Dr. Andy Luttrell, Psychology Professor at Ball State University and host of Opinion Science Podcast. We are talking about the 2005 film, Thank You For Smoking! We mainly discuss the main character played by Aaron Eckhart. We break down the themes of gaslighting and moral flexibility that are heavily featured in the film. We also discuss work/life balance and the psychological ramifications of your work being your life when your work is taken from you. Thank You For Listening!

Happy Holidays as we land in Whoville to talk about The Grinch!! In this episode we focus the 2018 animated adaptiation from Illumination! We include aspects of the 1966 an 2000 versions to be inclusive of their genius! We are joined by Stanford professor and host of Know What You See podcaset, Dr. Brian Lowery for this epsiode! We discuss PTSD and the situational triggers that can present around this time of year. Be forewarned, we may get a little Grinchy in this episode! So sit down and join us as we ask the question: was the Grinch’s heart really 2 sizes too small??

[Content Warning: mentions of sexual assault and violence towards women] In a special bonus episode, we have an interview with the creators of the new movie The Retaliators! We are joined by the screenwriters, Darren Geare and Jeff Allen Geare, and the lead actor, Michael Lombardi! We discuss the inspiration for the movie as well as the psychological components of both writing and starring in a movie that involves significant trauma, violence, and grief. We hope you enjoy this peek behind the movie curtain!

Happy Holidays! In our first holiday episode of 2022, we traveling to NeverNeverLand in Steven Spielberg's Hook!! We mainly break down the characters of adult Peter Pan and Captain Hook. We discuss a variety of topics: anxiety and irritability, dissociative amnesia, parenting when you never had parents, cluster B diagnoses, grooming, and more. Joining us for this jampacked episode is an amazing guesst, Dr. Tara Sanderson! So sprinkle some fairy dust, think some happy thoughts, and fly away with us!!You can find Dr. Tara Sanderson on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @drtarasanderson & at her website www.drtarasanderson.com

Welcome back to the Tolkien-verse! We are diving back into the Lord of the Rings trilogy with The Two Towers. We are joined by Justine Mastin, therapist and author of Starship Therapise and The Grieving Therapist. We touch upon a variety of themes: grief and loss, ecological grief, individuation, Jung. We also discuss Internal Family Systems and how that is demonstrated via Gollum/Smeagol. You can find Justine here:website: justinemastin.comsocial: @mindbodyfandom on fb, insta, and twitterbook: Starship Therapise: using therapeutic fanfiction to rewrite your lifebook: The Grieving Therapist: caring for yourself and your clients when it feels like the end of the world

[Content Warning: In depth discussion on suicide] In honor of National Native American Heritage Month, we are discussing the critically acclaimed tv series, Reservation Dogs! Specifically we explore the first season but there are mild spoilers for season two, so listen with caution if you are not caught up. This is also a pretty heavy episode as our main topic of discussion is suicide and the impact of suicide on the main four characters: Elora, Willie Jack, Cheese, and Bear. We also talk about the generational trauma shown within their community and how that impacts the ability to process and heal from grief. Resources discussed in this episode:National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255Sponsoring an Indigenous therapist: https://www.inclusivetherapists.com/sponsorship

[Content Warning: In-depth discussion on the abuse tactic of grooming] In our second Spooky Season episode of 2022, we are going into the claymation world of Coraline! We are joined by a live action guest, Eric Wesselmann, to discuss some heavy topics for a child based movie so listen with caution if there are young ears around. We dive deep into the dynamic between Coraline and her parents who are presented as neglectful workaholics. We examine how this dynamic leads to the under-stimulation of Coraline and makes her vulnerable to the grooming demonstrated by the “Other Mother”. So join us…and if you find any spooky doors in your new old house…leave them alone!!Where you can find our guest:Department webpage: https://psychology.illinoisstate.edu/faculty/all/profile/?ulid=edwesseTwitter: @EricWesselmann Film blog: https://www.normaltheater.com/118/Film-CULTure

Get your two favorite sisters and your skin-bound spell book because we are talking about Hocus Pocus!! We discuss Adjustment Disorder and how it presents with the character of Max as he adjusts to moving to Salem. We also examine the importance of listening to children when they share about bullying, feeling unsafe, etc. And last but certainly not least, we explore the enmeshed sibling relationships between all three Sanderson Sisters. Happy Halloween!