Madness at the Movies

No matter what movie you are watching, there is a high likelihood that some form of mental illness will be presented there.  Whether it is a masked psychopath in the latest horror movie, or an OCD partner in the new buddy cop film, humans seem to be unable to look away from crazy.  But how accurate are these portrayals?  Psychiatrist and closeted cinephile Dr. James “Jimmy” Charney walks us through his analysis as taken from his book “Madness at the Movies“.  We discuss the movie Psycho, Mighty Joe Young, Repulsion, and Night of the Hunter.  Plus we get to learn about Voices from the Void, his fear of heights, and how he studied piano at Julliard. 

*Bonus* Movies as Voyeurism

In a quiet theater, you sit and stare at a scene unfolding before your eyes, the participants unaware of your presence.  This excites you, and you just can’t seem to pull your eyes away.  That is because you, like everyone else who watches movies, is a voyeur, someone who loves to watch when others can’t see them.  This is essential to cinema, and Jimmy and I will discuss how this came to be.