Gattaca (1997) is a dystopian sci-fi film portraying a society made up of genetically engineered "valids" and naturally-born "invalids". Ethan Hawke plays Vincent, a sharp-minded invalid who uses his intellect and determination to pose as an engineer at Gattaca, an aerospace corporation sending flights to Saturn's moon. With the help of an ex-athlete (Jerome, played by Jude Law), Vincent manages to fool just about everyone. Until there's a murder.

Follow us on Instagram! Dr. Drea Letamendi - @drdreapsychology Brian Ward - @b_ward028 The Arkham Sessions - ⁨@TheArkhamSessions⁩ Join us on Patreon! Patreon.com/ArkhamSessions

When the Gargoyles' leader, Goliath, is seriously injured, his friend and former mentor, Hudson, must keep him alive until sunrise. To keep Goliath alert, Hudson reminisces about their days as warriors in medieval Scotland.

Follow us on Instagram!

Dr. Drea Letamendi - @drdreapsychology

Brian Ward - @b_ward028

The Arkham Sessions - @thearkhamsessions

Join us on Patreon!

Patreon.com/ArkhamSessions

In this episode, Macbeth, a mysterious new villain, uses Goliath and the Gargoyles as bait for a personal vendetta, and proves to be a formidable opponent. Meanwhile, in order to keep Goliath and his family safe, Elisa insists they move into the city's clocktower where their identities will be kept hidden. While the other Gargoyles seem willing to leave the castle, Goliath strongly opposes this plan and he lashes out at his family.

The Lord of the Rings is an epic, high-fantasy tale that centers on fellowship, bravery, and good against evil. What does Aragorn's reluctance to become king say about him? Does the One Ring symbolize addiction? Does Gollum have multiple identities? How (and why) does fantasy storytelling improve mental health? Media psychologist Drea Letamendi, Ph.D. (The Arkham Sessions, UCLA), Miranda (host, Tolkien Tuesdays), and Todd Stashwick (actor, Marvel's VisionQuest; co-founder, ProgCore Fantasy) explore and explain the psychology of Middle-earth's riveting and unforgettable characters—both from the page and on-screen. Moderated by Brian Ward (The Arkham Sessions).

Follow us on Instagram!

@TheArkhamSessions

@ExLibrisMir

@TStashwick

@DrDreaPsychology

@B_Ward028

David Dastmalchian joins hosts Dr. Drea and Brian to discuss his newly released book, Through. In this dark fantasy graphic novel, a young woman is caught between reality and a mysterious dream realm that sparks a perilous journey that only she must face. In this interview, David talks about his motivation for his new book, his own mental health journey, and a message he has for anyone struggling within their own darkness.

The Bride! (2026) is an anachronistic, theatrical reimagining of the story of Frankenstein's monster and his bride. Set in Chicago in the 1930's, the film depicts a young woman, Ida (Jessie Buckley), who begins experiencing strange auditory hallucinations, disorganized speech, impulsive outbursts, involuntary echolalia, and memory lapses. Due to an unfortunate accident, she meets an early death. Meanwhile, Frankenstein's monster (Christian Bale), "Frank," seeks the help of a mad scientist, Dr. Euphronious. He asks her to make him a bride. They dig up the corpse of Ida and successfully reanimate her. Though her post-mortem body is functional, Ida's mind remains fragmented. She is unable to piece together her identity. She is haunted by dissociations, traumatic images, and the intrusive, commanding voice of real life author Mary Shelley. As she tries to recollect her memories, Ida--who Frank calls Penny--stumbles into a Bonnie-and-Clyde like world of crime, violence, and life as fugitives. To hear about our panel at this year's WonderCon, coming later this month, tune into this episode's release on YouTube on Saturday, March 14, at 6pm!