The Arkham Sessions: Psychology of Batman & More

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!

Dracula: A Love Tale (2026) is a romantic reimagining of the original gothic horror novel by Bram Stoker. The film paints Dracula with a more sympathetic brush, introduced as a young prince with no interested in violence or war, deeply and obsessively in love with his new bride, Elizabeta. After losing Elizabeta in battle, Dracula damns himself into an eternity of psychological torture, an unending existence of isolation, loathing, bloodlust, and heartache, a curse that can only be broken by their reunification.

After more than 20 years since the film was released in theaters, LOVE ACTUALLY (2003) remains one of the most beloved Christmas movies out there. Some may consider the film at the top of the holiday movie list, while others have noted it did not age well. With a stellar cast line-up and interconnected storylines, LOVE ACTUALLY set the bar for early 2000's holiday rom-coms with catchy one-liners and festive cliches.

Even as survivors of medieval wars, religious persecution, and a thousand-year cement coma, the Gargoyles are still not yet ready to face the perils of modern-day New York City. Their "fish out of water" story highlights many challenges they face as they encounter discrepancies between their historical origins and their new home atop a towering skyscraper. The Gargoyles, despite their collective wisdom, must now start from a "blank slate" and acclimate to an advanced society that fears their monstrous appearances.

Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein (2025) is a visually stunning adaptation of the original novel by Mary Shelley. Del Toro turns the well known horror story of Frankenstein into a romantic, emotionally absorbing fairy tale. He softens the grotesqueness of The Creature by giving him tenderness and benevolence, angling the perspective to heighten audiences' sense of compassion and even relatability toward an individual who does not earn the abandonment and cruelty given to him.

The beloved, darkly themed animated series, GARGOYLES (1994), features a supernatural species of nocturnal beasts who turn to stone during the day and confront dangers in the dark of night. Winged, fanged, and clawed, the Gargoyles stand out as monsters amidst people, but their intelligence, wit, charm, and value system humanize them.

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A crew of ambitious astronauts and scientists are sent on a dangerous mission to reignite the dying sun. Things are going well for the crew until they stumble upon the distress signal of Icarus I, the first mission to the sun that mysteriously failed. Members of the Icarus II crew become overwhelmed by their sense of wonder and awe toward the sun's growing presence, and as the ship travels nearer to this cosmic miracle, the psych officer descends into an unhealthy obsession with the celestial body. Watch the reaction on YouTube! https://youtu.be/8-RvrOh-eFk Follow us on Instagram! Dr. Drea Letamendi - @drdreapsychology Brian Ward - @b_ward028 The Arkham Sessions - @thearkhamsessions Join us on Patreon! Patreon.com/ArkhamSessions