Classic 80’s gore, a Mexican daydream, a never-ending murder mystery, and the precursor to Koyaanisqatsi. — The Fly (1986) Body horror… with a heart! This is a desperate, grim adventure. I’m a lover of practical effects — which is why I devour 80’s gore. Even the grotesque puppetry (for kids!) in Jim Henson’s Dark Crystal is enough to creep out sensitive movie-goers. It’s an art, mind. Not every flick…

Spider-man has been through so many onscreen iterations that audiences are — if not confused — bored of watching Uncle Ben die. Yawn! Toby Maguire donned the mask, Andrew Garfield dropped Gwen Stacy, and Tom Holland brought Spidey into the MCU. There’ve been video games too; most recently, a brand…

Spider-Man may have permanently revitalised the big screen among general audiences, but as a new year comes into view, take a moment to read up on my five faves from 2021. — 5. Supernova Subtly portrays the agony of a lifelong love overshadowed by dementia. A beautiful, gentle, sincere film.

Me do words good. — A pleasant reminder In a coffee shop on a rainy Saturday afternoon, I looked over a couple of short stories I wrote years ago and, to my astonishment, I realised I could write really well. At that time, my writing seemed bland, predictable, and empty. Maybe it’s because I’d re-read the content a…

When we stay trapped in old modes of thought and neglect our deeper needs, we wither away. — Whenever I see a huge, old tree, I’m amazed at its resilience. Its mighty roots split the earth, they casually part nearby paving slabs and dismantle heavy walls. Despite chaotic weather, human interference, construction, destruction, and neglect, it still stands there tall, without a grimace. Other creatures nest in it…

As kids, playtime was scheduled, taking place at allotted intervals… but what about now? — Playing by the rules — stuck in a timetable During school, moments for study, assembly, lunch, and sleep were all divvied up by location, time, and length, usually on a series of drab timetables. Science. Swimming. Sunday school. So on. These rigid, inescapable schedules were designed, I presume, to ensure that you and I found our footing and developed…

In 2020, we all developed coping mechanisms; I found a few entertaining and provocative content creators who kept me coming back for more. — 8. The Nick Abbot Habit I’ve been listening to Nick Abbot for a few years. He hosts a late-night show on the UK’s most prominent talk radio station, LBC (Leading Britain’s Conversation) — but his is different to the others. …

When I stumbled alone into the real world at 17, I decided my best chance of survival was to trust whatever hodgepodge bunch of humans I encountered next. — Keeping up appearances In Britain, the most explicit examples of how we view our family ties can be found on the telly. Soap operas (such as Eastenders or Coronation Street) make it look as if we think of family ‘units’ as nothing more than aggressive branding exercises.

Medication didn’t fix my anxiety and depression; it was a crutch in a moment of crisis, prescribed without an exit strategy. — Back to the beginning I wrote an article in 2018, outlining what it felt like when I started to take the anti-depressant Citalopram in 2017. Across four years, my dose changed from 20mg, to 30mg, and 40mg. This was to address an elusive ‘chemical imbalance’ in my brain. Why did I quit? After increasing…