MOVIES ARE MORE THAN ENTERTAINMENT–THEY’RE A BUBBLE BATH FOR THE SOUL. On the verge of yet another major life change? Recovering from a rough day at the office? Or trying to figure out what makes him tick? Take heart–no matter what your issue, the help you need is no farther away than your VCR. From the dynamic duo who brought you the bestselling Cinematherapy comes Advanced Cinematherapy, a video guide that prescribes the perfect movie to cure whatever ails you. Whether you’re in the midst of a midlife crisis and need to join the parade and march to your own drummer (Hello, Dolly!), or vacillating between gullible and hyperparanoid and need to listen to your instincts (Sudden Fear), in Advanced Cinematherapy you’ll find movies that will help you laugh at your troubles or confront your issues, and inspire you to grow. Struggling with growing pains? Watch a Coming of Age and Coming Out movie like But I’m a Cheerleader and celebrate your true colors. Ready to cry a river? Immerse yourself in a Cathartic Weeper like Penny Serenade and let it all out. Face-to-face with a nuclear family meltdown? Pop in a Dysfunctional Family movie like Addams Family Values and laugh at your own kooky clan. Here are dozens of new reviews of classic and contemporary movies that confront women’s issues and nurture women’s souls. Feed your wildest fantasies, claim your power, and overcome your losses, all by taking charge of your own remote control! AND DON’T MISS: Bev’s Culinarytherapy: Foods for Every Mood, Nancy’s Momentous Minutiae, Diva Diamonds, Hoopskirt Dreams, the Handy Hunk Chart, and much, much more.... From the Trade Paperback edition.

Cult Film as a Guide to Life investigates the world and experience of cult films, from well-loved classics to the worst movies ever made. Including comprehensive studies of cult phenomena such as trash films, exploitation versions, cult adaptations, and case studies of movies as different as Showgirls, Room 237 and The Lord of the G-Strings, this lively, provocative and original book shows why cult films may just be the perfect guide to making sense of the contemporary world. Using his expertise in two fields, I.Q. Hunter also explores the important overlap between cult film and adaptation studies. He argues that adaptation studies could learn a great deal from cult and fan studies about the importance of audiences' emotional investment not only in texts but also in the relationships between them, and how such bonds of caring are structured over time. The book's emergent theme is cult film as lived experience. With reference mostly to American cinema, Hunter explores how cultists, with their powerful emotional investment in films, care for them over time and across numerous intertexts in relationships of memory, nostalgia and anticipation.

Most people have, at some point, experienced powerful, often strange and disconcerting, responses to films and television programmes of which they cannot always make sense. Drawing on insights from psychoanalysis, this book argues that the seemingly mundane and everyday activity of film and television viewing in the home is in fact extraordinary.

Has your karma run over your dogma? Are you feeling anxious about the future, or wondering who turned down the dimmer switch on your inner light? The illumination you need is right at your fingertips. Settle into the lotus position, pick up your remote control, and let movies be your spiritual guide on your journey toward personal nirvana. From the bestselling duo who brought you Cinematherapy, Advanced Cinematherapy, Cinematherapy for Lovers, and Bibliotherapy comes CINEMATHERAPY FOR THE SOUL, a video guide guaranteed to help you become your own guru. With 150 new reviews of classic and contemporary movies and thoughtful quotes to uplift you, CINEMATHERAPY FOR THE SOUL is guaranteed to help you discover that the movies will reinvigorate your tired spirit and help you find inspiration, one movie at a time. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Cinema both reflects life and contours life—that is its psychological power. And for decades, clinicians and educators have recognized the value of this power, using it to respectively heal in therapy and educate in the classroom. The Cinematic Mirror for Psychology and Life Coaching mines the illustrative value of cinema, offering therapists and life coaches access to ideas that can motivate and enlighten clients. Although many movie guides exist, this volume complements the available literature by adding positive psychology, mental health, and wellness perspectives to the clinical/educational/coaching mix. The serious intent to cull from cinema its underlying psychological value has motivated noted clinicians, life coaches, and cultural critics to offer science-based analysis and intervention strategies. Readers may add their own movie insights and professional expertise to this rich foundation. The volume covers international as well as domestic cinema in a variety of genres, providing a range of film choices relevant to clients’ lives. Beyond this, it expands on universal concepts of strengths, capabilities, and coping methods. Chapters in The Cinematic Mirror: analyze how movies can create and relieve trauma, challenge Hollywood’s portrayal of the American family, overview the use of movies to examine relationships in therapy, explore the acclaimed Up television cinema verite series as studies in personal growth and social change, reinterprets images of disability in terms of positive psychology, examines models, or the lack thereof, for the American adolescent rite of passage, traces the history of mental illness stereotypes in film. The collective wisdom found in The Cinematic Mirror for Psychology and Life Coaching will bring professionals involved in healing, coaching, counseling, education, and mentoring not only new applications but new appreciation for the transformative power of film. That power already exists. Readers just have to "SEE" it.

Finally, a home theater companion that understands what we’ve all known for years–our favorite TV shows are more than an escape, they’re best friends and a form of therapy that can help us cope with everything from a bad hair day to a nuclear family meltdown. Life getting boring in your cul-de-sac? Indulge in some Diva TV like Desperate Housewives and take a walk on the wild side of Wisteria Lane. Need a place where everybody knows your name? Drop in for a little You’ve Got a Friend TV like Cheers and order some fun on the rocks without having to face the hangover in the morning. White-knuckling the armchair of life? Let go with a little Anti-Anxiety TV like In Living Color and laugh at your fears. Got a bad case of the codependent blues? Indulge in a little Codependent TV like Nip/Tuck and reassure yourself that things could definitely be worse! So whether you’re on the verge of your nineteenth nervous breakdown, looking for an excuse to throw a TV party, or searching for deeper meaning–TVTHERAPY: The Television Guide to Life will give you the guidance you need to find the right television prescription to match your mood, cure your malaise, or make your night without ever getting up off the couch. PLUS: Recipes from Bev’s TV tray, including food facials for staying as cool as a cucumber…Jason’s Minibar, featuring drinks to wet your inner whistle…and timeless quotes from TV sages down through the ages who can teach us all a thing or two about life on and off the air.

Movies are more than entertainment... They’re couples therapy! If you’ve ever wondered how to meet Mr. Right, boot Mr. Wrong, inspire Mr. Reluctant to propose, or ignite youthful passion in a middle-aged romance, then we’ve got some good news for you. The help you need is no farther away than your remote control. Sink into your sofa and discover the healing power of movies. From the bestselling duo who brought you Cinematherapy, Advanced Cinematherapy, and Bibliotherapy comes Cinematherapy for Lovers, a video guide guaranteed to help you find the perfect movie prescription to cure all your relationship woes. Trouble in your couple’s paradise? Watch a Rediscovering Your Dream movie like Pollock and rise above. Looking for the key to your guy’s psyche? Crack the code with an Understanding Your Man movie like Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and unlock the secrets of your own international man of mystery! Ready to hear those magic words but your summer lover is terminally tongue-tied? Loosen his lips with a Hook, Line, and Sinker movie like All That Heaven Allows, then find the shortcut to his heart through his stomach with Bev’s Culinarytherapy recipe for meat loaf and mashed potatoes just like Mom used to make, and seal the deal. Feeling like a solo singer in a world full of duets? Discover a new happily-ever-after with a Make Your Own Music movie like Ghost World. Jam-packed with over 150 new reviews of classic and contemporary movies--and warnings about Happily Never After love stories that are recipes for relationship disasters--Cinematherapy for Lovers gives you the tools you’ll need to become your own couple’s cinematherapist. PLUS: Nancy’s Momentous Minutiae, Best Bodice-Ripping Lines, I Do I Do and Elvis Too, Always a Bridesmaid Never a Bride movies, Bods We Don’t Buy, the Shirley MacLaine Trilogy of Terror, Bev’s Culinarytherapy, and much, much more... From the Trade Paperback edition.