We live in the age of intense Internet-based social activism. It's thanks to the world wide web and social media for providing an effective and efficient platform for the unapologetic call for representation of Black people and other minorities in the entertainment industry. Social media has made it so much easier to spread the word far and wide that since this movement took to practice, we've seen a lot more satisfying changes than ever before.
2017, as is the case with any other year, has brought us a variety of movies, some great, some bearable and some completely unwatchable. I've seen quite a few movies from this particular year, and though I wouldn't hail it as the year of movies, I've got quite a few favourites.
Baked good, glorious sunrays and boding hues. Bold symbolism, sullen whimpers and packets of pseudo-characterism. There's a lot that goes into film before it can be experienced by its audience. In all sterness, movies are top tier manipulation machines since their dawn, and we're mere topiary to filmmakers. How we perform and experience our personal lives now has a lot to do with the stories we've seen on-screen. We're also introduced to varying and alternate realities, and we're thus more open to the idea of the paranormal. This helps us imagine many events where we may be confronted with the likes of alien invasions, technological paranoia and human catastrophe.
A year is bloody darn long! With that comes tons, and tons, of content from Hollywood and beyond to keep us entertained while we try to navigate our mostly-miserable lives. Okay, may some lives aren't that miserable (probably because you're rich!), but we all need entertainment to keep us occupied and somewhat lively. To project our worries, needs and aspirations. Television series are the perfect escape. I know I feel a little better about myself after immersing myself in multiple episodes of my favourite shows. Peeking into the lives of others feels absolutely amazing.
With my "8 Strange Things" blog-post series I'll be picking out 8 things that "strangely" caught my eye during watching a movie, TV series, reading a book, etc. and do a little analysis on those 8 things, and then rate the particular movie/series/book on my "strange meter".
I've found movies helping me cope through my mental health battles more than I could've ever hoped for. Especially movies which address what I am going through (depression). I've found myself relating to the characters and finding solace in them more than I had ever felt before. We all know that movies are a good escape but, boy, I didn't imagine them providing some form of healing, acceptance and/or comfort for me. This is why I've compiled the lists below; I'm hoping that they reach and help one other person out there through the battle with their mental health.