5 Stages of Movie Mood Swings

Where do I start on my mood swing journey?

Well you all should know a little about my personality. To begin, I am a partial introvert with an appreciation for life. Empathetic, goofy, humble all rolled into a nerdy late 20 year old.

I go through the swing of life with a healthy mix of career and personal goals. My love life is healthy and my bae is awesome. He is my balance , happiness and 1/4 of my heart next to my dad, mom and dog.

Just to give a little background now lets go on the rollercoaster- fasten your seatbelts everybody.

Like most people I go through different moods depending on my situation in life. I have 5 in particular that drive my genre of shows I am going to watch for the day, week or month.

MOOD 1 (Psychological Thriller Genre)

Typically, when I start watching films like this it indicates that I have been around complex individuals. Usually my friends, boyfriend or coworkers. To add on, I have watched something insightful/educational. My handy dandy tv providers HULU, Netflix, Tubi etc... are always on the ball with recommendations for what I usually watch but sometimes I like to switch it up on them.

Recently, I came across a movie called "The Loft" which has a pretty badass cast. The plot centers around five married men who use a loft to have affairs however one woman ends up dead and they have to figure out who killed her. Sounds pretty predictable to most movie goers but the writers actually threw in two great plot twists. Logan's character the main one who ended up buying the loft ends of essentially f'ing all his friends over by having affairs with Chris's wife, sleeping with Ben's sister who was a virgin and Matt's affair partner. All the friends end up framing him for the murder of the girl but it actually ends being the akaward friend of the group who gave the girls sleeping pills and the Logan's half brother who actually kills her.

A lot that went into the plot, but I was very impressed with the directors ability to still keep the story on track. I loved when I have to double back on a film or re-watch it to understand the plot.

After awhile, my brain does need a break from all the movie Jedi mind tricks and that’s when I transition to the more non fiction based genres.

MOOD 2 (Documentary Genre)

After I have gotten my dose of fiction for a week straight, I start to crave semi-predictable "historically accurate" content. I tend to get into this mood whenever I discover something new about myself or people around me. Research begins and I look up specific artists of different genres to get their backstory. For example, sometime last year I happened to be listening to "Time Machine" , by Willow Smith and in the lyrics, she sings, " Baby, if I had a time machine ,I'd go back to 1983 . Maybe I would chill with Basquiat ,I'd be out there playing make-believe." First question that sprung to mind was, "Who tf was Basquiat? Some french guy?". Without hesitation, I immediately did a Roku TV search and happened to find a documentary on Hulu called, "Boom For Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michael Basquiat".

"OMG, this is the SAMO guy!"- I screamed aloud.

Of course, my random outburst scared my dog and boyfriend, but it was only because I felt like I had been sleeping under a rock. After watching how prolific this melanated Brooklyn born artist was during the 80's, I ended up purchasing a huge Basquiat inspired "docu-art-book" (roughly 1,000 pages long) and got through 25% of the book as I am writing this article today.

After viewing 1-10 artists life stories, I start to wonder if these celebrities infamous or not, were the inspiration for different horror films. I then delve into my Horror Film binge.

MOOD 3: (Horror Genre)

As of recent, I have been curious about the human experience in regards to coincidental or inexplicable events happening in the past or present. I researched the story of Ed & Lorraine Warren. While most people thought they were "Kooks", I found the integration of their career in "The Conjuring Universe" to be quite insightful. Curiosity at the point got the better of me and I began my binge of the whole series. From "Annabelle" to the "The Nun", each movie kept my attention for following the storyline. Jump scares used in moderation make for a great horror films in my opinion.

Afterwards, I go to the old school films that set the bar for the horror franchise today. Films such as "Child's Play", "The Exorcist", "The Shining", "Alien" etc... I am a firm believer in giving homage to the originals. Eventually, after my subconscious tricks me to believing I am being chased by an evil puppeteer, I begin my transition into a more calmer viewing experience.

MOOD 4: (MANGA/ANIME/CARTOON GENRE)

I usually get into my animation craze when I need a dose of comedic relief from any horror or non-fiction binge I finish. Anime, Manga and cartoons hold a special place in my heart and brain. Maybe the fact that someone's inner child brought their imagination to life is what draws me in so heavily. One of my favorite anime series is Cowboy Bebop. Alongside this masterpiece, I also love "Samurai Champloo", "Trigun", "Attack on Titan", "The Boondocks", just to name a few.

Afterwards I go down memory lane for my dose of nostalgia and start watching projects from Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and Cartoon Network. "Samurai Jack", "Hey Arnold", "Code Name Kids Next Door", "The Proud Family", etc... bring me down memory lane and my loved ones talk about which episodes resounded with us the most.

Recently, I made two cartoon theories on the TikTok app. Both of the theories focus on the possibility of cartoon characters being reincarnated on other cartoon shows. For example, I made a theory video about Susie Carmichael, from "The Rugrats" being reincarnated as Ms. Zorski the drama/english and music teacher due to their hobbies or life events in each show. As a result, I have came up with 5 video theories that are in progress as we speak. I love the fact these animations can get your imagination running wild. After awhile, I need to come back to "reality" and I end my monthly genre binge with a more adrenaline based viewing.

Mood 5 : (Action Packed Genre)

Finally, I end my monthly binge with some blood rushing special effects and ass-kicking films/tv shows. I usually get into this mood after watching manga's turned into anime shows where the fight scenes got my blood pumping. My favorite action film is a mix of horror/action and it is "Blade". I know that is technically "cheating" but him killing vampires and the fight scenes actually using Wesley Snipes are downright awesome. I always get more inspired to learn self-defense in my spare time as a result of watching an action packed movie. I'd also venture to say that the actors/actresses also inspire me to get to my ideal body. Special thanks to Halle Berry in "Catwoman" for her perfect curves in tight leather. Standing ovation for Salma Hayek in "Dusk till Dawn" for her two piece bikini dancer body. Honorable mention shout out to Angelina Jolie for making it cool for girls to look sexy in hunting gear with gun holsters.

After I tire myself out mentally and physically, I give the action genre a break and restart the binge process all over again.

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In conclusion, my taste in movies have changed over the years but my personality has definitely played a role in the films/tv shows I have had the pleasure/displeasure of viewing. I've come to the conclusion that my rollercoaster always encompass these 5 main genres. However, they do not always follow the order of the genres as listed in this piece. Sometimes, I can have one mood for two-three weeks at a time and I could end up watching one genre for 3 weeks and switch it up at the last minute. (Especially if I am feeling impulsive).

So I challenge all my TV/FILM fanatics to look into their favorite genres and reflect on your process for picking what you want to watch for the day or month.

Ready, Set, GO!