About Andrew Spitznas

I arrived late to my atheist, secular humanist worldview, having spent decades as a Sunday school teaching, mission trip taking evangelical. Psychiatrist by day, I I specialize in trauma, geriatrics, and the interface of mental health with culture and religion. Movies and books have been lifelong consuming passions; I have wonderful childhood memories of staying up late to watch James Bond on TV and waiting in a winding line to see Star Wars in its opening weeks. Nowadays, favorite directors include Kurosawa, Ozu, Miyazaki, Truffaut, Herzog, and Wes Anderson.

All Posts by Andrew

For Laughs and Inspiration, Take "Pride"

British miners and gay-rights activists find friendship and common cause in this... read more

Wadjda: A Girl's Life, Saudi Style

This first-ever feature film by a female Saudi director charmingly, persuasively calls... read more

Fury (dir. David Ayer, USA/UK, 2014)

Writer/director David Ayer's tight narrative, psychological nuance, and near-tactile evocation of war's... read more

Kill the Messenger (dir. Michael Cuesta, USA, 2014)

Jeremy Renner excels in this worthwhile if flawed account of journalist Gary... read more

A Classic Revisited: Red Beard (dir. Akira Kurosawa,...

Red Beard, a medical drama set in 19th Century Japan, showcases director... read more

Love Is Strange (dir. Ira Sachs, USA/France, 2014)

Inspired by the style and stories of master director Yasujiro Ozu, Ira... read more

James Gandolfini's Praiseworthy Final Bow: The Drop

Fans of The Sopranos and The Wire will discover much to appreciate... read more

Land Ho! (dir. Aaron Katz and Martha Stephens,...

A wise comedy with warm characters, set in lovely Iceland, is a... read more

The Normal Heart (dir. Ryan Murphy, USA, 2014)

This year's Emmy winner for Outstanding Television Movie uses a terrific ensemble... read more

The Zero Theorem (dir. Terry Gilliam)

Terry Gilliam's latest sci-fi dystopia challenges the mind and overwhelms the senses. read more

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