Page 2 September 2, 2021
Your Neighborhood Therapist
Dear Neighborhood Therapist,
I have been going through a lot lately and I
am interested in seeing a therapist or talking
to someone about it, but I have not called
one because I am afraid of being diagnosed
with some “mental illness” that will go on my
permanent health record and could affect me
in ways I don’t know in the future. I don’t
feel like there is anything wrong with me at
all; I just want a little bit of extra support
during this time when I happen to have a lot
going on in my life. Is there anything I can
do to avoid getting caught up in the system?
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Entertainment
Film Review
Standout Films From
This Year’s Fantasia Fest
By Morgan Rojas for Cinemacy
For those who don’t know, Fantasia Fest
is a Montreal-based film festival that pays
special attention to highlighting Asian and
Anime films from around the world. Since
starting out in 1996, they’ve also long held
the reputation of being “the most outstanding
and largest genre film festival in North
America,” with past premieres including
Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds,
Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead, and
Fantasia 2021, courtesy Fantasia Film Festival.
the iconic horror film Final Destination 5.
Cinemacy was able to attend the multi-week
festival virtually this year, and while we saw
a number of great films, we consider these
to be the standouts of the fest.
Dreams on Fire: An Electric Underground
Dance Drama
Waiting on the sidelines of a dimly lit
dance floor in an otherwise neon-soaked
Tokyo club, a Yume (Bambi Naka) is about
to live out her biggest dream and face her
biggest fear. By stepping out onto the dance
floor, she is quite literally taking her first
step towards becoming a professional dancer.
But with little formal training and no money
to her name, Yume is prepared to give her
blood, sweat, and tears to turn this dream
into a reality.
Canadian-born, Japan-based filmmaker
Philippe McKie’s underground dance drama
Dreams on Fire is a fascinating character
study of a young woman’s stalwart ambition
to succeed. Mesmerizing choreography
and heavy-hitting music from IC3PEAK,
S.P.Y, Hospital Records, and Shogun Audio
contribute to the film’s vibey EDM aesthetic
and electrifying narrative.
Alien on Stage: Amateur Actors Remake
Ridley Scott’s Classic
Alien on Stage is a heartwarming story
about an eclectic cast of bus drivers and
aspiring thespians from Dorset, a small
coastal town in the southwest of England,
who are given the opportunity of a lifetime:
to perform their humble stage play adaptation
of Alien to a 400-seat, sold-out crowd at the
Leicester Square Theatre in London for one
night only. For context, Dorset is 2 1/2 hours
south of London, and their audience count
was roughly around 20 people per show.
Watching this ensemble of amateur actors
is like watching a Christopher Guest film
come to life. There is a consistent flow of
cringe-worthy and charismatic moments
throughout that make for quietly hilarious
and lighthearted entertainment. Led by army
veteran turned theatre director Dave Mitchell
(with heavy Michael Scott-like qualities),
he is tasked to bring Alien to theatrical life.
Directors Lucy Harvey and Danielle Kummer
found a needle in a haystack when they
stumbled into this low-budget production of
Ridley Scott’s Alien at a local theatre, and
we’re all the better for it.
To read our full reviews and more visit
cinemacy.com. •
Morgan Rojas
Herald Publications will be Closed on Monday, September 6.
Have a wonderful day with your family and friends.
Huber’s Hiccups
News for the City of Good
Neighbors from an Old Guy
named Norb Huber
What Else Needs to
Be Said?
After last week’s rant, anything I
write this week is going to be met
with a sigh or a big fat yawn. It’s
back to boring stuff like writing
about golf, or my dear ol’ lady
or my travels to the Midwest. I sure woke
up the restless natives last week. Seven or
eight of you loyal readers responded with
a “right on brother!”. There was just one
slightly negative response of “you talk too
much”. Now that I have gotten my opinions
and beliefs out into the open, we can forge
on together. Life goes on for us. We take it
a day at a time. Some days the world seems
like it is falling apart. We know that bad news
will be with us forever. There will always
be bad people doing bad things in very bad
ways. All of the conflict, bombings, killings,
and strife come out of man’s sinful nature.
Our faith is what must keep us going. We
may live in this sin filled world,
but we are called to a heavenly
realm. There are two kingdoms,
a worldly kingdom and heavenly
one. We are both sinner and saint
simultaneously. Born a sinner, but
forgiven and made a saint through
the work of Jesus. Do I do bad
things? You bet I do! We all must
admit that our thoughts, words and
deeds are not what they ought to
be. But, we trust in God’s grace and mercy
to forgive us when we screw up. By faith,
we live as forgiven children of God, in God’s
eye we are saints. Wow! God looks down and
sees me as one of his children. He wants us
to live happy, peaceful lives. He gives us all
that we need. It’s time for a cold one, it’s
time to relax! The world might be crazy
and screwed up, but we don’t have to be.
Should we care about the things going on
in this world? Should we stand up for what
we know is right, based upon God’s Word?
Should we care for others who are being torn
apart by this life? The answer to all of this
See Huber, page 4
Classifieds
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you have any doubts about the nature of a company, contact the local office of the Better Business Bureau, (213) 251-9696. Herald
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Apartment For Rent
2 BD, 1 BTH, Westchester, no pets,
no smoking, new paint, stove/frig,
hardwood flrs, near shops. $2,250/
mth. 310.740.3884
Room Wanted
I have lived in a house in El Segundo
for 16 years that is being sold. I
am at Sea or out of town 25% or
more of the time. Require off-street
parking when out of town. If you
have a room not being used, call
Skip 310.322.1604
Wanted
WANTED. Vinyl, records, vinyl,
anything musical. Collectibles/
antiques. Typewriters, sewing
machines, military, silver, Japan,
records, stamps, coins, jewelry,
Chinese, ANYTHING. Buy/Sell/Trade.
We sell for you on EBAY. Studio
Antiques, El Segundo. 310.322.3895.
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your Classifed Ad by Noon on Tuesday.
Late Ads will incur a $20.00 late fee.
– Annoyed But Mostly OK, El Segundo
Dear Annoyed,
Your question stood out to me because
it points to a major problem with the way
we think about the work of counselors and
therapists.
You are right to be miffed at the emphasis
on diagnosis. This is a systemic problem that
stems largely from the field of psychology
trying to imitate the field of medicine. Many
insurance companies expect therapists to identify
a diagnosis, in the same way doctors do.
But it’s not the same. Part of the problem
is the term “mental health,” and the fact that
we tend to think of “mental health” as a personal
responsibility. By doing so, we ignore
the enormous impacts that our surroundings
have on how we feel. Are there times when
simple actions we take could positively or
negatively affect the way we feel? Absolutely.
But in the same way that sometimes people
get sick because they are breathing polluted
air, or get injured when they are in an accident,
people can be made to feel miserable
by the culture around them and the things
that happen to them.
On top of that, popular culture tends to
See Therapist, page 7