Episode 797: Fear, Anxiety and Depression (1989)
About this episode
The episode discusses Todd Solondz's debut film, exploring its themes and significance in the context of New York's art scene.
Todd Solondz's disowned debut finally gets its day in court. Fear, Anxiety & Depression (1989) follows Ira Ellis, a bespectacled, self-deluding playwright adrift in the last gasp of the East Village art scene — too busy pining after a performance artist named Junk to notice the woman who actually loves him. Mike Sullivan and David Rodgers join Mike to dig into the film Solondz famously begged a friend not to rent, examining what makes it both a fascinating time capsule of downtown New York bohemia and an unmistakable preview of the tragicomic sensibility that would eventually produce Happiness and Welcome to the Dollhouse. They also make the case for why this orphaned debut — unavailable on any legitimate platform since its 1990 VHS release — deserves a proper restoration and re-release. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth--5513239/support . Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.patreon.com/projectionbooth
People in this episode
Host: Mike
Guests: Mike Sullivan, David Rodgers
Topics covered
- film analysis
- New York art scene
- debut films
- Todd Solondz
- tragedy and comedy
- film restoration
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Fear, Anxiety & Depression, Happiness, Welcome to the Dollhouse
Places: East Village
More episodes of The Projection Booth Podcast
- Special Report: Drift (2026)
- Special Report: Aaron Silverstein on The Infinite Husk (2025)
- Episode 796: Matilda (1978)
- Special Report: Corey Feldman Versus the World (2025)
- Special Report: Silver Star (2024)
- Special Report: The Life of Singleton
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