Cinematic Doctrine: A Movie Review Podcast Hosted by Christians

MOVIE DISCUSSION: 
 
ericnevins.com 

Eric Nevins from the Halfway There Podcast, and the Christian Podcast Association, joins Melvin and Dan in discussing one of Terrance Malick's most popular films, if not his most popular film ever! Semi-autobiographical, semi-retelling of the book of Job, semi-conventional narrative; The Tree of Life offers a lot to chew on, and the three of them eagerly dive in! 

Topics: 

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 28-minutes detailing movies we've changed opinion on, both films we've liked and now dislike and also disliked but now like, and why. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Eric shares about his podcast, what drew him to amplifying Christian voices, and the particular way he prefers to do it.
• The Tree of Life, as Melvin puts it, is usually someone's pastor's favorite movie.
• While everyone watched The Tree of Life for the episode, Melvin specifically watched the extended cut of The Tree of Life exclusive to its Criterion release. It contains an additional 50+ minutes.
• The Tree of Life requires a bit of work from its audience, demanding they put in some effort in to comprehending its floating imagery, whispered monologues, and near-constant Christian allusions.
• There's a very clear, very obvious three-act structure to The Tree of Life, and each part of the film offers something different in terms of style and engagement. The second act is largely what people will connect with.
• Eric, Daniel, and Melvin each discuss The Tree of Life's artistically ambiguous ending, and what it means to them.
• Terrence Malick as a storyteller is routinely critical of industrialization, often using nature and natural beauty to showcase tranquility, glory, and peace.
• The Tree of Life keeps in conversation two ideas: the Way of Nature and the Way of Grace. The gang tries to discern what these represent, and how they communicate.

Recommendations:

• With: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God by Skye Jethani (Book)
• The Church Play Cinematic Universe (YouTube Video)
• Kevin Can F**K Himself (TV Series)

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MOVIE DISCUSSION:

Melanie, Daniel, and Melvin talk Ladyhawke, Richard Donner’s fantasy family film featuring Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfieffer, and Matthew Broderick.

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 35-minutes talking about two Disney animated science-fiction box-office failures, Lightyear and Strange World, their absurdly confusing marketing campaigns, and how their lack of success isn't a surprise for keen-eyed film fans (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Melanie specifically wanted to hear what Melvin and Dan thought of Ladyhawke. Melvin, for some reason, initially thought Ladyhawke was a wrestling movie.
• Melvin shares his strange fixation on Matthew Broderick.
• Melanie has been thinking about “remakes” a lot, and apart from the nostalgic joy she has with Ladyhawke, she’s been thinking about what would make for a good remake of this charismatic fantasy flick.
• For Melvin, a remake, reboot, or sequel doesn't necessarily need to be tied down to anything, it merely needs to be in conversation with its predecessor in some fashion. He also proposes practical, fun ideas for a theoretical remake of LadyHawke.
• For Daniel, remakes are only interesting if they adopt ideas or messages and re-adopt them with new information. In other words, how does a political thriller change when the world changes?
• Some movies, even as you watch them, feel like they need a remake. Melvin proposes a couple.
• Remakes, ironically, are also very final. It declares that the old canon is over and that a new canon is being established.

Recommendations:

• The Little Shop of Horrors (1960) (Movie)
• Poltergeist (1982) (Movie)
• Knowing God by J.I. Packer (Book)

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PATREON PARTY PLEASER: 

This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!  

Melanie and Melvin go through the entirety of The Hunger Games, starting from its opening text all the way to its closing credits! Relive the experience of your first Hunger Games and listen to our various commentary on the films interesting metaphors and frustrating editing!

Topics: 

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 23-minutes discussing the YA genre of film, attempting to define it, describing different franchises, and what we like and don't like about it (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 
• Melvin's never seen a Hunger Game. Melanie learns him a lesson. 
• Melvin on the film's editing, "It was never, uhh, not a problem."
• The Hunger Games has a good, consistent sense of tone.
• Despite what some may think, The Hunger Games is technically a mid-to-low budget film costing an estimated 78-million to produce. This may account for the dated CGI work which, even for the early 2010s, does not hold up. 
• The way the Hunger Games are used to cultivate a performative social experience was fairly engaging. Often times it is unclear whether a conversation or event takes place out of a genuine heart or a performative requirement for survival.
• Before the actual Hunger Games begin, Melvin and Melanie discuss the first half of The Hunger Games, what they enjoy about the setup, and why it helps prepare the audience for the Games themselves.
• Once the games begin, the two agree: there may have been significant benefits to the film being Rated R.
• For Melvin, some emotional sequences weren't effective due to the poor editing.
• The combination of hope and hopelessness throughout The Hunger Games is really evocative and engaging, and this is present even to the end of the game.

Recommendations: 

• Naruto (2002) (Anime)
• Boomerang Fu (Nintendo Switch) (Video Game)

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Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! 

• Early access to uncut episodes 
• Vote on a movie/show we review 
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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Melanie and Melvin discuss Shazam! Fury of the Gods, a decent-enough sequel that’s far-too-late in a far-too-tired genre.

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30-minutes discussing the future DCCU plans to completely rework the canon, something Melanie wasn’t aware of, and why neither of them are interested in a future with more superhero movies (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Celebrating Shazam!, perhaps DC’s best movie in this particular universe of films.
• Discussing David F. Sandberg as a creator, both in and out of theaters.
• Shazam! Fury of the Gods, like most DC movies, is a film with occasional successes but mostly missed opportunities.
• Noticing the performance disparity between Zachary Levi and Asher Angel, two actors playing different versions of the Barry Batson character.
• Is the Cinematic Doctrinecrew even excited for geek-themed media anymore?
• Are the Daughters of Atlas good villains? Discuss.
• Discussing what is quantifiably the worst part of Shazam! Fury of the Gods: The ending.
• And discussing those credit sequences, which probably don’t matter because the canon is being reworked anyway.

Recommendations:

• Lord of the Rings Movie Trilogy
• Thrifting for Blu-Rays that include (most likely) working Digital Codes

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LET'S TALK:

Melvin carries Daniel through the second half of his Top Ten/Bottom Ten 2022 movie list, giving detailed, bite-sized reviews for each flick as the two discuss what works, what doesn't, all finalizing with Melvin's top film of 2022!

(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 10 additional honorable mentions (across part 1 and part 2) spanning drama, arthouse, horror, and the ever-elusive 'so-bad-its-good' category! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 

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LET'S TALK:

Melvin shares with Daniel the first half of his Top Ten / Bottom Ten 2022 movie list, giving detailed, bite-sized reviews for each flick as the two discuss what makes these films successful or sucky.

(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 10 additional honorable mentions (across part 1 and part 2) spanning drama, arthouse, horror, and the ever-elusive 'so-bad-its-good' category! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 

Support the show

Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! 

• Early access to uncut episodes 
• Vote on a movie/show we review 
• One-time reward of two Cinematic Doctrine Stickers & Pins

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PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!  

Melanie joins Melvin to discuss Belle, Mamoru Hosoda's latest anime feature that combines real-life heart with the wonder of cyber-space! How well does he balance these ideas, and are we familiar with Hosoda's filmography? Tune in to hear that and more! 

Topics: 

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 38-minutes discussing our history with Anime, what we like and dislike about the style, and where we currently stand as purveyors of the medium (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Mamoru Hosoda clearly has a fascination with the duality between the real-world and digital-world as observed through his filmography (several Digimon movies, Summer Wars, Belle).
• Melanie connected with the way in which Suzu found her voice throughout the story's progression.
• Both Melvin and Melanie enjoyed most of the music, specifically the first song.
• Melvin saw one of Mamoru Hosoda's previous narrative successes, Wolf Children, and seriously disliked the movie. He routinely gets hate-mail for his scathing review left on MyAnimeList. Some problems he remembers from Wolf Children he also observed in Belle.
• Belle has many duality motifs including the imagery of a whale, a sea-creature dependent on air, or the difference between online and offline personalities.
• Belle is comprised of three narrative beats; digital world and concerts, slice-of-life, and the beauty and the beast. How you connect with each of these aspects will greatly impact your enjoyment of the film.
• Getting into the controversial twist that more-or-less co-opts the movie during its third act.
• Both Melanie and Melvin take issue with the severe lack of resolution presented by the introduction of Belle's twist, apart from the fact it's also comparatively uncomfortable.
• There's this expectation online that people have a right to information or knowledge regardless of boundaries or privacy. Melvin appreciated Belle's passive critique against this idea.
• Melvin and Melanie go full script-doctor because we're a podcast and that's what podcasts do.

Recommendations:

• Spriggan (1998) (Movie)
• Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (1999) (Movie)

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Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! 

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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Daniel joins Melvin in discussing the second Rotten-rated film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania! Critics have been critical, and fans have been mildly amused. But, what about us? Tune in to find out! 

Topics: 

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 35-minutes discussing The Flash trailer, Ezra Miller's influential escapades, James Gunn's future changes for DC, and so much more! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 
• Melvin wastes little time criticizing the outsized scope of the film, a borderline-Shakespearian world-ending character exploration flick written and directed by individuals whose previous work include bit-comedy, a functionally and fundamentally different style of storytelling. 
• Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quuntamania is 125-minutes and barely anything happens. 
• After two comedy-heist features, it feels weird for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania to take itself so seriously... and also not really be a heist movie. 
• Melvin and Daniel agree that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania isn't particularly good, but they don't agree with the extreme distaste toward the film.  
• Daniel shares an epiphany he had during his theater experience, one surrounded by teens and nerdbros. 
• Melvin complains about what he's calling the "Multiverse Narrative Confusion" that Marvel's Cinematic Universe is currently experiencing. Daniel elaborates further on the Multiverse problem. 
• Talking M.O.D.O.K. 
• Melvin and Daniel begin pitching various comedy bits and motifs for their version of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, one that is more in tune with the comedy of it's previous films. 
• Pondering the general diminishing return of the MCU. 

Recommendations: 

• Marvel's M.O.D.O.K. (2021) (TV-Series) 
• Insidious (2011) Movie 
• CSB Experiencing God Bible 

Support the show

Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! 

• Early access to uncut episodes 
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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Melanie joins Melvin to talk Sam Raimi's 2009 return-to-horror feature Drag Me to Hell, a film so silly it disorients most viewers, including Melanie! From slapstick violence to cartoon gore, this movie surprised its PG-13 audience from start to finish! 

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 18-minutes discussing AMC Theater's new tiered-seating price points, from value-pricing at the front to premium-pricing at the center (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 
• Melanie has specifically told Melvin that Drag Me to Hell was a movie she hated. Has that changed? 
• Melvin gives some background to the Sam Raimi style, something that no doubt shocks and stuns the unprepared. 
• The hyperbole of Drag Me to Hell helps exemplify the subtle yet damning ways in which people can disregard one another, or put oneself before others, and all of this is made exceedingly evident in the complicating incident. 
• Melanie, "It was so funny and I think I was just able to appreciate the more comedic elements of the film. There were still a few jump scares here or there, but you get startled and then you laugh." 
• Sometimes, people are ashamed of things they don't necessarily have to be ashamed about, while also not being ashamed about things they ought to. Drag Me to Hell displays both of these from opening to closing credits. 
• Christine thinks that demanding the old woman to forgive her will somehow fix the curse, but demanding someone to forgive you for your sin isn't repentance, because repentance is a full-on submission to wrong-doing, which categorically removes the ability for demands. With this in mind, Christine shows she hasn't learned anything.
• What makes an ending satisfying, and must the hero always succeed?
• Horror movies are interesting because whereas other movies will have some alien or virus or an idea as the villain, horror movies pick obvious things like murderers, demons, or the literal devil. As Christians - and it may sound weird for others to hear - but having hell or the devil as a literary consequence or threat is often more realistic to our daily life, and thus makes horror movies sometimes more intriguing.

Recommendations:

• Cry_Wolf (2005) (Movie)
• Wind River (2017) (Movie)

Support the show

Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! 

• Early access to uncut episodes 
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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Melanie and Melvin talk about George Washington, David Gordon Green's critically celebrated directorial debut, a coming-of-age poverty drama dripping with heart. 

Topics: 

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 28-minutes discussing various Director's who've produced remarkably good movies and remarkably bad movies, why there might be such varied quality among projects, and what makes these movies distinct in their own right. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 
• George Washington isn't as plot heavy as it is character heavy, so Melvin explains some of what defines each character in the film. 
• Melanie and Melvin both recommend George Washington prior to tuning in to their spoiler-filled discussion. 
• Despite their clear talent virtually all of the teen and pre-teen actors  have no acting credentials which speaks to David Gordon Green's effective directing. 
• George Washington displays endearing cross-generational relationships that are both mundane and valuable, the kind where people treat each other like people regardless of age. 
• Despite George Washington's warmth, the film is emotionally difficult to engage, as one guest Melvin invited to watch the film texted him that they couldn't finish it. 
• George Washington, through understated means, plays along the dichotomy between beauty and sadness. 
• Melvin reads a quote from the movie that comes from one of its leads, Vernon, and the two discuss what made this part of George Washington resonate so deeply with them. 
• George Washington's angle for a teen/pre-teen coming-of-age narrative is to explore experiences of shame, repentance, forgiveness, and responsibility, concepts that are regularly ignored or poorly handled in films about adults or adult situations. 
• The benefit of the ensemble cast of George Washington is that it gets to display various intimate and relatable responses to real-life situations everyone will encounter during one point of their life or another. 

Recommendations: 

• Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) (Movie) 
• Eighth Grade (2018) (Movie) 

Support the show

Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! 

• Early access to uncut episodes 
• Vote on a movie/show we review 
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