Cinematic Doctrine: A Movie Review Podcast Hosted by Christians

LET'S TALK: 

When Melvin saw Halloween Ends, he wasn't sure if he liked or disliked the movie. Mostly, it left him confused. So, he embarked on a journey: rewatching all three David Gordon Green Halloween flicks and seeing how they stand up. In doing so, his opinion on Halloween Ends has completely changed, and both he and Daniel discuss the experience of having their opinions change on movies, media, and life in general, and how the practice of mulling over and meditating on media is a helpful, often good practice. 

(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 17-minutes discussing Halloween Halloween Halloween! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 

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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!  

Frank Peretti's film adaption of Hangman's Curse arrived with an official youth devotional. Or, at least, Melvin's DVD copy did. In part two of their Hangman's Curse discussion, Melvin, Dan, and special guest Melanie Dejesus (from Melvin's church) spend time working through the official Hangman's Curse devotional guide questions, including what makes some of them so problematic. But, before they get into the spicey stuff, the three laugh over 20-year-old IMDB reviews. 

Topics: 

• Melvin feels the Online Christian Review complex is very "team jersey", in that they often celebrate and 5-star films that are otherwise quite bad or uninspired despite containing all they need: the "Christian" tag in the marketing field. Thus, he reads a few silly reviews that celebrate Hangman's Curse for being good actually. 
• Melvin, Dan, and Melanie spend time talking about the positive and negative critical phrase, "It is/isn't realistic." and how that's sort of a silly criticism at times for movies, which aren't real to begin with. 
• Unlike Dan's DVD which arrived barely intact, and Melanie's DVD which was new, Melvin's DVD of Hangman's Curse arrived with an official devotional partnered with the film specific for youth small groups for Christians and non-Christians alike. He summarized interesting parts into a few points. 
• The devotional occasionally references scripture, which Melvin summarizes to save time. 
• In addition to scripture, the angle of the Devotional is very "Assemblies of God", which means it focuses heavy on "words of death" and "words of life", among other nuanced AG Pentacostal ideologies. Daniel shares further insight here. 
• Due to the film's subject matter, the official devotional talks about topics like bullying and suicide. Our discussion cautions heavily against what's included. 
• Unlike the film, the devotional sure has a climax that leaves each member flabbergasted.
• Christian movies and stories created to be used as "ice breakers" for small groups often don't turn out very well, and at other times end up causing more damage in their depictions of various difficult topics. Ultimately, nothing competes with a genuine relationship cultivated to foster healthy discussion. 

SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE: 988

Recommendations: 

• Spy x Family (Show)
• The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006) (Movie)
• Bring It On: Cheer or Die (2022) (Movie)

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 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! 

Frank Peretti's Hangman's Curse was the first of his books to finally reach the silver screen, and Melanie Dejesus from Melvin's church joins him and Daniel on this first of two episodes where the three work through this weird amalgamation of teen scream and early 2000's "cool" Christian media. 

Topics: 

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 33-minute discussion of "cool" Christian media, the mid-90s to mid-00's craze of music, clothing, and all things "cool" in the western Christian world (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 
• Melvin proposes, since no one on the planet has seen Hangman's Curse other than Melvin' sister, that the three detail the entirety of the film from start to finish. 
• Daniel, a self-described Frank Peretti novel-fan, details Peretti's style and talent when it comes to literature. 
• Melvin starts describing the opening 5-minutes of the film and all three members of the show levy criticisms. 
• Melvin also confesses that, technically speaking, Hangman's Curse is the first horror movie he remembers watching... and scaring him as a kid. 
• The faith-based Christian theming in the film is extremely awkward and often surprising as it's almost never-expected.
• One can practically feel Hangman's Curse pleading to have something horrific, shocking, dramatic, or scary happen on screen, anything to bring some life to an otherwise sluggishly paced snooze-fest.
• As the film continued, a lightbulb went off over Daniel's head, "Wait a minute... this should have been a TV-Show!"
• Hangman's Curse would have been benefitted by the Hollywood "Christianity" flair of gadgets with crucifixes, weird prayers for protection, the sort of thing we're used to with the Conjuring Universe.
• Frank Peretti plays a full-fledged non-cameo character in Hangman's Curse, a performance that is, at the very least, memorable.
• Coming in at 106 minutes, Hangman's Curse truly pushes the boundaries of patience, while also including many scenes that are obvious chaff. What's nearly 2 hours could have been a 45-minute TV-Special.
• Passively, the Assemblies of God influence of the film is apparent through its depiction and development of the "goth" subculture within the narrative, including a few other nods and references that otherwise might be missed.

SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE: 988

Recommendations: 

• Spy x Family (Show)
• The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006) (Movie)
• Bring It On: Cheer or Die (2022) (Movie)

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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• Letterboxd
• Facebook Group 

MOVIE DISCUSSION:

Remember that wild Halloween Kills episode from last year? Melvin & Dan are ready to rock your world with a roaring sequel episode on Halloween Ends, a finale so bonkers it blows our minds! 

Topics: 

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 34-minutes talking about Werewolf by Night, the borderline TV-MA Marvel special on Disney Plus! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 
• Melvin and Daniel talk around the movie before actually getting into specifics, because that's what Halloween Ends has done to your hosts. 
• Spoilers from the get-go, as Melvin and Daniel realize they can't discuss the movie much without getting into specifics. 
• Daniel clocked it; it takes 40 minutes before Michael Myers even shows up in Halloween Ends. You practically forget it's a Halloween movie by this point. 
• Daniel, "This really feels like a strange episode, a Halloween-themed episode of Twin Peaks." 
• In isolation, a lot of the new ideas throughout Halloween Ends are neat, but the way all of them are used and balanced here is very poor. 
• Melvin & Daniel agree: the diner scene is when the movie starts to lose them. 
• There's actually a lot to appreciate and enjoy about Halloween Ends, including its general mood and atmosphere. Unlike most movies, all three of these Halloween features are exceptional at capturing atmosphere and look very sleek. 
• As movie lovers, how we enjoy movies becomes much more complicated, as even the worst movies like Halloween Ends can become more enjoyable than the most competent ones. 
• Melvin suspects the marketing, and the fact that this is a "trilogy finale" and not just another sequel with the expectation of another sequel soon after really impacts the reception and enjoyment of Halloween Ends. 
• Melvin & Dan suspect Halloween Ends will earn a strange reevaluation as a black sheep in the Halloween franchise, largely due to its extremely strange ideas. 

Discussion: 

• The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World by John Mark Comer (Book) 
• Significant Other (2022) (Movie) 
• Book of Deuteronomy: New International Commentary on the Old Testament by Peter C. Craigie (Book) 

Support the show

Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! 

• Early access to uncut episodes 
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MOVIE DISCUSSION:

Melvin is joined by Stephen and Shirleon again to discuss the much-awaited sequel to the Halloween cult-classic, Hocus Pocus 2!

Topics: 

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 37-minutes discussing the Avatar Remaster, as well as Cameron's Avatar in general. Also, a reappraisal of our interests in a sequel. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 
• Brief introduction to Hocus Pocus 2 before realizing we want to talk about the cultural impact of the first Hocus Pocus. 
• Melvin doesn't remember much from Hocus Pocus other than the film being congested with sexual frustration, an extremely weird trait to be had in a PG flick, but not unexpected for a Michael Eisner era Disney production. 
• As for Hocus Pocus 2, Melvin felt the slapstick gags were very successful and the film contained a myriad of clever yet simple jokes. 
• Mary's Roombas in Hocus Pocus 2 are the comedic antithesis to Thor's goats in Thor: Love and Thunder. 
• Despite some successful comedy, Hocus Pocus 2's ending truly contains some ridiculous nonsense, and all three of us have individual gripes to share.
• For Melvin, the ending fails because it converts the Sanderson Sister's from slapstick villains into bizarre, unfun sympathetic figures. 
• For Shirleon, the drama wasn't earned for the finale, nor did the visuals come together in a convincing manner. 
• For Stephen, "I guess I've kind of been sandbagging here. I hated this thing from the first shot." 
• There's a mutual irritation over the continued misrepresentation of puritanism in fiction. 
• Hocus Pocus 2 is conscientiously releasing during a time when Wickenism and the witchy-aesthetic is culturally in full-swing. 
• Disney has produced a lot of content lately that has perturbed the cultural christian crowd. What's a healthy response, or at least filter, to apply when watching content that isn't just alternative, but also rated PG? 
• At the end of the day, this routine, cyclical, tired conversation is benefited by one response: pray for wisdom. Certain topics do not produce binary, eternal answers. In this case, wisdom is needed in balancing the myriad of influences that come not only in filmmaking but living in a complex multicultural environment. 

Recommendations:  

• Betrayal at The House on The Hill (Board Game)
• The Munsters (2022) (Movie)
• The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor (Book)

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MOVIE DISCUSSION:

Stephen and Melvin are joined by Shirleon to discuss the highly revered classic vampire film Nosferatu, a film with a 100-year legacy!

Topics: 

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30-minutes talking about our October/Halloween plans, from movies to habits! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 
• Nosferatu is a very simple movie about a vampire, a man, and his wife.
• This was Shirleon's second time watching Nosferatu. The first time was great. The second time... not so much.
• Stephen observed how Nosferatu can feel slow and boring for a modern audience, yet also feels Nosferatu is an effective film overall.
• Melvin had a unique experience in which he was confronted with his mortality. Why? Because everyone involved in Nosferatu, from its conception, plagiarism, and preservation is dead.
• Nosferatu is shot during a time when movies were "plays on film", and thus didn't contain the same freedoms and creativities we are now accustomed to movies that separate themselves from the stage.
• Count Orlock is grotesquely charismatic, parading the film with a transfixing nature.
• Discussing the hardship of film preservation and audience engagement for a film that is both pre-talkie and had a court case resulting in the destruction of all original film negatives.
• Back in the days of yore, black and white films could be colored by painting on the film itself, and musicians could perform original music for the film based upon their talents and interpretations. With this in mind, the concept of preserving the "original experience" of older films becomes far more complicated, as it cuts down as deep as regional and local creativity.
• Nosferatu seems to present a message around the overbearing presence of predator vs prey, from not only a man vs man angle (Hutter vs Orlock) but also man vs nature (the town vs the plague). Primarily, it seems Nosferatu is expressing a horror unique to nature.
• Despite Count Orlock's diabolical design, there is still an expressionistic depiction of sensuality throughout Nosferatu.

Recommendations:

• Frankenstein (1931) (Movie), or any other classic Universal Monsters movie.
• Absentia (2011) (Movie)
• And I Darken by Kiersten White (Book)

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

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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! 

If you've seen The Haunting of Hill House/Bly Manor or Midnight Mass, you've seen director Mike Flanagan's work! However, for this episode we're traveling back to 2013 to discuss one of his earliest projects, Oculus! 

Topics: 

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 40-minutes talking about the complicated dynamics of modern movie watching like watching on airplanes, cell phones, the gym, or doing dishes. Also, the concept of director, producer, editor, or alternative cuts to movies. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 
• Daniel has watched more Mike Flanagan projects than Melvin. Melvin is curious if he's noticed a style or focus of Flanagan across each project. 
• Oculus is a fairly simple visual experience of reliving family trauma, but there isn't a whole lot else going on from start to finish. 
• The concept of cursed objects, things or tools having an effect on life in malicious ways not intended, is extremely cool. Despite this, the mirror as a cursed object has little presence. 
• Most every criticism Melvin and Daniel levy at the film feel sourced in young, undeveloped directing talent, which Mike Flanagan has likely improved since working on this 2013 film. 
• Melvin has extreme criticisms for both the original score and the cinematography for the film, finding both to be wholly uninspired. 
• Daniel, "[Oculus] moved between being kind of interesting and then being just kind of unpleasant because of the subject matter."
• Discussing the "unreliable narrator" aspect of the film's second and third act, which people will either love or hate about Oculus.
• The world of film, especially horror, uses poor mental health for its complicating incident, or to add flavor to its storyline. How do we feel about that?

Recommendations: 

•  Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions
• Check out the Shout! Factory catalog and maybe buy a Collector's Edition of your favorite movie!
• The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (Movie)

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

Social Links: 

• Threads
• Website
• Instagram
• Letterboxd
• Facebook Group 

MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Melvin & Dan talk about one of Mel's favorite movies, The Blackcoat's Daughter, perhaps the most painstakingly slow burning, brooding mood slashers ever made. Also, Melvin gets really honest about why he loves The Blackcoat's Daughter so much.

Topics: 

• Melvin has wanted Daniel to watch The Blackcoat's Daughter since they started the podcast. Finally, it happened. 
• The Blackcoat's Daughter shows various aspects of alienation, loneliness, and general social dysfunction despite its small cast. 
• Despite The Blackcoat's Daughter being set at a spiritually indistinguishable denominational school, an aesthetic choice likely chosen to add flavor to the horror, Melvin finds himself deeply connecting with the general atmosphere present within the film. 
• The structure of The Blackcoat's Daughter is extremely subtle, with even its timeline giving small yet pivotal narrative clues. 
• Daniel read that Ozgood Perkins wanted the film to be about loneliness, which as stated before clearly comes through the film. 
• The Blackcoat's Daughter lends itself well to rewatching, both in shedding light on the narrative, and introducing more curiosities. 
• When either a secular or religious person has no support system, they are prone to fill the void of community, companionship, and intimacy with risky and dangerous solutions often because those are easier or simpler to implement than an entire social structure. 
• Melvin feels The Blackcoat's Daughter displays a convincing, gentle, yet clear perspective as to why one may be attracted to evil, and he feels the film can help bring a sense of clarity and compassion toward an otherwise contentious subject matter.
• There's a really strong dream-like logic to The Blackcoat's Daughter in which things don't necessarily make real-world sense but heavily improve the film's overall tone.
• Daniel, "Helping somebody who's [overtly] choosing something other than God; that's a tough one. Because there's something about the thing they're choosing that calls to them uniquely."
• Melvin, "In terms of [The Blackcoat's Daughter], a resolution to loneliness is companionship. But learning... learning to be a good friend is hard."

Recommendations: 

• Global Impact Bible: ESV
• Find and visit your local pop-up Spirit Halloween!
• Young Justice (Show) & Batman: The Brave and the Bold (Show)

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

Social Links: 

• Threads
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• Letterboxd
• Facebook Group 

MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Stephen McFerron, new contributor to Cinematic Doctrine (read him here!), joins Melvin again to discuss a pivotal film in the art-house canon: The Seventh Seal! 

Topics: 

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 50-minutes of Melvin and Stephen detailing their lifelong journey through movies, from the extremely good to the horrendously terrible, and everything in between (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 
• Being our second Criterion-themed episode in a row, Melvin and Stephen joyfully discuss the Criterion Collection. 
• The Seventh Seal is a movie that is intrinsically focused on and explores facets of death.
• The Seventh Seal's tone is very challenging as it expertly switches between extremely clever comedy and absolutely petrifying horror. 
• Stephen, "The Seventh Seal puts a weight on death that is actually... actually makes the viewer try to grapple with the idea that they're going to die one day, too." 
• A unique, tender tragedy to The Seventh Seal is the lament regarding the want to believe in something, although not believing in it. Melvin feels this is adjacent to the lament unique to faith, that one believes something they cannot see, but yearns earnestly to see it true. 
• Stephen shares what it is about the end of the movie that convinced him to watch it over and over. 
• Talking about the pseudo-communion scene between Antonius Block, Jof, Mia, Jöns, and the Girl. 
• Is there room for frustration and doubt in the Christian life? At the time of watching The Seventh Seal and recording for this episode, Melvin was in the midst of the Book of Job, so he turns there for some insight. 

Recommendations: 

• The Book of Job (Bible)
• Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special (Comedy Special)

Support on Patreon for Unique Perks!

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

Social Links:

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MOVIE DISCUSSION:

Stephen McFerron, Cinematic Doctrine's newest contributor (read him here!), joins Melvin to discuss Stalker, the popular Andrei Tarkovsky science-fiction classic!

Topics:

• Introducing Stalker is equally simple (three men travel through a zone to find a room that grants one's greatest desire) and complex (constant philosophical debate, ruminations upon the terror of desire, and the intimidating presence of The Zone).
• Stephen, "I think it's about evangelism and the Christian walk - to some degree."
• Stalker is not only literally long, coming in at 162-minutes, it also can feel long with exceedingly drawn-out sequences, but Melvin feels these moments imitate the mundane periods in our life that help us think.
• The Zone that our characters traverse is not only depicted like a character itself, but a deity as well.
• The Zone demands respect if what it has to offer is to be obtained, something one may consider is similar to God Himself.
• Spiritualism and Christianity were largely prohibited in Russian film and art during 1979, and yet Tarkovsky cleverly depicts Christian symbolism, strife, and meditations throughout Stalker's runtime.
• One of Melvin's favorite aspects of Stalker is the two brief reprieves where characters sit down and talk directly to the audience, exposing their soul through poetic raison d'être.
• Melvin, "Stalker really wrestles with the concept, "You may think you know what you want, but what you want may not be what you wanted.""
• Evangelism is often a painfully slow, seemingly fruitless process. And yet it often helps orient the evangelist to God first and foremost, despite its subject being the Godless.
• Getting into the final monologue of the film delivered by the Stalker's wife, which kills Melvin.
• Sometimes with evangelistic pursuits we neglect to focus on one of our most rewarding responsibilities: the family.
• God permeates not just the spectacular but also the mundane. Is that not also joyful?
• Melvin believes there's a severe criticism of industrialization through a particular B-theme of Stalker.
• It seems there's a perpetual frustration between Russian artists and the Russian government. Stalker definitely includes some of that cultural tension.

Recommendations:

• The Criterion Channel (Streaming Service)
• Elden Ring (Game)

Support on Patreon for Unique Perks!

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

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