Cinematic Doctrine: A Movie Review Podcast Hosted by Christians

PATREON TV-SHOW DISCUSSION:

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

Melvin & Dan put on some no-slips and get to work talking about The Bear! Corner!

Topics: 

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 37-minutes of various topics: She-Hulk Episode 1 Twitter response, Warner Bros. can only afford to release two movies this year, and that nonsensical MoviePass revival (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 
• The Bear is mercifully efficient and accurately represents kitchen work. 
• Melvin feels The Bear's realistic depiction of work-space experience and people relationships might actually so relatable that it becomes difficult to watch. 
• Daniel has worked with coworkers just like some of the characters in The Bear.
• Melvin has an affinity and yearning for structure, so seeing a healthy and positive depiction of work and hierarchy in The Bear is greatly appreciated.
• Melvin jokingly says, "This is the most loving show I've seen... and I've seen The Chosen!" which heads into a retrospective on how Melvin & Dan have grown less fond of The Chosen since reviewing it in 2021.
• Talking about what makes Richard such a great, compelling character.
• The Bear has a really understated and kind way of depicting redemption and change, two things that require strong perseverance.
• Melvin kept thinking of both a Biblical and Cultural Christian perspective of The Bear's depiction of relationship strife and reconciliation, and how a Biblical approach to these issues will likely look different than a cultural Christian one.

Recommendations: 

• ESV Student Study Bible
• Joe Pera Talks With You (Show)
• Only Murders in the Building (again) (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
• Website
• Instagram
• Letterboxd
• Facebook Group 

LET'S TALK: 

Earlier this month we reported the cancelation of Batgirl, Scoob! 2, and much more. These projects, both nearly complete, got the unceremonious axe, but they would be far from the first. Since then, several other projects have been either canceled or removed outright from HBOmax despite being originals to the streaming service. This leads Melvin and Daniel down a frustrating discussion about whether anyone will ever willingly work with Warner Bros. Discovery in the future, the moral quandary of piracy, and so much more. 

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:

Hulu continues to put out bangers, and Melvin & Dan discuss Not Okay, one of its latest successes!

Topics: 

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Discussing They/Them, the controversial and questionable slasher set at a gay conversion camp, as well as some new Ezra Miller/Flash/Warner Brothers news. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 
• When Melvin first learned about Not Okay's description, he immediately knew he wanted to watch it. 
• Melvin felt Not Okay had some influence from Friday the 13th: Part V: A New Beginning. Yes, he explains. 
• Zoey Deutch and Dylan O'Brien were both in The Outfit, another movie from 2022. Melvin gives a mini review for that, while asserting the quality of their chemistry. 
• Part of why Melvin texted Daniel about covering Not Okay is specifically to compare it to Dear Evan Hansen, so the two begin detailing key differences in quality and character between the two. 
• By making the film more realistic and sensible, Not Okay succeeds in making its lead character both appropriately despicable and frustratingly sympathetic, both qualities that Dear Evan Hansen never achieves in its bizarro world depiction of horrible events. 
• Daniel, "If you told me this was made as a response to [Dear Evan Hansen], I would believe you." 
• The final sequence is the primary standout of Not Okay. 

Recommendations:

• Art for God's Sake: A Call to Recover the Arts by Philip Graham Ryken (Book)
• Joining Letterboxd.com so you can track movies, write reviews, follow other users, and make lists!
• Let the Reader Understand: A Guide to Interpreting and Applying the Bible by Dan G. McCartney and Charles Clayton (Book)

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 the latest Predator movie, Prey, that probably should have been in theaters, right?

Topics: 

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 50-minutes talking about the benefits to physical media over streaming, and the exciting world of special features w/ examples. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Immediate disappointment that Prey was not in theaters.
• Jacob Knight on Letterboxd writes that Predator is at its best when it just embraces its "Pro Wrestling" aesthetic.
• Predator has always been more enjoyable when it's simple. This is why Predators can feel pretty fun at times, and why Prey feels great all the time.
• Melvin & Dan want to see the Predator dropped into other time periods: pirates, samurai, ancient Greece. All sorts of weird, high concept stuff!
• Amber Midthunder was very pleased to see the depictions of Native Americans in Prey was not hyper spiritual and shamanistic.
• There's a cultural, current fascination with "simple" movies; movies with high concepts that are easy to explain and easier to understand.
• Dakota Beavers, really the only other character in the movie, who also has no other credits on IMDB, was also pretty great!
• As far as we can tell, all the Native American characters have Native American heritage, which is really great!
• Ranking the Predator movies.

Recommendations:  

• Blue Letter Bible & NET Bible (Apps)
• Look for Independent Theaters nearby for fun community events!
• 10 Cloverfield Lane (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 

LET'S TALK: 

On Tuesday, August 2nd, 2022, the news broke that Batgirl, an upcoming DC film featuring the continued return of Michael Keaton's Batman as an old, weathered, matured Bruce Wayne training a young Barbara Gordon, was canceled. But that's not all; the film was nearly complete, virtually gold by the time the axe came down. Along with its death came the cancelation of Scoob! 2, and several other upcoming properties deemed unworthy.

This news also comes with expected, wild changes to what's considered many cinephile's #1 streaming service: HBOmax. With the finalized merge between Discovery and Warner Brothers, things sure are changing, and Melvin and Daniel felt so affected by the news that they put together this surprise, impromptu episode so they could complain about it.

Due to the quick nature of this episode's recording and scheduling, the episode also hasn't been edited. All coughs, squeaks, and sound distractions are included. How ASMR of us! Despite this, we're sure the content is still worthwhile. Please enjoy!

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: 

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• Facebook Group 

MOVIE DISCUSSION:

Melvin & Dan are joined by Anthony Coughlin, one of several pastors of Risen Christ Fellowship. The three discuss the latest Jordan Peele pic, what they perceive it's about, and how it's not quite a horror movie, even if it's occasionally horrific!

Topics: 

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 45-minutes talking about movies, specific ones or types, that we regret watching, or have reconsidered as we've matured (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 
• The three agree: Nope is not only a good movie, but it also ruminates in the mind for a while after seeing it. 
• Daniel feels Jordan Peele movies always produce two questions: Is it a horror movie, and what is it about? 
• Using that one viral tweet where someone claims Jordan Peele must be the best horror director because he's made three good horror movies as a jumping point to actually talk about Jordan Peele's greatness. 
• Nope feels like a movie built around boundaries, respect, and meditating on the morality behind certain actions. 
• Discussing those two Nope trailers which essentially showcase two completely different movies. 
• Our fascination with the UFO and dissecting various themes and functions it represents. 
• The thesis of Nope also deals with the concept of and seduction toward spectacle, and how these things can be dangerous. 
• Was the ending triumphant or melancholy? 
• And lastly: how does Nope rank against Us and Get Out? 

Recommendations: 

• Hustle (Movie)
• Foundations, Study Pack by R.C. Sproul (DVD/Study Guide)
• Close-Up (Movie) 
• Close Encounters of the Third Kind (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 

PATREON TV-SHOW DISCUSSION: 

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

Disney released two shows at once rather than one at a time! Weird!! Patreon Supporters picked Ms. Marvel over Obi-Wan Kenobi. Not weird! 

Topics:

• (PATREON EXLUSIVE) 40-minutes talking about the incomprehensible Marvel-fan backlash to Thor: Love and Thunder, as well as tangents on Metallica, Rockband and Guitar Hero, and Seventh-Gen Console gaming (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 
• Daniel enjoys how Ms. Marvel has a positive perspective on organized religion. 
• Melvin reads some of Iman Vellani's Letterboxd reviews from 2020. 
• Maybe not specifically, but conceptually there's a lot to find relatable in Ms. Marvel for anyone who's grown up in a healthy, yet difficult religious setting. 
• The choice to give Ms. Marvel 'hardlight' powers may have been a wise VFX choice when compared to that abysmal She-Hulk trailer. 
• Extra characters live their life in the world of Ms. Marvel, which other Disney Plus Marvel shows don't really have. 
• The portrayal of family dynamics is also quite excellent in Ms. Marvel. 
• Melvin liked the lore behind the Jinn when it felt like a classic, tragic ghost-story. He did not, however, like them as villains overall. 
• Daniel noticed most online criticism for Ms. Marvel was from people who hadn't watched the show. 
• The end of the show makes a lore-change that some have found annoying. Melvin asserts how little he cares about that. 

Recommendations: 

• NLT One Year Chronological Study Bible 
• Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya (Book) 
• The Sandman (Graphic Novel) 

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 deliberately told Daniel not to see Jurassic World Dominion. Daniel saw it anyway.

Topics: 

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 27-minutes of talking about the disastrous choice for the Snyder-verse to initially invest in Ezra Miller, Amber Heard, and Jared Leto for its future. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Talking about how inconvenient Jurassic World Dominion was to our lives.
• The entire theater was noticeably restless during both of our theater experiences.
• Trying to comprehend various scenes and plot-points.
• Spoiler: Daniel never saw Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Melvin tries to explain it.
• How is Jurassic World Dominion not about the insane, massive ecological disaster that would be caused by even the introduction of one Dinosaur?
• Routinely, the editing caused Melvin and his wife Kathryn to get seriously confused.
• Daniel, ""Why is any of this in a Jurassic Park movie?" is this is the question you keep asking yourself."
• Is it morally okay to mock people? Not really. But is it okay to mock media? Let's take a small trip down memory lane...
• The importance of the Director as a working concept, and how much power is behind the Directing chair.

Recommendations: 

• The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for the Pilgrim's Way by Michael Horton
• Telefone by Noname (Album)
• WTF with Marc Maron Podcast (Ray Liotta // Phil Tippett)

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:

Like all good movie podcasts, we have to talk about Thor: Love and Thunder. Even if it is terrible.

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 46-minutes talking about TV-Shows: Ms. Marvel, the upcoming Echo show (feat. Daredevil), and brief discussion on Umbrella Academy (S3) (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Pitching a Gwenpool show for Disney Marvel.
• Did we laugh even one time during Thor: Love and Thunder?
• Melvin and Daniel each bring interesting observations regarding Taika Waititi as a content creator and Rotten Tomatoes as a review-aggregate site, and how they relate to Thor: Love and Thunder.
• Thor: Love and Thunder reopens the vault of "poorly handled Marvel villains", including wasted casting just like Thor: The Dark World.
• Melvin, "I think sex jokes can be funny, but this movie? It was weird."
• The goats are the worst part of the MCU.
• Daniel shares yet another stranger theater experience he witnessed.
• Thoughts on the ending, which still doesn't really work.
• Post-credit discussion.
• Fantasizing about a Tournament-Style Marvel flick where we get to watch characters solve a noir-case outside of mandatory 1v1 fatal fights. Basically, Marvel's Mortal Kombat.
• Melvin asks Daniel if he thinks Disney might have a rough couple of months moving forward what-with people tuning out of Ms. Marvel, Obi-Wan Kenobi being real boring, She-Hulk looking bad, and Andor being kind of just... another not interesting Star Wars thing.

Recommendations:

• Getting to the Heart of Parenting - A Live Conference on DVD from Paul David Tripp
• The Office: Superfan Episodes (TV-Show)
• 50/50 (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 

TV-SHOW DISCUSSION: 

Did you finish Stranger Things S4 yet? Melvin and Daniel have. Tune in to hear them chat about that crazy new season, volumes 1 and 2, and their predictions for S5! And yes, we go full spoilers right from the start.

Topics: 

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 50-minutes of Melvin talking about his live-changing first-time watching the WWE, and a brief aside about Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Explaining the over-arching details of the massive Season 4 plotline.
• Melvin felt this season clarified some in-world details he was curious about since Season One, as well as introduced a much needed fatal-threat to the franchise as opposed to each season's antagonistic figure being more of a cautiously curious violent figure.
• The final episode felt more like a mid-movie low-point than a right-and-true finale, but that makes sense considering The Duffer Brothers couldn't do everything they wanted without needing a Season 5.
• The "Fan-favorite character dies" curse might need to be broken in Season 5, because it was more annoying this time around than ever before.
• How does Daniel feel about every episode being over an hour long?
• What songs would save us from Vecna on our Spotify Upside-Down Playlist (and what songs aren't)?
• Various theories about Season Five including Max being a puppet villain, spending far more time in the Upside-Down, and an Escape From New York-esque Hawkins treated like a retro 80's post-apocalyptic flick.
• Melvin's fan-theory S5E1 idea that he's locking in.

Recommendations: 

• TableTalk Magazine
• Ephemeral (Podcast)
• The Princess (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