Cinematic Doctrine: A Movie Review Podcast Hosted by Christians

LET'S TALK: 
 
This is probably our most important episode, ever. From the start, Daniel shares some concern about how we don't always jump into more Christian topics, but Melvin is quick to calm his nerves about how he views the podcast as a whole. Following this, the two discuss a series of deeply important topics regarding Christ-like freedom, engaging culture with patience and maturity, and the complexity of artistic communication. This episode is filled to the brim with self-reflection, and perhaps gives the greatest insight into who Daniel and Melvin are as Christians, communicators, and podcasters.

This episode was a long time coming. As Cinematic Doctrine finishes out yet another year of operation, this Let's Talk helps solidify some of what makes this show different from the rest, as well as shares the hopes they have for the future of the show.

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LET'S TALK: 

With two weeks left before the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, fans have countless questions they're waiting to see answered. Will the Webb Duology finally see closure in No Way Home? Is Tobey Maguire returning as Spider-Man full time? Will Paul Giamatti be the Rhino we've always wanted? What will happen to Tom Holland? There's so much anticipation! But, before we can dive into No Way Home, we need to catch up on Marc Webb's black-sheep duology, a strange two-film entry into the superhero canon. 

There's much to look forward to, so join us as we discuss Andrew Garfield's interpretation of the Peter Parker character, why not handling Ben Parker's death well seriously inhibits the drama, the strange decision to make Electro the way he is (and why Melvin kind of likes that), and the true success of the Marc Webb duology: Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy's relationship. 

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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!

A few days after recording for Dear Evan Hansen, Daniel felt compelled to expand upon certain topics we discussed. As such, here's Cinematic Doctrine's third and final installment of their Dear Evan Hansen series. Considering the complex subject matter of the film, there's some additional perspective and background Daniel felt was necessary to explain his reasoning behind his intensely critical thoughts.

Topics: 

• Daniel stands by his harsh perspective of the movie, but feels uncomfortable leaving his feelings without explanation.
• Evan Hansen is a fictional character with "movie mental illness"; an undefined psychiatric issue that largely is only relevant when the plot needs it to be.
• If we try and understand his mental health issues, and then see how they vanish when he's lying, are we to believe that Evan Hansen is "coming into his own" when he embraces a pathological lying trait?
• The whole movie has a literary veneer of "Mental Health" without actually having reasonable perspective on Mental Health.
• Daniel categorizes different kinds of mental health patients based upon his experience working at a Psych Hospital, and how one type of patient is the "Bojack Horseman".
• Unlike Bojack Horseman, where the character can be partially pitied and rooted for despite being the root cause of the show's problems, Evan Hansen is the anti-Bojack Horseman.
• Recovery includes transformation, as well as an admittance of fault, which never becomes fulfilled in Dear Evan Hansen. Evan Hansen does less than the bare minimum in resolution to the horrible things he's committed throughout the film.
• Dear Evan Hansen continues the frustrating reality of online mental health discussions, both by talking about its subject matter relatively poorly, and by clouding an already heavily obscured conversation in online communities.

Recommendations: 

• Harold Lindsell - "Lindsell Study Bible: The Living Bible, Paraphrased - Reference Edition"
• The Ezra Klein Show - "The Case Against Loving Your Job"
• Jenny Nicholson - "A Needlessly Thorough Roast of Dear Evan Hansen"

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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!

In part 2 of their Dear Evan Hansen discussion, Melvin & Dan figure out where Dear Evan Hansen went wrong, Daniel loses his mind, and they share conflicting perspectives on the film overall.

Topics:

• Discussing the incomplete, inconsequential ending to Dear Evan Hansen.
• Daniel, "This is the most selfish, self-centered take on Mental Health I have ever seen!"
• Melvin, "...part of contrition is the humbleness to let one's consequences unfold."
• Daniel, "Evan Hansen is not the character who should come of age and get redemption. The victim of mental health issues is Connor. That is the character that, if you watch this movie and struggle with mental health issues, that's the character you should be identifying with. Not Evan Hansen."
• Feeling bad (or, emotions that one otherwise deems unwanted) is not immoral. Additionally, feeling bad is not indicative of genuine contrition.
• Daniel, "[Dear Evan Hansen is] borderline evil."
• When someone undergoes the consequences of their sin, those consequences are nobody else's fault except for the one who incurs them. There may be influences, and there may be systems at play, but the onus of sinful consequences bear upon the sinner.
• Melvin isn't quite as offended by Dear Evan Hansen as Daniel, but he still thinks the movie is kind of lame even if he liked some stuff about it.
• Melvin also gets some schadenfreude from the idea that Dear Evan Hansen was marketed as a life-changing, encouraging movie only to have it fall flat on his face. He then compares it to Unplanned, the pro-life movie from 2019 that he felt seriously missed the mark.
• As of recording, Melvin had seen 39 movies from 2021. Dear Evan Hansen will likely land as #34 out of his ranked list.
• 5 words from each host: Describe Dear Evan Hansen.
• Dear Evan Hansen accurately represents how a majority of people see mental health: through a poor, uneducated, and overly confident lens from which they have little knowledge or authority.

Recommendations: 

• Harold Lindsell - "Lindsell Study Bible: The Living Bible, Paraphrased - Reference Edition"
• The Ezra Klein Show - "The Case Against Loving Your Job"
• Jenny Nicholson - "A Needlessly Thorough Roast of Dear Evan Hansen"

Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! 

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• Vote on a movie/show we review 

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Support the show

Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! 

• Early access to uncut episodes 
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• 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!

Dear Evan Hansen is our most expensive episode. Coming in at a whopping $35 for rentals, as well as 2.5 hours' worth of content, we truly have spent far too much on this episode. But it's all worth it for our Patreon Supporters! We love you all, and that's why we spend this first of three episodes discussing some of the history behind Dear Evan Hansen, how the casting for Evan Hansen immediately kills the movie dead, and the beginnings of what makes this movie so frustrating.

Topics: 

• Every year there is a movie that garners the scorn of film-goers. Currently, Dear Evan Hansen has it.
• Detailing the history behind Dear Evan Hansen, it's musical, it's awards, and now, it's movie.
• Ben Platt, the 28-year-old actor playing Evan Hansen, who is 17 during the events of the film, looks to be in his mid-30's based upon the hair, make-up, wardrobe, and camera lenses used throughout the movie. It never stops being a distraction.
• Daniel found Dear Evan Hansen, "very morally troubling and borderline disturbing at times for various reasons."
• Melvin likes movies where someone morally reprehensible builds a house of cards, and even audibly exclaimed to his wife while watching the movie, "See, this is awesome! I love this stuff!". So, in that respect, there are some things about Dear Evan Hansen he enjoyed.
• There are a lot of similarities between Dear Evan Hansen and a little-known Netflix movie called Sierra Burgess is a Loser, another villainous "house of cards" movie Melvin enjoyed.
• The movie really expects its audience to fill in the gaps for so many hard issues, all on top of the fact that Ben Platt looks way too old to perform as an older teen.
• Although the movie has a juvenile perspective to mental health and social issues, some things work like the song 'Requiem', where each family member sings their response to Connor's suicide, and how not everyone responds to the death of a family member in the same way.
• The song 'Sincerely Me' captures a bit of the dark-comedy aspect both Melvin and Daniel wanted throughout the movie.
• Daniel, on the topic of the many hard-hitting themes in the movie, "It's not examined at all. Nothing in this movie is examined. That's one of the problems."

Recommendations: 

• Harold Lindsell - "Lindsell Study Bible: The Living Bible, Paraphrased - Reference Edition"
• The Ezra Klein Show - "The Case Against Loving Your Job"
• Jenny Nicholson - "A Needlessly Thorough Roast of Dear Evan Hansen"

Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! 

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• Vote on a movie/show we review 

Social Links: 

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Support the show

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• Early access to uncut episodes 
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LET'S TALK:

In preparation for what they've jokingly referred to as Spider-Man: Endgame, Melvin and Dan take a moment to reflect on the Sam Raimi trilogy that started the theatrical Spider-Man craze! Join the two of them as they dive deep into these amazing films, what makes them hold up so well after all these years, and how Spider-Man 3 really isn't as bad as we all sort of think it was.

Note: We do NOT discuss leaks for Spider-Man: No Way Home but we DO discuss how the leaks have happened.

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MOVIE DISCUSSION:

It's never too late to talk about good movies, and both Daniel and Melvin are finally ready to get philosophical and heady with Dennis Villeneuve's latest feature!

Topics: 

• Introducing Dune.
• Dune is a science-fiction fan's science-fiction.
• Villeneuve captures the awestruck nature of mindfulness, how simply existing and observing the world cultivates a healthy and comfortable smallness.
• Dune doesn't require rewatches, but they do benefit the richness of its characters.
• The movie is possibly as long as it is because Warner Bros. is looking at Dune like they did Lord of the Rings. And, keep in mind, all three Lord of the Rings movies are about or over 3 hours long, and often the extended cuts are what people watch nowadays.
• Discussing various spoilers and diving deeper into the narrative themes of the movie. [23:06]
• Dune feels deeply realized and fully lived-in. 
• The spiritualism around the world, which is arguably quite risky considering how surreal it can get, becomes increasingly earned throughout the film's development.
• Spiritualism requires a necessary sense of mystery, the humbleness to admit one doesn't fully understand.
• Paul Atreides is compelling as a coming-of-age character with a wide variety of potential outcomes, and his messianic pathway gives him an air of excitement and tragedy that leads both Melvin and Daniel to anticipate the rest of his journey.
• Discussing what makes the knife-fight finale so wonderful.
• A majority of the film's latter portions embrace a sense of mindfulness as a means of moving through life. It espouses that fully investing into a moment isn't the equivalent of passively experiencing it, rather that someone doing so becomes truly capable of living in that moment, relinquishing expectation and permitting action.
• Good science fiction often has a contrast between the incredible nature of technology paired alongside the mystery of life, often attributed to spiritual or psychological aspects or traits within the narrative.
• Marketing companies need to stop advertising Dennis Villeneuve movies like action-packed adventure thrillers.
• Melvin and Daniel both agree: Dune and Eternals are strangely similar.
• Interpreting the recurrent motif of the bullhead, and how the dynamics and dangers of power, combined with personal satisfaction, aren't always bad, but do run risks.

Recommendations: 

• Douglas Moo's "2 Peter & Jude: NIV Application Commentary"
• Robert A. Heinlein's "Starship Troopers" (Book)
• Linoleum Knife's "552. Dune (2021), Dune (1984)" (Podcast)

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• Early access to uncut episodes 
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MOVIE DISCUSSION:

No time wasted. An earthquake in the MCU has taken place: a rotten score! It's sort of all anyone is talking about, and Melvin & Dan take their turns sharing complaints, frustrations and irritations (a la that 2+ hour runtime). Even so, tune in and hear their thoughts through this wildly strange addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Topics: 

• Trying to explain what Eternals is about.
• Immediate plot issues, such as there only being 10 Eternals versus a planet wide infestation of Deviants who clearly seem extremely powerful, requiring upwards of 3-4 Eternals to kill a single Deviant at a time. Therefore, if multiple cities were attacked by Deviants at once, there is likely no chance the humans would survive or populate at a natural rate.
• POP QUIZ: Can Daniel name all of the Eternals?
• Even as the movie came to a close, and set the stage for much anticipation to come, Melvin was still scratching his head trying to figure out what the point of Eternals was in the first place.
• Marvel movies are character movies, and when Marvel movies want to talk about broad topics, concepts, ideas, or philosophies, it always works best when strong characters are ultimately at the forefront. Eternals swaps the focus from characters to philosophy, which seriously brings down the excitement of the film.
• If Eternals are not allowed to interfere much in human affairs, but Druig's power doesn't seem to work on Deviants... then what purpose does Druig satisfy by being a part of the team?
• For a film that wants to have a humanistic subtext, Eternals has a very juvenile perspective of humanity.
• Diving into spoilers regarding the deep lore of Eternals
• Eternals tries to cover so many bases but never lets on that it has a comprehension of what makes those things so interesting.
• There are countless similarities between Dune and Eternals when it comes to themes and tone, as well as the inspiration Chloe Zhao received from Dennis Villeneuve's work. While imitation can be flattering, it can also be pandering.
• Most of the comedy doesn't land except for Kingo and his valet. Also, people quoted the line about the table in Daniel's theater which was extremely cringy.
• How does insurance work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
• But... is Eternals the worst movie in the MCU?
• Visually speaking, Eternals is kind of ugly and washed out, which is a serious disappointment considering the marketing.
• Despite the Celestials, Kang the Conqueror still seems like the most dangerous and powerful villain in the MCU.

Recommendations: 

• Steven J. Lawson's "Psalms 76-150: Holman Old Testament Commentary"
• Jack Stauber's "Opal" (Short Film)
• Poorly Drawn Lines (Animated Show)

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LET'S TALK: 

Daniel hasn't watched Dune yet because Melvin told him his first time seeing Dune shouldn't be through HBOmax, so look forward to a Dune discussion episode in the future. They also talk about that movie Daniel recommended a few episodes ago, There's Someone Inside Your House, and if the Zoomers in his youth group would understand the movie since it's definitely a Zoomer-centric flick (while also talking about the bizarre nature of Youth Group, its failings, and curiosities). And lastly, the two discuss the negative reviews for the upcoming Marvel film, Eternals, and how even the positive reviews include a few negatives. 

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Support the show

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MOVIE DISCUSSION:   

Happy Halloween! In this extra episode of the podcast, Melvin & Dan discuss the latest entry in the Halloween franchise! If you've been a part of the online discussion, or at least aware of how people feel about Halloween Kills, then you're in for a treat! Daniel didn't like Halloween Kills, but Melvin did! Thus begins some great Halloween banter!

Topics: 

• Melvin really wants to talk about Halloween Kills, so they waste no time and jump right into it.
• Chronicling the various canon of the Halloween franchise, and laying the framework between Halloween (2018) and Halloween Kills.
• Daniel was on board with Halloween Kills for about 20-30 minutes, and then it started to lose him.
• Daniel also feels Halloween Kills takes itself too seriously, trying to elevate a franchise whose groundwork is based in simplicity.
• CinemaScore was at Melvin's screening and he gave Halloween Kills an A! His wife Kathryn gave it a C.
• Melvin suspects David Gordon Green is creating his Halloween Trilogy of movies to be something people routinely binge during the month of October, similar to watching the extended cuts of Lord of the Rings. 
• Melvin didn't like Halloween (2018), putting it at #63 out of the 68 movies he's seen from 2018, but he suspects that Halloween (2018) and Halloween Kills pair together well as a double feature which would probably improve his experience with Halloween (2018).
• Halloween Kills spends time having characters try and figure out who Michael Myers is only to graciously have Michael Myers immediately show up to murder them.
• Melvin suspects a lot of what contributes to his positive thoughts on Halloween Kills is due to a fun theater experience with a lively, engaged audience.
• Celebrating that Donald Pleasance was not resurrected via CGI but rather Dr. Loomis was brought back via another actor, prosthetics, and voice acting.
• For Daniel, even though the movie loses itself, it never stops being engaging.
• Discussing the bizarre mob sub-plot, how it sort of means nothing, yet incidentally correlates socially as a reminder of how absurd January 6th really is.
• Talking about the best characters all year: Big John & Little John.
• The movie has so many "movie lines" where characters just say things you only say in the movies.
• Is Michael Myers homophobic? Let's discuss.
• Is this trilogy trying to turn Michael Myers into some sort of Jason Voorhees super-powered adjacent?

Recommendations:  

• F.F. Bruce's "1 & 2 Thessalonians: Word Biblical Commentary"
• The Last Broadcast (Movie)
• Inside Job (Adult Animated Show) with qualifiers and having only seen 2.5 episodes.

Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! 

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Support the show

Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! 

• Early access to uncut episodes 
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