Cinematic Doctrine: A Movie Review Podcast Hosted by Christians

MOVIE DISCUSSION:

Hey guys, just wanted to let you know this episode delves into a very difficult topic, including content that might otherwise be uncomfortable, offensive, and triggering to those listening. As such, I have marked this episode explicit in the shownotes.

In this episode, Daniel and I take some time setting the groundwork for this tonally challenging film, giving you some details on the content within. It may seem a bit abrasive, but we promise we wouldn’t be covering the movie if it weren’t tame. Then, Daniel and I get into our immediate, non-spoilery thoughts regarding the films expression of anxiety, and how different characters exhibit different responses to anxiety. Following this, we chat about a small cameo that horror fans will enjoy when watching She Dies Tomorrow. Afterward, we dig into spoilers and talk about the more nuanced themes and projections of anxiety and how certain characters resolve their struggles, and how Daniel and I as Christians believe it’s important to recognize and sympathize with those who have anxiety, as well as approaching it with the confidence that, in Christ, there are eternal and practical solutions to battling anxiety.

She Dies Tomorrow is Rated R for language, some sexual references, drug use and bloody images. It features Kate Lyn Sheil, Jane Adams, Katie Aselton, Chris Messina, Kentucker Audley, Tunde Adebimpe, and Jennifer Kim. Directed by Amy Seimetz. She Dies Tomorrow is available to rent or buy on VUDU. 

Patreon: http://bit.ly/CinDocPatreon 
Website: CinematicDoctrine.com 
Email: [email protected] 
Twitter: http://bit.ly/CineDoctrineTwitter 
Instagram: http://bit.ly/CineDoctrineInsta 
Facebook: http://bit.ly/FBCinDoc 

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 

TRAILER TALK:

First up, the excitement of a new Batman movie gets Daniel and I talking about martial arts, various practices, and our hands-on experience in self-defense.

Then, we discuss the new Wonder Woman 84 trailer, how this latest marketing bid left Daniel and me a tad unimpressed, and the skeleton in the closet that is Wonder Woman’s initial comic-book conception.

Afterward, we discuss the mythical Snydercut, or as is now officially titled, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and see what it is about this official sneak peak at Zack Snyder’s supposed original vision for the Justice League. And, we also dig into the curious nature of Schrodinger’s Movie, or as Daniel digs into it further, how the Snydercut movie inside our head might actually be better then what we see next year on HBOmax.

And, after being inspired for a few minutes to talk about martial arts after watching Batman fight a guy in his latest trailer, Daniel and I chat about The Batman. Daniel turns total fangirl and expresses his unbelievable excitement for the movie, while I worry that the scenes we see in the trailer might not actually make it into the final film due to a few key factors.

Lastly, we look at the trailer for You Cannot Kill David Arquette, which is entirely a movie that Daniel would be excited for, and because we’re good friends I wanted to give him some time to flex his wrestling knowledge with us. By the way, the history behind this documentary sounds fascinating, so stick around and hear Daniel tell us everything he knows! 

Patreon: http://bit.ly/CinDocPatreon 
Website: CinematicDoctrine.com 
Email: [email protected] 
Twitter: http://bit.ly/CineDoctrineTwitter 
Instagram: http://bit.ly/CineDoctrineInsta 
Facebook: http://bit.ly/FBCinDoc 

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 MOVIE DISCUSSION:

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

2020 has been a year where new movies are a hard to come by. But, as cinephiles persevere, more movies arrive! This time around, we’re checking out a new Seth Rogan led comedy where we have not one but two Seth Rogan’s to enjoy. Whether you think that’s the best thing in the world or the absolute worst, well, I guess that’s up for you to decide!

Even so, Daniel and I head into our discussion on An American Pickle by starting out with some straight-A cringe. Then, we go right into our immediate experience with An American Pickle and how it was my comfiest movie experience in a while. Then, Daniel shares some frustration over how An American Pickle could have been a much better movie, but still stepped away with a few nuggets of joy. Then, after our Trivia section which includes some fun behind-the-scene special FX tidbits, we dig into the meat of An American Pickle (or, the salty brine) and take an intensive look at its often unsuccessful but somewhat chuckle-worthy comedy, as well as discuss the films commentary on a family's legacy against modern Jewish culture.

An American Pickle is Rated PG-13 for some language and rude humor. It features Seth Rogan and Sarah Snook. Directed by Brandon Trost. An American Pickle is available on HBOmax. 

Patreon: http://bit.ly/CinDocPatreon 
Website: CinematicDoctrine.com 
Email: [email protected] 
Twitter: http://bit.ly/CineDoctrineTwitter 
Instagram: http://bit.ly/CineDoctrineInsta 
Facebook: http://bit.ly/FBCinDoc 

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:

We’ve been covering an obscene amount of Disney productions lately what-with the Marvel films and two Disney Plus exclusives – Hamilton and Stargirl respectively – so I think it’s safe to say we’re ready to move away from Disney for a while. Or, as long as we can, because Disney clearly has a hold on the market. We’ll inevitably get back to it, but we want to head into more independent and creative atmospheres, and that’s where A Ghost Story comes in.

In this episode of the podcast, you’ll get a chance to hear how Daniel and I initially reacted to the trailer for A Ghost Story back in 2017 (you know, seeing an atmospheric, visually stunning film with a man wearing a sheet-ghost costume). After that, you’ll hear about Daniel’s excellent theater experience with a random stranger. Then I dig into how a scene emotionally destroyed me, and how A Ghost Story uses simple yet prolonged sequences to produce strong emotions. Among those emotions, we discuss how, for a lot of people, laughter seemed to be a predominant reaction to a lot of scenes that take place in A Ghost Story. And finally, Daniel and I dig into the concept of interpretation, and how certain art-pieces are created to provoke emotions or feelings, and less concerned with giving definitive answers.

A Ghost Story is Rated R for brief language and a disturbing image. It features Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara. Directed by David Lowery. A Ghost Story is currently available on Netflix. 

Patreon: http://bit.ly/CinDocPatreon 
Website: CinematicDoctrine.com 
Email: [email protected] 
Twitter: http://bit.ly/CineDoctrineTwitter 
Instagram: http://bit.ly/CineDoctrineInsta 
Facebook: http://bit.ly/FBCinDoc 

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:

Earlier in 2020, Disney Plus gained a new PG-Rated addition in Stargirl, the film adaption of Jerry Spinelli’s much-loved 2000 young-adult fiction novel of the same name. Having found a copy of novel at a used book store, I figured I’d read it, text my sister about doing the same, and the two of us could take some time to chat about the film adaption, as well as the book, here on the podcast.

So, as we get things underway, we contextualize our experience with the film adaption of Stargirl by talking briefly about the book. Afterward, we dive headfirst into talking about the movie and - while we try to keep our book-to-film comparisons light - most readers will sympathize with our experience that, sometimes, the book really is better. However, we do spend some time talking about how both the film adaption and the source material stay largely true to the same theme, that sometimes you have to make a decision: In your actions, whose affection are you seeking, and which do you value more? Afterward, knowing that’s the theme of the story, we easily head into a biblical discussion about the affections we as Christians have for Christ, how those affections may divide our relationships with others, and what makes Christ worth it.

Stargirl is Rated PG for mild thematic elements. 

Patreon: http://bit.ly/CinDocPatreon 
Website: CinematicDoctrine.com 
Email: [email protected] 
Twitter: http://bit.ly/CineDoctrineTwitter 
Instagram: http://bit.ly/CineDoctrineInsta 
Facebook: http://bit.ly/FBCinDoc 

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 

MONTHLY MOVIE NEWS:

Our first segment is an interview with the Ambler Theater, a local venue in my area to hear about their story during COVID-19, how they’ve responded to it, how it’s affected their community, and how people can help. While you’ll be hearing about how things are being handled in my community, I hope that it’s a helpful jumpstart to how you can begin thinking about your local community and how you can help.

Immediately after, Carter and I will discuss what’s heard in the interview and share how the two of us have been able to engage our community theaters and screenings during a time where it’s so difficult to visit them.

Following this, Carter leads us into the symbiotic relationship between Theater re-openings and Tenet delays, and we discuss a few factors in play that make this story so important.

Patreon: http://bit.ly/CinDocPatreon
Website: CinematicDoctrine.com
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: http://bit.ly/CineDoctrineTwitter
Instagram: http://bit.ly/CineDoctrineInsta
Facebook: http://bit.ly/FBCinDoc
Ambler Theater Website: https://amblertheater.org/ 
Film_Junkie_Reviews Instagram: https://bit.ly/FilmJunkieReviews 

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 MOVIE DISCUSSION:

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

Chris Staron is the creator of Truce, the award-winning Christian podcast that looks at history to deep dive into the Christian Church. You’re going to hear more about him and his work when you press that play button - and all of it is such good stuff - but my goodness, after hearing his podcast, I just had to have him on the show! In fact, the latest episodes of Truce, as of this recording, have been on the founding fathers and other important aspects of American history, so it made sense to have him on for our Hamilton episode!

For starters, Chris shares his absolute love for Hamilton, and how he’s been a huge fan since it toured! We also dig into its questions on legacy, pride, and the unique benefit to having a story span many years. Then, we run headfirst into some fascinating trivia I collected for this episode, which sparks some great conversations on cut content and cultural impact. Afterward, Chris shares some historical inaccuracies that give insight into the way Lin-Manuel Miranda refined the flow of his play. And finally, I ask Chris what he thinks about the criticism helmed against Hamilton for its somewhat ironically titled 'whitewashing' of the founding fathers.

Hamilton is Rated PG-13 for language and some suggestive material.

Patreon: http://bit.ly/CinDocPatreon
Website: CinematicDoctrine.com
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: http://bit.ly/CineDoctrineTwitter
Instagram: http://bit.ly/CineDoctrineInsta
Facebook: http://bit.ly/FBCinDoc
Truce Podcast Website: https://trucepodcast.com/ 

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:

Longtime listeners of the Cinematic Doctrine podcast may recognize the names Derrick Whitmore and John Weiand. In July of 2019, I was in Florida visiting Derrick about his non-profit organization Shattered Studios. During that trip, I appeared in an episode of their Christian pop-culture podcast ShatterCast discussing Spider-Man: Far From Home. You can find the episode on their YouTube channel for ShatterCast and, apart from seeing what I look like in real life, you’ll also catch a glimpse of what Derrick and John do at Shattered Studios.

Considering they invited me on their show to chat a Marvel film, I figured it only made sense to invite Derrick and John from ShatterCast to chat another Marvel film with me, and what better film than the one that convinced us this Marvel Cinematic Universe thing was going to be a real juggernaut: The Avengers!

So, travel back to 2012 with Derrick, John, and me as we talk about revisiting this genre-defining and, dare I say, industry-defining movie. Then, listen in as we think through Phase Two and Three, as well as figure out which Marvel villains are our favorite. Then, Derrick’s got some hot takes to share - or as he calls them, “small gripes” - regarding a few strange things in The Avengers. And finally, hear what each of us thinks about The Avengers' pervasive themes of unity, teamwork, and fighting for justice no matter what!

The Avengers is Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, and a mild drug reference.

Patreon: http://bit.ly/CinDocPatreon
Website: CinematicDoctrine.com
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: http://bit.ly/CineDoctrineTwitter
Instagram: http://bit.ly/CineDoctrineInsta
Facebook: http://bit.ly/FBCinDoc
Shattered Studios: http://www.shatteredstudios.net/ 

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:

In case you didn’t already notice, Cinematic Doctrine has been going through Phase One of the MCU, and while you’ll see we took a momentary break to discuss our Patreon-voted episode on America Gospel: Christ Alone, as well as catch up on our monthly segments Trailer Talk and Monthly Movie News, we returned with a discussion on Thor and are now getting closer and closer to The Avengers. But first, here we are, ready to talk about one more film before the big climax: Captain America: The First Avenger.

In this episode, Daniel and I talk about how Captain America: The First Avenger’s first hour has a lot of fun, clever, and poignant character drama mixed in with creative action sequences only to boil into the second hour of… something completely different. Then we take a look at the history of the MCU and how it came into being (you know, some behind the scenes stuff), and how Captain America: The First Avenger feels like the last of those early-era films before fully embracing the Disney-Marvel writing room. Then, Daniel brings to light some fascinating Easter Eggs that permeates throughout the entirety of the film, as well as a few that have some comedic ramifications throughout both the film franchise and Marvel television programs.

Also, and we’re not apologizing about this, we have a brief X-Men tangent somewhere in the middle of the episode, so look forward to that!

Captain America: The First Avenger is Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action. 

Patreon: http://bit.ly/CinDocPatreon 
Website: CinematicDoctrine.com 
Email: [email protected] 
Twitter: http://bit.ly/CineDoctrineTwitter 
Instagram: http://bit.ly/CineDoctrineInsta 
Facebook: http://bit.ly/FBCinDoc 

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:

As I’ve become more engaged in Christian podcasting communities I’ve come to enjoy finding new podcasts that really speak to me, and The Angry Christian Podcast is one such show that’s kept my interest. While one might think The Angry Christian Podcast is nothing more than some bent-outta-shape Christians complaining about life’s inconveniences, it’s the opposite! It’s Christians fighting for the fruit of the Spirit amidst angering and difficult times, and because of their willingness to talk culturally difficult topics, I knew inviting Brad Bates on to the Cinematic Doctrine podcast was a no-brainer.

First, Brad and I share our somewhat confused thoughts on the tone of Thor as it balances between science-fantasy epic and fish-out-of-water romance. Then we deconstruct Thor's character arc from the arrogant prince of Asgard to the somewhat less arrogant prince of Asgard. And finally, we think about the difficult question of birth-right, and whether our past ultimately defines our future, and what that means for us as Christians.

Thor is Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence. It features Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgård, Kat Dennings, Clark Gregg, Idris Elba, and Colm Feore. Directed by Kenneth Branagh. Thor is available on Disney Plus.

Patreon: http://bit.ly/CinDocPatreon
Website: CinematicDoctrine.com
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: http://bit.ly/CineDoctrineTwitter
Instagram: http://bit.ly/CineDoctrineInsta
Facebook: http://bit.ly/FBCinDoc
The Angry Christian Podcast: https://eagerfortruth.com/ 

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