Cinematic Doctrine: A Movie Review Podcast Hosted by Christians

MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Shirleon joins Melvin to discuss Superman (2025), James Gunn's latest superhero feature and first of the new DC Studios flicks! The two explore what they like, what they didn't like, how there's an earnest hope in this modern, live-action iteration of Clark Kent/Superman, and if they're excited for any upcoming DC Studios projects. And, because he likes numbers, Melvin breaks down the finances for 2025's comic book movies. 

Topics: 

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30-minutes discussing McDonald's entirely "AI" produced Christmas-themed commercial, how it was taken down after receiving intense backlash, and the many philosophical issues regarding "art" made by AI. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Shirleon feels pretty mid-to-good about Superman (2025).
• Melvin keeps it simple and starts with what he likes followed by his dislikes.
• There's a nostalgia that feels imbued within the style of the film.
• Are comic-book movies washed? Let's look at some numbers.
• Adjusting for inflation, Iron Man nearly cost the same to make as Superman (2025), yet the former outpaces the latter in being a "franchise starter" by a wide margin.
• Superman (2025) is the most profitable superhero movie of 2025, but it still didn't do crazy numbers at the box-office. Has the "superhero fatigue" officially set in?
• Why it's nice to watch a protagonist who is kind and hopeful.
• Discussing the ending and if they're interested in future DC Studios films.

Recommendations: 

• R.E.P.O. (2025) (Video Game)
• Rewatch a movie you love!

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UPDATE: 

I'm a Store Manager for a popular retail space. For obvious reasons this time of the year is extremely busy for me. Like previous years I thought I could handle my irl work and my podcast work, but that is not the case this year. For the time being, the only guaranteed episode to release in December 2025 is the Patreon-Selected movie at the end of the month. Any other releases this month have released by the skin of their teeth.

In the meantime, enjoy this bonus semi-rerelease of a lil' mini-game I played with Chris Staron of Truce Podcast. If you want to hear the full episode this mini-game is from, tune in to this episode here.

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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! 

Shirleon joins Melvin to discuss 2013's insane surprise financial hit, Now You See Me! Despite being a critical flop the film was a blockbuster blowout earning nearly 5x its budget! So, who's right, the critics or the audiences? Tune in and find out! 

Topics:

• Editor's Note: No Patreon Exclusive discussion! But, I do intend to trim this episode down from its original 1:08:02 length, so if you want to hear the UNCUT version, tune in on Patreon here!
• Shirleon says she'd rather rewatch Death Note (2017) than ever watch Now You See Me again.
• Melvin, "I just thought the movie was bad."
• Every character basically sucks. If they don't suck, they're boring.
• Melvin has an issue with how normies and the working-poor are depicted, and he also feels it takes its audience for granted. It thinks its audience is a bunch of morons.
• Shirleon is overtaken by how much stuff is stuffed into this film, and the two discuss why that's a serious problem.
• Melvin talks about Safety Not Guaranteed, a movie that's got similar themes of belief and hope but isn't a total mess.
• Trying to make sense of the ending.

Recommendations:

• What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher (2023) (Novel)
• Smiling Friends (2020-X) (Series)

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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss Osgood Perkins' second movie of 2025, Keeper! Has Perkins created another commercially accessible psychological-horror success, or has he returned to his undeniably divisive slow-burn roots? And is Keeper another one of his female-led soft-feminist tales? Tune in and find out! 

Topics: 

• Editor's Note: No Patreon Exclusive discussion! But, I do intend to trim this episode down from its original 1:44:01 length, so if you want to hear the UNCUT version, tune in on Patreon here!
• Because the trailers didn't seem representative of the final product, Melvin pitches the movie a little differently by explaining what the movie actually is.
• Kathryn and Melvin get the impression that Osgood Perkins isn't so much interested in characters as he is the film as a whole, and thus his work is often vibes-heavy.
• Osgood Perkins, from Melvin's perspective, creates dense films that often appear simple.
• Kathryn felt the overly-exposited third-act somewhat muddled the film.
• Talking about some recurrent visuals and motifs, like the water and the dream sequences.
• Specifically talking about what Melvin is calling the "Mini Minka" scene.
• Discussing the line, "We are your children and all the women that came before you."

Recommendations: 

• The Devil You Know with Sarah Marshall (Podcast)
• Occult (2009) (Movie)

Support the show

Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! 

• Early access to uncut episodes 
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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Shirleon joins Melvin to discuss Death Note: The Last Name, a sequel to 2006's Japanese live-action adaptation, Death Note, that released 3-months later. The two look at the film as a unit with its predecessor, its successes as a stand-alone sequel, and compare it to the anime (as well as the Western Netflix adaptation).

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 26-minutes discussing "Evil AI is Boring Now - Which is Kind of Scary", a think piece from James Hibberd on The Hollywood Reporter, and wondering what makes AI/AGI movies interesting, or not, in 2025. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• How Death Note: The Last Name truncates the the latter-half of the source material, reordering some things and altering others outright, works pretty well.
• Shirleon enjoyed seeing the Death Note story unfold in a new, better-handled manner. It helped her better understand what she likes about the overall narrative.
• If these adaptations are missing anything, it's the monologues.
• Melvin wonders why a "Set in the world of Death Note" anthology movie or series hasn't been created, and he elevator-pitches five ideas that could be explored.
• Talking about the recurrent line "Sacrifices are necessary.".
• Melvin felt the ending satisfied the main thematic beats of its source material. Shirleon feels different.

Recommendations:

• Alien: Earth (2025) (TV Series)
• Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) (Movie)

Support the show

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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss Scott Derrickson's latest horror feature, Black Phone 2! The two get into what sets it apart from other franchises like A Nightmare on Elm Street, how it holds up against the first film, and how it's... more Christian? Oh snap! 

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 23-minutes discussing Sigourney Weaver saying at NYCC 2025 that there's a "very strong first 50 pages" script of Alien that includes Ripley, and where she is at the time, and the two wonder both earnestly and cynically about the idea of a Ripley-included Alien sequel in the 2020s (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 
• First things first... is it A Nightmare on Elm Street meets Friday the 13th?
• Exploring the pervasive online joke that The Grabber, as a new "slasher icon", is an industry plant, and why it may feel that way.
• The dialogue here is bad. Full stop. The drama works if you buy into it, but the bad dialogue is a heavy cost.
• Kathryn and Melvin both had this fear: is Scott Derrickson just gonna do Sinister again? Thankfully, the answer is more nuanced than that.
• The spirituality isn't Deistic and the way Gwen prays and interacts with Jesus is as though Jesus is an active, non-corporeal character in the film.
• Talking Terrence, The Grabber, and Finn.
• There's no doubt in Melvin's mind that Scott Derrickson is evoking real-life Protestant Camp abuse tales with the drama and setting in Black Phone 2, including Kanakuk Kamp, LifeWay Camp, and Matt Chandler's church.
• Kathryn, "Knowing the truth, believing the truth, and speaking the truth can be really scary."

Recommendations:

• In the Mouth of Madness (1995) (Movie)
• Caveat (2021) (Movie)

Support the show

Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! 

• Early access to uncut episodes 
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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! 

Shirleon & Kathryn join Melvin to discuss Weapons, Zach Cregger's sort-of-sophomore flick after Barbarian! Horror fans have been eating good throughout 2025, and the gang explores whether the film continues this trend. They also ponder the wide variety of themes throughout, attempting to make sense of a dense and non-linear story.

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 28-minutes discussing Elizabeth Olson saying that they only want to be in theatrical releases, the dynamics and differing optics between streaming-only vs theatrical-first flicks, and if streaming as a form of primary distribution has improved or diminished the aura of the Hollywood star. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Kicking things off by briefly chatting Barbarian, as it helps set the groundwork for Cregger's current style.
• Everyone agrees: Weapons is good. But, not everyone agrees its great.
• Kathryn, "I wish this movie was structured differently."
• Melvin points to something he read in the IMDB trivia to explain why the film feels a bit... discombobulated.
• There are 2 plot contrivances that Melvin was a little irritated by, so he complains about them.
• The gang proposes some rewrites, because that's what podcasts do!
• Kathryn stepped away frustrated by the middle of the film, calling it "irresponsible".
• Contrasting Justine & Aunt Gladys
• The beginning of the film is strong, but the ending of the film is incredible.

Recommendations:

• Keep your eyes peeled for New York Times "Cookie Week 2025" (Past Recipes Kathryn recommends: Hibiscus-Spiraled Ginger Cookies & Peppermint Brownie Cookies)
• A Lonely Broadcast: Book One by Kel Byron (2023) (Novel)
• A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L Peck (2012) (Novel)
• WNUF Halloween Special (2013) (Movie)

Support the show

Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! 

• Early access to uncut episodes 
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PARTY PLEASER: 

Shirleon joins Melvin to summarize The Haunting Hour: Don't Think About It, a late-2000s direct-to-video family-friendly horror movie based on R.L. Stine's short stories! Is it possible to be scary without being gory? How frightening can a PG-rated horror movie be, anyway? And does it even capture that spooky Halloween spirit?

Topics:

• (FREE PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 38-minutes discussing the usage of AI-generated voices of real-life, still-living actors like Frank Welker for a Scooby-Doo fan-film called "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? In... Springtrapped!", why it matters even though this is a fan-film, and how distractions cloud the quality of all kinds of art-projects. (FREE PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Melvin gets excited when "Special Make-Up and Effects by Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger" pops up during the opening credits. 
• Talking "school envy", where films and shows will not only make High School extremely cool but usually the environment is just all-around awesome.
• The licensed tracks in the film are extremely blunt and obvious about how our characters are feeling or the general setting, and Melvin wonders... what other movies have done this?
• The main trio of characters are distinct, lending to a decent-enough interplay needed for the film.
• The subtitle "Don't Think About It" doesn't really play into the story at all.
• When the horror stuff starts to kick in, the two agree: it's pretty decent for a family-accessible horror flick.
• So... how's the monster look?

Recommendations:

• I Found Puppets Living in my Apartment Walls by Ben Farthing (Book) (2024)
• Final Destination 2 (2003) (Movie)

Support the show

Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! 

• Early access to uncut episodes 
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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Shirleon and Kathryn join Melvin to discuss George Romero's groundbreaking, culture-making horror feature Night of the Living Dead (1968)! From its rich characters to the longstanding influence of horror in US culture and abroad, the gang explores the ins-and-outs of this undeniable classic! 

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 36-minutes discussing the concept of "Cursed Actors", actors like Jared Leto who had a meteoric rise but then started to be in bad movies, showcase bad performances, or simply give the general populace "the ick", and our thoughts on a few of these figures. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 
• George Romero's impact on the horror genre cannot be understated. 
• The film has a lot in common with natural-disaster movies where-in its characters are stuck trying to figure out how best to survive.
• Shirleon previously disliked the character of Barbra. Now? She stan Barbra!
• Melvin feels horror movies are quintessential to the America experience.
• How the film is like a social microcosm.
• Talking about Harry Cooper, a character who may be more complex than people initially believe.
• Chattin' the nightmarish "zombie feast" and how the entire third-act is a crazy escalation.
• Talking the incredibly evocative ending.

Recommendations:

• You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron (2023) (Novel)
• Squirrels at the window (YouTube)
• Tales from the Hood (1995) (Movie)

Support the show

Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! 

• Early access to uncut episodes 
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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss The Long Walk, a film whose premise is extremely simple yet whose content is incredibly challenging. Based on a novel influenced by the woes of the Vietnam War, this film adaptation from Francis Lawrence is updated for a modern yet not-so-different demographic. Class solidarity, the importance of beauty, the vile oppression of facism; The Long Walk has it all! 

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 25-minutes discussing LA Comic-Con's inclusion of an AI Stan Lee sideshow attraction where-in guests may pay to "talk" to "Stan Lee", and how this is actually the scariest thing we could talk about during the spookiest month of the year. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Melvin found The Long Walk extremely affecting, and says it's his favorite movie of 2025.
• Kathryn read the book, so she brings some reader-insights to the table.
• Why Melvin feels the film is prescient, and also seemingly unmakeable outside of releasing Summer 2025.
• Kathryn on how some may consider The Long Walk an exploitation movie, but in reality it's a movie about how these young men are being exploited.
• Talking about the characters and how the system exploits them differently.
• Talking about the ending, both the film & the book ending, and what makes them both satisfying.

Recommendations:

• Night of the Living Dead (1968) (Movie)
• David Romero (YouTuber)

Support the show

Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! 

• Early access to uncut episodes 
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