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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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QUARTERLY CATCH-UP:

Movies & Us: Podcast, Instagram

TV & Us: Podcast, Instagram

Quarterly Catch-Up is a co-production between Cinematic Doctrine & Movies & Us! While answering a few questions about watching habits, we also spend time talking about the industry we love, specifically budgets, revenue, and the profitability of this years films overall (so far!). Otherwise, here's what to expect in Quarterly Catch-Up:

1. What have we been watching?
2. What are we anticipating?
3. What else are we up to?

Things Mentioned:

• The Conversation (1974) (Movie)
• Whale Rider (2003) (Movie) (Cinematic Doctrine Podcast Episode)
• Highest 2 Lowest (2025) (Movie)
• High and Low (1963) (Movie)
• 12 Angry Men (1957) (Movie)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) (Movie)
• Clown in a Cornfield (2025) (Movie)
• Ash (2025) (Movie)
• The Fourth Kind (2009) (Movie)
• Predator: Badlands (2025) (Movie)
• Frankenstein (2025) (Movie)
• Slow Horses (2022 - X) (Series)
• Bugonia (2025) (Movie)
• Good Boy (2025) (Movie)
• Black Phone 2 (2025) (Movie)
• Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) (Movie)

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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 one of the most influential horror movies of the modern era: The Blair Witch Project! How does it fare against modern horror? What does a first-time watcher think of the film? Did the Blair Witch cause Heather, Josh, and Michael to go missing or was something more sinister going on? And is the movie actually kind of, like, really feminist? 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 1:56:19 length, so if you want to hear the UNCUT version, tune in on Patreon here!
• Opening with some background on the film, the genre, and dovetailing into their thoughts as a veteran and a newbie.
• Melvin begins his feminist diatribe, chronicling how the film may be an incidentally-feminist tragedy.
• How third-wave feminism in the 1990's clashes with the witch-trials of the 1780s.
• Due to the film being shot without union protections, The Blair Witch Project continues to have a controversial legacy with updates as recent as Summer 2025.
• Melvin lands the plane as to why he reads the film in this way.
• Talking about the conventions of Found-Footage/In-World filmmaking.
• Against incredible adversity, traditional gender-norms showcase their fallibility and are replaced with mutual support.
• Talking about Heather Donahue's great monologue at the end of the film.
• Discussing the "Josh & Michael are murderers" theory, and getting off the fence about it. 

Recommendations:

• Strange Houses: A Novel by Uketsu (2025) (Book)
• Strange Pictures: A Novel by Uketsu (2025) (Book)
• The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025) (Movie)

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PARTY PLEASER: 

Kathryn joins Melvin to summarize this year's cherry-picked so-bad-its-good movie, War of the Worlds (2025)! Featuring a cast of fairly known names (Ice Cube, Eva Longoria, Devon Bostick, Clark Gregg, and many more) this odd adaptation of the H.G. Wells classic limits its prose to a computer screen. What could go wrong?  

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 20-minutes discussing Chris Columbus' pull quote on the Harry Potter Reboot, "What's the point?", and the unique nature of rebooting Harry Potter as a series unlike other franchises that offer spinoffs, prequels, or alt-universe tales. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 
• The entire film is told through the prose of a computer screen (and sometimes cellphone screen). How do Kathryn and Melvin feel about this?
• Ultimately, the film is in over its head, and it isn't even sure how to handle dialogue and drama let alone thrills and action sequences.
• Yapping about how movies sometimes advertise products and how Tesla does NOT come out of War of the Worlds (2025) looking good.
• Beefing with Will Radford since he's a bad character and a bad dad.
• Melvin ponders why movies like this take off and how the streaming as a distribution format influences this sort of thing.
• The third act of the film, specifically the climax, is when everything bizarre and noteworthy happens.

Recommendations:

• Castle Rock (Season 1) (2018) (TV-Series)
• Friday the 13th Part III (1982) (Movie)

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