Cinematic Doctrine

MOVIE DISCUSSION:

Movies & Us: Podcast, Instagram, Threads

TV & Us: Podcast, Instagram, Threads

Jen & Sarah from the Movies & Us podcast join Melvin to discuss a surprise financial and critical flop of 2024, Joker: Folie à Deux! Is it really as bad as everyone says? At the very least there's a LOT to talk about, and everyone takes turns diving deep into Todd Phillips' follow-up to his billion-dollar success!

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30 minutes discussing 2 favorites from 2024 and 1 favorite first-time watch for 2024, why they’re favorites, and a few honorable mentions at the end. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Recap: What do Jen, Sarah, and Melvin think of Joker (2019)?
• Sarah on Joker: Folie a Deux, “…anytime [Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn] was at the center, I’m like “Okay! I’m happy!”.”.
• Jen feels the first film is ostensibly a better made product, but found this sequel was far more thought-provoking.
• Melvin outright liked the movie, saying that he could understand why people didn’t like the movie but had extreme difficulty seeing the film as “bad” or even “mid”.
• All three agree: Joker: Folie a Deux is prime for becoming a future cult classic.
• Discussing music, the usage of Arthur Fleck’s color scheme, embracing artistic flare at the expense of logic, and “build a mountain”.
• Turning trials of justice into entertainment.
• Does Arthur deserve to die?
• Talking Gary Puddles.
• Talking Lady Gaga’s “Lee Quinzel”.
• Discussing that controversial ending that left a lot of fans sour.
• Melvin, “It’s sad to see [Arthur] go.”

Recommendations:

• Anatomy of a Fall (2023) (Movie)
• Touch grass (no, literally!)
• Broad Church (2013-2017) (TV-Show)
• V/H/S/Beyond (2024) (Movie)

MAILBAG: Send questions with your first name and we'll answer them in future episodes!

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
• Facebook Group

MOVIE DISCUSSION:

Sheila Gregoire: Bare Marriage Podcast / Bare Marriage Blog / Author Page

Sheila Gregoire of the Bare Marriage podcast joins Melvin to discuss The Assistant, a hidden gem of pure psychological drama! It's depiction of modern office work in the film industry is understated, dour, and timely, as it tackles a combination of workplace inequality, systematic issues, and the thin line between the complacent and the complicit.

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 21-minutes discussing a report finding that bait, controversy, and enragement posting bolstered lucrative engagement on Threads (similar to other social media), and how this negatively impacts the platform, but also demands we utilize them in a healthier way. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• The Assistant is a bleak depiction of not only workplace abuse but also of human relationships.
• Although uneventful, the film has perpetual unease and eeriness.
• Sheila observed how the film depicts food, and the two discuss its non-nutritious showcase of a biological workplace distraction.
• Medication plays a significant role in the setting of the film, making overt allusions to the film’s boss as a caricature of Harvey Weinstein.
• Exploitation, abuse, and unethical practices in a company are ultimately anti-capitalist, even if the line is going up and to the right.
• Pondering if abusive hierarchical structures are more common and dangerous in the church than in the workplace.
• Sheila, “Often we feel like when we are in these situations that we are powerless… but quite often we do.”
• Is Jane complicit?

Recommendations:

• For Our Daughters (2024) (Short Film)
• TÁR (2022) (Movie)
• Bombshell (2018) (Movie)

MAILBAG: Send questions with your first name and we'll answer them in future episodes!

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
• Facebook Group

MOVIE DISCUSSION:   

Geek Freaks: Podcast / Instagram / YouTube / Website

Frank from the Geek Freaks Podcast Network joins Melvin to discuss a nostalgic hit from 2018, Ready Player One! From it's barrage of "Do-You-Remember-That?" to it's mix of live-action and CG storytelling, Spielberg takes us on a futuristic, rebellious journey through the Oasis!

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 1-hour discussing all 34 MCU films ranked least-to-greatest as per the Rotten Tomatoes score rankings, sharing momentary thoughts and reflections on each entry since the beginning! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Frank shares about his passion for podcasting, whether his own show or supporting others with theirs, and two “bucketlist” shows he’d love to make if time and money allowed.
• Regarding the book… both Frank & Melvin couldn’t finish it. In fact, they had barely started it before putting it down.
• The start of the film is an utterly bombastic, visually cluttered, overwhelming action set-piece that did not start Melvin off on the right foot. After about 20 minutes, things got better.
• Frank on the film’s heavy-handed commentary, “It’s like if Michael Bay were to make a Black Mirror.”
• Melvin wonders how a film predicated on nostalgia becomes its own marketable brand.
• Talking favorite Easter Egg challenges.
• Frank & Melvin agree: the Halliday B-Plot is the best.
• Frank & Melvin also agree: The Curator is super cool.
• Frank on the ending, "I would have appreciated if they just, like, had a stance and went for it.".

Recommendations:

• Revisit Steven Spielberg's filmography (Jaws, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, any Amblin film).
• The Crippled Masters (1979) (Movie)

MAILBAG: Send questions with your first name and we'll answer them in future episodes!

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
• Facebook Group

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!

Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss this month's Patreon Supporter selected film, Shadowlands! Based upon the later life of C.S. Lewis, specifically his growing romance with his wife Joy Gresham, and evoking much of his literature, the two discuss this much-celebrated early 90's feature that garnered an Oscar nomination for actor Debra Winger!

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 20-minutes discussing a new wave of Filmmakers utilizing YouTube to attract the attention of Hollywood studios and fans around the world, either by showcasing their skillset, producing short films, or releasing high-quality feature-length flicks like Milk & Serial! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Kathryn cried. A lot. Melvin wished he was more emotional, only finding the film "decent".
• Thinking about the film in comparison to Christian-Marketed films like God's Not Dead or War Room, and how it passes what Melvin calls the "Christian Bechdel Test".
• Kathryn, "I think that [Shadowlands] is very clear on what it is saying about the transition from childhood to adulthood... [and] the requirement of love to have vulnerability..."
• Melvin celebrates how the film doesn't have any "member-berries", something that plagues most modern nostalgic or referential media.
• Discussing a few icons and symbols within the film, including, of course, the wardrobe.
• The perfection of desire, and the fear of experiencing disappointment or shame.
• How the film displays what Melvin calls "Three Stages of Men".
• Pondering the lines "Praying doesn't change God, but it changes me." & "Forgive me, Lord. Perhaps I have loved her too much.".

Recommendations:

• Schedule regular medical checkups! Stay healthy!
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) (Movie)

MAILBAG: Send questions with your first name and we'll answer them in future episodes!

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
• Facebook Group

PARTY PLEASER:

Shirleon, Kathryn, and Melvin dive into that long-forgotten non-DCOM, Tower of Terror! If you remember programming on ABC called "The Wonderful World of Disney", then you'll remember this early Disney Parks ride-adaption! Ready to relive some memories?

Topics: 

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30-minutes playing a horror-themed trivia wherein Melvin & Kathryn duke it out over who knows more horror trivia! Who knows, maybe you’ll score more points than they do while listening? (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 
• Parts of the film are shot on the real Florida Tower of Terror location.
• Tower of Terror is part of the canon 80s & 90s films wherein strange men hang out with younger counterparts, specifically teen girls… which surely makes you think…
• For a film based on the The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror ride, the few special effects leave a bit to be desired.
• The very minor romance subplot (if you can call it that) is not only cheesy, it's also lame.
• So... if the ghosts are chill, why are they trying to scare everyone away?
• The drama during the climax is effective, and Shirleon & Melvin stepped away enjoying it.

Recommendations:

• Maid (2021) (Series)
• Oddity (2024) (Movie)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022 - X ) (Series)

MAILBAG: Send questions with your first name and we'll answer them in future episodes!

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
• Facebook Group

MOVIE DISCUSSION:

Liz & A Movie: Instagram / YouTube / Letterboxd

Liz from Liz & A Movie (and Court from The B-Movie Critics Podcast!) join Melvin to discuss one of his old-school favorites: Donnie Darko! They get into the drama, the angst, and everything in between!

Topics:

• Melvin asks Liz & Court a few questions about their movie tastes, as well as learns about their reticence for "super boys". 
• Donnie Darko produces a lot of deep feelings, even if a lot of the film is hard to understand.
• Melvin's rewatch was surreal, and he shares why he thinks it impacted him so much.
• Donnie Darko plays with a mix of genres, tones, and characters, and this narrative fragmentation builds a picture of Donnie's confused world.
• Contrasting the loneliness of Donnie and the loneliness of Cherita. 
• The passage of time, time travel, and change are all ideas at play within Donnie Darko.
• A lot of Donnie Darko starts to explore dynamics of predestination.
• Melvin recalls the explanation for the movie Richard Kelly provided with regards to all of the weird, paranormal, timey-wimey stuff that happens in the film... and it's as bonkers as you think it is (and also not that important!).

Recommendations:

• Late Night with the Devil (2023) (Movie)
• Dark (2017) (Series)
• Twisters (2024) (Movie)
• Chronicle (2012) (Movie)

MAILBAG: Send questions with your first name and we'll answer them in future episodes!

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
• Facebook Group

MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Ways to support missions: Mission Next // Wycliffe Bible Translators // The Voice of the Martyrs 

Daniel comes out of hiding to discuss The Crow with Melvin, but not before explaining why he vanished from the podcast. The two then explore both the original comic and the 90's production of The Crow. Afterward, they ponder the weirdness of remaking such a beloved film.

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 41-minutes of Daniel pitching the Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels shows and why he now understands the deep connection Star Wars fans have with the material. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Daniel has been in Mission’s during his time away from the podcast. He shares why that's not only important but also a lot easier to assist than you might realize.
• Daniel & Melvin discuss James O'Barr's original The Crow comic book and use it as a foundation for their discussion.
• The Crow feels inextricably personal to its creator.
• Daniel explains how the film represents one of the more faithful hero adaptions prior to the 2000s.
• The special effects put a lot of modern visual effects to shame.
• Daniel, "Brandon Lee hangs heavily over this particular project... [it] imbues every scene that he's in with this kind of, just, interesting eeriness."
• Discussing why it's so cool.
• Complete confusion regarding The Crow (2024), which Daniel & Melvin both have not seen, but surely have a lot to say about it.
• The IMDB trivia page for the remake is filled with pull-quotes from cast and crew members of the original film stating how they are against the idea, and how some had yet to see the original.

Recommendations:

• E-sword.net (Website)
• Reformed Companion (App)
• Literal Word Bible App (App)
• Relight.app (Website)
• An Evening with Tim Heidecker (2020) (Comedy Special)

MAILBAG: Send questions with your first name and we'll answer them in future episodes!

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
• Facebook Group

PARTY PLEASER:

Systematic Geekology: Spotify / Instagram

Will Rose of Systematic Geekology joins Melvin to summarize Spawn, a notoriously bad superhero movie from the 90s! From John Leguizamo imitating Jim Carrey's The Mask, to shockingly bad CGI, the two get into the not-so-good, the pretty dang bad, and the stupendously ugly. It's a trip!

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 34-minutes discussing Robert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU as Dr. Doom, and playing a trivia game called "Boo or False?" where, after guessing true or false, Pastor Will Rose has to utilize the trivia fact as a sermon illustration. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Will Rose shares a brief history of how the Lord cultivated his enjoyment of comic books into a means for evangelism. Also, surfing!
• As is tradition with most Party Pleaser episodes, the movie begins with a lore-dump to make sure the audience knows what's going on.
• The filmmaking, aesthetic, and basically the whole package feels like a TV-production, not a Hollywood blockbuster.
• Will & Melvin talk about the shockingly bad CGI, something that precedes the film in a lot of online film spaces.
• The subtitles for the film were often adult in nature compared to the actual film, leading Melvin to believe the project was made "PG-13" during editing.
• Will finally realizes why he can't stand John Leguizamo's Clown; he's doing his version of Jim Carrey's The Mask.
• The final fight scene is incomprehensible. Good luck understanding what's happening.

Recommendations:

• Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (2022) (Graphic Novel)
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (2015) (Video Game)

MAILBAG: Send questions with your first name and we'll answer them in future episodes!

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
• Facebook Group

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 Synchronic, one of the later Benson & Moorhead productions before they transitioned into television. The two get into all of the interesting ideas at play, while also accepting the fact that a lot of the ideas only somewhat work.

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 24-minutes discussing the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) is investing $2.2 Billion over 3-years to revamp theaters, which include AMC, Regal, and Cinemark to have laser-projection, arcades, and even... ziplines? (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Melvin kicks things off by discussing the directing duo of Benson & Moorhead.
• Shirleon & Melvin agree: Synchronic may have been better as a mini-series.
• Shirleon & Melvin also agree: the first half of the film’s tone is not only completely different to the second half, it’s also just a better movie.
• By the time the film ends, it feels like it didn't earn its ending. Almost in every way.
• Defining the actual word "Synchronic", and how the fictional drug is correlated to Ayahuasca (and also doesn't make sense).
• Melvin, "There's just, like... the kitchen sink, man. It just gets bad."
• Rewriting the ending, because that's what podcasts do.

Recommendations:

• Age of Mythology: Retold (2024) (Video Game)
• As Above, So Below (2014) (Movie)

MAILBAG: Send questions with your first name and we'll answer them in future episodes!

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
• Facebook Group

MOVIE DISCUSSION:

Beneath the Tangles: Instagram / YouTube / X / Website

Twwk (Charles) from Beneath the Tangles joins Melvin to discuss the hugely popular anime film Your Name. from Makoto Shinkai. From its Studio Ghibli-esque accessibility, its stunningly detailed animation, and Shinkai's filmography, the two discuss all sorts of topics in this dense episode! Tune in now!

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 43-minutes playing an "Anime Draft" where-in Charles & Melvin each draft 5 anime in competition, discuss each show/movie mentioned along the way, and then decide which projects they'd watch in the end. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Beyond the Tangles has a lot of functions and contributors: a blog, cosplayers, twitch streamers, podcasts, and a social media presence. Charles shares all about it, and Melvin asks about their mission.
• Charles was surprised to hear that Your Name. is still a critical success in the west, as he never saw the film as a “critic’s movie”.
• Melvin was disappointed he didn’t connect with the film, and distinctly remembers being in the movie theater during its western premiere and thinking during a pivotal scene, “I wish I was emotional right now. I wish I was crying right now.”
• It seems Your Name. is playing with a mixture of various anime tropes, Japanese folklore, and even details in Shinkai’s filmography.
• Discussing themes of threading relationships.
• Melvin complains about the twist, and how it didn't really work for him.
• The whole film functions on a breakneck pace. Mundanity is thrown to the wayside.
• Discussing and appreciating the ending.

Recommendations:

• Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (2023) (Anime)
• Chainsaw Maid (2007) (Claymation)

MAILBAG: Send questions with your first name and we'll answer them in future episodes!

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
• Facebook Group