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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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LET'S TALK: 

In the Church Library: Podcast

Kelsey Kramer McGinnis: Instagram // Substack // Christianity Today

Marissa Franks Burt: Instagram // Substack // Author Page

Out October 14th - Pre-Order: The Myth of Good Christian Parenting: How False Promises Betrayed a Generation of Evangelical Families by Marissa Burt & Kelsey McGinnis 

Kelsey Kramer McGinnis & Marissa Franks Burt join Melvin to explore Shiny Happy People season's 1 and 2. Exploring both the Duggar Family of 19 Kids And Counting and Teen Mania, helmed by Ron Luce, the three discuss everything from why they suspect so many people were drawn to such a challenging series, what's distinct (and yet oddly similar) between each season's subject matter, and how they're processing these large systematic issues.

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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Kathryn joins Melvin return to the MCU to discuss The Fantastic Four: First Steps! It's been 2 years since the gang has talked about Marvel, so what's it like to discuss this latest feature? Also, does it stand well on its own? At the end of the day... is it even good? Tune in and find out!

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 25-minutes looking at the budgets for each 2025 Marvel release and matching them against their world-wide gross, then speculating on what these finances spell for the future of Marvel flicks. Spoiler: it's not the best! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Kathryn, "It was very interesting to basically have a movie from Marvel where one of the most important things about it is the fact a baby is going to be born."
• Melvin thought the movie was good... but didn't think it was great.
• Pedro Pascal never feels like he's part of the movie. He never comes across convincingly in the world of the film.
• Is Melvin back on the MCU train?
• Melvin pondering 17 years of the MCU, "I just don't know what these movies are anymore, and I don't know what to expect."
• Discussing some of the drama explored in the latter-half of the film.
• How Marvel does the Trolley Problem, and how Marvel doesn't really challenge its audience.
• Discussing the ending, the end-credits stinger, and if we even care anymore.

Recommendations:

• All Quiet on the Western Front (1929) (Book)
• The Other (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 Sinners, Ryan Coogler's massive 2025 hit. As the film continues to dominate conversation, the two discuss it's myriad of themes, whether the film mixes its ideas together well, how they interpret the dichotomy between Smoke and Stack, and the relationship between music, creativity, power, and community. 

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 20-minutes discussing the announcement that John Krasinski will be returning for A Quiet Place Part III despite A Quiet Place: Day One turning out to be the best of those films and he wasn't even attached to it, and whether it's even theater worthy or a "wait-till-streaming" kind of thing. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 
• Shirleon absolutely loved Sinners in every way possible.
• Melvin didn't love it but he did think it was good, and he spends some time exploring what he believes are the film's 3 parts: drama, themes, and vampires.
• Contrasting coalescence and coexistence, two things Melvin observed in the film.
• Shirleon was consistently in awe of the film, noting not only the visuals but the dialogue as well.
• Thinking about "it" movies and whether movies can be "objectively good" or "objectively bad".
• Talking about the music and THAT scene.
• Melvin, "...when you are excellent you are attractive to more than just good people. You are also attractive to evil as well."
• Talking about the title and how some spiritual leaders have misaligned priorities.
• How Sammie exists as a "what comes next" kind of character, both literally within the story and thematically in its metatext.

Recommendations:

• Primal (2019-X) (TV Show)
• The Running Man (1987) (Movie)

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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Jessica LM Jenkins: Podcast // Instagram // YouTube // WeWhoThirst.com

Jessica LM Jenkins joins Melvin to discuss a massive Pixar favorite; The Incredibles! From the simple-yet-deep "traditional" family stereotypes explored among the Parr family, the relationship between self-expression and conformity, and the similarities between Mr. Incredible and Syndrome. Jessica and Melvin get into it all and so much more! 

Topics:

• Editor's Note: No Patreon Exclusive discussion! But, I do intend to trim this episode down from its original 1:28:51 length, so if you want to hear the UNCUT version, tune in on Patreon here!
• Jessica shares about her fascination with Biblical history, wrestling with the modern church's relationship with gender, and how her fascination with God has only increased in her work.
• Yes, in every respect The Incredibles is still a stellar movie.
• By being a movie about older, mature heroes, the film is able to explore topics that several phases of Marvel movies have yet to touch.
• Ever since watching the first third of Soul Melvin has yearned to see Pixar animate an ostensibly "normal" adult drama. Despite having superpowers... The Incredibles feels like that movie.
• How the Parr family's powers metaphorically represent societal expectations within a family unit.
• Helen Parr's "code switching".
• How the superpowers function as representations of both indelible desires and trained skills, both of which demand expression.
• Helen Parr is queen energy.
• The allure of power is in unfettered free-expression.
• Bob Parr and Syndrome both idolize Mr. Incredible.

Recommendations:

• Incredibles 2 (2018) (Movie)
• The Eye (2002) (Movie)

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REBROADCAST MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

In this rebroadcast episode (originally released September 28th, 2021), Melvin & Dan talk about one of Laika's several family-friendly horror-animated features, ParaNorman! 

Topics: 

• ParaNorman has a comfortable, cozy Fall atmosphere.
• Laika takes advantage of it's medium to create a fun, charismatic animation style that separates itself from the competition.
• Melvin shares about an extremely lonely period in his life where he tried talking to ghosts because he had no one else to talk to.
• Melvin, "When you're just feeling distant and weird, all you want is someone to step into your world and spend time with you."
• How ParaNorman isn't really all that scary, especially compared to something like Coraline.
• But also, how ParaNorman can have these intensely emotional moments elevated by the children's story-book nature of the movie.
• Discussing what it's like to be an outcast, or treated differently, for your interests (in particular, Melvin & Dan being Christians who like horror movies).
• In this particular case, most Christians who enjoy horror movies have a strong understanding as to why they enjoy them than most Christians have with non-horror movies.
• "Weird" people know that they're "weird" and see how others treat people who are also "weird", and it can become a perpetual self-isolating and self-preservation machine to try and keep away from those who may target their "weirdness" for laughs, bullying, or with disappointment.
•  In Christian circles, when people are ostracized for certain qualities, social ticks, or "abnormal" hobbies, it's not a far-cry for people to start thinking the Lord sees them in a similar fashion: weird, different, separate, and superfluous.
• And, finally, we talk about that one joke between characters Mitch and Courtney that apparently became the big talking point during the time of ParaNorman's release, despite there being so much more to talk about (as proven by the rest of the episode).

Recommendations: 

• Nate Pickowicz's "How to Eat Your Bible: A Simple Approach to Learning and Loving the Word of God"
• Parents: Learn to be interested in your kid's lives!
• Gilmore Girls // Dark Matter

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REBROADCAST MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Before Dune, Daniel saw a trailer for Redeeming Love. After the trailer played, he leaned over to his friend and said, "I think that's supposed to be a sexy Christian movie.". So, here we are talking about that "sexy Christian movie". Boy, there sure is a lot to talk about here. (originally released March 22nd, 2022)

Topics: 

• Redeeming Love contains some rather extreme and transgressive content despite having a serious lack of context. 
• Daniel details some background for Redeeming Love, author/screenwriter Francine Rivers, and director D.J. Caruso. 
• Redeeming Love is loosely based on the Minor Prophet book Hosea from the Bible. 
• Each character feels devoid of personality which may work in both a shorter and more artistic film than Redeeming Love ends up being. 
• Where Redeeming Love works is where it leans heavily into its "inspiration", but even then, that's not success from talent, that's success from... copying Scripture. 
• Discussing the comparatively excessive conveniently censored nudity in Redeeming Love. 
• Additionally, discussing all the other crazy content that borders on "Christian misery porn." 
• As we continue our discussion, the 2+hour runtime of the film continues to be a recurring issue. 
• At least the sets and outfits are fun! 
• Questioning why the film didn't display the complicated dynamics of sexuality (gentle self-sacrifice vs aggressive selfishness) in a way that can be both edifying to its performers and beneficial to the narrative structure. 
• One glaring issue throughout the film is each character's severe lack of agency. 
• Observations from other reviews and responses to Redeeming Love. 
• Is this a Christian exploitation film in the traditional sense of an exploitation film? 

Recommendations:

• The Boice Commentary Series: The Minor Prophets, Volume 1 // The Preacher's Commentary Vol 22 & Vol 23 
• Derry Girls (Show) 
• Before the Coffee Gets Cold: A Novel by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (Book)

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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 the 1960s Village of the Damned! Combining weird fiction with childhood mischief, this sci-fi horror offers a lot to chew on, and the two try and parse through everything they can. Join them as they explore concepts of power, small-town fear, homegrown ideological invasions, and so much more! 

Topics:

• Editor's Note: No Patreon Exclusive discussion! But, I do intend to trim this episode down from its original 1:45:52 length, so if you want to hear the UNCUT version, tune in on Patreon here!
• The hook for the film is incredible, and each new development is stranger than the last.
• Shirleon talks about the original book "The Midwich Cuckoos".
• There is a complete dearth of information surrounding the event of Midwich which undoubtedly adds to the cosmic horror.
• Melvin talks about what he believes is "the philosophy of the film" which is essentially about the personhood and potential of children.
• Shirleon reads a passage from the book and explores what it is she loves so much about this story.
• Getting into the ending and its culmination of themes.
• Age-based dynamics of mature and immature uses of power.
• Self-destruction is the result of holding self-preservation too tightly.

Recommendations:

• Clair Obscur Expedition 33 (2025) (Video Game)
• The Blair Witch Project (1999) (Movie)

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LET'S TALK: 

Kelsey McGinnis: Instagram // Christianity Today // Podcast

Pre-Order: The Myth of Good Christian Parenting: How False Promises Betrayed a Generation of Evangelical Families by Marissa Burt & Kelsey McGinnis 

Kelsey Kramer McGinnis, contributor to Christianity Today, returns to the podcast for an impromptu sequel to last year's Let's Talk "Zoetic & the CCM Coconut Tree". As Michael Tait faces truly heinous allegations about his sexual misconduct and substance abuse, Melvin felt it prudent to invite Kelsey to discuss a "Part 2" discussion on specifically the film The Jesus Music, as the film prominently covers both DC Talk and Michael Tait's later career as a massive religious force in the "Evangelical Industrial Complex". The two further lay the groundwork surrounding the film's saccharine presentation of the Contemporary Christian Music industry, the industry's obsession with conflating capital gains and spiritual influence while propagating an unhealthy mono-culture, and what makes us hopeful about seeing change for the future.

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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss an early 1990s horror feature, Jacob's Ladder! That's right, the gang heads back to the 90s to discuss another cult-classic horror feature, and the two get into all its metaphors, scares, and the joy of having changed opinions on rewatched movies. 

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 23-minutes discussing Martin Shore's write-up on WhatToWatch titled, "Are movies really getting longer? Were films in the 1980s really shorter? We test the data..." and exploring why that may be. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 
• Jacob and Jacob's Ladder as a movie are both very holistic; the whole film explores the whole-person of Jacob.
• Melvin was caught off guard with how emotional he found the film, especially as this was his second watch, and he shares why he thinks that is.
• Melvin yells at cloud and wants more movies about adults, and he praises Jacob's Ladder for exploring adult experiences.
• Exploring the various metaphors at play within the film.
• Ruminations on memento mori.
• Jacob cries a lot in the movie which is a nice depiction of manhood. 
• Understanding the ending as a representation of tragic classism, and the death of the American Dream.

Recommendations:

• King of the Hill (1997-X) (TV Show)
• Labyrinth (1986) (Movie)

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