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MOVIE DISCUSSION:   

Melvin digs into the archives (read: he found lost audio from 2020) to unearth a surprise Logan Sharp guest appearance! As The Reformed Gamers posted their last episode on January 24th, 2024, Melvin figured it would be fun to release this special episode as a final hoorah to one of his podcasting inspirations. We'll miss you, The Reformed Gamers!

(This audio was recorded in Fall of 2020, close to when they recorded for a Super Mario Bros. episode and far before they recorded Patreon Exclusive discussions, and thus does not include any Patreon Exclusive content. This episode has been posted with approval and encouragement from Logan Sharp.)

Topics:

• Melvin and Logan discuss their experience with the Doom video game series, and whether Doom captured the same atmosphere.
• Doom, like most dudebro sci-fi movies, does not represent its women well. The two get into what makes that so frustrating, and perhaps one reason why it was decided at all.
• Logan, "[Gamers] just want a good movie that [feels] like the game that we played."
• The Doom video games are filled with ultraviolence, yes, but also have a silly atmosphere regarding their setting and motivation. The film doesn't do anything inventive with these ideas. It's basically just a zombie movie.
• Melvin wonders if the Doom property is just unadaptable, and if it's simply at its best as a video game.
• Melvin asks Logan: If you had to sell one good thing about Doom, what would it be?

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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Shirleon and Melvin discuss the popular 2003 Disney family movie Holes, that one where lizards are scary and the line, "I can fix that." is eternally engrained in your brain! We dig into the films surprisingly mature content, occasionally DCOM-esque nature, and how sometimes that movie you liked as a kid is as good as you remember!

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 41-minutes discussing Madame Web: or, how movies are products to be sold, which means they are marketed, and we were not convinced the marketing had sold us on the product; an exploration on the importance of marketing; and whether someone can be critical of a film prior to having seen it. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Shirleon read the book, so Melvin asks a few questions about that.
• There’s just a lot about Holes that works on a fundamental level, and it makes the film an enjoyable watch.
• Shirleon & Melvin both observe a comfortability in the film to showcase and explore mature, hard themes while remaining accessible to a family audience.
• Shirleon gives a more specific compare-and-contrast between the book and film.
• The legalistic metaphor of perpetual, listless hole-digging contrasted against deep-and-dynamic characters.
• Shirleon & Melvin agree; all the Sam and Kathryn flashbacks were stellar.
• Discussing and contrasting the two curses.

Recommendations:

• Buy Lego! Build Lego!
• Frances Ha (2012) (Movie)

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MOVIE DISCUSSION:

Geek Devotions Website, YouTube, and Comm Talk Podcast. 

Dallas from Geek Devotions joins Melvin in discussing M. Night Shyamalan's comic-book inspired follow-up to his break-out film: Unbreakable! 

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 33-minutes of Melvin interviewing Dallas about the "Geek Devotions" project; what Dallas and Celeste seek to achieve in reaching out to the world of anime, video games, and netizen-culture; how most geek-experience with spirituality is negative (and they hope to change that); and how fringe, geek communities can satisfy the innate need we all have for community. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Melvin asks Dallas about Geek Devotion's YouTube presence, which involves a LOT of shows, and how they fulfill their mission statement.
• Dallas had seen Unbreakable as a child, and Melvin wonders if there's anything he reflected on during this rewatch.
• For Melvin, this rewatch was nothing short of transcendental.
• Dallas, "[Unbreakable] feels fresh, but it also feels very real. It feels like a genuine story."
• There's a throughline about the relationship between masculinity, power, and gentleness that is explored in David Dunn's story, and the inclusion of his son Joseph adds more importance to David's decision making.
• Early Shyamalan films ask their audience to be patient with the mundane, and that patience is then rewarded.
• Why the "kids with guns" scene (as Melvin calls it) is so jarring, but also kinda works with the film's theming.
• And, of course, thoughts on the ending.

Recommendations:

• Fallout (2024) (Series)
• Shōgun (2024) (Mini Series)
• Breathing Fire (1991) (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 this month's Patreon-Picked flick: When Marnie Was There! Boy do they cover a lot of ground! From discussing its strong melancholy vibes to its extremely profound yet simple characters, no stone is left unturned!

Topics:

• (FREE PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 44-minutes discussing a trailer for an AI produced short film called "Next Stop Paris" that will debut on TCLtv+ Summer 2024, as well as other AI related discussions and surprises. (FREE PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• When Marnie Was There's opening is dour, and the whole film has a patient melancholy to it as well as strong depictions of the hijacking nature of anxiety on the body.
• Taking time to discuss how haunting the film feels, and the lyrics to Priscilla Ahn's "Fine on the Outside" theme song.
• The film drew a lot of personal experiences out of both Shirleon and Melvin, and the two discuss it further.
• Melvin explains the end of the film, as well as how that caught a lot of people off guard. Or, specifically, how they felt "queerbaited", and how Melvin thinks that's a wildly uneducated and inappropriate read of the film.
• When Marnie Was There is so overtly about the transforming benefits of practiced, personal, platonic love that Melvin has difficulty observing the film in any other way.
• Getting into various biblical stories that showcase practiced, personal, platonic love that produced hope.
• How the image of the Yukata being cleaned is a fitting icon of hope.

Mailbag Responses:

• Tips for watching horror movies as a Christian (Maddy from Texas) [00:39:47 > 00:48:31]

Recommendations:

• Vinland Saga (2019) (Anime)
• Texhnolyze (2003) (Anime)

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TV-SHOW DISCUSSION: 

Faith & Fandom Podcast & Website 

Hector Miray from Faith & Fandom joins Melvin to discuss one of the highest rated anime of the modern age: Your Lie in April! The two discuss it's exploration of music-as-metaphor, depictions of trauma, and, of course, all of the melodrama!

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 47-minutes discussing the current atmosphere around the MCU, especially with 2023 being a less-than-stellar year for Disney/Marvel, and 2024 only offering one film, Deadpool & Wolverine, and why fans may be losing some of their longstanding interest. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Hector shares about how he started Faith & Fandom as far back as the early 2010s, his development on several geek-themed devotionals, the time he almost quit (and why he didn't), and so much more!
• Your Lie in April features several classical songs played in various ways, as well as brief, strong lines of poetic dialogue. Hector was a big fan of these details.
• Melvin shares his list of "Things I Liked" and "Things I Disliked" that he wrote during  his watch.
• Hector shares about a new term he learned: the Manic Pixie Dream Girl. 
• Melvin explains his notes in the Dislikes category titled, "Kaori. Entirely.".
• Discussing the depiction of "reaching" someone with their art.
• For Melvin, Kousei is the "audience" stand-in - a troubled prodigy who looks down on themself - and Kaori is the idealized girlfriend of that audience - or, as stated before, the Manic Pixie Dream Girl. 

Recommendations:

• Delicious in Dungeon (2024) (Anime)
• Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan (Translation: Our Happy Hours) (2008) (Manga)
• Say "I Love You." (2012) (Anime)

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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Kathryn joins Melvin in discussing an early Junji Ito live-action adaption, Uzumaki! Although the film went into production before the manga had reached its completion, there's still a lot of exciting material to cover in this truly wacky film; and not just because of the spirals! 

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 38-minutes of Kathryn and Melvin competing in a Movie/Entertainment Trivia game, finally figuring out which one of the two knows more about everything Movies and Entertainment! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Kathryn and Melvin are huge fans of Junji Ito, both of which having read his manga for close to 10 years. The two talk about what it is about his work that captures their attention.
• In introducing Uzumaki, the two can't avoid it: They have to talk about the editing first.
• The setting feels fresh and "lived in", and even the various characters within the story feel as though they've known each other for a long time.
• Melvin wonders about the correlation between films about social issues, or that have social awareness, and the size of the community within the fiction (or, the reality they're based on). Kathryn shares her thoughts.
• There's one scene in Uzumaki that is so hauntingly patient that it really affected Melvin. He describes the scene, and the two explore it together.
• Discussing how Kirie and Shuichi are roughly the same characters between both the manga and the movie, but how what they represent in the story in relation to the spirals is different.

Recommendations:

• The Devil's Candy (2016) (Movie)
• The Spiral (Original Title: Rasen) (1998) (Movie)

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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Eli Price's The Establishing Shot Podcast, @establishingshotpod on Instagram, and @EliPrice on Letterboxd.

Happy Ani-May! Eli Price, host of The Establishing Shot Podcast, joins Melvin in discussing one of Hayao Miyazaki's most beloved films, Howl's Moving Castle! From its fairytale atmosphere to child-like wonder, the two get into what makes the film so meaningful to many, as well as what their biggest takeaways were regarding the material.

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30-minutes discussing Joker: Folie à Deux's trailer, whether or not these two film-fans are itching to watch a DC-villain themed juke-box musical, and if the inclusion of brief full nudity in the film will be a deterrent. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Eli shares about his podcast The Establishing Shot, a show where he takes deep-dives into a director's filmography and discusses them with a variety of guests, picking apart the nuances and history of a specific film each episode.
• Eli has seen Howl's Moving Castle several times. This is Melvin's first time seeing the film.
• Eli observes in Miyazaki a child-like way of storytelling where it seems he often "blindly" watches where his characters are headed and explores their reactions to a myriad of situations.
• In the film there's a thread about the idolization of beauty and youth, and even the unique joys found in cross-generational relationships.
• Howl has main character syndrome... but he's not the main character; Sophie is.
• Discussing the use of curses in the story, and how they manifest within the film.
• The two discuss the tension between imbued desires and the fear of self-indulgence.
• Melvin talks about how much he likes the Witch of the Waste "face reveal" and what the rest of the movie does with that.
• Talking about the controversial, bizarre ending.

Recommendations:

• My Neighbor Totoro (1988) (Movie)
• Ikiru (1952) (Movie)
• Tokyo Story (1953) (Movie)
• Ring 2 (1999) (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!  

Shesmadeofwords Podcast & Instagram

Shirleon joins Melvin in discussing Millie Bobby Brown's latest acting venture: Damsel! From it's wild, fluctuating tone to actually making a dragon scary, there's plenty to be explored in this latest girl-power fantasy tale!

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30-minutes discussing "Why It's Never Been Easier to Land in Director's Jail", a write-up by Mia Galuppo on The Hollywood Reporter, and one of its observations: that producers look at a Director's Rotten Tomatoes Scores in deciding who to hire, and who to ignore. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 
• Shirleon has started her own podcast called "Shesmadeofwords", a podcast about the books she's reading, bookstagram, and so much more!
• Shirleon liked Damsel, even texting Melvin to check it out after watching the film, and liked its twist on the traditional storybook of yore.
• Melvin felt there was a "confusion in tone", but otherwise still enjoyed the fact that the Dragon was handled more like a horror-movie villain than your typical mythical beast.
• Melvin has already seen Damsel before. He watched it back in 2022. Back then, it was called The Princess and featured Joey King as its lead. Jokingly, he compares the two films, and how he liked The Princess a lot more.
• In various, different ways, Shirleon and Melvin both wanted more from the film.
• Shirleon loved Millie Bobby Brown's performance. Melvin, on the other hand, felt something was seriously off for this otherwise consistently stellar performer. So begins a long thread about acting as an artform.
• Discussing specific plot details (with spoilers) and how the movie fails to telegraph important details. Also, Melvin loses his mind.

Recommendations:

• Shōgun (2024) (Mini Series)
• Ghostwatch (1992) (Movie)
• Late Night with the Devil (2023) (Movie)

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MOVIE DISCUSSION:

Nate Marchand's Monster Island Film Vault Podcast, Henshin Men Podcast, The Power Trip: A Journey Through the Power Rangers Franchise Podcast, and Author website.

Nate Marchand, host of several podcasts, joins Melvin in discussing Hideaki Anno's bizarre entry to the Godzilla film-canon: Shin Godzilla! This film has it all: satire, comedy, tragedy, horror, and social commentary! This podcast? Equally so! Tune in now!

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 73-minutes discussing the 5 MonsterVerse films from Godzilla (2014)'s grounded nature, Kong: Skull Island still probably being the best film in the series, Godzilla: King of the Monsters contested quality, and a combined look on both Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Self-described "content machine" Nate Marchand shares about his several creative endeavors.
• Shin Godzilla is weird. Not necessarily as weird as Hideaki Anno's previous work, but definitely weird when compared to previous Godzilla material.
• At its face value, there's a lot to appreciate about the film. However, it's best understood in the light of modern Japanese history; most notably, the 3/11 disaster.
• Shin Godzilla is baked in Japanese culture almost to a fault, in that it makes a lot of the rich nuance of the film hard to engage as foreigners. Nate shares insight into some of these cultural hurdles.
• Getting into the atomic breath scene because it would be a mistake if they didn't.
• Shinji Higuchi was asked about the film's mysterious ending. In response, paraphrased: "I don't know. And the only person who does is Anno. And he's not talking."

Recommendations:

• Godzilla (1954) (Movie)
• Godzilla Minus One (2023) (Movie)
• Rebuild of Evangelion Films (2007-2021)
• Shin Ultra Man (2022) (Movie)
• Shin Kamen Rider (2023) (Movie)
• Monsters (2010) (Movie)

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MOVIE DISCUSSION:

Kathryn joins Melvin in discussing George Orwell's other popular communist-criticism tale, Animal Farm! In this early animated adaption the two discuss the complicated social dynamics of Animal Farm, what makes the story so timeless and accessible, and the fascinating history behind this film's development.

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 31-minutes of Melvin running an improv game wherein Kathryn must make war or diplomacy with different Animal Farms taken over by different barn animals. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Kathryn & Melvin kick things off by explaining their knowledge of Animal Farm before watching this adaption.
• This adaption of Animal Farm is animated, and while it doesn't match the same quality of animation as something like a Disney-animated feature, it stands-up well against them.
• The literature of Animal Farm is impressive, proposing multiple metaphors for multiple insights, but the implication of individuals being born with inherent qualities (i.e. certain animals - ergo; people - being capable of only certain actions) is questionable, and showcases how the metaphor breaks down.
• The tragedy of Boxer cleverly showcases how exploitative leaders not only view those beneath them as a means to an end, but also how Boxer was nothing more than product that moved product with the sole purpose of producing more product to Napoleon.
• Certain characters in Animal Farm are very pointedly representative of historical leaders. Kathryn breaks down some of their representations.
• It's a fact: If you watch Animal Farm (1954), you are watching CIA Propaganda.
• Because of the CIA's involvement, this adaption has a different ending. Kathryn & Melvin share their thoughts on this simple yet massive change.
• To help with the proliferation of Animal Farm (1954) propaganda (and profit), toys were also produced of various characters from the film (seen here, as Melvin was able to collect screenshots from the featurette).
• Finalizing thoughts on both Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm as stories.

Recommendations:

• The Muppet Movie (1979) (Movie)
• The Final Girls (2015) (Movie)

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