Everyday Liminality

Parasite just won best picture at the Academy Awards. Besides being visually captivating, there is a lot that Christians can learn from it about our place in the world and how to employ Catholic Social Teaching.

The biggest movie of the year was by far the biggest disappointment of the year as well. As Br. Tito and Fr. Casey discuss, story arcs fell flat in the final episode of Star Wars, leaving many important plot lines unanswered or ignored.

John Wick is an incredibly violent movie series about revenge. On the surface, it is about as far as you can get from a good Christian movie. And yet, there is something very redeemable, even admirable, about it, as it throws us into a journey of spiritual warfare and anger at injustice. Br. Tito and Fr. Casey suggest that the series can be interpreted through the lens of spiritual warfare.

The Mandalorian is an action series in the Star Wars universe about a bounty hunter. At least, that's what it says it is. For Br. Tito and Fr. Casey, it's really a story of religious life, complete with the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

The Two Popes is anything but factually accurate, taking liberties left and right with history. And yet, there are some incredible moments that make this an amazing film.

There are some movies that shape us and change the way we see the world... and then we never want to watch again. This week, Br. Tito and Fr. Casey discuss those works of art that are a "must see" but are hard to rewatch.

Br. Tito and Fr. Casey discuss the relationship between art and culture, particular whether movies and pop culture are mere reflections of society, or if they have a greater influence on shaping it.

Objectively speaking, Christmas movies are the worst. Artistically, cinematically, creatively... they're just not good. And yet, we love to watch them every year. What is it that we like about them, and how might they be better?

Sometimes movies get the cast exactly right. Sometimes... we wonder how a movie would be different with a reimagined cast. 

The other day, I finished a book that was wholly unsatisfying. I thought I was reading a mystery when in fact I was reading a tragedy. Sometimes, our art and entertainment throws us a curveball, giving us something that we didn't want or expect.

In this episode, Br. Tito and Fr. Casey discuss how works like this can sometimes be exactly what we need.