Reel World Theology

On this episode of the Reel World Theology podcast: We tackle the second movie in the Guardians of the Galaxy series. After the first installment "rocket"ed to a surprise box office success, the second one had some pretty big shoes to fill-- especially with us getting ever-closer to Infinity War. Did the second installment live up? Did it give us more to chew on than the first? Most importantly, did we enjoy ourselves as much as we did the first time? We discuss.

On this episode of the Reel World Theology podcast: It's often hard to believe that The Fast and the Furious franchise now has eight installments-- or that it's a franchise at all. But they keep coming back to the theater and we keep giving them incredible amounts of money. The Fate of the Furious just set a box office record for the highest grossing global release. Fortunately, we've assembled a crack team to help us discuss what these films do and why they connect with audiences worldwide.

On this episode of Rewind: Blaine and Shannon get behind the wheel (metaphorically speaking, of course) and talk about The Fast and the Furious (2001), shedding light on reasons for the film's widespread appeal. Be sure to share your thoughts by sounding off in the comments below and by continuing the conversation in our Reel World Theology Facebook group.

On this episode of the Reel World Theology podcast: As far as faith-based films go, The Shack had more of a leg to stand on than those that came before it because the book has been more widely accepted by evangelicals than some other films. On the other hand, it has been one of the most attacked books for how easily it was accepted by Christians. This tension has brought discussions of heresy to the book and the film. We discuss heresy and its importance. Does it apply here? When should we be concerned? We discuss!

On this episode of the Reel World Theology podcast: Disney has been on a hot streak with their live-action imaginings and remakes. Next up is Beauty and the Beast, one of the most beloved animated fairytales of all time. By the looks of things, audiences have scored this another win for Disney. We take the time to ask what the major differences are and if any of the changes, or controversies, affect the themes in this tale as old as time.

On this episode of the Reel World Theology podcast: The biggest horror film of the year so far may end up being one of the biggest in our lifetime. Get Out breaks a lot of ground in the horror genre and we make sure we bring in a lot of experts to help us break down all we see going on in this rookie effort from acclaimed comedy writer Jordan Peele. We talk about what Get Out does different and how we can address some of the most sensitive social issues through a robust horror genre.

On this episode of Rewind: Blaine introduces listeners to his new co-host, and they discuss Gareth Edwards's 2014 film, Godzilla. They talk about the film's environmental subtext, how the film fits within the larger MonsterVerse, and much more. Be sure to share your thoughts by sounding off in the comments and by continuing the conversation in our Reel World Theology Facebook group.

On this episode of the podcast: EXTRA! Mark and James hang around after the episode to chat for a while about more comic films and the actors that star in them. Enjoy! This episode’s panel included Mark Wingerter and James Harleman (Cinemagogue).