Reel World Theology

On this episode of the podcast: The Summer blockbuster season officially arrives with all the might of Mjolinir! Avengers: Age of Ultron is dominating the box office and will surely be the second billion dollar movie of the year (and likely not the last!). With audiences pouring into the theaters to see the latest offering from MARVEL and Joss Whedon, it was no surprise that we couldn't wait to all see this one-- twice! Whedon's characteristic style of upping the stakes while also grounding a film in depth is hard at work in this sequel. This means we have plenty to chat about and there's no way we covered it all, but we try. This week’s panel included James Harleman (Cinemagogue) and Josh Crabb.

On this episode of the podcast: A film that was well-received by critics and even won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay finally gets some love from us. Sometimes trying to fit in all the end-of-the-year movies is an incredible task. This historical drama gives us the heroic and sad story of Alan Turing, the driving force behind the Allies breaking the German’s assumed uncrackable Enigma. Though he was a brilliant man, both he, and everyone he worked with had plenty of secrets they were trying to keep. Turing’s secret would eventually contribute to his controversial death not too long after the war. We try to open the conversation about what it means to live in multiple worlds, most of which prevent you from being who you really are. This week’s panel included Alan Hawkins and Laura Fissel.

On this episode of the podcast: Yes, believe it or not, Furious 7 is setting box office records and finding a way to make some grown men cry. I imagined the average critic would find this appalling but the average critic has this movie sitting at 82% on Rotten Tomatoes. Something about this over-the-top action movie is pushing the right buttons and we want to get to the bottom of it. Family, continuity, and how to respectfully critique the talents of a passed away actor, all on this episode. This week’s panel included Griffin Kale and JR Forasteros (the Storymen).

On this episode of the podcast: We definitely had our doubts about Disney making a live-action version of this age-old tale, but instead of giving it the reinterpretation or revisionist treatment, they simply gave us the story we knew-- just really well done with a lot of heart. Our panel gets to talk about where we connected with the message of a film that seemed to some, regressive, but we argue, was actually one of the most empowering messages that you could try to tell in the current movie climate. That, sing-a-longs, and magical intervention, all on this episode. This week’s panel included Laura Fissel and Joe Darnell (Top Brew, TechTonic, Moviebyte).

On this episode of the podcast: We have the perfect opportunity to post our conversation on Calvary now during Holy Week. This film was easily one of our favorites from 2014 and we wish more people had seen it. Hopefully this episode will convince the stragglers to join the team! Calvary, as a film, depicts an incredibly human priest trying to navigate life among a small town of people in open objection to his efforts. Forgiveness, empathy, sacrifice, and an allegory of Holy Week all surround the central conceit of this film that we're introduced to in the first three minutes. This week’s panel included Rick Lee James (Voices In My Head) and Elijah Lovejoy.

On this episode of the podcast: Everyone is quick to remind you of Neill Blomkamp's first film, District 9. I think they have been doing this because of the letdown of Elysium and the sheer disappointment in his latest, Chappie. Despite terrible reviews and a story that suffers from being a wild hodgepodge of ideas and themes, Chappie manages to kickstart discussions by raising a lot of very intriguing questions. Even without the film giving us any answers, we try to wade into the conversation. This week’s panel included Josh Crabb and Josh Long (More Than One Lesson).

On this episode of the podcast, the Wachowski's are often criticized for never living up to the potential they showed in The Matrix. While we do think that no other of their films has topped The Matrix, their body of work isn't without merit. The panel gets together and discusses that body of work along with turning our eyes to their latest film, Jupiter Ascending. While already out of the box office race, it certainly had its moments of fun, despite what critics had to say. And honestly, we think sometimes fun is OK. This week’s panel included Josh Crabb and Elijah Davidson (Reel Spirituality).

On this episode of the podcast, after many attempts, we finally are able to get a group together to talk about Birdman– now a winner of four Oscars, including Best Picture. Besides being a technically impressive movie, the fine acting, and impressive cinematography, Birdman deals with some very deep issues. Wrestling with ego and self-worth are two things that everyone should be able to relate to if they are honest with themselves. Where do we find our identity? Why do we label things? What gives a thing value? So many things to discuss on this episode! This week’s panel included Mark Wingerter and Matt Nunn.

On this episode of the podcast, our panel takes a look at another Best Picture candidate, Whiplash. Starring Miles Teller and JK Simmons, Whiplash explores themes of perfection and achievement in an incredibly intense and jazzy way. While the performances, especially of JK Simmons, are incredible, there are also a lot of parallels we can pull out about how society views and defines success and what is acceptable to sacrifice on the way to perfection. This week’s panel included Mark Wingerter and Josh Larsen (Filmspotting).

On this episode of the podcast, we are setting our sights on American Sniper, the latest film from Clint Eastwood. This film has done extremely well at the box office and with awards officials by staying king of the hill for nearly a month in theaters and also for by being nominated for two Academy Award's (Best Picture, Best Actor). The film also has had its share of controversy from both sides of the political and ideological aisle. We try to get to the bottom of the fighting while also trying to find God in the film itself. A daunting task that brings us one of our longest talks to date. But, it's a good one. Enjoy. This show included Elijah Lovejoy and Wade Bearden (Christ and Pop Culture).