Reel World Theology

A very special episode of the podcast. No movie review, but an awesome conversation from the Baylor Faith and Film Symposium featuring JR. Forasteros, Clay Morgan, Bryne Lewis, and Mikey Fissel. The presentation focuses on the Horror genre and asks questions about “what haunts us?”, “the nature of demonic possession”, “what we can learn about our culture through our horror”, and “where science fiction and horror intersect (or fail to).”

Happy Halloween! On this episode of the podcast, it’s a holiday and we love doing special BONUS episodes, so, here we are reviewing one of our absolute favorite Horror (Comedy?) films, Cabin in the Woods. Not only is this an incredibly fun film, but it deconstructs the very nature of why we watch horror movies in the first place. “Who watches the watchers?”, the desire for transgressions to be punished, and the idea that maybe society isn’t worth saving, all on this episode! This week’s panel included Laura Fissel and James Harleman.

On this episode of the podcast, back to back David Fincher movies. If things haven’t gotten too intense for you, then join us as we talk about Gone Girl. It’s dark, gritty, and stars Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. It gives us the chance to explore whether this movie is really about marriage or not, keeping up appearances, the masks we wear, and if this is the kind of movie you take your seventeen year old sister to. This week’s panel included Elijah Davidson and JR Forasteros.

On this episode of the podcast, we are on the cusp of a 15th (Yes! It's been that long.)Premiere Anniversary of Fight Club. We break the first and second rule of Fight Club by, of course, talking about Fight Club. If you can manage to forgive us for our rule breaking then you can enjoy a great conversation about how we identify ourselves by what we own, how men have a hard time communicating, how Tyler Durden was almost right, and how 1999 was possibly the most epic year of movies in our lifetime. This week’s panel included Griffin Kale and Josh Crabb.

On this episode of the podcast, we get to do something we don't often have the chance to do (as of now) on the show-- go back and talk about a movie that has been out for awhile. But, we make up for it by reviewing a movie that is TOTALLY AWESOME! The LEGO Movie! Perhaps one of the best movies released in 2014, this film was an incredible surprise as a family film and a meta-comedy. Helmed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, this movie gives us a seemingly endless supply of themes to tackle-- from reconciliation to the mysterious man upstairs. This week’s panel included Mark Wingerter and Joe Darnell.

On this episode of the podcast, we fully embrace the Young Adult genre by giving homage to The Giver. While, based on its reviews and box office mediocrity, it does seem like the Young Adult genre may be finally tapped out– it also is worth noting that the book, The Giver, is likely the inspiration and basis for many of the teen dystopian books and films we are seeing today. Probably not as bad as critics lead you to believe, and well worth discussing, The Giver makes us ask what humanity would choose to do if it had the freedom to do so. This week’s panel included Erienne Jones and Elijah Lovejoy.

On this episode of the podcast, we round out our Summer series with a very un-Summer movie, Boyhood. This indie film has garnered about as much positive critical acclaim as is possible and most of it is understandably deserving. Shot over twelve years with the same actors coming back for a short periods each year to film it, Boyhood takes us on the journey of a young boy from age 5 to 18; nothing special, nothing over-the-top, just life. There is a lot of beauty there and we look to chat about why it is making such a connection with audiences. This week’s panel included Laura Fissel and Wade Bearden.

On this episode of the podcast, we talk about one of the biggest movies of the Summer, Guardians of the Galaxy. The tenth film in the MARVEL Cinematic Universe delivers possibly the most fun film to date. Lead by an incredible cast and a clever script, James Gunn turns a relatively unknown comic franchise into a fan favorite among a collection of films that are already highly regarded. Though the story of a band of outlaws that come together to save the galaxy is nothing that hasn’t been done before, Gunn does a great job of giving this one a personality of its own. This week’s panel included Griffin Kale and JR Forasteros.

On this episode of the podcast, we talk about a film that has technically been out for a year-- Snowpiercer. This film, from South Korean director Joon-ho Bong, was actually released worldwide last August but had some trouble getting American distribution. Fortunately, that has been resolved and we get a chance to not only view (legally) this great post-apocalyptic sci-fi film, but we can now discuss it! Starring Chris Evan, Ed Harris, John Hurt, and a score of others, Snowpiercer is a throwback to some of the great sci-fi films of the past in that it gives us a bleak scenario that ultimately leads to incredibly poignant questions about humanity. Check out the film and join us! This week’s panel included Mark Wingerter and Elijah Lovejoy.

On this episode of the podcast, we discuss the latest edition in the Planet of the Apes franchise, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Building on the popularity of the surprise success of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn now takes the next step, still focusing on the journey of our main ape protagonist, Caesar. This time around we get back to what has made the Apes franchise so important for so long– tackling big ideas via the world of sci-fi. The movie itself is incredibly impressive visually and is fully engaging. It has been referred to by many reviewers as “the best film of the Summer” and by some as “the best of the year.” Whether that holds true or not, it and the rest of the storied franchise give us plenty to talk about as we get to stare into the face of our own humanity. This week’s panel included Ben Avery and Wade Bearden.