It's the Decadode!! In honor of our tenth episode, we decided to compile our own separate lists of the ten most inspirational films that have personally shaped what we know and love about cinema. On this episode, we also have two special guests, Andrew and Graham, who help us in reminisce on shared experiences throughout college. Through our conversations, we develop profound insights, such as the fact that jail is cleaner than New Jersey, PETA likely required Star Wars to be rereleased due to Ewok retina damage, and that campus safety officers are prime targets for pranks.

War films are certainly quite common in cinema, but can they provide us with more than just blockbuster thrills, loud explosions, and intense scenes of combat? Well duh...obviously we think that they have more to offer than that. In both Kathryn Bigelow's THE HURT LOCKER and Clint Eastwood's AMERICAN SNIPER, the character studies provide interesting insights pertaining to the psychology of soldiers in the midst of war. Whereas Renner's character in THE HURT LOCKER predominately struggles as an addict of war, Cooper's character in AMERICAN SNIPER largely wrestles with feeling compelled to war. What does it take to be a soldier? What does it mean to be perceived as a hero? How does war affect the way that soldiers eventually integrate back into society? How can we find God in war films? Beyond these questions, we also share some of our own "war" experiences (including a fun-filled ninja prank that we did as college students), our many trips to Gettysburg (where ghost hunters abide), Ben's vast gun collection, and our incredible hate for "Lax Bros."

Has our perception of love, sex, and relating to others been damaged by today's culture or troubles from our past? We certainly believe that is more than likely possible, and we discuss these themes in the portrayal of Fassbender's secretive sex addict in Steve McQueen's SHAME, as well as Phoenix's awkward depressed loner in Spike Jonze's HER. Although both characters are different in nature, they speak universal truths on the paradox of us wanting human connection, but somehow finding that too difficult at times. Bearing in mind the theme of love, Ben and Michael share some...interesting poems that we stumbled across. We also share some college stories, including Michael's "daddy" moment, Ben's disregard for the college's alcohol policy, and of course..."devotions."

"What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" The egomaniacal central characters in Orson Welles's directorial debut (and perhaps the greatest film of all time), CITIZEN KANE, and David Fincher's ambitious modern-day cultural critique on relationships, THE SOCIAL NETWORK, certainly are confronted with this question, whether or not they directly realize it. Through the rise of fall of both Kane and Zuckerberg in these respective films, we discuss the dangers of pride and selfishness, the corruption attached to greed, the longing for a childhood state of innocence, the irony of isolation in the midst of material gain, and the (seemingly) inescapable human need for acceptance and approval. We also share stories of some terrible days that we experienced (due to Michael's lacking track athleticism and Ben's propensity for the drink), some sad work experiences, and the oddity of being trapped in an elevator.

In the spirit of Easter, we supply you with an "eggcellent" episode on the portrayal of Jesus in Gibson's celebrated, THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, as well as Scorsese's heavily criticized, THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST. What does the duality of Christ being wholly divine and wholly human really mean to us? How can we understand the enormity of the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross? In perhaps our most theological episode thus far, we seek to address such questions and more, delving into the mystery and beauty of God's grace. In addition, Ben and Michael provide Easter-themed movie parodies, some good old dramatic readings, and our origin story (which rivals the likes of Batman, Superman, and company).

Focusing on the work of Paul Thomas Anderson in this podcast, we discuss THERE WILL BE BLOOD and THE MASTER. Ben and Michael consider themes revolving around the imperfect and dangerous marriage of the church and capitalism, problems regarding greed and pride, the volatile nature of humanity, and our innate human need for a master. We also talk about our joys with food challenges, share some "pants parodies," describe our hatred for our sophmore year speech class, and tell you that the Garden of Eden is indeed still here on Earth (at least according to one of our classmates from speech).

It's time to start your engines for our "automotive" episode! We discuss Scorsese's poignant narrative of a mentally unstable Vietnam veteran in TAXI DRIVER, as well as Refn's neo-noir thriller about a mysterious driver who finds himself involved in a serious crime in DRIVE. Ben and Michael discuss themes revolving around loneliness, sacrifice, issues with "works-based salvation," and the depravity of humankind's fallen nature. We also conclude that we should never be stunt drivers.

Why does there seem to be such a "Science vs. Christanity" mindset?! In this episode, we discuss the cinematic masterpiece, Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, and the latest release from Nolan, INTERSTELLAR. Ben and Michael wrestle with themes pertaining to humanity's quest for self-deification through technological achievement, and we also discuss our very own creation, the "Frankenspaghetti" monster.

Focusing on the theme of growing up and facing challenging questions revolving around our purpose in life, we discuss both Malick's magnum opus (at least in our minds), THE TREE OF LIFE, and Linklater's ambitious 12-year project, BOYHOOD. Ben and Michael also share stories of how they were self-proclaimed nerds/losers throughout college, as well as rec sports...stars?

In our first episode, we delve into the terrifying Austrailian horror flick, THE BABADOOK, and discuss the relationship between faith and the horror genre. Hear Michael's best monster impersonation and Ben compare Joaquin Phoenix to the Lorax. Plus, we provide you with our love and hate movies of the week.