Ken and Todd talk about depictions of Wall Street in Oliver Stone’s film of the same name and, more recently, in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street. What does Stone’s dedication tell us about which character is the moral center? Does Bud Fox look into the abyss or dive in head first? How does Jordan Belfort compare to Gordon Gekko, and how does that comparison reveal ways America has changed in the last three decades?

Todd and Ken examine 12 Years a Slave. Is God absent from the world of slavery? Are there contemporary lessons or themes to be drawn from this historical drama? Why is the singing of “Roll Jordan” the most important scene?

Todd and Ken take a look at Ernst Lubitsch’s To Be or Not to Be. Should some topics be off limits for comedy? What line did even Lubitsch’s team fear went too far? Who is the film’s real villain? (Hint: it’s not the Nazis.) What films today make us similarly uneasy and what can we learn from films that disquiet us?

Ken and Todd discuss Guillermo del Toro’s horror film that has recently received the Criterion treatment. What is the difference between horror and Gothic? When is violence tragic rather than just shocking? How does belief in “the curse” unite the materialist and the spiritually minded?

Ken and Todd are back, and they are discussing one of this fall’s most anticipated films: Gravity. Is it a thriller or a drama? What do we mean when we call something a “good” film? Is it “well made” or “effective”? And can the hosts avoid the implication that, for a Christian, content is more important than technique when judging a film?

Todd and Ken discuss Vittorio De Sica’s poignant saga of an aged pensioner trying to avoid eviction. What are the differences between empathy and pity and which does the film invoke? Is Umberto D. unlikable?

Peter Waldron drops in on The Thin Place to sub for the vacationing Todd and to render Ken momentarily speechless with his take on one of the more iconic climactic moments in Hollywood history. Does Ethan Edwards have a redemptive moment? Does he need one?

Ken and Todd look at the original pacific rim monster and compare the theme of sacrifice in Gojira to that presented in modern disaster films.

Ken and Todd examine the conventions of action films and how White House Down uses them. Do action films promote American exceptionalism? How does the use of comic relief undercut the film’s moral seriousness? What makes a true hero?

Todd and Ken look at Ingmar Bergman’s The Magician. Is the film about the conflict between rationalism and faith or the conflict between performers and critics? What did Bergman say about the film in interviews? What makes Ken say that Bergman is the director he’s tried the hardest to like without success? Did The Magician change his mind?