The Thin Place

By Film Geek RadioTV & Film

The Thin Place episodes

May 05, 2012 Episode #16: Theology and Social Justice in Love Free or Die
Ken and Todd discuss the theology of gays in the Christian church, the social justice of gays in America, and the differences (if any) between the two as they review a documentary about the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church.
SHOW NOTES:
0:00 - Profile, persuasion, or historical account?
7:00 - Talking past each other and retrofitting theology
13:33 - Theological argument or social justice argument?
19:13 - How heterosexuals are portrayed; leadership vs. laity
24:12 - The lack of a theological argument
31:30 - Social justice vs. the integrity of the church, part 2
35:19 - North Carolina Amendment #1 and Unintended Consequences
40:24 - The film as film; humanizing gays AND Christians
DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!
50 min
May 05, 2012 Episode #15: Blue Like Jazz -- Satire or Bildungsroman?
Ken and Todd discuss Blue Like Jazz, Steve Taylor’s adaptation of Donald Miller’s best seller. Is the film a satire of Christianity? A Christian satire of the godless university? Is it funny? Will Christians like it? Will anyone else?
SHOW NOTES:
0:00 - Intro, plot, and overall impressions
7:00 - The "Christian" label redux; broadening the audience
10:45 - Satire vs. Bildungsroman
19:21 - Horatian vs. Juvenalian satire
23:00 - Apology, confession, or confessional apology?
32:00 - Writing vs. directing and closing remarks
DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!
38 min
April 09, 2012 Episode #14: A Separation -- Meditations on Legalism
Ken and Todd discuss A Separation, Asghar Farhadi's Academy Award winning film about a couple contemplating divorce in contemporary Iran. Is it ultimately more about the moral choices individuals make or the social structures that influence them? Can an Iranian film be a cautionary tale about American politics?
SHOW NOTES:
0:30 - Intro, summary, faith, and why we're watching
3:48 - Anti-religious or anti-legalism?
11:39 - Fear vs. love vs. duty
15:28 - Is Nader sympathetic?
22:13 - Legalism that's state supported
28:17 - Being for something rather than against everything
32:45 - Recommendation and show close
DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!
30 min
March 23, 2012 Episode #13: Faith and Disillusionment in Primary Colors
Ken and Todd discuss Primary Colors, Mike Nichols's adaptation of the fictionalized depiction of an adviser grappling with whether or not he can support a flawed governor who is running for president. Mike Nichols's film gets the bulk of discussion, but there are also comments about HBO's Game Change.
SHOW NOTES:
0:30 - Intro, summary, faith, and disillusionment
6:15 - Believing in people vs. seduced by power
10:10 - Moral compromises and ranges of character responses
21:40 - Timeless themes or timely satire?
27:10 - Game Change, good intentions, and believing in what you do
33:35 - Media and the false intimacy of television
40:10 - If we really believe what we say...
DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!
44 min
March 03, 2012 Episode #12: Undefeated and the Moral Economy of the Universe
Todd and Ken discuss Undefeated, the Academy Award winner for Best Documentary of 2011. Take care to build character, football coach Bill Courtney preaches, and winning will take care of itself.
SHOW NOTES:
0:30 - Intro, summary, and the film's thesis
10:21 - Money's reward
16:32 - Ecclesiastes and the Moral Fabric of the Universe
21:49 - Playing angel's advocate and the power of positive reinforcement
28:20 - The health and wealth gospel and when bad things happen to good people
33:55 - Spiritual versus material success
36:08 - Undefeated? The meaning of the title
40:41 - Ecclesiastes redux
DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!
44 min
February 21, 2012 Episode #11: Things I Don't Understand
Todd and Ken discuss David Spaltro's drama about a woman tormented by questions about what happens after we die.
SHOW NOTES:
0:30 - Intro, summary, and definition of an "indie movie"
6:18 - Is death the same as not existing?
12:10 - The Houdini bargain
15:11 - Fronting, masks, and feigned ignorance
19:16 - Do we care about Violet?
25:43 - Material solutions to spiritual problems
29:55 - Understatement, writing, and acting
33:11 - How can we not talk about dancing vaginas?
DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!
37 min
February 08, 2012 Episode #10: Akira Kurosawa's High and Low
In this episode, Todd and Ken discuss High and Low. Is Mr. Gondo a Christ-figure? What is the value of a human being? Is the kidnapper really a madman?
SHOW NOTES:
0:30 - Intro, summary, and spiritual themes
8:40 - Mr. Gondo as Christ figure
14:33 - Scope of the narrative and responses to suffering
19:00 - Who gets saved and who doesn’t
22:00 - What is the value of a human being?
26:14 - Main Street vs. Wall Street - Can’t We All Get Along?
29:55 - The scandal of godly expectations
DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!
34 min
January 25, 2012 Episode #9: Soul Surfer and the Pesky "Christian" Label
In this episode, Ken and Todd discuss Soul Surfer. Is "Christian Movie" a label or a genre? Does it make any difference? Did Soul Surfer do better than most Christian Movies at not making Todd want to scream and run the other way?
SHOW NOTES:
0:30 - Intro, summary, and conventions of the genre
6:03 - Vehicles for evangelism or stories about relationships?
10:52 - Mistakes they didn't make
14:44 - Judging by a different standard?
24:37 - The "Christian" ghetto: getting out versus elevating the genre
30:00 - Can a Christian movie wear a bikini?
DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!
36 min
January 22, 2012 Episode #8: Purpose and Brokenness in Martin Scorsese's Hugo
In this episode, Todd and Ken look at Martin Scorsese’s Hugo. Is being a part of a larger whole horrific or comforting? Are some life purposes more exalted than others? Can community make us whole?
SHOW NOTES:
0:30 - Intro, summary, and Martin Scorsese as a spiritual auteur
4:29 - Having a sense of purpose and fixing what is broken
7:08 - The world as machine and people as machine parts
13:44 - Finding a purpose versus having a task
17:52 - Movie idolatry?
20:56 - Connection and community
27:29 - Finding a heart-shaped key
29:12 - Concluding judgments
DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!
32 min
January 22, 2012 Episode #7: Le Havre and Fairy Tale Morality
In this episode, Ken and Todd discuss the new film (and Cannes Palme d’Or nominee) from acclaimed Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki, Le Havre. Is this tale of a community rallying around a young African refugee a realistic look at the immigration issue, or just plain fairy tale? Tune in to find out.
SHOW NOTES:
0:25 - Intro and basic plot synopsis of Le Havre
2:46 - Plot consistency
6:50 - A fairy tale?
11:40 - Are people really that good?
18:25 - The government, police, and "trickster" archetype
23:11 - The inspector and the other surprise ending
27:29 - Miracles, the Sermon on the Mount, fairy tales and God
39:00 - Closing thoughts, comparisons to Dogville
DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!
47 min

About The Thin Place

From the publisher's feed

Join Ken and Todd every two weeks as they explore films that are about or advance our understanding of issues of faith and spirituality. Some films may do so overtly, through a direct examination of these themes as subjects; others may be more subtle or even opaque in the way they prompt us to think on such things. Still other films may serve primarily as a catalyst for dialogue or discussion. Insights can be gleaned from a part of a larger whole, a scene, a shot, a moment. As the title suggests, such moments can be elusive, fragile, or obscured.