In this episode, Ken and Todd discuss the 1996 film adaptation of Arthur Miller’s play. Miller claimed his film was more about politics than religion, but is that true? Just how cynical is it about matters of belief? Tune in to find out.

SHOW NOTES:

0:25 - Intro and basic plot synopsis of The Crucible

3:55 - Using religion to talk about politics; does anyone really believe?

14:05 - Certainty, age, and doubt

20:48 - Miscasting and other things that don’t work

28:42 - Comparisons with Dreyer’s Day of Wrath

32:00 - Show close

DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In this special episode that arrives in conjunction with AFI Fest, Ken and Todd discuss the new film from Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, ALPS. The film follows an organization of individuals that are hired to impersonate dead loved ones in order to help with the grieving process. But will that really be effective? Can illusion ever equal reality? Tune in as Ken and Todd examine the complex themes running through this unique film.

SHOW NOTES:

0:36 - Intro and basic plot synopsis of ALPS

2:27 - Are these characters providing a service?

4:31 - The name of the organization

7:30 - Is anyone irreplaceable?

8:55 - Is this effective grief counseling?

13:26 - The real world as illusion

20:40 - Therapy and illusion as addiction, people as objects

25:37 - Is it worth seeing?

27:52 - Show close

DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

Ken and Todd discuss the experimental narrative film Glitch in the Grid and debate whether or not it can be described as "Christian mumblecore." Is the mumblecore genre inherently antithetical to a Christian worldview? How does the film depict spiritual emptiness in a time of economic recession? Tune in to find out.

SHOW NOTES:

0:36 - Intro

1:50 - Basic plot synopsis of Glitch in the Grid

3:21 - Christian symbolism

8:35 - The experimental approach to the narrative

11:03 - Is this "Christian mumblecore"?

17:19 - The recession and whether or not the characters are sympathetic

22:27 - Inarticulateness and vague spiritual imagery

25:10 - Is mumblecore compatible with a Christian worldview?

36:37 - Final thoughts on the film

DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Ken and Todd tackle Lars von Trier’s provocative and controversial film Dogville and choose to examine it through an allegorical lens. How does the film’s set design impact interpretations? What does it have to say about morality, revenge and forgiveness? Is there a political message, and why might Norway terrorist Anders Breivik have been influenced by it? Tune in to find out.

SHOW NOTES:

0:34 - Intro

1:44 - Basic plot synopsis of Dogville

4:35 - The artificiality of the set and possible allegorical interpretations

8:45 - What’s not there, reality vs. pretend

15:25 - Forgiveness, revenge and the abuse of Grace

26:34 - Political themes, the treatment of outsiders

32:43 - The father/daughter relationship between the mobster and Grace

34:55 - A link to the Norway attacks?

39:14 - Moral deterioration and the complicity of the viewer

42:48 - Show close

DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Ken and Todd explore the complex themes and possible interpretations of Tom Tykwer's Run Lola Run. What parts of the film are real and which are fantasy? Does it imply a moral force exists in the universe? What role does karma play? Tune in to find out.

SHOW NOTES:

0:00 - Intro

1:36 - Basic plot synopsis of Run Lola Run

4:48 - What is going on? What is real? What is fantasy? Four hypotheses.

18:37 - Cyclical determinism? Is there a moral force?

26:25 - The dog, karma and chance

33:08 - The red scenes and the power of love

43:15 - The primal scream and the need for hope; the film within a Christian worldview

DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

Welcome to The Thin Place! In this premiere episode, Ken and Todd discuss how the Harry Potter films depict the concept of an afterlife. In J.K. Rowling’s world of wizards, dragons and goblins, is there such thing as heaven and hell? How should we interpret the presence of ghosts? Tune in to find out.

SHOW NOTES:

0:00 - Intro

2:00 - Harry Potter and the Afterlife

DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for listening!