The Thin Place

By Film Geek RadioTV & Film

The Thin Place episodes

January 22, 2012 Episode #6: Truth and Belief in The Crucible
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!
33 min
November 10, 2011 Episode #5: Illusion and Objectification in ALPS
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!
29 min
November 10, 2011 Episode #4: The Mumblecore Malaise of Glitch In The Grid
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!
39 min
November 10, 2011 Episode #3: Dogville as Religious and Political Allegory
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!
44 min
October 02, 2011 Episode #2: Determinism and the Power of Love in Run Lola Run
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!
55 min
September 18, 2011 Episode #1: Harry Potter and the Afterlife
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!
32 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.