Cinematic Doctrine

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Cinematic Doctrine is a mature, millennial-infused film/tv discussion podcast from Melvin Benson that features Movie Discussions (conversational episodes about specific movies), Party Pleasers (movies fully-summarized from start to finish to discern if its a 'Party Pleaser' or 'Party Pooper'), and Let's Talks (prepared film-or-Christian related topical episodes). Influenced by Acts 17 and Romans 2:4. Podcast Magazine says Cinematic Doctrine "uses the shared value of human life as a springboard into deeper conversations". // CinematicDoctrine.com

Q1 Catch-Up 2025: A Fresh Start

Send us a Question!QUARTERLY CATCH-UP:Movies & Us: Podcast, InstagramTV & Us: Podcast, InstagramQuarterly Catch-Up is a co-production between Cinematic Doctrine & Movies & Us! In it, the gang answers 3 questions:What have we been watching?What are we anticipating?What else are we up to?Things Mentioned:Better Days (2019) (Movie)Insecure (2016-2021) (TV Show)Sing Sing (2024) (Movie)Black Bag (2025) (Movie)Heretic (2024) (Movie)The Residence (2025) (TV Show)Bad Sisters (2022-2024) (TV Show)The Mid

Apr 9, • 49:15

North Shore - w/ Systematic Geekology on Surfin' 101

Send us a Question!PARTY PLEASER: Systematic Geekology: Spotify / InstagramWill Rose of Systematic Geekology joins Melvin for a second time to summarize North Shore, a little-seen surfer flick in the vein of Karate Kid! Will shares a ton about the dynamics of surfing culture, and Melvin celebrates the layers of North Shore's coming-of-age story. Plus, they can't get enough of those glorious Hawaiian waves, and neither will you!Topics:Will Rose catches us up with where he's at and what Systematic

Apr 2, • 1:23:04

Exodus: Gods and Kings - Naïve & Devoid of Content

Send us a Question!PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! Shirleon joins Melvin to discuss our latest Patron-Selected movie, Exodus: Gods and Kings! Can Ridley Scott give this paramount Bible story the Gladiator treatment? Does it play fast and loose with the historical account? Was it, at the very least, enjoyable? Tune in to find out!Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE)

Mar 26, • 1:00:13

Annihilation - Reductionist Media

Send us a Question!MOVIE DISCUSSION: Shirleon and Kathryn join Melvin to discuss Annihilation, Alex Garland's sophomore feature adaption of Jeff VanderMeer's celebrated weird-fiction book. Additionally, both Kathryn and Melvin have read the book, so how does the movie stack up? Also, what is the movie trying to say? Tune in to find out! Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 45-minutes discussing leaked Avengers: Doomsday concept art, characters that are included, the surprising setting and aesthetic, suspi

Mar 19, • 1:49:56

The Monkey - Classy Schlock and Awe

Send us a Question!MOVIE DISCUSSION: Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss The Monkey, one of the first horror hits of the year, and possibly the first of two new Osgood Perkins films in 2025! For a movie whose tagline is "Everybody dies. And that's F#$*ed up.", is it cynical? Or, is a little heart tossed in with this horror comedy? Also, and perhaps most importantly... is it funny? Tune in to find out!Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 28-minutes discussing Longlegs, Osgood Perkins' 2024 satanic-panic horror

Mar 12, • 1:04:34

Welcome to Leith - w/ Peter Bell on the Complex Trauma of Ideological Imperialism

Send us a textMOVIE DISCUSSION: Sons of Patriarchy: Podcast, Instagram, Website / Outreach Idaho: WebsitePeter Bell, host of the Sons of Patriarchy podcast, joins Melvin to discuss a little-seen 2015 documentary titled Welcome to Leith. As Peter podcasts about the ideological invasion of Douglas Wilson and Christian Nationalism over Moscow, Idaho, Melvin was reminded of the Welcome to Leith - a documentary about notorious white supremacist Craig Cobb's attempted local government takeover of Leit

Mar 5, • 1:18:05

When Evil Lurks - The Penalty of Ignoring the Marginalized

Send us a textPATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss our latest Patreon-picked movie, When Evil Lurks! This Argentinian horror flick made the rounds in 2023, catching a lot of attention and exploding in popularity once it landed on Shudder. It's also a combination of grounded & crazy! The two get into it all!Topics:(PATREON EXCLUS

Feb 26, • 1:26:18

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Legacy, Renewal, and Fish

Send us a textMOVIE DISCUSSION: Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Wes Anderson’s follow-up to The Royal Tenenbaums. It’s comedy, it’s drama, it’s silly outfits are all on the table as the two explore ideas of legacy, found-family, and so much more.Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 37-minutes discussing the games Kathryn & Melvin are playing, including an "uglicy" in Sims 3 and reflections on over and decade of Call of Duty games. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Kathryn has seen mor

Feb 19, • 1:10:33

Pride & Prejudice (1995) - w/ Marissa Burt on Patriarchy, Feminism, Shame, & Marriage

Send us a textMINI-SERIES DISCUSSION: Marissa Burt: Instagram, Substack, Author PageMarissa Burt returns to the podcast to discuss the BBC's 1995 adaption of Pride & Prejudice! Ready for some quintessential girl-cinema? We've got so much to chew on! Tune in now!Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 41-minutes playing a guessing-game called "Douglas, Dobson, Driscoll, and Tate" where guest Marissa Burt will hear a sourced quote and have to attribute it to the correct manosphere pastor or figure-head. Then,

Feb 12, • 1:23:39

A Quiet Place: Day One - The Best Quiet Place (So Far!)

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Shirleon joins Melvin to discuss the first non-Krasinski sequel to a wildly popular and super accessible horror/thriller series, A Quiet Place: Day One! Director Michael Sarnoski is tasked with seeing our story through New York City, tossing in some immense heart and drama into an otherwise concession-filled franchise. But, of course he did. He directed Pig, after all!Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 24-minutes discussing an article on deadline titled "James Mangold Doesn't Want To B

Feb 5, • 1:15:34

I Saw the TV Glow - Emotionally Devastating

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss Jane Schoenbrun's I Saw the TV Glow! Owen's curiosity in a late-night television show called "The Pink Opaque" leads him to meet Maddy, an upper-classmen at his school. Sounds normal, but it's an off-beat arthouse coming-of-age psychological drama (with a tinge of horror) from the director of We're All Going to the World's Fair, so of course there's more to it! Tune in now!Topics:Most people over the age of, like, 40 years will likely rej

Jan 29, • 1:31:32

Journey to Bethlehem - A Conviction of Fiction

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!Shirleon & Melvin wish you a Merry Christmas while discussing a Family-friendly biblical musical, Journey to Bethlehem! The story is simple - a dramatization of the birth of King Jesus - but what about the music? And more importantly, how is it as a biblical adaptation? Tune in to find out!Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 23-minu

Dec 25, 2024 • 1:13:22

Hot Frosty - The Hottest Movie of 2024!

PARTY PLEASER: Shirleon, Kathryn, and Melvin summarize Winter-2024's most discussed film... Hot Frosty! Excited for some seasonal silliness? They've got you covered, along with some fun commentary as well! Tune in now! Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 25-minutes of Kathryn and Shirleon figuring out which review-blurb from RottenTomatoes goes to which poorly rated Sony Spider-Man(less) Universe film; Morbius, Madame Web, or Kraven the Hunter! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Hot Frosty is clearly evoking some Hallma

Dec 18, 2024 • 1:17:44

The Unknown – w/ At Home with the Lectionary on Perpetual Actors

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Marissa & Aaron Burt: At Home with the Lectionary Podcast / Marissa Burt Instagram & SubstackMarissa Burt & Kelsey McGinnis upcoming book: The Myth of Good Christian Parenting: How False Promises Betrayed a Generation of Evangelical FamiliesMarissa & Aaron Burt of the At Home with the Lectionary Podcast join Melvin to discuss The Unknown, a silent-era flick from classic horror director Todd Browning! This film has got it all: profound characters, incredible drama, twists and su

Dec 4, 2024 • 1:30:52

Signs - A Contrived Deus Ex Machina

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!Shirleon joins Melvin to discuss another early M. Night Shyamalan success, Signs! Many consider this another knock-outta-the-park, while others look back and say, “It’s all downhill from here.”. Regardless, there’s plenty to discuss from this semi-spiritual alien-invasion flick.Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 24-minutes discussin

Nov 27, 2024 • 1:03:51

Joker: Folie à Deux - w/ Movies & Us on How it Might be Good?

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Movies & Us: Podcast, Instagram, ThreadsTV & Us: Podcast, Instagram, ThreadsJen & Sarah from the Movies & Us podcast join Melvin to discuss a surprise financial and critical flop of 2024, Joker: Folie à Deux! Is it really as bad as everyone says? At the very least there's a LOT to talk about, and everyone takes turns diving deep into Todd Phillips' follow-up to his billion-dollar success!Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30 minutes discussing 2 favorites from 2024 and 1 favorite first

Nov 20, 2024 • 1:45:15

The Assistant - w/ Sheila Gregoire on Toxic Workplaces and How They (Don't) Manage

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Sheila Gregoire: Bare Marriage Podcast / Bare Marriage Blog / Author Page Sheila Gregoire of the Bare Marriage podcast joins Melvin to discuss The Assistant, a hidden gem of pure psychological drama! It's depiction of modern office work in the film industry is understated, dour, and timely, as it tackles a combination of workplace inequality, systematic issues, and the thin line between the complacent and the complicit.Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 21-minutes discussing a report f

Nov 13, 2024 • 1:11:58

Ready Player One - w/ Geek Freaks on Nostalgia Overwhelming

MOVIE DISCUSSION:   Geek Freaks: Podcast / Instagram / YouTube / Website Frank from the Geek Freaks Podcast Network joins Melvin to discuss a nostalgic hit from 2018, Ready Player One! From it's barrage of "Do-You-Remember-That?" to it's mix of live-action and CG storytelling, Spielberg takes us on a futuristic, rebellious journey through the Oasis! Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 1-hour discussing all 34 MCU films ranked least-to-greatest as per the Rotten Tomatoes score rankings, sharing momentary

Nov 6, 2024 • 1:05:00

Shadowlands - Desire, Suffering, Love

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss this month's Patreon Supporter selected film, Shadowlands! Based upon the later life of C.S. Lewis, specifically his growing romance with his wife Joy Gresham, and evoking much of his literature, the two discuss this much-celebrated early 90's feature that garnered an Oscar nomination for act

Oct 30, 2024 • 1:10:37

Tower of Terror - More Theme Park Silliness

PARTY PLEASER:Shirleon, Kathryn, and Melvin dive into that long-forgotten non-DCOM, Tower of Terror! If you remember programming on ABC called "The Wonderful World of Disney", then you'll remember this early Disney Parks ride-adaption! Ready to relive some memories? Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30-minutes playing a horror-themed trivia wherein Melvin & Kathryn duke it out over who knows more horror trivia! Who knows, maybe you’ll score more points than they do while listening? (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)

Oct 23, 2024 • 1:12:41

Donnie Darko - w/ Liz & A Movie on Teen A(ngst)gnosticism

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Liz & A Movie: Instagram / YouTube / LetterboxdLiz from Liz & A Movie (and Court from The B-Movie Critics Podcast!) join Melvin to discuss one of his old-school favorites: Donnie Darko! They get into the drama, the angst, and everything in between! Topics:Melvin asks Liz & Court a few questions about their movie tastes, as well as learns about their reticence for "super boys". Donnie Darko produces a lot of deep feelings, even if a lot of the film is hard to understand.Melvin's

Oct 16, 2024 • 1:22:25

The Crow (1994) - w/ Daniel Braindead on Life, Death, Love, & Hate

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Ways to support missions: Mission Next // Wycliffe Bible Translators // The Voice of the Martyrs Daniel comes out of hiding to discuss The Crow with Melvin, but not before explaining why he vanished from the podcast. The two then explore both the original comic and the 90's production of The Crow. Afterward, they ponder the weirdness of remaking such a beloved film.Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 41-minutes of Daniel pitching the Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels show

Oct 9, 2024 • 1:32:37

Spawn - w/ Systematic Geekology on Nobody's 90s Nostalgia

PARTY PLEASER: Systematic Geekology: Spotify / Instagram Will Rose of Systematic Geekology joins Melvin to summarize Spawn, a notoriously bad superhero movie from the 90s! From John Leguizamo imitating Jim Carrey's The Mask, to shockingly bad CGI, the two get into the not-so-good, the pretty dang bad, and the stupendously ugly. It's a trip! Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 34-minutes discussing Robert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU as Dr. Doom, and playing a trivia game called "Boo or False?" where,

Oct 2, 2024 • 1:04:08

Synchronic - Kitchen Sink Sci-Fi

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!Shirleon joins Melvin to discuss Synchronic, one of the later Benson & Moorhead productions before they transitioned into television. The two get into all of the interesting ideas at play, while also accepting the fact that a lot of the ideas only somewhat work.Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 24-minutes discussing the National As

Sep 25, 2024 • 1:10:25

Your Name. - w/ Beneath the Tangles on Shinkai's Melancholic Filmography

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Beneath the Tangles: Instagram / YouTube / X / WebsiteTwwk (Charles) from Beneath the Tangles joins Melvin to discuss the hugely popular anime film Your Name. from Makoto Shinkai. From its Studio Ghibli-esque accessibility, its stunningly detailed animation, and Shinkai's filmography, the two discuss all sorts of topics in this dense episode! Tune in now!Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 43-minutes playing an "Anime Draft" where-in Charles & Melvin each draft 5 anime in competition, d

Sep 18, 2024 • 1:12:08

Frances Ha - w/ Movies & Us on Adulting

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Movies & Us: Podcast, Instagram, Threads TV & Us: Podcast, Instagram, Threads Jen & Sarah from the Movies & Us Podcast join Melvin to discuss an early 2010's indie classic, Frances Ha! From it's deep relatability to it's clever humor, the three explore what makes the film stand out as a testament to growing up even when you're all grown up.Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 40-minutes discussing three trailers - The Monkey, the live-action Snow White, and Kraven the Hunter - and rankin

Sep 11, 2024 • 1:16:16

The Outsiders – w/ The Filmjoe Podcast on a Golden, Sophomoric, Teenage Reflection

MOVIE DISCUSSION: The Filmjoe Podcast: Spotify / Instagram / YouTubeJoe Velazquez of The Filmjoe Podcast joins Melvin to discuss Francis Ford Coppola’s The Outsiders, the movie based upon a staple grade-school book-assignment! The two discuss the atmosphere of a realized world, experiences soaked in nostalgia, and the painful beauty in growing up. Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 25-minutes of discussing SDCC 2024 with Joe, who was at the convention, about what the experience was like, what were his h

Sep 4, 2024 • 1:08:07

Pulse - A Lonely, Traumatic, Dead Internet

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION:  This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss our Patreon Selected film, Pulse! This early 2000's Japanese horror film explores isolation, death, and human relationships amidst the infancy of an internet age, and the two dissect what makes the film so dense, so unsettling, and so predictive about internet technology.Topics:(PATREON EXCL

Aug 28, 2024 • 1:33:05

Venom: Let There Be Carnage - It's Embarrassing and Weird

REBROADCAST MOVIE DISCUSSION:  In this rebroadcasted episode (originally released October 5th, 2021), Melvin & Dan waste no time with banter and jump right into discussing Sony's latest Marvel feature, Venom: Let There Be Carnage!Topics: Daniel reviews the new Venom track by Eminem. Melvin suspects Venom: Let There Be Carnage will be the worst movie the two of them discuss on the podcast.Both Melvin & Dan each had a moment while watching Venom: Let There Be Carnage where they covered their faces

Aug 21, 2024 • 1:25:36

The Blackcoat's Daughter - The Horror of Spiritual Loneliness

REBROADCAST MOVIE DISCUSSION:  In this rebroadcasted episode (originally released September 20th, 2022), you'll hear Melvin & Dan talk about one of Mel's favorite movies, The Blackcoat's Daughter, perhaps the most painstakingly slow burning, brooding mood slashers ever made. Also, Melvin gets really honest about why he loves The Blackcoat's Daughter so much. Topics: Melvin has wanted Daniel to watch The Blackcoat's Daughter since they started the podcast. Finally, it happened. The Blackcoat's Da

Aug 14, 2024 • 1:21:30

Dream Scenario - w/ The Infinity Bros Podcast on Ideals, Self-Image, and Vanity

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  The Infinity Bros Podcast: Spotify / Instagram / Website  Isaac Edlund of The Infinity Bros Podcast joins Mel to discuss Dream Scenario, a movie whose hook is so good you'll run to the theater to see it! Then, you'll see it and go... huh? We discuss what we like, what we don't like, and the hazard of chasing your dreams!  Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 43-minutes discussing a rumor that the Russo Brothers may have been asked to return for Avengers 5 and 6, as well as discussing J

Aug 7, 2024 • 1:19:53

Pitch Black - The Proto Syfy Channel Original Movie

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! Shirleon joins Melvin to discuss Pitch Black, one of Vin Diesel's early action outings! The two explore what's cool and what's not-so-cool. But don't worry, they both agree: the eyes are friggin' cool! Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 37-minutes discussing Anthony D'Alessandro's article "As 'Deadpool & Wolverine' Stomps On Superh

Jul 31, 2024 • 1:21:39

Zoetic and the CCM Coconut Tree (Jesus Revolution, The Jesus Music)

LET'S TALK: Zoetic: Spotify / Instagram / Linktree Kierstyn St. John, founder/songwriter/producer for the Christian jazz-pop fusion duo Zoetic, joins Melvin to discuss all things Christian Contemporary Music (CCM)! First, Melvin interviews Kierstyn about the Zoetic project, their mix of musical genre, and comfortability with challenging lyrics. Following this, the two discuss two films, Jesus Revolution and The Jesus Music, and how they showcase a semi-CCM-industry-self-portrait on the birthplac

Jul 24, 2024 • 2:01:12

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters - Cartoonish YA Silliness

PARTY PLEASER: Shirleon joins Melvin in summarizing Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, the forgotten sequel to Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. Mythical monsters abound in this YA-flick, and the two have a fun time chattin' what works and what doesn't in this swan-song of the Percy Jackson theatrical film series. Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 22-minutes playing a Disney Trivia Game that has some pretty dang difficult questions. Can you guess more correctly than Shirleon? (PATREON EX

Jul 17, 2024 • 1:17:09

Cube - Intriguing, Intelligent, and Well Directed

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss a late-90's Canadian sci-fi thriller, Cube! Why? Because Melvin has a podcast and he gets to choose what they cover! From talented directing to the intriguing mystery of the cube itself, the two discuss all sorts of exciting material in this episode. Tune in now!Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 45-minutes discussing various Google "AI Overview" answers, laughing at their absurdity, and also reviewing how bad AI (or, large language models: LLMs) simply

Jul 10, 2024 • 1:31:53

Good Burger 2 - Edible but Expired Nostalgia

PARTY PLEASER: Shirleon joins Melvin in summarizing the sequel to the late-90s Kenan & Kel hit, Good Burger 2! From more silly burger-flippin' hijinks to Ed's absurd antics, the two discuss how things feel kind of the same, things feel a bit different, and borger! Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 50-minutes discussing the newly announced "Twisted Childhood Cinematic Universe" - or "Poohniverse", a cinematic universe catapulted by the wild financial success of Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey - and how

Jul 3, 2024 • 1:26:07

The Man from Earth - Hollow, Pretentious, and Poorly Directed

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION:  This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!  Shirleon joins Melvin to discuss a movie neither of them had heard of before: The Man From Earth! John Oldman says he's lived for 14,000 years, but his coworkers aren't so sure. So ensues a film of debate regarding time, materialism, and spirituality. Philosophical pretention abounds! Strap yourself in and tune in now! To

Jun 26, 2024 • 1:09:05

Doom - w/ The Reformed Gamers on Misguided Video Game Adaptions

MOVIE DISCUSSION:   Melvin digs into the archives (read: he found lost audio from 2020) to unearth a surprise Logan Sharp guest appearance! As The Reformed Gamers posted their last episode on January 24th, 2024, Melvin figured it would be fun to release this special episode as a final hoorah to one of his podcasting inspirations. We'll miss you, The Reformed Gamers! (This audio was recorded in Fall of 2020, close to when they recorded for a Super Mario Bros. episode and far before they recorded

Jun 19, 2024 • 45:56

Holes - Yeah, It's as Good as You Remember

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Shirleon and Melvin discuss the popular 2003 Disney family movie Holes, that one where lizards are scary and the line, "I can fix that." is eternally engrained in your brain! We dig into the films surprisingly mature content, occasionally DCOM-esque nature, and how sometimes that movie you liked as a kid is as good as you remember! Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 41-minutes discussing Madame Web: or, how movies are products to be sold, which means they are marketed, and we were not

Jun 12, 2024 • 1:14:00

Unbreakable - w/ Geek Devotions on Power, Gentleness, and a Perfect Movie

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Geek Devotions Website, YouTube, and Comm Talk Podcast. Dallas from Geek Devotions joins Melvin in discussing M. Night Shyamalan's comic-book inspired follow-up to his break-out film: Unbreakable!  Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 33-minutes of Melvin interviewing Dallas about the "Geek Devotions" project; what Dallas and Celeste seek to achieve in reaching out to the world of anime, video games, and netizen-culture; how most geek-experience with spirituality is negative (and they h

Jun 5, 2024 • 1:48:03

When Marnie Was There - Personal Anxiety, Western Queerbaiting, and Transformative Love

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION:  This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!  Shirleon joins Melvin to discuss this month's Patreon-Picked flick: When Marnie Was There! Boy do they cover a lot of ground! From discussing its strong melancholy vibes to its extremely profound yet simple characters, no stone is left unturned!Topics:(FREE PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 44-minutes discussing a trailer for an AI prod

May 29, 2024 • 1:39:32

Your Lie in April - w/ Faith & Fandom in the Manic Pixie Dream Girl Episode

TV-SHOW DISCUSSION:  Faith & Fandom Podcast & Website Hector Miray from Faith & Fandom joins Melvin to discuss one of the highest rated anime of the modern age: Your Lie in April! The two discuss it's exploration of music-as-metaphor, depictions of trauma, and, of course, all of the melodrama! Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 47-minutes discussing the current atmosphere around the MCU, especially with 2023 being a less-than-stellar year for Disney/Marvel, and 2024 only offering one film, Deadpool & Wo

May 22, 2024 • 1:20:20

Uzumaki - Editing, Obsession, Acceptance

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Kathryn joins Melvin in discussing an early Junji Ito live-action adaption, Uzumaki! Although the film went into production before the manga had reached its completion, there's still a lot of exciting material to cover in this truly wacky film; and not just because of the spirals!  Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 38-minutes of Kathryn and Melvin competing in a Movie/Entertainment Trivia game, finally figuring out which one of the two knows more about everything Movies and Entertain

May 14, 2024 • 1:35:27

Howl's Moving Castle - w/ Establishing Shot Pod on Turmoil and Kindness

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Eli Price's The Establishing Shot Podcast, @establishingshotpod on Instagram, and @EliPrice on Letterboxd. Happy Ani-May! Eli Price, host of The Establishing Shot Podcast, joins Melvin in discussing one of Hayao Miyazaki's most beloved films, Howl's Moving Castle! From its fairytale atmosphere to child-like wonder, the two get into what makes the film so meaningful to many, as well as what their biggest takeaways were regarding the material.Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30-minute

May 7, 2024 • 1:48:38

Damsel - w/ Shesmadeofwords on Millie Bobby Brown, Scary Dragons, & Wanting More

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: Shesmadeofwords Podcast & InstagramShirleon joins Melvin in discussing Millie Bobby Brown's latest acting venture: Damsel! From it's wild, fluctuating tone to actually making a dragon scary, there's plenty to be explored in this latest girl-power fantasy tale! Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30-minutes discussing "Why It's Never Been Easier to Land in Director's Jail", a write-up by Mia Galuppo on The Hollywood Reporter, and one of its observations: that producers look at a

Apr 30, 2024 • 1:18:48

Shin Godzilla - w/ Monster Island Film Vault on 3/11 and Existential Titan Horror

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Nate Marchand's Monster Island Film Vault Podcast, Henshin Men Podcast, The Power Trip: A Journey Through the Power Rangers Franchise Podcast, and Author website.Nate Marchand, host of several podcasts, joins Melvin in discussing Hideaki Anno's bizarre entry to the Godzilla film-canon: Shin Godzilla! This film has it all: satire, comedy, tragedy, horror, and social commentary! This podcast? Equally so! Tune in now! Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 73-minutes discussing the 5 MonsterV

Apr 23, 2024 • 1:40:46

Animal Farm (1954) - Historically Important Well-Made Propaganda

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Kathryn joins Melvin in discussing George Orwell's other popular communist-criticism tale, Animal Farm! In this early animated adaption the two discuss the complicated social dynamics of Animal Farm, what makes the story so timeless and accessible, and the fascinating history behind this film's development.Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 31-minutes of Melvin running an improv game wherein Kathryn must make war or diplomacy with different Animal Farms taken over by different barn ani

Apr 16, 2024 • 1:19:49

Green Lantern - w/ Nerds & Jesus Podcast on The "Sam's Club" Tire-Buying Movie

PARTY PLEASER: Guest: Nerds & Jesus Podcast & Instagram  Mary Howell, lead host of the Nerds & Jesus Podcast, joins Melvin in summarizing a formative experience in Ryan Reynold's Hollywood career, Green Lantern! This stupendously expensive cinematic-universe starter failed to meet expectations, disappointing moviegoers the world over! And now it's time for us to be disappointed!  Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 41-minutes discussing "Cinematic Universe" intrigue and fatigue, as well as specifics lik

Apr 9, 2024 • 1:17:10

The Stepford Wives (1975) - w/ Kelsey Kramer McGinnis On Tradwives and Asking: "Do Stepford Men Even Like Women?"

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Kelsey Kramer McGinnis on Instagram & Christianity Today Kelsey Kramer McGinnis, contributing author to Christianity Today and Professor at Grand View University, joins Melvin in discussing a classic film adaption in early feminist literature, The Stepford Wives!  Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 38-minutes discussing Kelsey McGinnis' article on Christianity Today titled "Big, Big Market: Why CCM Filled '80s and '90s Homes", where CCM developed during the '00s and the '10s, the tran

Apr 2, 2024 • 1:28:48

The Luck of the Irish - Our Luck Has Run Out

PATREON PARTY PLEASER:  Shirleon joins Melvin in summarizing and reliving the early DCOM era of television with The Luck of the Irish, a movie that wears its inspiration on its sleeve! From weird patriotism to grotesque food, the two have fun traveling back to the early '00s for some wacky-and-weird high-school hijinks! Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 49-minutes of discussing Denis Villeneuve's disinterest in "extended cuts" and "deleted scenes", why we're so enamored with extended/unrated cuts of mo

Mar 26, 2024 • 1:11:59

Dune: Part 2 - w/ Jerry Dugan Spittin' Dune Facts!

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Jerry Dugan's "Beyond the Rut" Podcast & Book Cinematic Doctrine's Dune EpisodeJerry Dugan from the Beyond the Rut Podcast joins Melvin and Shirleon in discussing Denis Villeneuve's latest film, Dune: Part Two! Jerry and Shirleon share insight into the original Frank Herbert novel, how Villeneuve's two films handle adapting such complex material, and the tragedy of Paul Atreides.Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 42-minutes roleplaying as Imagineers building a Dune-themed section of D

Mar 19, 2024 • 1:41:30

Arrival - w/ The Gospel According To Making the Most of Misery

MOVIE DISCUSSION: The Gospel According To Podcast & Instagram Dave Hallahan of The Gospel According To podcast joins Melvin in discussing one of Dennis Villeneuve's most accessible and celebrated features, Arrival! Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 36-minutes of discussing Dave Hallahan's podcast The Gospel According To, their wide-variety of subject matter, the pursuit of media literacy, and the wonder of curation. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Dave shares about his podcast The Gospel According To, his meme page

Mar 12, 2024 • 1:32:25

Prince of Darkness - w/ Terrorific Lady and the Dimensions of Horror

MOVIE DISCUSSION: @terrorificlady Brandy, the Terrorific Lady herself, joins Melvin to discuss one of John Carpenter's more offbeat entries into the world of cinema, Prince of Darkness! From the combination of religion and science, to discussions on cosmic, otherworldly fears, and even fun comparisons to the other two films in Carpenter's soft "Apocalypse Trilogy", Brandy and Melvin discuss all sorts of topics within this fun, brisk episode! Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 33-minutes of Horror Movie

Mar 5, 2024 • 54:00

The Mighty Ducks - The 90s Are In! (Also Dads, Hockey, and Disney Movies)

PATREON PARTY PLEASER: This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!  Shirleon and Melvin travel back a whopping thirty years to summarize The Mighty Ducks, the early 90's hockey trilogy-starter! What a throwback! From simple-yet-compelling characters to an outright scumbag of a villain, The Mighty Ducks sure offered a lot to discuss! Tune in now! Quack Quack! Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 31-minu

Feb 27, 2024 • 1:22:53

The Menu - w/ TylerBanarkReviewsMovies who's Seated for Two

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  @TylerBanarkReviewsMovies Tyler Banark from @TylerBanarkReviewsMovies joins Melvin to discuss one of his favorite films of 2022, The Menu! Combining culinary arts with cultish antics, this horrific thriller showcases excellent performances, delicious food, and class-warfare all in a tight 107-minutes! And there's a whole lot more where that came from! Tune in now! Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 32-minutes recapping David Zaslav's two years as Warner Bros. Discovery's CEO, his biza

Feb 20, 2024 • 1:10:05

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief - The Death Knell of YA Adaptions

PARTY PLEASER: Shirleon joins Melvin in summarizing Chris Columbus' return to the YA genre, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief! From an ill-defined protagonist to it's swiftly resolved mile-a-minute narrative hurdles, this late-stage entry into the world of YA-movie adaptions tries its darndest to make it out alive. Will Shirleon and Melvin find something to appreciate in the end? Tune in to find out!Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 31-minutes discussing a new frustrating trend in publ

Feb 13, 2024 • 1:29:16

The Royal Tenenbaums - The Godfather for Liberal Art Students

MOVIE DISCUSSION:Kathryn joins Melvin in discussing one of Wes Anderson's most celebrated films, The Royal Tenenbaums. The two enjoy discussing it's silly-yet-serious family drama, the effects of negligent parenting, and the absurdity of that scene involving a pop-song and a bathroom mirror. But most of all, the two enjoy discussing the idea that it's never too late to do the right thing.Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 20-minutes discussing Asteroid City, Wes Anderson's latest film. Melvin asks Kathr

Feb 6, 2024 • 1:04:21

On Golden Pond - Nostalgia, Perception, and Old Age

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION:This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!Shirleon joins Melvin in discussing this month's Patron-Pick, On Golden Pond! This Oscar-winning feature stars Katherine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, and Jane Fonda in a complex-yet-comedic tale of old-age, generational trauma, and the endurance of love. Tune in to hear the two discuss all manner of topics from this deceptively deep

Jan 30, 2024 • 1:15:57

Death Note (2017) - Criminally Westernized

PATREON PARTY PLEASER:This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! Shirleon joins Melvin in summarizing one of the single most hated western adaptions of an anime to date: Death Note from Adam Wingard! From sporadic over-the-top violence to an extremely emotional protagonist, Death Note was a Hollywood picture a long-time coming, and while it's soured as a classic example of Netflix' early foi

Dec 26, 2023 • 1:29:45

Nineteen Eighty-Four (1954) - Wow, It's Just Like 1984

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Kathryn joins Melvin in discussing an early English adaption of George Orwell's ground-breaking, genre-defining, and highly-influential novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. In this semi-live BBC rendition, one whose controversy is as historic as it is ironic, Kathryn and Melvin discuss not only the impact of this adaption but also the debilitating hopelessness and powerful insight that only Nineteen Eighty-Four can offer.Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 16-minutes of Kathryn playing "Would Yo

Dec 20, 2023 • 1:08:30

Eraserhead - About Maturing, Sex, and Philadelphia

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Melvin's wife Kathryn joins him for an episode discussing Eraserhead, David Lynch's off-beat absurdist film featuring cinema's favorite lil' baby! From encroaching industrialization to a wealth of understated humor, Eraserhead includes an extreme degree of themes and metaphors, and the two  explore it all in this engaging and educational episode! Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 28-minutes of Kathryn quizzing her husband Melvin on early childhood development and safety! Their finding

Dec 12, 2023 • 1:05:27

Five Nights at Freddy's - The Reformed Gamers Survives All Five Nights

PARTY PLEASER: thereformedgamers.comLogan Sharp of The Reformed Gamers Podcast joins Melvin in summarizing the biggest horror hit of the year, Five Nights at Freddy's! Despite failing to reach critics, Five Nights at Freddy's has decimated various box-office records, and the two talk about the video game franchise, it's oddly melancholic tone, and the extreme charisma of the Core Four themselves.Topics:(FREE PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 38-minutes talking to Logan Sharp from The Reformed Gamers about thei

Dec 5, 2023 • 1:36:40

Good Burger - 90s Throwback Time

PATREON PARTY PLEASER: This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! Shirleon joins Melvin in summarizing the late-90s Kenan & Kel hit, Good Burger! From it's absurd burger-flippin' hijinks to Ed's silly antics, the two discuss the positives from the 90s aesthetic, the loss of entertainment complexes, and borger! Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 37-minutes discussing what goes into professionally ar

Nov 28, 2023 • 1:16:56

The Quibi Quandary Part 3: Lost Media in Real Time

LET'S TALK: Melvin watched 10 shows on Quibi before its eventual (and predictable) collapse. First things first, Melvin asks Daniel what he thinks a show is about based on its marketing. Then, Melvin describes what it actually is. Afterward, Daniel curiously wonders, "How does this show being on Quibi improve the watching experience?". Throughout all of this, Melvin & Dan try to understand Quibi's failure to solidify its target demographic, and further complain about how Quibi never utilizes it

Nov 21, 2023 • 1:24:47

The Quibi Quandary Part 2: Melvin & Dan Explore the Quibi-Verse

LET'S TALK: Melvin watched 10 shows on Quibi before its eventual (and predictable) collapse. First things first, Melvin asks Daniel what he thinks a show is about based on its marketing. Then, Melvin describes what it actually is. Afterward, Daniel curiously wonders, "How does this show being on Quibi improve the watching experience?". Throughout all of this, Melvin & Dan explore the grand what-ifs of Quibi like interactive shows, a social media for film a la Letterboxd, and so much more. As suc

Nov 14, 2023 • 57:44

The Quibi Quandary Part 1: How it Came Before it Went

LET'S TALK: Melvin guides Daniel through his Quibi-venture, an exploration of that weird, less-than-one-year-old mobile-only streaming service that came and went in 2020. From it's lead cheerleaders of Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman, to how Quibi convinced nearly every production company in Hollywood to invest over $1.75 Billion, as well as those obscenely confusing and downright worthless advertising spots during the Superbowl, Melvin covers everything he can about Quibi's unfulfilled snake

Nov 7, 2023 • 1:32:45

The VelociPastor - With a Pastor

PATREON PARTY PLEASER: This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!Ant Coughlin, a pastor, joins Melvin in summarizing The VelociPastor. Because, of course! The two goof and gaff about this off-beat love-letter to 80's schlock grindhouse horror, and appreciate it's comedically dense yet economically handled runtime! Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 1-hour discussing Dan Foster's "The Seven Pointless

Oct 31, 2023 • 55:44

Haunted Mansion (2015) - A Church Retreat at the Haunted Mansion (We Are Contractually Obligated to Say This Has No Correlation With The Walt Disney Corporation Or It's Affiliates and Partners)

PARTY PLEASER: Melvin is joined by Shirleon yet again to discuss Haunted Mansion (2015), a movie that has literally no correlation to The Haunted Mansion or Haunted Mansion (2023)! Yes, this movie was picked solely because it shares a name with the other movies. We think that's kind of funny! But don't worry; there are more similarities between this haunted mansion and the Disney Haunted Mansion, too! Tune in to find out!Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 40-minutes discussing watching habits, from thin

Oct 24, 2023 • 1:25:37

Haunted Mansion (2023) - Secondhand Embarrassment

PARTY PLEASER: Melvin's sister Shirleon joins him on a journey through Disney's latest attempt at making a Haunted Mansion movie. While summarizing Haunted Mansion (2023), the two commentate on what makes this Summer Not-buster awkwardly divisive.Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30-minutes discussing neat trivia about various Haunted Mansion rides across the globe, their inception, and Shirleon Sharron's mini-review of the 2003 Eddie Murphy The Haunted Mansion film (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Haunted Mansion c

Oct 17, 2023 • 1:24:11

Tim Burton's Stop-Motion Saga (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, Frankenweenie)

LET'S TALK:  Melanie & Melvin dive into one of the most beloved holiday musicals, The Nightmare Before Christmas, alongside two similar features Corpse Bride and Frankenweenie! What connects these films? Why, it's Tim Burton of course! Through varying degrees of involvement, each feature captures the iconography of this Hollywood titan, and the two discuss each film individually while celebrating their unique quirks and perks! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 10-minutes of various tangential content regardin

Oct 10, 2023 • 1:11:22

The Haunted Mansion - Ghost Cuckoldry? In my Haunted Mansion? It's More Likely Than You Think.

PARTY PLEASER: Melanie & Melvin travel back to the early 2000's to summarize the family-friendly cult-classic Disney Adult horror film The Haunted Mansion! From enjoying detailed sets to the generally fun aesthetic of a haunted house, the two kick off Halloween Month with excitement and laughs! Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 33-minutes continuing their discussion on modesty (which started in the previous episode) and looking into two passages from 1 Corinthians for some biblical insight, further ass

Oct 3, 2023 • 1:19:45

The Mummy (1999) - A Simpler, More Adventurous Time

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!In this episode, Melanie & Melvin are discussing The Mummy (1999)! Branden Frasier is back in the mix with his popular Oscar-winning performance in The Whale, but we're traveling back over two-decades to a time long ago; one of adventure, excitement, and endless sand!Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 53-minutes discussing "modesty"

Sep 26, 2023 • 58:26

Rashomon - A Trial of Lies, Sensationalism, and Humanity

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Melanie & Melvin talk at length about Akira Kurosawa's worldwide phenomena, Rashomon. From it's forward-feeling filmmaking and pacing to it's gripping drama, Rashomon continues to be in conversation for it's layered entertainment and deep contemplation. And, of course, they also talk about the immensely disruptive nature of lying.Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 32-minutes discussing Vulture's "The Decomposition of Rotten Tomatoes" article from September 6th about how an advertising

Sep 19, 2023 • 53:43

Good Will Hunting - Healing Masculinity

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Melanie introduces Melvin to another long-standing classic drama, Good Will Hunting, and the joy had in overcoming toxic traits of the male psyche! Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 25-minutes of Melanie & Melvin playing "Would You Rather?" with some of the most absurd options available! Even so, it leads to some great real-talk about first-impressions, the resilience of the human body, and the fear of losing their memories. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Melanie proposed Good Will Hunting when s

Sep 12, 2023 • 57:43

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 1 - Different Game, Different Rules

PARTY PLEASER: Melanie & Melvin continue their adventure through the popular Hunger Games saga with Mockingjay - Part 1! They describe the movie from beginning to end, exploring themes of repressed individuality amidst cultural responsibility, and also observe how the film very much feels like half of a book (because it is!).Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 36-minutes discussing the danger of idolizing storytelling, and how the recent news regarding Michael Oher's potential conservatorship with the Tu

Sep 5, 2023 • 1:22:09

Barbie as The Princess and the Pauper - Queen Cinema

PATREON PARTY PLEASER: This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! Melanie & Melvin travel back to the wonderful world of 2004 and summarize Barbie as The Princess and the Pauper. While it isn't the first Barbie-animated film, it is the first Barbie-animated musical! From it's bouncing musical numbers to its surprisingly complicated plot, the gang have fun explaining this childhood gem!Topics

Aug 29, 2023 • 1:05:22

Scanners - Boundary Breaking & Head Popping

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Melanie & Melvin discuss David Cronenberg's Scanners, a contemplative psychological horror with intense bookends! From the film's odd casting to its heady-concepts of individual thought and sovereignty, the two discuss what makes Scanners a worthwhile watch for those searching for a little bit more in their thrillers! Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 36-minutes further discussing Wall·E, specifically the film's focus on the transcendental nature of love. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Scanners

Aug 22, 2023 • 1:11:10

Canon, Continuity, and the Tommy Westphall Universe Hypothesis

REBROADCAST LET'S TALK: In this rebroadcast of Cinematic Doctrine's pilot Let's Talk episode (originally released August 24th, 2021), Melvin and Daniel discuss the concept of narrative canon (or, fictional continuity), whether an over-reliance on canon is necessary for enjoying a fictional property like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and how nearly all of American movies and television is a part of the Tommy Westphall Universe Hypothesis, or, how-everything-takes-place-in-a-snow-globe. Support t

Aug 15, 2023 • 1:02:54

Tickled - Grippingly Awkward, Absurdly Silly, Excellent

REBROADCAST PARTY PLEASER: In this rebroadcasted episode (originally released June 28th, 2022) you'll hear Daniel and Melvin discuss one of the single-most bizarre stories to come from the documentary world. Journalist David Farrier stumbles upon the strange world of Competitive Endurance Tickling. What ensues is a long-stretching borderline "true-crime" drama of Jane O'brien Media.Topics: Tickled, as an experience, triggers everything: disgust, surprise, laughter, mockery, heartbreak, excitemen

Aug 8, 2023 • 1:29:42

Barbie - No Genitals. No Problems.

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Melanie & Melvin have a blast talking about 2023's not-so-surprise hit, Barbie! From it's nonstop comedy to its sensible-yet-kind display of gender and social economics, Barbie has it all! Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 37-minutes further discussing DC's biggest flop, The Flash, and why the movie simply doesn't work on a plethora of levels. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Melanie liked Barbie, but she didn't connect with the movie like she expected. She wonders if it's because of the hype.Melv

Aug 1, 2023 • 1:10:24

Wall·E - Consumerism, Connection, Community

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!  Melanie and Melvin discuss one of Pixar's most celebrated, most loved movies, Wall·E!! From consumerism to essentialism, from despair to hope, Wall·E has it all! Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 29-minutes discussing why some Pixar movies may not have connected with audiences, as well as the concept of remastering early Pixar fe

Jul 25, 2023 • 1:02:12

Smile - Ant Coughlin and how Smile is Engaging, Derivative, and Irresponsible

MOVIE DISCUSSIONS: Ant Coughlin joins Melanie & Melvin to discuss one of 2022's surprise horror hits: Smile! The classic "You-Die-In-7-Days" trope is refreshed for a new generation and the gang are here to get into what makes Smile so effective, so oppressive, and...  so irresponsible? That's right! So, press that play button and get listening! Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 26-minutes discussing 8 massive "blockbusters" from 2023, several of which have financially flopped, and various theories as t

Jul 18, 2023 • 1:14:53

Beckman - The Supposed Christian John Wick

PARTY PLEASER:  Melanie & Melvin summarize Beckman, that weird Christian-marketed movie produced by David A.R. White where he plays a John Wick/Taken-esque assassin. The catch? He's a recent Christian convert. Does that stop him from killing dozens of people? Tune in to find out!  Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 27-minutes discussing the content of Christian movies, interpreting what they're communicating, their advertising, and so much more. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Beckman feels like a YouTube movie ma

Jul 11, 2023 • 1:33:53

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, The Flash

LET'S TALK:  Melanie and Melvin catch-up on some Superhero entries they missed over the last two months. In release order, the two discuss what made Guardians 3 (02 minutes) a decent return-to-form for Marvel, how Spider-Verse 2 (16-minutes) offered and exhilarating albeit overwhelming theater experience, and how The Flash (34 minutes) defied even the worst expectations. Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Early access to uncut episodes Vote on a movie/show we review One-tim

Jul 4, 2023 • 1:07:59

Teen Wolf - 80s Comedy Galore

PATREON PARTY PLEASER: Melanie and Melvin summarize Teen Wolf from start to finish with hilarious commentary, goofin' on the supremely weird premise yet laughing over the absurd, hairy comedy within! Plus, stick around to the end for a surprise regarding that rumor! Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 27-minutes discussing the aesthetics and appeal of 80s films. Plus, the celebration of exquisite practical effects prior to the embrace of digital effects in the 90s onward. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Teen Wolf's

Jun 27, 2023 • 1:09:31

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - Bigger in Scope

PARTY PLEASER:  Melanie and Melvin continue their summarization of The Hunger Games franchise following their previous party pleaser on The Hunger Games! This time, Katniss and the Hunger-Games-Gang is pulled into another Hunger Games! Who could have expected that? Melanie and Melvin are ready to pick-apart the political intrigue of Panam and question whether Katniss and Peta will ever stand a chance against President Snow!  Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 23-minutes discussing different ways to eng

Jun 20, 2023 • 1:27:54

Skinamarink, Creepypasta, and the Culmination of Internet Horror

LET'S TALK:  After Fantasia Fest last year there was hubbub surrounding a particularly strange horror film called Skinamarink. Considered to be aggressively nontraditional, the film terrified audiences and led to intense popularity on TikTok. Then, in January, it finally received wide-release. Melvin and his wife Kathryn caught it in theaters and they felt "aggressively nontraditional" wasn't strong enough a description: Skinamarink was borderline oppressive in its prose and horror. Not only is

Jun 13, 2023 • 1:53:34

Whale Rider - Artificial Hope Is Naturally Hopeless

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Melanie and Melvin discuss the poignantly melancholic New Zealand film, Whale Rider, one of Melanie's favorite movies!  Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 22-minutes of discussing specific qualities we love (and hate!) in movies with examples, and why these things work (or don't!). (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Whale Rider opens on an extremely dour note, which functionally means it's a great tone-setter for a dour movie!Keisha Castle-Hughes is particularly stellar in a movie that's already st

Jun 6, 2023 • 1:13:25

A Silent Voice - You Can't Say It Didn't Shoot For the Moon

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!  Ani-May is almost over, but there's still room for one more episode! Melanie and Melvin discuss A Silent Voice, the popular Kyoto Animation project from 2016 about an elementary school bully who seeks amends during High School. The catch? He incessantly bullied a deaf girl, and must overcome his shame before he can apolog

May 30, 2023 • 1:05:50

Madoka Magica is Beautifully Tragica

LET'S TALK:  Melvin coaxes Melanie into the wonderfully tragic and poignant world of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, one of his absolute favorite - if not his favorite - fictional stories ever! From it's deeply rich characters, memorable action set-pieces, and heart-wrenching drama, Puella Magi Madoka Magica and its sequel film Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part III: Rebellion are extensively explored in this episode of episode of Cinematic Doctrine! During its first half, enjoy non-spoiler ref

May 23, 2023 • 1:28:06

Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Legacy of Evangelion

LET’S TALK: Melanie and Melvin are joined by Kathryn, Melvin’s wife, to discuss the much celebrated psychological-mecha anime Neon Genesis Evangelion and its sequel film Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion. The first half of the episode is a comprehensive non-spoiler discussion on what makes the show and film so enjoyable, provocative, challenging, and rewarding. The second half gets into more spoiler-specific discussions regarding the final two episodes of the show, the iconography o

May 16, 2023 • 1:36:11

Dragonball Evolution - A Movie You Forgot Exists

PARTY PLEASER: Happy Piccolo day! Melanie and Melvin check out the long forgotten Hollywood live-action adaption of Dragonball! Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 41-minutes discussing what makes Anime/Manga live-action adaptions so difficult to adapt, what unique characteristics separate the mediums, and what Anime/Manga would make a good live-action adaption (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) What background do Melanie and Melvin have with the Dragonball franchise?The start of Dragonball Evolution is an info dump t

May 9, 2023 • 1:05:30

Princess Mononoke - Exploring the Universal Problem of Death

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Happy Ani-May! Melanie and Melvin kick things off this month by discussing Hayao Miyazaki's adult animated feature: Princess Mononoke!  Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 38-minutes discussing comments made about forgiveness in last week's Fireproof episode, as well as a further deep-dive into what God expects from His people regarding the concept (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Melanie and Melvin open by discussing adult nature of Princess Mononoke: political intrigue, warring factions, violence,

May 2, 2023 • 56:21

Fireproof - Weirdly Voyeuristic, Strangely Intriguing, Awkward

PATREON PARTY PLEASER: This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!  Melanie and Melvin travel back to 2008's big Christian-Marketed Movie release, Fireproof, a Kirk Cameron led Kendrick Brothers production! From occasional filmmaking flubs and functionally-okay narrative decisions, the two figure out if Fireproof is a Party Pleaser or a Party Pooper! Or, maybe something in between? Find

Apr 25, 2023 • 1:19:26

The Prince of Egypt - Knowledgeable, Reverential, Beautiful

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Melanie joins Melvin in discussing one of her all time favorite flicks, and the two also get into what makes The Prince of Egypt far more palatable than most Bible or Christian-marketed media.  Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 42-minutes discussing a list of movies Christian's say are commonly known by other Christians such as Nacho Libre, The Book of Eli, and many others, and why we think they may be popular in the Christian community (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)What familiarity do Mela

Apr 18, 2023 • 1:00:44

The Tree of Life - Eric Nevins and Growing Up in a Broken, Glory-Filled World

MOVIE DISCUSSION:   ericnevins.com  Eric Nevins from the Halfway There Podcast, and the Christian Podcast Association, joins Melvin and Dan in discussing one of Terrance Malick's most popular films, if not his most popular film ever! Semi-autobiographical, semi-retelling of the book of Job, semi-conventional narrative; The Tree of Life offers a lot to chew on, and the three of them eagerly dive in!  Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 28-minutes detailing movies we've changed opinion on, both films we'v

Apr 11, 2023 • 57:55

Ladyhawke - What Makes a Film Prime Remake Material?

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Melanie, Daniel, and Melvin talk Ladyhawke, Richard Donner’s fantasy family film featuring Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfieffer, and Matthew Broderick. Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 35-minutes talking about two Disney animated science-fiction box-office failures, Lightyear and Strange World, their absurdly confusing marketing campaigns, and how their lack of success isn't a surprise for keen-eyed film fans (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Melanie specifically wanted to hear what Melvin and Dan thoug

Apr 4, 2023 • 57:57

The Hunger Games - Odds? In My Favor? It's More Likely Than You Think!

PATREON PARTY PLEASER:  This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!  Melanie and Melvin go through the entirety of The Hunger Games, starting from its opening text all the way to its closing credits! Relive the experience of your first Hunger Games and listen to our various commentary on the films interesting metaphors and frustrating editing! Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 23-minutes discussing

Mar 28, 2023 • 1:23:22

Shazam! Fury of the Gods - Decent, but Tired

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Melanie and Melvin discuss Shazam! Fury of the Gods, a decent-enough sequel that’s far-too-late in a far-too-tired genre.Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30-minutes discussing the future DCCU plans to completely rework the canon, something Melanie wasn’t aware of, and why neither of them are interested in a future with more superhero movies (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Celebrating Shazam!, perhaps DC’s best movie in this particular universe of films.Discussing David F. Sandberg as a creator, b

Mar 21, 2023 • 1:04:04

Best & Worst of 2022 (Part 2)

LET'S TALK: Melvin carries Daniel through the second half of his Top Ten/Bottom Ten 2022 movie list, giving detailed, bite-sized reviews for each flick as the two discuss what works, what doesn't, all finalizing with Melvin's top film of 2022! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 10 additional honorable mentions (across part 1 and part 2) spanning drama, arthouse, horror, and the ever-elusive 'so-bad-its-good' category! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Early access to un

Mar 14, 2023 • 42:56

Best & Worst of 2022 (Part 1)

LET'S TALK: Melvin shares with Daniel the first half of his Top Ten / Bottom Ten 2022 movie list, giving detailed, bite-sized reviews for each flick as the two discuss what makes these films successful or sucky. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 10 additional honorable mentions (across part 1 and part 2) spanning drama, arthouse, horror, and the ever-elusive 'so-bad-its-good' category! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Early access to uncut episodes Vote on a movie/sh

Mar 7, 2023 • 44:45

Belle - Dysfunctional Digital Duality

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION:  This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!  Melanie joins Melvin to discuss Belle, Mamoru Hosoda's latest anime feature that combines real-life heart with the wonder of cyber-space! How well does he balance these ideas, and are we familiar with Hosoda's filmography? Tune in to hear that and more!  Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 38-minutes discussing our history with A

Feb 28, 2023 • 1:03:15

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania - The Multiverse Homework Problem

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Daniel joins Melvin in discussing the second Rotten-rated film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania! Critics have been critical, and fans have been mildly amused. But, what about us? Tune in to find out!  Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 35-minutes discussing The Flash trailer, Ezra Miller's influential escapades, James Gunn's future changes for DC, and so much more! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Melvin wastes little time criticizing the outsized scope of the f

Feb 21, 2023 • 1:09:35

Drag Me to Hell - Shame, Consequence, and Body Fluids

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Melanie joins Melvin to talk Sam Raimi's 2009 return-to-horror feature Drag Me to Hell, a film so silly it disorients most viewers, including Melanie! From slapstick violence to cartoon gore, this movie surprised its PG-13 audience from start to finish! Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 18-minutes discussing AMC Theater's new tiered-seating price points, from value-pricing at the front to premium-pricing at the center (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Melanie has specifically told Melvin that Drag

Feb 14, 2023 • 56:17

George Washington - Heartfelt, Adolescent, Spiritual, Poetic

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Melanie and Melvin talk about George Washington, David Gordon Green's critically celebrated directorial debut, a coming-of-age poverty drama dripping with heart.  Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 28-minutes discussing various Director's who've produced remarkably good movies and remarkably bad movies, why there might be such varied quality among projects, and what makes these movies distinct in their own right. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) George Washington isn't as plot heavy as it is char

Feb 7, 2023 • 1:08:18

Daredevil - Is It As Bad As We All Remember?

PATREON PARTY PLEASER: This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!  Melanie and Daniel join Melvin to discuss the 20th anniversary of Ben Affleck Daredevil! Is it as bad as Catwoman? Let’s find out together as we dissect the film from start to finish!TOPICS:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 51-minutes discussing the Oscar Nominations, who we think will win, standouts, and the Oscar’s as an institution (PAT

Feb 1, 2023 • 1:15:08

Where the Scary Things Are - Delightfully Terrible in All the Right Ways

PATREON PARTY PLEASER:  This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!  Melvin and Melanie explain, beat for beat, the entirety of Where the Scary Things Are, one of 2022's most baffling and hilariously unwatchable features that nobody knows about. Amidst frustrated and confused laughter, the two bring you from opening to closing credits! Hilarity ensues! Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 18-minutes d

Dec 27, 2022 • 1:11:39

Chris Staron and A Royal Gremlins Christmas

LET'S TALK:  TrucePodcast.com Chris Staron of Truce Podcast joins Melvin to chat a bit of Gremlins, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, and play a Hallmark-Christmas themed quiz game! Ultimately, this episode is an excuse to continue our several-episode's long discussion on the concept of comedy and its ever-changing nature, alongside the eternal nature of slapstick! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 25-minutes talking about Chris Staron's fascination with Jordan Peele's latest film Nope, why it can just be a fun movi

Dec 24, 2022 • 49:27

Avatar: The Way of Water - Jerry Dugan and Celebrating Great CGI

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Beyondtherut.com Guest Jerry Dugan of the Beyond the Rut podcast joins Melvin to discuss James Cameron's latest flick Avatar: The Way of Water, a sequel many years in the making! Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30-minute interview with Jerry Dugan about his podcast, the difficult experience of podcasting, and his favorite episodes (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Jerry Dugan shares some of his affinity for James Cameron as a director, and the two discuss what it is they've come to know about hi

Dec 20, 2022 • 58:20

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery - A Solid Whodunnit

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Were you able to catch Glass Onion in theaters before its holiday weekend release? Melvin and Dan did, and they're excited to share some details on what makes Glass Onion worth the wait! Don't worry, they don't get into spoilers until halfway into the discussion, and they'll make it clear when to tune out if you're wanting to go into Glass Onion blind! Topics:  (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 31-minutes discussing Melvin's Covid sickness part 2, the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

Dec 13, 2022 • 58:17

It's a Wonderful Life - Enduring Against Discontentment

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!  Melvin and Stephen discuss not just one of Stephen's favorite movies but his absolute favorite movie, It's a Wonderful Life!Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 27-minutes celebrating the holiday season, from busy shopping to exciting gift giving, and everything in between (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Summarizing It's a Wonderful Life because

Nov 29, 2022 • 1:09:20

In the Mood for Love - Melanie Dejesus and Falling for a Fiction

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Melanie Dejesus joins Stephen and Melvin to talk about another Criterion Collection entry, In the Mood for Love. Often considered in competition for Wong Kar-Wai's best film against Chungking Express, the three discuss its themes of unfulfilled romance and intimacy, as well as meditations on time. Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 25-minutes talking about foreign movies we recommend, from kung-fu flicks to zombie horror! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Melanie immediately caught on to the film'

Nov 22, 2022 • 1:13:52

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Ambitious and/or Bloated

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Melvin & Dan can only agree on one thing: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is, in fact, a Marvel movie. To focus their attention, Melvin proposes four ambitions that he feels will make-or-break the film for audience members. Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 44-minutes discussing Kevin Conroy's passing, Video Rental store nostalgia, and media curation (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Reflecting on Black Panther's immense cultural impact and success. Reminiscing on the intended plans for King T'Chal

Nov 16, 2022 • 1:20:20

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law - Melvin Officially Has Marvel Exhaustion

TV-SHOW DISCUSSION:  Marvel couldn't get through one more show without fans going nuts, and Melvin & Dan are here to parse through the mire. We get through what makes She-Hulk: Attorney at Law extremely fun and a breath of the fresh air, as well as what makes its ending both clever and dull. Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 33-minutes discussing Phase 4 Marvel, it's ups and downs, the overwhelming content-drip of borderline week-to-week Marvel content and wanting more creativity from Marvel despite k

Nov 8, 2022 • 52:41

Black Adam - Rentable

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Melvin & Dan discuss the latest entry in the troubled, frustrating, and extremely strange DC Universe. This time it features fan-and-mom favorite Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson donning a cool black suit and looking maliciously confused. Neat!  Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 35-minutes talking about Walter Hamada stepping down from the DCU, James Gunn replacing him, and the lack of cultural permanence DC has compared to Marvel, or even Horror/Slasher icons. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Daniel br

Nov 1, 2022 • 1:07:17

David Gordon Green's Halloween Trilogy and Changing Opinions

LET'S TALK:  When Melvin saw Halloween Ends, he wasn't sure if he liked or disliked the movie. Mostly, it left him confused. So, he embarked on a journey: rewatching all three David Gordon Green Halloween flicks and seeing how they stand up. In doing so, his opinion on Halloween Ends has completely changed, and both he and Daniel discuss the experience of having their opinions change on movies, media, and life in general, and how the practice of mulling over and meditating on media is a helpful,

Oct 31, 2022 • 1:29:39

Hangman's Curse (Part 2) - Melanie Dejesus and the Official Hangman's Curse Devotional

PATREON PARTY PLEASER:  This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!  Frank Peretti's film adaption of Hangman's Curse arrived with an official youth devotional. Or, at least, Melvin's DVD copy did. In part two of their Hangman's Curse discussion, Melvin, Dan, and special guest Melanie Dejesus (from Melvin's church) spend time working through the official Hangman's Curse devotional guide quest

Oct 27, 2022 • 1:08:42

Hangman's Curse (Part 1) - Melanie Dejesus and Talking Frank Peretti's First Spooky Film Adaption

PATREON PARTY PLEASER: This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!  Frank Peretti's Hangman's Curse was the first of his books to finally reach the silver screen, and Melanie Dejesus from Melvin's church joins him and Daniel on this first of two episodes where the three work through this weird amalgamation of teen scream and early 2000's "cool" Christian media.  Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 33

Oct 25, 2022 • 1:35:29

Halloween Ends - Bonkers

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Remember that wild Halloween Kills episode from last year? Melvin & Dan are ready to rock your world with a roaring sequel episode on Halloween Ends, a finale so bonkers it blows our minds!  Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 34-minutes talking about Werewolf by Night, the borderline TV-MA Marvel special on Disney Plus! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Melvin and Daniel talk around the movie before actually getting into specifics, because that's what Halloween Ends has done to your hosts. Spoile

Oct 18, 2022 • 1:19:20

Hocus Pocus 2 - A Slight Slapstick Success

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Melvin is joined by Stephen and Shirleon again to discuss the much-awaited sequel to the Halloween cult-classic, Hocus Pocus 2! Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 37-minutes discussing the Avatar Remaster, as well as Cameron's Avatar in general. Also, a reappraisal of our interests in a sequel. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Brief introduction to Hocus Pocus 2 before realizing we want to talk about the cultural impact of the first Hocus Pocus. Melvin doesn't remember much from Hocus Pocus other

Oct 11, 2022 • 1:13:13

Nosferatu - A Hundred Years of Frights!

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Stephen and Melvin are joined by Shirleon to discuss the highly revered classic vampire film Nosferatu, a film with a 100-year legacy! Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30-minutes talking about our October/Halloween plans, from movies to habits! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Nosferatu is a very simple movie about a vampire, a man, and his wife.This was Shirleon's second time watching Nosferatu. The first time was great. The second time... not so much.Stephen observed how Nosferatu can feel slo

Oct 4, 2022 • 1:12:20

Oculus - Decent Despite Disappointments

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION:  This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!  If you've seen The Haunting of Hill House/Bly Manor or Midnight Mass, you've seen director Mike Flanagan's work! However, for this episode we're traveling back to 2013 to discuss one of his earliest projects, Oculus!  Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 40-minutes talking about the complicated dynamics of modern movie watching li

Sep 27, 2022 • 1:01:11

The Blackcoat's Daughter - The Horror of Spiritual Loneliness

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Melvin & Dan talk about one of Mel's favorite movies, The Blackcoat's Daughter, perhaps the most painstakingly slow burning, brooding mood slashers ever made. Also, Melvin gets really honest about why he loves The Blackcoat's Daughter so much. Topics: Melvin has wanted Daniel to watch The Blackcoat's Daughter since they started the podcast. Finally, it happened. The Blackcoat's Daughter shows various aspects of alienation, loneliness, and general social dysfunction despite its

Sep 20, 2022 • 1:20:49

The Seventh Seal - A Classical Meditation on Life and Death

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Stephen McFerron, new contributor to Cinematic Doctrine (read him here!), joins Melvin again to discuss a pivotal film in the art-house canon: The Seventh Seal!  Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 50-minutes of Melvin and Stephen detailing their lifelong journey through movies, from the extremely good to the horrendously terrible, and everything in between (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Being our second Criterion-themed episode in a row, Melvin and Stephen joyfully discuss the Criterion Collect

Sep 13, 2022 • 1:16:24

Stalker - A Slow-Burn, Spiritualistic, Science-Fiction Masterpiece

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Stephen McFerron, Cinematic Doctrine's newest contributor (read him here!), joins Melvin to discuss Stalker, the popular Andrei Tarkovsky science-fiction classic! Topics:Introducing Stalker is equally simple (three men travel through a zone to find a room that grants one's greatest desire) and complex (constant philosophical debate, ruminations upon the terror of desire, and the intimidating presence of The Zone).Stephen, "I think it's about evangelism and the Christian walk -

Sep 6, 2022 • 1:19:56

The Bear (S1) - The Most Loving Show on Television

PATREON TV-SHOW DISCUSSION: This TV-Show was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!  Melvin & Dan put on some no-slips and get to work talking about The Bear! Corner! Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 37-minutes of various topics: She-Hulk Episode 1 Twitter response, Warner Bros. can only afford to release two movies this year, and that nonsensical MoviePass revival (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) The Bear is mercifully

Aug 30, 2022 • 1:24:56

WB Discovery Repels Artists through David Zaslav's Wild Management Style

LET'S TALK:  Earlier this month we reported the cancelation of Batgirl, Scoob! 2, and much more. These projects, both nearly complete, got the unceremonious axe, but they would be far from the first. Since then, several other projects have been either canceled or removed outright from HBOmax despite being originals to the streaming service. This leads Melvin and Daniel down a frustrating discussion about whether anyone will ever willingly work with Warner Bros. Discovery in the future, the

Aug 23, 2022 • 1:16:25

Not Okay - The Better Evan Hansen

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Hulu continues to put out bangers, and Melvin & Dan discuss Not Okay, one of its latest successes! Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Discussing They/Them, the controversial and questionable slasher set at a gay conversion camp, as well as some new Ezra Miller/Flash/Warner Brothers news. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) When Melvin first learned about Not Okay's description, he immediately knew he wanted to watch it. Melvin felt Not Okay had some influence from Friday the 13th: Part V: A New Begin

Aug 16, 2022 • 1:02:16

Prey - Or, the Actual First Sequel to Predator

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Melvin & Dan talk about the latest Predator movie, Prey, that probably should have been in theaters, right?Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 50-minutes talking about the benefits to physical media over streaming, and the exciting world of special features w/ examples. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Immediate disappointment that Prey was not in theaters.Jacob Knight on Letterboxd writes that Predator is at its best when it just embraces its "Pro Wrestling" aesthetic.Predator has always been more

Aug 9, 2022 • 1:05:30

It's Not Just Batgirl; HBOmax May Be Canceled Too

LET'S TALK:  On Tuesday, August 2nd, 2022, the news broke that Batgirl, an upcoming DC film featuring the continued return of Michael Keaton's Batman as an old, weathered, matured Bruce Wayne training a young Barbara Gordon, was canceled. But that's not all; the film was nearly complete, virtually gold by the time the axe came down. Along with its death came the cancelation of Scoob! 2, and several other upcoming properties deemed unworthy. This news also comes with expected, wild changes to wha

Aug 4, 2022 • 1:07:51

Nope - Anthony Coughlin and the Consequence of Spectacle

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Melvin & Dan are joined by Anthony Coughlin, one of several pastors of Risen Christ Fellowship. The three discuss the latest Jordan Peele pic, what they perceive it's about, and how it's not quite a horror movie, even if it's occasionally horrific! Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 45-minutes talking about movies, specific ones or types, that we regret watching, or have reconsidered as we've matured (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) The three agree: Nope is not only a good movie, but it also rumin

Aug 2, 2022 • 1:16:00

Ms. Marvel - A Great Teen Superhero Show Nobody Watched

PATREON TV-SHOW DISCUSSION:  This TV-Show was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!  Disney released two shows at once rather than one at a time! Weird!! Patreon Supporters picked Ms. Marvel over Obi-Wan Kenobi. Not weird!  Topics:(PATREON EXLUSIVE) 40-minutes talking about the incomprehensible Marvel-fan backlash to Thor: Love and Thunder, as well as tangents on Metallica, Rockband and Guitar Hero, a

Jul 26, 2022 • 1:12:12

Jurassic World Dominion - Oof

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Melvin deliberately told Daniel not to see Jurassic World Dominion. Daniel saw it anyway. Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 27-minutes of talking about the disastrous choice for the Snyder-verse to initially invest in Ezra Miller, Amber Heard, and Jared Leto for its future. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Talking about how inconvenient Jurassic World Dominion was to our lives.The entire theater was noticeably restless during both of our theater experiences.Trying to comprehend various scenes and

Jul 19, 2022 • 1:25:21

Thor: Love and Thunder - Tripping Over Itself

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Like all good movie podcasts, we have to talk about Thor: Love and Thunder. Even if it is terrible. Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 46-minutes talking about TV-Shows: Ms. Marvel, the upcoming Echo show (feat. Daredevil), and brief discussion on Umbrella Academy (S3) (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Pitching a Gwenpool show for Disney Marvel.Did we laugh even one time during Thor: Love and Thunder?Melvin and Daniel each bring interesting observations regarding Taika Waititi as a content creator an

Jul 12, 2022 • 1:34:56

Stranger Things S4 - "There really is nothing like it!"

TV-SHOW DISCUSSION:  Did you finish Stranger Things S4 yet? Melvin and Daniel have. Tune in to hear them chat about that crazy new season, volumes 1 and 2, and their predictions for S5! And yes, we go full spoilers right from the start.Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 50-minutes of Melvin talking about his live-changing first-time watching the WWE, and a brief aside about Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Explaining the over-arching details of the massive Season 4 plotline.Mel

Jul 5, 2022 • 1:19:04

Tickled - Grippingly Awkward, Absurdly Silly, Excellent

PATREON PARTY PLEASER:  This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! In this episode you'll hear us discuss one of the single-most bizarre stories to come from the documentary world. Journalist David Farrier stumbles upon the strange world of Competitive Endurance Tickling. What ensues is a long-stretching borderline "true-crime" drama of Jane O'brien Media. Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 48-minu

Jun 28, 2022 • 1:32:34

Stranger Things S1-3 Retrospective

LET'S TALK:  Are you watching Stranger Things? Well, Melvin sure has been. He's been losing sleep over it! But, only in the best way possible. Tune in to hear Melvin and Daniel discuss Seasons 1-3 of Stranger Things in preparation for the upcoming finale of Season 4! We get into the massive cultural impact Season 1 held when it first released, the black sheep of the series that is Season 2, and the wonderfully different and significantly higher budgeted Season 3, why Steve Harrington is maybe th

Jun 21, 2022 • 1:27:29

So... About That Halo Show...

LET'S TALK: Melvin and Dan travel back in time and adventure through Halo's early popularity, the constant behind-the-scenes talks about a Halo movie, the subsequent dark phase of Halo after Bungie moves on, and how Halo continues to struggle to reach its original sky-high success. A previous, two-generation console selling franchise can't even begin to garner interest in a new streaming service, Paramount+. Why is that? Let's get into it. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Various extra video game discussions

Jun 14, 2022 • 1:19:51

Top Gun: Maverick - Everyone Loves it, Including Your Dad!

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Tom Cruise rehabilitates that Oprah interview we all remember by flying really fast. Tune in to hear more! Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 39-minutes talking about Morbius being re-released to zero fanfare, and an article from Vice about Marvel movies being content rather than art. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Top Gun: Maverick received extremely good buzz prior to release, which captured Melvin's attention.Melvin hadn't seen Top Gun before, so he shares what it was like watching

Jun 7, 2022 • 1:18:08

Archive 81 - Analog Horror & Quality Cancelations

PATREON TV-SHOW DISCUSSION:  This TV-show was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! Melvin and Dan are joined by Melvin's sister Shirleon to discuss that successful Netflix horror series Archive 81 that also got canceled despite being a sizable hit. Insane!  Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 27-minutes of discussing the Chip n' Dale: Rescue Rangers movie partially from the crew behind The Lonely Island (PATR

May 31, 2022 • 1:26:59

Moon Knight - Not Quite Weird, Not Quite Experimental

TV-SHOW DISCUSSION:  Melvin and Dan dive into that new Marvel thing featuring Oscar Isaac and Oscar Isaac and also Oscar Isaac. Wow! Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30-minutes talking about Netflix stock, loss of subscribers, and reasons behind Netflix's currently poor situation. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)For Daniel, the current baseline of Marvel content is that it's not that great, but it's also not necessarily bad, either.Discussing a bit of Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson's previous science-fiction wo

May 24, 2022 • 1:28:49

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - The Anti-No Way Home

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  As Melvin left the theater, he called it: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is going to be controversial. And, as Daniel confirms, it sure is! Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30-minutes talking about the Avatar: The Way of Water trailer. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Before getting into the specifics, Melvin shares how he felt the movie progressively becomes better and better.Daniel details how the contrasting tones will likely divide audiences, despite it being one of our positiv

May 10, 2022 • 1:31:28

CODA - A Disney Channel Original Best Picture Winner

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION:  This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!  CODA beat Don't Look Up for Best Picture, and for many people that's all that matters. But, in reality, when compared to so many other films that released in 2021, is CODA truly the Best Picture? That's the question Melvin's been wrestling with while watching CODA, and both he and Daniel discuss the films successes, failu

May 3, 2022 • 1:08:13

Thor: Love and Thunder Trailer Reaction and the Future of DC in Film

LET'S TALK:  Our first teaser for Thor: Love and Thunder released yesterday morning, so Melvin and Daniel spend some time dishing about the future of the Norse hero! Afterward, they discuss the Warner Bros. Discovery merger and what has everyone talking: what's going to happen to DC? Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Early access to uncut episodes Vote on a movie/show we review Social Links: Twitter Website Facebook Group

Apr 19, 2022 • 1:11:07

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - Gotta Go Faster!!

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Sonic's speeding back into theaters, and this time we're in agreement: Sonic the Hedgehog 2's kind of great!  Topics:Daniel reflects on how he was in the minority with Sonic the Hedgehog, but that's old news because Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is pretty good!Our theater crowds were 75% kids, 20% adults, and 10% video game nerds and podcasters.The comedy in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is more absurd and downright goofy.Sonic the Hedgehog 2 contains some extremely well-done CGI, as well as cl

Apr 12, 2022 • 1:16:48

Morbius - Skippable

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Don't see Morbius. It's pretty boring. Tune into our episode instead! Did we mention its shorter than the runtime?  Topics:Melvin explains his theory about why the trailers contain a plethora of Spider-Man easter eggs that aren't in the movie.Daniel explains some history behind the making of Morbius, and how the character has been trying to get off the ground for years.Daniel, "Is this the worst comic book film you've ever seen?"Morbius may be a vampire, but this movie really

Apr 5, 2022 • 1:15:21

The House - We Are Extremely Interested in This Podcast

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!Typically, January offers us the worst of the year, but Netflix came in clutch with an inquisitive stop-motion feature called The House. Melvin & Dan chew on each segment with curiosity, tackling how the project made them feel as a whole.Topics: As movie people, Melvin & Dan are used to being asked by others, "H

Mar 29, 2022 • 1:19:48

Redeeming Love - A Marriage of Sacred & Secular

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Before Dune, Daniel saw a trailer for Redeeming Love. After the trailer played, he leaned over to his friend and said, "I think that's supposed to be a sexy Christian movie.". So, here we are talking about that "sexy Christian movie". Boy, there sure is a lot to talk about here. Topics: Melvin compares Redeeming Love to an awkward interaction he witnessed at work. Redeeming Love contains some rather extreme and transgressive content despite having a serious lack of context. Da

Mar 22, 2022 • 1:42:51

Turning Red - Heritage, Teenagers, & Puberty: Oh My!

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Melvin & Dan talk about Pixar's latest feature film Turning Red, a film too criminally fun to be streaming only! What a shame! Topics:  Turning Red is very much a family/kid's movie, with a more direct demographic target of preteens and young teens. Some of the narrative choices frustrated Melvin, in particular the mother's lack of social awareness (in particular, the journal scene). Media produced for young girls is often overly derided for being lame. With Turning Red, it's

Mar 15, 2022 • 1:19:17

The Batman - Peak Comic Noir

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Melvin and Daniel return to the world of superheroes! In this episode they discuss the newest adaption in the long-running cinematic Batman canon. Topics: Are there too many Batmen in 2022?Production history leading up to the release of The Batman.For Melvin, there's a lot to like about The Batman in terms of adapting the noir, mystery nature of DC's greatest detective....but, there was a point when Melvin thought, "This movie is just okay." while watching it in theaters.Melvin

Mar 8, 2022 • 1:31:22

A Normie's Best & Worst of 2021

LET'S TALK:  Melvin usually sees a ton of movies from each year, but 2021 was a bit scant. Despite this, Melvin shares with Daniel his 10 favorite and least favorite movies of 2021, which looks and sounds a lot more 'normie' than 'cinephile'. All of which are subject to change as Melvin watches more movies from that year. But first they talk about the 2021 Oscars. Here's to hoping Melvin's 2022 Ranked list is more substantial.  Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! Early access to uncut episodes

Mar 1, 2022 • 1:25:43

Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Thanks, I Hate It

MOVIE DISCUSSION: No better way for content creators to return than to complain about things they don't like! Join Melvin and Daniel as they tear into the latest entry in the Texas Chainsaw franchise!Topics: Melvin and Daniel are not massive fans of the Texas Chainsaw franchise, but for different reasons. However, they both like the 1974 film, with it being one of Melvin's top 4 films (as of recording).Discussing the production behind the Texas Chainsaw franchise, as well as Fede Alvarez who pro

Feb 23, 2022 • 1:25:21

Hiatus Prayers and Computer Problems

LET'S TALK: The hiatus is over! Thanks to some surprise computer issues, Melvin wasn't able to record or produce the podcast. Or do anything with his computer! Nice! However, that's all resolved so the podcast is back! During our time away, the Lord had lots on our plate. In this Let's Talk episode, Daniel shares his most recent COVID-scare in which his father became dangerously ill with the virus. He shares the difficulty of caring for his family, preaching at his father's church, and enduring

Feb 21, 2022 • 24:13

Free Guy - Summer Blockbuster in Winter!

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION:  This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! 2021 is over! Well, almost! Tune into this last episode of Cinematic Doctrine for 2021 with the last Patreon Pick of the year! Patreon Supporters didn't disappoint with their votes, and we're happy to discuss the Summer Blockbuster Free Guy!  Topics: Melvin and Daniel's experience with video games, and how their gaming his

Dec 28, 2021 • 1:13:41

Spider-Man: No Way Home - Super Spider Bros.

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  2021's most anticipated feature has finally released, and it's destroying the box office! Critic ratings are through the roof, and audiences are exploding with joy! Melvin and Daniel briefly share their non-spoiler thoughts on No Way Home before expanding heavily with everything that comes with the Spider-Man territory! Topics: Melvin and Daniel answer three non-spoiler based questions to qualify their experience with Spider-Man: No Way Home.Getting into No Way Home's plotline

Dec 21, 2021 • 1:49:21

Is Cinematic Doctrine a Christian Movie Podcast?

LET'S TALK:    This is probably our most important episode, ever. From the start, Daniel shares some concern about how we don't always jump into more Christian topics, but Melvin is quick to calm his nerves about how he views the podcast as a whole. Following this, the two discuss a series of deeply important topics regarding Christ-like freedom, engaging culture with patience and maturity, and the complexity of artistic communication. This episode is filled to the brim with self-reflection, and

Dec 14, 2021 • 37:40

The Marc Webb Spider-Man Duology

LET'S TALK:  With two weeks left before the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, fans have countless questions they're waiting to see answered. Will the Webb Duology finally see closure in No Way Home? Is Tobey Maguire returning as Spider-Man full time? Will Paul Giamatti be the Rhino we've always wanted? What will happen to Tom Holland? There's so much anticipation! But, before we can dive into No Way Home, we need to catch up on Marc Webb's black-sheep duology, a strange two-film entry into the

Dec 7, 2021 • 1:05:08

Dear Evan Hansen (Part 3) - The Anti-Bojack Horseman

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION:This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!A few days after recording for Dear Evan Hansen, Daniel felt compelled to expand upon certain topics we discussed. As such, here's Cinematic Doctrine's third and final installment of their Dear Evan Hansen series. Considering the complex subject matter of the film, there's some additional perspective and background Daniel fel

Dec 2, 2021 • 20:51

Dear Evan Hansen (Part 2) - Problematic, Incomplete, Dangerous

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION:This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!In part 2 of their Dear Evan Hansen discussion, Melvin & Dan figure out where Dear Evan Hansen went wrong, Daniel loses his mind, and they share conflicting perspectives on the film overall. Topics:Discussing the incomplete, inconsequential ending to Dear Evan Hansen.Daniel, "This is the most selfish, self-centered take on Me

Dec 1, 2021 • 1:08:05

Dear Evan Hansen (Part 1) - 2021's Movie Punching Bag

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!Dear Evan Hansen is our most expensive episode. Coming in at a whopping $35 for rentals, as well as 2.5 hours' worth of content, we truly have spent far too much on this episode. But it's all worth it for our Patreon Supporters! We love you all, and that's why we spend this first of three episodes discussing some of the hist

Nov 30, 2021 • 56:24

The Sam Raimi Spider-Man Trilogy

LET'S TALK: In preparation for what they've jokingly referred to as Spider-Man: Endgame, Melvin and Dan take a moment to reflect on the Sam Raimi trilogy that started the theatrical Spider-Man craze! Join the two of them as they dive deep into these amazing films, what makes them hold up so well after all these years, and how Spider-Man 3 really isn't as bad as we all sort of think it was.Note: We do NOT discuss leaks for Spider-Man: No Way Home but we DO discuss how the leaks have happened.Supp

Nov 23, 2021 • 1:25:26

Dune (2021) - Succeeds Where Eternals Fails

MOVIE DISCUSSION: It's never too late to talk about good movies, and both Daniel and Melvin are finally ready to get philosophical and heady with Dennis Villeneuve's latest feature!Topics: Introducing Dune.Dune is a science-fiction fan's science-fiction.Villeneuve captures the awestruck nature of mindfulness, how simply existing and observing the world cultivates a healthy and comfortable smallness.Dune doesn't require rewatches, but they do benefit the richness of its characters.The movie is po

Nov 16, 2021 • 1:26:52

Eternals - Certified Rotten

MOVIE DISCUSSION: No time wasted. An earthquake in the MCU has taken place: a rotten score! It's sort of all anyone is talking about, and Melvin & Dan take their turns sharing complaints, frustrations and irritations (a la that 2+ hour runtime). Even so, tune in and hear their thoughts through this wildly strange addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Topics: Trying to explain what Eternals is about.Immediate plot issues, such as there only being 10 Eternals versus a planet wide infestation

Nov 10, 2021 • 1:39:44

Dune Episode When, Zoomer Youth Group and Media, Eternals Certified Rotten??

LET'S TALK:  Daniel hasn't watched Dune yet because Melvin told him his first time seeing Dune shouldn't be through HBOmax, so look forward to a Dune discussion episode in the future. They also talk about that movie Daniel recommended a few episodes ago, There's Someone Inside Your House, and if the Zoomers in his youth group would understand the movie since it's definitely a Zoomer-centric flick (while also talking about the bizarre nature of Youth Group, its failings, and curiosities). And las

Nov 2, 2021 • 52:30

Halloween Kills - Deliciously Divisive

MOVIE DISCUSSION:   Happy Halloween! In this extra episode of the podcast, Melvin & Dan discuss the latest entry in the Halloween franchise! If you've been a part of the online discussion, or at least aware of how people feel about Halloween Kills, then you're in for a treat! Daniel didn't like Halloween Kills, but Melvin did! Thus begins some great Halloween banter! Topics: Melvin really wants to talk about Halloween Kills, so they waste no time and jump right into it.Chronicling the various ca

Oct 29, 2021 • 1:44:56

Over the Garden Wall - A Dream-Like Fairy-Tale of Fear

PATREON TV-SHOW DISCUSSION: This TV-show was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!Melvin & Daniel talk about the animated modern cult-classic Over the Garden Wall, a story about two brothers who get lost in the woods.Topics: Daniel not only looked forward to discussing Over the Garden Wall, he remembers eagerly watching the show when it initially aired.Also, Daniel recently had a watch party with some

Oct 26, 2021 • 1:06:02

Nightbooks and Family-Friendly Horror Movies

LET'S TALK:  Daniel was tasked with finding a not-so-scary horror movie to watch with friends. So, he ventured into the Netflix unknown to watch Nightbooks. Surprised by it's balance between family-friendly and outright-scary sequences, Daniel couldn't help but jump behind a microphone and share his thoughts on this wildly strange kids horror flick. Then, Melvin talks about other kid/teen horror flicks that are fun for the whole family, or simply hit other demographics among youth and teens that

Oct 22, 2021 • 48:42

Ernest Scared Stupid - Chris Staron and Halloween Hijinks

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  TrucePodcast.com Chris Staron of Truce Podcast joins Melvin to talk Ernest Scared Stupid, the movie Melvin kept talking about during their last episode together, Ernest Saves Christmas!   Topics: Chris Staron tells us about Truce Podcast, his award-winning Christian show about how the Christian church has gotten where it is, and how it can do better. Melvin relives some library/Blockbuster nostalgia with rewatching Ernest Scared Stupid. Introducing Ernest Scared Stupid [13:31]

Oct 19, 2021 • 1:14:47

What If...? - A Chaotic Episode for a Chaotic Show

TV-SHOW DISCUSSION: Melvin & Dan discuss yet another Marvel property, because I guess that's what the Film & TV industry is now. Topics: The comic history behind What If...? How the animation, and that first episode, are kinda terrible. How What If...? permits more risk with Marvel characters and concepts, especially with episode 3 onward. Melvin loves the trope of a character who observes but cannot interact (or, should not). Will certain episodes get sequels? Like, will we see Zombie Thanos fi

Oct 12, 2021 • 1:00:10

Venom: Let There Be Carnage - It's Embarrassing and Weird

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Melvin & Dan waste no time with banter and jump right into discussing Sony's latest Marvel feature, Venom: Let There Be Carnage!Topics: Daniel reviews the new Venom track by Eminem. Melvin suspects Venom: Let There Be Carnage will be the worst movie the two of them discuss on the podcast.Both Melvin & Dan each had a moment while watching Venom: Let There Be Carnage where they covered their faces with embarrassment.Critics seem to be embracing Venom: Let There Be Carnage, warts

Oct 5, 2021 • 1:24:04

ParaNorman - How it Feels to be Weird and Lonely

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION:  This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! In this wholesome Halloween episode of the Cinematic Doctrine podcast, Melvin & Dan talk about one of Laika's several family-friendly horror-animated features, ParaNorman!  Topics: Daniel gets into a car accident, and contemplates how several of his peers from Bible college and ministry are leaving or struggling with their

Sep 28, 2021 • 1:09:22

Malignant - Pulpy Horror Mystery with a Killer Third Act

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Malignant's been the talk of the town lately, and Melvin & Dan couldn't wait to finally jump on this crazy new horror flick from acclaimed director James Wan! Tune into this laughter-filled episode where the two discuss one of the wildest movies they've covered for Cinematic Doctrine! However, tread carefully with this episode! Both of us recommend checking the movie out (if fun violent horror-mysteries are your thing) before having the plot spoiled! It's a great payoff if you'

Sep 21, 2021 • 1:35:14

Candyman (2021) - Black Gaslighting, Exploitation, and Gentrification

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Melvin & Dan discuss the latest entry in the Candyman franchise, a series whose first film is far more artful than its horror-icon counterparts. Candyman (2021) continues its original's themes of uniquely racial struggles and readopts them for the modern age in a thoroughly complex manner, covering topics as wide as gentrification, art exploitation, Black self-exploitation, and a continued theme of cultural gaslighting that sits comfortably beside the original's n

Sep 14, 2021 • 1:16:32

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - Martial Arts and Future Hopes

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Melvin & Dan rushed to the movie theater to catch the latest Marvel picture, because that's what every good little movie podcast is supposed to do! From enjoying martial arts to pondering the future of Phase Four, and ending with some pipe dreams, check out this episode of Cinematic Doctrine! Topics: Melvin pitches to Daniel an opening for Season 10 Episode 1 of The Office. Daniel talks about how his theater screening for Shang-Chi  was better than Black Widow, except for one

Sep 7, 2021 • 1:23:28

I Can Only Imagine - A Monumental Song, A Serviceable Movie

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION:  This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! Daniel shares his extensive thoughts on Donda, the new Kanye album, which segways well into discussing one of Christian music's most prominent songs, I Can Only Imagine, and the movie that shares its name. From setting the stage with the world of CCM, to I Can Only Imagine's release and world domination, then finally right

Aug 31, 2021 • 1:29:39

Canon, Continuity, and the Tommy Westphall Universe Hypothesis

LET'S TALK: In their debut episode of Let's Talk, a topical discussion format for Cinematic Doctrine, Melvin and Daniel discuss the concept of narrative canon (or, fictional continuity), whether an over-reliance on canon is necessary for enjoying a fictional property like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and how nearly all of American movies and television is a part of the Tommy Westphall Universe Hypothesis. Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! Early access to uncut episodesVote on a movie/show w

Aug 24, 2021 • 1:05:31

The Chosen (S1) - Depictions of Jesus & Media Literacy

TV-SHOW DISCUSSION: Melvin & Dan can finally say "Yes" to the question "Have you watched The Chosen?".Topics:The Chosen's strength lies in its source material, similar to a comic-book movie or book adaption.Daniel's felt The Chosen was overhyped for him, and he was waiting for the show to be "amazing" like he'd heard so much about.Despite the shows occasional problematic depiction of historical events, The Chosen reveals to us more about who Creator Dallas Jenkins and co. are than Jesus or any o

Aug 17, 2021 • 1:29:44

Masters of the Universe: Revelation (P1) - Critics vs. Fans, A Tale as Old as Time

TV-SHOW DISCUSSION:  Melvin and Daniel discuss the highly divisive new installment in the Masters of the Universe franchise. Topics: After restarting Arrested Development (again x16+), Melvin wonders what it would be like for the Russo brothers to return to comedy. Daniel imagines their return to the MCU for a Marvel Comedy procedural. Introducing Masters of the Universe: Revelation (S1E1-5) [8:38] Basically, Kevin Smith and his group of friends wrote/produced MotU:R and that got Daniel really i

Aug 10, 2021 • 1:33:16

Bo Burnham: Inside - A Musical Memoir about Mental Health, the Internet, and 2020

COMEDY SPECIAL DISCUSSION:  TW: Mental Health, Suicide Melvin and Daniel discuss deteriorating mental health, content creation, the internet, and comedy. They also discuss being honest with one another, and the difficult necessity of vulnerability.  Topics: Daniel gets stuck in a church bathroom, enjoys his wedding anniversary, and talks about his Bo Burnham Bacon-number. Introducing Bo Burnham: Inside [7:12] Inside is a snapshot of what it’s like to exist online during the 2020 coronavirus pand

Aug 3, 2021 • 1:25:49

The Queen's Gambit - Peak Feminist Cinema

PATREON TV-SHOW DISCUSSION:  This TV-Show was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! Melvin does a lukewarm open, and Daniel talks about how he followed a bunch of Christian twitter accounts of people who were in the American Gospel: Christ Alone documentary only to find they're more interested in posting about masks than things related to the Bible. Then they talk about The Queen's Gambit, it's strong

Jul 27, 2021 • 1:23:38

Loki (S1) - Self-Love and Reflection, and Cultural Observation

TV-SHOW DISCUSSION:  Melvin and Daniel talk about spilled coffee, Space Jam: A New Legacy, and Britney Spears. Then they discuss their enjoyment of Loki, it's expert balance of tone and theme, the Christian response to fiction containing things they don't like, and implications for the Marvel multiverse in future installments. Topics:Melvin has two cold-opens: one about Space Jam: A New Legacy and the other about Britney Spears. Daniel chooses the "I-Spilled-My-Coffee-While-Recording" option. Th

Jul 20, 2021 • 1:32:12

Black Widow - A Middling Marvel Movie

MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Melvin and Daniel talk about what it's like to be back in the theater (officially), how Black Widow compares to the multiple Marvel Mini-series, and how Black Widow feels a bit like two movies at once that don't always work together. Topics: Daniel, "This was my first movie back in the theaters." Discussing the trailers seen before Black Widow Introducing Black Widow [14:17] Trying to figure out the purpose of this movie apart from it simply being a Black Widow stand-alone fli

Jul 12, 2021 • 1:32:53

Invincible (S1) - Brilliantly Complex and Intensely Human

TV-SHOW DISCUSSION:  Melvin and Daniel talk about Invincible, the crazy popular and occasionally ultra-violent animated superhero show on Amazon Prime. Topics: Why we’re talking about Invincible despite the fact we were planning to talk about Bo Burnham: Inside Introducing Invincible [7:41] Baseline, non-spoilery reasons why Melvin and Daniel found Invincible so compelling Invincible masterfully employs a brilliant hook to create pervasive suspense Open, total-spoiler reasons why Invincible is s

Jul 5, 2021 • 1:24:32

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier - Too Much Too Little

TV-SHOW DISCUSSION: Daniel’s been thinking too much about streaming services and spends 15 minutes ruminating on what worries him the most, and then the two discuss The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and its complex metaphorical stand-ins. Also, they complain about the last episode because everyone has complained about the last episode.Topics:Daniel’s existential dread over streaming services……but Melvin feels VUDU solves that existentialism.Melvin, “What’s your fear, then? Like, what’s your fear

Jun 28, 2021 • 1:08:11

WandaVision - A (Marvel) Grief Observed

TV-SHOW DISCUSSION:  In this episode, Melvin and Daniel talk about the first Phase Four property from the MCU, WandaVision, and how grief maintains the through line of the show.Topics:Melvin got sunburn in the shadeIntroducing WandaVisionHow Daniel watched a ton of TVLand and was prepared for WandaVisionWandaVision is a genuinely risky Disney Marvel projectHow Melvin loved the melancholy tone and metatextual content within WandaVisionThe Evan Peters fan theory/controversy and the disparity betwe

Jun 21, 2021 • 1:12:33

Inside Out - How Emotions Put the Podcast on Hiatus

MOVIE DISCUSSION: On our return episode of the podcast, we discuss a much-loved Pixar flick from a few years ago, as well as the reason Cinematic Doctrine was on hiatus for so long. Topics:Podcasting nonsense Introducing ‘Inside Out’ Why Melvin picked ‘Inside Out’ and how it relates to the hiatus How Daniel also caught ‘Inside Out’ at a pivotal time in his life Emotions are indicators of our needs (i.e. sadness = external alert to others) How Melvin and Daniel are not worrying about Spoilers any

Jun 14, 2021 • 56:31

Long Hiatus Underway

Due to a personal emergency, the Cinematic Doctrine podcast will be taking a long hiatus. We intend to come back with new content at a later date, but because of our circumstances, things will have to be put on hold for an undefined length of time. We apologize for this, and will be pausing all Patreon billing cycles until further notice. In other words, Patreon Supporters will not be charged, and we encourage fans not to join the Patreon at this time. Unfortunately, this also means that January

Jan 29, 2021 • 1:18

The Mandalorian (S2) - ShatterCast Loves Star Wars

TV-SHOW DISCUSSION: In a year without movies, film fans had television. In a year with television, everyone anticipated the release of The Mandalorian Season Two. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t one of my most anticipated projects of the 2020, and I think it’s safe to say it didn’t disappoint. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We have a lot to get into with this episode, and right off the bat Derrick Whitmore from ShatterCast gets into one of his famous positive-and-negative lists, while Jo

Jan 7, 2021 • 1:31:33

MMN: Warner Media's Industry-Changing Decision

MONTHLY MOVIE NEWS: In this episode, Melvin, Daniel, and Carter talk about the huge Warner Bros. news that their entire movie release schedule for 2021 would launch not only in theaters but also on HBOMax the same day. That’s wild news that shakes the movie industry to its core, so they speculate on how this decision came to fruition, what it means for the future of theaters, and if the general movie watcher will jump at the opportunity to visit the theater once vaccines are widely distributed a

Dec 31, 2020 • 57:02

TT: Loki, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, What If...?

TRAILER TALK: Carter and Melvin chat several upcoming Disney properties: Ms Marvel, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, and What If…?. Also, they chat about two Star Wars shows: Star Wars: The Bad Batch and Andor. Also, Melvin kept calling the show Andor, “Cassian”. So, if you hear him talking about a show called "Cassian", that one doesn’t exist. Andor exists. Or, at least, in 2022 it does. Patreon: http://bit.ly/CinDocPatreon Website: CinematicDoctrine.com Email: CinematicDoctrine@Gmail.c

Dec 29, 2020 • 52:22

Onward - The Magic of Family & Self-Sacrifice

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! Advertised as Pixar’s return to a release schedule of original properties, lots of people had high hopes for Onward. Then, Coronavirus ruined everything, as we’ve known it to do, and theaters shut down roughly two weeks after it’s theater debut. Soon, Disney saved the day by making it available to the masses soon after, and

Dec 24, 2020 • 59:01

Update and Tenet Episode

PODCAST UPDATE: Quick episode detailing the content we're producing for the end of the year (special Quibi episode, Trailer Talk, Monthly Movie News, and Patreon Supporter chosen film), as well as pointing you lovely people to our Tenet podcast episode and written post from September!Tenet Episode: https://bit.ly/TenetCinDoc Tenet Written Review: https://bit.ly/TenetDemandsARewatch Patreon: http://bit.ly/CinDocPatreon Website: CinematicDoctrine.com Email: CinematicDoctrine@Gmail.com Twitter: htt

Dec 15, 2020 • 5:37

Ernest Saves Christmas - Chris Staron and Slapstick Silliness

MOVIE DISCUSSION: I love Chris Staron and I love Truce Podcast, so of course I had him back on the show this Christmas season to talk about one of his favorite Christmas flicks (and that's after chatting one of his favorite musicals!). When he suggested we chat Ernest Saves Christmas, I jumped at the opportunity to revisit Jim Varney’s classic character. I don’t typically throw this term around much, but rewatching Ernest Saves Christmas was very wholesome, and reminded me of the comfort one can

Dec 10, 2020 • 1:18:34

Jiu Jitsu - A Messy Martial Arts Misfire

MOVIE DISCUSSION: October saw the release of this wild martial arts trailer about Nicolas Cage training warriors to fight aliens. That alone set Twitter aflame, and even Cinematic Doctrine’s website saw increased traffic from our write-up on the site. Jiu Jitsu looked crazy fun. People punching and kicking to stop an alien warrior invader? Sign us up!And then… we watched it. And boy, Daniel and I sure have some thoughts! We’re no stranger to camp, let-alone Nicolas Cage camp, but Jiu Jitsu’s ove

Dec 2, 2020 • 1:03:39

The Santa Clause - My Wife Cheers when Tim Allen Kills Santa

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! First things first: thanks so much for your patience with this Patreon voted episode! It’s been a while since we’ve had a perfectly normal chance to produce a perfectly normal episode, and I can tell you from our side of things that this is a huge blessing. So, we hope this episode is as enjoyable for you as it was for us!

Nov 25, 2020 • 1:01:06

The Mandalorian (S1) - How Slow-Paced Character Building Isn't "Filler", You're Just Droning

REBROADCAST TV-SHOW REVIEW: Enjoy this rebroadcast of an early 2020 episode on The Mandalorian Season One and how some of its criticism for being 'slow' sparked an interesting thought process on how good things are worth waiting for.The Mandalorian is Rated TV-PG. It has no detailed certificate, so here's a Melvin certificate: Sci-fi action through-out, and brief mild language. It features Pedro Pascal, Carl Weathers, Gina Carano, Werner Herzog, Nick Nolte, Taika Waititi, and Giancarlo Esposito.

Nov 18, 2020 • 34:22

Enola Holmes - The Gender Discussion Episode

MOVIE DISCUSSION: If I’m being honest, I’ve always found it strange that Sherlock Holmes is as popular as he is. Like, as a property. I guess I understand the lasting appeal. Mysteries are always a good time if you don’t have them spoiled. Maybe it’s just that I don’t remember enjoying the Robert Downey Jr. Sherlock Holmes’ movies, or that my interest in the BBC Sherlock waned drastically as the series continued. Also, and I even mention this in the episode, I don’t like snarky lead characters.

Nov 13, 2020 • 1:06:44

MMN: AMC Tries to Survive, 'Soul' on Disney Plus, Speculative Distribution Changes

MONTHLY MOVIE NEWS: To kick things off, Carter and I discuss the continued strain that is 2020 on movie theaters, and how AMC is looking to make some major changes regarding it’s stocks and, what I predict, will be its assets due to the direction things are headed. Carter also shares insight on how stocks function, because I only know so much about them, and how people like me should view them. Then we discuss Disney’s change from releasing Pixar’s upcoming film Soul from theaters to Disney Plus

Nov 6, 2020 • 1:01:29

TT: Monster Hunter, Mank, Jiu Jitsu

TRAILER TALK: To kick things off, Carter and I talk about Monster Hunter, and how this is not the first Capcom licensed property to hit the big screen from director Paul W.S. Anderson, nor starring Milla Jovovich. And, frankly, we don’t think it will be the last. Even so, we have a good time chatting about our… reserved thoughts on Monster Hunter, whether we even like big-monster movies to begin with, and if fans of the video game will be satisfied with what this movie has to offer. Then we talk

Nov 3, 2020 • 58:41

God Convicted Me with 'Last Shift', and I Must Fear God Over Man

PATREON MOVIE REVIEW (SORT OF): Tune in to this unconventional episode for clarification, transparency, and an apology I owe our Patreon Supporters - and you, the listener - for not properly vetting 'Last Shift',  the movie that won the Patreon-Poll for October. Patreon: http://bit.ly/CinDocPatreon Website: CinematicDoctrine.com Email: CinematicDoctrine@Gmail.com Twitter: http://bit.ly/CineDoctrineTwitter Instagram: http://bit.ly/CineDoctrineInsta Facebook: http://bit.ly/FBCinDoc Support the sho

Oct 29, 2020 • 19:46

Killer Camp - Real Life "Among Us" with Real Life Consequences

TV-SHOW DISCUSSION: Due to the Coronavirus pandemic there are a lot of films and tv-shows that aren’t producing right now. Not only that, just before the shutdown, a looming writer’s strike was coming in Hollywood, which meant scripted television was going to have a slump. With this in mind, most production companies embrace reality-television as a means for cheap, unscripted, and quickly produced content. This is why you can have some wild shows like The Masked Singer or I Can See Your Voice, t

Oct 23, 2020 • 1:06:02

Sinister - Home Videos Hide Horrible Histories

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Are you enjoying your October? I know I am! It’s been nice watching the leaves change their color, have a chilly breeze flow through the open windows, and eat copious amounts of candy when nobody’s looking. I’ve eaten… just… so many Crunch bars. Last week we had a great time talking with Logan Sharp of The Reformed Gamers about the South Korean zombie film, Train to Busan. This week, we’re comin’ back state-side for Sinister, another fun, accessible, and tame horror flick that

Oct 15, 2020 • 1:08:16

Train to Busan - The Reformed Gamers Treasuring Trains and Zombies

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Logan from The Reformed Gamers has previously joined us here at Cinematic Doctrine to talk about everybody’s favorite video game movie, Super Mario Bros., which was an amazing experience if I do say-so myself! And while we had an absolute grand time recollecting the bizarre experience of watching such an absolute train-wreck of a film, Logan and I are excited to talk about another film that’s a different kind of train-wreck. You know, the kind that isn’t bad, because there’s li

Oct 7, 2020 • 1:13:06

TT: WandaVision, Dune, The Mandalorian Season Two

TRAILER TALK: First off, Carter and I dig into WandaVision, the first new property to release in the much-loved Marvel Cinematic Universe! Carter and I dig into the mystery surrounding this strange trailer that seems to only give us just enough without giving us too much, but what we get is awesome. A weird, pseudo retro sitcom with superheroes trying to fit in, paired alongside some typical Sci-Fi fighting action? Sounds great! Then, we take a look at Warner Bros. next big blockbuster, Dune! Fi

Oct 4, 2020 • 1:03:49

Tenet - The Predestination Episode

MOVIE DISCUSSION: There’s this running gag in film communities about how if you join a film course in college and the teacher asks everyone their favorite director, 9 out of 10 students will answer Nolan or Tarantino. It’s a little cynical, since mostly the joke is aimed at people who cinephiles would say “like movies” but don’t really “watch movies”. In other words, they check out tentpole films and blockbusters but they’re not really digging into the community that much. That’s all well and go

Sep 30, 2020 • 1:31:45

She Dies Tomorrow - Anxiety is Infectious, Sympathy is Key

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Hey guys, just wanted to let you know this episode delves into a very difficult topic, including content that might otherwise be uncomfortable, offensive, and triggering to those listening. As such, I have marked this episode explicit in the shownotes. In this episode, Daniel and I take some time setting the groundwork for this tonally challenging film, giving you some details on the content within. It may seem a bit abrasive, but we promise we wouldn’t be covering the movie if

Sep 16, 2020 • 1:13:10

TT: The Batman, Zack Snyder's Justice League, WW84

TRAILER TALK: First up, the excitement of a new Batman movie gets Daniel and I talking about martial arts, various practices, and our hands-on experience in self-defense. Then, we discuss the new Wonder Woman 84 trailer, how this latest marketing bid left Daniel and me a tad unimpressed, and the skeleton in the closet that is Wonder Woman’s initial comic-book conception. Afterward, we discuss the mythical Snydercut, or as is now officially titled, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and see what it is

Sep 9, 2020 • 1:15:49

An American Pickle - Two Seth Rogans for the Price of One!

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: This movie was selected by our patron supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! 2020 has been a year where new movies are a hard to come by. But, as cinephiles persevere, more movies arrive! This time around, we’re checking out a new Seth Rogan led comedy where we have not one but two Seth Rogan’s to enjoy. Whether you think that’s the best thing in the world or the absolute worst, well, I guess that’s

Aug 27, 2020 • 1:11:39

A Ghost Story - On Time, Grief, and Interpreting Media

MOVIE DISCUSSION: We’ve been covering an obscene amount of Disney productions lately what-with the Marvel films and two Disney Plus exclusives – Hamilton and Stargirl respectively – so I think it’s safe to say we’re ready to move away from Disney for a while. Or, as long as we can, because Disney clearly has a hold on the market. We’ll inevitably get back to it, but we want to head into more independent and creative atmospheres, and that’s where A Ghost Story comes in. In this episode of the pod

Aug 21, 2020 • 1:06:33

Stargirl - Discussing Adaptions and Christ's Joy in Kindness

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Earlier in 2020, Disney Plus gained a new PG-Rated addition in Stargirl, the film adaption of Jerry Spinelli’s much-loved 2000 young-adult fiction novel of the same name. Having found a copy of novel at a used book store, I figured I’d read it, text my sister about doing the same, and the two of us could take some time to chat about the film adaption, as well as the book, here on the podcast. So, as we get things underway, we contextualize our experience with the film adaption

Aug 17, 2020 • 1:10:10

MMN: Ambler Theater Interview, Supporting Local Venues, Tenet Codependency

MONTHLY MOVIE NEWS: Our first segment is an interview with the Ambler Theater, a local venue in my area to hear about their story during COVID-19, how they’ve responded to it, how it’s affected their community, and how people can help. While you’ll be hearing about how things are being handled in my community, I hope that it’s a helpful jumpstart to how you can begin thinking about your local community and how you can help. Immediately after, Carter and I will discuss what’s heard in the intervi

Aug 4, 2020 • 1:21:16

Hamilton - Chris Staron Total Geek Out

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: This movie was selected by our patron supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! Chris Staron is the creator of Truce, the award-winning Christian podcast that looks at history to deep dive into the Christian Church. You’re going to hear more about him and his work when you press that play button - and all of it is such good stuff - but my goodness, after hearing his podcast, I just had to have him on th

Jul 29, 2020 • 1:38:47

The Avengers - ShatterCast Phase One Finale and Retrospective

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Longtime listeners of the Cinematic Doctrine podcast may recognize the names Derrick Whitmore and John Weiand. In July of 2019, I was in Florida visiting Derrick about his non-profit organization Shattered Studios. During that trip, I appeared in an episode of their Christian pop-culture podcast ShatterCast discussing Spider-Man: Far From Home. You can find the episode on their YouTube channel for ShatterCast and, apart from seeing what I look like in real life, you’ll also cat

Jul 24, 2020 • 1:17:00

Captain America: The First Avenger - Half Pure, Half Schlock

MOVIE DISCUSSION: In case you didn’t already notice, Cinematic Doctrine has been going through Phase One of the MCU, and while you’ll see we took a momentary break to discuss our Patreon-voted episode on America Gospel: Christ Alone, as well as catch up on our monthly segments Trailer Talk and Monthly Movie News, we returned with a discussion on Thor and are now getting closer and closer to The Avengers. But first, here we are, ready to talk about one more film before the big climax: Captain Ame

Jul 15, 2020 • 1:26:44

Thor - Brad Bates and Asking if the Past Defines Us

MOVIE DISCUSSION: As I’ve become more engaged in Christian podcasting communities I’ve come to enjoy finding new podcasts that really speak to me, and The Angry Christian Podcast is one such show that’s kept my interest. While one might think The Angry Christian Podcast is nothing more than some bent-outta-shape Christians complaining about life’s inconveniences, it’s the opposite! It’s Christians fighting for the fruit of the Spirit amidst angering and difficult times, and because of their will

Jul 8, 2020 • 1:04:22

MMN: VOD, Masks in Theaters, Gone with the Wind

MONTHLY MOVIE NEWS: Like our recently revived Trailer Talk monthly segment, Daniel and I decided to use this time for Monthly Movie News to involve a bit more than simply news from the month of June… Because it’s been several months since our last episode. Our first topic on the docket is the booming trend of Video-on-Demand popularity. With movies like Trolls: World Tour, Capone, and many others seeing success skipping the theaters and landing on streaming services such as Amazon Prime and Vudu

Jul 4, 2020 • 1:27:43

TT: The King's Man, Bill & Ted 3, Connected

TRAILER TALK: Welcome back to Trailer Talk! Cinematic Doctrine’s monthly segment in which my cohost Daniel and I talk about trailers that released in the past month. At least, that was our typical practice… but everything shut down mid-March, Daniel’s work-week skyrocketed, and I got super sick… Plus, movie trailers stopped coming out.  Until now! 3.5 months later, Daniel and I have been able to accrue enough movie trailers to return with a proper, well-deserved Trailer Talk, and we’re really ha

Jul 1, 2020 • 1:14:09

Quarantine Binge: What We've Been Watching

BONUS EPISODE: So this was a segment originally intended for June 2020’s Monthly Movie News where Daniel and I start the episode by giving you a quick catch-up on what we’ve been doing, watching, all that jazz, now that we’re able to get back into a steady rhythm of recording. However, the two of us (and by two of us, I mean Daniel) went a little long talking about all the movies and shows we’ve been watching, as well as sharing our motivation for what we’ve been watching during such a, keyword

Jun 29, 2020 • 49:09

American Gospel: Christ Alone - Challenging, Empowering, Overwhelming

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: This movie was selected by our patron supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! American Gospel: Christ Alone has been a word-of-mouth juggernaut in Christian circles both online and offline. I remember the impact it had on social media Reformed groups back in 2018, and I even remember when my pastor was recommending it at the pulpit during morning announcements. It was crazy. Now, in 2020, it’s landed

Jun 23, 2020 • 1:24:26

Iron Man 2 - Caleb Young and Enjoying Things that Stink

MOVIE DISCUSSION: As Cinematic Doctrine works our way through reviewing Phase One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we couldn’t help but bring back Caleb to talk about Iron Man 2, which at the time of release was the highly anticipated sequel to 2008’s total breakout film, Iron Man. Caleb hails from The Polymath Roundtable, a semi-weekly Christian podcast that produces bite-sized reviews and topical discussions on all sorts of media. Some episodes he is talking about movies, other’s he’s discuss

Jun 16, 2020 • 1:26:04

The Incredible Hulk - A Strange Anomaly in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Funnily enough, Daniel and I recorded this a few weeks ago and had stepped away disappointed. We felt it wasn’t very good, but when you have deadlines to meet you gotta do with what you have. Then I started editing the episode and thought to myself, “You know what, this episode isn’t that bad!” So there you have it. Quote me on it! This episode isn’t that bad! I’m, of course, joking around. It really did turn out well, but the circumstances of recording were difficult. I had ju

Jun 10, 2020 • 1:04:42

Iron Man - Caleb Young and Revisiting an Old Friend

MOVIE DISCUSSION: We here at Cinematic Doctrine are happy to kick off a series of reviews on Phase One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From Iron Man to The Avengers, we’ll be looking at each film and discussing them one by one, and along the way we’ve decided to bring on a few guests from other Christian podcasts, starting with Caleb Young. Caleb hosts the popular Polymath Roundtable, a Christian podcast that produces bite-sized reviews and topical discussions on all sorts of media. Some episo

Jun 5, 2020 • 1:36:28

Tigertail - Carter Bennett on Overcoming Pride and the Immigrant Experience

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: This movie was selected by our patron supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! Tigertail released on Netflix around the beginning of that big worldwide event that I can't type out without algorithms blacklisting my website, and while there were two Netflix properties released around that time with the word “tiger” in it, Tigertail really got the short end of the stick. I guess when you get right down t

May 30, 2020 • 1:02:21

Samson - How My Wife Got Me To Watch This Despite Us Knowing Better

MOVIE DISCUSSION: I’ve been bouncing around the idea of having Kathryn join me for an episode of Cinematic Doctrine for quite some time, and finally, a year since creating the podcast, the two of us have settled on a film to review together. Samson, or any Pureflix film for that matter, was not necessarily a film we ever thought we would jump on for this opportunity, but as you will hear later in the episode, the timing was surprisingly perfect. And with Samson streaming on Netflix, it only made

May 17, 2020 • 1:12:05

I Am Legend - Carter Bennett on Will Smith, Zombies, and Community

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Just before calling the hiatus, I had Carter Bennett of Film_Junkie_Reviews join me on the Cinematic Doctrine podcast for a fun discussion of the popular Will Smith film, I Am Legend! Rather than have everyone, including Carter, wait a few weeks before the release of this episode, I figured I'd dredge up what energy I had during this quarantine to produce this last episode to its completion. Back-pain be darned to heck and back, I will get this episode out! So here it is in all

Apr 13, 2020 • 1:12:45

To All the Boys I've Loved Before - The Teen Drama/Dating/Romance Episode

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: This movie was selected by my patron supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! Out of the last few discussion episodes we’ve had here on Cinematic Doctrine, I must say going through this episode was a real treat. Prepping for this episode was a little difficult as the few discussion points we approached with To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before seemed as though they wouldn’t spark any worthwhile or meaty d

Mar 24, 2020 • 1:18:37

Super Mario Bros. - The Reformed Gamers and Reliving Trauma

PARTY PLEASER: Logan Sharp of The Reformed Gamers has been an incredibly helpful guide during my podcasting venture. Apart from his many years of podcasting experience, his heart overflows with wisdom and knowledge that has helped me to understand deeper what it is to be a Christian engaging culture in such an explicit manner. And it's because of his strong kindness that I couldn't help but take advantage of it and demand we discuss one of the worst video game movies, if not the worst video game

Mar 17, 2020 • 1:00:44

Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives - Accessible and Amazing

REPOST MOVIE REVIEW: Happy Friday the 13th! Yep, you guessed it, we're reviewing a Friday the 13th movie on Friday the 13th. Can't get enough Friday the 13th? Don't worry, there are far too many Friday the 13th movies, but for your own good, I picked out the best Friday the 13th movie to review! Jason Lives is not only a Friday the 13th film that doesn't assault your senses, but it's also a genuinely good roller-coaster-like film, and hopefully, I can convince you it's well worth a watch! Tune i

Mar 13, 2020 • 14:12

MMN: Bob Iger & Disney Plus, Coronavirus and the Looming Writers Strike, Quibi

MONTHLY MOVIE NEWS: For February 2020 Daniel and Melvin decided to talk about a hodgepodge of topics. In fact, this might be their most loose and casual episode to date. For starters, what begins as a discussion of Bob Iger’s recent choice to step down as CEO of Disney goes straight into a discussion on the Coronavirus and how COVID-19 has been affecting the film industry at large. Then they swing headfirst into a discussion over Disney Plus. For the foreseeable future, Bob Iger will oversee Dis

Mar 11, 2020 • 1:26:05

TT: Fast and Furious 9, Candyman, The Green Knight

TRAILER TALK: In this episode of Trailer Talk, Dan and I look at February 2020 and talk about Candyman, the latest horror reboot slash pseudo-sequel that likely ignores all the previous films except the original in the Candyman franchise while still offering interesting commentary on western racial tensions, Spiral, the latest horror reboot slash pseudo-sequel that likely ignores all the previous films except the original in the Saw franchise while still offering interesting commentary on wester

Mar 6, 2020 • 56:32

Contagion - Strangely Predictive (and Not Because of the Coronavirus)

PATREON MOVIE REVIEW: This movie was selected by my patron supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! During the early 2010s like most other teenagers, I had a fascination with zombies and the zombie sub-culture. If I wasn’t watching The Walking Dead, I was playing Left 4 Dead 2 nonstop with my friends on Xbox 360. I would watch zombie short films on YouTube and play tons of flash games on Kongregate.com in the zombie sub-categor

Feb 27, 2020 • 19:44

Sonic the Hedgehog - A Messy Franchise, a Messy Film

MOVIE DISCUSSION: In response to Daniel's message about doing a discussion episode for Birds of Prey I said, "That sounds great, but we haveta talk about Sonic the Hedgehog, too." Let me tell you, this was a blast to record! Daniel and I had some very interesting thoughts regarding the debut Hollywood feature film for the blue blur, and it's one of the most entertaining pieces of Cinematic Doctrine media you can find. Trust me! In this discussion episode, Daniel and I share fun stories about pla

Feb 20, 2020 • 1:10:57

Birds of Prey - and the Fantabulous Discussion of One Christian Podcast

MOVIE DISCUSSION: A few weeks ago, Daniel sent me a text on Messenger: Hey man, I like Harley Quinn. Birds of Prey looks neat. Want to do a discussion episode? And now, here we are, Cinematic Doctrine’s first-ever film discussion episode! This will be very different to the typical movie reviews, or better yet, audio essays that Cinematic Doctrine has previously offered. However, a lot of the process going into this episode has remained the same. Daniel and I still did our research, we still prep

Feb 14, 2020 • 1:43:14

MMN: The Bizarre Legacy of the Golden Globes and How They're a Sham

MONTHLY MOVIE NEWS: For their January 2020 episode of Monthly Movie News, Melvin and Daniel decide to dig head-first into the Golden Globes. Although they were almost a month ago, and the Oscars are literally happening in a matter of days, Daniel went deep-diving into some fascinating subjects regarding the Golden Globes. Throughout this episode, you’ll hear our deliberations on the results of the Golden Globes, the never-ending controversy surrounding them, their mysterious and borderline consp

Feb 6, 2020 • 1:22:34

TT: A Quiet Place Part 2, Tenet, Morbius

TRAILER TALK: In this episode of Trailer Talk, Dan and Melvin look at January 2020 and talk about A Quiet Place: Part II, and whether JJ Abrams is disappointed he didn’t get the chance to add A Quiet Place into the Cloverfield franchise, Tenet, and how Christopher Nolan is creative insofar as he’s allowed to have men wear suits and ties while talking somberly in an office building, Morbius, a movie that Melvin literally forgot they talked about and still can’t take seriously, and The New Mutants

Feb 4, 2020 • 1:11:24

First Reformed - Hope and Despair

PATRON MOVIE REVIEW: This movie was selected by my patron supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! I remember seeing First Reformed in theaters with my wife. We were sitting in the middle of the theater and two older women were sitting way in the back. About 2/3rds into the film, when the strangest thing started to happen on screen, I over-heard one of the older women lean over to her friend and whisper, "Okay, it's lost me!" I

Feb 1, 2020 • 35:37

A Hidden Life - Conscientious Objection and the Christian Walk

MOVIE REVIEW: More often than not, when talking to other Christians who enjoy cinema they bring up Terrence Malick. In fact, when I visited Florida for a job opportunity, I had this exact thing happen to me. At the time, I hadn't seen a single Malick film, but I started to get some serious Malick FOMO when I saw The Tree of Life end up on a ton of "Best of the Decade" lists. Thankfully, I was near a theater showing A Hidden Life, the auteur's 10th film, and made it a priority to grab a ticket. C

Jan 24, 2020 • 31:47

The Mandalorian (S1) - How Slow-Paced Character Building Isn't "Filler", You're Just Droning

TV SHOW REVIEW: It’s finally here! The long-awaited first-ever live-action Star Wars series has landed. And, to everyone's surprise, both critics and general audiences love it! With a healthy percentage on Rotten Tomatoes, The Mandalorian is turning out to be a welcome success for Disney. As such, it's garnered plenty of social media engagement, dominating everything across the board with its precious cargo, Baby Yoda. Hilarious when considering the democratic debates were getting less online en

Jan 17, 2020 • 34:27

MMN: Star Wars Production Rumors, Thoughts on The First Temptation of Christ

MONTHLY MOVIE NEWS: Did you all have a wonderful December? Well, we're about a week into January, so we hope you did, and hopefully, your prospects for 2020 are looking good, because boy, do we have an episode for you! In this episode of Monthly Movie News, Daniel and Melvin take you on the journey of recording-so-late-they-missed-all-the-actual-news and actually-just-covering-controversial-stuff-because-it's-both-interesting-and-buzzworthy. Yup, you read that right (hyphens and all)! Things got

Jan 9, 2020 • 1:28:38

TT: Black Widow, Wonder Woman 1984, Mulan

TRAILER TALK: In this episode of Trailer Talk, Melvin and Dan look at the month of December and talk about No Time to Die, the latest James Bond Film, Ghostbusters Afterlife, and the concept of a franchise giving fans what they want, Black Widow, and their patient expectations, Wonder Woman 1984, and how Melvin's growing tired of ‘80s nostalgia, Mulan – and whether or not it’s quality can overshadow its controversy, and the teaser trailer for A Quiet Place: Part II. This episode was recorded on

Jan 3, 2020 • 1:23:16

A Quiet Place - Efficient Mom Horror

PATRON MOVIE REVIEW: This movie was selected by my patron supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! Perhaps one of the most talked-about movies of 2018, A Quiet Place took theaters by storm! Anyone and everyone were running out to catch this low-budget horror flick and it's all largely due in part to an excellent trailer campaign. I don't know about you, but I remember theaters treating the trailer for A Quiet Place with more re

Dec 31, 2019 • 16:44

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - Let's Talk About Idol Worship

MOVIE REVIEW: It's finally here! The conclusion to Disney's sequel trilogy has arrived, and it's time for the latest episode in the Skywalker saga to conclude 42-years of Star Wars films. And, as one would suspect, the disparity between critic and audience reception is as typical as ever. With a not-so-favorable percentage on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and a fairly positive response from audiences, The Rise of Skywalker is turning out to be another divisive Star Wars film across the community.

Dec 27, 2019 • 21:21

MMN: Feige Responds to Scorsese, James Dean Recast, Disney+

MONTHLY MOVIE NEWS: November came and went and it's already time for the rush of Christmas shopping, so if your last thirty-some days were a blur, don't worry! Daniel and I are here to catch you guys up on some big film news that debuted over the last month. Not only that, we dig into some of the latest box-office news regarding the month of November which saw the release of Terminator: Dark Fate, Doctor Sleep, and Charlie's Angels followed up with Joker officially crossing the $1 billion mark.

Dec 5, 2019 • 1:19:14

TT: Sonic the Hedgehog, Soul, Bad Boys for Life

TRAILER TALK: We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! As you're headed back to work or buying Christmas presents, Daniel and I are here to give you some background to six new trailers that dropped during the month of November. From the much anticipated Sonic the Hedgehog redesign to two separate films hoping to start a shared cinematic universe, there sure were some interesting offerings last month. But what are you waiting for? Press that play button and let's get started with Nov

Dec 2, 2019 • 1:02:14

Black Christmas (1974) - A Response to the Sexual Revolution

PATRON MOVIE REVIEW: This movie was selected by my patron supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! Considered a proto-slasher along the likes of The Town that Dreaded Sundown, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Psycho, we're nowhere near the holiday favorites of A Christmas Carol, A Christmas Story, or even Die Hard. Nope, this is Black Christmas, and we're getting our seasons greetings from Pi-Kappa-Sigma. This isn't your normal

Nov 28, 2019 • 37:55

Lady and the Tramp (2019) - Uncanny Valley for Dogs

MOVIE REVIEW: Disney+ is finally here, and no, I didn't watch The Mandalorian. Not yet, at least. I decided my time was better spent watching another shameless live-action remake of a beloved Disney classic. You know, because reasons! Cynicism aside, I plan on binge-watching The Mandalorian later this year, and since Disney+ debuted with a limited supply of new movies, I figured Lady and the Tramp would be a great film to start with. Although I must admit (and let's keep this between us...), I h

Nov 21, 2019 • 17:38

The King (2019) - Royalty and Responsibility

MOVIE REVIEW: Released November 1st on Netflix, The King is a new take on Shakespeare's Henriad. Although, one would be forgiven for the immense tonal differences between the two, as screenwriter Joel Edgerton, who also performs as Falstaff in the film, decided it was best to pen the tale in a far more brooding, horrific image. Some might find this a stretch from the source material, if not also a historical departure on multiple fronts, and beg the question, "What's the point of all this?" But,

Nov 13, 2019 • 15:42

The Book of Eli - A Product of General Revelation

MOVIE REVIEW: The Book of Eli is a strange film, to be sure. Released in January of 2010, Denzel Washington's post-apocalyptic samurai-like action flick seemed to shoot for the stars, and seemed to fall into the strangest of places: the Christian community. To this day, I occasionally hear chatter over the film among church-goers, and I've always found it a little interesting considering the violence within the film. Not that I've shied from watching violent flicks, as anyone who listens to this

Nov 7, 2019 • 27:06

MMN: Joker Aftermath, Martin Scorsese on Marvel, and Kevin Feige's Promotion

MONTHLY MOVIE NEWS: October sure was a fascinating month for movies. Not only did we see the release of Todd Phillip's Joker, a long-awaited sequel in Zombieland: Double Tap, and the stateside release of Palme D'Or winner Parasite, we've had plenty of movie-related controversies break the month apart. The first few weeks were reserved entirely around worries of Joker's influence, while the last few weeks have seen a nonstop debate on whether or not we can call Marvel movies 'cinema'. Certainly,

Nov 4, 2019 • 1:27:16

TT: The Rise of Skywalker, Dolittle, Birds of Prey

TRAILER TALK: Starting with our first look at Warner Bros.' Birds of Prey trailer and offering us an official look at Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, October's brought us quite an offering of new trailers for us to munch on. Whether you're enamored with theories surrounding all of these fascinating IP, or simply interested in hearing about a few new trailers from this month, Daniel and I are here to get you guys caught up on what's happening in the world of cinema! And, let us tell you, it's p

Nov 1, 2019 • 43:52

28 Days Later - Genre Defining, if Not a Little Flawed

PATRON MOVIE REVIEW: This movie was selected by my patron supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! At this day and age, it's hard to imagine the zombie genre resurrecting in full force. Yet, interestingly enough, that was the same feeling surrounding the kitschy horror zombie genre prior to the release of 28 Days Later, a film often considered alongside the great Romero films of the late 60's early 70's. And, like with 28 Days

Nov 1, 2019 • 16:31

Joker - Dangerously Cathartic

MOVIE REVIEW: The Golden Lion is the most prestigious award a film can receive at Venice Film Festival and is regarded alongside the Palme D'Or and Golden Bear, the highest prize awards at the Cannes Film Festival and Berlin Film Festival respectively. This year, Joker won the Golden Lion and garnered an eight-minute standing ovation. Alongside immense critical praise, Joker has also seen its fare share of criticism. Considered irresponsible and even dangerous, Joker finds itself under flack for

Oct 17, 2019 • 29:23

Halloweentown - I Can't Believe This Episode is 20 Minutes

PATRON MOVIE REVIEW: This movie was selected by my patron supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! It's October! Finally! Time to bring out the creepy skeletons, spooky candles, and eat loads of candy! And what better way to start out this Spooky-Season than watching Halloweentown? That's the thought-process of my Patron Supporters who, for the month of September, voted in a Patron-exclusive poll for me to review Halloweentown!

Oct 4, 2019 • 19:48

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (S1) - Exceptional Creativity and Confidence

TV SHOW REVIEW: Another world, another time! We're back at it again with The Dark Crystal, the Jim Henson Company's epic fantasy tale, and diving headfirst into the new Netflix series, and. it's. AMAZING! A dark and twisted tale, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is not only frightening, menacing, and undeniably sinister, it's romantic, heart-warming, and awe-inspiring! It's the sort of show that only comes along every once in a while, the sort of creativity and majesty one can only dream of!

Sep 26, 2019 • 23:33

The Dark Crystal - A Charming, Ancient Tale

MOVIE REVIEW: Who doesn't love puppets? Well, I guess they can be pretty freaky at times, especially marionettes, but we're not here to talk marionettes, we're here to talk puppets! Well, okay, not really, we're here to talk The Dark Crystal, Jim Henson and Frank Oz's high-fantasy movie from 1982, the same Dark Crystal that just saw a prequel released on Netflix (but more on that in another episode!). We're here to review The Dark Crystal and its puppet magic, so why don't you press that play bu

Sep 19, 2019 • 12:51

Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives - Accessible and Amazing

MOVIE REVIEW: Happy Friday the 13th! Yep, you guessed it, we're reviewing a Friday the 13th movie on Friday the 13th. Can't get enough Friday the 13th? Don't worry, there are far too many Friday the 13th movies, but for your own good, I picked out the best Friday the 13th movie to review! Jason Lives is not only a Friday the 13th film that doesn't assault your senses, but it's also a genuinely good roller-coaster-like film, and hopefully, I can convince you it's well worth a watch! Tune in Wedne

Sep 13, 2019 • 14:12

IT Chapter Two - A Boring, Repetitive Snooze-Fest

MOVIE REVIEW: It's been 27 years, and the Loser's Club is back in Derry, Maine to fulfill their promise. "If It comes back, we come back to kill it." But, strangely enough, nobody can remember why they left, nor a single thing from their childhood. To defeat It once and for all, the gang must remember their past to save the future. IT: Chapter Two is the highly-anticipated conclusion to 2017's IT, featuring an A-list cast of young and old stars alike. Tune in Wednesday nights for new episodes of

Sep 12, 2019 • 17:05

IT (2017) - A Satisfying Adaption of an Ambitious Novel

MOVIE REVIEW: IT destroyed box office records, solidifying the power of a well crafted R-rated horror blockbuster and reminded everyone of Stephen King's prolific storytelling. And while this isn't the first adaption of the over-one-thousand paged epic, it has become an absolute favorite for many. I mean, goodness, who doesn't love a good coming-of-age story where a bunch of kids fight an insane clown? Tune in Wednesday nights for new episodes of Cinematic Doctrine! IT is Rated R for violence/ho

Sep 11, 2019 • 16:07

Cloverfield - One Big Giant Mystery

MOVIE REVIEW: It's May 22nd, 2008, and Rob's friends are throwing him a party. He just received a huge promotion, and soon he'll be in Japan far away from New York's troubles and woes. But sooner, rather than later, it seems everything's been put on hold when an explosion shakes Manhattan island from north to south. Things only get worse when Rob and his friends learn there's a giant monster rampaging down central park. Something about Cloverfield has kept the attention of fans for years. Maybe

Sep 4, 2019 • 12:59

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - For the Times They Are a-Changin'

MOVIE REVIEW: Rick Dalton has reached his peak, and it's all downhill from here. Nobody cares that he was a part of a #1 serialized western. That's old news. Now he's just an extra, a star that's bounced around shows to bring in viewers and grow the ego of new, younger stars. He knows it's not long until he's nothing but an old memory in the minds of the world, and that terrifies him. Tune in Wednesday nights for new episodes of Cinematic Doctrine! Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is Rated R for la

Aug 29, 2019 • 18:30

The Boys (S1) - A Revealing Picture of Western Culture

TV SHOW REVIEW: Cinema is crawling with them. You can't escape them. Superheroes are everywhere, and their mythos has gone from strictly nerd culture to passive general knowledge. From grand selfless acts to amazing feats of strength, a superhero represents truth and justice the world over. And yet, we live in a world that feels sick, hopeless, and cynical. 'Things can't get worse than they already are, because they're already the worst they've been.' That sort of attitude permeates the culture

Aug 18, 2019 • 23:18

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark - Fun, Preteen Horror

MOVIE REVIEW: I have fond memories of reading Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark back in Elementary school. Well, when I say reading, I mean looking at all the spooky illustrations. Even so, I still remember having a grand old time with my friends telling each other stories from the pages of Alvin Schwartz anthologies. Although I must admit, I never got around to reading his third volume. But I did get out of the house and catch the film adaption of Scar

Aug 14, 2019 • 11:43

The Farewell - The Heavy Weight of Lying

MOVIE REVIEW: Which is better: to ignore the truth, or confront it? Sometimes, it doesn't feel that simple. Sometimes we tell half-truths or skip around it with ease. For Billi's family, lying is at the forefront of their every action after learning her grandmother has stage-four lung cancer. Rather than telling her outright, they treat it like nothing's happened and put up a ruse to keep her from ever finding out. But the morality of the situation puts Billi in a hard place, and she can't help

Aug 7, 2019 • 16:28

The Art of Self-Defense - Toxic Masculinity and the Importance of Community

MOVIE REVIEW: Casey Davies is different, fragile, soft-spoken, qualities that make for a vulnerable man, and all it took was a single mugging to put him on edge. Fearing the worst, he decides to join a Karate class to toughen up, but there's more to this than meets the eye. It's not just about getting stronger, but feeling confident, feeling powerful, feeling comfortable around... other men? Yes, you read that right! Casey Davies is afraid of his own gender, and to prepare himself for male relat

Jul 31, 2019 • 22:17

Manchester by the Sea - Quick Audiences and Dysfunctional Families

MOVIE REVIEW: It's often difficult to put into words the kind of experiences we've had, and sometimes we have to skirt around the idea that we can be vulnerable, open, emotionally available. Sometimes we feel like we need to put up a wall, and that's the best way we can protect ourselves, like a callous of the heart. One of the most difficult things to do is understand someone. I'm talking really understand someone, yet understanding is a fundamental aspect of relationships. Sometimes, though, y

Jul 25, 2019 • 16:18

Let the Right One In - An Intimate Innocence

MOVIE REVIEW: What does it mean to be a child whose lonely, angry, and callous in a world that's left you nothing but the cold, bitter snow of winter? More appropriately considered a childhood drama with vampires in it, Let the Right One In has won over 40 awards during its festival run. Haunting, patient, a master craft of depressive thrillers, you'll want nothing more than to bundle up with a hot chocolate when watching this film. But even then, you may still feel a chill run down your spine a

Jul 18, 2019 • 13:27

OT: The Steep 'Learning Curve' of Panos Cosmatos

ARCHIVED EPISODE // ON TOPIC: There are tons of movies out there that may seem off-putting. They're alienating from start to finish, often called 'artsy-fartsy' or 'pretentious', and at their worst can repel most people. Other films can seem too good to be true and you can't help but press play, wading through what seems the most bizarre plot line with unrealistic characters. And then, there are other films that seem a little... too weird. They make you go, "That's it?" and you move on. Or... so

Jul 16, 2019 • 8:28

Spider-Man: Far From Home - A Safe Epilogue to Phase Three

MOVIE REVIEW: If Avengers: Endgame wasn't surreal enough, Spider-Man: Far From Home will really get you thinking about the MCU as a whole. With this being the first foray into a post-Endgame world, there's something familiar yet undeniably different about its offerings, and the big question will be how Kevin Feige and the rest of the crew back at Disney/Marvel decide on the franchise future. So how does this film handle itself as both an epilogue to Phase 3, but also whispers of Phase 4? Spider-

Jul 10, 2019 • 13:05

Yesterday - A Day in the Life Without The Beatles

MOVIE REVIEW: Could you imagine waking up in a world where you're the only person who knows your favorite artists? Most hipsters don't need to think hard about that, but what if it was the Beatles? And worse yet, they never existed in the first place? A real nightmare indeed, a nightmare Jack Malik realizes is all too real. To cope, he struggles to remember every single Beatles song he can, but can't help himself from touring as though they were his own songs. But that sounds a little like plagi

Jul 3, 2019 • 15:25

The Happening - You Almost Can't Believe It Happened

MOVIE REVIEW: We're reviewing The Happening for this episode. You know The Happening gets a bad rap? It's got a cool premise, it's got comedy. You like The Happening, right? By the way, I think I know what's going on, and I want to let you know before it's too late. I was at the thrift store a while ago. There was a really good-looking DVD on the shelf. Really good-looking. I went up to it and grabbed it from the shelf. I didn't even have cash, and I almost bought it. I'm talking a completely su

Jun 27, 2019 • 14:34

Rocketman - Love Lost is Hard to Find

MOVIE REVIEW: Producers wanted nothing more than Rocketman to push for a PG-13 rating, yet Elton John would say every time: I have not led a PG-13 life. And when it comes right down to it, I don't think most people have. I believe that's what makes this film such a fascinating, magical experience. Brilliant visuals and mystical moments in Rocketman are more than simply a dream-inspired retelling of Elton John's life, but a translation of what it's like to be human, to remember, to want, to hope,

Jun 20, 2019 • 14:30

Mandy - Furious, Starless Love

MOVIE REVIEW: Earning a 4-minute standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival, Mandy embraces the world of art-house cinema while comfortably fitting itself amidst popular midnight movies. It's the best of both worlds, and that's not the only thing about Mandy that flips like a coin. Perhaps it's most alienating quality is it's most attractive, and I seek to engage its passionate love and furious anger in this latest episode of Cinematic Doctrine! Mandy was a movie voted on by members of Cinematic D

Jun 13, 2019 • 20:05

Godzilla: King of the Monsters - Fun, Dumb, and Ironic

MOVIE REVIEW: Michael Dougherty has said Godzilla: King of the Monsters is to Godzilla (2014) as Aliens is to Alien, and while I can understand the logic, I don't know if the comparison works entirely. At the very least, both films feature inventive motion capture, if you can call 3 actors playing the individual Ghidorah heads inventive. Trivia aside, how does Godzilla: King of the Monsters handle in comparison to not only Godzilla (2014), but even the much appreciated 1954 original? Come join m

Jun 6, 2019 • 16:46

Brightburn - A Failed Attempt at Everything (Except Passion)

MOVIE REVIEW: What if Superman was evil? That's been the marketing focus of Brightburn since day one. It's been the question everyone's wondered about, and at the very least, it makes for a very interesting high concept advertisement. But a film is more than a concept, and what we watch in the theater lays testament to what we hype up during the seasons leading up to release. So, now that it's out, what's the strange amalgamation of Superhero and Horror genre like on the big screen? Brightburn i

May 30, 2019 • 16:47

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum - Murderously Dream-like

MOVIE REVIEW: John Wick is back in theaters with shock and awe, and let me tell you, It. Is. WILD! You've never seen anything quite as crazy as this film, and I think Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves had a bit too much fun this time around, but who can blame them? So come on in and press that play button as we get into the thick of what makes John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum both a daring addition to the franchise, and may signal a bit of a change in the property as a whole.John Wick: Chapter 3

May 24, 2019 • 19:19

Pokémon Detective Pikachu - Unironically Postmodern

MOVIE REVIEW: One of the strangest, most unexpected contributions of the year has to be Pokemon Detective Pikachu. It may not seem all that weird until you really sit down and think to yourself, "Wait a minute... a Pokémon movie built entirely around a missing person, and a talking Pikachu is on the case? Who thought of this!?" Well, I can confirm it's as weird as you might suspect, although I'm eager for things to get weirder, and I think this film is the franchise tip of an iceberg! Pokemon De

May 15, 2019 • 10:29

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog - A Love Letter to New Media

MOVIE REVIEW: After that Avengers: Endgame review, you'd think I didn't know how to have fun, but we're going to set things straight and talk about a cult favorite from Joss Whedon. Alongside, we'll take a look at what surrounded the release of Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog historically and what makes its existence unique amidst the cinematic world.Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is Rated TV-PG. It features Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, and Felicia Day. Directed by Joss Whedon. Tune in We

May 8, 2019 • 7:59

Avengers: Endgame - The Grand Finale to 21 Feature-Length Commercials

MOVIE REVIEW: They finally did it! The moment we've all been waiting for has finally arrived, and Avengers: Endgame has graced the cinematic screen this weekend. Garnering over 1 billion dollars in less than a week, Kevin Feige and the rest at Disney are pouring the champagne and celebrating financial success. Money is one thing, but how is the film itself? Just a tad over 3 hours, is Endgame worth holding it in, or is it fine to skip a few scenes and come back at the end? Avengers: Endgame is R

May 1, 2019 • 17:21

Pet Sematary (2019) - Sluggishly Mediocre, Highly Forgettable, Disappointing

MOVIE REVIEW: Despite being rather tame in comparison to other Stephen King novels, Pet Sematary is known for its merciless psychological horror. Bordering on brutal, how does the seemingly hopeless world of Pet Sematary translate to the big screen? In this second film adaption of the popular literary work, do we end up with something remarkable or detestable? Pet Sematary (2019) is Rated R for horror violence, bloody images, and some language. It features Jason Clarke and Amy Seimetz. Directed

Apr 25, 2019 • 7:28

Hellboy (2019) - Worst Film of the Year (and Possibly the Decade)

MOVIE REVIEW: A third Hellboy film has been in development hell for years (pun intended). Since then, it's gone from being a finale to Guillermo Del Toro's previous films into a hard-R reboot. Yet, now that the film has released was it worth the wait, or should we do everything we can to return it back to the 9 circles of hell?Hellboy (2019) is Rated R for strong bloody violence and gore throughout, and language. It features David Harbour, Milla Jovovich, Ian McShane, and Sasha Lane. Directed by

Apr 17, 2019 • 13:20

Shazam! - A Meta Superhero Film (And Another Good DC Movie!)

MOVIE REVIEW: Aquaman was an over-the-top absurd film that dared to be stupid and it paid off. DC was hurting for something fun, and it delivered. Can Shazam! do the same? Can it be fun? Can it exceed expectations? Can it actually make more sense than Aquaman did? Spoilers, it is! Thoroughly enjoyable, incredibly goofy, filled to the brim with heart, Shazam! perhaps has a little too much fun with itself, and you know what? More power to it! If this is where DC wants to go, let's keep going! I do

Apr 11, 2019 • 8:24

Colossal - A Small Tale About Big Problems

MOVIE REVIEW: Absolute power corrupts absolutely. So they say, at least. But I don't think it takes absolute power to corrupt, even the smallest amount of it can drive someone drunkenly mad, and Colossal is all about drunken power. Or maybe, the lack of it? Actually, it's probably both. Walk with me as I take apart Nacho Vigalondo's genre-bending dramedy and try to make sense of a film that is equal parts bizarre as it is funny! Colossal is Rated R for language. It features Anne Hathaway, Jason

Apr 3, 2019 • 9:44

Us - A Parable of Division

MOVIE REVIEW: Jordan Peele's new film Us is breaking records, but what is it about the film that makes it so special? And what does it speak to? But most importantly, is it even a good movie? I must confess, I had to see this movie twice to gauge a good estimate for my thoughts. There were plenty of things I wanted to talk about, but I constantly second-guessed everything I put on the page. It wasn't that I didn't get it, because I did. I think it was a matter of better understanding what Jordan

Mar 27, 2019 • 11:42

It Follows - How to Engage 'Extreme Content' as a Christian

MOVIE REVIEW: In the first episode of Cinematic Doctrine, I review It Follows. However, due to the content of this film, I felt it important to elaborate on my thoughts about adult content in a narrative. Adult content can include sexual content, nudity, pervasive language, graphic violence, and anything that might seem overly uncomfortable. I also discuss how film as a medium is unique to other types of storytelling such as photography, books, etc. Afterward, I (finally) talk about some fascina

Mar 20, 2019 • 20:11