Cinematic Doctrine

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 finding that bait, controversy, and enragement posting bolstered lucrative engagement on Threads (similar to other social media), and how this negatively impacts the platform, but also demands we utilize them in a healthier way. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
The Assistant is a bleak depiction of not only workplace abuse but also of human relationships.
Although uneventful, the film has perpetual unease and eeriness.
Sheila observed how the film depicts food, and the two discuss its non-nutritious showcase of a biological workplace distraction.
Medication plays a significant role in the setting of the film, making overt allusions to the film’s boss as a caricature of Harvey Weinstein.
Exploitation, abuse, and unethical practices in a company are ultimately anti-capitalist, even if the line is going up and to the right.
Pondering if abusive hierarchical structures are more common and dangerous in the church than in the workplace.
Sheila, “Often we feel like when we are in these situations that we are powerless... but quite often we do.”
Is Jane complicit?

Recommendations:

For Our Daughters (2024) (Short Film)
TÁR (2022) (Movie)
Bombshell (2018) (Movie)

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Hot Frosty - The Hottest Movie of 2024!

Cinematic Doctrine

12/18/24 • 77 min

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 Hallmark motifs – Lacey Chabert notwithstanding – so how does it compare to the standard visual profile of a Hallmark feature?
Craig Robinson can be fun, but his police-officer character was more irritating than enjoyable, save for one or two jokes.
Hot Frosty gender-swaps the “Born Beautiful Yesterday” trope that so many films have explored (and is closely related to the “Fish Out of Water” trope). How does the gang feel about this?
Can a man be kind without the magic of Christmas?

Recommendations:

Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men (Podcast)
They Live (1988) (Movie)
Dungeon Crawler Carl: A LitRPG/Gamelit Adventure (Audio Book) (2021)

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Tower of Terror - More Theme Park Silliness

Cinematic Doctrine

10/23/24 • 72 min

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)
Parts of the film are shot on the real Florida Tower of Terror location.
Tower of Terror is part of the canon 80s & 90s films wherein strange men hang out with younger counterparts, specifically teen girls... which surely makes you think...
For a film based on the The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror ride, the few special effects leave a bit to be desired.
The very minor romance subplot (if you can call it that) is not only cheesy, it's also lame.
So... if the ghosts are chill, why are they trying to scare everyone away?
The drama during the climax is effective, and Shirleon & Melvin stepped away enjoying it.

Recommendations:

Maid (2021) (Series)
Oddity (2024) (Movie)
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022 - X ) (Series)

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Frances Ha - w/ Movies & Us on Adulting

Cinematic Doctrine

09/11/24 • 75 min

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 ranking their excitement based on these wildly different films. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
Jen & Sarah just celebrated their 6-year podcasting anniversary. Melvin spends some time asking about what they’ve learned throughout that experience.
There’s a showcase of girlhood and sisterhood that is gently explored throughout the film.
The film is in black and white, and Melvin feels this highlights the "color" experienced in Frances and her relationships.
Money is consistently an issue throughout the movie, and Sarah, Jen, and Mel all appreciated how the film doesn't imply that having more money is the solution to Frances' problems.
Celebrating an ending that ties every theme together.
Jen, "Man, I love this type of movie and would love to see more of these types of small stories get funded and onto the big screen."

Recommendations:

The Forty-Year-Old Version (2020) (Movie)
The Harder They Fall (2021) (Movie)
Annie Hall (1977) (Movie)

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The Prince of Egypt - Knowledgeable, Reverential, Beautiful

Cinematic Doctrine

04/18/23 • 61 min

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 Melanie and Melvin have with the Book of Exodus?
John 1:1 makes it clear by stating that God's word is God Himself, as Christ also is God and therefore also God's word. So, when we create adaptions, we add degrees and opportunities for loss in translation when God's word is already authentic and reliable. This is a deeply important reality necessary for engaging in Biblical or Christian-marketed media: it is degrees away from God's literal word.
Moses' character, strangely, is sort of depicted as a combination between Jacob and Moses. Other historical figures such as Aaron and Miriam, Moses' brother and sister are also depicted differently from Scripture.
Getting into what's likely most memorable for people: the music!
Melanie riffs on the closing song "When You Believe" and how it's full of platitudes.
The Prince of Egypt stands apart from other Biblical or Christian-marketed materials, and the two discuss why that may be.
The Prince of Egypt is already a mature PG family flick, but Melvin feels it would have been benefitted by being a little nastier.

Recommendations:

The Case for Christ (2017) (Movie)
Beetlejuice (1988) (Movie)

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Iron Man - w/ Caleb Young and Revisiting an Old Friend

Cinematic Doctrine

06/05/20 • 96 min

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 episodes he is talking about movies, other’s he’s discussing books, and at other times he’s looking at video games. It’s well-rounded and often balanced pursuit makes for easy listening on your daily drive for when you need some good Christian thoughts on all kinds of topics.
And so, with Cinematic Doctrine offering a larger format than bite-sized 20-minute episodes, Caleb and I had a lot of time to really dig into Iron Man. From the start, we discuss what it was like to revisit this modern classic in the comic-book film canon, as well as discuss a few issues we have with the film including, but not limited to, some surprisingly sensual sequences. We also discuss the stark themes of legacy and responsibility from the perspective of Tony Stark’s struggle with arrogance. And finally, we close out with an introspective discussion on what it means to be a film critic as we weigh the value of Iron Man both culturally and morally.
Tune in weekly for new episodes of Cinematic Doctrine!
Iron Man is Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and brief suggestive content.
It features Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, and Gwyneth Paltrow, and Shaun Toub.
Directed by Jon Favreau.
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The Polymath Roundtable: https://polymathroundtable.com/

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

Cinematic Doctrine

12/27/22 • 72 min

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 discussing Christmas seasonal stress (gift giving and decorations) and the balancing Christian traditions with Western traditions (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
The blurb for Where the Scary Things Are is about a group of students who find a monster and turn it into an influencer. Sort of.
The choice to shoot Where the Scary Things Are at Field of Screams, a real horror themed park, greatly benefits the general aesthetic of the film.
A teacher gives the students their project to create a local myth, and while the film showcases him as a moral third-party, the things he does as a teacher are remarkably not great.
Ayla is a combination of an extremely unhinged bully who also cares a lot about her grades, which is an inherently funny combination.
There comes a point early on the audience will go, "Why are these kids even friends?" because it's clear nobody likes each other.
The creature design for Where the Scary Things Are is a major plus to the film, despite the creature doing nothing throughout the movie.
Melanie's biggest frustration is how unclear Where the Scary Things Are is when it comes to its tone and theme.
Speaking of, there's one scene that theoretically comes together in showcasing the theme of Where the Scary Things Are, but it's a scene where the performances are so poorly executed that it completely disrupts the film.
It takes an hour before the first kill happens and it's limited to the small viewfinder of a handheld camera, so the spectacle of violence is mostly stale.
Melvin proposes what makes a "so bad its good" movie good, and how Where the Scary Things Are fits perfectly into that category.

Recommendations:

The Iron Giant (1999) (Movie)
Roar (1981) (Movie)

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The Queen's Gambit - Peak Feminist Cinema

Cinematic Doctrine

07/27/21 • 84 min

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 depiction of relationships, Beth Harmon as a tragically sad character, and its narrative elaboration of a budding feminist wave during the 1960's.
Topics:

Melvin embarrasses himself with a terrible introduction to the episode, and then Daniel talks about why he finds politics tiresome and uninteresting.
Daniel, "The mixture of, like, Biblical knowledge and a platform I think makes people feel like they can talk about anything."
Talking about how The Babylon Bee is too smug be healthy for anyone.
Introducing The Queen's Gambit [16:34]
Melvin doesn't feel it's always appropriate for a buncha 20-year old dudes to explain their opinions on female-centric stories.
...but he did love how The Queen's Gambit portrayed early childhood development and feminist themes.
Daniel loves Anya Taylor-Joy, the soundtrack, the cinematography, and the whole craft of The Queen's Gambit.
Excellent portrayal of various relationships and the many stages experienced within them.
Daniel, "I'm a sucker for any actor that does a lot with no dialogue. It's just something I enjoy. Call it the "Ryan Gosling in Drive" syndrome."
Melvin feels The Queen's Gambit is a good work of feminist fiction.

Recommendations:

R. Kent Hughes' "Romans: Righteousness From Heaven" // (Old Edition)
Engage media you don't like for the purpose of learning things
Two cartoon shows: The Owl House & Amphibia

Support on Patreon for Unique Perks!
Soci

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George Washington - Heartfelt, Adolescent, Spiritual, Poetic

Cinematic Doctrine

02/07/23 • 68 min

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 character heavy, so Melvin explains some of what defines each character in the film.
Melanie and Melvin both recommend George Washington prior to tuning in to their spoiler-filled discussion.
Despite their clear talent virtually all of the teen and pre-teen actors have no acting credentials which speaks to David Gordon Green's effective directing.
George Washington displays endearing cross-generational relationships that are both mundane and valuable, the kind where people treat each other like people regardless of age.
Despite George Washington's warmth, the film is emotionally difficult to engage, as one guest Melvin invited to watch the film texted him that they couldn't finish it.
George Washington, through understated means, plays along the dichotomy between beauty and sadness.
Melvin reads a quote from the movie that comes from one of its leads, Vernon, and the two discuss what made this part of George Washington resonate so deeply with them.
George Washington's angle for a teen/pre-teen coming-of-age narrative is to explore experiences of shame, repentance, forgiveness, and responsibility, concepts that are regularly ignored or poorly handled in films about adults or adult situations.
The benefit of the ensemble cast of George Washington is that it gets to display various intimate and relatable responses to real-life situations everyone will encounter during one point of their life or another.

Recommendations:

Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) (Movie)
Eighth Grade (2018) (Movie)

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

Cinematic Doctrine

10/23/20 • 66 min

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, two absurdly bonkers singing competition shows, on television during the largest economic crises in ages. It’s cheap, easy, and quick to produce. Alongside this, American TV channels may license foreign gameshows and reality shows to fill timeslots in their schedule, and this Summer a British gameshow called Killer Camp made the rounds on the CW.
Killer Camp’s premise is absolutely wild, and Kathryn and I talk about the excitement present in this reality gameshow’s gimmick, it’s easily compelling and engaging mechanics, and also how the Killer Camp game was ripe with strife and division. This sparks a conversation about watching ‘entertainment television’ that contains real-life events and conversations that hurt people. Then, we discuss various trivia regarding the difficulty of producing Killer Camp on such a tight schedule, and how the killing-scenes of each murdered contestant was executed (pun intended). And, lastly, when we dive into spoilers, we share our surprise at certain revelations within the show, and how I’ve used a tactic we see in Killer Camp during a game of Mafia back in my Youth Group days.
Killer Camp is Unrated. Here's a custom TV-14 certificate: Graphic violence, language, and suggestive content. Presented by Bobby Mair. Directed by Mike Parker. Killer Camp is currently available on CWTV.

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