Cinematic Doctrine: A Movie Review Podcast Hosted by Christians
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
Josee, the Tiger and the Fish - "I will not remember this film."
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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 an underseen 2020 anime flick, Josee, the Tiger and the Fish! Why a tiger? What's the fish? Who's a Josee? All these questions - about romance, symbolism, and if the two even liked the movie - and more are answered in this finale episode to Ani-May! Tune in!
Topics:
...Serial Experiments Lain - w/ Beneath the Tangles on Loving Lain
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TV-SHOW DISCUSSION:
Beneath the Tangles: Instagram // YouTube // X // Website
Twwk (Charles) from Beneath the Tangles joins Melvin to discuss a massive cult-classic sci-fi anime: Serial Experiments Lain! In this incredibly dense episode about an incredibly dense show, the two explore transhumanism, self-sacrifice, predictive fiction, and the show's wildly popular opener song, 'Duvet' by Bôa!
Topics:
Editor's Note: No Patreon Exclusive discussion! But, I do intend to trim this episode down from its original 1:46:37 length, so if you want to hea...Tomie - Toxic Femininity Explored
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MOVIE DISCUSSION:
Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss Tomie, another early Junji Ito live-action adaptation! The two talk about the film's varying quality, constantly curious ideas, and toxic-femininity; something they've rarely seen explored in film.
Topics:
(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 24-minutes discussing about Zach Cregger's Resident Evil movie teaser trailer as well as responding to the surprisingly divisive online reaction. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Kathryn & Melvin have both read the Tomie manga, but only Kathryn has finished reading it, and the two share their thoughts.Ka...My Neighbor Totoro - w/ Paryss Bryanne on Childhood Whimsy as Adults
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MOVIE DISCUSSION:
Legacy XP Coaching
Paryss Bryanne: Instagram // Tiktok // YouTube // Snapchat
Pixel Paryss: Instagram // Tiktok // YouTube // Twitch
Paryss Bryanne joins Melvin to talk My Neighbor Totoro! The two kick-off Ani-May with a much-beloved Studio Ghibli classic! Nostalgia, curiosity, and a whole lotta whimsy fill this episode from start to finish! Tune in now!
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Editor's Note: No Patreon Exclusive discussion! But, I do intend to trim this episode down from its original 1:35:43 length, so if you wa...Rear Window - The Voyeurism Episode
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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 in discussing Rear Window, a quintessential Hitchcock film! The two get into the film's fascination with voyeurism, L.B. Jefferies complex character, whether or not people can change, and what it means to clearly see others.
Topics:
(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 22-minutes discussing the Forbes report from Rob Salkowitz "Disn...Exit 8 - Notice Your Neighbor
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MOVIE DISCUSSION:
Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss another indie-horror-game-turned-movie, Exit 8! First off, how is it as an adaptation? Also, can a 40-ish minute game really get turned into a 90-minute movie? And what about a dramatic throughline; what's keeps audiences emotionally hooked?
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(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 25-minutes discussing The Hollywood Reporter's "Inside PIxar's Scrapped Movie 'Be Fri' and the "Devastating" Aftermath" by Ryan Gajewski, how we feel about Disney/Pixar canceling a Magical Girl movie, and how it's hard to tell if this i...IT: Welcome to Derry - w/ Dreadful Digest on Not-Your-Dad's-Stranger-Things
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TV-SHOW DISCUSSION:
Dreadful Digest: Podcast // Instagram // YouTube
Tessa & Sam of the Dreadful Digest podcast join Melvin to discuss IT: Welcome to Derry, the spin-off prequel series to Andy Muschietti's IT duology! How does the show balance its original and familiar material? Is it scarier than the movies? What's the pulse on Bill Skarsgård's interpretation of Pennywise? Tune in to this INSANELY dense episode and find out!
Topics:
Editor's Note: No Patreon Exclusive discussion! But, I do intend to trim thi...Significant Other - w/ Janecka Olen on Al(ien)pine Divorce
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MOVIE DISCUSSION:
Scream Queen Podcast: Podcast // Instagram // TikTok // BlueSky
Janecka Olen, creator and host of the Scream Queen Podcast, joins Melvin to discuss a criminally underseen, economically paced sci-fi thriller that's stuck in streaming jail: Significant Other! This 2022 film is loaded with surprises, including an emotional depth seldom seen in "invasion"-type movies. But, is it really an invasion film? It's a lot of things. Tune in and find out!
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Editor's Note: No Patreon Exclusive discussion! But, I do int...undertone - dumbest movie of the decade?
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MOVIE DISCUSSION:
Kathryn joins Melvin to talk a surprise horror hit of 2026, undertone! This spooky flick has been helmed "the scariest movie you'll ever hear" by Collider, but is that actually true? Also, what's with all the catholic imagery? And does everything gel well together, or would this have been better as a short-film?
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Editor's Note: No Patreon Exclusive discussion! But, I do intend to trim this episode down from its original 1:30:31 length, so if you want to hear the UNCUT v...Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey - On Kids Movies
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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 the latest Patreon-Picked movie, Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey! The two finish out March with a family film about talking animals and giving trust a chance!
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(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 22-minutes of Kathryn & Melvin discussing the Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer, their interest levels, and where th...The Fly (1986) - w/ Horror Hour with the Hannas on Fragile Bodies, Men, and Stomachs
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MOVIE DISCUSSION:
Horror Hour with the Hannas: Podcast // Instagram // TikTok // YouTube
Welcome to Twin Peaks: Podcast // Instagram
Hannah & Matt Hanna from Hour Hour with the Hannas join Melvin to discuss one of David Cronenberg's most loved pictures; The Fly! From its brisk pacing to dense themes, the three get into the grotesque ins-and-outs of this vile, visual treat!
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Editor's Note: No Patreon Exclusive discussion! But, I do intend to trim this episode down from its original 1:50:27 length, so...Scream 7 - Kalshi, MetaAI, and Israel Controversy
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MOVIE DISCUSSION:
Kathryn & Melvin discuss the latest ghostface outing, Scream 7! Overwhelmed with controversy, this hugely popular modern slasher franchise brings back its original final girl, Sydney Prescott, in an attempt to salvage its reputation. Did it pay off? Is the whodunnit of it all still good? What's the meta commentary this time around? What about the boycott? We get into it all; tune in now!
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Editor's Note: No Patreon Exclusive discussion! But, I do intend to trim this episode down from it...Bugonia - Rich People Blame You
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MOVIE DISCUSSION:
Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss Bugonia, Yorgos Lanthimos' latest bizarre feature! Is this more accessible than any of his previous flicks? What's up with all the Bees? Is Emma Stone an alien, or are rich people just from another planet? There's a LOT to unpack here, so tune in!
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Editor's Note: No Patreon Exclusive discussion! But, I do intend to trim this episode down from its original 1:38:13 length, so if you want to hear the UNCUT version, tune in on...Misericordia - Life After Death (and also Mushrooms)
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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 latest Patreon-selected movie, Misericordia! This foreign drama/dark-comedy from Alain Guiraudie offers a lot to talk about: Fall vibes, yearning, secrets, and plenty of small town conflict. Also, mushrooms!
Topics:
(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 27-minutes discussing Movies or art-pieces that become rally-cries for fandoms and garner 10/10 re...Bottle Rocket - Talking Wes Anderson
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MOVIE DISCUSSION:
Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss Bottle Rocket, Wes Anderson's first feature-length film! The vibes are cozy and the dramedy is light, and the two get into discussions about classism (go figure!), easy-to-watch films, and what it is about Wes Anderson that makes him so mainstream.
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(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 23-minutes discussing Darren Aronofsky's AI-Slop studio "Primordial Soup" which specializes in producing "stories" and "art" through AI programs (LLMs and AGIs a la Chat-GPT and Midjourney) and how this endeavor is actually ant...Iron Lung - Is Cosmic Horror Hope-core?
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MOVIE DISCUSSION:
Shirleon joins Melvin to talk about Markiplier's Iron Lung movie! Is it like the game? Is it claustrophobic? Is it spooky-scary? The game is about 45-minutes whereas the movie is a little over 2-hours... is it bloated? Tune in and find out!
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(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 20-minutes talking about the vibes around Chris Pratt, if he's as popular as Hollywood thinks he is, what the financials of his latest features tell us, and where we think he's going next. (PATREON EX...Stranger Things S5 - Canon Fanfiction
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TV-Show Discussion:
Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss Stranger Things Season 5! Was it worth the 9-year adventure? How was it in theaters? Is there a secret 9th episode? The two discuss it all, from the insanely large cast of characters to #ConformityGate!
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Editor's Note: No Patreon Exclusive discussion! But, I do intend to trim this episode down from its original 1:32:13 length, so if you want to hear the UNCUT version, tune in on Patreon here!It's so nice that Stranger Things is ac...Priest - happy new year i guess
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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 to summarize Priest, a forgotten feature from 2011. Loosely based upon a Manhwa of the same name, the two explore some of the neat ideas stuck beneath this unfocused, Syfy-original-like flick. And yes, it starts with a lore dump because of course it does.
Topics:
Editor's Note: No Pat...Q4 Catch-Up 2025: The Finale!
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QUARTERLY CATCH-UP:
Movies & Us: Podcast, Instagram
TV & Us: Podcast, Instagram
Quarterly Catch-Up is a co-production between Cinematic Doctrine & Movies & Us! While answering a few questions about watching habits, we also talk about what else we've been up to this quarter, as well as our enjoyment over completing this lil' series. We hope you had a wonderful 2025, and we look forward to what 2026 will bring!
Things Mentioned:
A Man on the Inside (2024-X) (Series)Hedda (2025) (Movie)Jane Aus...The Bishop's Wife - Cucked by an Angel
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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 The Bishop's Wife, an Oscar winning Christmas flick from 1947! What do they like? What do they dislike? It's got a lot of similarities to It's a Wonderful Life, but how does it compare? And what about that strange ending? Tune in to find out!
Topics:
(PATREON EXCL...Superman (2025) - Curtains for Comic Book Movies?
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MOVIE DISCUSSION:
Shirleon joins Melvin to discuss Superman (2025), James Gunn's latest superhero feature and first of the new DC Studios flicks! The two explore what they like, what they didn't like, how there's an earnest hope in this modern, live-action iteration of Clark Kent/Superman, and if they're excited for any upcoming DC Studios projects. And, because he likes numbers, Melvin breaks down the finances for 2025's comic book movies.
Topics:
(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30-minutes discussing McDonald's entirely "AI" produced Christmas-themed commercial, how it...Podcast Update + A Royal Christmas Mini-Game
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UPDATE:
I'm a Store Manager for a popular retail space. For obvious reasons this time of the year is extremely busy for me. Like previous years I thought I could handle my irl work and my podcast work, but that is not the case this year. For the time being, the only guaranteed episode to release in December 2025 is the Patreon-Selected movie at the end of the month. Any other releases this month have released by the skin of their teeth.
In the meantime, enjoy this bonus s...
Now You See Me - Audiences Deserve Better
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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 2013's insane surprise financial hit, Now You See Me! Despite being a critical flop the film was a blockbuster blowout earning nearly 5x its budget! So, who's right, the critics or the audiences? Tune in and find out!
Topics:
Editor's Note: No Patreon Exclusive discussion! But...Keeper - Is It Good?
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MOVIE DISCUSSION:
Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss Osgood Perkins' second movie of 2025, Keeper! Has Perkins created another commercially accessible psychological-horror success, or has he returned to his undeniably divisive slow-burn roots? And is Keeper another one of his female-led soft-feminist tales? Tune in and find out!
Topics:
Editor's Note: No Patreon Exclusive discussion! But, I do intend to trim this episode down from its original 1:44:01 length, so if you want to hear the UNCUT version, tune in on Patreon here!Because the tra...Death Note: The Last Name - Satisfactory
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MOVIE DISCUSSION:
Shirleon joins Melvin to discuss Death Note: The Last Name, a sequel to 2006's Japanese live-action adaptation, Death Note, that released 3-months later. The two look at the film as a unit with its predecessor, its successes as a stand-alone sequel, and compare it to the anime (as well as the Western Netflix adaptation).
Topics:
(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 26-minutes discussing "Evil AI is Boring Now - Which is Kind of Scary", a think piece from James Hibberd on The Hollywood Reporter, a...Black Phone 2 - Truth is Scary
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MOVIE DISCUSSION:
Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss Scott Derrickson's latest horror feature, Black Phone 2! The two get into what sets it apart from other franchises like A Nightmare on Elm Street, how it holds up against the first film, and how it's... more Christian? Oh snap!
Topics:
(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 23-minutes discussing Sigourney Weaver saying at NYCC 2025 that there's a "very strong first 50 pages" script of Alien that includes Ripley, and where she is at the time, and the two wonder bo...Weapons - Drip-Fed Filler
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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 & Kathryn join Melvin to discuss Weapons, Zach Cregger's sort-of-sophomore flick after Barbarian! Horror fans have been eating good throughout 2025, and the gang explores whether the film continues this trend. They also ponder the wide variety of themes throughout, attempting to make sense of a dense and non-linear story.
Topics:
(PATREON E...The Haunting Hour: Don't Think About It - But Tune Into It!
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PARTY PLEASER:
Shirleon joins Melvin to summarize The Haunting Hour: Don't Think About It, a late-2000s direct-to-video family-friendly horror movie based on R.L. Stine's short stories! Is it possible to be scary without being gory? How frightening can a PG-rated horror movie be, anyway? And does it even capture that spooky Halloween spirit?
Topics:
(FREE PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 38-minutes discussing the usage of AI-generated voices of real-life, still-living actors like Frank Welker for a Scooby-Doo fan-film called "Sc...Night of the Living Dead (1968) - Distilled Social Philosophy
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MOVIE DISCUSSION:
Shirleon and Kathryn join Melvin to discuss George Romero's groundbreaking, culture-making horror feature Night of the Living Dead (1968)! From its rich characters to the longstanding influence of horror in US culture and abroad, the gang explores the ins-and-outs of this undeniable classic!
Topics:
(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 36-minutes discussing the concept of "Cursed Actors", actors like Jared Leto who had a meteoric rise but then started to be in bad movies, showcase bad performances, or simply give the general populace "the ick", an...The Long Walk - Class Solidarity and Foot Pain
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MOVIE DISCUSSION:
Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss The Long Walk, a film whose premise is extremely simple yet whose content is incredibly challenging. Based on a novel influenced by the woes of the Vietnam War, this film adaptation from Francis Lawrence is updated for a modern yet not-so-different demographic. Class solidarity, the importance of beauty, the vile oppression of facism; The Long Walk has it all!
Topics:
(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 25-minutes discussing LA Comic-Con's inclusion of an AI Stan Lee sideshow attraction where-in gu...Q3 Catch-Up 2025: Budget/Revenue Rankings Galore!
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QUARTERLY CATCH-UP:
Movies & Us: Podcast, Instagram
TV & Us: Podcast, Instagram
Quarterly Catch-Up is a co-production between Cinematic Doctrine & Movies & Us! While answering a few questions about watching habits, we also spend time talking about the industry we love, specifically budgets, revenue, and the profitability of this years films overall (so far!). Otherwise, here's what to expect in Quarterly Catch-Up:
What have we been watching?What else is happening?What else are we up to?Things Mentioned:
...The Blair Witch Project - Melvin's Feminist Hot Take of 2025
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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 one of the most influential horror movies of the modern era: The Blair Witch Project! How does it fare against modern horror? What does a first-time watcher think of the film? Did the Blair Witch cause Heather, Josh, and Michael to go missing or was something more sinister going on? And is th...
War of the Worlds (2025) - Coworker Movie
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PARTY PLEASER:
Kathryn joins Melvin to summarize this year's cherry-picked so-bad-its-good movie, War of the Worlds (2025)! Featuring a cast of fairly known names (Ice Cube, Eva Longoria, Devon Bostick, Clark Gregg, and many more) this odd adaptation of the H.G. Wells classic limits its prose to a computer screen. What could go wrong?
Topics:
(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 20-minutes discussing Chris Columbus' pull quote on the Harry Potter Reboot, "What's the point?", and the unique nature of rebooting Harry Potter as a series un...Kelsey, Marissa, and (Not So) Shiny Happy People (S1-2)
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LET'S TALK:
In the Church Library: Podcast
Kelsey Kramer McGinnis: Instagram // Substack // Christianity Today
Marissa Franks Burt: Instagram // Substack // Author Page
Out October 14th - Pre-Order: The Myth of Good Christian Parenting: How False Promises Betrayed a Generation of Evangelical Families by Marissa Burt & Kelsey McGinnis
Kelsey Kramer McGinnis & Marissa Franks Burt join Melvin to explore Shiny Happy People season's 1 and 2. Exploring both the Duggar Family of 19 Kids And Counting and Teen Mania, helmed by Ron Luce, the three discuss everything fr...
The Fantastic Four: First Steps - Trolley Problem 4 the MCU
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MOVIE DISCUSSION:
Kathryn joins Melvin return to the MCU to discuss The Fantastic Four: First Steps! It's been 2 years since the gang has talked about Marvel, so what's it like to discuss this latest feature? Also, does it stand well on its own? At the end of the day... is it even good? Tune in and find out!
Topics:
(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 25-minutes looking at the budgets for each 2025 Marvel release and matching them against their world-wide gross, then speculating on what these f...Sinners - The World is a Vampire
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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 Sinners, Ryan Coogler's massive 2025 hit. As the film continues to dominate conversation, the two discuss it's myriad of themes, whether the film mixes its ideas together well, how they interpret the dichotomy between Smoke and Stack, and the relationship between music, creativity, power, and community.
Topics:
(PAT...The Incredibles - w/ Jessica LM Jenkins on Pixar's "The Fantastic Four"
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MOVIE DISCUSSION:
Jessica LM Jenkins: Podcast // Instagram // YouTube // WeWhoThirst.com
Jessica LM Jenkins joins Melvin to discuss a massive Pixar favorite; The Incredibles! From the simple-yet-deep "traditional" family stereotypes explored among the Parr family, the relationship between self-expression and conformity, and the similarities between Mr. Incredible and Syndrome. Jessica and Melvin get into it all and so much more!
Topics:
Editor's Note: No Patreon Exclusive discussion! But, I do intend to trim this episode down from its original 1:28:51 length, so if...ParaNorman - How it Feels to be Weird and Lonely
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REBROADCAST MOVIE DISCUSSION:
In this rebroadcast episode (originally released September 28th, 2021), Melvin & Dan talk about one of Laika's several family-friendly horror-animated features, ParaNorman!
Topics:
Redeeming Love - A Marriage of Sacred & Secular
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REBROADCAST 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. (originally released March 22nd, 2022)
Topics:
Village of the Damned (1960) - (Scary) Kids Are People Too!
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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 the 1960s Village of the Damned! Combining weird fiction with childhood mischief, this sci-fi horror offers a lot to chew on, and the two try and parse through everything they can. Join them as they explore concepts of power, small-town fear, homegrown ideological invasions, and so much more!
Topics:...
