Cinematic Doctrine

Melvin Benson

Welcome to Cinematic Doctrine, a non-spoiler Christian Movie Podcast where we sit at the table of Cinema and eat. Sometimes we dine on popular cuisine, other times we savor a cult classic!

  • 49 minutes 15 seconds
    Q1 Catch-Up 2025: A Fresh Start

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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! In it, the gang answers 3 questions:

    1. What have we been watching?
    2. What are we anticipating?
    3. What else are we up to?

    Things Mentioned:

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    9 April 2025, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 23 minutes
    North Shore - w/ Systematic Geekology on Surfin' 101

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    PARTY PLEASER: 

    Systematic Geekology: Spotify / Instagram

    Will 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 Geekology's been up to since our Spawn Party Pleaser episode.
    • There was hype behind North Shore for Will Rose as a kid, and he recounts his experience seeing the film in theaters.
    • The music, visuals, and pacing are all pretty solid, and that's made apparent within the first 15 minutes.
    • Surfing etiquette 101.
    • North Shore features a ton of classic surfing legends, and Will shares all the cool trivia about them.
    • Surfing is dangerous and it demands wave/ocean literacy, and North Shore asserts the importance of understanding this as a "coming of age" drama.
    • The brisk pace of the film allows the film to explore various "coming of age" tropes.

    Recommendations:

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    2 April 2025, 4:00 pm
  • 1 hour 13 seconds
    Exodus: Gods and Kings - Naïve & Devoid of Content

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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 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) 33-minutes discussing the various drama leading up to Snow White (2025)'s release as well as it's Rotten Tomato Score debut. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
    • Shirleon, "I hated it. I hated the direction that it went."
    • Melvin, "It's super rare to find movies that feel like they're devoid of content."
    • What deflates the material is how remedial it is compared to the rich complexities of the Biblical text.
    • A follow-up to criticism's mentioned in the Journey to Bethlehem episode regarding bible-reading statistics.
    • The film doesn't just mischaracterize historical figures, it mischaracterizes biblical figures, texts, and God Himself, all in ways that can't be considered concessions of the medium.
    • Melvin talks about the one scene in the movie he liked.
    • The two agree: It's not just a bad biblical adaptation, it's also a bad movie.

    Recommendations:

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    26 March 2025, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 49 minutes
    Annihilation - Reductionist Media

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    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, suspicions regarding character backstory, who the heroes will be, and whether we're excited or not. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
    • The gang steps away from Annihilation conflicted, and they discuss the different things that impeded their enjoyment.
    • The movie is so loosely based on the book that they only share Area X, small plot details, and distant interpretations of characters.
    • Melvin begins his critical descent into madness, and how he feels Annihilation is "just a stupid movie based on a smart and moving book".
    • He also complains about reductionism in popular culture; quippy jokes defining a film's reputation, the tiktokification of public spaces, and interpreting kindness and manners as sexual interest.
    • Kathryn shares some of her beef with the characters, frustrated that everyone's "tragic backstory" is so rudimentary.
    • Despite it being a "theme", the film has nothing to say about self-destruction.
    • Discussing a few key scenes and going script doctor.
    • Sharing our interpretations of the ending and wishing the film was weirder.
    • Melvin monologues his frustrations one last time.

    Recommendations:

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    19 March 2025, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 4 minutes
    The Monkey - Classy Schlock and Awe

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    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-thriller cop drama, and ponder how it stands with his other films, if it exceeded the hype, and how Melvin compares it to The Blackcoat's Daughter, one of his favorite movies. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
    • It's premise is simple, and it's idea is absurd, lending itself to an easily digest horror/comedy.
    • Everything in the film is in service of jokes.
    • The industry is timid around horror/comedy films, but a film with a reasonable budget offers a lot of opportunity.
    • This is Osgood Perkins' first movie with a male-led cast, and the two explore his representation of gender across his filmography.
    • Chuckling over silly deaths.
    • Amidst all the comedy, Osgood Perkins' still makes sure to add a level of heart the film needs to give it decent pacing, both in its metatext as he processes grief and literally as the film showcases a throughline regarding generational trauma.
    • Talking about the ending, and how you can read into the drama if you want.

    Recommendations:

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    12 March 2025, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 18 minutes
    Welcome to Leith - w/ Peter Bell on the Complex Trauma of Ideological Imperialism

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    MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

    Sons of Patriarchy: Podcast, Instagram, Website / Outreach Idaho: Website

    Peter 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 Leith, North Dakota - and jumped at the opportunity to discuss it with Peter!

    Topics:

    • (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30-minutes discussing the importance of including a mix of Christian & non-Christian voices in journalistic endeavors, the differences between the two, and how the pursuit of truth requires media literacy. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
    • Peter ponders the relationship between truth and bravery, and teases out what to expect with Sons of Patriarchy Season 2.
    • Similarities between the "invasions" of Moscow, Idaho and Leith, North Dakota, and also Douglas Wilson and Craig Cobb.
    • Has the internet increased the danger of radicalization?
    • It takes less than a year for an evil man to destabilize a community.
    • The impact of complex trauma.
    • How the Quiverfull Movement is actually just Birtherism; or better understood as familial slavery and eugenics.
    • The end of the film and aftermath between 2015 and 2025.

    Recommendations:

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    5 March 2025, 9:00 am
  • 1 hour 26 minutes
    When Evil Lurks - The Penalty of Ignoring the Marginalized

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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-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 EXCLUSIVE) 20-minutes discussing the trailer for Jurassic World: Rebirth, Gareth Edwards' upcoming Summer blockbuster, and how it might be doing away with Trevorrow's... lackluster style and embrace being a horror-filled island adventure! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
    • When Melvin received the push-notification that a Patreon Supporter had submitted When Evil Lurks for February's Patreon Pick, he audibly reacted. It's a visceral film, and the two talk about that for a bit.
    • Is it weird to like a movie that's so pointedly miserable?
    • Kathryn, "This movie just evoked in me a lot of 'social sadness'.".
    • The film isn't drawing attention to it, but virtually every character within the film exists in a state of marginalization.
    • When Evil Lurks has conviction. It trusts what it's doing, and it trusts you'll understand it.
    • It's not as vicious as Terrifier 2, but the violence here is pretty nuts.
    • "Evil loves children. And children love evil."
    • Discussing those two crazy shocking scenes in the film. You know the ones.
    • When a system fails, the marginalized are the first to suffer.
    • Discussing the ending and how it left us.

    Recommendations:

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    26 February 2025, 9:00 am
  • 1 hour 10 minutes
    The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Legacy, Renewal, and Fish

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    MOVIE 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 more Wes Anderson movies than Melvin, and something about his style was getting to her. Melvin, however, really enjoyed the film.
    • Melvin shares what resonated with him, contrasting it with what he felt The Royal Tenenbaums wasn't able to do a year ago.
    • Steve Zissou is constantly thinking about his future, and is clearly ruminating on his past, and the film takes these things to task as it orients him toward his present.
    • One's legacy is at the forefront of the film, and this is contrasted against nature's beautiful indifference.
    • Kathryn, "...the emotional heart of this movie is definitely Ned."
    • Discussing the ending, and why Melvin loved it so much.

    Recommendations:

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    19 February 2025, 9:00 am
  • 1 hour 23 minutes
    Pride & Prejudice (1995) - w/ Marissa Burt on Patriarchy, Feminism, Shame, & Marriage

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    MINI-SERIES DISCUSSION: 

    Marissa Burt: Instagram, Substack, Author Page

    Pre-Order: The Myth of Good Christian Parenting: How False Promises Betrayed a Generation of Evangelical Families by Marissa Burt & Kelsey McGinnis

    Marissa 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, after every few quotes, the two discuss what makes them so bad! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
    • Marissa shares about her upcoming book The Myth of Good Christian Parenting: How False Promises Betrayed a Generation of Evangelical Families, coauthored with Kelsey Kramer McGinnis, and Melvin asks why Christian's still think spanking is biblical (protip: it's not).
    • Marissa has rewatched Pride & Prejudice several times over and loves revisiting this Austen classic.
    • Melvin really enjoyed Pride & Prejudice, not only because he enjoys “chickflicks” or “girl cinema” but also because the dialogue is extremely good.
    • Celebrating Elizabeth’s independence, and how women at the time had to be clever to flourish in such passive, deeply rooted subjugation.
    • How the culture exploits its women, and how some women use this exploitation to their advantage rather than rejecting it.
    • Talking about Elizabeth and Darcy, two amazing characters.
    • Exploring the ending's showcase on marriage.

    Recommendations:

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    12 February 2025, 9:00 am
  • 1 hour 15 minutes
    A Quiet Place: Day One - The Best Quiet Place (So Far!)

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    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 Be "Handcuffed" To 'Star Wars' Lore", some comments to this headline & article Melvin noticed, and general frustration with the concept of "Fandom". (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
    • First things first: you don’t have to watch the first two films to enjoy A Quiet Place: Day One. It’s entirely its own thing with its own characters.
    • Apart from an apocalyptic event, Shirleon didn’t know what to expect. By the end, she’d been completely won over, tears and all.
    • Celebrating Eric, Joseph Quinn’s character, as a well-rounded man who is expressive, emotional, and brave, rather than some testosterone-led survival aficionado ready to fight some aliens.
    • Melvin felt this was the best of the three films by a long shot.
    • Reading the poem “Bad Math”, then discussing our interpretations.
    • The significance of the pizza, and healthy uses of fantasy.
    • Discussing the ending.

    Recommendations:

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    5 February 2025, 9:00 am
  • 1 hour 31 minutes
    I Saw the TV Glow - Emotionally Devastating

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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 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 reject the film as too weird or too complex, as a lot of what's at play is very late Millennial/Gen Z.
    • Melvin found the film "emotionally devastating", and begins to explore what that means to him.
    • A lot of dialogue personally connected with Melvin, whereas a lot of visuals personally connected with Kathryn, and the two share specifics.
    • Melvin shares how Cinematic Doctrine hasn't really talked about LGBTQIA+ topics on the podcast because it's such a loaded topic in the Christian community. Even so, one of I Saw the TV Glow's main topics of exploration is gender identity and fluidity, and how it correlates to the coming-of-age experience. As such, they get into the weeds.
    • Does it really make sense to gender-restrict activities when they have nothing to do with one’s born-sexuality? How do things in the real world become representative of genitalia?
    • Television may exist in I Saw the TV Glow to represent desire, and the dichotomy between getting lost in the fantasies of our desires or being propelled to act on our desires.
    • Owen's decision at the end of the film hits the way it does because he's finally making a decision about what he's endured the whole film.
    • I Saw the TV Glow is extremely dense and profoundly nuanced, and Melvin is positive that Kathryn and he have barely scratched the surface.

    Recommendations:

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    Support on Patreon for Unique Perks!

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    • Vote on a movie/show we review
    • One-time reward of two Cinematic Doctrine Stickers & Pins

    Social Links:

    29 January 2025, 11:00 pm
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