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!

  • 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

    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:

    Support the show

    Support on Patreon for Unique Perks!

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    • Vote on a movie/show we review
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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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    • Vote on a movie/show we review
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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:

    Support the show

    Support on Patreon for Unique Perks!

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    • Vote on a movie/show we review
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    29 January 2025, 11:00 pm
  • 1 hour 13 minutes
    Journey to Bethlehem - A Conviction of Fiction

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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 & 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-minutes discussing Shirleon & Melvin reflecting on the movies they’ve discussed through 2024, whether they have any new feelings about them, and the experience of improving one’s critical thinking. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
    • Spoilers are truly irrelevant for discussing the adaption of the immaculate conception and birth of King Jesus, so Shirleon and Melvin kick things off strong talking about everything.
    • Shirleon was moved by two songs: Mother To A Savior And King & In My Blood.
    • Melvin felt it wasn't really his thing, and the whole of the project felt largely forgettable.
    • Discussing how virtually every musical number could be removed because they weren't integrated into the plot or pacing of the film.
    • Shirleon & Melvin disagree on some things, and the two go back and forth.
    • Talking Lacrae as the angel Gabriel. Or, as Melvin calls it, "Lacrangel".
    • Is the song Mary's Getting Married supposed to be a Feminist or Trad Wife anthem? It's messaging is unclear.
    • No matter how minimal, Melvin never overcame a perpetual unease over the film's alterations of the biblical account.

    Recommendations: 

    Support the show

    Support on Patreon for Unique Perks!

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    • Vote on a movie/show we review
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    25 December 2024, 9:00 am
  • 1 hour 17 minutes
    Hot Frosty - The Hottest Movie of 2024!

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    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:

    Support the show

    Support on Patreon for Unique Perks!

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

    Social Links:

    18 December 2024, 9:00 am
  • 1 hour 30 minutes
    The Unknown – w/ At Home with the Lectionary on Perpetual Actors

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    MOVIE DISCUSSION:

    Marissa & Aaron Burt: At Home with the Lectionary Podcast / Marissa Burt Instagram, Substack, Author Page

    Marissa Burt & Kelsey McGinnis upcoming book: The Myth of Good Christian Parenting: How False Promises Betrayed a Generation of Evangelical Families

    Marissa & 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 surprises, and so much more! Tune in now!

    Topics:

    • (FREE PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30-minutes discussing how Christian celebrity may differ from secular celebrity, the use-cases for Christian celebrity both for the individual and the masses, and the responsibility thrust upon celebrities in general. (FREE PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
    • Marissa & Aaron Burt share about their podcast At Home with the Lectionary, where their inspiration came from, and then Marissa shares about her past fiction books and upcoming nonfiction book.
    • Don’t be fooled by The Unknown being a silent film: this film is disturbingly dense! 
    • So… why is it titled The Unknown?
    • Todd Browning cleverly utilizes everything at his disposal to tell a complex, layered story about possession, power, and gender.
    • The whole gang agrees: these characters are deeply resonant.
    • Talking about arms, because we literally must!
    • Ranting and raving about the brilliant twists and turns this story unveils.
    • Discussing and interpreting the ending statement.

    Recommendations:

    Support the show

    Support on Patreon for Unique Perks!

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    • Vote on a movie/show we review
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    4 December 2024, 9:00 am
  • 1 hour 3 minutes
    Signs - A Contrived Deus Ex Machina

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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 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 discussing how 20% of Americans regularly get their news from influencers rather than old-media institutions, as per the Pew Research Center. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
    • Shirleon liked the movie, and felt it was easily digested. Melvin, however, felt it was the beginning of the end.
    • Mel Gibson left a lot to be desired even if a few of his scenes were decent.
    • Melvin see's what people love about Signs but feels it's flip-flops between Shyamalan at his best and Shyamalan at his absolute worst.
    • Discussing the usage of doors, doorways, framing, and staging.
    • How a PG-13 rating may have made Signs hugely accessible to filmgoers and families, and how that may have helped make the "Brazilian Birthday Scene" so frightening (...even when it's not that scary).
    • How the ending feels both rushed and sluggish.

    Recommendations:

    • Vampire Survivors (2022) (Video Game)
    • Arcane (2021) (TV-Series)
    • The Fog (1980) (Movie)

    Support the show

    Support on Patreon for Unique Perks!

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

    Social Links:

    27 November 2024, 9:00 am
  • 1 hour 45 minutes
    Joker: Folie à Deux - w/ Movies & Us on How it Might be Good?

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    MOVIE DISCUSSION:

    Movies & Us: Podcast, Instagram, Threads

    TV & Us: Podcast, Instagram, Threads

    Jen & 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-time watch for 2024, why they’re favorites, and a few honorable mentions at the end. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
    • Recap: What do Jen, Sarah, and Melvin think of Joker (2019)?
    • Sarah on Joker: Folie a Deux, “…anytime [Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn] was at the center, I’m like “Okay! I’m happy!”.”.
    • Jen feels the first film is ostensibly a better made product, but found this sequel was far more thought-provoking.
    • Melvin outright liked the movie, saying that he could understand why people didn’t like the movie but had extreme difficulty seeing the film as “bad” or even “mid”.
    • All three agree: Joker: Folie a Deux is prime for becoming a future cult classic.
    • Discussing music, the usage of Arthur Fleck’s color scheme, embracing artistic flare at the expense of logic, and “build a mountain”.
    • Turning trials of justice into entertainment.
    • Does Arthur deserve to die?
    • Talking Gary Puddles.
    • Talking Lady Gaga’s “Lee Quinzel”.
    • Discussing that controversial ending that left a lot of fans sour.
    • Melvin, “It’s sad to see [Arthur] go.”

    Recommendations:

    Support the show

    Support on Patreon for Unique Perks!

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

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    20 November 2024, 9:00 am
  • 1 hour 11 minutes
    The Assistant - w/ Sheila Gregoire on Toxic Workplaces and How They (Don't) Manage

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    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:


    Support the show

    Support on Patreon for Unique Perks!

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

    Social Links:

    13 November 2024, 9:00 am
  • 1 hour 5 minutes
    Ready Player One - w/ Geek Freaks on Nostalgia Overwhelming

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    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 thoughts and reflections on each entry since the beginning! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
    • Frank shares about his passion for podcasting, whether his own show or supporting others with theirs, and two “bucketlist” shows he’d love to make if time and money allowed.
    • Regarding the book… both Frank & Melvin couldn’t finish it. In fact, they had barely started it before putting it down.
    • The start of the film is an utterly bombastic, visually cluttered, overwhelming action set-piece that did not start Melvin off on the right foot. After about 20 minutes, things got better.
    • Frank on the film’s heavy-handed commentary, “It’s like if Michael Bay were to make a Black Mirror.”
    • Melvin wonders how a film predicated on nostalgia becomes its own marketable brand.
    • Talking favorite Easter Egg challenges.
    • Frank & Melvin agree: the Halliday B-Plot is the best.
    • Frank & Melvin also agree: The Curator is super cool.
    • Frank on the ending, "I would have appreciated if they just, like, had a stance and went for it.".

    Recommendations:

    Support the show

    Support on Patreon for Unique Perks!

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

    Social Links:

    6 November 2024, 9:00 am
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