Send us a Question! 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-s...
Aug 15, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Send us a Question! 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, ...
Aug 08, 2023•1 hr 30 min
Send us a Question! 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...
Aug 01, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 157
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! 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 rema...
Jul 25, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 156
Send us a Question! 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, ...
Jul 18, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 155
Send us a Question! 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 fee...
Jul 11, 2023•1 hr 34 min•Season 1Ep. 154
Send us a Question! 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 show Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! Early access to uncut episodes Vote on a movie/show w...
Jul 04, 2023•1 hr 9 min
Send us a Question! 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 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 aesthetic...
Jun 27, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 153
Send us a Question! 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 di...
Jun 20, 2023•1 hr 29 min•Season 1Ep. 152
Send us a Question! 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 ...
Jun 13, 2023•1 hr 54 min
Send us a Question! 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 mov...
Jun 06, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 151
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! 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 ...
May 30, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 150
Send us a Question! 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, ...
May 23, 2023•1 hr 29 min
Send us a Question! 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 sh...
May 16, 2023•1 hr 37 min
Send us a Question! 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 Evolut...
May 09, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 149
Send us a Question! 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, warri...
May 02, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 148
Send us a Question! 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 i...
Apr 25, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 147
Send us a Question! 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 f...
Apr 18, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 146
Send us a Question! 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...
Apr 11, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 145
Send us a Question! 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 w...
Apr 04, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 144
Send us a Question! 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...
Mar 28, 2023•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 143
Send us a Question! 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...
Mar 21, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 142
Send us a Question! 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 show Support on Patreon for Unique Perks!...
Mar 14, 2023•44 min
Send us a Question! 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 show Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! Early access to uncut episodes ...
Mar 07, 2023•46 min
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! 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...
Feb 28, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 141
Send us a Question! 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 outs...
Feb 21, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 140
Send us a Question! 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 ...
Feb 14, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 139
Send us a Question! 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 ...
Feb 07, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 138
Send us a Question! 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...
Feb 01, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 137
Send us a Question! 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 EXC...
Dec 27, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 136
