Christ, Culture, and Cinema

A Christmas classic - Tim Allen brings to life Santa Claus in this fun, heart-felt, and funny take on Christmas. He has 11 months to convince everyone that he really is Santa Claus - a monumental task when factoring in an ex-wife, her husband, co-workers, and friends. If you sat down with a stranger would they be able to figure out your identity? Would they know you are a Christian by how you talk...

This week we enter into our favorite time of year - Christmas. This year we look at a movie that has great star power but did not do well at the box office. Mythical creatures, naughty and nice, disillusionment and hope - some of the many themes and characters that jump off the screen. And yet we are drawn to the age old question: What determines naught and nice? Who is righteous? And who determin...

Thanksgiving - or is it Friendsgiving? As we consider this movie we do so in the backdrop of the national holiday. So what do you do when celebrating this holiday? Why do you celebrate it? And most importantly, who do you celebrate it with and why? This movie takes us on a journey of shallow relationships and ill-fated attempts at humor. But what if it chose to be more purposeful and develop relat...

As we remember Veterans Day we turn our attention to an Academy Award wining movie. This movie mixes music, cinematography, and a powerful story to show the stark reality of war vs the idealism that drives 17 year olds to join the German Army and risk all...and they will ultimately loose "all." How do you view war? How do you view the people around you? Do you know their story and does t...

In this episode we look at the 2024 movie Wicked - a movie that consider the back story that leads up the classic film, the Wizard of Oz. Taking its cue from the Broadway smash musical, the movie explores the back story of Elphaba, Glinda, the Wizard, and many others. Everyone has a story - before you judge do you know their story...and for that matter, do they know your story?

It's time for our annual Halloween Movie and this year we have chosen the reboot of The Haunted Mansion. This movie weaves disconnected characters, spirits, and lots of "easter eggs" as a homage to the famous Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland/Disneyworld. This is a movie where you can have a "Bingo Card" trying to find all of those scenes, references and, and moments regar...

This week we consider the "reboot" of a very successful franchise from days gone by - The Naked Gun. Using slap-stick, over the top, stupid, and borderline sophomoric humor, our experience with the movie was laughing for 85 minutes...but have we lost the ability to laugh? Can comedies like this make a triumphant return to the Big Screen? Or, are we so fractured and segmented as a society that we h...

In this episode we are privileged to interview the writer/creator of the new episodic fantasy show The Lost Healer. Weaving Christian themes into the story, Wilson talks about the creative process, the focus on "work" as a means by which to give glory to God, and the opportunity to engage the audience in the various walks of faith. Films and shows like this are incredibly important and n...

Welcome to a classic film that challenges the audience to consider head knowledge vs life experience; living life as opposed to observing life. This film generates emotional reactions from the audience - laughter, tears, anger, joy, etc... How are you living your life? Are you participating or observing? What about your faith? Does your faith flow naturally from your day to day living or is captur...

This week we look at the movie Saturday Night - the ninety minutes leading up to the launch of the iconic late night television show Saturday Night Live. Fast paced, intersecting orbs of chaos with Lorne Michaels and his wife Rosie Shuster trying to hold the whole thing together. With little to no time to breath, these two must Marshall forwards in order to get the show on the air. When does your...

This week we look at one of the biggest box office flops of the last 50 years of cinema. How does a movie withe a $110 million dollar budget and and engaging story crash so hard? Answer: Make the lead character a CGI monkey and the rest of the cast human beings around him. based on the true story of the English pop star Robbie Williams, we loose site of his rise to fame, personal struggles, and ro...

In this episode we explore a movie that is described as "100 minutes of Keanu Reaves shooting people in the face." This movie's main character is fueled by grief and pain in the loss of his wife and the loss of a gift from his wife to deal with the pain. How do you contend with your grief and pain? How far would you go and to what lengths would you travel to find comfort and peace?

This week we look at movie that launched not one but two sequels - although, the movie really stands alone. How far would you go to save a family member? To what lengths would you travel, what tactics and skills would you use? When considering this question we are reminded at how far God would go to save us!

This week we look at a biographic movie that looks at a very limited (two year window) of the Reggae innovator Bob Marley and the Wailers. Love, redemption, forgiveness, and cultural revolutionary themes emerge from this movie. Michael and I recommend that you do some reading about Bob Marley prior to watching the movie - the focus is clearly on the music but there is life and soul behind the song...

We stumbled across the brand new movie on Netflix while downloading movies for a flight. Talk about an amazing and wonderful surprise! Based on a true story, this movie explores friendship, family, food, community, and love...just to name a few things! What YOU bring to the movie is what you most likely see. Vince Vaughn, along with a loaded cast, will make you laugh, cry, and celebrate life. Join...

Sometimes there is an iconic movie that simply stands alone. A generation of people can quote it, have watched it multiple times, and has found its way into the fabric of the culture. More often than not, Hollywood tried to capitalize on the movie by making an ill-fated sequel that fails miserably at the box office. BUT this is not the case with Happy Gilmore 2! A sequel that honors the past, reme...

In this episode we look at an "overlooked" film that has a profound message of hope and new life. Based on a true story and a memoir written by the main character, the chance meeting with a woman, saving a penguin who will not leave the man's side, school children in a wealthy private school, and the the backdrop of politically tumultuous Argentina sets the stage for life lessons that changes ever...

We kick off season Ten with an exciting conversation with David Alford (The Writer and Director) and Joseph Stam (The Lead actor and co-writer) of Searching for the Elephant. This movie delves into Christian themes while presenting the harsh and sharp realities of addiction and relational pain. Here what those who are behind and in front of the camera have to say about the creative process while r...

We conclude Season 9 with a look at two movies that have been heralded as the conclusion of a comedy movie genre - often called "Raunchy Comedy" - this over the top style of humor seemingly disappeared with 22 Jump Street...the question is why? Are we taking ourselves too seriously? Have we lost our ability to laugh without feeling insulted?

This week we look at the cinematic version of the Broadway smash hit play Hamilton. Disney does an amazing job of simply bringing the Play to the big screen without all of the trappings of trying to over produce this runaway musical. Which genre is better? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the live stage productions? There are so many questions and we try to answer them for you!

What happens when Hollywood icons appear to be "old" on the screen? Well, that's because they to age like you and me! This week we look at an amazing movie starring Pam Anderson and Jamie Lee Curtis who give us a glimpse of "who they are today." Set in the backdrop of a dying Las Vegas Stage show, we are challenged to consider age, changes, and an uncertain future.

31 years ago Disney released a masterpiece that appealed to children and adults alike. The Lion King is movie that is fraught with ups and downs, pain and celebrations. This movie reminds us that life is not a straight line, that it is filled with peaks and valleys and those experiences help mold and shape the very people we become. Join us as we explore this movie turned Broadway smash hit turned...

In life we are given the opportunity to have friends - some of those friendships are great while others can be toxic. What causes you to remain friends with at toxic person? How has their life influenced you to make bad decisions or to do unsavory things on their behalf? this week we look at a movie that explores those very questions.

Can three movies create a perfect cohesion from start to finish? Is the arc from the beginning find completion in the end? This week we consider The Hangover movies - 1,2, and 3 - and consider how it interacts with culture, creates thoughtful story lines, and if it is indeed the perfect trio of movies from start to finish. We are joined with our guest analyst, Jarod to answer this question.

This week we look at a classic comedy, Old School. It is hard not to look back with beatific glasses while struggling with where are right now. It's also hard to look forward to what is ahead when we are struggling in the present. Join us for this comedic look at life, days gone by, and the future.