Cinematic Doctrine: A Movie Review Podcast Hosted by Christians

Send us a Question! LET'S TALK: Melvin guides Daniel through his Quibi-venture, an exploration of that weird, less-than-one-year-old mobile-only streaming service that came and went in 2020. From it's lead cheerleaders of Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman, to how Quibi convinced nearly every production company in Hollywood to invest over $1.75 Billion, as well as those obscenely confusi...

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! Ant Coughlin, a pastor, joins Melvin in summarizing The VelociPastor . Because, of course! The two goof and gaff about this off-beat love-letter to 80's schlock grindhouse horror, and appreciate it&apos...

Send us a Question! PARTY PLEASER: Melvin is joined by Shirleon yet again to discuss Haunted Mansion (2015) , a movie that has literally no correlation to The Haunted Mansion or Haunted Mansion (2023) ! Yes, this movie was picked solely because it shares a name with the other movies. We think that's kind of funny! But don't worry; there are more similarities between this haunted mansion...

Send us a Question! PARTY PLEASER: Melvin's sister Shirleon joins him on a journey through Disney's latest attempt at making a Haunted Mansion movie. While summarizing Haunted Mansion (2023) , the two commentate on what makes this Summer Not-buster awkwardly divisive. Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30-minutes discussing neat trivia about various Haunted Mansion rides across the globe, their...

Send us a Question! LET'S TALK:  Melanie & Melvin dive into one of the most beloved holiday musicals, The Nightmare Before Christmas , alongside two similar features Corpse Bride and Frankenweenie ! What connects these films? Why, it's Tim Burton of course! Through varying degrees of involvement, each feature captures the iconography of this Hollywood titan, and the two discuss each...

Send us a Question! PARTY PLEASER: Melanie & Melvin travel back to the early 2000's to summarize the family-friendly cult-classic Disney Adult horror film The Haunted Mansion ! From enjoying detailed sets to the generally fun aesthetic of a haunted house, the two kick off Halloween Month with excitement and laughs! Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 33-minutes continuing their discussion on mode...

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! In this episode, Melanie & Melvin are discussing The Mummy (1999) ! Branden Frasier is back in the mix with his popular Oscar-winning performance in The Whale , but we're traveling back over two-...

Send us a Question! MOVIE DISCUSSION: Melanie & Melvin talk at length about Akira Kurosawa's worldwide phenomena, Rashomon . From it's forward-feeling filmmaking and pacing to it's gripping drama, Rashomon continues to be in conversation for it's layered entertainment and deep contemplation. And, of course, they also talk about the immensely disruptive nature of lying. Topi...

Send us a Question! MOVIE DISCUSSION: Melanie introduces Melvin to another long-standing classic drama, Good Will Hunting , and the joy had in overcoming toxic traits of the male psyche! Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 25-minutes of Melanie & Melvin playing "Would You Rather?" with some of the most absurd options available! Even so, it leads to some great real-talk about first-impression...

Send us a Question! PARTY PLEASER: Melanie & Melvin continue their adventure through the popular Hunger Games saga with Mockingjay - Part 1 ! They describe the movie from beginning to end, exploring themes of repressed individuality amidst cultural responsibility, and also observe how the film very much feels like half of a book (because it is!). Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 36-minutes discussi...

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 & Melvin travel back to the wonderful world of 2004 and summarize Barbie as The Princess and the Pauper . While it isn't the first Barbie-animated film, it is the first Barbie-animated music...

Send us a Question! MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Melanie & Melvin discuss David Cronenberg's Scanners , a contemplative psychological horror with intense bookends! From the film's odd casting to its heady-concepts of individual thought and sovereignty, the two discuss what makes Scanners a worthwhile watch for those searching for a little bit more in their thrillers! Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE...

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 America...

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...

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 leve...

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-min...

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:...

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, i...

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...

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...

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...

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 "aggressiv...

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...

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 s...

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...