Cinematic Doctrine

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. Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)The Decomposition of Rotten Tomatoes(PATREON EXCLUSIVE)RashomonRashomonRashomonRashomonRashomonRashomon's Recommendations: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2023 Broadway Cast Recording) Feeders 2: Slay Bells Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Social Links: ThreadsWebsiteInstagram Facebook Group

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)(PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Good Will HuntingGood Will HuntingBarbieGood Will HuntingProverbs 19:22Recommendations: No Need to ArgueWarning: Do Not Play Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Social Links: ThreadsWebsiteInstagram Facebook Group

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)The Blind Side(PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Mockingjay - Part 1Catching FireMockingjay - Part 1Mockingjay - Part 1Recommendations: Madison Ryann WardSaw VI Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Social Links: ThreadsWebsiteInstagram Facebook Group

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 musical! From it's bouncing musical numbers to its surprisingly complicated plot, the gang have fun explaining this childhood gem! Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)(PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Barbie and The Princess and the PauperlotBarbie and The Princess and the PauperalsoRecommendations: The Swan PrincessBee Movie Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Social Links: ThreadsWebsiteInstagram Facebook Group

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)Wall·E(PATREON EXCLUSIVE)ScannersScannersRecommendations: Overcooked!It's Alive Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Social Links: ThreadsWebsiteInstagram Facebook Group

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-snow-globe. Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Social Links: ThreadsWebsiteInstagram Facebook Group

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,TickledThe Tickle KingTickled'sTickledRecommendations: The WolfpackWelcome to LeithThe Drama of Scripture, Second Edition Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Social Links: ThreadsWebsiteInstagram Facebook Group

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)The Flash(PATREON EXCLUSIVE)BarbieBarbie Barbie'sexactly sothisBarbieRecommendations: The Devil Wears PradaTragic KingdomThe Blob Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Social Links: ThreadsWebsiteInstagram Facebook Group

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)(PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Wall·ElotWall·EWall·ERecommendations: Ratatouille The Blob Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Social Links: ThreadsWebsiteInstagram Facebook Group

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)Evil Dead RiseCocaine Bear(PATREON EXCLUSIVE)SmileSmileSmile SmileSmileSmilereally SmileRecommendations: Annihilation CCEF.orgGonjiam: Haunted Asylum Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Social Links: ThreadsWebsiteInstagram Facebook Group

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) (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) BeckmanBeckmanBeckmanJohn WickRecommendations: Vol. 1Vol. 2Missing Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Social Links: ThreadsWebsiteInstagram Facebook Group

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 showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Social Links: ThreadsWebsiteInstagram Facebook Group

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)(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) really Teen WolfRecommendations: The Dark CrystalCreepshow Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Social Links: ThreadsWebsiteInstagram Facebook Group

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) (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) The Hunger Games: Catching FireCatching FireThe Hunger Games muchRecommendations: John Wick: Chapter 4Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Social Links: ThreadsWebsiteInstagram Facebook Group

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 horror. Not only is Skinamarink Melvin's #3 film of 2022 (out of 100), it inspired him to get the Cinematic Doctrine gang together to discuss Skinamarink and its very clear influences. These influences include the unique strain of horror-storytelling available on the internet. From Creepypasta to YouTube oddities to the modern folktale of the Slenderman, Melanie, Daniel, and Melvin discuss the very-young yet three-decades-long history of internet horror. From popular Creepypasta Ben Drowned to more obscure titles like Dogscape, the Slenderman mythos and Mark Z. Danielewski's format-bending novel House of Leaves, Cinematic Doctrine explores what makes internet horror storytelling unique from the rest. In addition to setting the groundwork, Melanie, Daniel, and Melvin discuss three internet horror themed movies without spoilers: Host, We're All Going to the World's Fair, and, of course, Skinamarink. Each film showcases a different way of exploring Internet Horror. From popcorn thrill-ride, slow-burn reflection, and outright arthouse, these films have it all! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 50-minutes discussing the horrifying untrustworthiness of the Internet, the Skype-set horror movie Unfriended, and Rob Savage's sophomore movie Dashcam, and much more. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Social Links: ThreadsWebsiteInstagram Facebook Group

MOVIE DISCUSSION: Melanie and Melvin discuss the poignantly melancholic New Zealand film, Whale Rider, one of Melanie's favorite movies! Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)(PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Whale RiderWhale RiderWhale Ridermore more Whale RiderRecommendations: Little GiantsDVD purchaseJustwatch Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Social Links: ThreadsWebsiteInstagram Facebook Group

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 before he can apologize. Topics: (FREE PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Princess MononokeNeon Genesis EvangelionPuella Magi Madoka Magica(FREE PATREON EXCLUSIVE)A Silent VoiceA Silent VoicePrincess MononokeNeon Genesis EvangelionPuella Magi Madoka MagicaA Silent VoiceRecommendations: Your Name.Nichijou: My Ordinary Life Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Social Links: ThreadsWebsiteInstagram Facebook Group

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, enjoy non-spoiler reflections, and during the second half, enjoy a beat-by-beat dissection of Puella Magi Madoka Magica's various revelations! And, if you haven't seen the show yet... check it out! Melvin highly recommends it! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 50-minutes of additional content including Melvin discussing 7 manga spin-offs from the Puella Magi Madoka Magica franchise, talking about how they connect to the original story, what makes them engaging, and which ones to avoid. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Social Links: ThreadsWebsiteInstagram Facebook Group

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 show, the iconography of the film, interpretations of the ending, and most importantly: who is best girl? (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 1 hour of Melvin talking about the Director's Cut of the last three episodes of the show, and Melanie asking Melvin and Kathryn about other Neon Genesis Evangelion material such as what makes the manga different from the show, whether or not the “Rebuild” films from 2009 to 2021 are worthwhile, and a particular cross-over experience Melvin learned about while investigating extra material. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Social Links: ThreadsWebsiteInstagram Facebook Group

PARTY PLEASER: Happy Piccolo day! Melanie and Melvin check out the long forgotten Hollywood live-action adaption of Dragonball! Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Dragonball EvolutionDragonball EvolutionactualDragonball Evolution’sDragonball Evolution Here it isDragonball Evolution Recommendations: Howl's Moving CastleAiura Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Social Links: ThreadsWebsiteInstagram Facebook Group