Cinematic Doctrine

Cinematic Doctrine

Cinematic Doctrine is a mature, millennial-infused film/tv discussion podcast from Melvin Benson that features Movie Discussions (conversational episodes about specific movies), Party Pleasers (movies fully-summarized from start to finish to discern if its a 'Party Pleaser' or 'Party Pooper'), and Let's Talks (prepared film-or-Christian related topical episodes). Influenced by Acts 17 and Romans 2:4. Podcast Magazine says Cinematic Doctrine "uses the shared value of human life as a springboard into deeper conversations". // CinematicDoctrine.com

Episodes

September 3, 2025 53 mins

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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Kathryn joins Melvin return to the MCU to discuss The Fantastic Four: First Steps! It's been 2 years since the gang has talked about Marvel, so what's it like to discuss this latest feature? Also, does it stand well on its own? At the end of the day... is it even good? Tune in and find out!

Topics:

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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 Sinners, Ryan Coogler's massive 2025 hit. As the film continues to dominate conversation, the two discuss it's myriad of themes, whether the film mixes its ideas together well, how they interpret th...

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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Jessica LM Jenkins: Podcast // Instagram // YouTube // WeWhoThirst.com

Jessica LM Jenkins joins Melvin to discuss a massive Pixar favorite; The Incredibles! From the simple-yet-deep "traditional" family stereotypes explored among the Parr family, the relationship between self-expression and conformity, and the similarities between Mr. Incredible and Syndrome. Jessica and Melvin get into...

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REBROADCAST MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

In this rebroadcast episode (originally released September 28th, 2021), Melvin & Dan talk about one of Laika's several family-friendly horror-animated features, ParaNorman

Topics: 

  • ParaNorman has a comfortable, cozy Fall atmosphere.
  • Laika takes advantage of it's medium to create a fun, charismatic animation style that separates itself from the competition.
  • ...
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REBROADCAST MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Before Dune, Daniel saw a trailer for Redeeming Love. After the trailer played, he leaned over to his friend and said, "I think that's supposed to be a sexy Christian movie.". So, here we are talking about that "sexy Christian movie". Boy, there sure is a lot to talk about here. (originally released March 22nd, 2022)

Topics: 

  • Redeeming Love contai...
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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 the 1960s Village of the Damned! Combining weird fiction with childhood mischief, this sci-fi horror offers a lot to chew on, and the two try and parse through everything they can. Join them as they explore co...

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LET'S TALK: 

Kelsey McGinnis: Instagram // Christianity Today // Podcast

Pre-Order: The Myth of Good Christian Parenting: How False Promises Betrayed a Generation of Evangelical Families by Marissa Burt & Kelsey McGinnis 

Kelsey Kramer McGinnis, contributor to Christianity Today, returns to the podcast for an impromptu sequel to last year's Let's Talk "Zoetic & the CCM Coconut Tree"....

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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss an early 1990s horror feature, Jacob's Ladder! That's right, the gang heads back to the 90s to discuss another cult-classic horror feature, and the two get into all its metaphors, scares, and the joy of having changed opinions on rewatched movies. 

Topics:

  • (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 23-minutes discussing Martin Shore's write-up on WhatToWatch titled, &qu...
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QUARTERLY CATCH-UP:

Movies & Us: Podcast, Instagram

TV & Us: Podcast, Instagram

Quarterly Catch-Up is a co-production between Cinematic Doctrine & Movies & Us! In it, the gang answers 3 questions:

  1. What have we been watching?
  2. What are we anticipating?
  3. What else are we up to?

Things Mentioned:

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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

SolSilver: Instagram // YouTube // Discord 

SolSilver joins Melvin to discuss a much loved early 2000's Disney animated feature, Lilo & Stitch! With the live-action adaptation bringing new life to the franchise, the two dive headfirst into the story that started it all, discussing their love for its mix of comedy and drama and the importance of "Ohana"! 

Topics:

  • Editor's...
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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 June's Patreon-Picked movie, Event Horizon! This late 90's sci-fi horror feature includes some excellent set-design and atmosphere, but does it satisfy the needs of a horror movie? And what themes are...

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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss an early 2025 critical hit, Companion! How does the film balance its mix of thriller and comedy? Are the themes heavy-handed or are they handled with maturity? At the end of the day... is it even good? Tune in and find out! 

Topics:

  • (FREE PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 25-minutes discussing Thunderbolts* being a critical success but failing financially, why we think that ma...
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June 11, 2025 54 mins

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PARTY PLEASER: 

Shirleon joins Melvin to summarize another DCOM: Smart House! This one is routinely mentioned whenever peeps bring up the world of Disney Channel Original Movies, and the two run a play-by-play of all its worthwhile moments (or, lack thereof) to decide if it's a "Party Pleaser" or "Party Pooper"! 

Topics:

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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

The Substance Podcast: Podcast // Instagram // Threads // Letterboxd 

Philip Marinello of The Substance Podcast joins Mel to discuss one of their favorite movies; The Texas Chain Saw Massacre! There is a wealth to chew on in this cannibal-crazed horror film, and the two get into everything from its cultural criticism of the late-60s and early-70s, its stellar filmmaking craft, and so much more. T...

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May 29, 2025 31 mins

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PATREON LET'S TALK: 

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 response to his disgust with No Game No Life: Zero, Melvin interviews his friends Isabella, David, and Melanie about Anime, PDF-File/incest material, and the broader disappointment with male-produced fetishistic content.

Song Credits:

InMyH...

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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Shirleon joins Melvin to discuss Death Note (2006)... but not the one you're thinking of! No, they discuss the live-action adaptation that released earlier the same year as its anime counterpart. The two discuss how this adaptation functions on its own as well as compare it to the anime adaptation, and explore the ins-and-outs of Death Note as a whole. 

Topics:

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May 14, 2025 75 mins

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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss one of the most pivotal anime-film releases to ever grace the silver-screen; Akira! This 1988 film not only pushed the genre of animation to its limits, it also introduced anime to the west as a serious new genre of entertainment! Does it still hold up? Spoilers: absolutely it does!

Topics:

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May 7, 2025 76 mins

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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Shirleon joins Melvin to discuss what is perhaps Hayao Miyazaki's most popular feature, Spirited Away! Its music, its character, it's magic; Spirited Away continues to dominate the conversation among Ghibli and anime fans alike, and the two get into all the good stuff in their latest episode!

Topics:

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April 30, 2025 103 mins

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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 our latest Patreon-picked movie; Her! The two discuss the ins-and-outs of digital romance, modern sexuality, and so much more all in a post Chat-GPT world!

Topics:

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PARTY PLEASER: 

Shirleon joins Melvin to summarize a late-90s retelling-with-a-twist adaptation of a beloved fairytale: Snow White: A Tale of Terror! From its surprisingly nuanced characters to its downright diabolical antagonist, the two enjoy discussing the horrific ins-and-outs of this late-20th century oddity! 

Topics:

  • The opening tone-setter for Snow White: A Tale of Terror really sells the atmosphere of da...
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