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

June 25, 2025 60 mins

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PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION:

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 present in this early Paul W.S. Anderson picture?

Topics:

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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 55 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 76 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 77 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 104 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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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss Jon Favreau's grounded indie-style flick, Chef! The two explore themes of maturing and parenthood, the relationship between the artist and the observer, and the importance of passion in everyday life. 

Topics:

  • (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 25-minutes talking about those insane A Minecraft Movie screenings where people are throwing their popcorn and bringing live chic...
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April 9, 2025 49 mins

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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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PARTY PLEASER: 

Systematic Geekology: Spotify / Instagram

Will Rose of Systematic Geekology joins Melvin for a second time to summarize North Shore, a little-seen surfer flick in the vein of Karate Kid! Will shares a ton about the dynamics of surfing culture, and Melvin celebrates the layers of North Shore's coming-of-age story. Plus, they can't get enough of those glorious Hawaiian waves, and neither wil...

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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 our latest Patron-Selected movie, Exodus: Gods and Kings! Can Ridley Scott give this paramount Bible story the Gladiator treatment? Does it play fast and loose with the historical account? Was it, at the very...

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March 19, 2025 110 mins

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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Shirleon and Kathryn join Melvin to discuss Annihilation, Alex Garland's sophomore feature adaption of Jeff VanderMeer's celebrated weird-fiction book. Additionally, both Kathryn and Melvin have read the book, so how does the movie stack up? Also, what is the movie trying to say? Tune in to find out! 

Topics:

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March 12, 2025 64 mins

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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss The Monkey, one of the first horror hits of the year, and possibly the first of two new Osgood Perkins films in 2025! For a movie whose tagline is "Everybody dies. And that's F#$*ed up.", is it cynical? Or, is a little heart tossed in with this horror comedy? Also, and perhaps most importantly... is it funny? Tune in to find out!

Topics:

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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Sons of Patriarchy: Podcast, Instagram, Website / Outreach Idaho: Website

Peter Bell, host of the Sons of Patriarchy podcast, joins Melvin to discuss a little-seen 2015 documentary titled Welcome to Leith. As Peter podcasts about the ideological invasion of Douglas Wilson and Christian Nationalism over Moscow, Idaho, Melvin was reminded of the Welcome to Leith - a documentary about notorious whit...

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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, When Evil Lurks! This Argentinian horror flick made the rounds in 2023, catching a lot of attention and exploding in popularity once it landed on Shudder. It's also a comb...

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MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Wes Anderson’s follow-up to The Royal Tenenbaums. It’s comedy, it’s drama, it’s silly outfits are all on the table as the two explore ideas of legacy, found-family, and so much more.

Topics:

  • (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 37-minutes discussing the games Kathryn & Melvin are playing, including an "uglicy" in Sims 3 and refle...
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MINI-SERIES DISCUSSION: 

Marissa Burt: Instagram, Substack, Author Page

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

Marissa Burt returns to the podcast to discuss the BBC's 1995 adaption of Pride & Prejudice! Ready for some quintessential girl-cinema? We've got so much to chew on! Tune in now!

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