Cinematic Doctrine: A Movie Review Podcast Hosted by Christians

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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

  1. Iron Lung - Is Cosmic Horror Hope-core?

    3 DAYS AGO

    Iron Lung - Is Cosmic Horror Hope-core?

    Send us a Question! MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Shirleon joins Melvin to talk about Markiplier's Iron Lung movie! Is it like the game? Is it claustrophobic? Is it spooky-scary? The game is about 45-minutes whereas the movie is a little over 2-hours... is it bloated? Tune in and find out!  Topics: (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 20-minutes talking about the vibes around Chris Pratt, if he's as popular as Hollywood thinks he is, what the financials of his latest features tell us, and where we think he's going next. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Setting the groundwork for the Iron Lung game so we can talk the Iron Lung movie.Both Shirleon & Melvin liked the movie, and the two chat about what worked for them.The film succeeded in making Shirleon feel very claustrophobic.Why is cosmic horror or weird fiction so difficult in film?Melvin feels Iron Lung showcases Markiplier's talent as a writer/director.Why do we think people love stories that contain such a degree of hopelessness?Some specifics about the ending are a bit confusing, but Melvin doesn't feel it detracts from the experience.Shirleon chats about the creature.In terms of filmmaking, what's next for Markiplier?Recommendations:  Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith: Episode III (2025) (Novel)FoundTV (Streaming App)Support the show Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! Early access to uncut episodes Vote on a movie/show we review One-time reward of two Cinematic Doctrine Stickers & Pins Social Links: Threads Website Instagram Letterboxd Facebook Group

    52 min
  2. Stranger Things S5 - Canon Fanfiction

    4 FEB

    Stranger Things S5 - Canon Fanfiction

    Send us a Question! TV-Show Discussion:  Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss Stranger Things Season 5! Was it worth the 9-year adventure? How was it in theaters? Is there a secret 9th episode? The two discuss it all, from the insanely large cast of characters to #ConformityGate!  Topics: Editor's Note: No Patreon Exclusive discussion! But, I do intend to trim this episode down from its original 1:32:13 length, so if you want to hear the UNCUT version, tune in on Patreon here!It's so nice that Stranger Things is actually over during a time where fiction seems never-ending.Kathryn and Melvin went to the theater for the finale. For Melvin, it was great. For Kathryn... well...Melvin, "It is probably the worst season of Stranger Things."Why couldn't it land the plane?Offering rewrites because that's what podcasts do!So... why does Stranger Things avoid killing major characters?Talking #ConformityGate.Mel, "Good coming-of-age [stories have] consequences."Recommendations: A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel (2015) (Graphic Novel)The Crazies (1973) (Movie)Support the show Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! Early access to uncut episodes Vote on a movie/show we review One-time reward of two Cinematic Doctrine Stickers & Pins Social Links: Threads Website Instagram Letterboxd Facebook Group

    1h 5m
  3. Priest - happy new year i guess

    28 JAN

    Priest - happy new year i guess

    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!  Shirleon joins Melvin to summarize Priest, a forgotten feature from 2011. Loosely based upon a Manhwa of the same name, the two explore some of the neat ideas stuck beneath this unfocused, Syfy-original-like flick. And yes, it starts with a lore dump because of course it does.  Topics: Editor's Note: No Patreon Exclusive discussion! But, I do intend to trim this episode down from its original 1:22:34 length, so if you want to hear the UNCUT version, tune in on Patreon here!Priest feels like it should have come out in the early 2000s.Comparing vampire lore.Melvin feels Paul Bettany isn't a leading man, but he has criticisms over the entire casting of Priest.Discussing the vampire design.Priest can't go a few minutes without making mistakes.It's infrequent but occasionally the movie has some cool sci-fi visuals.Shirleon, "It's got good bones."Further vampire-lore conversations.When an ending promises spectacle but pulls the rug out from under you.Recommendations: The Devouring Light by Kat Ellis (2025) (Book)Tech Billionaires Want Us Dead by Taylor Lorenz (YouTube)Support the show Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! Early access to uncut episodes Vote on a movie/show we review One-time reward of two Cinematic Doctrine Stickers & Pins Social Links: Threads Website Instagram Letterboxd Facebook Group

    1h 8m
  4. Q4 Catch-Up 2025: The Finale!

    7 JAN · BONUS

    Q4 Catch-Up 2025: The Finale!

    Send us a Question! QUARTERLY CATCH-UP:  Movies & Us: Podcast, Instagram  TV & Us: Podcast, Instagram  Quarterly Catch-Up is a co-production between Cinematic Doctrine & Movies & Us! While answering a few questions about watching habits, we also talk about what else we've been up to this quarter, as well as our enjoyment over completing this lil' series. We hope you had a wonderful 2025, and we look forward to what 2026 will bring! Things Mentioned: A Man on the Inside (2024-X) (Series)Hedda (2025) (Movie)Jane Austen's Period Drama (2024) (Short Film)Sorry, Baby (2025) (Movie)Train Dreams (2025) (Movie)Mr. Scorsese (2025) (Series)It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This (2023) (Movie)Occult (2009) (Movie)Good Boy (2025) (Movie) Support the show Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! Early access to uncut episodes Vote on a movie/show we review One-time reward of two Cinematic Doctrine Stickers & Pins Social Links: Threads Website Instagram Letterboxd Facebook Group

    40 min
  5. The Bishop's Wife - Cucked by an Angel

    31/12/2025

    The Bishop's Wife - Cucked by an Angel

    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!  Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss The Bishop's Wife, an Oscar winning Christmas flick from 1947! What do they like? What do they dislike? It's got a lot of similarities to It's a Wonderful Life, but how does it compare? And what about that strange ending? Tune in to find out!  Topics:  (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 27-minutes discussing the current Avengers: Doomsday trailers - Steve Rodgers, Thor, and X-Men - and our current vibe regarding the MCU in the big '25 (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Kathryn and Melvin take it easy: they list what they like followed by what they didn't like.The film is structured like a 3-episode sitcom condensed into a single, overly-long movie.Talking characters, and how the two wishes they were better.The two explore how The Bishop's Wife has many narrative and thematic similarities to It's a Wonderful Life, a bonafide perfect movie. Henry isn't convincing as the character he's supposed to be, and it left Kathryn cold.God builds his church, not man. Not Henry.Kathryn and Melvin spend time trying to figure out why the ending is the way it is.Despite their criticisms, the "Mrs. Hamilton" angle of the ending was appreciated.Recommendations: Popcorn Bucket Cookies (Recipe)Suspiria (1977) (Movie)Support the show Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! Early access to uncut episodes Vote on a movie/show we review One-time reward of two Cinematic Doctrine Stickers & Pins Social Links: Threads Website Instagram Letterboxd Facebook Group

    53 min
  6. Superman (2025) - Curtains for Comic Book Movies?

    24/12/2025

    Superman (2025) - Curtains for Comic Book Movies?

    Send us a Question! MOVIE DISCUSSION:  Shirleon joins Melvin to discuss Superman (2025), James Gunn's latest superhero feature and first of the new DC Studios flicks! The two explore what they like, what they didn't like, how there's an earnest hope in this modern, live-action iteration of Clark Kent/Superman, and if they're excited for any upcoming DC Studios projects. And, because he likes numbers, Melvin breaks down the finances for 2025's comic book movies.  Topics:  (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30-minutes discussing McDonald's entirely "AI" produced Christmas-themed commercial, how it was taken down after receiving intense backlash, and the many philosophical issues regarding "art" made by AI. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Shirleon feels pretty mid-to-good about Superman (2025).Melvin keeps it simple and starts with what he likes followed by his dislikes.There's a nostalgia that feels imbued within the style of the film.Are comic-book movies washed? Let's look at some numbers.Adjusting for inflation, Iron Man nearly cost the same to make as Superman (2025), yet the former outpaces the latter in being a "franchise starter" by a wide margin.Superman (2025) is the most profitable superhero movie of 2025, but it still didn't do crazy numbers at the box-office. Has the "superhero fatigue" officially set in?Why it's nice to watch a protagonist who is kind and hopeful.Discussing the ending and if they're interested in future DC Studios films.Recommendations:  R.E.P.O. (2025) (Video Game)Rewatch a movie you love!Support the show Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! Early access to uncut episodes Vote on a movie/show we review One-time reward of two Cinematic Doctrine Stickers & Pins Social Links: Threads Website Instagram Letterboxd Facebook Group

    58 min

  7. 10/12/2025

    Podcast Update + A Royal Christmas Mini-Game

    Send us a Question! UPDATE:  I'm a Store Manager for a popular retail space. For obvious reasons this time of the year is extremely busy for me. Like previous years I thought I could handle my irl work and my podcast work, but that is not the case this year. For the time being, the only guaranteed episode to release in December 2025 is the Patreon-Selected movie at the end of the month. Any other releases this month have released by the skin of their teeth. In the meantime, enjoy this bonus semi-rerelease of a lil' mini-game I played with Chris Staron of Truce Podcast. If you want to hear the full episode this mini-game is from, tune in to this episode here. Support the show Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! Early access to uncut episodes Vote on a movie/show we review One-time reward of two Cinematic Doctrine Stickers & Pins Social Links: Threads Website Instagram Letterboxd Facebook Group

    11 min
  8. Now You See Me - Audiences Deserve Better

    26/11/2025

    Now You See Me - Audiences Deserve Better

    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!  Shirleon joins Melvin to discuss 2013's insane surprise financial hit, Now You See Me! Despite being a critical flop the film was a blockbuster blowout earning nearly 5x its budget! So, who's right, the critics or the audiences? Tune in and find out!  Topics: Editor's Note: No Patreon Exclusive discussion! But, I do intend to trim this episode down from its original 1:08:02 length, so if you want to hear the UNCUT version, tune in on Patreon here!Shirleon says she'd rather rewatch Death Note (2017) than ever watch Now You See Me again.Melvin, "I just thought the movie was bad."Every character basically sucks. If they don't suck, they're boring.Melvin has an issue with how normies and the working-poor are depicted, and he also feels it takes its audience for granted. It thinks its audience is a bunch of morons.Shirleon is overtaken by how much stuff is stuffed into this film, and the two discuss why that's a serious problem.Melvin talks about Safety Not Guaranteed, a movie that's got similar themes of belief and hope but isn't a total mess.Trying to make sense of the ending.Recommendations: What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher (2023) (Novel)Smiling Friends (2020-X) (Series)Support the show Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! Early access to uncut episodes Vote on a movie/show we review One-time reward of two Cinematic Doctrine Stickers & Pins Social Links: Threads Website Instagram Letterboxd Facebook Group

    54 min
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About

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

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