Mythic Mind Movies

Andrew Snyder
  • 5.0 (4)
  • TV & Film
  • Updated Biweekly

Pursuing wisdom through primary and secondary worlds. Mythic Mind Movies is a conversation about film as a secondary world. We watch with the same questions we bring to books and games: what a story forms in us, what it names as good and evil, and how images train the heart. This is not a recap show and not a ratings list. Episodes stay with particular films and ask what they are doing to the imagination. Memory, identity, despair, hope, and the hunger for a true home return here as often as plot and craft. Hosted by Andrew Snyder, Ph.D., alongside friends from the Fellowship. Listen on your own, then continue the discussion at mythicmindfellowship.com.

  1. Sep 3

    28 - Carpe Diem Unbounded: Dead Poets Society

    The "carpe diem" spirit at work in Dead Poets Society is a genuine good, but it is dangerous when it is not given the guardrails of facticity. The romantic spirit can wake a sleeping life, give verse to the willfully mute, and make the world feel alive again. However, it can also blind us to the body we have, the people we owe, the school, the father, the future that will not be rewritten by a feeling, however profound. Keating is not a villain. The danger is what happens when “seize the day” starts to mean “the facts of our lives are silent." This is Mythic Mind Movies, ep. 28, in which we discuss Dead Poets Society, the gift of the romantic spirit, and the cost of letting it run unbounded. Watch the video of this episode at https://youtu.be/I9N033zhmII Become a member and join the Fellowship or follow us for free here: https://mythicmindfellowship.com

  2. Aug 19

    27 - The Return of the King as Film and Adaptation

    Watch the video: https://youtu.be/ltRXR2l06Ak Peter Jackson's The Return of the King is a cinematic finale that keeps much of Tolkien's spirit on screen (courage when the path is insurmountable, devotion to companions, sacrifice for ordinary domestic life) even while it makes significant, sometimes painful, departures from the book. In this Mythic Mind Movies conversation, Dr. Andrew Snyder (professor of philosophy and theology) and guests close the Jackson film trilogy. Andrew names it his personal favorite of the three for the force of conclusion, while still granting Fellowship the stronger claim as adaptation. The talk weighs sympathy for what Jackson had to compress, missing Scouring of the Shire, oaths and the Dead, Gollum's treachery, Frodo and Sam at Mount Doom, and which extended-edition beats help or hurt. Tolkien's light still springs from the ashes; not every change is forgivable. Topics include adaptation vs spectacle, eucatastrophe and endings, Denethor and Gondor, the Paths of the Dead, Grey Havens afterglow, and why "all that is gold does not glitter" still lands on film. Related Mythic Mind Movies: • The Fellowship of the Ring as Film and Adaptation (ep. 25): https://youtu.be/ZpZY3u_eyuw • The Two Towers as Film and Adaptation (ep. 26): https://youtu.be/cQQy1BkKGt0 • The Princess Bride: Fairy Stories Taken Seriously (ep. 18): https://youtu.be/bIZ3MoK74r4 • Carpe Diem Unbounded: Dead Poets Society (ep. 28): https://youtu.be/I9N033zhmII Join the Mythic Mind Fellowship: https://mythicmindfellowship.c... Listen to/watch the Mythic Mind podcasts: - Mythic Mind - Mythic Mind Games - Mythic Mind Movies & Shows #MythicMind #MythicMindMovies #ReturnOfTheKing #LordOfTheRings #PeterJackson #Tolkien #FilmAdaptation #Eucatastrophe #Philosophy #Theology

  3. Aug 5

    26 - The Two Towers as Film and Adaptation

    Watch the video: https://youtu.be/cQQy1BkKGt0 Peter Jackson's The Two Towers is one of the strongest middle chapters ever put on screen: wider scope, deeper stakes, and Helm's Deep as an iconic set piece. It is also the film where adaptation liberties grow sharper than in Fellowship, and where Tolkien's spirit is both carried and strained. In this Mythic Mind Movies conversation, Dr. Andrew Snyder (professor of philosophy and theology) and guests keep the dual lens: cinema on its own terms, and fidelity to the book. They weigh why expanding Helm's Deep often feels earned on screen, where Faramir and structural rearrangements hurt, Treebeard's invented and borrowed lines, Merry and Pippin's added nobility, and tonal shifts that change the experience of the text. Topics include war cinema vs the book's proportions, forgivable spectacle, character emphasis, Saruman's industrial evil, and why middle-chapter departures matter for the whole trilogy. Related Mythic Mind Movies: • The Fellowship of the Ring as Film and Adaptation (ep. 25): https://youtu.be/ZpZY3u_eyuw • The Return of the King as Film and Adaptation (ep. 27): https://youtu.be/ltRXR2l06Ak • The Princess Bride: Fairy Stories Taken Seriously (ep. 18): https://youtu.be/bIZ3MoK74r4 Join the Mythic Mind Fellowship: https://mythicmindfellowship.c... Listen to/watch the Mythic Mind podcasts: - Mythic Mind - Mythic Mind Games - Mythic Mind Movies & Shows #MythicMind #MythicMindMovies #TheTwoTowers #LordOfTheRings #PeterJackson #Tolkien #HelmsDeep #FilmAdaptation #Philosophy #Theology

  4. Jul 31

    25 - The Fellowship of the Ring as Film and Adaptation

    Watch the video: https://youtu.be/ZpZY3u_eyuw Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring is still one of the most awarded films in cinema history, and for many viewers it was the door into Tolkien. As a movie it has enduring power. As an adaptation it invites real criticism without requiring bitterness: the films are shadowed by the greatness of the books, and that is part of why they still matter. In this Mythic Mind Movies conversation, Dr. Andrew Snyder (professor of philosophy and theology) and guests take the first Jackson film through two lenses: story on screen, and fidelity to Tolkien. They talk Bombadil's absence, Arwen's expanded role, Boromir's path to sympathy, Council of Elrond beats, and why Fellowship remains the trilogy's closest adaptation even when cuts sting. Topics include cinematic introduction vs literary depth, forgivable and unforgivable changes, hobbit-point-of-view direction, and how criticism can honor a 25-year-old classic instead of dismissing it. Related Mythic Mind Movies: • The Two Towers as Film and Adaptation (ep. 26): https://youtu.be/cQQy1BkKGt0 • The Return of the King as Film and Adaptation (ep. 27): https://youtu.be/ltRXR2l06Ak • The Princess Bride: Fairy Stories Taken Seriously (ep. 18): https://youtu.be/bIZ3MoK74r4 Join the Mythic Mind Fellowship: https://mythicmindfellowship.c... Listen to/watch the Mythic Mind podcasts: - Mythic Mind - Mythic Mind Games - Mythic Mind Movies & Shows #MythicMind #MythicMindMovies #FellowshipOfTheRing #LordOfTheRings #PeterJackson #Tolkien #FilmAdaptation #Philosophy #Theology

  5. Jul 8

    24 - Escaping the Truman Show

    Watch the video: https://youtu.be/55768s0HmQU How do we know what is real when the set is perfect and the audience never sleeps? The Truman Show follows a man raised inside a television world who begins to notice the seams, then sails for the door at the edge of the sky. In this Mythic Mind Movies conversation, Dr. Andrew Snyder (professor of philosophy and theology) is joined by David, Kit, and newcomer Max (Andrew's pick; childhood favorite). They talk affirmation of reality against gnostic readings, Plato's cave as a television studio, Sylvia as the one choice off the script, and Christof as a creator who would rather keep Truman safe than free. Topics include freedom under surveillance, the hunger for an unscripted life, and why leaving Seahaven is an act of hope, not cynicism. Related Mythic Mind Movies: • Wings of Desire: An Angel Choosing the Weight of Life (ep. 22): https://youtu.be/6Cb_S_kJ_KI • 12 Angry Men: Seeing Past the Story We Prefer (ep. 20): https://youtu.be/m0u-3w2CjDw • Godzilla Minus One: The Life Worth Living (ep. 16): https://youtu.be/VupE3fmnAPQ • Freud's Last Session: C.S. Lewis as Amateur Apologist (ep. 19): https://youtu.be/YnONwl7idEE Join the Mythic Mind Fellowship: https://mythicmindfellowship.c... Listen to/watch the Mythic Mind podcasts: - Mythic Mind - Mythic Mind Games - Mythic Mind Movies & Shows #MythicMind #MythicMindMovies #TheTrumanShow #JimCarrey #FilmDiscussion #Philosophy #Theology #PlatosCave

  6. Jun 24

    23 - Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

    Take some time to dilly dally shilly shally with us as we discuss Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.  As a long-time fan of the original game, I finally got around to watching the film. This is a visually engaging project with the potential for great psychological exploration. Even if that potential is mostly untapped, Advent Children is definitely worth your time if you are a fan of the franchise. To make sure you have all Mythic Mind content, subscribe to my YouTube channel or the following podcasts: Mythic MindMythic Mind GamesMythic Mind Movies & ShowsBecome a patron of Mythic Mind and/or enroll in a course at patreon.com/mythicmind Watch the video for this episode and subscribe to my channel at https://youtu.be/yKEFkPQmkU8

  7. Jun 10

    22 - Wings of Desire: An Angel Choosing the Weight of Life

    Watch the video: https://youtu.be/6Cb_S_kJ_KI Wings of Desire watches over Cold War Berlin through angels who hear every inner voice and see in black and white, until eternity itself grows hungry for flesh. Damiel falls toward a trapeze artist and chooses the weight of time: color, cold, coffee, mortality. In this Mythic Mind Movies conversation, Dr. Andrew Snyder (professor of philosophy and theology) is joined by David and Kit (Kit's pick; Andrew's first viewing). They talk the eternal consoling the temporal, the soundscape of thought, black-and-white heaven against colored earth, and what an angel gives up to become human. Topics include intelligence and the body, desire as incarnation, Berlin's divided city as spiritual geography, and why a European art film still belongs in a Christian-humanities watch. Related Mythic Mind Movies: • Godzilla Minus One: The Life Worth Living (ep. 16): https://youtu.be/VupE3fmnAPQ • Freud's Last Session: C.S. Lewis as Amateur Apologist (ep. 19): https://youtu.be/YnONwl7idEE • Carpe Diem Unbounded: Dead Poets Society (ep. 28): https://youtu.be/I9N033zhmII • The Princess Bride: Fairy Stories Taken Seriously (ep. 18): https://youtu.be/bIZ3MoK74r4 Join the Mythic Mind Fellowship: https://mythicmindfellowship.c... Listen to/watch the Mythic Mind podcasts: - Mythic Mind - Mythic Mind Games - Mythic Mind Movies & Shows #MythicMind #MythicMindMovies #WingsOfDesire #WimWenders #Berlin #Angels #FilmDiscussion #Philosophy #Theology

  8. May 27

    21 - Luther (2003): Vocation, Conscience, and Empire

    Watch the video: https://youtu.be/-oBnjCZNLlQ Luther (2003) is a Reformation drama that cares less about palace intrigue than about a doctor of theology who wants consciences eased by the gospel. Against the "circus of Rome," indulgences, and empire, the film stages a man under authority who cannot quiet what he has seen in Scripture. In this Mythic Mind Movies conversation, Dr. Andrew Snyder (professor of philosophy and theology) is joined by guests for Reverend David's pick. They talk about how the movie introduces Martin Luther beyond "the guy we're named after," how it compresses confession-scruples and the Diet of Worms, and where it plays fast and loose with figures like Aleander. The discussion also weighs Christian princes and politics, Frederick the Wise's relics and honesty, the Peasants' War as a bind Luther could not escape cleanly, and the film's deliberate restraint for a family audience. Topics include bound conscience, gospel vs power, vocation and pastoral care, historical compression, and why public-school "political only" Reformation stories miss the soul of the crisis. Related Mythic Mind Movies: • The Princess Bride: Fairy Stories Taken Seriously (ep. 18): https://youtu.be/bIZ3MoK74r4 • Persuasion (1995): Constancy, Second Chances, and C.S. Lewis on Austen (ep. 17): https://youtu.be/To6WQwbs3Vw • Carpe Diem Unbounded: Dead Poets Society (ep. 28): https://youtu.be/I9N033zhmII Join the Mythic Mind Fellowship: https://mythicmindfellowship.c... Listen to/watch the Mythic Mind podcasts: - Mythic Mind - Mythic Mind Games - Mythic Mind Movies & Shows #MythicMind #MythicMindMovies #Luther #MartinLuther #Reformation #DietOfWorms #Conscience #Theology #FilmDiscussion #Philosophy

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Pursuing wisdom through primary and secondary worlds. Mythic Mind Movies is a conversation about film as a secondary world. We watch with the same questions we bring to books and games: what a story forms in us, what it names as good and evil, and how images train the heart. This is not a recap show and not a ratings list. Episodes stay with particular films and ask what they are doing to the imagination. Memory, identity, despair, hope, and the hunger for a true home return here as often as plot and craft. Hosted by Andrew Snyder, Ph.D., alongside friends from the Fellowship. Listen on your own, then continue the discussion at mythicmindfellowship.com.

Information

  • Creator
    Andrew Snyder
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Andrew Snyder
  • Show Website
    Mythic Mind Movies