#030 – 22 Jump Street and Male Friendships
On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast: We focus on 22 Jump Street, the latest offering from now famous duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, The LEGO Movie). This movie represents a…
Re:View| The Prestige
by Mark Wingerter (@MarkWingdinger) Mark Wingerter is a writer, filmmaker, and musician with a passion for story. In his “Re:View” series, he will not only be exploring movies from the past, but helping you understand why they are worth revisiting.…
#029 – HTTYD2 and Developing Relationships
On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast: The first big animated movie of the Summer hits with How To Train Your Dragon 2. Most of the talk was if the sequel could live up to the universally loved…
#028 – Edge of Tomorrow and Changing History
On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast:
Our Summer Series continues by looking at the delightfully original Edge of Tomorrow. Even though it’s been compared to a lot of other movies, it doesn’t fit into any one mold. And despite it’s weak box office showing all of us on the show really enjoyed it. Not only did we enjoy it, but it sparked more topics than we had time to cover like time travel, regret, and eternity in Heaven. We also find ourselves trying to help Matt come up with a new Twitter handle.
#027 – Maleficent and Familiar Feminism
On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast:
We take a look at Angelina Jolie’s return to the live-action big screen in Maleficent. A reinterpretation of the Disney classic, Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent tries to show that there are two sides to every story and sometimes “evil” may not be as evil as once thought. JR Forasteros and Laura Fissel help explain why the critics found their problems but we all found ways to enjoy the movie anyway– and take a lot away from this film. By leaving no doubts about its feminist underpinnings, the film turns out to be one of the most conversation starting films of the year. We also get into many, many, tangents including some of our least favorite films and why we would consider seeing the new Transformers film (seriously!)…
#026 – X-Men and Days of Future Milestones
On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast:
We celebrate the one year anniversary of the Reel World Theology Podcast with a huge panel discussing one of the biggest and most anticipated movies of the year, X-Men: Days of Future Past. The X-Men Universe has always been one of the most obvious stories to discuss the allegory of marginalization found, even today, in society. This film also gives us more developed characters than previous films and that has us wrestling with the themes of regret, fear, hope, and what it’s like to be faster than everyone else in the room…
#025 – Spider-Man and The Amazing Gwen Stacy
On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast:
Summer 2014 keeps bringing us more comic book movies, so we keep the superhero talk going by looking at the second installment in the Amazing Spider-Man universe. It certainly isn’t quite the same quality as the MARVEL Cinematic Universe, but it does feature MARVEL’s most popular and, to a certain degree, most relatable superhero. In this sequel, Spider-Man’s responsibilities start to seriously affect Peter Parker’s ability to function as a normal guy. From haunting visions of Gwen’s father, to never being anywhere he is supposed to be, Peter struggles with his ever-growing responsibility in both lives. With his relationship with Gwen uncertain and Oscorp finding ways to create new villains, both Peter Parker and Spider-Man may find that though they are extraordinary, they both need help. Identity, tough love, living in the moment, responsibility and the power of choice– we can certainly cover a lot of ground.
#024 – Captain America And The Hero We Need
On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast:
We finally get to experience the latest MARVEL Cinematic Universe offering, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In the film, Captain America, the Black Widow and Sam Wilson (also known as The Falcon) join forces to uncover a conspiracy within SHIELD, while facing a mysterious assassin known as the Winter Soldier. For those who have seen the film, you know that this is probably a gross understatement of all the things going on in this movie. With all the underpinning of a top-notch Spy Thriller, this film is multi-layered and arguably the best offering that MARVEL has brought us to date. The narrative itself is dripping with post-9/11 allegory, while also tackling friendship, loyalty, selflessness, and what it means to be a good guy in a bad world.
Talking Noah With the Fellows
“The Greensboro Fellows Apologetics class challenges participants to humbly, thoughtfully and winsomely engage culture from a Christ-centered perspective in a way that cultivates and defends the life of God.” – Elijah Lovejoy
In April I had the opportunity to host a live conversation with the Greensboro Fellows. I was invited by Elijah Lovejoy, who was working with the Fellows, teaching apologetics. This was a great time to encourage, examine, and engage a popular narrative that was creating conversations across groups with profoundly different world views. Though there is always a challenge in recording a round table discussion that involves 15-20 participants, I think this turned out pretty well and there was, indeed, a pretty great discussion to be had. I hope you give it a listen and maybe take a look at this film from an angle you had not considered before.
REEL WORLD in Real Life (Summer 2014)
It’s that time of year again when REEL WORLD Theology gets to meet up and have real conversations in real time with really cool folks. These are always a lot of fun because it gives anyone who wants to a chance to chime in on how they felt about the themes and narratives of particular films. We have chosen another great variety of films, from animated, to classic, to independent to “love zombie.” I mean, what else could you want, right?