Them! (1954) & Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
“We may be witnesses to a Biblical prophecy come true ― ‘And there shall be destruction and darkness come upon creation, and the beasts shall reign over the earth.’” ― Dr. Harold Medford, Them! The 1954 horror film Them! from…
The King’s Speech (2010) & Rope (1948)
There’s nothing like a trusted mentor and teacher to change your life for the better. That’s the idea behind one of my favorite movies, The King’s Speech (2010), based on a true story from the life of King George VI.…
The Battle for an Ugly World: Se7en (1995) & Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
It’s hard not to be cynical. Don’t believe me? Watch the news. Sit through a few commercials. Scroll Facebook… This can be an ugly little world. Turn on the news and you’re likely to hear stories of violence and tragedy,…
Keeping Watch on the Evil and the Good: Worshipping the State in Cool Hand Luke (1967) and Minority Report (2002)
For 13 years, my father was a corrections officer in a high security prison in Texas. Among his wards was the infamous Eyeball Killer, a man who murdered prostitutes and surgically removed their eyes. During routine searches of the man’s…
Star Wars (1977) & Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Editor’s Note: Welcome to the first in a new monthly series at Reel World Theology where contributors bring two films–often from different cinematic eras–into conversation with one another in order to investigate the elements (themes, technique, script, character, etc.) of…