Reel World Theology

On this episode of the Reel World Theology podcast: Another Toy Story movie! Wait, did anyone want this? Surely if they decided to follow up on Toy Story 3 the creators are one-hundred percent sure they had a story that needed to be told. Well, a lot of the talk around Toy Story 4 has been about "how necessary" the film was so we discuss that, and the meta-conversation around describing any film that way. We also have a divided panel about how the film rounded out. Let us know what you think!

On this episode of the Reel World Theology podcast: Another special PATRON sponsored episode. Another of our esteemed Patreon sponsors, Hunter and Stephie Van Wagenen, have selected one monster of a film, Godzilla: King of the Monsters. The 2014 Godzilla film was a hit with the panel but was mixed with audiences and critics. Does King of the Monsters do a good job of following up on its predecessor? Does it lay enough solid groundwork for sequels? We hypothesize.

On this episode of the Reel World: Rewind... Journey into "The Age of Wonder" with co-host Josh Crabb and returning co-host Blaine Grimes as they discuss Jim Henson's 1982 visionary classic, The Dark Crystal. Using the bookends of the forthcoming Netflix series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, we talk about the filmmaking legacy this movie has left, how it handles the tension of the hero's journey, and also its spiritual aspects of balance and wholeness. Plus, because it's the two hosts of Home One Radio, we throw in a little Star Wars comparison. You don't need Augra to foretell how great this episode is! 

On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast: A special PATRON sponsored episode. One of our esteemed Patreon sponsors, Dave Courtney, has selected the latest biopic about the life of JRR Tolkien. We gather the troops to talk about our reactions to the film and what we were hoping to see from the film, what we actually got, and some of the things that may have connected with audiences that really enjoyed the film. Let us know what you thought!

On this episode of the Reel World Theology podcast: Before Avengers, there was another superhero movie that was bringing great joy to the masses-- from the DCEU of all places. Shazam! proves that DC's cinematic turnaround isn't stalling anytime soon. With a great balance of comedy and heart, the film introduces a new character to the big screen in a way that is impactful and endearing. We speculate how well it could really do and what makes it so enjoyable.

On this episode of the Reel World: Rewind podcast: We know Kung-Fu. Well, not really, unless Gene forgot to tell us he actually DOES know it. However, one thing we do know is The Matrix is a defining movie in the prolific movie year of 1999. In honor of its 20th anniversary, Reel World staffers Gene Gosewehr and Josh Crabb discuss a movie firmly planted in the pantheon of movies Christians love to talk about. This episode posits why that's not a bad thing, why the movie still resonates deeply with people twenty years later, and what stuck out on an umpteenth rewatch. From reminiscing about blasting the movie on surround sound to the movie providing insight into Judas Iscariot, it's all covered in this rewatch of The Matrix.

On this episode of the podcast: It's been a long road to Endgame, but we're finally here. We have a show that tries to run the length of the actual film as we talk about the movie's immediate success, how well we thought it tied off the MCU to this point, and what we connected with, in the film. Much like your favorite TV series having its series finale, we remember these past ten years and over twenty films fondly. Whatever it takes!

On this VERY special, epic episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast: We cross the 200th episode line! Well, assuming you're not counting mini-sodes or interviews or, well, anything else special we've done, here we are! We thought it was almost absurd that we made it to 100 so now 200 feels every weirder. Some of our Reel World Staff, Josh Crabb, Mark Wingerter, and David Atwell, join Fizz to talk about their favorite memories from RWT's history and how they even got here in the first place. All in all, we have a fun time doing some epic-level naval-gazing. Hey, we've earned it, right?

On this episode of Reel World: Rewind: Once again, Blake strikes with a challenging and heady movie. Richard Kelly's widely criticized second feature film Southland Tales suffered similar marketing obstacles to his first feature film, the classic film Donnie Darko. Consequentially, his second film has largely been forgotten. Blake Collier and Josh Crabb untangle this serpentine narrative to discuss Kelly's righteous anger, his sharp satirical takedown of LA and popular culture, and how the apocalypse is a bi-partisan initiative.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: RWT 200th Episode Preview. We want to hear from you!

On this episode of the Reel World Theology podcast: That's right, we're going to squeeze in one more 2018 movie before completely moving on to 2019. It's ok though because we get to talk about one of our favorite movies from 2018, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. The latest Coen Brothers film ranks among their best yet. With such an unusual format, what is it about this anthology that strikes a chord with us? We go through each story and talk about what we think the Coens are exploring about death, life, and humanity.

On this episode of the Reel World Theology podcast: The Marvel Cinematic Universe cruises right along with another great character addition. Captain Marvel is a film that, like many other films over the past few years featuring female leads in big franchises, garnered a lot of attention before the first person even saw the film. We talk about where that controversy came from along with our impressions of what this film actually did-- both for us as fans and for the MCU.

On this episode of Reel World: Rewind: It's showtime! With the release of Tim Burton's Disney's live-action Dumbo, it seemed very appropriate to return to Tim Burton and actor Michael Keaton's first collaboration, 1988's Beetlejuice. Co-host Josh Crabb is joined by Reel World staff member Mark Wingerter to dive real deep into the first movie where Tim Burton's aesthetic and vision was allowed to fully bloom. Putting aside Keaton's performance taking the movie to another level, Josh and Mark discuss how this family movie models a biblical view of death and the afterlife, battles the shallow view of shedding the past and delights in Burton's whimsical grotesquerie of images. How does a PG movie with an F-bomb endure this long and carry the energy for a rumored sequel thirty years later? You'll have to listen to find out!

On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast: We get to talk about one of our "favourite" films of the year. While Yorgos Lanthimos isn't everyone's cup of tea, he finally made a movie that seems to be accessible to broader audiences. We talk about what is different about this film from his previous films and generally sit in awe of the three leading ladies. Hopefully, you've had the chance to enjoy this one as much as we did.

On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast: Well, I guess we couldn't have planned it better if we tried. A few weeks back we sat down to talk about Green Book not knowing how the Oscars would pan out. Now, the day after, with all kinds of contention, we let you guys hear our conversation on what will now go down in the record book as the 'best' film of 2018. Incredibly divisive and problematic, Green Book is a film that leaves different audiences with very polarizing views and we try to explore that tension.

On this episode of Reel World: Rewind: Josh is joined by Reel World staff member David Atwell to talk about the 2005 movie, MirrorMask. A UK-based movie produced by Jim Henson Studios, MirrorMask was written by renowned comic book writer and author Neil Gaiman and directed by comic book artist and illustrator Dave McKean. While there might be more famous movies about similar themes, Gaiman and McKean's movie dives into intriguing concepts of handling complex emotions, as well as being artistically bold and visually arresting. David and Josh talk about how the movie addresses grief, growing up, as well as comparing the movie to other fantasy movies featuring a female protagonist like Labyrinth, The Wizard of Oz, and Pan's Labyrinth. Plus, there is a deeper discussion into how stories handle pain and grief and how biblical narratives do. The movie has no ties to any new releases, but David's pick of a movie was really great and led to some great discussion on this month's Rewind!

On this episode of the Reel World Theology podcast: Even though we may have been confused as to why there was another version of Spider-Man coming to our cinemas (especially an animated one), we, and audiences everywhere, quickly found out why. Into the Spider-Verse has been met with incredible reviews and so we take some time to talk about what this film does different, why it has captured audiences attention, and how it thematically stands apart from some of your other superhero films.

On this episode of the Reel World Theology podcast: We're back with another Patreon sponsored episode. This time, Patron, and friend of the show, Dave Courtney asked us to chat about The Rider, an independent film that has garnered a lot of praise over the course of 2018. It's likely too small to win any major awards, but it is quite the film considering the small scale and the use of real people instead of actors. We talk about what we liked and what this film has to say about brokenness and healing.

On this EXTRA! episode of the Reel World Theology podcast... The Staff of RWT get together to talk about their impressions of the 2018 year in film. The good, the bad, the thematic significance! Please enjoy one of our favorite episodes to record every year as we let this EXTRA! out into the wild for all to enjoy. Thanks for listening!

On this episode of Reel World: Rewind... With the upcoming release of M. Night Shyamalan's Glass, it seemed fitting to return to the movie that started it all. Surprising audiences on the back of Shyamalan's Oscar-nominated Sixth Sense, people were excited to see what the director did next. Unbreakable kept audiences guessing and was a surprisingly disguised superhero movie focused on character development and a reluctant hero. We discuss this surprising turn, the controversial ending, as well as how the movie acted as a pivot point for comic book movies to come after. Are our opinions as indestructible as David Dunne or fragile as Mr. Glass himself, Jeremiah Price.