Cinematic Doctrine
CINDOC
Recent Episodes
MOVIE DISCUSSION:
Kathryn joins Melvin in discussing an early Junji Ito live-action adaption, Uzumaki! Although the film went into production before the manga had reached its completion, there's still a lot of exciting material to cover in this truly wacky film; and not just because of the spirals!
Topics:
- (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 38-minutes of Kathryn and Melvin competing in a Movie/Entertainment Trivia game, finally figuring out which one of the two knows more about everything Movies and Entertainment! (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
- Kathryn and Melvin are huge fans of Junji Ito, both of which having read his manga for close to 10 years. The two talk about what it is about his work that captures their attention.
- In introducing Uzumaki, the two can't avoid it: They have to talk about the editing first.
- The setting feels fresh and "lived in", and even the various characters within the story feel as though they've known each other for a long time.
- Melvin wonders about the correlation between films about social issues, or that have social awareness, and the size of the community within the fiction (or, the reality they're based on). Kathryn shares her thoughts.
- There's one scene in Uzumaki that is so hauntingly patient that it really affected Melvin. He describes the scene, and the two explore it together.
- Discussing how Kirie and Shuichi are roughly the same characters between both the manga and the movie, but how what they represent in the story in relation to the spirals is different.
Recommendations:
- The Devil's Candy (2016) (Movie)
- The Spiral (Original Title: Rasen) (1998) (Movie)
MAILBAG: Send us your questions and we'll answer them in future episodes!
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- Early access to uncut episodes
- Vote on a movie/show we review
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MOVIE DISCUSSION:
Eli Price's The Establishing Shot Podcast, @establishingshotpod on Instagram, and @EliPrice on Letterboxd.
Happy Ani-May! Eli Price, host of The Establishing Shot Podcast, joins Melvin in discussing one of Hayao Miyazaki's most beloved films, Howl's Moving Castle! From its fairytale atmosphere to child-like wonder, the two get into what makes the film so meaningful to many, as well as what their biggest takeaways were regarding the material.
Topics:
- (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30-minutes discussing Joker: Folie à Deux's trailer, whether or not these two film-fans are itching to watch a DC-villain themed juke-box musical, and if the inclusion of brief full nudity in the film will be a deterrent. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
- Eli shares about his podcast The Establishing Shot, a show where he takes deep-dives into a director's filmography and discusses them with a variety of guests, picking apart the nuances and history of a specific film each episode.
- Eli has seen Howl's Moving Castle several times. This is Melvin's first time seeing the film.
- Eli observes in Miyazaki a child-like way of storytelling where it seems he often "blindly" watches where his characters are headed and explores their reactions to a myriad of situations.
- In the film there's a thread about the idolization of beauty and youth, and even the unique joys found in cross-generational relationships.
- Howl has main character syndrome... but he's not the main character; Sophie is.
- Discussing the use of curses in the story, and how they manifest within the film.
- The two discuss the tension between imbued desires and the fear of self-indulgence.
- Melvin talks about how much he likes the Witch of the Waste "face reveal" and what the rest of the movie does with that.
- Talking about the controversial, bizarre ending.
Recommendations:
- My Neighbor Totoro (1988) (Movie)
- Ikiru (1952) (Movie)
- Tokyo Story (1953) (Movie)
- Ring 2 (1999) (Movie)
MAILBAG: Send us your questions and we'll answer them in future episodes!
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:
PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION:
Shesmadeofwords Podcast & Instagram
Shirleon joins Melvin in discussing Millie Bobby Brown's latest acting venture: Damsel! From it's wild, fluctuating tone to actually making a dragon scary, there's plenty to be explored in this latest girl-power fantasy tale!
Topics:
- (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30-minutes discussing "Why It's Never Been Easier to Land in Director's Jail", a write-up by Mia Galuppo on The Hollywood Reporter, and one of its observations: that producers look at a Director's Rotten Tomatoes Scores in deciding who to hire, and who to ignore. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
- Shirleon has started her own podcast called "Shesmadeofwords", a podcast about the books she's reading, bookstagram, and so much more!
- Shirleon liked Damsel, even texting Melvin to check it out after watching the film, and liked its twist on the traditional storybook of yore.
- Melvin felt there was a "confusion in tone", but otherwise still enjoyed the fact that the Dragon was handled more like a horror-movie villain than your typical mythical beast.
- Melvin has already seen Damsel before. He watched it back in 2022. Back then, it was called The Princess and featured Joey King as its lead. Jokingly, he compares the two films, and how he liked The Princess a lot more.
- In various, different ways, Shirleon and Melvin both wanted more from the film.
- Shirleon loved Millie Bobby Brown's performance. Melvin, on the other hand, felt something was seriously off for this otherwise consistently stellar performer. So begins a long thread about acting as an artform.
- Discussing specific plot details (with spoilers) and how the movie fails to telegraph important details. Also, Melvin loses his mind.
Recommendations:
- Shōgun (2024) (Mini Series)
- Ghostwatch (1992) (Movie)
- Late Night with the Devil (2023) (Movie)
MAILBAG: Send us your questions and we'll answer them in future episodes!
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:
MOVIE DISCUSSION:
Nate Marchand's Monster Island Film Vault Podcast, Henshin Men Podcast, The Power Trip: A Journey Through the Power Rangers Franchise Podcast, and Author website.
Nate Marchand, host of several podcasts, joins Melvin in discussing Hideaki Anno's bizarre entry to the Godzilla film-canon: Shin Godzilla! This film has it all: satire, comedy, tragedy, horror, and social commentary! This podcast? Equally so! Tune in now!
Topics:
- (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 73-minutes discussing the 5 MonsterVerse films from Godzilla (2014)'s grounded nature, Kong: Skull Island still probably being the best film in the series, Godzilla: King of the Monsters contested quality, and a combined look on both Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
- Self-described "content machine" Nate Marchand shares about his several creative endeavors.
- Shin Godzilla is weird. Not necessarily as weird as Hideaki Anno's previous work, but definitely weird when compared to previous Godzilla material.
- At its face value, there's a lot to appreciate about the film. However, it's best understood in the light of modern Japanese history; most notably, the 3/11 disaster.
- Shin Godzilla is baked in Japanese culture almost to a fault, in that it makes a lot of the rich nuance of the film hard to engage as foreigners. Nate shares insight into some of these cultural hurdles.
- Getting into the atomic breath scene because it would be a mistake if they didn't.
- Shinji Higuchi was asked about the film's mysterious ending. In response, paraphrased: "I don't know. And the only person who does is Anno. And he's not talking."
Recommendations:
- Godzilla (1954) (Movie)
- Godzilla Minus One (2023) (Movie)
- Rebuild of Evangelion Films (2007-2021)
- Shin Ultra Man (2022) (Movie)
- Shin Kamen Rider (2023) (Movie)
- Monsters (2010) (Movie)
MAILBAG: Send us your questions and we'll answer them in future episodes!
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:
MOVIE DISCUSSION:
Kathryn joins Melvin in discussing George Orwell's other popular communist-criticism tale, Animal Farm! In this early animated adaption the two discuss the complicated social dynamics of Animal Farm, what makes the story so timeless and accessible, and the fascinating history behind this film's development.
Topics:
- (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 31-minutes of Melvin running an improv game wherein Kathryn must make war or diplomacy with different Animal Farms taken over by different barn animals. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
- Kathryn & Melvin kick things off by explaining their knowledge of Animal Farm before watching this adaption.
- This adaption of Animal Farm is animated, and while it doesn't match the same quality of animation as something like a Disney-animated feature, it stands-up well against them.
- The literature of Animal Farm is impressive, proposing multiple metaphors for multiple insights, but the implication of individuals being born with inherent qualities (i.e. certain animals - ergo; people - being capable of only certain actions) is questionable, and showcases how the metaphor breaks down.
- The tragedy of Boxer cleverly showcases how exploitative leaders not only view those beneath them as a means to an end, but also how Boxer was nothing more than product that moved product with the sole purpose of producing more product to Napoleon.
- Certain characters in Animal Farm are very pointedly representative of historical leaders. Kathryn breaks down some of their representations.
- It's a fact: If you watch Animal Farm (1954), you are watching CIA Propaganda.
- Because of the CIA's involvement, this adaption has a different ending. Kathryn & Melvin share their thoughts on this simple yet massive change.
- To help with the proliferation of Animal Farm (1954) propaganda (and profit), toys were also produced of various characters from the film (seen here, as Melvin was able to collect screenshots from the featurette).
- Finalizing thoughts on both Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm as stories.
Recommendations:
- The Muppet Movie (1979) (Movie)
- The Final Girls (2015) (Movie)
MAILBAG: Send us your questions and we'll answer them in future episodes!
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: