Reel World Theology

On this episode of Reel World Theology: We find another Marvel movie in our sights. You'd think by now we'd be getting tired of talking-- or watching-- these films yet, but we praise Marvel for continuing to tell good-to-great stories in new and fun mediums to keep things interesting. We also take time to examine what sets the Ant-Man films apart from the rest of the MCU. Is it ok that the world isn't going to end every time our hero takes the stage? We discuss.

On this episode of Reel World: Rewind: It is borderline criminal there has not been a podcast episode on The Princess Bride, a movie universally loved within the Reel World Theology staff and contributors. Reel World staff members David Atwell and Josh Crabb band together to right this wrong with an overview of what makes Rob Reiner's 1987 a classic.They have fun storming the castle, scaling the cliffs of insanity, and travailing the fire swamp to find what meta-themes make it timeless and how it's characters reflect a desire within all of us to find "twue wuv". Hope you enjoy the episode, and we mean it!

On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast:We take a second to ask, "Didn't we really say all we needed to say in Jurassic World?" What keeps people coming back to this franchise even when it sometimes feels like the filmmakers are phoning it in? Does Fallen Kingdom offer us anything new to chew on? Regardless, we find some new angles to talk about dinosaurs and how cool they are while also reveling in the fact that Josh drove all the way from Wisconsin to North Carolina to be in studio!

On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast: We dive into one of the most anticipated animated sequels of all time, Incredibles 2. If you think that I am being hyperbolic, just look at it steal the title of "Highest Grossing Opening Weekend for an Animated Film" that it now sports. Does PIXAR deliver with this long-awaited sequel? What has kept people excited for this long? Does it deliver? What does Brad Bird have in store for us in this latest superhero film?

On this episode of Reel World Theology: We talk about the next film in the Ocean's Universe, Ocean's 8. This time, the ladies get a chance to show what they can do as they have us rooting for the thieves in a slight-of-hand heist comedy that has been generally well received. How do the ladies stack up to the men? Did we need this? What's the deal with the all-female remakes? How important is representation in film? We take a shot at answering that.

On this episode of Reel World: Rewind: With the upcoming release of Pixar's Incredibles 2, it only made sense for us to look back at Brad Bird's original superhero film from before there was the term "superhero movie fatigue". This month, co-host Josh Crabb is joined by his fellow co-host from Home One Radio, Reel World contributor, former Rewind host, and dad-of-the-year, Blaine Grimes. Blaine and Josh discuss the family and community themes found in the movie, as well as discuss Brad Bird's stories, how his movies are made for dads, and really how superhero movies and Brad Bird are the sweet spots for dads like Blaine and Josh. Plus, there is no helping some Star Wars talk leaking in, but don't worry, it all ties in very nicely. What's with all these dad episodes?

On this episode of the Reel World Theology podcast: We talk about the next installment in the Deadpool franchise(?). This time, the merc with the mouth is back and, while not letting go of the idea of being foul-mouthed and incredibly crude, he is interested in family. But of course, that isn't going to be conventional in any sense. We take the time to talk about some of the ideas the movie may be intentionally or unintentionally trying to uncover while also reveling in another great marketing campaign surrounding the franchise.

On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast: We talk about the new Star Wars story, Solo. There has been a lot of talk since opening weekend about how this movie has failed, but we really want to know what that means? For a movie that seems to be enjoyed by all who did go to see it, what does failure look like? We also discuss what it looks like to give a story stakes when you know where it's going to end up and how Solo faires in that department. Lots of good stuff with the Home One Radio crew.

On this edition of Reel World Interviews: We chat with some of the creators and actors from the upcoming film, Camp Manna. We spend a bit of time getting to know writer/director duo Eric Scott Johnson and Eric Machiela and also one of the stars of the film, Evan Koons. What has their personal faith experiences brought to the film and what niche do they hope a film like Camp Manna can fill? We have a very long-- and incredibly interesting-- conversation that I thoroughly enjoyed. Have a listen and check out the film available on VOD June 5th!

On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast: We talk (quietly) about John Krasinski's latest film, A Quiet Place. Boy did this one catch on. A Quiet Place found audiences that love horror and those who don't, which leads us into a discussion about what horror even is. It was deeply affecting and probably the surprise hit of 2018 so far. Needless to say, this gives us plenty to chat about, which is good because we have a lot to say... again, quietly.

On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast: We do what everyone in the world is already doing-- talk about Avengers: Infinity War. We go into spoilers because, honestly, this movie is coming up on the two billion worldwide mark so there are not a lot of people who haven't seen it yet. With that said, we talk about the things that intrigued us most about this unofficial 'part one' of the culmination of a decade of storytelling. And we are surprised at how the MCU keeps us on our toes after all this time.

On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast: We take a look at one of the newest Netflix original films, Come Sunday. This film is based on the life of Bishop Cartlon Pearson who began teaching a doctrine of universal salvation and the absence of hell and it cost him nearly everything in his life. His story was brought to the streaming screen by the team at This American Life and we get the chance to talk to Ira Glass about why they think this story was so important to tell. Enjoy the discussion and the interview!

On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast: We give a shout out to Patron supporter Jeremy Calcara who has sponsored this episode! In his infinitely good taste, he has asked that we talk about Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's latest blockbuster, Rampage! This isn't something we would have normally covered on the show so it gives us the chance to let our hair down and really dive into why we, and apparently the entire world, love The Rock. Can you smell what we're cookin?

On this episode of Reel World: Rewind: With the recent release of Wes Anderson's new animated film, Isle of Dogs, it made sense to venture back to his previous animated movie, Fantastic Mr. Fox. This month, Josh Crabb is joined by Joel Mayward, film critic, author, former youth pastor, and now a doctoral candidate at the University of St. Andrews in the UK. Josh and Joel discuss this adaptation of the Rohl Dahl children's book by way of Anderson's signature explorations of purpose, identity, value, and growing up. Plus, they try to decipher one of the seemingly inexplicable scenes with the wolf towards the end and have some intriguing conclusions. It's two middle-aged dads hashing out mid-life crises, legacy, and identity on this month's episode of Rewind.

On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast: We grab the reigns of nostalgia and dare not let go! Steven Spielberg adapts Ernest Cline's love letter to 80's pop-culture in a big budget, popcorn-shoveling spectacle. How does it translate from the book? Is it ok that we are making a movie that is almost completely references to other things? We talk about all the things that make us who we are and what happens when you try to tell stories where the virtual is more interesting than the real.

On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast: Often nominated, never winninated... or something. The Post looked like it was made for the sole purpose of winning an Oscar. What kept it from winning the big prize? Is the movie more than just a film that ticks all the boxes for Oscar nominations? Does this historical drama have something to teach us today? Didn't we just have a movie about how important newspapers were? Are they still? What role should good journalism play? So. Many. Questions.

We're continuing a new series at Reel World Theology called Reel World Interviews. In these, we hope to talk to people who are actively engaging entertainment and pop-culture with the Gospel in mind. This episode, we chat with Hannah Leader, who is a Christian and producer of a number of new films that attempt to bring the Gospels to life… we get to talk to Hannah about how she went from being a lawyer to financing major Hollywood films to trying to merge her seemingly opposite lives of Christianity and the film industry... Have a listen and check out the films!

On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast: We talk about the best movie of the year according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, The Shape of Water. We ask ourselves how this odd, adult fairy tale managed to grab film's highest honor and it's merits. We also talk about the divisiveness of the film amongst movie-goers-- especially Christians. Does The Shape of Water reflect something about our culture that resonates on a deeper level? We discuss.

On this episode of Reel World: Rewind: With the Oscars now completed and a brand new Best Picture winner crowned, it got the Reel World: Rewind think-tank pondering some of the best picture winners of all-time. Consequently, the conversation will gravitate towards the only sequel movie to join its predecessor as Best Picture winner, The Godfather: Part II. Previous Reel World: Rewind co-host Blaine Grimes and host of Home One Radio joins his fellow host Josh Crabb to discuss Francis Ford Coppola's sprawling epic. While the conversation does meander into the original movie, Blaine and Josh discuss Coppola's cinematic storytelling, Coppola's characters cleaning the outside of the cup, and the movie's influence on the mob movie/gangster genre.

On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast: It seems hard to believe that we could talk about Darkest Hour without talking about how it and Dunkirk tell a similar tale from very different perspectives. So, of course we do that while also talking about the things we liked about the Oscar winning performance of Gary Oldman. This is one of those things where you can love a movie and you have to ask yourself if you mind that some of it is made up. How much needs to be true to be truly inspired?