The Thin Place

Back after a hiatus, Ken and Todd discuss Doug Liman's sci-fi film, The Edge of Tomorrow. Why is the way violence is represented in the film particularly disturbing? Are we intended to laugh at it? And why does Todd say the movie reminded him of watching someone play a video game? DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Just in time for the Academy Awards, Ken and Todd look at one of the nominees: Stephen Frears's Philomena. How does the film depict its protagonist's Roman Catholicism, and what can those outside that denomination learn from her example? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro and plot summary: SPOILER WARNINGS. 4:57 - Being interested in other people. 10:40 - Philomena as a "good" Catholic and the power of habit. 22:50 - Institutions and the individuals who populate them. 30:00 - The acting, and a minor reservation. DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Ken and Todd talk about depictions of Wall Street in Oliver Stone's film of the same name and, more recently, in Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street. What does Stone's dedication tell us about which character is the moral center? Does Bud Fox look into the abyss or dive in head first? How does Jordan Belfort compare to Gordon Gekko, and how does that comparison reveal ways America has changed in the last three decades? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro, plot summary, and selling your soul to the devil. 5:41 - "I don't feel terribly judgmental against Bud..." 10:15 - Who am I? 14:42 - "Greed is Good" 19:22 - Poor, smart, and without feeling. 22:40 - On morally "shooting par." 29:00 - Repentance and temptation. 37:00 - "There's justice in the world" DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Todd and Ken examine 12 Years a Slave. Is God absent from the world of slavery? Are there contemporary lessons or themes to be drawn from this historical drama? Why is the singing of "Roll Jordan" the most important scene? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro, quoting scripture to justify what you want. 3:55 - God is merciful and will forgive a merciful act. 9:05 - Roll Jordan Roll 14:29 - Mr. Bass and White Guilt 24:30 - Characters vs. Character Types. 29:05 - Self interest vs. Duty. 34:50 - What it says to and about us today. DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Todd and Ken take a look at Ernst Lubitsch's To Be or Not to Be. Should some topics be off limits for comedy? What line did even Lubitsch's team fear went too far? Who is the film's real villain? (Hint: it's not the Nazis.) What films today make us similarly uneasy and what can we learn from films that disquiet us? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro, plot and genre mashing. 5:03 - Contemporary equivalents? 10:00 - What makes us uneasy? 21:00 - What is the purpose of the joke? 24:30 - Not that different from us. 33:30 - There is a real bad guy. 39:22 - Greenberg and everyday heroism. 46:36 - Carole Lombard and closing remarks. DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Ken and Todd discuss Guillermo del Toro's horror film that has recently received the Criterion treatment. What is the difference between horror and Gothic? When is violence tragic rather than just shocking? How does belief in "the curse" unite the materialist and the spiritually minded? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro and plot summary. 5:30 - Horror or Gothic? 13:45 - The Curse 19:35 - Reinforcing plot themes with visual style. 29:30 - The cyclical nature of violence. 37:30 - Tragedy vs. accident. 41:50 - Closing comments. DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Ken and Todd are back, and they are discussing one of this fall's most anticipated films: Gravity. Is it a thriller or a drama? What do we mean when we call something a "good" film? Is it "well made" or "effective"? And can the hosts avoid the implication that, for a Christian, content is more important than technique when judging a film? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro and assessment 2:30 - Thriller or drama? 13:44 - "I'm going to pray now: please save me." 29:48 - Do more powerful tools always result in better art? 49:14 - Concluding remarks DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Todd and Ken discuss Vittorio De Sica's poignant saga of an aged pensioner trying to avoid eviction. What are the differences between empathy and pity and which does the film invoke? Is Umberto D. unlikable? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro and plot summary. 8:40 - Simply not a likable fellow. 18:00 - Umberto D. vs. Karin in Stromboli. 18:50 - A moment of grace? 30:55 - Just step in front of the train and be done with it... 39:00 - We should all just love our dogs and be happy. 42:02 - Walking back some of the criticisms. DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Peter Waldron drops in on The Thin Place to sub for the vacationing Todd and to render Ken momentarily speechless with his take on one of the more iconic climactic moments in Hollywood history. Does Ethan Edwards have a redemptive moment? Does he need one? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro and new impressions. 4:55 - He doesn't align himself with either side. 13:00 - Redemption for Ethan? 18:50 - A moment of grace? 23:30 - Beliefs in conflict. 27:00 - Which is the real Ethan? 32:30 - A twist ending? DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Ken and Todd look at the original pacific rim monster and compare the theme of sacrifice in Gojira to that presented in modern disaster films. SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro and summary. 6:30 - Mass destruction without mass death? 13:40 - The Disneyificaiton of Sacrifice. 15:30 - The enemy is other people. 23:10 - Gospels of Sin Management. 30:40 - Heroism, sacrifice, and post-war films. 43:00 - The cultural air we breathe. DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Ken and Todd examine the conventions of action films and how White House Down uses them. Do action films promote American exceptionalism? How does the use of comic relief undercut the film's moral seriousness? What makes a true hero? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro: Why we are discussing White House Down 5:40 - What are the film's genre conventions? 14:50 - Conflict, resolution, and social order 18:00 - American exceptionalism 29:10 - Death and comic relief 38:18 - True heroism and cultural values 44:14 - Concluding remarks DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Todd and Ken look at Ingmar Bergman's The Magician. Is the film about the conflict between rationalism and faith or the conflict between performers and critics? What did Bergman say about the film in interviews? What makes Ken say that Bergman is the director he's tried the hardest to like without success? Did The Magician change his mind? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Introduction and plot summary. 5:00 - True believers and true doubters. 12:50 - Step by step into darkness. 22:48 - On needing to be loved. 32:17 - Who are we? Masks and public performance. 40:51 - What is our delusion? 44:10 - Closing remarks and recommendations. DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Ken and Todd discuss Ramin Bahrani's At Any Price. Which family member did Todd want to see more of? What connections does Ken see between this film and Chop Shop? Is the film's climactic sermon meant ironically? WARNING: Plot spoilers.. SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Introduction: Expand or Die. 6:51 - Modern farms, prodigal sons, crimes and punishments. 08:45 - The church sermon. 17:46 - "I don't know what to do." 27:03 - External vs. Internal Contentment. 29:24 - Bahrani's work and overall assessments. DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Todd and Ken discuss the films of Roberto Rossellini, focusing on Stromboli. How sympathetic is Karin? What does the film's reference to the book of Isaiah mean? Is the ending positive, negative or ambiguous? WARNING: Plot spoilers. SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro to Rossellini. 3:30 - Plot summary and Karin's shifting story. 07:25 - Isaiah 65:1. 15:51 - Timeliness. 20:06 - How to read the ending. 28:30 - Is Karin unlikable? 33:30 - Getting back to the end. 41:20 - Where to watch the film. DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Ken and Todd discuss Brian Helgeland's hagiography of Jackie Robinson. SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Christian Movies vs. Thinking Christian 4:30 - General assessments. 13:00 - Historical foreknowledge and narrative complexity. 21:20 - Of showers and maternity wards. 37:19 - How do we effect change? 40:43 - Truth and feeling good. DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Todd and Ken look at Disney's Wreck-It Ralph, and ponder whether or not being written into a computer program is an apt metaphor for predestination. Also, what makes Ken compare Wreck-It Ralph to Paradise Lost? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Wreck-It Ralph vs. Toy Story. 4:30 - Predestination. 12:30 - Adult themes -- hating your job. 18:00 - Is Satan just misunderstood? 23:00 - Parallel worlds and the transcendent world. 29:00 - Free will metaphors: "rehtorical" vs. actual "have to" DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Todd and Ken discuss Martin Scorsese's (in)famous imagination of the life of Jesus. Is it really blasphemous? Is it any good? Do you have to watch a movie to be able to boycott it? And how do you pronounce "Nikos Kazantzakis"? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - The infamous production history--or why Ken saw Die Hard on his honeymoon. 6:00 - Responses today. 10:56 - Whose fault was it?: The script. 15:04 - Who is this Jesus, exactly? 19:29 - Film vs. Novel: Problems with abstraction. 33:00 - Well, how should Christians respond? 43:46 - What was Scorsese's intent? 47:00 - Other Jesus movies. DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Todd and Ken examine the morality of making stories about other people's lives. What is the difference between "truth" and "accuracy," and is accomplishing one ever an excuse for neglecting the other? Should historical fiction be judged differently from imaginative fiction? Why or why not? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Should we judge historical fiction differently? 4:45 - One person's suffering is another's entertainment 8:57 - The opposite of truth is not fiction: Zero Dark Thirty 13:53 - Dead Man Walking and agenda-driven films 18:45 - Do we trust the artist? 27:00 - Truth telling and story telling: Zero Dark Thirty again 33:00 - What bothers Todd more than historical inaccuracies? 38:00 - What do we want in historical movies? DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Ken and Todd look at John Ford's adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel. What is the difference between poverty and destitution? Who is the audience surrogate? How is mythologizing the past different from arguing about the present? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro; The Convict and the Preacher 4:00 - Surrender vs. Plucky Resolve 10:05 - Family is what is true. 13:44 - Form vs. content. 18:00 - I don't know where the next thing is coming from... 25:00 - Mythologizing vs. Agenda driven filmmaking. 32:00 - Who is the audience? 35:00 - Being persuaded and being moved. DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Ken and Todd claim that Peter Jackson doesn't really understand the material that he is adapting. Is there any way they can back up such a claim? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro; "certain technical aspects of the film..." 12:45 - "Do you even know what this story is about...?" 22:00 - "It felt dumbed-down to me." 26:02 - "The Hobbit is not a prequel." 30:00 - Speaking of Gollum.... 33:30 - The change we hated the most. 40:30 - Surfaces vs. Deep Roots. 45:00 - Growing vs. Changing DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Ken and Todd tackle Ben Lewin's The Sessions. Can a priest ever give you permission to sin? Does calling something therapy change what it is? Is God a bully who hates us and wants us to be miserable? Is it possible to be compassionate while still having standards? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro, summary. "Not a prostitute." 05:15 - "God will give you a pass on this one..." 11:32 - Erring on the side of love. 14:20 - Sinning against conscience and Mark's religious life. 23:00 - Of course sex has consequences. 29:00 - The great hubris of intellectualization. 31:00 - Overall assessment. DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Ken and Todd revisit William Friedkin's horror masterpiece, The Exorcist, and use it as a springboard to talk about whether or not Christians should watch horror movies. Does the film imply that evil is stronger than holiness? Who is the main character? What does the film say about the spiritual condition of the late 20th century? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro, summary of Scott Derrickson keynote address on horror. 06:42 - Historical significance: real evil in an age of unbelief. 11:35 - Mechanics of fear vs. true horror. 15:20 - Gothic vs. Horror. 18:17 - Impressions on a new viewing: soundscape, pace, and performance as theme. 29:00 - Does the exorcism fail? 39:51 - Defending the ending. 53:00 - Thumbs up to the devil? Esteeming vs. recommending. DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Ken and Todd look at Rian Johnson's sci-fi, time-travel hit, Looper. Is changing the future the same as "playing God"? Is there anything theological about the film's depiction of addicitons? What verse in the Book of Genesis makes Ken doubtful that time-travel is ever really possible? Just what exactly is soul annihilation, and why does the way we interpret the film have consequences for the way we conceptualize hell? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro, endorsement, and plot summary 03:50 - Moral choices and how we justify them. 11:20 - Old Joe vs. New Joe. 17:07 - Violence, addiction, and moral deterioration. 26:30 - Soul annihilation and playing God. 33:00 - Changing the world vs. changing yourself. DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Guest host Andrew Johnson joins Ken at the Toronto International Film Festival to discuss Mike Newell's adaptation of Charles Dickens's classic novel. What is the difference between grace and random acts of kindness? Which character reminds Ken of the rock opera Chess? Warning: some profanity in this episode. SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro. What is grace? 05:12 - Grace vs. random acts of kindness 07:25 - Class conflict, Puritan work ethic, and deserving success. 12:20 - "Pity the child, but not forever," the problems with economic determinism 17:40 - Miss Havisham and the culture of victimhood 25:00 - The circle of (moral) life and the film's resolution. DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Director Julia Haslett makes a documentary that is part biopic, part self-reflection. How should we respond to human suffering? Do Simone Weil's writings give us a road map for answering that question? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro. Self-reflexive vs. biography 10:06 - Understanding vs. Acting On 18:10 - "I feel like there's something you want me to say..." 20:48 - "Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity." 27:00 - Is "attention" the same as being a Christian "witness"? 31:45 - Global vs. local; not burning out. 34:22 - A philosophical dead end? 42:25 - I go to extremes... 49:30 - Concluding remarks. DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Critics polled by Sight & Sound magazine in 2012 ranked Vertigo as the greatest film of all time. What does that ranking say about the spirit of the age? Is the greatness of a film measurable? If not, why do we keep trying? What causes our obsession with lists? Ken and Todd discuss Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece and the poll that thrust it back into the limelight. Warning: Spoilers for Vertigo and Sunrise: A Story of Two Humans. SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro. The Sight & Sound poll and canon making. 6:47 - Two views of lists: corporate wisdom and platonic ideals. 12:26 - The function of criticism at the present time. 18:13 - "I've seen Vertigo..." Great vs. The Greatest. 22:21 - Can people change? 27:51 - Obsession vs. Love 31:55 - Melancholia and the spirit of the age. 36:00 - Critics vs. directors; Vertigo vs. Kane. 46:22 - Concluding remarks. DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

How Batman is not a "Christ figure" but Bane is reminiscent of...Willy Wonka!?! It's the summer's most anticipated film as only The Thin Place can cover it. Ken and Todd discuss whether Christopher Nolan's trilogy is telling us "you can't handle the truth" or simply isn't clear in its own mind about what it wants to say. Warning: Spoilers! SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro and outlining spiritual themes. 3:54 - Our obsession with back stories and the nature/nurture debate. 14:21 - What is a "Christ figure" and why Batman isn't one. 20:03 - To escape is better than sacrifice... 29:12 - Well intentioned lies. 35:00 - Metafiction and (intentional?) ideological fuzziness 40:54 - Yes, but is it entertaining? DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Few films are more beloved in Christian circles than Chariots of Fire. Todd and Ken ask why this is the case, and whether the film that beat out Raiders of the Lost Ark for an Academy Award has stood the test of time. SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro: Why Do Christians Love this Film? 5:00 - Is it idealized? Shaping a true story. 10:13 - What is the story? 18:03 - Does God care who wins sporting events? 26:30 - Affinity vs. Judgment 30:08 - Better and Worse Than I Remember 34:36 - Tim Tebow, Identity Politics, and Incarnational Christianity 44:45 - Overall impressions and conclusion. DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Ridley Scott's return to science fiction is not only one of the most anticipated films of the year - a prequel to Alien - but it also attempts to address deep philosophical and religious questions. Can a film be an action blockbuster and a successful cosmological treatise? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Expectations for and marketing of the film 6:20 - Origin stories vs. prequels 14:00 - Stupid scientists and horror vs. science fiction 19:14 - The Big Questions: faith, religion, and evolution 25:07 - It's what I choose to believe 30:08 - The franchise problem 36:14 - What it does right and who will like it DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

As a touring retrospective and the reissue of a famous anthology revive interest in the enigmatic and critically revered Robert Bresson, Ken and Todd examine the French director's Lancelot du Lac. SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Profile, persuasion, or historical account? 7:00 - Talking past each other and retrofitting theology 13:33 - Theological argument or social justice argument? 19:13 - How heterosexuals are portrayed; leadership vs. laity 24:12 - The lack of a theological argument 31:30 - Social justice vs. the integrity of the church, part 2 35:19 - North Carolina Amendment #1 and Unintended Consequences 40:24 - The film as film; humanizing gays AND Christians DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Ken and Todd discuss the theology of gays in the Christian church, the social justice of gays in America, and the differences (if any) between the two as they review a documentary about the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church. SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Profile, persuasion, or historical account? 7:00 - Talking past each other and retrofitting theology 13:33 - Theological argument or social justice argument? 19:13 - How heterosexuals are portrayed; leadership vs. laity 24:12 - The lack of a theological argument 31:30 - Social justice vs. the integrity of the church, part 2 35:19 - North Carolina Amendment #1 and Unintended Consequences 40:24 - The film as film; humanizing gays AND Christians DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Ken and Todd discuss Blue Like Jazz, Steve Taylor's adaptation of Donald Miller's best seller. Is the film a satire of Christianity? A Christian satire of the godless university? Is it funny? Will Christians like it? Will anyone else? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro, plot, and overall impressions 7:00 - The "Christian" label redux; broadening the audience 10:45 - Satire vs. Bildungsroman 19:21 - Horatian vs. Juvenalian satire 23:00 - Apology, confession, or confessional apology? 32:00 - Writing vs. directing and closing remarks DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Ken and Todd discuss Primary Colors, Mike Nichols's adaptation of the fictionalized depiction of an adviser grappling with whether or not he can support a flawed governor who is running for president. Mike Nichols's film gets the bulk of discussion, but there are also comments about HBO's Game Change. SHOW NOTES: 0:30 - Intro, summary, faith, and disillusionment 6:15 - Believing in people vs. seduced by power 10:10 - Moral compromises and ranges of character responses 21:40 - Timeless themes or timely satire? 27:10 - Game Change, good intentions, and believing in what you do 33:35 - Media and the false intimacy of television 40:10 - If we really believe what we say... DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Ken and Todd discuss Primary Colors, Mike Nichols's adaptation of the fictionalized depiction of an adviser grappling with whether or not he can support a flawed governor who is running for president. Mike Nichols's film gets the bulk of discussion, but there are also comments about HBO's Game Change. SHOW NOTES: 0:30 - Intro, summary, faith, and disillusionment 6:15 - Believing in people vs. seduced by power 10:10 - Moral compromises and ranges of character responses 21:40 - Timeless themes or timely satire? 27:10 - Game Change, good intentions, and believing in what you do 33:35 - Media and the false intimacy of television 40:10 - If we really believe what we say... DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Todd and Ken discuss Undefeated, the Academy Award winner for Best Documentary of 2011. Take care to build character, football coach Bill Courtney preaches, and winning will take care of itself. SHOW NOTES: 0:30 - Intro, summary, and the film's thesis 10:21 - Money's reward 16:32 - Ecclesiastes and the Moral Fabric of the Universe 21:49 - Playing angel's advocate and the power of positive reinforcement 28:20 - The health and wealth gospel and when bad things happen to good people 33:55 - Spiritual versus material success 36:08 - Undefeated? The meaning of the title 40:41 - Ecclesiastes redux DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Todd and Ken discuss David Spaltro's drama about a woman tormented by questions about what happens after we die. SHOW NOTES: 0:30 - Intro, summary, and definition of an "indie movie" 6:18 - Is death the same as not existing? 12:10 - The Houdini bargain 15:11 - Fronting, masks, and feigned ignorance 19:16 - Do we care about Violet? 25:43 - Material solutions to spiritual problems 29:55 - Understatement, writing, and acting 33:11 - How can we not talk about dancing vaginas? DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Todd and Ken discuss High and Low. Is Mr. Gondo a Christ-figure? What is the value of a human being? Is the kidnapper really a madman? SHOW NOTES: 0:30 - Intro, summary, and spiritual themes 8:40 - Mr. Gondo as Christ figure 14:33 - Scope of the narrative and responses to suffering 19:00 - Who gets saved and who doesn't 22:00 - What is the value of a human being? 26:14 - Main Street vs. Wall Street - Can't We All Get Along? 29:55 - The scandal of godly expectations DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Ken and Todd discuss Soul Surfer. Is "Christian Movie" a label or a genre? Does it make any difference? Did Soul Surfer do better than most Christian Movies at not making Todd want to scream and run the other way? SHOW NOTES: 0:30 - Intro, summary, and conventions of the genre 6:03 - Vehicles for evangelism or stories about relationships? 10:52 - Mistakes they didn't make 14:44 - Judging by a different standard? 24:37 - The "Christian" ghetto: getting out versus elevating the genre 30:00 - Can a Christian movie wear a bikini? DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Todd and Ken look at Martin Scorsese's Hugo. Is being a part of a larger whole horrific or comforting? Are some life purposes more exalted than others? Can community make us whole? SHOW NOTES: 0:30 - Intro, summary, and Martin Scorsese as a spiritual auteur 4:29 - Having a sense of purpose and fixing what is broken 7:08 - The world as machine and people as machine parts 13:44 - Finding a purpose versus having a task 17:52 - Movie idolatry? 20:56 - Connection and community 27:29 - Finding a heart-shaped key 29:12 - Concluding judgments DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Ken and Todd discuss the new film (and Cannes Palme d'Or nominee) from acclaimed Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki, Le Havre. Is this tale of a community rallying around a young African refugee a realistic look at the immigration issue, or just plain fairy tale? Tune in to find out. SHOW NOTES: 0:25 - Intro and basic plot synopsis of Le Havre 2:46 - Plot consistency 6:50 - A fairy tale? 11:40 - Are people really that good? 18:25 - The government, police, and "trickster" archetype 23:11 - The inspector and the other surprise ending 27:29 - Miracles, the Sermon on the Mount, fairy tales and God 39:00 - Closing thoughts, comparisons to Dogville DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Ken and Todd discuss the 1996 film adaptation of Arthur Miller's play. Miller claimed his film was more about politics than religion, but is that true? Just how cynical is it about matters of belief? Tune in to find out. SHOW NOTES: 0:25 - Intro and basic plot synopsis of The Crucible 3:55 - Using religion to talk about politics; does anyone really believe? 14:05 - Certainty, age, and doubt 20:48 - Miscasting and other things that don't work 28:42 - Comparisons with Dreyer's Day of Wrath 32:00 - Show close DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

In this special episode that arrives in conjunction with AFI Fest, Ken and Todd discuss the new film from Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, ALPS. The film follows an organization of individuals that are hired to impersonate dead loved ones in order to help with the grieving process. But will that really be effective? Can illusion ever equal reality? Tune in as Ken and Todd examine the complex themes running through this unique film. SHOW NOTES: 0:36 - Intro and basic plot synopsis of ALPS 2:27 - Are these characters providing a service? 4:31 - The name of the organization 7:30 - Is anyone irreplaceable? 8:55 - Is this effective grief counseling? 13:26 - The real world as illusion 20:40 - Therapy and illusion as addiction, people as objects 25:37 - Is it worth seeing? 27:52 - Show close DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Ken and Todd discuss the experimental narrative film Glitch in the Grid and debate whether or not it can be described as "Christian mumblecore." Is the mumblecore genre inherently antithetical to a Christian worldview? How does the film depict spiritual emptiness in a time of economic recession? Tune in to find out. SHOW NOTES: 0:36 - Intro 1:50 - Basic plot synopsis of Glitch in the Grid 3:21 - Christian symbolism 8:35 - The experimental approach to the narrative 11:03 - Is this "Christian mumblecore"? 17:19 - The recession and whether or not the characters are sympathetic 22:27 - Inarticulateness and vague spiritual imagery 25:10 - Is mumblecore compatible with a Christian worldview? 36:37 - Final thoughts on the film DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Ken and Todd tackle Lars von Trier's provocative and controversial film Dogville and choose to examine it through an allegorical lens. How does the film's set design impact interpretations? What does it have to say about morality, revenge and forgiveness? Is there a political message, and why might Norway terrorist Anders Breivik have been influenced by it? Tune in to find out. SHOW NOTES: 0:34 - Intro 1:44 - Basic plot synopsis of Dogville 4:35 - The artificiality of the set and possible allegorical interpretations 8:45 - What's not there, reality vs. pretend 15:25 - Forgiveness, revenge and the abuse of Grace 26:34 - Political themes, the treatment of outsiders 32:43 - The father/daughter relationship between the mobster and Grace 34:55 - A link to the Norway attacks? 39:14 - Moral deterioration and the complicity of the viewer 42:48 - Show close DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Ken and Todd explore the complex themes and possible interpretations of Tom Tykwer's Run Lola Run. What parts of the film are real and which are fantasy? Does it imply a moral force exists in the universe? What role does karma play? Tune in to find out. SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro 1:36 - Basic plot synopsis of Run Lola Run 4:48 - What is going on? What is real? What is fantasy? Four hypotheses. 18:37 - Cyclical determinism? Is there a moral force? 26:25 - The dog, karma and chance 33:08 - The red scenes and the power of love 43:15 - The primal scream and the need for hope; the film within a Christian worldview DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!

Welcome to The Thin Place! In this premiere episode, Ken and Todd discuss how the Harry Potter films depict the concept of an afterlife. In J.K. Rowling's world of wizards, dragons and goblins, is there such thing as heaven and hell? How should we interpret the presence of ghosts? Tune in to find out. SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro 2:00 - Harry Potter and the Afterlife DON'T FORGET: You can contact us by emailing thethinplace@filmgeekradio.com. Thanks for listening!