Exodus – Gods and Kings: Naïve & Devoid of Content

This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! 

Shirleon joins Melvin to discuss our latest Patron-Selected movie, Exodus: Gods and Kings! Can Ridley Scott give this paramount Bible story the Gladiator treatment? Does it play fast and loose with the historical account? Was it, at the very least, enjoyable? Tune in to find out!

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 33-minutes discussing the various drama leading up to Snow White (2025)’s release as well as it’s Rotten Tomato Score debut. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Shirleon, “I hated it. I hated the direction that it went.”
• Melvin, “It’s super rare to find movies that feel like they’re devoid of content.”
• What deflates the material is how remedial it is compared to the rich complexities of the Biblical text.
• A follow-up to criticism’s mentioned in the Journey to Bethlehem episode regarding bible-reading statistics.
• The film doesn’t just mischaracterize historical figures, it mischaracterizes biblical figures, texts, and God Himself, all in ways that can’t be considered concessions of the medium.
• Melvin talks about the one scene in the movie he liked.
• The two agree: It’s not just a bad biblical adaptation, it’s also a bad movie.

Recommendations:

• Read Exodus from the Bible
• The Prince of Egypt (1998) (Movie) (Cinematic Doctrine Episode)
• The Ten Commandments (1956) (Movie)
• The Midnight Meat Train (2008) (Movie)

Exodus: Gods and Kings is Rated PG-13 for violence including battle sequences and intense images. It features Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, Ben Kingsley, Sigourney Weaver, John Turturro, Aaron Paul, Ben Mendelsohn, Zipporah, Isaac Andrews, Hiam Abbass, and Indira Varma. Directed by Ridley Scott. Exodus: Gods and Kings is available here.

Consider supporting Cinematic Doctrine on Patreon! As a bonus, you can gain access to a once-a-month movie poll where you decide a movie we discuss on the podcast, early unedited episodes of the podcast, and merch!!

Melvin Benson is the Founder, Editor-In-Chief, and Lead Host of Cinematic Doctrine. Whether it’s a movie, show, game, comic, or novel, it doesn’t matter. As long as it’s rich, he’s ready and willing to give it a try! His hope is to see King Jesus glorified as far as the east is from the west!

Cinematic Doctrine is available on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast apps.

Sunset Boulevard – Resilience, Belonging, & the Impact of Film – Cinematic Doctrine: A Movie Review Podcast Hosted by Christians

Send us a Question!PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard! Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss Sunset Boulevard, a timeless, tragic, Hollywood fairytale. The two meditate on what its like to be transported back in time, the importance of resiliency, finding a place of belonging, and "the medium is the message" as it relates to photography and film. Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 30-minutes talking about the Avengers: Doomsday trailer, the roster of heroes confirmed, the ones missing, and why there's more excitement behind Spider-Man: Brand New Day (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Kathryn, "Like seeing the source code for filmmaking."The opening act tone setting is really strong.Sunset Boulevard is grounded, but it has a touch of the fantastical.On belonging, resiliency, stagnation, and empowerment.Kathryn notices the mention, or visual use, of animals kept popping up in Sunset Boulevard.Talking about, as Kathryn calls it, "the car, the other car, and the nose".Melvin talks about how photography and film, as mediums of communication, can uniquely impact the world and people, and proposes it as a read for understanding Norma's neurosis.Talking about the haunting, tragic ending.Recommendations:To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960) (Novel)Ed Wood (1994) (Movie) Support the showSupport 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 & PinsSocial Links: ThreadsWebsiteInstagramLetterboxdFacebook Group 

1. Sunset Boulevard – Resilience, Belonging, & the Impact of Film 01:11:18
2. The Matrix – The Mind, the Body, the Leather 01:03:28
3. Loner – Underseen and Understated 01:13:11
4. Frogman – Cryptids, Found-Footage, & Self-Destruction 59:30
5. Vertigo – The iPad Kid Killer 01:05:58