Popcorn Theology
367 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★★ - 147 ratingsPopcorn Theology is a podcast where entertainment and theology meet. We look at film and TV, both new and
old from a Biblical perspective, enjoying the arts to the glory of God. Join in on the conversation!
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Episodes
Episode 196: Halloween
October 30, 2019 21:03 - 1 hour - 99 MBDavid and James stand ominously and stare in through the window of the horror genre at a defining movie that set the course for the slasher genre. They take a stab at understanding our film fascination with fear, and this particular slice of cinematic history in terms of what is says about morality and the "final girl" trope. Join them as they unmask Halloween and examine the film's ambiguities and seeming contradictions, thanks to our Patreon supporters and their pick for our podcast this ...
Episode 195: Zombieland: Double Tap
October 25, 2019 13:37 - 1 hour - 70.7 MBJoin our hosts, Seattle and Martinsburg, as they take a shambling look at the second shot of Zombieland. From the genre in general to the themes of this film - rules, pacifism and a healthy dose of political incorrectness - we see if this comedy has any brain matter in its cinematic cranium. If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be canonized as an official Patron Saint of Popcorn The...
Episode 194: Ad Astra
October 17, 2019 09:50 - 1 hour - 65.8 MBDoes this latest interstellar film about a lonely man's space odyssey have the gravity of its cinematic forebears? David and James launch into conversation about our protagonist's physical and emotional vacuum, the sins of the father, and the story's revelation that is open to different interpretation and is certain to fuel conversation. If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be canonized as an...
Episode 193: Joker
October 10, 2019 22:04 - 1 hour - 123 MBLaugh inappropriately with David and James as they examine the bats in Joker’s cinematic belfry. Whether it’s contrasting incarnations, discussing external controversy, or considering what this film has to say about morality and mental illness, this episode should put a smile on your face... even if it’s forced. If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be canonized as an official Patron Saint of ...
Episode 192: Taxi Driver
October 04, 2019 20:44 - 1 hour - 77.4 MBGo for a ride with David and James as they see how Taxi Driver fares after forty years. What drives Travis Bickle, and does the narrative steer into dangerous territory? Considering this (and The King of Comedy, another De Niro film) are noted influences on the controversial Joker film, it seemed wise to review this historic film in light of imminent debate. If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! ...
Episode 191: It (Chapter Two)
September 13, 2019 09:14 - 1 hour - 44.5 MB“IT girl” Kathryn Harleman joins James for our return to Derry... from the book, to the first film, and how the lengthy part 2 stacks up against both King and Curry. Amidst all the clowning around in the film themes of repetition, regret, remembrance, aging and accusations surface for discussion. If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be canonized as an official Patron Saint of Popcorn Theolog...
Episode 190: Triple Frontier
September 06, 2019 09:39 - 1 hour - 79.4 MBDavid and James journey with Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac and Charlie Hunnam to South America, self-interest, and stark consequences. in this heist film that is perhaps more honest and sobering than others that glamorize the criminal behavior. Watch the Netflix original and listen to their reflections on temptation, greed, self-righteousness and more. If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be cano...
189: 10 Things I Hate About You
August 29, 2019 00:37 - 1 hour - 47 MBDid you know that the Joker and Robin went to high school together? That's the (not quite) premise of this 20-year classic, or perhaps it's just a Shakespeare play re-tooled and set in Seattle with sleepless Joseph Gordon-Levitt, dreamy Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles and more. Kat joins David and James to add the needed "feminine mystique" to this episode. We won't pay you to take it for a spin, but trust us: eventually you'll come to love it! If you like what you are hearing and want to hel...
Episode 188: The Mummy
August 22, 2019 09:30 - 1 hour - 43.5 MBDavid and James unleash the contents of a two-decade cinematic sarcophagus as The Mummy celebrates the 20th anniversary of a notable resurrection. Does this classic Brendan Fraser 90s flick still have life in it? We open with conversation about the cast and how this film has influenced Disney and Marvel, then "wrap it up" with humanity's dismissive nature of the spiritual, what it means to profane sacred things, and the varying value of fear. If you like what you are hearing and wa...
Episode 187: Galaxy Quest
August 18, 2019 03:39 - 1 hour - 69.5 MBJoin us this week as we celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the best Star Trek film to date -- Galaxy Quest! If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be canonized as an official Patron Saint of Popcorn Theology and be given access to an exclusive Facebook group just for supporters, giveaways, polls to decide what films we discuss, and much more! We hope you enjoy the listen and we would love it i...
Episode 186: Hobbs & Shaw
August 08, 2019 00:26 - 1 hour - 69.5 MBWould you believe we had substance to talk about after watching Hobbs & Shaw ? Buckle up for some chat about blood family vs made family, the motivational nature of deadlines, and more! If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be canonized as an official Patron Saint of Popcorn Theology and be given access to an exclusive Facebook group just for supporters, giveaways, polls to decide what film...
Episode 185: Snowpiercer
August 01, 2019 23:10 - 1 hour - 89.5 MBOur Patreon pick for the month features Chris Evans in a grittier role than Steve Rogers, trapped with a tremendous cast aboard a post-apocalyptic train with a caste system about to go off the rails. David and James discuss the implications of hats and shoes, and how a surreal locomotive becomes a microcosm of our present age. If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be canonized as an official ...
Episode 184: The Lion King (2019)
July 24, 2019 23:44 - 1 hour - 187 MBDid David, James, and Kathryn “Feel the Love” of the new Lion King? Did they have worries going into Jon Favreau’s life-like adaptation, or were they all Hakuna Matata about it? Well, “Be Prepared” to hear their passionate thoughts on the new film, discussing themes ranging from the scriptural to the Shakespearean. If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be canonized as an official Patron Saint...
Episode 183: Yesterday
July 17, 2019 22:04 - 1 hour - 127 MBWhat would it be like if almost everyone in the world forgot about the Beatles, overnight? Join us in this discussion about that very scenario! If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be canonized as an official Patron Saint of Popcorn Theology and be given access to an exclusive Facebook group just for supporters, giveaways, polls to decide what films we discuss, and much more! We hope you e...
Episode 182: Stranger Things S3
July 14, 2019 03:52 - 1 hour - 141 MBScoops Ahoy, Popcorn Theologians! Strange things are afoot at Popcorn Theology this week as we all three binged the entire third season of Stranger Things - Netflix's flagship original content show! It definitely gave us plenty to talk about - fatherhood, coming of age, the idea of personal responsibility and its tension with spiritual realities and warfare, and more! If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If ...
Episode 181: Spider-Man: Far From Home
July 07, 2019 03:56 - 1 hour - 82.1 MBWe take a little journey this week, a journey far from home. This flick is super hard to talk about without spoilers, not just for this film but also for Avengers: Endgame... so listener discretion is advised! The film made us think about the tension between rest and responsibility, the idea of 'fake news' and the court of public opinion, and a lot more! We hope you enjoy the discussion! If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us...
Episode 180: Ready Player One
June 30, 2019 19:08 - 1 hour - 80.2 MBJoin Richard and David as they circle back around to cover last year's Ready Player One, which was the film chosen by our Patreon supporters for this month! The movie seems to have grown on both of us a bit on our recent second viewing, and it definitely provided us some good things to kick around and discuss! We referenced an article from Reel Spirituality, which can be checked out right here. If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to s...
Episode 179: Black Mirror S5
June 24, 2019 03:26 - 1 hour - 94.1 MBRichard and James explore the themes of all three episodes from the latest season of Netflix Exclusive Black Mirror. The show is known for showing us the dangers in technology.. so where does this season take us? If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be canonized as an official Patron Saint of Popcorn Theology and be given access to an exclusive Facebook group just for supporters, giveaways, p...
Episode 178: Good Omens
June 14, 2019 01:16 - 1 hour - 80.6 MBRichard and James are joined once again by Kat this week to discuss the new Amazon miniseries Good Omens! A theme of this discussion seems to be, 'Insight mixed with nonsense' as the show seamlessly continues to jump from insightful line or concept to outright nonsense or blasphemy.. So please, don't be a mindless consumer on this one! Discussion begins with our thoughts on the book and show and then dovetails into discussions on God's sovereignty (or His ineffable plan, if you will), ...
Episode 177: Godzilla KOTM
June 08, 2019 16:10 - 59 minutes - 46.2 MBIt’s a monster mash of biblical proportions! Join James and Kathryn (and a couple crazy kaiju who crash the party) as they examine surprisingly deep ideas that hatch from Godzilla’s latest epic. From coping mechanisms in the wake of loss, to what the world looks like when we abandon faith and God, this movie’s themes roar as loud and brash as the titular lizard. Enjoy! If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If ...
Episode 176: Cloverfield
May 31, 2019 20:31 - 1 hour - 66.8 MBWe recently discovered this recording of David and James talking about Cloverfield, the penultimate film of Monster MAY-hem. We aren’t sure what happened to them after discussing this 2008 found footage film picked by our Patreon supporters, but perhaps some clues exist within this audio file. You decide. If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be canonized as an official Patron Saint of Popc...
Episode 175: The Fly
May 23, 2019 15:08 - 1 hour - 76.3 MBMonster MAY-hem continues this week as we dive into The Fly (1986) - you know, the one starring Jeff Goldblum! How does such an older movie hold up today? Was this the role that sort of propelled Goldblum to stardom? The movie does provide us some ideas to kick around as well! What sets mankind apart from the rest of creation? What does it mean to be 'human'? Drink deep, or taste not the plasma spring! If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider ple...
Episode 174: The Thing
May 17, 2019 02:11 - 1 hour - 81.1 MBJames and David... if they really ARE who they say they are... examine the John Carpenter classic THE THING in our continuing month of Monster MAYhem! Fear, paranoia and mistrust emerge as key themes, as well as the loss of our own identity. They are joined this week by Kathryn Harleman as Richard has inexplicably gone missing... (cue ominous music). If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be c...
Episode 173: Kong: Skull Island
May 09, 2019 09:46 - 1 hour - 68.2 MBCome along with us this month of May, or as we have dubbed it May-hem. We're going to be covering several monster movies, including one chosen by our Patreon supporters, and then capping it off with the newest Godzilla film. This week, we kicked all this off by talking about Kong: Skull Island! If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be canonized as an official Patron Saint of Popcorn Theology...
Episode 172: Avengers: Endgame
May 01, 2019 09:33 - 2 hours - 113 MBJoin us for this special, super-sized episode of Popcorn Theology! You really couldn't expect us to cover a movie that is three hours long and caps off 22 films over more than a decade without running a little long, right? We had to take some time to discuss the entire MCU to this point, where it is at and where it is heading, as well as our favorite moments and maybe less favorite moments from this capstone film. But then we did also dig into some of the deeper themes of the story! Fr...
Episode 171: Eighth Grade
April 24, 2019 19:52 - 1 hour - 72.5 MBThis month, our Patreon Supporters, like, picked Eighth Grade for us to review, and - um - we're so glad they did! David and James go back to middle school with Kayla Day and have a chance to talk about identity, fathers, social media's impact on socialization, and how the heck this moving drama came from the mind of Bo Burnham. It's a film worth seeing and finding folks to converse with about both the imminent, era-specific themes and the timeless ones it touches on. If you like wha...
Episode 170: The Twilight Zone (2019)
April 18, 2019 21:45 - 1 hour - 70.6 MBStep through the door with David and James to another dimension as they cross the streams of CBS All-Access and enter The Twilight Zone, courtesy of new curator and narrator Jordan Peele. We explore the first two episodes, "The Comedian" and "Nightmare at 30,000 Feet". Is the Twilight Zone relevant today? Is it timeless? From discussions of anthology storytelling to the many series TZ has inspired, we look at the phenomenon and what this newest incarnation has to offer out of the gate. I...
Episode 169: Shazam!
April 11, 2019 13:44 - 1 hour - 70.9 MBWhat strange providence that we'd get two 'Captain Marvel' movies in quick succession! Join us as we take some time to talk over the latest from DC in film, Shazam! The flick has a surprising amount of things to look at - from the seven deadly sins as a form of 'villains', to made family vs born family, to the idea of finding a righteous person in this fallen world. We also kicked around our thoughts on the movie in general, as this was Richard and David's first real exposure to the cha...
Episode 168: The Jerk
April 07, 2019 01:24 - 54 minutes - 49.8 MBAs this week saw us all celebrating April Fool's Day, the guys decided to take a look at one of the most 'foolish' characters in movie history - Navin Johnson! What exactly does it mean to be 'The Jerk'? How does the movie portray a foolish person? How does the God describe a foolish person? If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be canonized as an official Patron Saint of Popcorn Theology a...
Episode 167: Alita: Battle Angel
March 27, 2019 23:15 - 1 hour - 90.3 MBJoin Richard and James this week as they discuss this month's Patreon-supporter selected film, Alita: Battle Angel! This flick gets a lot of comparison and contrasting with last week's film, Captain Marvel, as it is also recent, female-led, and covers many of the same narrative beats. But which one does it better? The film really gets us talking and we jump around from issues of eschatology and christology to father-figures and saviors. We think you'll really enjoy this one! If you ...
Episode 166: Captain Marvel
March 18, 2019 15:44 - 1 hour - 81.4 MBThe three of us are joined by James' wife Kathryn to discuss the newest offering in the MCU, Captain Marvel! This has been a pretty polarizing film, so what did we all think of it? Disclaimer: None of us are actually a sexist pig; we just play one on this podcast. If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be canonized as an official Patron Saint of Popcorn Theology and be given access to an excl...
Episode 165: Green Book
March 07, 2019 10:31 - 1 hour - 68.2 MBJoin us this week as we discuss what is (apparently!) the best picture of 2018, Green Book! If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be canonized as an official Patron Saint of Popcorn Theology and be given access to an exclusive Facebook group just for supporters, giveaways, polls to decide what films we discuss, and much more! We hope you enjoy the listen and we would love it if you'd share t...
Episode 164: First Reformed
February 28, 2019 23:56 - 1 hour - 65.6 MBWill God forgive us? Our Patreon supporters commissioned us to cover 2018's First Reformed this week! The movie is at once beautiful and weird, and we had a good time chatting about it. Things considered: The church's witness and how it can be compromised, the contrast of the 'museum' with the 'megachurch' - Also, David rants about stewardship of the environment! If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If yo...
Episode 163: Bandersnatch
February 22, 2019 16:30 - 1 hour - 69.7 MBJoin us as we try to tackle this incredibly unique special from the Black Mirror series, Bandersnatch! This is the Black Mirror episode (or is it a film?) where you get to basically 'Choose Your Own Adventure', and it definitely made for some good mind-blown moments. Bandersnatch really puts the viewer into mind of the ideas of free choices vs predestination, and so that's where we camp out for some time. In what ways is our interaction with Stefan similar to God's interaction with man? In...
Episode 162: Daredevil S3
February 17, 2019 21:19 - 1 hour - 70.1 MBBetter a little late than never! Join us this week as we finally got around to discussing the latest (and maybe last?) installment in the Marvel/Netflix series, Daredevil! If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be canonized as an official Patron Saint of Popcorn Theology and be given access to an exclusive Facebook group just for supporters, giveaways, polls to decide what films we discuss, and...
Popcorn Prequel 04: Iron Man 3
February 11, 2019 03:32 - 41 minutes - 95.8 MBJames explores why Shane Black’s third Iron Man film shouldn’t be dismissed, taking the themes of “heart” and “legacy” from prior films and concluding with “identity”. Tony then has to yield his obsessive desire for control to three helpers – representing his past, his present and his future – as the Iron Man trilogy “coincidentally” concludes at Christmas. Also, Richard reveals a secret more shocking than the Mandarin! Iron Man 3 Screenwriter Drew Pearce said “even though on one leve...
Episode 161: Into the Spider-Verse
February 05, 2019 22:20 - 53 minutes - 61.1 MBJoin us as we use this film to jump into conversation about the importance of having good role models to look up to and imitate, the idea of a 'multiverse' and how that might present a mirror back on the content of our own hearts, and more! What a great flick! If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be canonized as an official Patron Saint of Popcorn Theology and be given access to an exclu...
Popcorn Prequel 03: Groundhog Day
February 02, 2019 13:02 - 43 minutes - 49.8 MBEver wonder what James Harleman's thoughts were on GROUNDHOG DAY? Well, here you go. We recommend waking up to this episode every day for a few months.. you know, for full effect. If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be canonized as an official Patron Saint of Popcorn Theology and be given access to an exclusive Facebook group just for supporters, giveaways, polls to decide what films we di...
Episode 160: Glass
January 31, 2019 02:24 - 1 hour - 78 MBJoin us this week as Richard and James discuss the newest offering in the 'Unbreakable' trilogy (if it can be called that?), GLASS. While these co-hosts may go back and forth a bit in their opinion about just how good of a movie this turned out to be, there is no disagreement that this film gives us some really good things to think about and discuss! Doubt vs Faith, the nature of conversations which have as their beginning an assumption of materialism, and more. We hope you enjoy! I...
Episode 160: Glass
January 31, 2019 02:24Join us this week as Richard and James discuss the newest offering in the 'Unbreakable' trilogy (if it can be called that?), GLASS. While these co-hosts may go back and forth a bit in their opinion about just how good of a movie this turned out to be, there is no disagreement that this film gives us some really good things to think about and discuss! Doubt vs Faith, the nature of conversations which have as their beginning an assumption of materialism, and more. We hope you enjoy! I...
Popcorn Prequel 02: Avengers
January 26, 2019 17:40 - 37 minutes - 34.5 MBThis week, our time machine takes us back to some audio content from James Harleman regarding the original Avengers film! This episode is being released as we follow along with the Road to Endgame calendar! Enjoy! If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be canonized as an official Patron Saint of Popcorn Theology and be given access to an exclusive Facebook group just for supporters, giveaway...
Episode 159: Unbreakable
January 23, 2019 22:50 - 1 hour - 58.4 MBJoin the guys this week as they prepare for the release of Glass by diving backwards into the original film in the trilogy, Unbreakable! This movie is considered by many to be one of Shyamalan's classics, and even his critics tend to view this one favorably. It certainly provided us a lot to talk about! If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledging to support us over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be canonized as an official Patron Saint of Popcorn...
Episode 158: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
January 16, 2019 00:28 - 1 hour - 86.9 MBThis episode will probably feel like six-in-one... We apologize for how quickly we found ourselves moving through each chapter, but it sure was hard to talk about this film well in a reasonable length of time! Richard and James take the week (sans David) to chat about the Netflix original Coen Brothers film, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs! This movie seems to have some deep ideas it is playing with, but as we find on the episode.. figuring it all out can be about as unlikely as a chicken tha...
Popcorn Prequel: The Incredible Hulk
January 11, 2019 10:51 - 49 minutes - 45.1 MBAs our podcast is still on a bit of a Holiday break, we decided we'd take this opportunity to open up the vaults of James Harleman's Cinemagogue content, right here on the podcast feed! Take a listen to this presentation which took place after a live showing of the film, years ago! We'll be back with our regular programming very soon! (Written content from Cinemagogue on this film can be seen here) If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider pledgin...
Episode 157: Gremlins
December 23, 2018 18:33 - 1 hour - 61.2 MBThis year, we asked our Patron Saints (that is, our supporters on Patreon!) to decide what movie we should cover for the Christmas holiday. They didn't disappoint. Why not take a listen as we discuss the arguably Christmas film, Gremlins? This movie actually proves to be pretty rich in things to chat about at this time of year - greed, consumerism, and our need to place good gifts in their proper places, with their proper rules. We promise this episode won't be, '...another reason to hat...
156: Aquaman
December 20, 2018 23:08 - 1 hour - 63.2 MBTake a listen as Richard and David are joined by Aaron White of Feelin' Film Podcast to discuss this latest entry in the DC Cinematic Universe! We all got to see the early showing of the film offered to Amazon Prime members, and spoiler alert... we were all pretty entertained by this one! The film spurs us to conversation about parenting/generational traits, imagery of Christ, jealousy, and more. If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider dropping a few...
Update on Facebook Group
December 20, 2018 23:02 - 44 minutes - 40.7 MBThis past week, Richard and David were on Facebook Live Video to discuss the recent developments regarding the (now deleted) Popcorn Theology Facebook Group, and how we are moving forward. We are including audio from the relevant portion of that video session here, for our listeners' information. Short version for those who don't have time to listen: The public group is gone, but we have a Patreon group which has the same discussions but also some cool perks. You can be a part of it for a...
Episode 155: Ralph Breaks The Internet
December 13, 2018 00:30 - 1 hour - 70.7 MBThis week, Richard and James tackled Disney's newest sequel, Ralph Breaks The Internet! How did this new film hold up to its quite excellent predecessor? The movie prompts us to discuss friendship, selfishness, insecurity, and more! If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider dropping a few dollars our way over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be canonized as an official Patron Saint of Popcorn Theology and be given access to an exclusive Facebook group jus...
Episode 154: Whiplash
December 07, 2018 22:54 - 1 hour - 81.2 MBRichard and David finish out our Rock Star Month (A little late, mind you) by covering a movie selected by our Patreon supporters - Whiplash! If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider dropping a few dollars our way over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be canonized as an official Patron Saint of Popcorn Theology and be given access to an exclusive Facebook group just for supporters, giveaways, polls to decide what films we discuss, and much more! We hope ...
Episode 153: That Thing You Do!
November 22, 2018 00:30 - 1 hour - 64 MBAll three of the guys are back together this week to talk about Tom Hanks' directorial debut film, That Thing You Do! If you like what you are hearing and want to help support our show, consider dropping a few dollars our way over on Patreon! If you do, you'll be canonized as an official Patron Saint of Popcorn Theology and be given access to an exclusive Facebook group just for supporters, giveaways, polls to decide what films we discuss, and much more! We hope you enjoy the listen and...