On Watching Theology, Joe and Melissa take a single film and examine it closely, looking at the assumptions and ideas in the story. Every episode considers the theological, philosophical and thematic elements of a film, listening closely to what the author has to say, and interacting with those ideas. (It's more fun than it sounds).
Joe watches too many movies. He grew up in central Washington, earned his B.A. in Education and Fine Art, an M.A. in Theology and currently works in the printing industry. During school, he fit in a few film classes. He is interested in writing, theology and hopes to one day compose the ultimate Joe Versus the Volcano commentary track.
Melissa has a B.A. in History and an M.A. in English with an emphasis on Film Studies. She has taken classes on everything from silent to romance to post-colonial films and much in between. Her research and interests lie mainly in feminist film theory, women in film, Hitchcock and the studio era. At the end of the day, however, she just loves films; from Notorious to Die Hard!
Go to watchingthedirectors.com for more from Joe and Melissa.
Watching Theology May 15th, 2008
Considered by numerous critics and film organizations to be the greatest film ever made, Citizen Kane is large in legend even without our brief examination of the movie. But even Orson Welles – as Charles Foster Kane and director – is not beyond our arrogant ramblings about life and meaning. On this episode, we look at the masterwork and talk about innocence, childhood, nostalgia and giving. We also spend some time talking about technique and whether Citizen Kane may have more in common with Nabokov's Lolita than Capra's It's a Wonderful Life.
(Note: "We" is used liberally here since only Joe is on this episode due to Melissa's workload on other projects. So if you don't listen, it won't hurt our/my feelings.)
Watching The Directors next edition: June 3 - The Archers: Powell & Pressburger.
Next WT edition: May 27 - Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
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Watching Theology April 29th, 2008
[NOTE: Explicit Content] Whether or not there's a huge government/corporate conspiracy to take over every liberty – to enslave and control us – there's always time to think about reality. Fortunately, in Philip K. Dick's and Richard Linklater's vision of the near future, we're provided with ample examples of how one might go about losing his or her identity. And though drugs are a huge part of that, they're not the whole story. On this episode, we look through the lens of the scanner, trying to find clues on how to distinguish between illusion and reality – between Bob, Fred and Bruce.
Watching The Directors next edition: May 13 - Steven Soderbergh
Next WT edition: May 13 - Citizen Kane (1941)
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Watching Theology April 15th, 2008
Somewhere on an island outside Scotland, Christopher Lee has built the perfect neo-Pagan civilization. There you will find fertility rites, folk music and a frolicking Britt Ekland (and her body double). You will also witness a clash of civilizations that hasn't been seen since St. Patrick brought Christianity to the heathens in Ireland. On this episode, we'll explore Summerisle and its devotion to the old gods and how that may affect the life of a Christian police officer investigatin … (Read More)
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Watching Theology April 1st, 2008
[NOTE: Explicit Content] It may never have occurred to you before, but James Bond is a troubled old man. Being a glossy hit man may have some drawbacks, such as the inability to keep a conscience and a slightly troubled Freudian nightmare of a view on women. We put Casino Royale and Daniel Craig's Bond on the couch for thirty good minutes of free psychotherapy and ask whether the need for "realism" is killing comic book heroes.
Watching The Directors next edition: April 1 - Mira N … (Read More)
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Watching Theology March 18th, 2008
What do the frontier revival evangelists have in common with pre-War, classic Disney animation? Perhaps a lot more than many of us may have considered. It seems that Pinocchio has more to say about good behavior and the problem of succumbing to the devil's devices - gambling, drinking, smoking, etc. - than many of today's pulpits. But there was a time when the American common religion and the ethics of kiddie culture could be summed up in one simple phrase: "Now, remember… b … (Read More)
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Watching Theology March 4th, 2008
You don't see a zombie every day, but if you did, would it change your life forever? On this episode - the first of season two - we spend time with some nobody named Shaun, who is having a very bad day. It seems that everyone around the poor guy is turning into the undead, and we're supposed to laugh about it. Join us for our discussion on the nature of life and other family values.
Next edition: Pinocchio (1940)
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