The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Watching Theology July 21st, 2010

Loved by millions, generation after generation, The Wizard of Oz remains a symbol of the wonder film can inspire. It is the magical tale of a poor farm girl brought to a Technicolor land of munchkins, witches, and flying monkeys. The story has the power to likewise transport the viewer "over the rainbow" into a land of possibility. And now, all that's over. In this episode Joe and Duke conclude their "Cave" series by looking at how The Wizard of Oz is just another tale of illusion and deception and that Oz and its wizard are part of a conspiracy to mock reality. Bah humbug! This episode is the fifth in "The Cave" series, an examinations of films that feature Utopias, Delusions, and Deceptions. [04.05]

NOW AVAILABLE: Watching, a film book by Joe and Melissa Johnson (also available through Amazon)

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WTG: The Lion King

Watching Theology June 27th, 2010

A G-rated Watching Theology. We're not saying that WT isn't for general audiences, but this version is designed for a younger listener. Join Watching Theology G with Joe and his daughter Elaina. Together, they look at the ideas in films from both an adult's and a child's world. What does The Lion King have to say about family, dying, and leadership?  [WTG01]

Note: the regular Watching Theology will return as soon as Joe and Duke quit messing around and record it.

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Gattaca (1997)

Watching Theology May 6th, 2010

Remember Y2K? In the 1990s, movies were obsessed with the future and what it was like to live at the end of time. Gattaca is no exception. Andrew Niccol's film imagines a near-future in which people's worth is determined by their genetic code and Ethan Hawke doesn't have the right DNA. But he has a dream, a little money, and a lot of determination. On this episode we look at the genetically-enhanced future as a new "cave" - just another way of forming another Eden. Will … (Read More)

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The Truman Show (1998)

Watching Theology March 8th, 2010

Call it satire, call it an allegory, but The Truman Show is about something. In this production-delayed episode Duke and Joe look over Peter Weir's oddly prophetic take on television. Join us as we examine how Jim Carey represents a helpless philosophical captive striving for enlightenment, a brave seeker battling demonic forces, or an innocent thinker tormented by a cruel deity. How does a satire on reality television turn into an adaptation of Plato's Republic? Step into our "ca … (Read More)

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The Village (2004)

Watching Theology January 19th, 2010

People respond to trauma in different ways. Some find religion. Others re-evaluate their priorities. Some people, like those in M. Night Shyamalan's The Village, put themselves into an isolated 19th century town hiding away from the world. In this edition, Duke and Joe look at Shyamalan's parable of fear through the Watching Theology lens and ask, "What's the difference between a mythology of monsters and the Amish?" This episode is the second in "The Cave" ser … (Read More)

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Fight Club (1999)

Watching Theology January 1st, 2010

[NOTE: Explicit Content] New season. New series. New co-host. Same Watching Theology wisdom (sorry). Season 4 begins with an all-male look at twentieth century masculinity according to Pitt, Norton, Fincher, and Palahniuk. Joe is joined by Duke Senter to listen to Fight Club and ask what it means to be male and survive existential vacuums. This extended-length show is the first of a series on "The Cave: Utopias, Delusions, and Deceptions." [04.01]

Next Episode: "The Cave" par … (Read More)

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