The Thin Place

Ken and Todd discuss Ramin Bahranis 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 films climactic sermon meant ironically WARNING Plot spoilers

Todd and Ken discuss the films of Roberto Rossellini focusing on Stromboli How sympathetic is Karin What does the films reference to the book of Isaiah mean Is the ending positive negative or ambiguous WARNING Plot spoilers

Ken and Todd discuss Brian Helgelands hagiography of Jackie Robinson

Todd and Ken look at Disneys WreckIt Ralph and ponder whether or not being written into a computer program is an apt metaphor for predestination Also what makes Ken compare WreckIt Ralph to Paradise Lost

Todd and Ken discuss Martin Scorseses infamous 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

Todd and Ken examine the morality of making stories about other peoples 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

Ken and Todd look at John Fords adaptation of John Steinbecks 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

Ken and Todd claim that Peter Jackson doesnt really understand the material that he is adapting Is there any way they can back up such a claim

Ken and Todd tackle Ben Lewins 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

Ken and Todd revisit William Friedkins 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

Ken and Todd look at Rian Johnsons scifi timetravel hit Looper Is changing the future the same as playing God Is there anything theological about the films depiction of addictions What verse in the Book of Genesis makes Ken doubtful that timetravel 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

Guest host Andrew Johnson joins Ken at the Toronto International Film Festival to discuss Mike Newells adaptation of Charles Dickenss 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

Director Julia Haslett makes a documentary that is part biopic part selfreflection How should we respond to human suffering Do Simone Weils writings give us a road map for answering that question

Critics polled by Sight amp 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 Hitchcocks masterpiece and the poll that thrust it back into the limelight Warning Spoilers for Vertigo and Sunrise A Story of Two Humans

How Batman is not a Christ figure but Bane is reminiscent ofWilly Wonka Its the summers most anticipated film as only The Thin Place can cover it Ken and Todd discuss whether Christopher Nolans trilogy is telling us you cant handle the truth or simply isnt clear in its own mind about what it wants to say Warning Spoilers

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

Ridley Scotts return to science fiction is not only one of the most anticipated films of the yeara prequel to Alienbut it also attempts to address deep philosophical and religious questions Can a film be an action blockbuster and a successful cosmological treatise

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 directors Lancelot du Lac

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

Ken and Todd discuss Blue Like Jazz Steve Taylors adaptation of Donald Millers 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