This past weekend, I was a guest on a small but quality podcast, from GroupThink Productions with host Tyler Hummel, where we discussed movies and the Christian faith. The host doesn’t publicize his podcast as much as he should, but he’s a prolific writer for various, well-respected, conservative and Christian culture sites, and he has a film criticism TV show, Fox Valley Film Critics (on public access TV), in Illinois. I had a lot of fun talking with Tyler. Check the episode out, if you’re interested! And follow Tyler at his YouTube channel, Twitter, Geeks Under Grace, and Legal Insurrection.

Topics & Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction

3:10 The Last Jedi, Knives Out, & Rian Johnson

12:58 Jo Jo Rabbit & Taika Waititi

14:58 Other Fall Releases We’re Excited For (Plus The Lost City of Z, The Witch, My Run-In with the Church of Satan on Twitter, & Martin Scorsese)

24:35 Netflix & Disney+

26:56 RedLetterMedia, The Nerd Crew, Progressive Critics vs. Conservative Critics vs. Moderate Critics, & The Last Jedi as a Bomb on the Film Community

37:30 The Rise of Skywalker

42:55 The Mandalorian

44:00 Joshua Harris Leaving the Church & Martin Scorsese’s Silence

1:03:23 First Reformed

1:10:25 Iron Man & Post-Christian Technological Modernity

1:13:40 The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot

1:15:40 It Chapter 2, Annihilation as a Better Alternative, & Stephen King

1:22:42 Doctor Sleep

1:23:55 A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

1:29:20 Conclusion, Looking at Things in Context, Overcoming Divisiveness, & the Need for More Balance & Reason in Criticism & Conversation