PODCAST · tv
The Thin Place
by Film Geek Radio
Join Ken and Todd every two weeks as they explore films that are about or advance our understanding of issues of faith and spirituality. Some films may do so overtly, through a direct examination of these themes as subjects; others may be more subtle or even opaque in the way they prompt us to think on such things. Still other films may serve primarily as a catalyst for dialogue or discussion. Insights can be gleaned from a part of a larger whole, a scene, a shot, a moment. As the title suggests, such moments can be elusive, fragile, or obscured.George MacDonald wrote about the thinness of the veil that separates the natural from the transcendent. How does art pierce that veil? When does film contain traces of the divine? Tune in to find out.
Episodes
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Episode #46: Violence in The Edge of Tomorrow
Back after a hiatus, Ken and Todd discuss Doug Liman's sci-fi film, The Edge of Tomorrow. Why is the way violence is represented in the film particularly disturbing? Are we intended to laugh at it? And why does Todd say the movie reminded him of watching someone play a video game? DON'T FORGET…
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Episode #45: Lessons Learned From Philomena
Just in time for the Academy Awards, Ken and Todd look at one of the nominees: Stephen Frears's Philomena. How does the film depict its protagonist's Roman Catholicism, and what can those outside that denomination learn from her example? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro and plot summary: SPOILER…
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Episode #44: Two Views of Wall Street
Ken and Todd talk about depictions of Wall Street in Oliver Stone's film of the same name and, more recently, in Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street. What does Stone's dedication tell us about which character is the moral center? Does Bud Fox look into the abyss or dive in head first? How...
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Episode #43: Looking For God in 12 Years A Slave
Todd and Ken examine 12 Years a Slave. Is God absent from the world of slavery? Are there contemporary lessons or themes to be drawn from this historical drama? Why is the singing of "Roll Jordan" the most important scene? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro, quoting scripture to justify what you want. 3:55…
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Episode #42: To Be or Not To Be and Comedic Dis-ease
Todd and Ken take a look at Ernst Lubitsch's To Be or Not to Be. Should some topics be off limits for comedy? What line did even Lubitsch's team fear went too far? Who is the film's real villain? (Hint: it's not the Nazis.) What films today make us similarly uneasy and what can we learn from…
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Episode #41: The Devil's Backbone
Ken and Todd discuss Guillermo del Toro's horror film that has recently received the Criterion treatment. What is the difference between horror and Gothic? When is violence tragic rather than just shocking? How does belief in "the curse" unite the materialist and the spiritually minded? SHOW…
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Episode #40: Gravity--Good or Great?
Ken and Todd are back, and they are discussing one of this fall's most anticipated films: Gravity. Is it a thriller or a drama? What do we mean when we call something a "good" film? Is it "well made" or "effective"? And can the hosts avoid the implication that, for a Christian, content is more...
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Episode #39: Umberto D. and the Limits of Empathy
Todd and Ken discuss Vittorio De Sica's poignant saga of an aged pensioner trying to avoid eviction. What are the differences between empathy and pity and which does the film invoke? Is Umberto D. unlikable? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro and plot summary. 8:40 - Simply not a likable fellow. 18:00 -...
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Episode #38: Vengeance and Redemption in The Searchers
Peter Waldron drops in on The Thin Place to sub for the vacationing Todd and to render Ken momentarily speechless with his take on one of the more iconic climactic moments in Hollywood history. Does Ethan Edwards have a redemptive moment? Does he need one? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro and new...
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Episode #37: Death and Sacrifice in Gojira
Ken and Todd look at the original pacific rim monster and compare the theme of sacrifice in Gojira to that presented in modern disaster films. SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro and summary. 6:30 - Mass destruction without mass death? 13:40 - The Disneyificaiton of Sacrifice. 15:30 - The enemy is other...
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Episode #36: Genre Conventions in White House Down
Ken and Todd examine the conventions of action films and how White House Down uses them. Do action films promote American exceptionalism? How does the use of comic relief undercut the film's moral seriousness? What makes a true hero? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro: Why we are discussing White House…
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Episode #35: Love and Masks in The Magician
Todd and Ken look at Ingmar Bergman's The Magician. Is the film about the conflict between rationalism and faith or the conflict between performers and critics? What did Bergman say about the film in interviews? What makes Ken say that Bergman is the director he's tried the hardest to like…
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Episode #34: At Any Price
Ken and Todd discuss Ramin Bahrani's 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 film's climactic sermon meant ironically? WARNING: Plot spoilers.. SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Introduction: Expand or Die. 6:51…
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Episode #33: Timeless Truths in Stromboli
Todd and Ken discuss the films of Roberto Rossellini, focusing on Stromboli. How sympathetic is Karin? What does the film's reference to the book of Isaiah mean? Is the ending positive, negative or ambiguous? WARNING: Plot spoilers. SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro to Rossellini. 3:30 - Plot summary and...
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Episode #32: The Feel Good Mediocrity of 42
Ken and Todd discuss Brian Helgeland’s hagiography of Jackie Robinson. SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Christian Movies vs. Thinking Christian 4:30 - General assessments. 13:00 - Historical foreknowledge and narrative complexity. 21:20 - Of showers and maternity wards. 37:19 - How do we effect change? 40:43 -...
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Episode #31: Predestination in Wreck-It Ralph
Todd and Ken look at Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph, and ponder whether or not being written into a computer program is an apt metaphor for predestination. Also, what makes Ken compare Wreck-It Ralph to Paradise Lost? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Wreck-It Ralph vs. Toy Story. 4:30 - Predestination. 12:30 - Adult...
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Episode #30: On Finally Watching The Last Temptation of Christ
Todd and Ken discuss Martin Scorsese's (in)famous 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"? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - The infamous production history--or why Ken saw Die...
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Episode #29: Zero Dark Thirty and Historical Fiction
Todd and Ken examine the morality of making stories about other people’s 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? SHOW...
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Episode #28: The Grapes of Wrath
Ken and Todd look at John Ford’s adaptation of John Steinbeck’s 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? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro; The Convict and the Preacher 4:00 -...
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Episode #27: The Hobbit: A Not-So-Unexpected Travesty
Ken and Todd claim that Peter Jackson doesn't really understand the material that he is adapting. Is there any way they can back up such a claim? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro; "certain technical aspects of the film..." 12:45 - "Do you even know what this story is about...?" 22:00 - "It felt…
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Episode #26: Will God Give Us A Pass For Watching The Sessions?
Ken and Todd tackle Ben Lewin’s 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? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro…
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Episode #25: The Exorcist and Christian Approaches To Horror
Ken and Todd revisit William Friedkin’s 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...
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Episode #24: Looper and the Morality of Time Travel
Ken and Todd look at Rian Johnson’s sci-fi, time-travel hit, Looper. Is changing the future the same as "playing God"? Is there anything theological about the film’s depiction of addicitons? What verse in the Book of Genesis makes Ken doubtful that time-travel is ever really possible? Just what...
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Episode #23: Grace and Merit in Great Expectations
Guest host Andrew Johnson joins Ken at the Toronto International Film Festival to discuss Mike Newell’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’s 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...
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Episode #22: An Encounter With Simone Weil
Director Julia Haslett makes a documentary that is part biopic, part self-reflection. How should we respond to human suffering? Do Simone Weil’s writings give us a road map for answering that question? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro. Self-reflexive vs. biography 10:06 - Understanding vs. Acting On…
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Episode #21: Is Vertigo the Best Film of All Time?
Critics polled by Sight & 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...
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Episode #20: Nature, Nurture, Truth, and Lies in The Dark Knight Rises
How Batman is not a "Christ figure" but Bane is reminiscent of...Willy Wonka!?! It's the summer's most anticipated film as only The Thin Place can cover it. Ken and Todd discuss whether Christopher Nolan's trilogy is telling us "you can't handle the truth" or simply isn't clear in its own mind...
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Episode #19: When We Watch Chariots of Fire, Do We Feel His Pleasure?
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. SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro: Why Do Christians Love this Film? 5:00 - Is it...
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Episode #18: What We Choose to Believe About Prometheus
Ridley Scott’s return to science fiction is not only one of the most anticipated films of the year - a prequel to Alien - but it also attempts to address deep philosophical and religious questions. Can a film be an action blockbuster and a successful cosmological treatise? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 -...
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Episode #17: The Elliptical Structure of Bresson's Lancelot du Lac
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 director’s Lancelot du Lac. SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Profile, persuasion, or historical account? 7:00 - Talking past each other and...
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Episode #16: Theology and Social Justice in Love Free or Die
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. SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Profile, persuasion, or historical...
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Episode #15: Blue Like Jazz -- Satire or Bildungsroman?
Ken and Todd discuss Blue Like Jazz, Steve Taylor’s adaptation of Donald Miller’s 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? SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro, plot, and overall impressions 7:00 -...
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Episode #14: A Separation -- Meditations on Legalism
Ken and Todd discuss Primary Colors, Mike Nichols's adaptation of the fictionalized depiction of an adviser grappling with whether or not he can support a flawed governor who is running for president. Mike Nichols's film gets the bulk of discussion, but there are also comments about HBO's Game...
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Episode #13: Faith and Disillusionment in Primary Colors
Ken and Todd discuss Primary Colors, Mike Nichols's adaptation of the fictionalized depiction of an adviser grappling with whether or not he can support a flawed governor who is running for president. Mike Nichols's film gets the bulk of discussion, but there are also comments about HBO's Game...
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Episode #12: Undefeated and the Moral Economy of the Universe
Todd and Ken discuss Undefeated, the Academy Award winner for Best Documentary of 2011. Take care to build character, football coach Bill Courtney preaches, and winning will take care of itself. SHOW NOTES: 0:30 - Intro, summary, and the film's thesis 10:21 - Money's reward 16:32 - Ecclesiastes…
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Episode #11: Things I Don't Understand
Todd and Ken discuss David Spaltro's drama about a woman tormented by questions about what happens after we die. SHOW NOTES: 0:30 - Intro, summary, and definition of an "indie movie" 6:18 - Is death the same as not existing? 12:10 - The Houdini bargain 15:11 - Fronting, masks, and feigned…
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Episode #10: Akira Kurosawa's High and Low
In this episode, Todd and Ken discuss High and Low. Is Mr. Gondo a Christ-figure? What is the value of a human being? Is the kidnapper really a madman? SHOW NOTES: 0:30 - Intro, summary, and spiritual themes 8:40 - Mr. Gondo as Christ figure 14:33 - Scope of the narrative and responses to…
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Episode #9: Soul Surfer and the Pesky "Christian" Label
In this episode, Ken and Todd discuss Soul Surfer. Is "Christian Movie" a label or a genre? Does it make any difference? Did Soul Surfer do better than most Christian Movies at not making Todd want to scream and run the other way? SHOW NOTES: 0:30 - Intro, summary, and conventions of the genre…
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Episode #8: Purpose and Brokenness in Martin Scorsese's Hugo
In this episode, Todd and Ken look at Martin Scorsese’s Hugo. Is being a part of a larger whole horrific or comforting? Are some life purposes more exalted than others? Can community make us whole? SHOW NOTES: 0:30 - Intro, summary, and Martin Scorsese as a spiritual auteur 4:29 - Having a sense…
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Episode #7: Le Havre and Fairy Tale Morality
In this episode, Ken and Todd discuss the new film (and Cannes Palme d’Or nominee) from acclaimed Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki, Le Havre. Is this tale of a community rallying around a young African refugee a realistic look at the immigration issue, or just plain fairy tale? Tune in to find…
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Episode #6: Truth and Belief in The Crucible
In this episode, Ken and Todd discuss the 1996 film adaptation of Arthur Miller’s play. Miller claimed his film was more about politics than religion, but is that true? Just how cynical is it about matters of belief? Tune in to find out. SHOW NOTES: 0:25 - Intro and basic plot synopsis of The...
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Episode #5: Illusion and Objectification in ALPS
In this special episode that arrives in conjunction with AFI Fest, Ken and Todd discuss the new film from Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, ALPS. The film follows an organization of individuals that are hired to impersonate dead loved ones in order to help with the grieving process. But will that...
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Episode #4: The Mumblecore Malaise of Glitch In The Grid
Ken and Todd discuss the experimental narrative film Glitch in the Grid and debate whether or not it can be described as "Christian mumblecore." Is the mumblecore genre inherently antithetical to a Christian worldview? How does the film depict spiritual emptiness in a time of economic recession?...
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Episode #3: Dogville as Religious and Political Allegory
In this episode, Ken and Todd tackle Lars von Trier’s provocative and controversial film Dogville and choose to examine it through an allegorical lens. How does the film’s set design impact interpretations? What does it have to say about morality, revenge and forgiveness? Is there a political...
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Episode #2: Determinism and the Power of Love in Run Lola Run
In this episode, Ken and Todd explore the complex themes and possible interpretations of Tom Tykwer's Run Lola Run. What parts of the film are real and which are fantasy? Does it imply a moral force exists in the universe? What role does karma play? Tune in to find out. SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro...
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Episode #1: Harry Potter and the Afterlife
Welcome to The Thin Place! In this premiere episode, Ken and Todd discuss how the Harry Potter films depict the concept of an afterlife. In J.K. Rowling’s world of wizards, dragons and goblins, is there such thing as heaven and hell? How should we interpret the presence of ghosts? Tune in to find...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Join Ken and Todd every two weeks as they explore films that are about or advance our understanding of issues of faith and spirituality. Some films may do so overtly, through a direct examination of these themes as subjects; others may be more subtle or even opaque in the way they prompt us to think on such things. Still other films may serve primarily as a catalyst for dialogue or discussion. Insights can be gleaned from a part of a larger whole, a scene, a shot, a moment. As the title suggests, such moments can be elusive, fragile, or obscured.George MacDonald wrote about the thinness of the veil that separates the natural from the transcendent. How does art pierce that veil? When does film contain traces of the divine? Tune in to find out.
HOSTED BY
Film Geek Radio
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Thin Place have?
The Thin Place currently has 46 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Thin Place about?
Join Ken and Todd every two weeks as they explore films that are about or advance our understanding of issues of faith and spirituality. Some films may do so overtly, through a direct examination of these themes as subjects; others may be more subtle or even opaque in the way they prompt us to...
How often does The Thin Place release new episodes?
The Thin Place has 46 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Thin Place?
You can listen to The Thin Place on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Thin Place?
The Thin Place is created and hosted by Film Geek Radio.
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