Podcast - Catherine Parks: Recent Episodes
Erik and Catherine Parks
"The Whole Spectrum" is a podcast influenced by the words of Francis Schaeffer, who wrote that "Christians have largely shut up their spirituality into a small corner of life--Sunday church or their Bible studies--instead of realizing that the Lordship of Christ is to permeate the whole spectrum of life." We (Erik and Catherine Parks) love discussing movies, and consider them a fun and meaningful part of "the whole spectrum" of our lives. Join us as we discuss film and faith.
Erik & Catherine talk about Pixar's COCO (and why Erik can't stay awake during Pixar movies), WONDER, and THE LAST JEDI.
Erik gives a brief review of DUNKIRK and then he and Catherine count down their top 5 Nolan favorites.
by Erik Parks
Writer and director Christopher Nolan has done something very special with his latest film, “Dunkirk” - he has made an entirely authentic war movie. Steven Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan” was certainly authentic in that it showed the blood, guts, and brutality of war. As the story unfolded, we also saw man’s humanity through the quiet moments. What sets “Dunkirk” apart is that there are virtually no quiet moments. Its short runtime is filled with chaos and intensity almost from the very beginning. (Hans Zimmer’s unrelenting, ticking time-bomb score adds much to this feeling.) We don’t even see much of the blood and guts. And in what I’m sure was a calculated decision, we never see the enemy. And yet, the noise, the shellings, the fear, and the absolute chaos (all heightened when viewed in 70mm IMAX) are what give it that authentic feeling, a feeling as if you were actually there. Nolan doesn’t cheat it with CGI either. The practical effects are exquisite.
One of Nolan’s strengths is certainly his writing. He has structured the film around 3 storylines happening on land, on sea, and in the air. There are main characters in these storylines but we never get to know them on any kind of personal level. The individual is not incredibly important to Nolan’s story. Instead, it is the community of men, struggling for survival amidst the chaos of war, that truly anchors the film. And at the heart of every soldier at Dunkirk, is thesimple desire to go home.
The story of a British retreat/rescue mission during World War II hardly seems like a tale worth telling. After all, Dunkirk was not an Allied victory. And yet, Nolan has found a way to tell it and still end on an inspiring note. No matter how deeply he entrenches us in the horrors of war, we are not without hope. I understand that our world is broken, yet I left the theater with hope as well. For those who have trusted in Jesus Christ, our hope, too, lies in the thought of one day going Home.
We discuss Wonder Woman and the spiritual and gendered themes of the film. We also discuss a new book called Movies Are Prayers.
We discuss Nate Parker, Woody Allen, Mel Gibson and more as we wrestle with whether or not we can separate an artist's work from his or her sins.
From "Chef" to "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" to "Chocolat," we look at some of our favorite "foodie movies" and how they relate to faith.
Erik Parks, along with special guests John Paul Penrod and Nick, discuss race, politics, gospel and personhood in the movie "Selma."
We look at themes in "E.T." and "Warrior," and how they relate to truths about the Christian life
In this episode Erik brings in special guest Joseph Williams (TheWiseGuys.com) to discuss the recent Oscars telecast
We discuss the themes of "Ex Machina," and whether or not nudity was necessary in that film, which leads us into a broader look at sex and nudity in movies, and our personal take on the issue.
Erik and Catherine each share their list of top five romantic movies, and discuss the Oscar-nominated film "Brooklyn"
We discuss how great films can create empathy in viewers, and the ability to love and understand those in other cultural contexts