Show Notes

On this inaugural episode of Cinema Verbi, Fr. Brian Meldrum and Fr. Matt Hood, priests of the Archdiocese, get together to share some of the inspiration behind the podcast, why it’s called “Cinema Verbi” in the first place, and their favorite films. Both share their favorite movies, unpacking why he is drawn to each film and citing some of the “seeds of the Word” found in them. 

(00:27) Fr. Brian and Fr. Matt introduce themselves, sharing about their roles as priests in the Archdiocese of Detroit and their shared love for movies. They share a bit about why they decided to start this podcast and how they selected the name. They highlight how the seeds of the Gospel can be found in culture and how they seek to find them in the movies they enjoy. 

(08:56) They share that the goal of this particular podcast is to look more deeply at the meaning of films and the seeds of the Word found in them, not purely offering critical reviews of movies. They draw a parallel between the interpretation of Scripture and the interpretation of films, noting the primacy of the literal sense. 

(13:34) Fr. Brian and Fr. Matt introduce the topic for their first episode: their favorite movies. Fr. Brian shares about going to the movies weekly with his friends as a young person before diving into his favorite movies. 

(18:53) Fr. Brian also shares his love for musical theater, and the two discuss the value of having an active theater program to participate in at the seminary.

(21:35) Fr. Brian discusses his favorite movies: The Pirates of the Caribbean, Fiddler on the Roof, and Indiana Jones: the Last Crusade. 

(28:37) Fr. Matt discusses his favorite movies, Life is Beautiful and Babette’s Feast, unpacking the plots of both and why he is drawn to them. 

(43:10) The two wrap up this episode and share their enthusiasm for all that’s to come in this season of Cinema Verbi!