Pop Culture on the Apricot Tree

Ep 59 - The Angel: An Inkblot Test about Polygamy and Murder

Can a horror short about polygamy, identifying evil spirits, and murder be a herald of the next wave of Mormon cinema? Meagan Kohler joins us to discuss the themes and ideas that are packed into "The Angel" and how it challenges both mainstream representations of Latter-day Saints and the nature of our own internal filmmaking. For the second half of the show, we bring on directors Jessica and Barrett Burgin to talk about the film's reception with audiences, the most controversial showing of the film, and what they are planning next for this supernatural Southern Utah setting. Watch "The Angel" for free on Youtube [https://youtu.be/ACn_CT_7gtE?si=MoGkQXxSMc3ALglu] Show Notes: https://www.popcultureapricottree.com/post/theangel [https://www.popcultureapricottree.com/post/theangel] Audio mastering by Liz Busby Associate Links: Links to products may be associate links, which means a small part of your purchase goes to Pop Culture on the Apricot Tree. We appreciate your support.

Truth and Treason: Church on Sunday, Resistance on Monday

We are joined by Christopher Cunningham and Ben Pacini to talk about Matt Whitaker’s 2025 film Truth and Treason, about LDS teen Helmuth Hübener’s anti-Hitler leaflet campaign in Nazi Germany and his execution. This film poses big questions like the balance between moral courage vs. risking others’ safety, how Church leaders and members navigate authoritarian regimes, and why trustworthy information and moral formation matter. We discuss mercy vs. justice, the complexities of authority and discipleship. Show Notes: https://www.popcultureapricottree.com/post/truthandtreason Audio mastering by Carl Cranney Associate Links: Links to products may be associate links, which means a small part of your purchase goes to Pop Culture on the Apricot Tree. We appreciate your support.

Ep 57 - Eternity: Honeymoon or Married with Kids?

Would you rather have a sparkly romance or long-term covenant love? We are joined by guest Joshua Richardson to discuss the film Eternity and how its rom-com afterlife premise echoes Latter-day Saint questions about eternal marriage. We dig into Mormon-flavored themes like what age a resurrected body might be, the joy of embodied life, and how messy realities—widowhood, remarriage, divorce, and sealing questions—could be made just and happy in eternity. Show Notes: https://www.popcultureapricottree.com/post/eternity [https://www.popcultureapricottree.com/post/eternity] Best Books: Liz - Jane Austen’s Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney [https://amzn.to/4rWiRwP] Carl - The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher [https://amzn.to/4bqKg3V] Joshua - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir [https://amzn.to/4aQNKg2] Links: We loved this movie, but Henry Sorenson offers a counterpoint on Substack [https://open.substack.com/pub/henrysorensen/p/eternity-review?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=3kuuc]. Find Us: Carl - Threads: @CarlCranney [https://www.threads.net/@carl.cranney] Liz - lizbusby.com [www.lizbusby.com] Audio mastering by Carl Cranney Associate Links: Links to products may be associate links, which means a small part of your purchase goes to Pop Culture on the Apricot Tree. We appreciate your support.

Ep 56 - Wake Up Dead Man: Pastoral Care vs Priestcraft

We are joined by Megan Kohler, Jacob Tubbs, and Zach Doumit as we analyze 'Wake Up Dead Man,' the third installment in Netflix's Knives Out series. We explore its nuanced portrayal of religion, contrasting characters, and its implications for faith and moral choices. We even discover some good reasons for some of the more controversial parts of the film. Perhaps one of our best conversations ever! Show Notes: https://www.popcultureapricottree.com/post/wakeupdeadman Audio mastering by Carl Cranney Associate Links: Links to products may be associate links, which means a small part of your purchase goes to Pop Culture on the Apricot Tree. We appreciate your support.

Ep 55 - Sketch: Trauma through Crayons

Are you the worst things that you've done or the best things you aspire to? We explore these questions with Theric Jepson as we discuss the movie Sketch. The episode had some scheduling snafus, but through the magic of editing, we bring you our conversation about this dark family horror/comedy about grief, anger, and drawings coming to life. Show Notes: https://www.popcultureapricottree.com/post/sketch Audio mastering by Carl Cranney Associate Links: Links to products may be associate links, which means a small part of your purchase goes to Pop Culture on the Apricot Tree. We appreciate your support.