Pop Culture on the Apricot Tree is an LDS podcast with a rotating cast of co-hosts discussing pop culture from a Mormon perspective. We talk about great gospel insights through great stories and help you find entertainment that is both true and beautiful. Though the podcast has an unabashedly LDS worldview, we do not represent the official views of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
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.
7 May 2026
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.
5 Mar 2026
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.
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Apple Podcasts (US)
4.8 / 5
11 ratings
Spotify
3.0 / 5
2 ratings
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