A Reel Education

Our latest episode was a bit of a last minute audible as we lost a guest due to weather. So Tim became our guinea pig to watch F for Fake, a “documentary” about hoaxes by Orson Welles. This kind of wacky film takes a look at a few different fakers, including the filmmaker himself. It is very new wave and so very Orson Welles in every sense of the word. Probably the best way to enter the world of this film is knowing as little as possible.

Next up, we really do talk about The Princess Bride!

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We are sticking with comedy for just a bit longer as we watch the classic heavy metal mockumentary, This is Spinal Tap! Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer play the members of a rock band whose popularity is on something of a downward slide. Rob Reiner is the director of a film that is mostly improvised and still manages to have a story arc. It’s a super funny movie and Allison Anderson joins us to see it for the first time!

Next up, we are going to try to find someone who has never seen The Princess Bride!

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This episode, we take a look at the best film ever based on a board game (and it isn’t close) – Clue! The movie has a stellar comedic cast and while it was something of a box office failure, it has become a huge success on home video.  Tom S Tea joins us to watch the film for the first time and they enjoy this delightfully campy romp through a mansion filled with multiple endings and a stellar comedic cast! We hope you enjoy figuring out whodunnit with us!

Next up, we follow Michael McKean to This is Spinal Tap!

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Just in time for the day after Halloween! We finish off our trip through the films that are arguably Mel Brooks’ best with Young Frankenstein! This satirical homage to the classic Universal horror movies (but especially Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein) may be one of Brooks’ least madcap films but it is still a comedic masterpiece. Gene Wilder heads up a stellar cast that really chews scenery in black and white!

Next up, we’ll follow Madeline Kahn to Clue!

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Our Mel Brooks series continues with his parody of the Western Genre – Blazing Saddles! Alison Anderson joins us for her first viewing of a film that took on racism head on in the 1970’s. When it comes to addressing racism, the film still really does a good job. When it comes to…other things, it might not have fared so well. Still, for the most part it holds up fabulously and is still wickedly funny.

From here, we are going to watch one more Mel Brooks film – Young Frankenstein.

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Having just watched The Producers (1967) by Mel Brooks, we follow up by watching The Producers (2005) by Mel Brooks! This musical adaptation of the original film that was not quite a musical once again features “Springtime for Hitler” but it also has a whole lot of other songs along with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, who reprise their roles from the Broadway production. For this episode, Melissa is our noob who has never seen the film before and Barb Lind acts as our expert while Tim misses his first Reel Education podcast!

Next up, we will continue to delve into the Mel Brooks Filmography with Blazing Saddles!

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This week, we begin working through a series of films by Mel Brooks. We start with our look at his first film, a movie Roger Ebert called “one of the funniest films ever made,” The Producers (1967)! Barb Lind joins us to discuss this film that dares to take on Hitler with comedy. Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder are the stars in what would later become a broadway musical that was adapted into a different film! That we will watch next!

Next up: The Producers (2005)!

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For a podcast that tries to blend movie education with comedy – this episode creates a bit of a puzzler. We are watching Schindler’s List. Steven Spielberg’s undisputed masterpiece about the holocaust as seen through the eyes of a man who tried to prevent a tiny part of it is a sobering cinematic work. And yet it is certainly one of the best films made by him or any other director. Kelvin Hatle joins us to see the film for the first time and we spend quite a bit of time discussing the impact afterward.

Next up, we are going to see how another famous director takes a look at Nazis when we watch Mel Brooks’ The Producers!

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This week’s theme is DINOSAURS! We bring new viewer Stephan Zvan to watch Jurassic Park with our friend and Dinosaur Expert, Matt Kessen. Spielberg’s most successful movie gets the Reel Education treatment as we consider the parts that have aged extremely well (the special effects) and the parts that haven’t (creeper Jeff Goldblum). All in all, this is a really great suspense film that features goddamn dinosaurs! We hope you enjoy watching the movie and our conversation that centers around the dinosaurs. Because we spend much time discussing dinosaurs.

Next up, we are going to watch the other film Steven Spielberg released in 1993 – Schindler’s List!

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This week, we are joined by Heather Rand-McKay to watch Ocean’s Eleven (2001)! But she isn’t our only special guest. Patricia Wick joins us in the movie expert chair! We do take some time to talk about the original Ocean’s 11 (1960) and do our best to discourage anyone who wishes to watch the movie because it is super boring. You might like it, though. We know a few people who do. Maybe that’s you. We watched this version because we like movies that are fun to watch. Go Las Vegas!

Next up, we are going to watch Jurassic Park!

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