The Desert of the Reel: A Movie Podcast

Both Ryan and Jason agree with Back to the Future (1985) may be one of the world's perfect movies. In the first of the new "no fat" episodes, they largely keep away from the pros/cons and focus on the meat of the podcast: the film studies, ethics, and philosophy of the film.

Sorry for the late post of this episode. Life occurred!

Exit 8 (2025) is a Japanese horror/philosophical horror based on an indie video game where you are trapped in a never-ending tunnel!

Ryan and Jason are also trapped in Exit 8—and this time, they have a LOT of theories about why.

What starts as a simple video-game premise becomes a movie filled with ambiguity, symbolism, and possible interpretations. They discuss the film's use of Boléro, the Walking Man and Lost Man, the significance of the boy, parenthood and abortion, reincarnation, time, technology, and the importance of noticing the anomalies around us.

This movie can teach us what it means to be human!

Is there one correct interpretation of Exit 8? Or is the movie deliberately asking us to create our own? There are so many different ways to interpret this movie!

Either way, Ryan and Jason agree on one thing: you probably need to put your phone down and look around.

email us your thoughts at [email protected]

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Top Gun: Maverick (2022) inspires conflict between Ryan and Jason, but perhaps surprisingly, not as much as there could have been. While Ryan gives this film five stars, Jason struggled with the dramatic shift of message and tone when Maverick is appointed team leader. Among other things, they discuss taking control of the direction of our lives by taking the time to understand where our strengths, weaknesses, talents, abilities, etc. come from, and working to improve. By doing so, we become able to help others be able to do what we do.

What did you think of Top Gun: Maverick (2022)? Let us know at [email protected].

Maverick doesn't need anybody. At least, that's what he thinks.

Does this movie teach us that being a "maverick" means to FOLLOW THE RULES?

This week on Desert of the Reel, we enter the Danger Zone with Top Gun.

We talk Tom Cruise (and why Jason HATES Mr. Movies), the incredible visual style of the film, and why Maverick's relationships with basically everyone feels fake.

We try to uncover deeper meaning and ask if there is a story about a man who thinks skill and individuality are enough, We get into whether rules actually limit freedom or make freedom possible, why Maverick "others" everyone around him, and even the movie's fascinating queer-theory legacy.

We ask the big question if Maverick might actually be a metaphor for 1980s America and if we even LIKE this movie BECAUSE of the 80s.

It's time to go to the Danger Zone.

And yes, we talk about the volleyball scene.

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What About Bob? (1991) is a 5-star movie for both Jason and Ryan. In this episode, both relive their many favorite jokes and moments of this very funny film. But, along the way, they also discuss the significant depth... the horsesense... of the film. Their discussion ranges from disempowering fears to avoiding belief in complete control. Along the way, they pass through baby steps, taking vacations from our problems, and sailing (just let the boat to the work).

What are your thoughts about What About Bob? Email us at [email protected]

Sherlock Holmes is back—but is the game still as good the second time around?

This week on Desert of the Reel, we take on Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and ask why the sequel doesn't quite live up to the first film. Does the bigger sequel actually make for a better movie? The same gang is back, Guy Ritchie, RDJ, and Jude Law. Warner Bros was so excited with the success of the last Sherlock Holmes movie, but why no number 3?

We discuss whether intelligence is morally neutral, whether people actually want conflict, and whether doing something bad necessarily makes someone a bad person. We question the idea of an “official version” of history and why we should always be willing to look beyond what we're told.

We also get philosophical about our relationships with fictional characters. Why do we become emotionally attached to characters who aren't real? And what does that have in common with our relationships with celebrities?

Sherlock Holmes isn't really trying to save the world. He's trying to save his friendship with Watson.

Next week: What About Bob? (1991)

After that? TOP GUN!

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This week, we watched Guy Ritchie's 2009 Sherlock Holmes! Surprisingly enough, even though the film stars Robert Downey, Jr., Dietz really liked it! There's a lot to love here, with the excellent directing, casting, set design, and writing. We talk about the adaptation of Sherlock Holmes to a modern audience, the role of intertextuality in this (and all) story, as well as recognizing Holmes as the poster child for critical thinking and examining the role fear plays in shaping who we are and what we allow to happen to usl

We'd love to hear your thoughts about this episode, film, or DOTR generally. Reach out to us at [email protected].

Michael Faraday (Jeff Bridges) becomes obsessed with his new all-American neighbors, Oliver (Tim Robbins) and Cheryl Lang (Joan Cusack), who start acting suspiciously.

Do you really know your neighbors?

How much trust should we place in the people and institutions around us?

Who gets to decide what "wrong" actually means?

This week on The Desert of the Reel, we dive into Arlington Road (1999), a paranoid conspiracy thriller that turns an ordinary suburban neighborhood into a terrifying question about trust, community, freedom, and control.

We discuss what conspiracy theories reveal about the way we understand the world, and whether a society obsessed with safety can actually make us less free. We also examine the two central characters as ideological foils.

Henry David Thoreau and civil disobedience come up: When do we have an obligation to rebel against something we believe is wrong?

Arlington Road wants its audience to question everything—and maybe question everyone.

It's SO GOOD.

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Both Ryan and Jason agree thatTron: Ares (2025) doesn't really work as a sequel. It's fine as a movie, but especially when watched closely after the previous two films in the series, it doesn't really hold up. Specifically, it might be because Jared Leto's "acting" is not up to par with our previous main characters.

In this episode, we discuss a lot about what it means to be human, and specifically, about what AI's role should be in the future of humanity. We also return to our discussion of the Other and of thinking critically (aka avoid being programmed).

Tron: Legacy (2010)

28 years after the original movie, we see Flynn and his adult son, Sam, return to the grid. There, they must play Clu's games and try to escape.

Is this basically the first Legacy sequel? We talk about the history of Disney from the 80s that led us to this movie. We also have a lot of things we liked about this movie! Especially the music.

We also uncover a lot of philosophical ideas. From Buddhism and Hinduism to the Bhagavad Gita, we examine the film's obsession with the self, perfection, creation, and responsibility. Is Clu simply Flynn's greatest mistake—or the inevitable result of every creator trying to build something perfect? What happens when individuality clashes with the collective? And to what extent are we responsible for the things we create?

Join us this week! Next week Ares!

What are your thoughts?

Email us at [email protected]