The Desert of the Reel: A Movie Podcast

We have another mailbag episode where we respond to an email we received! We are sorry we had to push back the Marvel schedule. It is the first week of school for us high school teachers and our time got crunched! It will be back to the regularly scheduled program next week!

We go over the worst and best movies we watched this summer. Which ones have you seen? Which ones do you agree with? Any movies you haven't heard of?

Also, I tell Jason the news that RDJ is coming back to the MCU live on the mic.

Send us your emails at [email protected]. Send us your thoughts, reviews, disagreements, and thoughts!

Love you

This episode is when we had a 40-minute tangent that needed to be its own episode. We talk about the history of television, how streaming has affected the industry, and what may happen or NEEDS to happen next.

Jason and Ryan have disagreements about what streaming will/should lead to. Are audiences going to suffer the consequences that streaming is currently building to? Or will streaming lead the industry to make serious changes that need to happen in order for art to survive?

What do you think?

Email us your thoughts and anything else at [email protected]

The first MCU movie is in phase four. Is it a strong start?

We talk about what we liked and didn't like in Black Widow's first and only solo outing. There are some pretty big problems.

But we also talk about the role of our past and how it influences our present. How does it shape us? Does this movie suggest that you don’t need to worry about your future?  Doctor Dietz also talks about the “Hyperreal” - We have become increasingly immune to regular life. 

Is this movie about Finding your own family? We also have a list of independent movies we recommend.

Email us your thoughts, reviews, and questions at [email protected]

We saw Deadpool and Wolverine in theaters opening night and stuck around for a discussion! So we might not have our usual structure where we dive into the philosophy and ethics, but we had fun talking about the movie. Spoilers will be shared! Jason is also not here but joined for this episode is previous guest Christy and new guest Logan! There is a lot to talk about and laugh about!

What are your thoughts about this movie? How does it compare to the rest of the MCU and Deadpool movies?

Share your thoughts at [email protected]

This week, Jason chose 2009's Triangle, a mixed genre film that you should know nothing about going into. Both Jason and Ryan agree about the excellence of this film, from its pacing to the tightness of its storytelling. Ryan dives deeply into allusions, connections to Greek mythology, and cultural analysis. Jason guides us through a philosophical discussion of what it means to know yourself and pushes us to consider which ways of knowing are the strongest. This episode ends with movie recommendations from both hosts, related to the film and its various ideas.

If you haven't seen it, watch it and then come and listen! We think it is worth your time!

Email us your reviews, thoughts, and recommendations at [email protected]

In our Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) episode, Ryan and Jason argue whether this is a terrible movie or a fun romp. In either case, both agree that this movie offers us an opportunity to consider a number of interesting ideas, like the nature of truth, how is reality constructed, and who are you when someone dies. In the end, Jason is persuaded that Mysterio is actually quite an effective bad guy.

In Part Two of our Captain Marvel (2019) Donald goes over the very interesting history of Captain Marvel, both DC and Marvel, we talk about some of the CONS we see, and get into the Philosophy and Ethics of the Reel.

Is this the first Marvel movie that fits together logically? Has social media poisoned our thoughts on this movie? Does Captain Marvel have unwarranted arrogance?

What are your thoughts on Captain Marvel (2019)? Emal us at [email protected]

Thanks for listening!

Our first mail bag episode!

We answer a former student's email asking Doctor Dietz questions about his top ten favorite movies, what his thoughts are on the obelisk from 2001 a Space Odyssey (1968) compared to the Infinity Stones, thoughts on 12 Angry Men, and what other Super hero movies he likes!

Email us your own questions at [email protected]