The Desert of the Reel: A Movie Podcast

Captain Marvel (2019) with guest star Donald!

We discuss how these movies are all "fluffy cotton candy movies," If most Rated R movies even need to be rated R, go over the positives and fun facts, and the idea of "unlocking our full potential" from our Social Programming (And is it a metaphor for puberty?).

Doctor Dietz seems to be a fan! Ryan and Donald are more critical. What do you think?

Email us your responses or questions at [email protected]

What is Marvel's follow-up to their epic Infinity War? With Ant-Man and the Wasp! Join us as we show Doctor Dietz this movie for the first time!

Is it any good? Is it better than the original? Do you think it is actually funny?

We also talk about how to analyze movies, we talk about the ethics of "if we have the power to do something, does that mean we should?", and also the philosophical idea of "the nature of reality" and what makes us us.

Where does this rank in your ratings? What do you think of Ant-Man and the Wasp? Email us at [email protected]

Welcomes to part two of the two-part Avengers: Infinity War podcast. Jason gets a little heated as he offers his objections to what he perceives as the logical flaws in the film, including Thanos' obscure motivations and what he calls the four "asinine decisions" on which the movie hinges. Ryan pulls out all the stops to battle against these objections, bringing an impressive arsenal of ideas to bear in defense of the film. Who makes the best argument? We'll leave that up to you.

Remember to share the podcast with anyone you think would enjoy it.

Email us at [email protected] to share your thoughts, suggestions, and feedback.

You're about to embark on part one of the two-part Avengers: Infinity War podcast. Surprisingly enough, Jason found a lot to like in this landmark movie. Specifically, he was impressed with the weight (gravitas) of the film, as it brings in and (more or less) seamlessly integrates the various storylines and characters of the MCU. Ryan shares his many favorite memories about this film as well as digging deeply into the greatest moments and lines in the film. There were so many of these, in fact, that we had to split the episode in two. Jason does work in a number of objections and points out a few flaws in what Ryan feels is fantastic about this film, but it wouldn't be a Desert episode without that.

Remember to share the podcast with anyone you think would enjoy it.

Email us at [email protected] to share your thoughts, suggestions, and feedback.

Black Panther (2018) gave us a lot to talk and think about. Jason feels it would be a near-perfect movie except it is a Marvel movie. Do you agree?

In this episode, we bring up the idea of doing something good if you have the power to do it, rule-bound ethics, and we compare it to Shakespeare!

Where does this movie land in your MCU ranking? Listen to (hopefully) gain some more insights and ways to think about Black Panther!

Email us at [email protected] to share your thoughts, movie reviews, and

We are covering Thor Ragnarok (2017). This is Jason's first watch and he shares his thoughts on Hulk, what he calls the "Lion King moment," and the humor of the movie.

Joined with us today is Stanley Bostwick. He is a comic book writer and has been a comic fan his whole life. (He also might not be a fan of this movie).

We talk about all different types of ideas from hedonistic lifestyles, a post-colonial read of the movie, and prudent and utilitarian ethics, among other things! Does the music get in the way? Let's talk about it. It's a good conversation.

Is Thor the first well-rounded, ethical Marvel hero?

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

We give Jason a break from the Marvel movies and let him choose a movie he feels is worth YOUR time. We talk about many aspects of The Guilty (2021) including how rich in ethics it is, looking at the epistemology that guides the main character, and even all the different symbolism that can be found.

The Guilty is about "A demoted police officer assigned to a call dispatch desk is conflicted when he receives an emergency phone call from a kidnapped woman." And Jake Gyllenhaal is essentially the only character. If you have seen this movie, join us as we discuss.

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]

Spiderman: Homecoming comes in as a solid mid for Dietz, while Ryan kind of likes it, but not as much as the early 2000s Spiderman. We're joined for this episode by our colleague Hazel Folsom, who provides journalistic insight to enrich our hour.

We talk about the Hero's Journey, archetypes, intuitive ethics, as well as the philosophy behind identity and responsibility. We definitely think you will larb this episode.

What do you think of this movie? How about the topics we cover in this episode make you think?

Email us at [email protected]

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 serves up the biggest disagreement yet for Desert of the Reel fans! Ryan feels this movie is emotionally successful, while Jason thinks it vastly overplay its emotional hand. Jason also thinks this film went way too far in its silliness, but Ryan believes the humor is firing on all cylinders

We talk logos and pathos, family, vengence, meaning, the Bechdel test, and toxic masculinity among other things.

What do you think of this movie? How the topics we cover in this episode make you think?

Email us at [email protected]

In this episode, we dig into Doctor Strange (2016) , looking at the benefits and drawbacks of CGI, including an examination of the role of the camera in helping the watcher stay immersed in the film. We also discuss the roles of doubt and knowledge in religious belief systems, and play with the philosophical questions of "what is reality?" and "how do we know what we know?" as well as the Hippocratic Oath and the basics of Buddhism. It's a great time!

What do you think of this movie? How the topics we cover in this episode make you think?

Email us at [email protected]