The Desert of the Reel: A Movie Podcast

• Bluey - 100th Episode Special Episode! - The Desert of the Reel #100

  Thank you for listening to us for 100 episodes!For our 100th episode special, we watch and analyze three episodes of the children's show Bluey: "Flat Pack," "Bin Night," and "Sleepytime." We explore what these episodes (and the show as a whole) are doing in their short 7-minute segments. From encouraging imagination to teaching parents how the creators feel parents should be, Bluey definitely isn't a socially-neutral show. Is that bad? Is that good? Are there socially-neutral shows? Is it possible to think critically about children's television? Come with us as we look for the answers to those questions.Next week, Harry Potter!E-mail us with comments and questions at [email protected].

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• Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) - A Movie that Makes us Care about the Real World or A Disappointing Sequel? - The Desert of the Reel #99

  Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)! We have one of our most heated debates about this movie. Ryan and Jason have not argued like this since the days of Tony Stark. We spend a little bit of time talking about the technical aspects of this film, but we spend a very long time arguing back and forth if this is a good movie, or a remake and awful movie. Who do you agree with? Is this an example of a great film and an excellent sequel? Or is it a classic example of a sequel not doing anything new? Jason (and special guest Martin) are under the impression that there is nothing deep or philosophical like the first one. But Ryan says that there are enough changes made and interesting depths explored that it IS a worthy successor for the first. We look at this movie with a Media Ecology/Techno theory, Narrative Theory, whether there is enough character change and growth, and what the movie says (or doesn't say) about happiness. Share us your thoughts about Avatar 2, because we'd love to hear your thoughts! [email protected] next, our 100th episode special, where we will take a fun look at Bluey, hurray! And then we will step into Hogwarts with taking Jason on a magical trip with Harry Potter!

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• Avatar (2009) - Exploring the Complexity of Culture - The Desert of the Reel #98

  This week, DOTR gives you a film that both Ryan and Jason love: Avatar (2009). In addition to exploring the sheer technological ingenuity of this film, we take a look at the various film lenses this offers us, the history and background of the film itself, the several tropes that surface and how Avatar pushes against them, and various philosophical musings. In fact, Avatar is one of Jason's favorite philosophical playground films. We spend a good chunk of this episode exploring the careful way Cameron created the culture of the Na'vi.What did you think of Avatar (2009)? Let us know!

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• Nefarious (2023) - Jason's Choice #18 - The Desert of the Reel

  Nefarious (2023) Dietz wanted us to explore the big philosophical ideas in this little-known movie. The summary is:"On the day of his scheduled execution, a convicted serial killer tells a psychiatrist that he's a demon who can possess his body. As the evaluation ends, he also tells the doctor that he will soon commit three murders of his own."There are a lot of big ideas found in this movie. We need to use our knowledge to help and uplift others, we are actively choosing to step away from enobeling things, we need to be critical what we put into ourselves, and using a theological lens to look at some of the aspects of this film. What are your thoughts?Favorite possession movie?Is the world getting worse and worse? Share us your thoughts, reviews, and ideas at [email protected]!

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• Dune 2 (2024) - What are you anchored to? - The Desert of the Reel #96 (with special quest Mark Hudson)

  In this episode, we explore our favorite moments and quotes from Dune 2, sprinkled with a few criticism from Jason (unsurprisingly). Ryan introduces the phenomenological lens, which allows us to think about how the situation in which we receive a movie shapes the movie itself. Mark brings in and we discuss the shaping power of the Messiah concept. We also spend a lot of time discussing how and why people participate (or don't participate) in religion, the importance of an anchor in navigating life and improving ourselves, and the importance of anchoring yourself to the best possible elements of life.Apologies for the echo on Mark's mic. We (obviously) still haven't figured out how to effectively invite guests onto the podcast that aren't in the studio.

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