The Desert of the Reel: A Movie Podcast

In Part Two of our Avengers: Endgame (2019) episode, Ryan and Jason unsurprisingly disagree on a number of things. They both believe Act 4 (the battle) is the weakest part of the film, but that's pretty much all they agree on. Jason is of the opinion that Iron Man has finally become a "real boy," and that his farewell message and the funeral scenes should not have been included. Ryan completely di...

In Part One of our Avengers: Endgame (2019) episode, Ryan and Jason agree on a surprising number of things. They both believe this is a completing, largely whole pathos-driven film. Of course, Jason has a number of objections, specifically to the logic of time travel as represented in the film. Ryan's brother Mark makes a special guest appearance to offer his insights into this film. Is this the f...

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 though...

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 desertofthereelpod@gmail.com

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...

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 philoso...

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...

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 a...

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...

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 lifest...

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 w...

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...

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 t...

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...

Captain America: Civil War is Jason's first 5 star movie from the MCU! Join us as we discuss what makes Civil War stand out from all the crap (and not so crap) that has come before. We dive deep into plot holes; reactions to author (the Four Tendencies philosophy), utilitarian vs. empathetic ethics, and deepfakes. What do you think of this movie? Is it better than others? How many stars do you...

Hello, critical thinkers. In this episode of "Desert of the Reel," we look at 2005's Lord of War. Jason wanted to watch this one and talk about the ethics and philosophy behind it. This Nicholas Cage movie has a gun runner single handedly distribute the guns for war and rebellion throughout the world in the 80s and 90s. We talk about the philosophical questions the movie proposes to...

Is Ant-Man the most mediocre MCU movie so far? Join us as we discuss Ant-Man for Jason's first watch. What does a philosophy teacher think about it? We dive deep in our discussions of art house cinema, the auteur theory, Darwinian ethics, and the philosophy behind the objectives on which we focus our lives. What do you think of this movie? Is it better than others? How many stars do you give i...

We present you the first-ever two-part episode! This is part two! Do audiences think critically about MCU movies? We had a lot to say about the second Avengers movie. We talk about all sorts of things. Jason has many frustrations but will say this has some of the best philosophical ideas in all the MARVEL movies. Part 1 has Jason's summary, and our positive, and negative thoughts on the movie....

We present you the first-ever two-part episode! Do audiences think critically about MCU movies? We had a lot to say about the second Avengers movie. We talk about all sorts of things. Jason has many frustrations but will say this has some of the best philosophical ideas in all the MARVEL movies. Part 1 has Jason's summary, and our positive, and negative thoughts on the movie. Part 2 we argue a...

Desert of the Reel is a movie podcast where a philosophy teacher (Jason) is watching the MCU for the very first time! Usually, he thinks they aren't worth his time, but he might have finally found one he likes on a deeper level. We talk about Prudent ethics, diegetic vs non diegetic music, philosophy, and if swearing should be in movies. We ask, "What larger contexts should we be connecte...

Join us as Jason introduces Ryan to Oculus (2013). Is this a "philosophical-horror" movie? Jason says it is! Jason also breaks down how this movie plays with reality to be scary. Ryan brings up Lacan theory stuff! (Totally planned) and Jason says how Loyalist ethics is a weak ethic to follow! And, of course, we talk haunted antique armoires! Email us at desertofthereelpod@gmail.com

Is Captain America: The Winter Soldier better than the first Captain America? Is it the best movie in the MCU so far? What can we learn about film, philosophy, and creativity from this movie? Jason and Ryan are joined by their colleague Chris Loomis as they dig deeply into the next addition to the MCU. If you want to share your thoughts with us, send us an email at desertofthereelpod@gmail.com.

Is Thor the Dark World better than most people remember? Is it better than the first Thor movie? Join us as Jason works past his way through his grumpiness and we talk Thor 2! This one seems to be lumped down in the bottom of people's MCU rankings, but is that right? Is Jason going to enjoy this one at all? What do you think? If you want to share your thoughts with us, send us an email at dese...

For Iron Man 3 (2013) Jason has many thoughts about Tony’s anxiety, whether he grows as a character, and if he loves anyone more than himself. Is he right? Or is Ryan right when he claims that Tony DOES show character growth and love to Pepper. How well does this movie follow up The Avengers ? What does it say philosophically? Is this the best Iron Man movie? Is it misunderstood?

We take another break from forcing Jason to watch all the Marvel movies to watch another Jason's Choice film, Winter's Bone . An unflinching Ozark Mountain girl hacks through dangerous social terrain as she hunts down her drug-dealing father while trying to keep her family intact. Rated R for drug material, language, and violent content. Jason believes Winter's Bone offers deep cultura...