The Desert of the Reel: A Movie Podcast Desert of the Reel

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 desertofthereel@gmail.com

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 desertofthereelpod@gmail.com

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 desertofthereelpod@gmail.com

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 desertofthereelpod@gmail.com

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 give it?

Email us at desertofthereelpod@gmail.com

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 us. We ask if the world is doomed. Jason argues that all the world needs are people who know their strengths and are willing to use them to change things.

Feel free to email us at desertofthereelpod@gmail.com