PODCAST · tv
A Reel Education
by Tim Wick and Melissa Kaercher
Tim and Melissa have seen more movies than is probably healthy, yet they know many people who have major gaps in their movie knowledge. In A Reel Education, Tim and Melissa strive to educate their friends and you on the basics of film history.
Episodes
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Episode 135 – Chicago
Bill Condon writes the screenplay for this Best Picture winning musical, Chicago! In this debut film for director Rob Marshall, he finds a way to make a musical work for a modern film audience. It doesn’t hurt that Catherine Zeta Jones, Renee Zellweger, and Richard Gere (also John C. Reilly and...
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Episode 134 – Gods and Monsters
Alison Anderson, our resident Frankenstein guest, joins us for Gods and Monsters, a film about James Whale, director of Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein. The movie features an early star making turn by Brandan Fraser as well as a great pre-Lord of the Rings performance by Sir Ian McKellon.…
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Episode 133 – Bride of Frankenstein
Our latest episode continues our exploration of Frankenstein with Bride of Frankenstein. Alison Anderson joins us to watch the sequel to James Whale’s Frankenstein with this film, that may actually be better. James Whale directs the sequel to his classic monster movie and Boris Karloff returns as...
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Episode 132 – Arsenic and Old Lace
For this episode, we sort of followed Boris Karloff to a classic screwball comedy directed by Frank Capra. Arsenic and Old Lace was based on a stage play that featured Boris Karloff. He’s not in the movie, though. We’ll explain why. Alex Wick joins us to see if this 1941 comedy is still funny to…
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Episode 131 – Frankenstein
Well after promising to get to this film for a few months, we finally managed to watch the 1931 Frankenstein! Adapted from Mary Shelly’s book, this movie basically defines what Frankenstein’s Monster will look like for the rest of film history. Boris Karloff has the star making role in this James...
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Episode 130 – Spider Man: Into the Spider-Verse
We decided we needed to watch the 2019 Oscar Winner for Best Animated Film, Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse! Melissa had not yet seen it so Patricia Wick returns as our expert to talk about the film that may have just been the best film of 2019, period. While not officially a part of the MCU,...
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Episode 129 – Green Book
As has been our annual tradition, we are taking a look at this year’s Oscar winner for Best Picture! For this episode, Melissa and Tim had both not yet seen the film. That means Patricia Wick joins us as our expert as we watch Green Book. This movie has some issues. It isn’t horrible but it...
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Episode 128 – Mad Max: Fury Road
For the second time, we are watching a Max Max movie! This time it’s Mad Max: Fury Road. In what is essentially one super long car chase, we get to watch Charlize Theron be a bad ass and a blind guy play a flame throwing guitar. It’s pretty great. Alee Baker joins us as a first time viewer of…
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Episode 127 – The Great Race
We followed Peter Paul from The Princess Bride to this farce by Blake Edwards. The Great Race stars Falk, Natalie Wood, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Keenan Wynn as they race across the world. Along the way, they get into a bar fight, escape a polar bear, and meet up with another version of Jack...
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Episode 126 – The Princess Bride
OK, we finally get to watch The Princess Bride! As one might expect, it was a challenge to find someone who hadn’t seen the movie but with a little work, we found Megan Ealain, who agreed to join us and watch the movie for the first time! If you’ve never seen this 1980’s fantasy/comedy gem…
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Episode 125 – F for Fake
Our latest episode was a bit of a last minute audible as we lost a guest due to weather. So Tim became our guinea pig to watch F for Fake, a “documentary” about hoaxes by Orson Welles. This kind of wacky film takes a look at a few different fakers, including the filmmaker himself. It is very new...
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Episode 124 – This is Spinal Tap
We are sticking with comedy for just a bit longer as we watch the classic heavy metal mockumentary, This is Spinal Tap! Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer play the members of a rock band whose popularity is on something of a downward slide. Rob Reiner is the director of a film...
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Episode 123 – Clue
This episode, we take a look at the best film ever based on a board game (and it isn’t close) – Clue! The movie has a stellar comedic cast and while it was something of a box office failure, it has become a huge success on home video. Tom S Tea joins us to watch the film for the first time and…
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Episode 122 – Young Frankenstein
Just in time for the day after Halloween! We finish off our trip through the films that are arguably Mel Brooks’ best with Young Frankenstein! This satirical homage to the classic Universal horror movies (but especially Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein) may be one of Brooks’ least madcap...
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Episode 121 – Blazing Saddles
Our Mel Brooks series continues with his parody of the Western Genre – Blazing Saddles! Alison Anderson joins us for her first viewing of a film that took on racism head on in the 1970’s. When it comes to addressing racism, the film still really does a good job. When it comes to…other things, it...
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Episode 120 – The Producers (2005)
Having just watched The Producers (1967) by Mel Brooks, we follow up by watching The Producers (2005) by Mel Brooks! This musical adaptation of the original film that was not quite a musical once again features “Springtime for Hitler” but it also has a whole lot of other songs along with Nathan...
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Episode 119 – The Producers (1967)
This week, we begin working through a series of films by Mel Brooks. We start with our look at his first film, a movie Roger Ebert called “one of the funniest films ever made,” The Producers (1967)! Barb Lind joins us to discuss this film that dares to take on Hitler with comedy. Zero Mostel and...
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Episode 118 – Schindler’s List
For a podcast that tries to blend movie education with comedy – this episode creates a bit of a puzzler. We are watching Schindler’s List. Steven Spielberg’s undisputed masterpiece about the holocaust as seen through the eyes of a man who tried to prevent a tiny part of it is a sobering cinematic...
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Episode 117 – Jurassic Park
This week’s theme is DINOSAURS! We bring new viewer Stephan Zvan to watch Jurassic Park with our friend and Dinosaur Expert, Matt Kessen. Spielberg’s most successful movie gets the Reel Education treatment as we consider the parts that have aged extremely well (the special effects) and the parts...
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Episode 116 – Ocean’s Eleven
This week, we are joined by Heather Rand-McKay to watch Ocean’s Eleven (2001)! But she isn’t our only special guest. Patricia Wick joins us in the movie expert chair! We do take some time to talk about the original Ocean’s 11 (1960) and do our best to discourage anyone who wishes to watch the…
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Episode 115 – Westworld
Our latest episode takes a look at Michael Crichton’s Westworld. Tim’s son Alex joins us for this movie about a futuristic theme park where nothing could possibly go wrong but, due to exceptionally bad design flaws, things do! Yul Brynner stars as a gunslinger who seems to have tired of…
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Episode 114 – The Big Lebowski
We’ve been promising this movie for a while and finally it is time for us to watch The Big Lebowski! Breanna Cecile joins us to watch this film she compares to John Steinbeck’s ‘The Pearl,” which may be about the most intelligent observation made by any guest on our podcast ever. Certainly more...
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Episode 113 – The Omen
We had a bit of an unintentional hiatus there because Melissa and Tim had a heck of a time coordinating schedules. We’re back and we are watching The Omen with guest Kyle Dekker. Tim also hasn’t seen the film so we have two newbies with a film Melissa watched on nearly constant loop when she was…
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Episode 112 – Get Out
Barb Lind returns as we look at yet another film nominated for Best Picture in 2018 – Get Out! Melissa is actually the only member of our podcasting crew who has seen the movie so Tim and Barb both get to experience it for the first time. This is the work of first time writer/director Jordan…
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Episode 111 – The Shape of Water
As is our annual tradition, we sat down and watched the most recent winner for Best Picture. This year, it is a genre film by Guillermo Del Toro – The Shape of Water! Semi-regular guest newbie Barb Lind re-joins us to watch this fable about a fish man. We talk about Doug Jones because you kind of...
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Episode 110 – The Goonies
This week is unusual because Melissa couldn’t make it and Tim was forced to be the movie expert. This proved difficult as it was only his second time watching the film! He and guest Kelvin Hatle do their best as they watch a favorite of many people who were children in the 80’s – The Goonies!...
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Episode 109 – High Noon
Kyle Dekker joins us to watch a Western that is a not even a little bit subtle allegory for the behavior of Hollywood during the House UnAmerican Activities Committee hearings – High Noon! Gary Cooper won an Oscar for his powerful portrayal of a man who slowly comes to realize that nobody will...
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Episode 108 – Exit Through the Gift Shop
We promised you Goonies but we had a scheduling mix-up so this episode brings you Exit Through the Gift Shop instead! This documentary produced by acclaimed street artist Banksy starts out as a documentary about finding Banksy but then it turns into something quite different. Tim is our newbie…
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Episode 107 – Die Hard
We conclude our Crime Spree series (for now) with the ultimate Christmas action movie – Die Hard! Elliot James is our unsuspecting novice and he joined us to watch Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman chew scenery and destroy a building. This child of the Rambo genre actually created a genre of it’s own...
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Episode 106 – Pulp Fiction
We continue our crime spree (or crime wave depending on what Tim decided to call it this episode) with the groundbreaking Quentin Tarantino film Pulp Fiction! This movie was so important that we had to get two guests to watch it with us! The first is newcomer Patrick Fisher and the second is…
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Episode 105 – Dog Day Afternoon
We continue our focus on crime films with a look at Dog Day Afternoon. John Cazale and Al Pacino star in this look at a bank robbery that goes both comically and tragically wrong. Based on a true story but filled with impressive improvised scenes, the movie represents Pacino at the height of his...
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Episode 104 – The Sting
Semi-regular guest newbie Barb Lind is back and this week, we are watching The Sting with Robert Redford and Paul Newman! The film has lots of twists and turns and if you enjoy that sort of thing, we’d recommend watching the movie before you listen to the second half of the podcast. We actually...
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Episode 103 – The Godfather
Our next series of films is going to be the crime series and we start with one of the most classic movies about American gangsters you can find, The Godfather! Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Talia Shire, James Caan, Robert Duvall and…you get the idea. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, this film is...
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Episode 102 – Layer Cake
We have reached the end of our James Bond Odyssey as we take a look at the film that is, effectively, Daniel Craig’s audition for the role. Layer Cake is a movie clearly influenced with the works of Guy Richie and Quentin Tarantino. It makes sense, of course, because director Matthew Vaughn...
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Episode 101 – Casino Royale
Our Bond cycle is now complete as we watch the first outing for Daniel Craig. Casino Royale was the first re-boot of the Bond franchise although it held over Dame Judi Dench as M. Craig takes over James Bond and pulls the franchise in a direction that helps us understand a little bit about why…
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Episode 100 – The Matador
Hey there! We said our 100th episode was going to be Star Wars but it isn’t. That’s a long story and we’ll tell it to you someday. Instead, we are joined by Barb Lind to watch The Matador featuring Pierce Brosnan! Brosnan took on this role shortly after his final Bond film and it is a nearly...
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Episode 99 – Goldeneye
We are back on the James Bond train as we introduce our guest Chrys VanDerKamp to the Pierce Brosnan film, Goldeneye! This was Brosnan’s first outing as Bond and may be one of the most enjoyable Bond films of the storied franchise. There are better Bond films but this one is an awful lot of fun.…
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Episode 98 – Hot Fuzz
This episode, we are following Timothy Dalton from James Bond to the Edgar Wright/Simon Pegg comedy Hot Fuzz! Bob Alberti joins us as our unsuspecting victim. While he has co-written a play that features a character obsessed with Hot Fuzz, he has, until now, never seen it! The film is a clever...
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Episode 97 – The Living Daylights
We return to our James Bond series with the first of only two Bond outings by Timothy Dalton – The Living Daylights! Chrys VanDerKamp returns as our guest to decide for herself where Dalton falls in the “who is the best Bond” debate. Tim and Melissa are both Dalton apologists as he is frequently...
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Episode 96 – The Cannonball Run
This episode, we follow the late Sir Roger Moore from his first turn as James Bond to a film where he basically plays himself playing James Bond. Cannonball Run is a film by Hal Needham starring Burt Reynolds and Farrah Fawcett and – honestly – almost every other actor from the seventies you’ve...
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Episode 95 – Live and Let Die
This week, we return to our James Bond series with the first installment of the Roger Moore era, Live and Let Die! Moore was the longest tenured actor to play Bond (this is the first of seven films featuring him as the British super spy). Chrys VanDerKamp joins us once again to unpack a film...
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Episode 94 – The Haunting
Our next episode in the Bond series follows Lois Maxwell (Miss Moneypenny) because George Lazenby really didn’t make any other films of note after his turn as Bond. Because of that, we used Maxwell’s small role as an excuse to watch The Haunting! We are joined by returning guest Lana Rosario to...
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Episode 93 – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
We continue our exploration of James Bond and the actors who played him with On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, the first and only film featuring George Lazenby as Bond. Our guest is once again Chrys VanDerKamp, who will be joining us for every bond film as the only two she has seen is Quantum of...
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Episode 92 – The Untouchables
Having watched Sean Connery play James Bond, we move on to watching Sean Connery in the only role that earned him an Oscar. Alex Wick joins us for The Untouchables, a Brian De Palma directed crime drama about Chicago and Al Capone. The movie features some fantastic set piece action as well as...
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Episode 91 – Goldfinger
Our Bond project officially begins! Over the next several episodes, we will be watching Bond movies featuring each of the actors who have played this film icon as well as other movies featuring the same actor! We begin with what many consider the best of the Bond films, Goldfinger! Our companion...
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Episode 90 – Moonlight
This episode, we tackle the 2017 Oscar winner for Best Picture: Moonlight! After the crazy ending to this year’s Oscar ceremony, this film was crowned Best Picture. We’re guessing you haven’t seen it. In fact, neither Melissa or Tim had seen it either. Still, we brought in Pat Wick, who also…
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Episode 89 – The Quiet Man
For our newest episode, we take a look at a project that was something of a dream project for John Wayne – The Quiet Man! Directed by John Ford and featuring Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, this film is surprisingly unlike what most would expect from names like John Wayne and John Ford. We are…
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Episode 88 – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
This week we have two special guests who join us for the Disney classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Lana Rosario and David Tyler McKay join us with little more than childhood memories of orange soda. After a viewing of the film, we discuss all the ways it might not work for some modern...
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Episode 87 – The Adventures of Prince Achmed
On this episode, we take a look at the oldest existing feature length animated film – The Adventures of Prince Achmed. Our friend Cetius joins us to discuss this silent film created using silhouette. It is remarkable to watch the film and recognize how much influence it has had on cinema over the...
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Episode 86 – The Man Who Would Be King
Our latest episode features the guest stylings of Bob Alberti! Bob joins us to talk about The Man Who Would be King. The film features a post Bond Sean Connery and a pre Jaws 4 Michael Caine as two ex soldiers looking to make a fortune by making themselves kings. We don’t want to spoil the movie…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Tim and Melissa have seen more movies than is probably healthy, yet they know many people who have major gaps in their movie knowledge. In A Reel Education, Tim and Melissa strive to educate their friends and you on the basics of film history.
HOSTED BY
Tim Wick and Melissa Kaercher
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does A Reel Education have?
A Reel Education currently has 135 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is A Reel Education about?
Tim and Melissa have seen more movies than is probably healthy, yet they know many people who have major gaps in their movie knowledge. In A Reel Education, Tim and Melissa strive to educate their friends and you on the basics of film history.
How often does A Reel Education release new episodes?
A Reel Education publishes regularly with 135 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to A Reel Education?
You can listen to A Reel Education on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts A Reel Education?
A Reel Education is created and hosted by Tim Wick and Melissa Kaercher.
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