PODCAST · society
Paragon Marathon
by Sarah I
Are you looking to flex your brain with a mental workout on your favourite heroes–old and new? Join siblings and enthusiasts, Tom, Dan and Sarah in exploring a hero's journey, and their impact on culture. We bring the friction to fiction, examining champions of myth, legend, videogames, cinema and anything neat.
Episodes
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The Odyssey (2026) - Movie club #26
MOVIE NIGHT! Join Tom, Dan, and Sarah straight from the theatre to talk Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey; The siblings cram into their wooden horse of a recording studio to share their thoughts on the newest version of Paragon Marathon's favourite mythical hero. Can the spectacle of practical...
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Paragon Marathon Millennium Melee
It's the Paragon Marathon Millennium Melee! Prepare yourselves for a gauntlet of good movies, a crucible of critique, the finals of film-liking, the championship of changing your siblings minds! All in service of the definitive ranking of the best movies of the 2000s! You already know the rules,...
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Dogma (1999) - Movie Club #25
MOVIE NIGHT! Join Tom, Dan, and Sarah on a biblical New Jersey adventure in Dogma; This 1999 Jay and Silent Bob vehicle asks the big questions, like what would happen if the Catholic god was wrong about something even once? Or how does Kevin Smith get Alan Rickman, Selma Hayek, Matt Damon, and…
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The Cable Guy (1996) - Movie Club # 24
MOVIE NIGHT! Join Tom, Dan, and Sarah as they untangle the cable around our hearts in Ben Stiller’s cinematic directorial debut, “The Cable Guy” (1996), a thriller spoof that answers the question, “what if cable was obsessed with YOU?” Starring the completely comparable Mathew Broderick as the...
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A Knight's Tale (2001) - Movie club #23
MOVIE KNIGHT! Join Tom, Dan, and Sarah as they sally forth unto the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS OF JOUSTING in the 2001 live-action sports anime, "A Knight's Tale," the pre-Game of Thrones medieval fantasy that taught us even the lowliest peasant can change his stars, ignore the oppression of a feudal...
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Galaxy Quest (1999) - Movie Club #22
Movie Night! Join Tom, Dan, and Sarah as they trek through the stars with the 1999 comedy space epic "Galaxy Quest"! Campy sci-fi tropes are ubiquitous enough that you can make a mainstream hit parodying them, right? If not, the outstanding character work of Alan Rickman, Sam Rockwell, and Tony...
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A League of their own (1992) - Movie Club #21
MOVIE NIGHT! Join Tom, Dan, & Sarah as they take you out to the ball game with the 1992 hit and enduring cult classic, "A League of Their Own." America's desperate nostalgia for the 40s and 50s is matched and perhaps exceeded by the Marathon's own nostalgia for this TBS-once-a-week banger…
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Jumanji - Movie Club #20
MOVIE NIGHT! Join Tom, Dan, & Sarah as they play that dangerous game from the depths of 1995, Jumanji! Where no boy is safe from getting bat-tornadoed into the jungle for 30 years, turned into a monkey, or bested by a pelican. In this adaption of Chris Van Allsburg's book of the same name, Robin...
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Matilda (1996) - Movie Club #19
MOVIE NIGHT! Join Tom, Dan & Sarah as they scrub the Rust off the Root to "send you on your way" to a place where learning is magical, and where tyrannical parents, megalomaniacal principals, and regular cops always get what they deserve: suffering. That's right, we're watching the 1996 family…
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The Mask of Zorro (1998) - Movie Club #18
MOVIE NIGHT! Join Tom, Dan & Sarah as they saddle up alongside that bold renegade who carves a “Z” with his blade, a “Z” that stands for ZORRO. The pride of Wales is on parade with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sir Anthony Hopkins supporting Antonio Banderas in the 1998 Action/Adventure classic, “The...
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Alan Wake 2: Don't Alan Sleep On It
In a horror story, there are only victims and monsters. In a podcast about a video game about a horror story, there are only confused (but enthusiastic!) sibling hosts. Join Tom, Dan, and Sarah as the Marathon runs a long, spiralling loop-lap through Alan Wake 2 along with any and all connected...
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Movie Club #17 - The Fifth Element (1997)
MOVIE NIGHT! Join Tom, Dan & Sarah as the Marathon takes a lap around Luc Besson's sci-fantasy epic, "The Fifth Element", a classic tale of good vs evil, sentient hell planets vs perfect day-old babes, and/or capitalist greed vs noble hobbit priests. Everyone's favourite tank-top wearing action...
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Movie Club #16 - How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Join us on a wild ride through the 2000 classic, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," (or in Tom's words "How the Cringe stole Milfmas") featuring Jim Carrey and directed by the mischievous Ron Howard. Uncover the sticky and pear-shaped mysteries of Whos, as we reveal Ron Howard's 6-hour makeup...
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The Epic of Gilgamesh - Six Cubits under
Hop in the way way back machine with Paragon Marathon! This week, we're tackling the oldest story civilization has, The Epic of Gilgamesh. Join us to learn of the ancient king, He who saw the deep, revel in the wisdom and the super-jacked, bro'd up wrestlemania he found along the way. Contained...
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It's the Ippen Horror Vore-iety hour!
Get ready for a frightening vore-ay into Tom, Dan and Sarah's deepest fears! (Please do not use them against us). This episode, we point our shaking flashlights at the mysteries of darkness and the unknown, slither into the world of snakes, and dish on the fear of being eaten, bone-in or chewed....
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Season 1 Finale - So long and thanks for all the myths
Operation GOODBYE-HELLO-GOODBYE is a go: All Paragons report to Marathons. Welcome to the Paragon Marathon Season 1 Finale and Retrospective! Join Tom, Dan & Sarah as they reflect on their time podcasting together over the past two years, and make plans to return to the world of Literature,...
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Movie Club #15 - Super Mario Bros (1993)
MOVIE NIGHT! Join Tom, Dan & Sarah as they YIPPEE-WAHOO their way through the 1993 cult classic and misunderstood masterpiece, "Super Mario Bros." The inscrutable decisions of a string of troubled directors are put under the patented Marathon Microscope as the team discusses the exact kind of…
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The Three Musketeers: Tom for Dan and Dan for All (feat. Sarah)
Paragon Marathon is baguette it again. Join Tom, Dan and Sarah as they put the Marathon (and the Paragons?) back in the titular Para-Mara with a très grand exploration of Alexander Dumas' "The Three Musketeers." The adventure begins with a look into Dumas' background before Tom puts Dan and Sarah...
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Movie Night #14 - Addams Family Values (1993)
MOVIE NIGHT! Join Tom, Dan & Sarah as they seek out the dark forces and join their hellish crusade in the 1993 sequel-masterpiece, "Addams Family Values!" Strap yourself in for a delightful exploration of 90s nostalgia, goth origins, and a criminally underrated satire of the conservative status...
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Earthsea Part 2 - Tales from EarthSarah and the Toms of AtuDan
We're back with Part 2 of our deep dive into the Earthsea Archipelago. (We hit a COVID snag last month--sorry for the delay!) Join Tom, Dan, and Sarah as they discuss the main themes of the first three books in Ursula Le Guin's opus before ending with a conversation on the author's changing views...
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Earthsea Part 1 - Ursula K Le-GOAT and Some JK Clowning
Only in silence the word, Only in dark the light. Only in an oversaturated YA Fantasy market, the ascension of a talentless loser like J.K. Rowling. Join Tom, Dan, and Sarah in the first part of their exploration of Ursula K. Leguin’s fantasy opus, “A Wizard of Earthsea.” Striking out from Gont...
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Bram Stoker's Dracula: Bat-Man Begins
January twenty-fifth, Dan's podcast diary continued: Began recounting the tale of Bram Stoker's Dracula. First, I administered a quiz to my intrepid sibling co-hosts Sarah and Tom, regarding that most sinister and infamous real-estate mogul, Count Dracula. As a university-trained vampire hunter…
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Movie Night #12 - The Mummy (1999)
MOVIE NIGHT! Join Tom, Dan & Sarah as they dodge-roll their way through 1999's "The Mummy!" After briefly pontificating on the nature of old-school remakes, the Marathon puzzles over the nature of an Old-Testament-Powered Imhotep, seemingly at odds with the very literal Anubis who suddenly…
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The Dark Soul of Lamb - Video Games and Religion Part 2
Who is to say that the Cardinal Sin must be Cardinal forever? Join Tom, Dan, and Sarah as they grow eyes on the inside in an attempt to understand the boundless vision of Hidetaka Miyazaki's "Soulslike" games, before changing gears for a deep-dive into the religion-infused indie marvel management...
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Ave Mario - Video Games and Religion Part 1
What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets! Join Tom, Dan, and Sarah in an exploration of Religion in Video Games. After some discussion on the nature of play, escapism, and the literary bonafides of video games as a medium, the Marathon cruises through a quiz on some famous depictions of...
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Movie Night #11 - A Goofy Movie (1995)
MOVIE NIGHT! Join Tom, Dan & Sarah as they tear open the past and realize that Goofy contains the essence of their entire personalities. This week we're watching the 1995 Disney B-Team classic, "A Goofy Movie!" After taking another run at the Furry Agenda, the marathon simmers in the delicious...
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Oops, All Monsters! Halloween Extravaganza
We did it; we did the mash. Join Tomb, Dankenstein, and Scare-ah on a special tour of mythic and modern monsters. After a brief meditation on scary stories and Horror movies, the marathoners run for their lives through monster tales from Greek, Japanese, Cree and Celtic mythology. Also featured…
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Movie Night #10 - The Flintstones (1994)
MOVIE NIGHT! Join Tom, Dan & Sarah as they travel back in time to humanity's simple, idyllic origins: 1950s-style American capitalism, but it's cavemen in dinosaur-times. That's right, this week we're watching the 1994 boomer-nostalgia classic, "The Flintstones." The marathon engages in a…
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Don Quixote: Whimsical Knight of Literary Spite
Hear me heathens, and wizards, and serpents of sin: all your dastardly doings are paaast! Now a holy endeavour is about to begin, when you listen to this podcaaast! Join Tom, Dan, and Sarah in a surprisingly musical exploration of Cervantes' 17th century adventure, "Don Quixote." Beginning with…
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Movie Night #9 - Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
MOVIE NIGHT! Join Tom, Dan & Sarah as they survive the intro wars and cast their minds forward to that far off day in 1997 when Skynet saw fit to deal humanity its killing blow; that's right, they're watching James Cameron's incomparable action sci-fi classic, Terminator 2! Beyond heaping…
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Satan Part 2: Straw Men and (Sabbatic) Scapegoats
You don't need to Shout at the Devil, he's right here. God. Join Tom, Dan, and Sarah as they are eternally chewed in the triple-mawed jaws of the Damned One in the deepest circle of Hell. Continuing from their exploration of Satan's Origins and a devilish quiz on Demonic monikers in Part One, the...
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Satan Part 1 : Call Me By Your Many Names
The greatest trick the devil ever played was getting you to listen to this podcast episode. Join Tom, Dan, and Sarah as they blunder right into the Evil One’s hands by talking about the origins of Satan as a literary figure, legendary mythic adversary, and embodiment of evil. Beginning with some...
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Movie Night #8 - Dragonheart (1996)
MOVIE NIGHT! Join Tom, Dan & Sarah as they travel to the far of world of a completely historically accurate England in 984 AD; that's right, they're watching 1996's "DragonHeart!" Dennis Quaid proves once again that he has absolutely no business acting in anything as he drags down real fantasy...
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Arrival: Hepta-Perception of the Human Bean
Do you know what the Sanskrit word for "war" means? Join Tom, Dan, and Sarah as they unpack the philological puzzles of "Arrival" (and the Ted Chiang short story it's based on) and address the deeply human desire for more cows. Beginning with an examination of what may be the best sci-fi film of...
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Movie Night #7 - Pride & Prejudice (2005)
MOVIE NIGHT! Join Tom, Dan & Sarah as they sneak a peek into the (pig’s) ball-room to cover 2005s “Pride and Prejudice." Kiera Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen take the RomCom back to it’s gilded roots, giving us the original tsundere couple. Featuring a jam-packed cast of England's finest, (and...
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Beowulf: Glory to the Geat GOAT
HWAET! Gather close that ye might hearken, dear listeners, to the story of the original Geat GOAT, the wily and worldly Honey Bear himself, Beowulf! Join Tom, Dan, and Sarah on a literary quest through dusty Anglo-Saxon tomes as they explore the Old English legend of the titular hero’s quest to...
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Movie Night #6 - Mystery Men
MOVIE NIGHT! Join Tom, Dan & Sarah as they unearth the TRUE origins of Smash Mouth's "All Star" in 1999's "Mystery Men." Turns out Ben Stiller, Hank Azaria and William H. Macy were deconstructing superheroes long before multiverses, The Boys, and... (looks around) these flavourless, unremarkable...
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Lord of the Rings Part One: Takin' Time Talkin' 'bout Tolkien
We’re taking the hobbits to Isengard: Join Tom, Dan, and Sarah in part one of a marathon analysis of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings,” along with a broad look at Tolkien’s life, philosophy and the companion texts that build out the LotR universe. In the first part of our analysis, we...
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Movie Night #5 - Men in Black
MOVIE NIGHT! Join Tom, Dan & Sarah as they put on their Edgar Suits and watch the 1997 classic "Men in Black" in an attempt to feel at peace in a chaotic universe. Featuring the diverse talents of beloved actors like Will Smith and Tomas Leeroy Joins, this sci-fi comedy classic would set the tone...
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Mad Men: Don of the Anti-Hero
Hey tall, dark and handsome; let’s have another cup off coffee, let's have another piece of pie. It’s time to discuss one of the most beautiful and complex series on television: Mad Men. Join Tom, Dan, and Sarah in their focus group on Don Draper, Impostor-King of Madison Avenue, and the…
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Movie Night #4 - O Brother, Where Art Thou?
MOVIE NIGHT! Join Tom, Dan & Sarah as they watch the beloved Coen Bros. film "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (2000) and come to grips with the fact that they just can't escape the Homeric Orbit. Join us as we discuss the film's vivid mythic action, whether or not this movie's a musical, (it is), and...
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The Odyssey: Greece Is The Word
Tell us, O Muse, of a particularly complicated Ithacan. The Marathon takes a jog through Homer's "Odyssey," one of the oldest texts in the Western canon; Tom, Dan, and Sarah, armed with a few decades of pop-culture connections and some modern, less-stuffy-than-most translations of the...
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Movie Night #3 - Hook
MOVIE NIGHT! Join Tom, Dan & Sarah as they find their happy thought and/or marbles through a deranged viewing and discussion of Steven Spielberg's criminally underrated classic, "Hook" (1991). Found within: Julius Robert's idiosyncratic Tinkerbell, Thud Butt Cheese, and the inescapable power of...
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King Arthur Part 2: Mamma Mia Here We Go A Gawain
Serf's up milords! Join your sibling hosts on the marathon as they follow King Arthur into the mists of Avalon for the conclusion to the Arthur Mythos and a deep dive into the story of Gawain and the Green Knight. Fasten your seatbelts (and don't cum on them); this is a wild ride into surrealist...
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King Arthur Part 1: The Once and Future Cuck
Hail, milord! Fall in with the Marathon as it bounds across the shimmering fields and glittering spires of Camelot while Tom, Dan and Sarah take a closer look at the stories of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. In Part One we take a look at the origins of the pseudo-historical Arthur…
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Movie Night #2 - The Mask
MOVIE NIGHT! Join Tom, Dan & Sarah as they come to terms with their entire sense of humour and identity, and discuss Jim Carrey's "The Mask (1994)". We discuss the power of Cuban Pete, the brief swing resurgence of the 90s, and learn that "we all wear masks" (thanks Ben Stein).
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Mass Effect: Mars Needs MILFs
Keelah se'lai! The Marathon hits the relay and (finally) moves into the sphere of video games as Tom, Dan and Sarah discuss the influential "Mass Effect" series, chronicling the exploits of player-hero Shepard's attempts to navigate the tough decisions of galaxy-saving. Is submission not…
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Movie Night #1 - Batman Returns
MOVIE NIGHT! Join Tom, Dan & Sarah as they deny the world and retreat into the icy holiday nostalgia of "Batman Returns!" This is Movie Club #1, and we've got the absolute hottest 29-year-old takes on Tim Burton's bizarre origins for the Dark Knight.
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Dune Part 2: This Is the Way the Worm Ends
The worm has (re)turned. Join Tom, Dan & Sarah as they return to Paul Atreides, deep in the deserts of Arrakis in a full-on sprint to Messiahdom. Dan will guide us through the second half of the original "Dune" story, and we'll explore some of the themes from the subsequent novels. Also included:...
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Dune Part 1: Oh, worm?
Join Tom, Dan & Sarah on a trek through Arrakis; desert planet in the Dune-iverse. Paul Atreides is a Cambellian hero's journey wet dream. Find out what author Frank Herbert thinks about eugenics, religious destinies, and psychedelic drugs (spoiler, he's a fan of the last one). Let the spice–and...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Are you looking to flex your brain with a mental workout on your favourite heroes–old and new? Join siblings and enthusiasts, Tom, Dan and Sarah in exploring a hero's journey, and their impact on culture. We bring the friction to fiction, examining champions of myth, legend, videogames, cinema and anything neat.
HOSTED BY
Sarah I
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Paragon Marathon have?
Paragon Marathon currently has 52 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Paragon Marathon about?
Are you looking to flex your brain with a mental workout on your favourite heroes–old and new? Join siblings and enthusiasts, Tom, Dan and Sarah in exploring a hero's journey, and their impact on culture. We bring the friction to fiction, examining champions of myth, legend, videogames, cinema and...
How often does Paragon Marathon release new episodes?
Paragon Marathon has 52 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Paragon Marathon?
You can listen to Paragon Marathon 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 Paragon Marathon?
Paragon Marathon is created and hosted by Sarah I.
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