Alphabetical Movie – The Magnificent Seven

Not only did I watch this film for the Alphabetical movie project recently, I watched it again for A Reel Education!

That provides me with a wonderful springboard to talk about A Reel Education, which is by far my favorite podcast to record.

Every couple of weeks I get to sit down with Jena Young and Melissa Kaercher, watch a movie and then talk about it.  How is that not the best idea for a podcast ever?  I’m not saying that it is the best idea from a “everyone wants to listen to this podcast” standpoint.

Rather, it is the best idea from a “boy do I enjoy spending my time this way” standpoint.

Jena has seen very few movies in her lifetime.  This is not a crime but it is certainly something that movie buffs like Melissa and I would like to correct.  So we sit her down each episode and show her a movie we think she should see.

Sometimes, it is an acknowledged classic like Vertigo or Modern Times.  Other episodes, it is something fun like Trading Places or The Emperor’s New Groove.  The only rule is that it must be a movie Jena hasn’t seen.

That particular rule, by the way, is really easy to follow.  Unless you are talking about Christmas movies or animated films.  Then she has seen darn near everything.

What is so much fun is seeing a film through the eyes of someone who has never seen it and, in most cases, has no idea what the movie is about.  I’ve loved putting Jena in front of an amazing movie like Casablanca and experiencing it anew.  You only get one first time but sharing someone else’s first time is about as close to a repeat of that experience that you can hope to have.

Short of a major stroke, anyway.

We’ve gotten to share that moment with Jena over and over again.  And not just Jena.  I’ve even managed to drag my son along as well.  You don’t know the kind of excitement I have when he wants to watch Seven Samurai with us.  Or when he agrees to be a guest Jena when she can’t make it for Double Indemnity.

I got a fourteen year old to watch Double Indemnity! And Vertigo! And Rear Window!  And he loved them!

I’ve also gotten to see Rear Window, Vertigo and The Thing in a movie theater!  And next month, we’ll be watching Bridge on the River Kwai in a movie theatre!

A Reel Education isn’t the greatest podcast in the world.  There are a ton of podcasts that talk about movies and the only thing we bring to the table is that revelation of something new.  The central theme of the podcast is learning about movies through the eyes of someone who doesn’t know movies.

The hope, I guess, is not to generate tons of listeners.  Rather, it is to find listeners who, just like Jena, haven’t seen a lot of movies but really want to see more.  There are so many great movies out there and sometimes you just don’t know where to start.

I guess that A Reel Education can help provide a place to start.  I think that’s a pretty cool idea.

And hey, any project I’m involved in that requires I watch movies I love is well worth it.