This week, the popcorn’s a little quieter… but the stories? Absolute chaos.

With Dan off on a mysterious “working trip” (we’re choosing to believe he’s method acting somewhere), it’s just Dale and Rach back behind the mic for a two-hander episode. And instead of forcing each other to watch something questionable again, they’ve turned their attention to something far more unpredictable… the cinema experience itself.

Because let’s be honest — sometimes the film is only half the story.

In this episode, Dale and Rach each bring their 3 best and 3 worst cinema experiences, and the results are exactly what you’d expect: a rollercoaster of magical movie moments, awkward encounters, technical disasters, and the kind of audience behaviour that should probably be studied by scientists.

We’re talking:

• The kind of screenings that remind you why cinema is unbeatable
• The films that were massively elevated (or completely ruined) by the crowd
• Unexpected moments of pure movie magic
• And the absolute trenches… noisy eaters, phone zombies, and “is this seat taken?” warriors

It’s not about the best or worst films — it’s about everything around them. The atmosphere, the people, the chaos, the vibes. The stuff you can’t stream, pause, or escape from.

So whether you’re a cinema purist, a back-row bandit, or someone who still hasn’t forgiven that one person who checked their phone at full brightness… this episode will feel painfully familiar.

Email us at thirdreelpod@gmail.com or through the socials @third_reel_pod

https://linktr.ee/thirdreelpod

Support our Patreon for more TTR! https://patreon.com/thirdreelpod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we deliver the second dose of D — another 16-disc showdown packed with daring picks, dazzling classics, dark horses, and a few decisions that may genuinely derail our credibility. It’s double the debate, double the doubt, and definitely a descent into chaos as we attempt to determine which film deserves a duel with the reigning champion.

Expect disagreements. Expect defensiveness. Expect declarations that will age disastrously. Because when the stakes are this high and the D list is this deep, every decision feels dangerous.

Will a deserving darling rise? Will an underdog deliver? Or will we completely detonate the bracket with one dodgy decision?

One thing’s for certain: by the end of this episode, the final duel will be decided.

Are there any films you think we missed in our list of D films? Any ones you want to see included in future letters? We want to know!

Email us at thirdreelpod@gmail.com or through the socials @third_reel_pod

https://linktr.ee/thirdreelpod

Support our Patreon for more TTR! https://patreon.com/thirdreelpod

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00:00 - Preamble

00:07:11 - Round of 16

01:16:33 - Quarters

01:25:41 - Semis

01:27:46 - Final

01:29:49 - Ultimate Final

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The A–Z of Films is BACK… and the letter D has kicked the door off its hinges and made itself very comfortable 🎬

After A, B and C served up a surprisingly chaotic mix of predictable winners, shocking exits, and moments that made us question whether we’ve ever actually seen a film before… we’ve arrived at D. And honestly? This might be the most stacked, most stressful, most “how on earth do you choose between THESE?” letter yet.

We’re talking wall-to-wall heavy hitters. Iconic classics. Cult favourites. Certified bangers. The kind of films that don’t just sit on your watchlist… they glare at you from across the room, demanding respect. Narrowing this down to 32 films felt less like a fun podcast segment and more like a brutal, no-holds-barred elimination chamber. Cuts were made. Feelings were hurt. Some choices will absolutely come back to haunt us.

Of course, every tournament has its “obvious” contenders… the films you assume will cruise through without breaking a sweat. But if the first three letters have taught us anything, it’s this: NOTHING is safe. Not reputations, not fan favourites, not even our own picks. One rogue argument, one chaotic vote, and suddenly a titan is on the ropes.

Welcome to Part 1 of our Letter D showdown — 16 films enter the bracket this week, battling it out in head-to-head clashes fuelled by passion, nostalgia, and increasingly questionable reasoning. Only ONE will emerge victorious and earn the right to face next week’s winner in the ultimate D finale.

Are there any films you think we missed in our list of D films? Any ones you want to see included in future letters? We want to know!

Email us at thirdreelpod@gmail.com or through the socials @third_reel_pod

https://linktr.ee/thirdreelpod

Support our Patreon for more TTR! https://patreon.com/thirdreelpod

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00:00 - Preamble

00:08:56 - Round of 16

01:01:00 - Quarters

01:05:57 - Semis

01:11:42 - Final?

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This week on The Third Reel, we’re joined by director Keith Kopp and producer Luke Allen to talk about their ambitious upcoming feature First Christmas — and the very real journey of actually getting a film made.

We dig into how Keith and Luke found their way into the industry, how their paths crossed, and how that collaboration has snowballed into their biggest project yet. First Christmas is already shaping up to be a stacked production, with a cast including Mark Addy, Eleanor Tomlinson, Russell Tovey, Dean-Charles Chapman, Samuel Anderson, Ian McNeice, Yasmin Al-Khudhairi and Alex Horne — which, frankly, is the kind of lineup that makes you double-check you’re still an indie film.

But before the cameras roll, there’s the small matter of… money. We talk candidly about the final financing hurdles, what it’s like pitching a film in today’s industry, and their recent trip to Cannes — where dreams are pitched, deals are made, and sleep is optional.

With principal photography planned for later this year and a target release of late 2027, this is a rare, behind-the-scenes snapshot of a film in motion — not after the fact, but right in the thick of it.

If you’ve ever wondered what it actually takes to get a feature film off the ground (beyond shouting “action”), this one’s for you.

Want to follow the journey of First Christmas?

Check out Luke’s production company at www.askseekknock.co.uk

Follow along at linktr.ee/firstchristmasmovie

Or find them on socials @firstchristmasfilm

Who do you want to see us interview next? We want to know!

Email us at thirdreelpod@gmail.com or through the socials @third_reel_pod

https://linktr.ee/thirdreelpod

Support our Patreon for more TTR! https://patreon.com/thirdreelpod

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00:00 - Preamble

00:17:00 - Previous Work

00:26:15 - How They Met

00:35:50 - First Christmas

00:54:40 - Cannes Debrief

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Well… this isn’t what the spreadsheet said would happen. 📅💥

Due to a scheduling clash of truly cinematic proportions (think three protagonists, one calendar, zero overlap), we’ve had to hit pause on our usual weekly episode. But before you dramatically cue the sad violin and wander off into the rain, we come bearing gifts.

Instead of leaving you in a content drought, we’ve cracked open the Patreon vault and released one of our previously locked-away episodes into the wild. Yes, this is premium, behind-the-curtain, members-only goodness… now roaming free like a plot twist nobody saw coming.

For our beloved Patreon supporters, this may feel like we’ve just handed out the secret recipe. A noble sacrifice. A moment of betrayal. A Shakespearean tragedy. But fear not, this is a one-time detour, not a hostile takeover. Your sacred stash of bonus content remains very much worth it, and normal service resumes next week. 🫡

For everyone else? Welcome. This is your golden ticket 🎟️

And what better introduction than our very first Patreon episode, where we dive deep into the Oscar-winning masterpiece Parasite. We’re talking themes, twists, class warfare, that ending… all the juicy layers peeled back like a very tense cinematic onion. It’s thoughtful, it’s chaotic, it’s occasionally unhinged… basically, it’s us at our most Patreon-y.

If you enjoy this episode and fancy more bonus deep dives, exclusive content, and the occasional descent into film-fuelled madness, then you already know what to do…

👀 Come see what you’ve been missing.

Which group of films do you want to see us cover next? We want to know!

Email us at thirdreelpod@gmail.com or through the socials @third_reel_pod

https://linktr.ee/thirdreelpod

Support our Patreon for more TTR! https://patreon.com/thirdreelpod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We survived the “good years”… but now things get weird.

Welcome to Part 2 of our CineTiers MCU deep dive, where the gloves come off, the timelines split, and the phrase “it’s canon somewhere” gets used far more than it should.

Picking up from Endgame, we dive headfirst into Marvel’s bold (and occasionally baffling) next chapter – ranking everything from Phase 4 onwards, right up to the latest release, including the long-awaited arrival of Fantastic Four. Yes, we went there.

This is the era of the multiverse.

The era of Disney+ crossovers.

The era of “wait… do I need to watch a series before this makes sense?”

Dan is still fighting the good fight for Marvel supremacy.

Rach is… having a fantastic time tearing it all down.

Dale remains the diplomatic middle ground, desperately trying to keep the tiers from descending into pure chaos.

As before, every film is ranked into our sacred CineTiers (S–E) – but this time, expect more disagreements, more hot takes, and at least one ranking that may legally qualify as a hate crime (cinematically speaking).

Is the MCU still the king of blockbuster cinema… or has the crown started to slip into another dimension?

There’s only one way to find out.

Which group of films do you want to see us cover next? We want to know!

Email us at thirdreelpod@gmail.com or through the socials @third_reel_pod

https://linktr.ee/thirdreelpod

Support our Patreon for more TTR! https://patreon.com/thirdreelpod

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00:00 - Preamble

00:03:59 - Further Rankings

01:26:44 - Rearranging Rankings

01:33:05 - Final Rankings

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve finally done it. We’ve opened the multiverse-sized can of worms that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe… and we’re not closing it anytime soon.

Loved, loathed, memed into oblivion – the MCU is the cinematic juggernaut that simply refuses to leave the group chat. So naturally, we thought: let’s rank all of it.

Dan is waving the Marvel flag like it’s Comic-Con opening day.

Rach is sharpening the knives.

Dale? Somewhere in the middle, holding a shield and wondering how it got this serious.

In this episode, we kick off our CineTiers MCU special, ranking every film (so far) into the sacred tiers: S, A, B, C, D, and E – just like we did with Pixar… except this time there are more capes, more quips, and significantly more arguments.

Because the MCU now has approximately a billion films/phases and counting, we’re splitting this into two parts.

👉 Part 1 covers everything from Iron Man through to Infinity War – aka the era many call “the good years” (we’ll let you decide if that holds up…).

Next week, we dive headfirst into Part 2, tackling everything post-Endgame up to the latest release – including the increasingly chaotic, multiverse-heavy, “wait, who is that again?” phase of Marvel.

If you’ve ever argued about the MCU… this one’s for you.

Which group of films do you want to see us cover next? We want to know!

Email us at thirdreelpod@gmail.com or through the socials @third_reel_pod

https://linktr.ee/thirdreelpod

Support our Patreon for more TTR! https://patreon.com/thirdreelpod

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00:00 - Preamble

00:10:43 - Initial Rankings

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The series returns, the stakes are… oddly personal, and Rachael is once again in the hot seat. Welcome back to Make Me a Fan — the show within the show where friendships are tested, filmographies are weaponised, and opinions are absolutely not left at the door.

Currently, the scoreboard reads like a dramatic trilogy:

🎬 1 glorious success (Rach falling head over heels for Florence Pugh)

🎬 1 crushing failure (Dale stubbornly resisting the charms of Keira Knightley)

And now… the decider.

This time, the boys step into the ring armed with the filmography of the ever-intense, ever-intriguing Edward Norton — an actor who doesn’t just perform… he infiltrates. Known for disappearing into roles like a method-acting ninja with a philosophy degree, Norton’s catalogue is a playground of complex characters, moral grey zones, and the occasional existential spiral.

The mission? Simple.

Pick three films.

Make Rachael care.

Convert scepticism into full-blown fandom.

Will Norton’s layered performances crack the code? Or will Rachael remain gloriously unconvinced, arms folded, unimpressed?

It’s persuasive cinema meets chaotic energy — and honestly, it could go either way.

What actor/director do you have a dislike of that you want to see covered? We want to know!

Email us at thirdreelpod@gmail.com or through TikTok and Instagram @third_reel_pod

https://linktr.ee/thirdreelpod

Support our Patreon for more TTR! https://patreon.com/thirdreelpod

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00:00 - Preamble

00:09:30 - The Debate

00:26:53 - The Films

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.