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Mandatory Media

Three Glasses Productions

Mandatory Media is supposedly about all the media you should have studied, but is actually just an excuse for its three hosts to talk about the media they love. Join hosts David (a pop culture lover), Seth (a theatre kid), and Bret (a scholar and poet) every two weeks as they take you through a variety of topics and conversations that range from Keats to Studio Ghibli, and even a video game about Frogs.

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  • 20 episodes
  • monthly
  • Avg 1 hr
  • English

Episodes 20

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  • July 20 · 52 min

    John Donne's Batter my heart, three-person'd God

    Bret takes us through John Donne's spectacular sonnet Batter my heart, three-person'd God. We talk the wonderful language of sonnets, Donne's rebellious nature, and old-timey ways to say things.

  • April 27 · 49 min

    John Carpenter's They Live

    John Carpenter's They Live is a remarkable film from years gone by that remains eerily prescient to our modern society. Join us as we talk aliens, Reaganomics, Doctor Who, and the 15 minute fight scene in an alley way.

  • February 16 · 1 hr 27 min

    John Milton's Il Penseroso & L'Allegro

    Bret takes the group through a deep dive on John Milton's Il Penseroso & L'Allegro, a pair of poems layered in mythic reference, Milton's iconic literary style, and wonderful storytelling. Main Texts referenced: L'Allegro Il Penseroso ⁠Gordon Teskey⁠'s The Poetry of John Milton

  • January 26 · 1 hr

    Episodes from CBS' M*A*S*H (MASH)

    In a break from usual format, David takes the crew through some some selected episodes from the hit TV show MASH. They discuss the changing landscape of TV, classic jokes, and the backdrop of the Korean War. Selected Episodes: S1.12 - Dear Dad S1.15 - Captain Tuttle S4.25 - The Interview S5.22 - Movie Tonight S8.11 - Lifetime

  • Nov 10, 2025 · 53 min

    Steven Spielberg's Jaws

    Just in time for Jaws' 50th anniversary, Seth takes the pod through Spielberg's 1975 classic film. We discuss the unjustly persecuted shark that always broke down on set, incredible suits, and John Williams' iconic score.

  • Oct 6, 2025 · 50 min

    John Keats' To Autumn

    For our 40th episode, Bret takes us through Keats' wonderful ode, To Autumn. We talk native bees, reflections on the poem, and the beautiful nostalgia of fall.

  • Sep 8, 2025 · 50 min

    S.E. Hinton / Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders

    S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders is a staple of middle school English class that somehow both Bret and Seth had never read. Join our three hosts as they discuss Robert Frost, Coppola's movie adaptation, and the lasting power of then 15-year-old Hinton's novel.

  • Aug 11, 2025 · 1 hr 4 min

    Akira Kurosawa's Throne of Blood

    Seth takes the gang through Kurosawa's wonderful Shakepeare adaptation/reimagining, Throne of Blood. Join us for reflections on MacBeth, praising Toshiro Mifune's acting, and so much more.

  • Apr 21, 2025 · 51 min

    Alain DesRochers' Bon Cop Bad Cop 2

    David takes the gang through Bon Cop Bad Cop 2, a Canadian action film full of excitement, jokes about americans, and references to Canadian places.

  • Mar 17, 2025 · 1 hr 8 min

    The Wachowski Sisters' The Matrix

    Today we cover the legendary 90s film by the Wachowskis, the Matrix. We talk literary allusions, cool 90s sunglasses, and Seth does a remarkably good Keanu impression.

  • Jan 6, 2025 · 33 min

    Bret-isode: Bret van den Brink's The Patient Bride: a Vision in a Dream

    In this special Bret-isode your three plucky hosts can't find the time to record together, so the stalwart hero Bret van den Brink goes it alone with a reading of his wonderful poem The Patient Bride, originally published in Mars' Hill Newspaper. He discusses his inspiration behind the poem and gives a fantastic reading of the poem itself.

  • Nov 25, 2024 · 53 min

    Bon Iver's For Emma, Foever Ago

    In first episode about music, Seth takes us through Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago, a masterful album made in the Wisconsin wilderness by musician Justin Vernon. We talk his inspiration, floaty vocals, and how Skinny Love is that one song everyone remembers from the 2010s.

  • Oct 28, 2024 · 1 hr 12 min

    The Russo Brother's Captain America: the Winter Soldier

    A classic of the 2010s, Captain America: the Winter Soldier is a wonderful time capsule into the superhero movies of yesteryear. Join us as we discuss the plot's comic book origins, how the film reflects a post-Snowden America, and the fact that Bret saw it for the first time yesterday

  • Oct 14, 2024 · 59 min

    Wallace Stevens' Late Hymn From The Myrrh-Mountain

    Unsanck your snoods listeners, because Bret takes us on a deep dive of Wallace Stevens and his wonderful poem, Late Hymn From The Myrrh-Mountain. We talk literary allusions, not understanding poetry, and whether or not Seth can find his water bottle.

  • Sep 30, 2024 · 54 min

    Federico Fellini's 8 1/2

    Seth takes us through Fellini's 8 1/2, a thought provoking film from bygone eras of Italian cinema. We talk dubbed soundtracks, quotes from Origen, and the funky clown guy at the end of the movie.

  • Aug 13, 2024 · 1 hr 11 min

    Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Christabel

    In another lively episode about classic poetry, Bret guides us through Coleridge's uncompleted poem Christabel. We discuss popular readings, Coleridge's unique writing structure, and debate whether or not the poem includes a vampire.

  • Jul 29, 2024 · 57 min

    Supergiant Games' Hades

    Join us as we explore the world of Hades, the 2020 video game from Supergiant Games that many have hailed as one of the greatest games of all time. We talk art style, Greek mythology, and the wonderful challenge of game difficulty.

Showing 1–20 of 20 episodes