Reading Between the Reels: Film analysis with snark and heart

In this year’s fifth installment of Star Wars 101, Jeff McGee joins my English classes for a conversation about the stories, themes, and ideas that have made Star Wars one of the most beloved franchises in pop culture. Along the way, we'll explore storytelling, character development, and why sometimes the greatest lessons come from a galaxy far, far away. Because if there's one thing Star Wars has taught us, it's that poor planning has consequences—especially when you're building moon-sized battle stations.

In this year’s fourth installment of Star Wars 101, David Jesse joins my English classes to explore family relationships in Star Wars. From fathers and sons to siblings, mentors, found families, and generational legacy, we examine how the saga uses family to drive conflict, redemption, and hope. Because every family has drama. Most just don't end with someone losing a hand.

In this year’s third installment of Star Wars 101, bestselling author Ian Doescher joins my English classes to explore how Star Wars uses storytelling, symbolism, character development, and the Force to create one of the most enduring myths of the modern era. Because if the Force can bind the galaxy together, it can probably hold a classroom's attention for fifty-two minutes.

In this year’s second installment of Star Wars 101, Din from F-105 joins my English classes to explore the causes and consequences of galactic conflict in a galaxy far, far away. Because sometimes the best way to understand the real world is to analyze a fictional one filled with space wizards and laser swords.

Star Wars 101 is back! Join us for the first installment is our annual summer series in which middle school English students do their best to break down the themes and character arcs of the Star Wars saga. In this episode, we are joined by educator, podcaster, and cosplayer extraordinaire Jay Krebs!

For this installment in our Steven Spielberg series, we unpack A.I. — the feel-good family story about replacing your dead child with an upgraded model. We’re talking abandoned robot children, existential loneliness, uncanny smiles, fairy tale symbolism, and why this movie somehow feels like both a warm hug and a psychological evaluation. Also: the tonal whiplash of watching a sweet robot boy wander through a world that absolutely deserves several lawsuits.
 
It’s sentimental. It’s disturbing. It’s beautiful. It’s two filmmaking legends stitched together like cinematic Frankenstein. Some assembly required.

In Minority Report, people are judged before they act—which hits a little close to home, because we definitely formed strong opinions early and spent the rest of the episode trying to justify them. Join us for the latest installment in our Steven Spielberg series as we wrestle with pre-crime, free will, and a movie that’s clearly operating on a higher level than we are. The system isn’t broken… we just keep getting flagged.

In War of the Worlds, global annihilation isn’t stopped by genius alien tech or tactical brilliance—it’s ultimately halted by Earth’s smallest, least cinematic residents: germs. Join us for the latest entry in our ongoing series on Steven Spielberg films—and the third in a miniseries exploring alien invasions—as we deconstruct the film’s cinematic craft alongside its panic-fueled chaos and collapsing illusion of control, revealing a quietly brutal irony at its core: the invaders didn’t lose to humanity, but to a planet that’s been quietly enforcing its own rules since day one.