Reel Fiction Wed, 10 Jun 2026 01:40:55 -0400 https://reelfictionpodcast.com/ en-us © 2026 Reel Fiction yes 908fb62c-2220-5ae6-b8af-8de8207c73ce Emily and Zoë episodic true Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) history, movies, film, TV, culture, trivia, entertainment Emily and Zoë https://storage.buzzsprout.com/bf5qea7icrwilgtshv0jqe4jdaod?.jpg Reel Fiction https://reelfictionpodcast.com/ Lockdown Special Lockdown Special Emily reaches out during COVID.

  • 01:02 Jaws
  • 11:16 The Warriors
  • 27:19 Goodfellas, Casino, The Irishman
  • 44:48 Ekaterina 
  • 55:50 Cool Runnings




Fact-checking by Kevin March

]]> Emily reaches out during COVID.

  • 01:02 Jaws
  • 11:16 The Warriors
  • 27:19 Goodfellas, Casino, The Irishman
  • 44:48 Ekaterina 
  • 55:50 Cool Runnings




Fact-checking by Kevin March

]]> Emily Sen, Brendan Coyle, Ben Herson, Vic Millar, Emma Stillings, Adam Turkle Buzzsprout-7013866 Sat, 26 Dec 2020 16:00:00 -0500 3986 History, film, movie, movies ,true story, based on a true story, trivia, Scorsese, Jaws, NYC history, Catherine the Great, Disney 1 11 bonus true Pocahontas and Pocahontas 2 Pocahontas and Pocahontas 2 On the season finale, Emily is joined by her friend and Disney afficionado Emma Stillings to dive into the animated classic, Pocahontas. Love it or hate it, this is a historical story that's been retold, analyzed, and nitpicked for almost its entire controverisal existence.

Which parts of the Pocahontas legend were made up by Disney? How much of *that* climactic moment is real? And, the question on all our minds: why are Disney sequels so bonkers?



[TW: This episode contains racist language present in the film]
Fact-checking by Kevin March

]]> On the season finale, Emily is joined by her friend and Disney afficionado Emma Stillings to dive into the animated classic, Pocahontas. Love it or hate it, this is a historical story that's been retold, analyzed, and nitpicked for almost its entire controverisal existence.

Which parts of the Pocahontas legend were made up by Disney? How much of *that* climactic moment is real? And, the question on all our minds: why are Disney sequels so bonkers?



[TW: This episode contains racist language present in the film]
Fact-checking by Kevin March

]]> Emily Sen and Emma Stillings Buzzsprout-6980143 Wed, 23 Dec 2020 09:00:00 -0500 2263 Pocahontas, Disney, history, film, movie, true story, based on a true story, Native American History, Colonial America 1 10 full true The Other Boleyn Girl (Minisode) The Other Boleyn Girl (Minisode) This week we're taking on Tudormania, and one of the most re-told stories in historical fiction. Joined by her friend and unofficial-period-costume-enthusiast Marina di Marzo, Emily looks into the Anne Boleyn story as portrayed in the dramatic 2008 film The Other Boleyn Girl. 

Join us as we reveal which shocking moments were completely made up, discuss the nightmare that was pregnancy in 16th century England, and research that infamous "B" necklace in real-time.

]]> This week we're taking on Tudormania, and one of the most re-told stories in historical fiction. Joined by her friend and unofficial-period-costume-enthusiast Marina di Marzo, Emily looks into the Anne Boleyn story as portrayed in the dramatic 2008 film The Other Boleyn Girl. 

Join us as we reveal which shocking moments were completely made up, discuss the nightmare that was pregnancy in 16th century England, and research that infamous "B" necklace in real-time.

]]> Emily Sen and Marina Di Marzo Buzzsprout-6957560 Mon, 21 Dec 2020 19:00:00 -0500 1953 The Other Boleyn Girl, history, film, movie, true story, based on a true story, kings, royal family, royalty, Anne Boleyn, drama, sex, romance, Tudors, Henry VIII, Henry the Eighth, King, Queen, beheaded, England 1 9 full true The Imitation Game The Imitation Game Emily and Zoë dive into the world of code-breaking and espionage in the Alan Turing biopic, The Imitation Game. As we uncover Turing's life and work at Bletchley Park, we discuss why the Polish are the unsung heroes of this story, what Snow White may have had to do with Turing's death, and how Benedict Cumberbatch can't seem to escape playing Sherlock. 

]]> Emily and Zoë dive into the world of code-breaking and espionage in the Alan Turing biopic, The Imitation Game. As we uncover Turing's life and work at Bletchley Park, we discuss why the Polish are the unsung heroes of this story, what Snow White may have had to do with Turing's death, and how Benedict Cumberbatch can't seem to escape playing Sherlock. 

]]> Emily and Zoë Buzzsprout-3069916 Fri, 20 Mar 2020 17:00:00 -0400 2572 The Imitation Game, history, film, movie, true story, based on a true story, codes, codebreaking, espionage, encrypted, WW2, WWII, world war two, nazis, alan turing, mathematician 1 8 full true Hamilton (Minisode) Hamilton (Minisode) An immigrant does pretty well for himself, until he goes to Jersey.

We're heading to Broadway! Emily is joined by her friend Polly to talk all things Hamilton, the most famous historical musical on the planet. We share some fun production trivia, insane dueling stories, and check out how the show compares to the other 'American Musical,' 1776.

And Emily shares the only fact she's found that was so surprising, the writers actually chose not include it since audiences wouldn't believe it.

]]> An immigrant does pretty well for himself, until he goes to Jersey.

We're heading to Broadway! Emily is joined by her friend Polly to talk all things Hamilton, the most famous historical musical on the planet. We share some fun production trivia, insane dueling stories, and check out how the show compares to the other 'American Musical,' 1776.

And Emily shares the only fact she's found that was so surprising, the writers actually chose not include it since audiences wouldn't believe it.

]]> Emily Sen and Polly Feldman Buzzsprout-2931439 Thu, 05 Mar 2020 22:00:00 -0500 2227 Hamilton, 1776, history, musical, founding fathers, true story, based on a true story, revolutionary 1 7 full true The King's Speech The King's Speech Nothing rallies people like some good long vowels. 

Emily and Zoë discuss one of the most beloved cinematic treasures in modern British history, Colin Firth. And we also get to The King's Speech. Join us as we investigate the pre-war drama at Buckingham Palace, the royal history of radio, and whether rolling across the carpet is an actual form of speech therapy. 

]]> Nothing rallies people like some good long vowels. 

Emily and Zoë discuss one of the most beloved cinematic treasures in modern British history, Colin Firth. And we also get to The King's Speech. Join us as we investigate the pre-war drama at Buckingham Palace, the royal history of radio, and whether rolling across the carpet is an actual form of speech therapy. 

]]> Emily Sen and Zoë Jackson Buzzsprout-2793064 Thu, 20 Feb 2020 01:00:00 -0500 2321 The King's Speech, history, film, movie, true story, based on a true story, kings, royal family, royalty, speech 1 6 full true Oregon Trail (Minisode) Oregon Trail (Minisode) Nothing ruins a trip quite like dysentery. 

Circle your wagons and get ready for a serious case of nostalgia and waterborne illnesses - it's time to hit the Oregon Trail! Emily is joined by her sister Isabel and Isabel's fiancé James to journey back in time replaying the classic computer game, and exploring the real-life trek it's based on.

Can we survive the trail this time around?

]]> Nothing ruins a trip quite like dysentery. 

Circle your wagons and get ready for a serious case of nostalgia and waterborne illnesses - it's time to hit the Oregon Trail! Emily is joined by her sister Isabel and Isabel's fiancé James to journey back in time replaying the classic computer game, and exploring the real-life trek it's based on.

Can we survive the trail this time around?

]]> Emily Sen, Isabel Sen, James Ekstrom Buzzsprout-2671009 Wed, 05 Feb 2020 23:00:00 -0500 1207 Oregon Trail, history, computer games, video games, true story, based on a true story, pioneers, nostalgia 1 5 full true 42 42 Some good white men save America's pastime from some bad white men.

Baseball expert Zoë and baseball idiot Emily take on one of the biggest stories in sports history with the Jackie Robinson biopic 42. Which unsung heroes got their time in the spotlight? Which heroes were not exactly heroes at all? And how well did this movie escape the dreaded white savior trope?

]]> Some good white men save America's pastime from some bad white men.

Baseball expert Zoë and baseball idiot Emily take on one of the biggest stories in sports history with the Jackie Robinson biopic 42. Which unsung heroes got their time in the spotlight? Which heroes were not exactly heroes at all? And how well did this movie escape the dreaded white savior trope?

]]> Emily Sen and Zoë Jackson Buzzsprout-2558278 Thu, 23 Jan 2020 01:00:00 -0500 3522 42, history, film, movie, true story, based on a true story, baseball, sports, Jackie Robinson, civil rights 1 4 full true Indiana Jones (Minisode) Indiana Jones (Minisode) A sexy grave robber punches Nazis. 

The Indiana Jones franchise isn't exactly 'based on a true story,' but it may be responsible for popularizing a number of historical myths. Occult-loving Nazis? Crystal Skulls? Combat-ready archaeologists? Emily digs through the grains of truth here, and calls up an old friend, Noël Grisanti, while she's half the world away on an archaeological dig herself... 

]]> A sexy grave robber punches Nazis. 

The Indiana Jones franchise isn't exactly 'based on a true story,' but it may be responsible for popularizing a number of historical myths. Occult-loving Nazis? Crystal Skulls? Combat-ready archaeologists? Emily digs through the grains of truth here, and calls up an old friend, Noël Grisanti, while she's half the world away on an archaeological dig herself... 

]]> Emily, with special guest Noël Grisanti Buzzsprout-2288621 Sun, 15 Dec 2019 16:00:00 -0500 1705 Indiana Jones, history, film, movie, true story, based on a true story, archaeology, 1 3 full true 300 300 Fighting to the death in speedos. 

Emily and Zoë tackle the screaming, bloody, mostly naked insanity of the notoriously  inaccurate film 300. But is that reputation totally deserved? We make some shocking discoveries, the biggest of which is that a young Michael Fassbender is in this movie and no one told us. 

]]> Fighting to the death in speedos. 

Emily and Zoë tackle the screaming, bloody, mostly naked insanity of the notoriously  inaccurate film 300. But is that reputation totally deserved? We make some shocking discoveries, the biggest of which is that a young Michael Fassbender is in this movie and no one told us. 

]]> Emily Sen and Zoë Jackson Buzzsprout-2284037 Sat, 14 Dec 2019 20:00:00 -0500 3405 300, history, film, movie, true story, based on a true story, war, battle, Ancient Greece, Sparta 1 2 full true Titanic Titanic A group of men think they cannot possibly be wrong. And then the inevitable happens.

Emily and Zoë kick things off with one of the most epic historical movies of all time: Titanic. We tackle the horrific maritime disaster, the simmering tensions of class struggle, and... some really tiny stairs. 

]]> A group of men think they cannot possibly be wrong. And then the inevitable happens.

Emily and Zoë kick things off with one of the most epic historical movies of all time: Titanic. We tackle the horrific maritime disaster, the simmering tensions of class struggle, and... some really tiny stairs. 

]]> Emily Sen and Zoë Jackson Buzzsprout-1944440 Sun, 27 Oct 2019 17:00:00 -0400 3089 Titanic, history, film, movie, true story, based on a true story, disaster 1 1 full true