In this Movie Memory Machine: Five For mini-episode, Landen and Truman dig up five cinematic gems that either complement or correct Sahara’s sunbaked chaos. From notorious box office bombs to globe-trotting adventures, these films tackle desert escapism, colonial absurdity, and character chemistry with sharper storytelling and far less Steve Zahn thirst. Also, Tintin.

Films Discussed:

1. National Treasure (2004)

2. Ishtar (1987)

3. Gunga Din (1939)

4. The Man Who Would Be King (1975)

5. The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

Topics Covered:

• National Treasure as the domestic Da Vinci Code with Nicholas Cage and map-based dad logic

• Ishtar and Sahara as case studies in studio interference and misunderstood misfires

• Gunga Din as proto-boy-hangout cinema filtered through colonialist baggage

• The Man Who Would Be King and why you shouldn’t let your friend become a god

• Tintin as the platonic ideal of globe-trotting adventure and Spielberg flexing with full flair

Key Takeaways:

• Chemistry and character trump camel count

• Some flops flop for good reason—others are buried treasure

• Colonialist satire can age weirdly—but still frame genre evolution

• Never underestimate a Belgian boy reporter with a dog

Listener Prompt: What’s your go-to treasure hunt movie? And has any desert adventure ever topped The Mummy? Let us know using #MovieMemoryMachine.

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