The History on Film Podcast

Unreal Estate

The History on Film Podcast

Show Notes

Ross and Ryan are joined by filmmakers Derek Murphy and Mitchell Zemil, creators of the MeansTV documentary series "Preserving Worlds". They discuss the preservation of early, obsolete, or obscure online games, and the communities that are dedicated to their continuation. We look at the challenges of maintaining and documenting these games, why it's so important, pitch a Florida-based social networking game, and much more!

FURTHER READING: Bollmer, Grant. Theorizing Digital Cultures. Cohen, Daniel and Roy Rosenzweig. Digital History: A Guide to Gathering, Preserving, and Presenting the Past on the Web.

FURTHER WATCHING: "Preserving Worlds" on MeansTV

ALSO CHECK OUT: The Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More from The History on Film Podcast

Oct 19, 2026

Ross is joined by Dr. Melissa Beattie to discuss fictional countries in modern media. What do these depictions tell us about how the West conceptualizes different parts of the world and how do they reinforce particular views over others? WARNING: MAY CONTAIN A LOT OF FOUCAULTIAN THEORY TALK.

Oct 12, 2026

Ross is joined by returning guest Dr. David Morton to dive into the history of filmmaking in the city of Miami. They discuss the geopolitical influence of the area and Miami's reputation as an unofficial cultural capital of both Latin America and organized crime. David is awarded the podcast's highest and most prestigious honorarium.

Oct 5, 2026

Ross is joined by Dr. Vincent Haddad to talk about his new book NEXT TIME ON DRAGON BALL. They discuss the long-running franchise, including what makes it so beloved globally and why it hasn't received the same scholarly attention as other popular anime.

Sep 28, 2026

Ross is joined by Chris Wade to discuss current trends in the world of music! They dig into the challenges facing artists and the industry as a whole, as well as the recent wave of music biopics and what they tell us about musicians and the state of popular culture. All this, plus nepo baby discourse, a new segment called "RUSH Update", and much more!

Sep 21, 2026

Ross kicks off season 3 with returning guests Drs. Brad Schwartz and Joshua Shepperd talking about NETWORK. They discuss the film's continuing relevancy 50 years later, the mythology of Murrow, and the corporatization of American news media. Plus, a mailbag segment, a detailed breakdown of the QB drama in Cleveland, and something called "Thunderpants". Welcome back!

See all episodes →