Movies We Dig: Recent Episodes
Movies We Dig
Is it a movie podcast? Is it a history podcast? Is it an unholy union of the two? Short answer: yes!
Each episode, hosts Colin MacCormack, Elijah Fleming and Christie Vogler break down a new movie about Greece, Rome or the wider ancient world and what works (or doesn’t work) about them. But this isn’t a podcast for nitpicking historical inaccuracies. Rather, it’s a chance to get hot takes on Hollywood films from professional nerds/academics and take a closer look at the relation between our movies and our pasts.
What if you made a coming of age film, but it was about a Macedonian Prince who conquered Asia? Joined by super special guest and Alexander expert (Alexpert) Jenn Finn, we psychoanalyze history's most famous military wunderkind as presented in Oliver Stone's 2004 historical epic Alexander*. As we learn from the film, the secret to making a great conqueror is equal parts traumatic childhood and cave-based myth lessons.
He's just a Big Guy who does Big Guy things! Joined by special return guest, Amy Pistone, we unpack this true gem of a Greek myth adaptation that's really just a delightful D&D excursion. Starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as the titular hero, Hercules, it's no surprise that we all come away loving this quirky film produced at a time when every one else is trying to be gritty with their mytho-historical retellings. All it really needs is one more living-breathing female character and a good heist to make it the greatest film of all time! And maybe drop the random date. Just sayin'.
You can learn more about Amy and her research at https://www.amypistone.com/ or find her on Twitter under the handle @apistone.
And if you like what you hear, please be sure to like, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. For the latest updates on the show, check out our social media pages available here.
Returning to our debut topic, we dig into the 2004 attempt to keep the Gladiator train going, Wolfgang Petersen's Troy. Joined by super-special guest Joel Christensen (of Sententiae Antiquae fame), we revisit this oddly situated film. Spurned by many, beloved by some, and forgotten by most, this film sits at an interesting crossroads in Hollywood and classical reception. Is it a secret masterpiece? Probably not. Is it an interesting mirror of what had and was yet to come? Definitely.
Podcasters, what is your profession? If it's bragging about how you don't have a job, then you might be a Spartan! We return once again to the film that launched a thousand memes: Zack Snyder's 2006 adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel 300. Joined by super-special guest and military history extraordinaire, Roel Konijnendijk, we approach this film as the revealing study of masculinity it really is. Why did this movie stick in our collective cultural craw like it did? What does it's enduring appeal say about our own cultural ideals and aspirations? Why is something so beloved by self-described alpha-males so homoerotic? Listen now to find out.
Follow Roel on Twitter and read his posts as Iphikrates on r/askhistorians
Straight from the Oracle's mouth! Once again, we have the great pleasure of chatting with the Parlapanides Bros about the second season of Netflix's Blood of Zeus. We discuss everything from the season's delayed production, themes of justice and forgiveness, and all our favorite mythological, archaeological, and Classics media Easter eggs! The Fates also offer a glimpse of a future spin-off...but we must all make a sacrifice the the God of Streaming (Hermes? Apollo?) in the form of watch-time to make it happen! Spoilers abound, so be sure to watch Season 2 if you have not already!
And show your love to Vlas and Charley by following the official Blood of Zeus social media pages:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bloodofzeus/ X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/BloodofZeus
Long awaited and much anticipated, we return for the second season of Netflix's anime fantasy series Blood of Zeus. We dig into this shows many references and Easter-eggs, both ancient and modern, along with its larger themes on godhood, humanity, vengeance and forgiveness. And the Hades+Persephone of it all. How could we leave that out?
Pack your bags because we are headed to St. Louis for the Classical Association of the Midwest and South’s annual conference! That’s right, your hosts are not just nerds who really enjoy Classically-inspired media; they’re also serious scholars! Our host Christie talks to various participants (some of which are old friends of the podcast) to learn what they love about CAMWS. It’s not all serious academic talk though, because at the end of the day, we’re ALL big nerds that love to discuss film and Antiquity! Plus, you’ll get to learn a little more lore about your hosts!
Special thanks to everyone who sat down for an interview, including Christina Hotalen, Michael Hall, Sami Cronin, Andrea Stehle, Jeremy Swist, Amy Norgard, and Abigail Bradford! We have done our best to link their names with sites where you can learn more about them and their work. Be sure to let them know we sent you their way!
If you want to learn more about CAMWS, check out the website here: https://camws.org/
And if you would like to attend an online conference all about the ancient world in media, be sure to check out AIMS (Antiquity in Media Studies)! Maybe we’ll see you there;) https://antiquityinmediastudies.wordpress.com/
This special episode also required a little more ambience, so thanks to music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/light-patterns/grassland for helping to set the tone!
We all knew Spartacus and his followers would meet a tragic end, but damn if they didn't make it look sexy as hell! Joining us for one final Girls' Night at MWD are the hosts of Ancient History Fangirl podcast, Jenny Williamson and Genn McMenemy. Listen as we laugh and discuss the terrible outfit choices, surfer-boy Julius Caesar's dubious alias , and the apparent apotheosis of Gannicus . While we had our doubts at the beginning of this series, War of the Damned brings the story to a satisfying conclusion and successfully makes us view Rome in a whole new (admittedly dim) light.
If you want to learn more about Genn and Jenny's podcast, check out their website: https://www.ancienthistoryfangirl.com/
You can also check out Jenny's personal website https://www.jennywilliamsonauthor.com/ to get details and updates about her upcoming historical romantasy novel, Enemy of My Dreams.
What happens when a bunch of gladiators break out of a ludus? They loot villas, burn down an arena, and party with some Germans, that's what! And all in the name of lov... I mean "VENGEANCE!" The ladies of MWD are joined by special return guest, Christina Hotalen, to discuss the second season of Starz's Spartacus. This season might be the most fun of them all! Now if certain characters would just stay dead...
If you want to check out Christina's work, both academic and otherwise, use this link: https://linktr.ee/infestissima
Present ears for listening and broach subject! Joined by our special guest doctore, author and host of Let's Talk About Myths, Baby!, Liv Albert, we strip down to our subligacula to break down the prequel series of the Spartacus franchise: Gods of the Arena. Hear us discuss this show's hyper-stylized cocktail of blood, sweat and sex. Opinions vary but we're all in agreement that this show does not do anything half-measure.
The ladies decided to have a good ol' Girls' Night! And what better series to discuss than the first season of Starz's Spartacus? With its Zack Snyder aesthetic, impressive gladiatorial fights, and sad attempt to include romance, where could we go wrong? Joining in is our resident Roman spectacle specialist, Alexandra Sills, to help us distill the true essence of Blood and Sand...which is apparently "Tits and swords!" Joking aside, there is much to admire about this show. And no, we don't mean all the gladiators' abs. Well, not just their abs.
You can find Alexandra’s webpage, writing, social media and much much more at https://linktr.ee/alexandrasills
Girls can be warlords too! To celebrate Women's History Month we're looking back at the 90's cult classic series Xena: Warrior Princess. Joined by super special warrior-guest Amy Pistone, we carve up this show's sparagmatic approach to antiquity, storytelling, fan-fiction, feminism, queer representation and all things 90's. INSERT XENA WAR CRY
After completion of the Disney+ Percy Jackson series, the MWD crew thought it would be a good(?) idea to revisit the original film with new perspectives and participants. Has time improved our overall view of the film? Maybe the better question to ask is which of the hosts end up hating this film the most. Grab your magical pens with the same level of skepticism as Lerman's aged-up Percy as we delve into this quintessentially 2010s young adult film. And be sure to avert your eyes when Medusa shows up! Or when Grover decides to go pantsless.
And a special thanks to Hannah Bazinaw for her participation and assistance in covering the Percy Jackson series! You made for an excellent psychopomp:)
We wrap up our in-depth analysis on Disney+'s newest adaptation of Rick Riordan's series, Percy Jackson and The Olympians! Joined by special guest and PJ-expert, Hannah Bazinaw, we review our final thoughts on this series now that it's wrapped. What about this show did we love? What did we hate? what did we love to hate? Get it here, as we talk family trauma, hero's journeys and when actually was the golden age of television (hint: it's True Blood).
Season 1 of Percy Jackson and The Olympians comes to an end. All deals are completed; the traitor is revealed; and our trio is headed off on their next ventures (while giving Disney a shameless plug). Special guest Laura Porto joins Christie to discuss the good and bad of the season finale. While the episode mostly ends on a high note of Percy reuniting with his mom, we still can't quite shake the "ick" feeling the final scene gave us. Here's hoping season 2 leads to some monster slaying we'll be happy to see!
What is a hero without a good katabasis to their name? Special guest Emma Coffey joins us the discuss the trio's descent to the Underworld, arguably one of the best arcs in the series thus far. Percy and the gang must contend with Charon, Cerberus, the Asphodel Fields, and a (dare I say) reasonable Hades. No complaints on that front, but what happened to the Medusa subplot? Why does Poseidon have a sexy Aussie accent? Why in the Underworld did Sally put a match in an ice cream sundae? We attempt to address all these questions and more in the our latest minidsode.
We're back with another of our special installment series: Extremely Strained and Incredibly Forced. this Week, Alexandra Sills returns to talk about the connection between civic trauma and gladiators as we get into classical allusions and parallels in the new film, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. We talk Rome, Carthage, Troy, the Underworld, snakes and much more. Volunteer as tribute now!
You can find Alexandra's webpage, writing, social media and much much more at https://linktr.ee/alexandrasills
As the master of all time and space, host Colin joins us to analyze the sixth episode of Disney's Percy Jackson! While there is not much to say about the Lotus Eaters themselves, we do discuss the unnaturalness of casinos and the meta-ness of the entire Riordanverse. Then there are questions regarding Lin-Manuel Miranda's fashion choices as Hermes. But hey, Grover finally saved some animals!
It's time to get wet! Joined by special return guest, Chiara Sulprizio, professor at Vanderbilt University and creator of Animated Antiquity, we dive into Netflix's anime adaptation of Mari Yamazaki's time-traveling bath manga. We talk history, baths and the absolute unmitigated charm of this show. Grab your towel and your sponge stick because it's bath time!
We are over half-way through the first season of Percy Jackson and we get to meet two godly brothers that have a lot more in common than you might initially realize. Our demi-gods and their "Big Cousins" Ares and Hephaestus are all just looking for some love from their parents, but at what cost? Hannah officially takes on the role of co-host for the minisodes and we are joined with a new special guest, Merri Willis! We discuss just how dysfunctional the Olympians are and whether or not we like Grover's first real step into the spotlight (though we're still waiting for the arrival of Gladiola).
After the previous week's tough take on Medusa, we are excited to meet Echidna: Mother of Monsters in this episode. And apparently nothing strikes more fear into the hearts of young demi-gods (and us mere mortals) than a suburban mom with a chihuahua...er...I mean, Chimera. Christie and Hannah break down the episode and provide some new questions for us all to ponder: Does Annabeth have a belly button (that being said, does Athena)? Why do all the bad people and monsters have to be female? What happened to Riordan to make the poor man so jaded?
We brush up on the latest season of the historical TV drama, Domina. Join us as our conversation wanders all over the politics and intrigue surrounding Rome's most (in)famous first lady. We talk about the push-and-pull of navigating history in story-telling, baboon attacks, ghosts (literal and figurative), and how everything in Roman history can be traced back to daddy issues. Plus, Christie plays with a new sound board!
It's the episode we've all been anticipating...and dreading. Can a third attempt at Medusa's story in the Percy Jackson world prove successful in a post- #MeToo world? Christie and special guest/host, Hannah Bazinaw, breakdown episode 3 of the new Disney+ series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
*Update: Reposted with improved volume levels. We have a new crew working on editing. We are quickly learning so that we can provide you with the quality of editing that you are used to. Thank you for your patience.
We continue our survey of ancient Rome on the small screen with our review of the first season of the British-Italian historical drama television series, Domina. Joined by special guest, Christina Hotalen, we dig into this re-re-envisioning of Rome's most infamous first lady, Livia Drusilla. We talk feminist retellings, history vs. narrative and the best ways to dispose of a body ca. 23 BCE.
You can find images from Christina's dissertation project, "Embodying the Empire: Imperial Women and the Evolution of Succession Ideologies in the Third Century," here.
To keep up with increasing demand and this timely release, we're trying a new format: minisodes! This week, Christie and new special guest/host, Hannah Bazinaw, breakdown the first two episodes of the new Disney+ series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
We finish out our discussion of this classic BBC adaptation of Robert Graves' novel. This half, we dig into the reigns of Caligula, Claudius and Nero, their adaptation on the series and our understandings of their reigns. Can you be a good emperor in a corrupt system? Are Roman woman in film caught in an inescapable Catch-22? What's the historical truth behind 'Herman the German'? Listen to find out the answers to these questions and more!
We finally take on the elephant-in-the-room of Rome on television: I, Claudius (1976). Joined by super-special guest Liz Gloyn, we dig into the first half of the BBC adaptation of Robert Graves' novels in all its glory. With a winning combination of history, humor, intrigue, top-tier actors and bargain-bin old-age make-up, there's no shortage of material to dig through. But don't touch the figs!
You can follow more from Liz in her new book Tracking Classical Monsters, on her blog Classically Inclined, as well as on bluesky and Twitter @lizgloyn.
We're back to finish out our discussion on HBO's historical drama, wrapping up with our thoughts on the much-containing Season 2 of Rome (2005). We talk about the highs and lows, our favorites and not-so-favorites, and the arc of Rome and Romans in US/UK television history. Who's the bigger hero of Rome: Jesus or Spartacus?
We venture out into new seas -- or new remote cabins-in-the-woods -- with a new Halloween special listen-along commentary. Hear our real-time gasps, jeers and cheers as we group watch Travis Stevens' indie horror / Greek tragedy A Wounded Fawn (2022). We discuss theater, art, shoes and much more. Let us know if this format works!
We're back to discuss the rise and fall of prestige television and Julius Caesar, now in one neat stab-able package. This episode we break down the back half of HBO's historical drama Rome with super special guest Alexandra Sills. We talk tyrants, politics, plebeians and all the dirty gossip from the ancient world. Justice for Cicero?
You can find Alexandra's webpage, writing, social media and much much more at https://linktr.ee/alexandrasills
Gird your togas, it's time for part one of our much-anticipated look back at HBO's 2005 prestige drama series, Rome. A big favorite of ours, we dig into what this show gets about antiquity, from the graffiti-ridden alleys of the Suburra to the partisan gridlock of the Curia. We especially love its marriage of the plebeian with the patrician, how it combines the fancy parties and politicking of the Julii clan with the quotidian troubles of regular people, and how both elements come together to far-reaching effects. Politics, class, religion, medicine, insane penises, disgraced 80's presidential candidates; it's all there.
We're coming back! We debut our plans for upcoming episodes featuring Rome in Television (HBO's Rome, I Claudius, Domina, Thermae Romae Novae) and a special contest. In anticipation for reviewing the eternal city on the small screen, we discuss our picks for best and worst of Rome in the Theaters. Follow us on Instagram and Threads for more. #WineOnTheLine.
Vote for your favorite Rome movie here
Follow us on Instagram, Threads and BlueSky. Donate at Ko-Fi
How does an empire fall, from within or without, and would it make a good movie? Those are just some of the many questions we dig into with special guests and hosts of the Partial Historians podcast, Dr. Fiona Radford and Dr. Peta Greenfield (@p_historians), as we take on Anthony Mann's historical epic drama Fall of the Roman Empire. We dive into the history and reception of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus, this movie's place in the pantheon of Hollywood sword-and-sandal epics and the tension between historicity and ideology in films such as these. We also make our Gladiator 2 predictions. They should call it GLADIATOR$!
It's British edu-tainment at its finest? Opinions, like empires, are divided over this movie, a raunchy comedy adapted from of a popular TV/Youtube series adapted from a popular book series. Joined by a new wonderful guest, Emma Coffey, we get into Boudica's revolt, representation of historical women in film and Britain's representation of its own colonial history as mediated through its ancient past. And poop jokes. All in all pretty standard fair. Is this a clever and effective way to teach history or Youtube sketch that overstayed its welcome?
Upload your stacks and get ready to get spun back up because we're taking on the labors of Netflix's cyberpunk action noir Altered Carbon. Super special guest Methuselah and Metal Classicist Jeremy Swist pitches to the Reception Police™ his idea on future super-soldier Takeshi Kovacs being a reception of the mighty Heracles. We get into this show's genre roots, the motivations of (anti-)heroes, the archaeology of spinning the dead back up and - in true Platonic fashion - the nature of the soul. It's Plotinus meetsPhilip K Dick. Verdict: you cannot disembody the embodied body.
you can find Jeremy on Twitter @MetalClassicist and his website https://heavymetalclassicist.home.blog/
This might be perhaps the wildest piece of classical reception we've covered to date, at least if we're going by number of dismembered body parts. Joined by super special guest Pramit Chaudhuri, we dig into Julie Taymor's 1999 Titus, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus. This is a real gold mine of reception: Shakespeare adapting ancient Rome, us adapting Shakespeare, us adapting Shakespeare adapting ancient Rome via a smoothie of Ovid, Seneca and Livy. As the references pile up, we consider whether this play a unmitigated disaster or secret masterpiece. Other important questions: What if Pee-wee Herman was a fascist? Why does Steve Bannon love this play so much? What's the best way to cook your enemy's children into a pie? There's a full menu to pick from. Pun intended.
CW: This episode contains discussion of sexual violence
That's right all you hard boppers, we're back with a new episode on the 1979 cult classic, The Warriors. Joined by special guests Joel Christensen, Tim Gerolami and 60,000 soldiers, the streets are ours. We get into Xenophon's 5th c. travel blog that (maybe) inspired this tale, gang life in the movies, Tim's dad and the ultimate question one can pose on this show: CAN YOU DIG IT?
We're back with a special, in-person episode recorded at the annual SCS/AIA meeting in New Orleans, LA. Christie pitches us on looking at the second season of HBO's The White Lotus through the lens of Hesiod and the idea of kalon kakon, the beautiful and the bad. We talk sex, relationships, betrayal, murder, tragedy, didactic poetry and the dangers women pose to your grain storage.
We're back to close out the year with a long awaited (and maybe the original) episode of Extremely Strained and Incredibly Forced. Joining us is very special guest, Adam Rabinowitz, who explains why the best adaptation of Homer's Iliad ever produced in the U.S. of A. was not a tediously long epic poem about the War of 1812 - for that, see the Fredoniad - but the HBO crime drama, The Wire. We break down this television classic, its roots in Greek literature and how Omar Little has become a modern Achilles.
You can follow Adam's work with UT Austin's Battle Cast collection, the excavation at Histria, and Planet Texas 2050: Stories of Ancient Resilience.
The Reception Police are back with another take on the how Vergil's Aeneid is secretly lurking behind all your favorite shows and movies. This week, Maxwell T Paule pitches his theory that AMC's The Walking Dead (2010-2022) is an American re-imagining of Aeneas' search for a new home set against the zombie apocalypse. We talk kings and police, doomed walled cities, father-son relationships and the one true sign you've found a place to settle down: farming.
We dig back into the MCU with return guest and (pseudo-)archaeology expert, David S Anderson to excavate The Eternals (2021). Once more we revisit the thorny issue of what exactly is and isn't a god in this universe and how to reconcile these immortal robo-stewards against the broader universe. We also dig into the problematic nature of its source material, the way ideas about myth and history slip in and out of cultural discourse and underlying assumptions about what humans are and are not good for. Is is love, creativity, hope, pyramid-building? Namor also pops up for reasons
We fly over to New Asgard and Omnipotence City to talk gods and god butchers with special guest Jason Nethercut. We dig into Thor in the MCU, the relation between myth and Marvel comics, and one big question that's thundering our bolts: what is a god? Are we gods? Is the hammer a god? Are we the hammer? Probably no, on all counts...
Dig into the firstest episode of our new special segment, Extremely Strained and Incredibly Force, where we seek out and/or create connections between ancient and modern popular media. Debuting this new project is super special three-peat guest, Ayelet Haimson Lushkov, and her question: "Is Moana the Aeneid?" Sailing into unknown horizons, we chart a new course looking at these two works - one a 1st c. BCE Latin poem, the other a 2016 animated Disney film base don Polynesian myth - and their sea-sailing, destiny-guided heroes. Join us as we consider the nature of reception and its limits (is Hamilton the Aeneid?), tales of displacement and homecoming, the figure of the hero and, of course, the coconut (the roots and the leaves!)
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Joined by a very special guest and the Rock's personal Latin teacher, Dr. Kira Jones (@FlavianSophist), we enter the dreaming of Netflix's The Sandman, based on Neil Gaiman's iconic 1989-1996 comic of the same name. We dig the the mythological foundations of Gaiman's, the nature of dreams and our favorite bits of Latin in modern pop culture. Come for the hot takes, leave never because you're trapped in an eternal waking nightmare!
This is a little at of order as we actually recorded prior to the last two episodes, but hey that's showbiz! We reflect back on the adventure archaeology genre with Sandra Bullock's send-up of tomb-raiding, artifact-looting treasure hunters. We also talk a lot of about romance novels and how we'd like to see more from/on/about them. You can tell by the sheer amount of laughing in there we were quite fond of this one (and a lot more was edited out).
We continue our excavation of the Indiana Jones franchise with its fourth (but not final) installment. Joining us is Mesoamerican archaeologist and expert in (combating) pseudo-archaeology, David S. Anderson. We dig into adapting Indiana Jones to the modern age, the troubling history of pseudo-science plaguing archaeology and where we think this franchise could and should go. The fifth film is currently in the works...
After much ado, we finally tackle the big question: why did it have to be snakes? Joined by Egyptologists and hosts of the Afterlives with Kara Cooney podcast, Kara Cooney and Jordan Galczynski, we uncover Steven Spielberg's 1981 archaeology-adventure classic, Raiders of the Lost Ark. We talk real vs. fantasy archaeology and the myths and ideals embraced/propagated by Indiana Jones. We also discuss our own personal Belloqs (re: nemesis), where artifacts do(n't) belong, the relation between government and archaeology and what creatures we wouldn't want to find while digging. No artifacts were harmed in the making of this podcast.
You can hear and read more from Kara and Jordan at their websites: https://karacooney.squarespace.com/ and https://jagalczynski.squarespace.com/
This episode, it's all about the three C's of classical education: Caesar, Cicero and Cheating at trivia contests. We dig into The Emperor's Club (2002), the oft-forgotten antithesis to Dead Poets Society about how Kevin Kline instills soon-to-be-famous teen actors with moral rigor among by talking about Rome. We discuss the value and shortcomings of teaching classical civilizations, our own pedagogical knacks and how much we'd charge to help an eccentric millionaire cheat at his own trivia contest. Answer: one bottle of nice-ish wine. Justice for Šutruk-Nakhunte!
Or as we like to call it "It Should Have Been Set on Crete." Join us with special guest from Let's Talk About Myths, Baby! Liv Albert as we dive into the semi-historical, semi-mythological world (maybe alternate dimension?) of BBC's Atlantis (2013). This show is a real who's who of mythological characters and British character actors (Vincent Reagan once again graces our screens). We get Oedipus, Minos, Ariadne, Pasiphae, Circe and many others. At the center of our adventure are our heroes: a debauched Hercules, a love-interest Medusa, an oddly historical Pythagoras, all led by an uncharacteristically competent and often shirtless Jason. Overall, this is a light-hearted and often enjoyable but deeply shallow take on ancient mythology which, ironically, felt a little out of time on network TV circa 2013.
You can find Liv at her website https://www.mythsbaby.com/, where you can find her podcast and books, including the latest cocktail book, Nectar of the Gods, and on twitter at @mythsbaby
Back again with yet another video game! Joined by expert archaeologist and gamer, Deb Trusty, we dig into Assassin's Creed's take on 5th century BCE Greece. We talk the sites, sounds and characters of Greece circa the Peloponnesian War; what we like, what we quibble over and the pleasure of being able to experience the ancient world first hand through the medium of games. At the end of the day, all we love all archaeological sites, except Gla.
You can find more of Deb Trusty talking video games on at doctordebitage on twitch and youtube
We tackle yet another late-aughts violent historical epic featuring a Roman centurion, painted barbarians and sigh the 9th Legion. This Gladiator-aspirant feels like a generic assemblage of every cliche from the last 60 years of sword and sandal films (along with more recent fantasy and war films); almost every discrete parts feels lifted from at least half-a-dozen other movies. For us, the most frustrating part is the movie touches on interesting ideas and themes concerning life in Roman Britain, only to fly right past them in favor of fireballs and pee-pee jokes. One thing we all agree on: this movie would be better with werewolves.
What's a place like me doing in a podcast like this? That's right we're jumping across the Mediterranean to Egypt to talk about everyone's favorite curse-dealing, gun-slinging, action-adventure-horror-remake : The Mummy (1999). Joined by super awesome special guest and expert on all things 'the Rock', Amy Pistone, we get into this movie's horror origins, early 20th century archaeology and what exactly makes a king "Scorpion."
Why do we build the podcast? We build the podcast to set us free! This week we shift gears into musical theater with very special super guest Sam Lipert, a Lynchburg student taking the professors to class on Hadestown, a Tony-winning musical which made its Broadway debut in 2019. We get into stagecraft, aesthetics and how creators Anaïs Mitchell and Rachel Chavkin adapt Greek myth to the modern theater (with nods to ancient tragedy). Also hear our favorite songs and moments from a veritable gold mine (or oil field) of riches. Persephone's cup truly runneth over!
We're here with a very special bonus episode on Superbowl commercials past and present. We dig into three classically themed features from 2022's Superbowl LVI as well as a special throwback to the distant year of 2004. Listen us argue for a Marxist interpretation of a Pepsi add, pitch a quirky comedy featuring a retired Zeus and discuss why classical antiquity seems to be having a moment in our current pop-culture landscape.
We're back to look at the more action adventures following the success of Gladiator and writer David Franzoni's next project: King Arthur (2004). Here, Antoine Fuqua directs a gritty re-imagining of Arthurian legend in the final years of the Roman Empire. We get into the mid-00's obsession for gritty realism, the NEW archaeological 'discoveries' and esoteric Celtic spiritualism which inspired this movie, along with riveting discussion of the Roman fort of Vindolanda, our favorite Knights of the Round Table, whether or not Til Schweiger has hair and our favorite (male, non-queer-coded) sexy villains pre-2010. Enjoy, or don't. I'm a podcast, not Roman authority.
We're back for the big one (because it sold us queer giraffes!). A critical and commercial hit, Gladiator spawned a revival for a genre that had been presumed dead for at least 40 years. It also inspired, for better or worse, no small amount in interest in ancient Rome over the last two decades. We get into all the details of this movie, its legacy and the impact its vision of Rome had on 21st audiences. Plus, we share our hopes and dreams for upcoming, albeit unnecessary, Gladiator 2.
Get ready for a real trip back to ancient Egypt, where Caesar is green, triumphs feature sports cars and gladiators bring handguns to the arena. Joined by animation expert Chiara Sulprizio, we dig into this animated adult fantasy/sci-fi/historical epic by Osamu Tezuka and Eiichi Yamamoto. This is really one of the wilder takes on ancient history we've ever seen and even if it's not your bag - which for many it probably won't be - it is definitely worth a viewing, if only to take in its sheer wildness.
You can read more from Chiara about animation and the ancient world at Animated Antiquity
This is simultaneously an excavation of both Imperial Rome and late 60's Italian cinema. Joined by the amazing Sarah E. Bond and Gregory Hays, we dig into Frederico Fellini's dreamlike, even frenetic, adaptation of the Satyricon by Petronius. This is a film which has a lot of offer when it comes to classical reception. In lieu of 'historically accuracy' (if we care about such things), Fellini presents us with a fantastical and at times unnerving vision of ancient Rome. In some ways, Fellini Satyricon is the true embodiment of how we receive both Petronius' work and the ancient world at large: fragmentary, perplexing and often unknowable. Final Verdict (courtesy of SEB): Watch more movies! Care less about accuracy!
In a very special episode, Colin, Eli, Christie and special guest Zoé Thomas sit down with Charley and Vlas Parlapanides, the creators and head writers of Blood of Zeus (2020). We dig into the brothers' inspirations for the show, their strong ties to Greece and Greek culture and their approach to a forward-thinking adaption of ancient myth. Other discussion topics include the underappreciated tradition of Helen in Egypt, fully funded dream projects and "monster tiddies".
Sometimes we review movies we're very passionate about and sometimes we review The Last Legion. Fortunately we have special guests Ayelet Haimson Lushkov and Pramit Chaudhuri, hosts of Calcutta Arthouse Podcast, to save Rome(?) with us. Where to even begin with this one. It's a movie where every scene and line of dialogue competes to be the most absurd, confusing or just ridiculously hammy thing every put to screen. There's something to be unpacked about the way this movie wholeheartedly embraces a lot of misconceptions about the "decline and fall" of the Roman Empire, including: Rome was an inherently good and freedom-loving absolute monarchy, it came to an end in a single violent invasion of waves hand barbarians, the Caesars were a bunch of conqueror-kings with magic blood, Tiberius was a nice guy. The list goes on. Perhaps the best way to watch this movie is on an Aeroflot from 1980.
Joined by super extra awesome guest Donna Zuckerberg, we dig not down but up and out of hell with the 2020 rogue-like (or rogue-lite) dungeon crawler Hades by Supergiant Games. Yes we've switched gears to video games, which are like movies, but ones you play. Pretty early on we reveal we're all BIG fans of this game and we really relish getting to dive into the all the many creative, engaging and inclusive ways it merges mythology, storytelling and game-play into one fantastic package.
We're back at Troy, where shirts are optional, digging up an artifact from a bygone era: late 90's television. Joined by the wonderful Dr. Deborah Beck, expert Homerist from UT Austin, we we break down the 1997 Hallmark miniseries, The Odyssey. This movie, by its director's own omission hones in on the action-adventure aspects of Homer's Odyssey. But, we scholars ruminate, are those really the best parts of the story? We mediate again on the pitfalls of sticking to the plot of a story while missing its larger themes. We also tackle two of the great questions of our time: Iliad or Odyssey and who had the best mullet?
You can find podcasts on the Iliad and Sophocles' Antigone by Deborah Beck with her students at UT here and here
Do you even Argo bro?!? Christie Vogler is back with us again but we've decided to leave her name out of the title tos ave money on digital ink. We're back with Ray Harryhausen's most celebrated film, Jason and the Argonauts, in which Colin's cat does battle with a Zoom background of Talos, the Bronze Giant. Should this movie actually be a heist film? Is Jason really such a hero? Why do we expect historic/mythic settings to feature British accents? How do special effects affect storytelling, especially myths? Can skeletons swim? We get into these and many more topics this is love child between prestige sword and sandal and B-theater creature features.
We're back with our first episode of season 2. Joined by threepeat guest and avowed servant of Rita Repulsa, the always amazing Dr. Vogler, we dig into Ray Harryhausen's 1981 Clash of the Titans. Naturally, we spend the first 5 minutes talking about our speaking habits and fancy vocab words before getting to the actual movie, but his film is fascinating to us both as a work of classical reception and as an artifact of modern cinema. It's a fairly down the middle adaptation of a myth and perhaps the last example of a Hollywood tradition of movie-making embodied in the effects of Ray Harryhausen. Listen to our takes on the gods, heroes, monsters, behind-the-scenes drama, whales and more.
At one point we mention posts on Twitter by Aimee Hinds Scott on the film legacy of Medusa, which you can check out here.
After a short hiatus, we're back to announce MWD will be returning for another season. More movies, more not-movies, all the hot-takes. We talk briefly about our vision for the show and tease some upcoming films, shows and video games we'll be discussing. You can also read more about our past and future plans over at our friends SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE. Special thanks to Joel Christensen for magnanimously offering us a platform upon which to pontificate.
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Gigantomachy II: Electric Boogaloo! Our longest episode to date, we really don't lack for things to talk about. There's a a lot to love in this show and some to look critically at but we really only have one question: who are those people in the bed with Apollo? We get into a lot, such as Zeus as a father, whether the Fates' baby on the table makes any sense, how Heron should dress and which was our favorite giant. Plus, a loooong discussion about sexy lamps and winged phalloi! Stay till the end for the gag reel. Enjoy!
"Screw your winged horse, I want a Manticore!" We break down the first four episodes of Netflix's original anime series with repeat guest Christie Vogler and newcomer Zoé Thomas. We dig into the show's pop cultural influences, its novel takes on mythology and the design choice to make everyone super hot. We also talk at length about Hera's anger, Zeus' faults and convenient vases depicting exactly the myth you need to tell. The mention of unmixed wine also really shakes our kraters. Additional questions: Would a similar show set in Rome with as much attention to artistic style feature too many ugly sculpture? How many brains does a three headed dog need? Should we all just play kottabos when we party? We also introduce new literary lens where all stories are actually about Alexander the Great.
“A man who thinks that he has been done wrong is a mad, mad man.” (the Iliad, abridged). Get these and other hot takes as we finish off our miniseries on this miniseries the only way we know how: by climbing into a big wooden horse and hoping for the best. Joined by another wonderful UT undergraduate, we break down the final episodes of Netflix’s historical action-adventure romance drama. We dwell on the rage of Achilles and his susceptibility to very obvious schemes. We pick apart the denouement of Helen and Xanthias the spy, in all its contrivances. We lament the short-lived presence of the Amazons. Plus, we start asking the big questions. Should Odysseus be empathetic or cruel or somewhere in between? Is Aeneas not bland enough? Does Priam dye his mustache? Count how many times we say “the Iliad” when we actually mean some other text. When you’re in the moment, they’re all the Iliad!
Joined by three fantastic first year students from UT Austin, we continue our discussion of Netflix's miniseries as we get into episodes 4-6. We discuss how this show has updated the tale for this generation of viewers and how it compares to the 2004's Troy. What characters work and don't work for us? Do we want a good or a bad Hector? Are the gods necessary or superfluous? Is what this show needs just more blood? Also witness the exact moment when Colin realizes Aeneas was Dean Thomas in HP. Answers to these and many more await, along with repeated plugs for Shadow & Bone.
We launch the first of a special, three part miniseries on the Netflix/BBC original on the Trojan War. Joining us is UT Classics professor and archaeologist Dr. Adam Rabinowitz who is currently teaching a class on the stories of the Trojan War. We talk about our initial reactions to episodes 1-3, as well as more broadly on the show's place in the modern TV landscape. Is this series actually about family more than love or war? Is there much more to Helen's character than we might detect on first viewing? Why is an extra hammering bronze? What's with the ostrich?
You can find Adam online as well as through his work with the following projects:
- Planet Texas 2050 - a research initiative dedicated to sustaining Texas' critical resources
- Learning from Histria - Adam's archaeological work on settlements in the Black Sea, which you can also read about here and here
- You can also hear Adam speak about his work in Romania on the Slavic Connexion
Get your checkbooks ready Hollywood producers because we basically re-pitch a new, better version of this now 10 year old film. On top of that, we dig up the literary and historic source material inspiring the plot, along with the larger ideas and implications tie to its Heart-of-Darkness-esc depiction of Hadrian's Wall, Northern Britain and Roman imperialism. Overall, we found more to chew over than we first thought. Much of that being the thought process behind casting its lead. It comes so close to an interesting and complex depiction of the Roman but trips up at the very end. More importantly, is there an intertextual relation between Esca and Jar-Jar Binks?
Are you ready to go back toTitanic Pompeii? Accompanied by another fantastic host, Christy "I didn't want Kiefer like that," Schirmer, we dig into a movie where being a gladiator is a non-stop killing bonanza and the fastest way to a woman's heart is by euthanizing a horse. Is this just a big heap of hot, pyroclastic garbage? Considering how much archaeological material we have from Pompeii, it's almost amazing this movie engages with practically none of it. We, on the other hand, do talk about the actual Pompeii as well as Herculaneum as well as the plot of this and other arguably much better films. Our great revelation is this movie is not about gladiators or love or volcanoes, but horses.
Two questions: 1) Is this a nuanced and thoughtful take on the religious and political strife in Alexandria and the wider Roman world in the 4th/5th century CE? 2) Why is this movie called Agora? We dive into both issues as well as what we know about the real Hypatia (not enough), why she's a great candidate for a dramatic treatment and why seeing Earth from orbit will make you realize that all our differences are just the petty squabbles of losers who haven't been to space. Colin tells a very relevant story about a philosopher who reveals a vampire. Larger question, if you were sent back in time (to say ancient Rome), what knowledge or technology would you be able to bring with you to give yourself an edge? Was this all just an excuse to talk about Game of Thrones?
Depressa! Toma! Toca faz o sol nasce! Bolstered by yet another mega guest, Dr. Rebecca Futo Kennedy, the creative mind behind Classics at the Intersections, we get into Marcel Camus' French-Brazilian adaptation of Greek myth, Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro). We also tease our future dive into Thermae Romae and bring in It Follows into the mix. We dive into the importance of play, aging, death, Casio keyboards and how this movie might secretly be a horror film masquerading as a tragedy. Final verdict: Cala boca! Ele está fazendo levantar o sol.
Is this movie the spiritual predecessor of The Phantom Menace? Probably not, but we explore that idea anyways. This week, Colin and Eli dive into MGM's chariot-smashing mega-epic starring Charlton Heston. We're here for the chariot/pod race and Judah's horses deserve an award. We're a a bit more split on the religious overtones and general length of the film. Maybe we just want more revenge? Should we see the remake? One thing's for sure, not all cylinders were firing for us when we recorded.
We're Spartacus! This week Colin (aka Spartacus) and Eli (aka Spartacus) take on the classic epic written by Dalton Trumbo, directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Kirk Douglas. This movie stands out among its peers to us in that it's really about something. Is this a case of a movie telling a sort of collectivist narrative? Is Spartacus the hero of the left? We get into the details of both this film's relation to the historical Spartacus, the Red Scare in Hollywood and the creative minds which led to its production. Do we want Large Spartacus of Small Spartacus? Crassus is the reason we need to federalize it. There were some technical difficulties while recording so please excuse any audio infelicities and background noise.
Joined by another fantastic guest and man of constant sorrow, Joel Christensen, we trace the unbroken line from Homer to Mumford & Sons through the Cohen Brothers. Is this more or less of an Odyssey adaptation than its directors let on? What makes Odysseus Odysseus? How does myth meet a nostalgia for a certain visage of the American South? Is Clooney too charming to be the man of many ways?
We get into classic Hollywood's take on Egypt's most (in)famous queen with the help of Heavy Metal Classicist Jeremy Swist and pharaonic expert Nikki Becklinger. How do modern visions of Cleopatra depart or align with the historical ruler? What is the significance of Cleopatra then and now? How much did it cost to make this movie? Answer on that: a lot. Our real consensus though is that the face of ancient women should be more than Cleopatra. We stan for the Hatshepsut movie!
Links to the articles we mention on modern depictions of Cleopatra and the Black Athena debates in the field:
- Casting Cleopatra
- Part 1
- Part 2
- Denise McCoskey's Black Athena, White Power
This movie is... long... and hasn't aged amazingly well. For all its faults, mostly involving Marcus, this movie did pave the way for massive epic Hollywood blockbusters and has an interesting place in cinema landscape. What really distinguishes the sword and sandal and its various waves? Is it an inherently conservative genre? Is the act of creating this movie the most Roman thing ever? What is the Roman equivalent of the Turducken? Is Nero the spiritual precursor to Emperor Kuzco? Most importantly, we all need a tiny vase to collect our tears.
A movie actually about digging! This week we're joined by special guest, Dr. Christie Vogler, to talk about the 3 D's of The Dig: death, dirt and drudgery. We get into the ins and out both of this Netflix original and the realities of archaeology today. Many feels about our field.
Romanes eunt domus?!? Back from a brief hiatus, we tackle a most blasphemous take on sword & sandal Biblical epics by Britain's most famous comedy group. What have the Romans ever done for us? We get into that, as well as how to properly tell the Romans to go home, what kind of religious life you might encounter on the ancient streets, what bizarre food you might find on a Roman menu and why we'll always find Biggus Dickus funny.
Was 1 a good year? Eli and Colin dive into Roman comedy and its brief but successful renaissance on Broadway in the 60's. We talk about what makes a Roman comedy a Roman comedy, the nature of remakes/adaptations and the state of comedy in modern theaters. Could Plautus' comedy work today? Have both the Roman and 60's elements of this aged poorly or could it get its own Little Hours treatment? Colin is down on movie musicals generally and challenges all theater nerds to fight him. Eli is down on bras. Our greatest question: could a computer learn how to write a Plautine comedy? Our second greatest question: do you wring your hands or your hair?
We dig (or dive) into Disney's attempt to pivot from songs to explosions with another wonderful guest. Is this movie undersea Pocahontas? Is there an accurate representation of responsible archaeology in modern pop culture? What if Atlantis won WWI? Also there's plot contrivances that give Colin a conniption. Among other annoyances, Milo 'splains Kida's own language back to her! Our preferred ship is Audrey-Kida but we're also big fans of Helga.
"The 90's are just the 80's until they become the mid 2000's."
We fully consider the coconut that is Disney's animated take on the mightiest of all heroes. Joined for the first time by our wonderful guest, Dr. Ayelet Haimson-Lushkov, Colin and Eli discuss heroism, fame, Michael Jordan, Superman, Big Hero 6, Moulin Rouge, Britney Spears and much more. We reveal we are in fact part of a secret progressive Illuminati. Is Danny Devito the real hero? Is this movie the Callimachus of Disney Animation?
This episode was recorded just after the 2020 election, but before the results were settled, which is why our voices have a tinge of existential dread and there's been 20+ min of election talk edited out...
Colin & Eli alienate themselves to younger listeners by not understanding popular novels. They also reveal their own age by constantly comparing everything to Harry Potter. Colin argues Percy Jackson is the Waluigi of movies and that Camp Half-Blood is really a cross-fit gym for Old Navy models in their twenties. It's also a musical, which, we think, is genius. This film (and story at large) also has a serious problem with the means by which it integrates ancient Greek and modern American culture...
The film that makes the bold choice to be set in 358 B.C.!?! Is Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson the modern manifestation of Hercules? Listen to us fail at both starting our podcast and Greek mythology. Cringe while Colin flails his arms but no one can see.
Another visually interesting but thematically frustrating film. More gods, more battles, more fake armor, more (not) chosen one narratives. Plus the birth of Superman! Are German shepherd dogs actually hyenas in disguise?
We beat our heads against our desks over this movie (and the Cars franchise). What is the nature of the gods and how do you translate it to the screen? Are there any titans in this movie?
Now we sound nice. More screaming, but also more tolerable. We delve into the popularity and problems with this movie. Would you want to live in Sparta? Survey says... no.
Last one with crunchy audio (promise). Lots of history, lots of screaming. This movie is long...
Our pilot episode (w/ some crunchy audio)! Epic battles, blood, romance, cousins, llamas & more!