Media Eval A Medieval Pop Culture Podcast

Sarah and returning guest Peter Koniezcny of Medievalists.net explore medievalism in the anime Naruto! Join us as we discuss how Masashi Kishimoto blends medieval and modern elements in his world-building. We get into the history and legend surrounding ninja, the folkloric history of the nine-tailed fox, the use of technology, and whether ramen wou…

Sarah and returning guest Morgan Morales delve into 2021 film The Tragedy of Macbeth - and award Ralph Ineson the official Media-eval MVP. Join us as we explore magic, gender, why Shakespeare is bad at history, and the historical Macbeth and Gruoch, aka Lady Macbeth. By the way, Macbeth does NOT pass the Ifft Decker.CW: we make several mentions of …

Media-eval tackles another book this week! Join Sarah and guest Ben Paul as we discuss Lapvona, a 2022 novel by Ottessa Moshfegh. This intense and wide-ranging novel allows us to explore medieval disability studies, miraculous lactation, and why everyone is so insistent on making medieval people eat potatoes. CW: the novel includes depictions of se…

Media-eval is back this week with another new (ish) release as Sarah and returning guest Lily Bonnemann tackle the first season of the Willow TV series. We’ve definitely got a difference of opinion on this one, so whether you loved the show, hated it, or haven’t watched it (but don’t mind being spoiled!) come and check out our conversation. Join us…

Join Sarah and fellow medieval historian Abbey Agresta as we tackle 2022 release Catherine Called Birdy! We talk about our own history with the book as young wannabe medievalists, menageries for exotic animals, the 1290 expulsion of the Jews from England, and medieval European marriage practices. Spoiler alert: we're ... not that into Lena Dunham's…

Sarah brings Ollie back from exile to talk about the Amazon series "Rings of Power". Did the show nail the feeling of Tolkien? Did the actors make you believe in them? Should an elf be thinking about making love to a perfectly normal human man? Find out all of this and more in the latest episode of Media-eval!…

Happy Holidays from Media-eval! Join Sarah and her dad Richard as we stretch the definition of medieval to talk about Ghostbusters II, featuring the imaginary early modern dictator Vigo the Carpathian. Check out the perhaps surprising medieval content of the film, including traditions of portraiture, references to Vlad the Impaler, and the concept …

Join Sarah and guests Clio and Mireille, of Clio/Mireille: A Fanfiction Podcast as we discuss the ultimate work of Shakespeare fanfiction: 1998 Oscar-winning film Shakespeare in Love! We talk literary analysis, the canonicity of Shakespeare, Elizabethan dental hygiene, and all the queer overtones that this film is desperate for its audience not to …

The “King Arthur Babies” miniseries continues (and ends), as Sarah’s mom Beth Greenfeld comes on to discuss 2019 film The Kid Who Would Be King! Join Sarah and Beth as they grapple with the challenges of importing chivalry into the 21st century, do a deep dive on the Lady of the Lake, and have a classic Media-eval Latin grammar lesson.Social Media:…

Jessica Bluemke Greiff of Friendly Atheist Podcast is back to discuss A Kid in King Arthur’s Court! Join Sarah and Jessica for some 90s childhood nostalgia—in a film that might not totally hold up to adult viewing. Come for our in-depth review of the film, stay for our discussion of the use of “mutton” as an insult and an excellent medieval recipe …

Happy Halloween from Media-eval! Sarah and guest Elizabeth Bonnemann discuss the first two seasons of animated series Castlevania. Join us as we talk vampires and demons (the reason for the season), as well as the recent discovery of a real Romanian medieval library, the historical Vlad Tepes Dracula and how he became connected with vampire lore, a…

Buy The Medievalist now! https://www.lulu.com/shop/phil-adamo/the-medievalist/paperback/product-7mvp64.html?q=Phil+adamo&page=1&pageSize=4Sarah is joined by medievalist and author Phil Adamo for a conversation about his new book, The Medievalist. We explore the white supremacist uses and misuses of the medieval past and some of the challenges facin…

Sarah is once again joined by guest Elizabeth Bonnemann as we dive back into Doctor Who with our first audio drama! Join us as we tackle 2000 audio serial “The Marian Conspiracy” and explore Catholic-Protestant conflicts, ale and beer in Early Modern English taverns, and the not-quite-medieval history of the cardigan. Social Media:Twitter @mediaeva…

Ollie said he would return for DnD....Sarah just didn't tell him which DnD it would be!Join us as we discuss season 1 of the Amazon Prime adaptation of Critical Roles Vox Machina campaign. Can some voice actors improv a better story with more pathos and drama than most highly paid hollywood screenwriters? you bet your sweet butts they can!…

Media-eval is back this week with something a little different! Join Sarah and guest Erika Harlitz-Kern, of The Boomerang, as we discuss what it means to be public medievalists - and discuss Erika's future appearance to discuss the upcoming film Medieval! Social Media:Twitter @mediaevalpodE-mail: media.evalpod@gmail.comFind Erika on Twitter @eh_ker…

Sarah is once again joined by guest Elizabeth Bonnemann—but for once NOT talking about Doctor Who! Join us as we delve into the medievalism of 1988 fantasy film Willow. Were there really possums in medieval Europe? Were criminals left to die in hanging cages? And did women like Bavmorda, Sorsha, and Elora reign as queens? Social Media:Twitter @medi…

Damned former host Ollie returns to talk about a movie that is far better than it's reputation(or lack thereof) would suggest.Turns out if the devil wants your soul, you don't have a lot of options left!Bởi Media-eval: A Medieval Pop Culture Podcast

Sarah's mom, Beth Greenfeld, is back to talk about 1955 film The Court Jester! Join us as we delve into the history of fools and jesters, the political challenges of infant monarchs, and how this film has better-developed women characters than many movies released in the 21st-century. CW: Discussion of some potential issues of ableism in the filmLe…

Sarah and returning guest Morgan Morales explore intellectual culture and interreligious strife in 2009 film Agora! Join us as we delve into the lives of Jews, Christians, and polytheists in late ancient/early medieval Alexandria and explore the reality and legend of the life of Hypatia of Alexandria. CW for conversations about sexual assault, slav…

Media-eval ventures to Valholl as Sarah and returning guest Miti von Weissenberg tackle 2022 film The Northman! Join us as we explore masculinity, gender, slavery, race, and vengeance in the film and in the real Norse past. CW for discussion of sexual assault (which is not graphically depicted in the film but is thematically important) and for disc…

Sarah and guest Peter Konieczny of medievalists.net delve into the layers of pre-modern history, late medieval historical fiction, and modern film in John Woo’s 2009 film Red Cliff. Join us as we get into interpretations of pre-modern history in China and the medieval novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.For more of Peter on Romance of the Three Kin…

Outlander. The movie.It's like Beowulf but there are aliens in it. This movie is actually pretty decent.We all want to talk about Jamie and Claire and how some herbs are better than others but we will leave that for another time. enjoy!Bởi Media-eval: A Medieval Pop Culture Podcast

Sarah and guest Miti von Weissenberg explore sanctity and voluntary poverty in 1989 film Francesco! Join us as we delve into the real lives of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi, the intertwined histories of the Franciscans and the Poor Clares, and the link between biopic and hagiography. Learn more about Miti’s research and teaching: https://www.…

Sarah and guest Sara McDougall take on another of 2021’s highly anticipated medieval-inspired films: The Last Duel. Join us as we get into the myths and realities about medieval law and this fascinating 1386 trial, and our … struggles … with this film.TRIGGER WARNING: The film includes graphic depictions of sexual assault, which we critique in dept…

Finally, Media-eval tackles perhaps the most central text of medieval-inspired fantasy: The Lord of the Rings. Join Sarah and fellow medieval historian Paul Freedman, for a wide-ranging discussion about medievalism, food, gender, race, and more in the books and films.Learn more about Paul and his work: https://history.yale.edu/people/paul-freedman …

Sarah and fellow medieval historian - and expert on nuns - Annalena Müller discuss Paul Verhoeven’s 2021 film Benedetta. Join us as we tackle what the film got right, what it got wrong, and what it tells us about sensationalism, religion, and sex - medieval and modern. CW: The film includes some scenes which raise issues of abuse and consent within…

Sarah and music historian Charles Hughes tackle the medieval trend that swept the nation in April 202: bardcore. Join us as we explore bardcore in the context of musical nostalgia, plague and pandemic, and the real medieval troubadour tradition.Social Media:Find Charles on Twitter: @CharlesLHughes2Twitter @mediaevalpodE-mail: media.evalpod@gmail.co…

Sarah and fellow medievalist Lucy Barnhouse delve into the medievalism of Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe and its 1997 BBC/A&E miniseries adaptation. Join us as we explore one of the few representations of medieval Jews, as well as questions about witchcraft, Saxon-Norman conflict, and how the Knights Templar were not in fact the Inquisition. Social Media:H…

Media-eval’s resident Doctor Who expert Elizabeth Bonnemann returns to discuss 1989 serial Battlefield. Join Sarah and Elizabeth as we meet the 7th Doctor and best-ever companion Ace and grapple with how the series handles Arthuriana-meets-aliens.Social Media:Find Elizabeth on Twitter: @lizziestriderTwitter @mediaevalpodE-mail: media.evalpod@gmail.…

Ever want to listen to two fans of a book series recap a show and get increasingly annoyed/joyous and sometimes angry as they do it? Well now you can!Join us for 3 hours of talk about the first season of the Wheel of Time tv show on Amazon Prime. What did it get right? What did it get wrong? We talk about it all!…

Sarah and guest Molly Likovich get into CW’s Reign, aka Gossip Girl meets 16th-century France. Join us as we talk about some of the strangest choices made in a historical adaptation—from the invented illegitimate son of the King of France to the Forever 21-inspired costumes—as well as the real stories of Mary, Queen of Scots, François II, and Cathe…

TikTok celebrity and fellow medievalist Mireille Pardon is back to talk with Sarah about medieval misinformation and conspiracy theories on TikTok as we do a deep dive into Momllennial’s “Rome didn’t exist” theory. Join us for an extended debunking and a foray into the wide array of sources historians use to study the medieval past! Book Recommenda…

It's Christmas so we decided to talk about the most Christmas-y of all movies- The Green Knight.We talk about pretension, confusion and whether Barry Keoghan is attractive or not. Its a long episode but then again, its a movie that lasts for several years, or feels like it does at least!Bởi Media-eval: A Medieval Pop Culture Podcast

This is the one where Sarah gets unreasonably infuriated about the Magna Carta and Anglo-American exceptionalism - but also gets the chance to talk about King John’s troubles with Pope Innocent III. Elizabeth Bonnemann is back to talk Doctor Who serial “The King’s Demons,” where two Time Lords battle it out over (allegedly) the future of democracy …

Media-eval ventures into the Discworld! Sarah and guest Bridget Kennedy discuss two of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels, Wyrd Sisters and Small Gods. Join us as we get into the Inquisition, witch persecution, and medievalism in the Discworld series. Social Media:Twitter @mediaevalpodE-mail: media.evalpod@gmail.comRate, review, and subscribe!…

Is it a Lady? Is she a hawk? Why not both? A hawk, a wolf, and a bishop meet in a medieval Italian city—and Sarah is joined by living history reenactor Ari Ryan Ailin, aka “The Turnip of Terror,” to discuss 1985 film Ladyhawke. Join us as we get into synth scores, strange helmets, possibly stranger bishops’ croziers, French presence in late medieva…

Red, Black, and Periwinkle Deaths! Digressions Galore! Upside-down crosses! David Baxter of Thank You Five Podcast joins Sarah to discuss Vincent Price film The Masque of the Red Death (1964). Celebrate Halloween with us as we get into medieval horror, plague, and the real history of Satanism.Social Media:Twitter @mediaevalpodE-mail: media.evalpod@…

What if a movie was about two men falling in love and restoring each others honor?It would be called The Eagle and of all the movies that fail the Ifft Decker test, it would fail it the most.Bởi Media-eval: A Medieval Pop Culture Podcast

Medieval art historian Maeve Doyle returns to talk with Sarah about The Secret of Kells (2009), a gorgeous reimagining of the creation of the Book of Kells. Join us to learn about medieval visual culture, book production, and the real medieval origins of the film’s heroic cat Pangur Ban. This episode is dedicated to the memory of Producer Carmen, S…

Medieval Iberia September on Media-eval continues! Want to hear what two historians of medieval Barcelona think about Netflix miniseries Cathedral of the Sea? Join Sarah and fellow medieval historian Marie Kelleher as we delve into the Jewish community of Barcelona, host desecration, and legal history - and remind listeners once again that the ius …

This September, universities are back up and running - and Media-eval will be featuring conversations between specialists of the medieval Iberian Peninsula! In this episode, Sarah and fellow medieval historian Dana Wessell Lightfoot explore interfaith contact and conflict in The Lions of al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay, a novel set in a world inspired…

Sarah and guest Rachel Aanstad (Twelfth Night Podcast) tackle another example of Disney medievalism - 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Join us as we get into medievalism in architecture, religious references, and the history of the wicked stepmother. CW: Discussions of ableist, racist/anti-Semitic, and misogynist tropesBook Recommendation…

With help from guest Erica Desautels, Sarah argues a) that The Little Mermaid DEFINITELY takes place in the late 17th century and is therefore a legitimate subject for this podcast and b) that it is clearly the best Disney movie. Join Sarah and Erica as we get into fish consumption, French cooking, costumes and material culture, and why contracts m…

Sarah is joined by fellow medievalist Marita (Miti) von Weissenberg to discuss the encounters between Vikings and indigenous peoples as seen in Pathfinder (2007). We delve into white savior narratives, trading vs. raiding, and, of course, shirtless Karl Urban. Thanks to our guest’s expertise, we have an excellent array of recommendations! Primary T…

Sarah tricked Ollie into playing a video game and watching a movie. He then forgot he doesn't host the podcast anymore. Together they discuss the search for the "Apple of Eden" and whether or not a secret order can be secret if they keep announcing themselves to the world.P.S Ollie swears quite badly while talking about Columbus…

Sarah is joined by returning guest Ally Pitts of Russophiles Unite! Movie Podcast to discuss the 1928 silent film The Passion of Joan of Arc. We talk Joan’s trial and posthumous retrial, Eucharistic devotion, and late medieval women’s mysticism in this intriguing representation of Joan of Arc—as well as why this film was banned in England, censored…

Mireille once again joins Sarah for a short bonus episode! We found out why Jonathan Banks agreed to do this movie in an ... interesting ... interview. We break down his discussion of the "Dark Ages" here.You can read the full interview here: http://frontrowfeatures.com/features/film-features/jonathan-banks-gets-medieval-redbad-24289.htmlSocial Med…

Sarah and fellow medieval historian Mireille Pardon tackle Redbad, the 2018 Dutch film that may or may not be Dutch right-wing propaganda. Join us as we get into the conversion of the Frisians, the real histories of Charles Martel and Redbad, and why in this film it looks like the Franks traveled back in time from the 14th century and the Frisians …

Media-eval's resident Doctor Who expert Elizabeth Bonnemann returns to talk about 1982 serial The Visitation. You know, the one where the Doctor et. al. starts a pretty big fire. Join Elizabeth and Sarah as we get into theater, plague, and the Great Fire of London. This is a bit outside Sarah's usual period - so if you know something we don't, let …

That’s right - more Robin Hood! Sarah and returning guest Morgan Morales talk about the 1938 film The Adventures of Robin Hood. Join us as we talk Saxons and Normans, sex-positive ladies in waiting (#teambess), and the origins of the Robin Hood legend and our current Robin Hood tropes. Sarah would also like to acknowledge that she’s pretty sure she…