Media-eval: A Medieval Pop Culture Podcast

Its finally here folks- the last regular episode of Media-eval! Join Sarah one last time as she tells us why Princess Bride manages to be one of the most accurate movies ever on the show as it goes out on a really happy note. One last thing from me as I just want to say that it has been a pleasure guesting and listening to this podcast over the last 7 years and a great joy to be able to call Sarah my friend.

This episode is being released on Easter Sunday and Sarah thought what better way to celebrate this most holy of days than discussing whether or not Jesus got it w...on with Mary Magdalene. Ollie returns to discuss the 2006 movie The Davinci Code featuring one of the worst haircuts in history and more mansplaining than you can shake a stick at! Join us for a fun chat about a movie that is based on a book Im fairly sure you can read in less time than the movie seems to last! Disclaimer: Ollie was sick during this recording so if he appears quiet at times its not because the movie sent him to sleep, he was trying not to cough!

We're back where the Podcast began- Medieval Scotland! You'll never guess but some of the English nobles are being a bit dickish so its time for a Scottish hero to step up and deal with the situation. Sarah is joined by Ollie to talk about a movie that seems to be about Honour but is really a protracted contract negotiation. And its great! (in the eyes of one of the hosts!)

A slightly differnt episode as Sarah is joined by Ollie to break down the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies. 6 Movies, 20+ hours and one episode to rule on them all! Some of these are masterpieces. Some of them are The Hobbit trilogy.

Tracey Tanoff is back but this time Chris Pine's Peen(R) is not on the table as we dissect a couple of beloved animated classics. We may not have liked them but we appreciate the work!

The holy Grail! Maeve Doyle returns to help us find the most holy of artefacts as we discuss academic representation on screen, Harrison Fords illegal attractive levels and whether a Nazi who reads is a "good" Nazi.

CW: Discussions of historical and modern transphobia Join Sarah and her mom, Beth Greenfield, for their last episode of the podcast together as they discuss 1992 film Orlando, based on the novel by Virginia Woolf. We explore the Little Ice Age, English-Ottoman diplomacy, and trans lives and narratives from the medieval and early modern world. Trans people have a history! Learn more: Trans Historical, edited by Greta LaFleur, Masha Raskolnikov, and Anna Klosowska: https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501759505/trans-historical/ Byzantine Intersectionality by Roland Betancourt: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691179452/byzantine-intersectionality 
Silence: A Thirteenth-Century French Romance, translated by Sarah Roche-Mahdi: https://bookshop.org/p/books/silence-a-thirteenth-century-french-romance-sarah-roche-mahdi/12696746 Social Media:
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E-mail: media.evalpod@gmail.com

Sarah is joined by fellow historian Maeve Doyle and fan of people getting stabbed Ollie to talk about the seminal 1981 classic Excalibur. Directed by John Boorman and seemingly filmed in a fog of coke dust and horniness this movie is one of the most famous medieval movies of all time. As Maeve says- this movie is a rich text.

Join Sarah and returning guest Morgan Morales - back for her final appearance on the podcast - as these two curly-haired historians tackle the top curl representation of 2012: Pixar film Brave. We delve into tartans, tapestries, and folklore, all while making the argument that Brave is WAY better than Braveheart. Social Media:
Twitter: x.com/mediaevalpod
 E-mail: media.evalpod@gmail.com
 Find Morgan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgansaysohballs/ Find Morgan on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/morganrmorales.bsky.social

Ridley Scott has released a new movie and that mans Sarah has another chance to take him down! Ollie is back to talk about Zombie baboons and the logistics of having two kids that are the same age but also born 21 months apart! Join us as we have a lot of fun discussing one of the most baffling movies of 2024 at the end of the year!

Ollie is back and failing to be objective as we cover one of his childhood faves. Is the movie a little too long? Yes. Does it get the history wrong? Yes! Is it still a wildly entertaining romp? YES!! Strap in for a wild ride of brothers caging brothers, possible regicide and an honourable man who allows honour to be a sideline to getting some action. Strong recommend.

Peter Konieczny returns for his last episode as Media-eval's anime correspondent to discuss 2023 series Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. Join Sarah and Peter as we explore forgeries, change over time, and historical memory in this beautiful series. Social Media:
Twitter: twitter.com/mediaevalpod
 E-mail: media.evalpod@gmail.com
 Find Peter at www.medievalists.net

It's a movie set in 1986 but its heart is medieval. Ollie is back and he introduces Sarah to one of his all time favourite movies- Highlander! Is it good? some would say no but sometimes being wildly entertaining is more important than being good!

It’s just past Halloween, and Media-eval has an episode with an unusual take on the thriller genre! Join Sarah and returning guest Morgan Morales for a discussion of Firebrand, a 2023 film about the harrowing end to the relationship between Henry VIII and Katherine Parr - or a version of it, at least. We get into Tudor portraiture, religion and politics in early modern England, and of course the real story of Katherine Parr. CWs: sexual assault; miscarriage Social Media:
Twitter: x.com/mediaevalpod
 E-mail: media.evalpod@gmail.com
 Find Morgan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgansaysohballs/

Its 2004 and you are the biggest movie star on the planet but you can't get no respect, so what do you do? Easy! make a historical epic that stars an incredible cast and you will surely win an oscar! Just make sure there is no way anyone thinks your character is gay. Join Sarah and Ollie as they breakdown a movie that is somewhat hated by the common people in the world but one of the hosts actually loves...we wont tell you which.

Is this truly an episode of Media-eval? Yes! Sarah and fellow medieval historian Mireille Pardon delve into identity, legal culture, and microhistories in the 1982 film The Return of Martin Guerre. Social Media:
Twitter: x.com/mediaevalpod
 E-mail: media.evalpod@gmail.com
 Find Mireille on TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@pardon_mi?lang=en) and Twitter (https://x.com/pardon_mi?lang=en)

Sarah is back with a big announcement and a new episode about the movie that is oft requested- 2004's King Arthur starring Clive Owen and Kiera Knightley. A movie that questions whether all historians can agree on one thing and if its possible to tell the "true" story of something if your version is also made up! Ollie is back too.

Media-eval is back with a bonus episode inspired by our discussion of 1935 film The Crusades! Did you want to hear more about Berengaria of Navarre and why she matters? Sarah brings on expert Dr. Gabrielle Storey, author of a new biography about Berengaria, to tell us more. We’ll be back with regular episodes every other week starting September 22nd! Social Media:
Twitter: x.com/mediaevalpod
 E-mail: media.evalpod@gmail.com
 Find Gabrielle Storey on Twitter: https://x.com/gabbystorey And check out the book! https://www.routledge.com/Berengaria-of-Navarre-Queen-of-England-Lord-of-Le-Mans/Storey/p/book/9781032121475?srsltid=AfmBOorGx-nLZgf4jIO77HqtiF74BIJ13TxavHKGyZ0HToZSgOfDovQP

Media-eval is going on a summer hiatus! New episodes will resume in September. In the meantime, check out our back catalog and the Media-eval facebook group!

Join Sarah and returning guest - and classic film correspondent - Morgan Morales for the 1935 film The Crusades. Is it kind of offensive? Yes. Is it good? Not particularly. Should you watch it? Probably not. But should you listen to this episode? Yes! Join Sarah and returning guest - and classic film correspondent - Morgan Morales for the 1935 film The Crusades. Is it kind of offensive? Yes. Is it good? Not particularly. Should you watch it? Probably not. But should you listen to this episode? Yes! This is the last regular episode before Media-eval’s summer hiatus - see you in September! CW: We discuss both actor Loretta Young’s reported experience of sexual assault and sexual harassment/assault played for comedy in the film. We also discuss the film’s rampant Islamophobia. Social Media:
 Twitter: twitter.com/mediaevalpod
 E-mail: media.evalpod@gmail.com
 Find Morgan on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/morganrmorales.bsky.social