Movies We Dig | Film, Antiquity and Everything in Between

What's more Homeric than ending up right back where you started? Or wandering an endless sea of textual criticism? Or your co-hosts and guests fighting you every step of the way as you struggle to bring the ship to port? (sorry Christie!)We reconvene our Homeric council (see our episode on The Return) for the first part of our great debate of this summer/year/decade/Age of Bronze: Do We Dig Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey (2026)?You can find more thoughts from Amy and Joel on Homer and other subjects at amypistone.com and Sententiae Antiquae, and Joe's music and merch at Joe's Odyssey.For those looking for links specific to Homer and the Odyssey, here's everything our trio have done thus far:Joe Goodkin Links:Re-recording of The Odyssey: Songs of OdysseusInterview in the Chicago Sun Times- Backlash against Christopher Nolan's 'Odyssey' misses the pointAmy Pistone Link:Some Preliminary Thoughts on Nolan’s OdysseyJoel Christensen Links:Why Odysseus? Survivor, Scoundrel, (Anti)heroInterview in Variety- ‘The Odyssey’: What Academics Are Saying About Christopher Nolan’s Epic:Review in Hyperallergic- A Homerist Reacts to Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey”Review in Today- I’m a Classics Professor. This Is What I Really Think of ‘The Odyssey’Review in Sententiae Antiquae- On viewing Nolan’s OdysseyThe Big Ol' Odyssey Review with Flint Dibble

What can be said about Nolan's Odyssey that hasn't already been said? Well hopefully a few things! The MWD crew gives their initial impressions on the biggest thing to hit the world of film and Classical studies since probably Gladiator. The main question on our mind: What version of Odysseus ended up coming home? Just beware of any sirens (spoilers) you may run into along the way if you have not had a chance to see the film yet!

Hop on board listeners as we take a look at another early 2000s animated film that maybe should have just fallen off the edge of the world. Helping us to discuss yet another problematic man lost at sea is none other than Liv Albert, the host of Let's Talk About Myths, Baby! and founding member of Mnemosyne: The Memory Collective. If, like us, you missed this swashbuckling-adventure in favor of another pirate film, than hold on to your harem pants! This film's got it all: blatant misogyny, erasure of Arabic culture, and a lovable crew! But hey, you can't get much more epic than Eris, Goddess of Discord.If you want to learn more about Liv and her work, be sure to visit her website at mythsbaby.com. And if you would like to get your hands on her brand new book,The Odyssey: A Modern Retelling, you can order it here or find it wherever books are sold!

Two brothers united by friendship, divided by podcasting. Yes, we're rounding off our Month of Mummy's (and movies about princes) with the 1998 animated musical The Prince of Egypt. We talk about such far-ranging and fascinating topics as biblical archaeology, killing babies and why Shrek was a mistake. We may not get 2D animation like this ever again, but the soundtrack will live on in our hearts because... there can be miracles when you believe!

From ambitious ancient architects to sexy evil priestesses, we've seen the "Mummy" take many forms, but none quite as horrifying as a modern teenage girl. Join us in unwrapping the latest reincarnation of this monster franchise with Lee Cronin's The Mummy. Helping us to investigate yet another creepy pyramid and it's resident demonic entity is special return guest and Egyptologist, Dr. Briana Jackson. While some might question if this film even has a real Mummy, there is no doubt Cronin drew inspiration from from all the previous films to explore fears that are timeless. Plus, we'll never look at a pedicure in the same way.Disclaimer: We’ll be discussing a lot of heavy topics in this film including child abduction, grooming, and sexual assault. If those topics are difficult for you to engage with, it might be better to skip out on this episode.You can read, hear and see more from Briana at her website brianacjackson.com as well as on her YouTube channel @DrBrianaJackson.

Men will rob ancient tombs with no qualms, but the second a woman starts accessing ancient magical powers then they start caring about morality. Yes, we watching Blood from the Mummy's Tomb, the 1971 Hammer horror about an ancient sorceress possessing a modern London woman. Joining us to discuss this cult classic are our good friends, the Ancient History Fangirls, Genn McMenemy and Jenny Williamson. We talk Bram Stoker, Egyptology, the anxieties over female liberation throughout the 20th century and why Freud might have really vibed with this movie. Also, if a corpse bleeds continuously from a severed hand for over 3,000 years, how much blood would it produce?You can read and hear more from Genn and Jenny over at Ancient History Fangirl as well as on their socials (Genn; Jenny). Be sure to check out Women of Myth and Enemy of My Dreams.

It's May, so you know what that means? It's time to celebrate all those wonderful Mummies in film! With the help of return guest and Egyptologist, Dr. Julia Troche, we travel back in time to unravel the humble beginnings of the entire Mummy movie franchise. For a film nearing 100 years old, it has some surprisingly progressive takes on archaeology, colonialism, and female sexuality. It's a dangerous venture, and not all of us will make it to the end (of the podcast). But since when has that ever stopped a curious archaeologist/librarian?To learn more about Julia's work with The American Research Center in Egypt Missouri Chapter visit ARCEMO.org. You can also stay up-to-date with her research by following @profjuliatroche on Instagram. If you would like to check out some of Dr. Troche's writing, here's an article on Letters to the Dead. Or if you would like to check out her book, Death, Power, and Apotheosis in Ancient Egypt, use this link.And if you interested in the topic of Egyptomania, check out the webpage for the International Society for the Study of Egyptomania at www.issegyptomania.com. To check out the Michelle Keeley-Adamson's article on Omm Sety referenced in the episode, visit victoriansinegypt.substack.com.

We wish we had our own magic time-traveling sands as we review 2010's Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Is it a creative re-imagining of a popular game? No. Is it a fun action-adventure with comedic tones? Also no. Does Alfred Molina run an illegal ostrich-racing circuit? Yes he does.We could have been watching Prince of Egypt...