Movies We Dig | Film, Antiquity and Everything in Between

Romulus, Season 2 (2022), with The Partial Historians

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT

It's been well over a year (and season) since we last checked in on Wiros and Yemos (AKA Romulus and Remus) to see how their little city of Rome is managing. While both brothers are still alive, they are definitely not prepared to handle the wildcard that is Titus Tatius, King of the Sabines and Son of Sancus. Helping us to separate the original founding myth from an imaginative modern retelling are The Partial Historians, Dr. Rad and Dr. G! We discuss the Sabine Women, masculinity in the ancient world, and just how seriously everyone takes religion in this series. Come for the archaic Latin, stay for the great honey bath debate!

If you like this episode and want to listen to the Movies We Dig and The Partial Historians react to the first episode of Romulus Season 2, check out our YouTube Channel and look for our Romulus Watch Party!

To learn more about The Partial Historians, be sure to visit their website for podcast episodes and books on ancient Rome or check out their socials at Instagram or Bluesky. And if you like what you hear and want to support their work, check out their Patreon page!

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

Movies We Dig is also part of Mnemosyne: The Memory Collective, a podcast network and creator collective for historians, archaeologists, artists, and other creators and educators dedicated to sharing content about and featuring the ancient world that is accurate, accessible, and inclusive. To learn more about the collective and its contributors, check out collectivemem.com.

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Spartacus: House of Ashur (2025), with Monica Cyrino

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

We're back and this time untethered from history with a new season of your (but not Colin's) favorite gladiator show: Spartacus: House of Ashur (2025). Also helping us rewrite history in some pretty radical ways is Dr. Monica Cyrino. We talk gladiators, sex, crucifixion and more, everything a growing ludus needs. What does a gladiator-turned-aspiring-nouveau-riche-fight-promoter have to do to get any respect in this town? Who's the worst GM in NFL history? Is love real? Has anyone checked to see if Caesar's alive? Find out the answers to all that and more here on Movies We Dig!

You can find work from Dr. Cyrino here on Linktree, including books, audiobooks, YouTube, papers and more! And if you are interested in more scholarly work on Classical reception, check out the new American Journal of Classical Reception published by Johns Hopkins University Press!

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Gods of Egypt (2016), with Julia Troche

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Maybe, like, the fourth or fifth best entry in the Transformers series? Yes we're talking Gods of Egypt (2016) a... film. Joining us is extra special guest, Dr. Julia Troche, who is here to help educate us on ancient Egyptian mythology and the many hidden benefits of lettuce. We talk gods, Egypt, robots, forced-perspective, arm workout routines and much more. Listen now or you'll need to spend money to get into the afterlife and a giant cosmic snake will devour your soul!

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.

In unfortunate news, the University of Iowa recently proposed that the Classical Languages major--a major focused on the study of Ancient Greek and Latin--be eliminated later this year. If, like us, you care deeply about the study of Ancient Greek and Latin and want the University of Iowa’s proud tradition of teaching these languages to continue, join us in demanding that the University of Iowa abandon its proposal to eliminate the Classical Languages major. If you would like to help support the campaign to save Classical languages at the University of Iowa, please do so at here via the Change.org petition.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Percy Jackson & The Olympians, Season 2 (2025), with Lexie Henning

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 11:00:00 GMT

If ever a series made us feel our age, it's this one! Once again, we return to Rick Riordan's fantastical world of teenage demi-gods with Disney's second season of Percy Jackson & The Olympians. Since your hosts are lost at sea when it comes to this series, we called upon a true aficionado and fellow Mnemosyne member, Lexie Henning, to help us navigate the world of prophecies and Party Ponies. Inevitably we find ourselves moored in discussion of early 2000s YA novels and their pitfalls. In the end, the sirens reveal to us the fatal flaw of adapting such tomes to the screen: No one is truly satisfied trying to relive the childhood memories of generations past.

To learn more about Lexie and her work with The Ozymandias Project, visit www.ozymandiasproject.com. You can also follow Lexie on her socials at Instagram and Bluesky.

If you would like to read the op-ed essay mentioned in this episode, you can access a free copy via this link.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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10,000 BC (2008), with David S. Anderson

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Grab your spears, grow out your dreads and get ready to hunt some mammoth because we're going back, waaaay back to 2008 and 10,000 BC, Roland Emmerich's stealth prequel to Stargate. And what conversation about Stone Age tribes battling Atlantean Pyramid Enthusiasts (Aliens?) would be complete without our resident pseudo-archaeology expert, David S. Anderson. We talk mammoth hunting strategies, megafauna, why farming was a mistake and all walks of conspiracy theories from star-aligned pyramids to Shakespeare-wasn't-real.

If you would like to learn more about David and stay updated about his research and tabletop card game Excavation!, then follow him on his social media pages at Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, Season 2 (2025)

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 12:00:15 GMT

As part of our "Unfinished Business" season, we return to the Netflix animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft. It wouldn't surprise the three of us to learn that you might have missed the second (and final) season of this series, but we spend a good chunk of time discussing why that may have been the case. So let's all dive in to the story of a tomb raider turned repatriation advocate and help stop a random tech billionaire from forcing the world into a hard reboot. Hmmm, prescient.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Hail, Caesar! (2016)

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Ancient Rome. MWD's podcasts are masters of the world, the heat of its takes heard from the Iberian peninsula in the west through the halls of the great library of Alexandria in the east. As oppressed people everywhere writhe under the Roman lash, freeman and vassal are united in one compulsory listenership. But there is a new wind, exploring this Cohen Brothers' 2016 comedy on the eccentric personalities here at Capitol Pictures. We talk sword and sandal cinema, the Red Scare, Jesus, Marxism, split nature of man, and more, all of course with extreme taste and panache. Would that it were so simple...

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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The Eagle (2011), with Roel Konijnendijk

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 12:15:10 GMT

Once again, we sift through our backlog of episodes to take another look at a mostly forgotten film, this time with fresh eyes and new takes. What we find is a film about a Roman legionary that is actually, dare we say, good!? Joining us on the journey to find The Eagle is special return guest, Roel Konijnendijk. From a Roman military fortress to the wilds of Scotland, we discuss the charm of this underrated film. While it has a few problematic elements, one can't help but root for the budding "bromance" between Channing Tatum's Marcus Aquila and Jamie Bell's Esca as they travel together to restore their honor. And really, isn't the eagle just the friends we made along the way?

Be sure to follow Roel on Bluesky and read his posts as Iphikrates on r/askhistorians.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Frankenstein (2025), with Marina Escolano-Poveda

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Chug your milk, don your ruffled shirts and get ready to shoot lightning bolts through your lymphatic system because we're re-animating Guillermo del Toro' latest creature-feature: Frankenstein (2025). Returning to play god with us is Dr. Marina Escolano-Poveda, Senior Lecturer in Classics, Ancient History and Egyptology at the University of Liverpool. We talk the horrors of science, the sins of the father(s) and the benefits of a classical education for developing Creatures, along with all the changes, big and small, between del Toro's adaptation and Mary Shelley's 1818 novel.

Be sure to follow Marina on Instagram under the handle @hypatiaheuresis. As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Ben-Hur (2016)

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 11:44:19 GMT

The holidays are upon us, so we figured it was a good time to delve into a remake of a remake that nobody really asked for. That's right, we're talking about 2016's Ben-Hur! And sorry to say, this one might have sent your hosts off the rails. We discuss the major changes from the 1959 film, including Messala's backstory, the inciting incident that destroys the Ben-Hur family, and the interesting choice to cut Judah's trip to Rome. What do we learn? Mario Kart rules apply to chariot racing and the Pope gets a lot of interesting asks.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Agora (2009), with Marina Escolano-Poveda

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

In this season's attempt to highlight films that might have fallen under the radar, the Movies We Dig Crew revisits Agora along with special guest, Dr. Marina Escolano-Poveda. Despite (or more likely, because of) the film's the unorthodox setting in Late Roman Alexandria, the central story focusing on the life of Hypatia (played by Rachel Weisz), and amazing use of costuming and set design, there's a good chance you've yet to see this one. And while we might have our hang-ups on the lack of a real plot, you would be hard-pressed to find a better film that depicts the ethnic, religious, and social complexities of Roman Egypt.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Scream 2 (1997), with Lizzy Adams and TJ Bolt

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 11:00:00 GMT

What's your favorite scary movie? Ours is Scream 2! Joined by super special guests and professional Scream-heads (Screamers?) Lizzy Adams and TJ Bolt, we breakdown the metatextual masterpiece that is the Scream franchise, starting with the 1997 follow up to the original cult classic: Scream 2. We talk ancient Greek tragedy, horror as genre, VHS cassette tapes and all things 90's.

You can read more about ancient literature and modern horror by Lizzy and TJ in their contributions to Eidolon.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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History of the World, Part I (1981), with Emma Pauly

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 11:00:00 GMT

What better way to start our season of "Unfinished Business" than with a Part I film that was never supposed to get a sequel? Well, at least until that streaming money was just too good to pass up. With the help of fellow Mnemosyne: Memory Collective member Emma Pauly we take a look at Mel Brooks' world history comedy spanning the Stone Age, the Roman Empire, the Spanish Inquisition, and the French Revolution. While this film might not be our favorite installment in Brooks' filmography, it offers a great opportunity to talk about comedy as a genre, both in the past and present. While not all the jokes land, we are ultimately reminded that laughter is a powerful tool to help us face (and combat) the darkest moments of human history.

Be sure to follow Emma on Instagram under the handle @academicmaenad. As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Season 5 Wrap-Up

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 11:00:00 GMT

What "archaeology" film set Colin off? To find out, check out our latest episode closing out Season 5 of Movies We Dig! For our Wrap-Up episode, we reflect on our season surveying archaeology in film. Listen in to hear our official tier rankings of every archaeology film (that we've covered). We also end the show with a fun guessing game about AI's interpretation of our own body of work.

And if you'd like to make your own tier-list of "archaeology" films discussed on Movies We Dig, you can do so here: https://tiermaker.com/list/movies/archaeology-in-films-popular-media-18622188/5560763

Be sure to tag us on your tier list if you share it on your socials! And let us know if there are any "archaeology" films or shows we missed. Maybe we'll check them out as part of Season 6's "Unfinished Business." We hope you dig it!

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Movies We Dig Season 6 "Unfinished Business"

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Get ready for Season 6 of Movies We Dig, where we are determined to leave no stone left unturned! If you want to be in the know for upcoming episodes and special events, be sure to follow our socials. And show some love by subscribing, rating, and reviewing the show wherever you like to listen to your podcasts!

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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International Podcast Day Livestream (2025), with Mnemosyne: The Memory Collective

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Mnemosyne: The Memory Collective got together for the first time to celebrate International Podcast Day! Various members and contributors hopped on throughout the day to answer questions, play games, and much more! This event is meant to be an opportunity for our audiences to get to know many members of and contributors to the Memory Collective, which you can learn more about by visiting collectivemem.com!

In this episode you'll be hearing highlights from all the exciting activities we did throughout the day including Listener Q&A sessions, Myth and History Trivia, a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure: Survive Pompeii Quest, a live reading/performance of Julius Caesar, and more! If you like what you hear, go check out the VOD for the full (nearly 12 hour) livestream at https://youtube.com/live/0VN_BKqHppU?feature=share.

Since it's International Podcast day, be sure to show some love by subscribing to everyone's YouTube channels and social media pages. Feeling extra generous? Then leave comments and reviews wherever you listen (or watch) your podcasts!

Movies We Dig- movieswedig.com

Let's Talk About Myths, Baby!- mythsbaby.com

Ancient History Fangirl- ancienthistoryfangirl.com

Partial Historians- partialhistorians.com

Ancient Office Hours- ozymandiasproject.com/podcast

Thank you to our listeners for being a part of this amazing community! All the work we do would not be possible without you! Happy International Podcast Day!

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Excavations (2023), with Kate Myers

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Grab your trowels, apply your sunscreen and get ready to get down and dirty as we sit down with author Kate Myers to discuss her smash-hit novel Excavations. We talk all things archaeology: dirt, artifacts, repatriation, dirt, organized crime, horse-loving donkeys, more dirt and all the character types that seem to crawl out of the woodwork every summer to dig in remote Mediterranean villages.

You can read more about Kate on her website; be sure to read her latest book, Salty, and look out for Dig, the upcoming television adaptation of Excavations created by Amy Poehler and Michael Schur.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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National Treasure (2004)

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 11:00:00 GMT

If pressed to recall this film, one can probably remember its most iconic line "I'm gonna steal the Declaration of Independence," but not much beyond that. And maybe that's a good thing. Part heist, part treasure hunt, and part historical conspiracy, this film works hard to make the United States' settler colonialism past seem a lot cooler than it actually is. We talk ships (both nautical and romantic), the apparent monetary value of world heritage, and the eccentric nature of Nicolas Cage's acting career.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Arrival (2016), with Deb Trusty

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Dust off your linguistic skills and join us as we decipher the myriad of meanings presented in the science fiction drama, Arrival. What on the surface appears to be a conflict between humans and extraterrestrials, in reality, is the longstanding rivalry between Humanities and STEM. With the help of our special guest Dr. Deb Trusty, we discuss the similarities and differences between the film and Ted Chiang's original short story titled "Story of Your Life". As a nice change of pace, the film's aliens put a lot of faith in humanity's ability to come together and problem-solve. Yet after seeing how humans handled a worldwide pandemic and the rise of AI Mecha-Hit***, we find that trust might be a bit misplaced. But hey, we can all agree that Bob Ross was a pretty awesome dude.

If you would like check out more of Deb's takes on fringe reception of Classics and mythology in videogames and board games, be sure to check out her Twitch channel at www.twitch.tv/doctordebitage. And if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Pompeii (2014), with Genn McMenemy

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 10:00:00 GMT

We clearly had lots of thoughts as this is one of our longest (and most swear-ridden) episodes ever. Joined by super special guest Genn McMenemy, we excavate the layers and layers of volcanic ash that is Pompeii (2014). We dive deep not just into this film as an artifact of cinematic cliches circa the 2010's but also the actual artifacts from the site of Pompeii. Really, we spend most of our time pitching our rewrites for a much more interesting version of this story.

You can follow Genn on Instagram and Threads; check out her books Women of Myth and The Official Lore Olympus Cookbook. And check out her podcast Ancient History Fangirl!

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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La chimera (2023)

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Get your divining rods and apotropaic phalli and get ready for some dark magical realism. We excavate Alice Rohrwacher's 2023 film about a British archaeologist-turned-tombarolo, La chimera. This film has everything: Etruscan tombs, musical interludes, Isabella Rossellini, ghosts and more! We really dug this film and the way it unpacks the complicated relationship between past and present, living and dead, wealth and poverty, plus Italian nonna's favoritism towards their granddaughter's ex-boyfriends.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Enemy of My Dreams (2025), with Jenny Williamson

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 11:00:00 GMT

It's summertime! You know what that means? Time to head to the beach with a historical, smutty romance book! And boy do we have a recommendation for you! In this episode we are joined by romance novelist and fellow historical podcaster, Jenny Williamson, to discuss her debut book Enemy of My Dreams. We discuss everything from the historical figures that inspired the story, the importance of Romance as a genre, and the texting style of each of our favorite characters. No major spoilers, but we do encourage you to read Jenny's book ASAP because the sequel was just recently announced!

If you want to learn even more about Alaric and the Gothic people, be sure to check out Jenny and Genn's podcast Ancient History Fangirl, where you can also find links for their other written works mentioned at the end of the show. And if you are already excited for the sequel to Enemy of My Dreams, you can now preorder Game of Thieves here.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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RE-AIR: The Dig (2021)

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 11:00:00 GMT

This episode originally aired in February 2021. It is also a historical record documenting the start of wonderful friendship between three scholars/nerds talking about ancient history and archaeology in popular media.

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.

If you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review and subscribe on your chosen listening platform and follow us on socials under @movieswedig. If you want a say in which film we'll wrap up season 5 with (National Treasure or Sahara), find the poll at Spotify or on our Bluesky and Instagram pages. Voting closes at midnight on July 31 at 11:59 PM Pacific.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Lore Olympus (2018-2024), with Erica Rose Hampton

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 11:10:08 GMT

For all those who like to read their Greek myths in comic form, this one's for you! With the help of special guest Erica Rose Hampton, we delve into one of the most famous web comics in the world. While you may love it or hate it, it is undeniable that Rachel Smythe's Lore Olympus embraces and modernizes the heavy topics presented to us in myths, making it a compelling piece of modern reception. Plus, who doesn't love revisiting the messy relationships of the Olympians? We discuss the perils of modern dating, critiques of YA and Romance (looking at you Twilight), and end on an expletive-filled rant about capitalism. See? It is compelling!

If you would like to learn more about Erica (or recommend more examples of Demeter and Persephone in modern media), you can do so here.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Blood of Zeus, Season 3 Interview (2025), with Charley and Vlas Parlapanides, Derek Phillips, & Elias Toufexis

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 11:00:00 GMT

It wouldn't be a series finale episode if we didn't go out with a bang! Joined by the creators of Blood of Zeus, Charley and Vlas Parlapanides, as well as the voice actors for the series' leads of Heron (Derek Phillips) and Seraphim (Elias Toufexis), we delve into the creative process of producing one of our favorite modern retellings of Greek myth. Though our heroic brothers may be at odds in the show, the camaraderie of the writers and performers is evident as we discuss the importance of storytelling in our modern era.

Please be sure to support the show Blood of Zeus by watching and liking the show on Netflix along with following the show on social media (@bloodofzeus). Likewise, learn about other projects Derek and Elias are involved with by following their socials. Special thanks once again to Zoé Elise Thomas for stepping in as host for this episode. You can find Zoé on Bluesky under the handle @archaeadne.bsky.social.‬

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Blood of Zeus, Season 3 (2025), with Zoé Elise Thomas

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 11:00:00 GMT

It wouldn't be a Blood of Zeus episode if we didn't bring back the reigning champ and monster 'enthusiast' Zoé Thomas. We break down our reactions to the third and final season of Netflix's animated myth-fest, Blood of Zeus, created by Charley and Vlas Parlapanides. Highs, lows and Bacchic hallucinations, we've got a lot to say about this one, so grab your lightning bolts, hop on your flying chariot and join the sparagmos.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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She's The Man (2006)

Fri, 23 May 2025 11:00:00 GMT

"All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players." That's right! We trade in one mysterious bard for another as we tackle Christie's pick for a favorite film, She's The Man. This adaptation of a Disney Channel Original Movie, Motocro... uhh we mean, Shakespeare's Twelfth Night has everything one could hope for: shenanigans, soccer, romance, and early 2000s female empowerment through masquerading as a man. Oh, and did we mention this film has Channing Tatum?

While it's all fun in games for the majority of the episode, their is a short discussion of bullying and mild SA that occurs at the 1:24:01-1:26:46 mark. Be warned and be respectful! And as always, please be sure to rate, review and subscribe if you like what you hear.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Galaxy Quest (1999)

Fri, 09 May 2025 11:00:00 GMT

We continue our suite of host-picks that have nothing to do with the central premise of our show with Colin's random movie pick: Dean Parisot's 1999 addition to the Star Trek canon, Galaxy Quest. This time, we're the Thermians taking a piece of media at face value with no appreciation for context, irony or the dramatic arts. Or are we Saris? Either way, listen as we find a way to turn this late 20th century satirical sci-fi action into a reflection on anthropology and the transmission of culture, as well as meditate on the state of nerdom, fictional space aliens and the fear of being a cringey millennial.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Alien vs. Predator (2004)

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Did the Predator aliens invent toxic masculinity? Are billionaire's secretly chill dudes? Would this be Freud's all-time favorite movie? Yes.

We take a (slight) detour from our usual survey grounds to talk about our first personal pick (thank you, Elijah): Alien vs. Predator (2004), aka The Predator Industrial Complex. Join us for a review of this classic tale of human explorers finding themselves caught in a centuries-long struggle betwixt newly born larvae and a teen coming-of-age party. It's got archaeology, some form feminism(?), and whole heaps of blood. 2004 called and said, "this movie's EXXXTREME!"

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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KAOS at CAMWS (2025), with Amy Pistone

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 11:00:00 GMT

That's right! We packed our bags with recording equipment and made our way to the annual meeting of the Classical Association of the Midwest and South to talk about the 2024 Netflix show, KAOS. Filling in for Colin as co-host is fan favorite Amy Pistone, and our special guest for this episode is our first ever live audience!. While we might be at an academic conference, we can't help but do things the Movies We Dig way by drinking wine and dropping f-bombs throughout our analysis of KAOS. To learn more about Amy and her work, be sure visit her website. Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/zoo/imagine

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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The Pyramid (2014), with Briana Jackson

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 11:00:00 GMT

This episode could totally rewrite our chronology of pyramid movies! Join us as we uncover the tomb of unspeakable (unwatchable?) horrors that is the 2014 found-footage horror film, The Pyramid. Joined by super special guest and Egyptologist extraordinaire Briana Jackson, we attempt to make sense of this confusing three-sided pyramid. We talk cannibal cats, abused camera men and why is Anubis is actually a good boy who did nothing wrong.

You can read, hear and see more from Briana at her website brianajackson.com as well as on her YouTube channel @DrBrianaJackson.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Epic: The Musical (2024), with Wren Fleming

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 12:29:54 GMT

Social media may be a dumpster fire these days, but every once in a while it takes us by surprise. In this case, it’s a new take on Homer’s Odyssey as a concept album titled Epic with music and lyrics by Jorge “Jay” Rivera-Herrans. Bopping along to all the highs and lows of this musical experience is the lovely Wren Fleming, a writer and long time friend of the podcast. Maybe we’re all musical theater kids at heart, because this is one of our favorite examples of reception since, well, Hadestown. Now if we can just get it on stage, glasses-wearing Polites and all!

To learn more about Wren and her work with Hillfire Press check out the website and their Instagram page under the handle @hillfire_press.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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The Lost City of Z (2016), with Flint Dibble

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Man's reach should forever exceed his podcast. Join us as we talk with super special guest, Flint Dibble, about James Gray's 2016 biopic on early 20th century British explorer Percy Fawcett, The Lost City of Z. We talk archaeology, colonialism and why this is a stealth prequel to the Twilight Saga. Is this a hagiography of an archaeological pioneer or a troubling attempt to smooth other a complicated legacy? Also, it's pronounced 'Zed.'

You can see more from Flint at his Youtube Channel, Archaeology with Flint Dibble.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Romancing the Stone (1984), with Raven Todd DaSilva

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Happy Valentine's Day listeners! To celebrate, grab your favorite smutty romance book and your map of questionable origins as we explore the chaotically-fun film, Romancing the Stone. Joining the conversation is the wonderful Raven Todd DaSilva, who helps us to uncover the film's questionable romance and even more questionable archaeology. We uncover the tragic history of the film's screenwriter, it's intriguing relationship with the Indiana Jones franchise, and how archaeology and travel may lead to self-actualization(?). If nothing else, just know that Kathleen Turner walked in ruined pumps so that Sandra Bullock could run in a sparkly-pink jumpsuit.

If you want to learn more about Raven and her work, be sure to visit her website www.digitwithraven.com and follow her on social media under the handle @digitwithraven. If you want to get your hands on her excellent book The Other Ancient Civilisations: Decoding Archaeology’s Less Celebrated Cultures, you can do so here or at most major online booksellers.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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The Return (2024), with Joel Christensen, Joe Goodkin and Amy Pistone

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 12:00:00 GMT

How can men find their way to war but not find their way to a good podcast? Like suitors around Penelope's megaron, we assemble our biggest survey panel ever to court Uberto Pasolini's latest re-imagining of Homer's Odyssey (or the back half at least): The Return (2024). Joining us are guesting hall-of-famers Joel Christensen and Amy Pistone, as well as super-special new suitor, Joe Goodkin. We talk about reception and storytelling, whether it's better sometimes to forget than to remember, and Ralph Fiennes' naked bod. Put on your best beggar disguise, string you bow and get ready to grapple with the horror of war in this stealth sequel to The English Patient (2 English 2 Patient).

You can can find more from Amy on her website and on social media, Joel via Sententiae Antiquae (@sentantiq), and listen to Joe's folk opera, The Blues of Achilles.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Hades II (2024 Early Access), with Meg Sullivan

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 12:00:56 GMT

Grab your witches hats and your godly boons as we delve into the Underworld once again with Hades II. Keep in mind that while the game is still in early access, spoilers abound (including a big one for Final Fantasy VII)! Helping us out with this gaming katabasis is the wonderful Meg Sullivan of History N' Games. We talk about some of our favorite characters and themes from the game thus far, as well as our predictions for where the story may go in the future.

To learn more about Meg, check out her YouTube channel and website https://historyngames.com/. You can also follow Meg on Bluesky under the handle @celticqueenmeg.bsky.social.

If you want to see some of our own gameplay and exploration of Hades II, check out our recorded livestreams on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@MoviesWeDig/streams.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Stargate (1994), with David S. Anderson

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 12:00:00 GMT

It's not a "door to heaven," it's Stargate (1994), dweeb! We travel a million light years from home to uncover this peak 90's find with good friend of the show David S. Anderson. We talk gods, aliens, archaeology, dunking on your colleagues' translations and curiously paradoxical attitudes towards arming children. Is this movie the harbinger of modern ancient aliens conspiracies or just a warm up for Independence Day? Also, don't you just miss the days when a child wandering an archaeological site could just wander off with an ancient artifact?

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Gladiator II (2024), with Glenn Storey

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 12:25:41 GMT

Where to begin? (No really, what date is this film even taking place in?) Ridley Scott returns us to his vision of ancient Rome that was laid out over twenty years ago. While we do see a lot of new faces in the Eternal City, the overall story is wrapped up in its mythologizing of the original. Joining the crew is a very special guest (and Maximus/mentor figure to two of your hosts), Dr. Glenn Storey to discuss this Hollywood take on the Roman Empire. From ships and sharks in the Colosseum to a slightly morbid excerpt from Vergil written on a child's bedroom wall, there are quite a few moments that give us pause. Looking beyond the little inaccuracies that feel designed to troll ancient scholars (Persians vs. Trojans at the Battle of Salamis?), we focus on what the film is trying to reflect about our own modern society. And what we see is a lot scarier than the CGI baboons.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), with Bill Farley

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Are you back Indy? We are at least as we uncover the fifth (and final?) installment of the America's favorite archaeologist: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Joining us is super special guest Bill Farley, who helps us unpack a whole range of topics including the Antikythera mechanism, Processualism, Operation Paperclip, digital de-aging technology and the dangers of living in the past (don't do it kids). Listen now or relive the Siege of Syracuse for all eternity.

You can see more from Bill on his Youtube channel Archaeology Tube.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Indiana Jones (Original Trilogy), with David West Reynolds

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 12:00:00 GMT

They're digging in the right place? We take another look at the most famous archaeologist of all as we revisit the first three Indiana Jones movies: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), The Temple of Doom (1984) and The Last Crusade (1989). Joined by super special guest, author and archaeologist David West Reynolds, we look back on our own experiences with Indy, enormous impact on the public perception of archaeology and what these films, namely Raiders, gets remarkably correct about the field.

You can follow David West Reynolds on Facebook, Instagram as well as through his work on projects with Lucasfilm, the Explorer's Club and his new kickstarter, Chasing Raiders.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Megalopolis (2024), with Hannah Čulík-Baird

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 12:00:00 GMT

In this episode we utilize our amazing artistic abilities to *checks notes* stop time(?) and discuss Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, a modern retelling/allegory of the Catilinarian Conspiracy that took place during the late Roman Republic. Here to help analyze this fever-dream of a film is Dr. Hannah Čulík-Baird, Associate Professor of Classics at UCLA, co-editor of Res Difficiles, and last but not least, a self proclaimed “unrepentant Adam Driver stan”. Join us in our attempt to make sense of a film that fights all attempts to do so.

Is it bad? Probably. Is it brilliant? Probably not. Does the random QR code actually provide insightful information? We may never know.

Be sure to read Hannah's insightful take on the film via her blog o pietas animi and follow her on social media under the handle @opietasanimi.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft (2024)

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 11:01:17 GMT

In this episode we learn that your hosts do not know how to behave themselves without an awesome guest to keep them in line! That being said, Colin, Elijah, and Christie delve into the latest iteration of Tomb Raider from the new Netflix animated series. It has a fully realized Lara, beautiful animation, and a plot that actually requires the heroine to intervene in order to save the world. Yet it feels a little too late for it to make the same impact as Angelina Jolie's Tomb Raider. We unpack this, Netflix's unintelligible renewal method (this series was renewed for a second season), and weird franchises we'd all like talk drunkenly about one day.

With a new month comes a new opportunity to help support the podcast! Please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts! And if you want to know about our upcoming plans and episode releases, be sure to follow us on all our social media platforms, which you can find here.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Tomb Raider Video Game (2013) and Film (2018), with Julie Levy

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 14:56:26 GMT

Your favorite Tomb Raider is back, and this time she taking a beating. With the help of archaeogaming specialist, Julie Levy, we take a look at the rebooted version of Lara Croft introduced in the 2010s. Considering the film is supposed to be based on the 2013 game, it is wild to see how drastically different the two mediums present Lara Croft's new origin story. Let's just say, we end up loving the game more than a film, even with its supernatural AND super-gorey elements. Will Lara ever put down her tomb raiding ways and become a real archaeologist? Probably not. But the franchise does allow us to consider the role myth-making plays in the field of archaeology, and it's problematic offshoot of pseudoarchaeology.

Speaking of, if you want to learn more about #RealArchaeology, be sure to check out all the new archaeology-related content be shared this weekend at real-archaeology.com! The site brings together a collective of online creators whose goal is to collaborate in creating, promoting, and sharing entertaining and educational media with the wider public on the wonders of our shared history.

Along with that, check out the Save Ancient Studies Alliance which likewise aims to break barriers to education about humanity’s diverse past in order to advance intercultural empathy, equity, and cooperation today.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) and The Cradle of Life (2003), with Marina Escolano-Poveda

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 11:00:00 GMT

As the old adage goes, "Well-behaved women seldom make history" and Tomb Raider takes that to a whole new level. Based on the popular late 90s action-adventure video games, Angelina Jolie plays the titular Lara Croft in these high-energy films released during the early 2000s. To help us unpack the early inspirations for this character and her initial film adaptations, we are joined by Egyptologist (and sometimes Lara Croft cosplayer), Dr. Marina Escolano-Povdeda. While these films definitely fail the Bechdel test, one must marvel at this cinematic world in which no one questions Lara's capabilities as a Tomb Raider. Even if she probably destroys more tombs than not, her importance as an icon for young girls and women who wanted to enter the male-dominated field of archaeology cannot be overstated. That's got to count for something, right?

If you are interested in learning more about #RealArchaeology and the people who do it, be sure to check out https://real-archaeology.com/index.html. And if you would like to learn more about Marina and her work, check out her Twitter and Instagram pages.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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KAOS (2024), with Amy Pistone

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 11:00:00 GMT

If you've been hankering for a good modern take on ancient myth, then this is the show for you! We join forces with super-special guest Amy Pistone to talk about Netflix's new take on the Greek gods in Kaos (2024). We talk about how this show adapts oft- and less-oft-seen stories to its unique world and its novel takes on many familiar characters. Does everything in the end come back to Romeo + Juliet?

Disclaimer: We didn't know about its impending cancellation when we recorded (though we had a Cassandra-like premonition that it might happen). We still highly encourage you go check out the show. Who knows? Perhaps another platform will pick it up and continue this excellent adaptation of Greek myth. Only the Fates know;) #Justice4Dennis

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Film Wasn’t Dug in a Day! Season 5 Promo (Part II)

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 11:00:00 GMT

We're back with the second part of our promo-preview for the newest season of Movies We Dig: Archaeology on Film. We round out our discussion of the previous season on Rome on TV with some trivia games, make predictions on the films we're about to review and reflect back on what brought us to our fields, in some cases literally.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Rome Wasn’t Filmed in a Day! Season 5 Promo (Part I) with Bonus Content from The Partial Historians

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 10:59:53 GMT

Before we dig our way through some of the most famous archaeologists found on screen, we figured it would be a good idea to reflect back on Season 4 of Movies We Dig. We talk about the season as a whole, our favorite and least favorite series, and...Demon Slayer? Come on, you should all know we're big nerds at this point. Come for the anime discussion, but stay for the bonus content on Spartacus!

Our friends and fellow podcasters, Dr. Rad and Dr. G of the Partial Historians have a new book coming out November 2024! In Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire, the authors provide a sneak peek behind Rome’s curtains to bring you some of the amazing feats of the Romans, their less than spectacular moments, and some tales they’re probably embarrassed that have survived in the evidence! If you enjoy learning about ancient Rome (We know you do!), then please support the Partial Historians by pre-ordering the book. Find the book here along with other merch and their first title, Rex.

And be sure to check back later this week for the second part of our discussion, where Colin, Lij, and Christie play some fun games and look forward to Season 5 focusing on Archaeology in Film. We hope you dig it!

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Happy International Podcast Day 2024! Livestream Episode with Liv Albert, Genn McMenemy and Jenny Williamson

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 11:00:00 GMT

That's right, we did a thing! Our first-ever livestream crossover event with the hosts of Movies We Dig, Ancient History Fangirl, and Let's Talk About Myths, Baby! And if you want a chance to watch rather than just listen to the show, you can do so on our new YouTube channel! Here is the link for the recorded livestream: https://youtube.com/live/qtUMQm0no1c

To celebrate International Podcast Day your favorite podcasters on antiquity and pop-culture indulged in an evening of fun, frolicking and some light dismemberment! The show includes answering questions from fans and listeners, testing our knowledge of ancient myth and history, imbibing cocktails from Nectar of the Gods, and performing a live (slightly-tipsy) read-through of Euripides’ Bacchae.

Show your favorite podcasters some love by subscribing to their YouTube channels and social media pages. Feeling extra generous? Then leave comments and reviews wherever you listen (or watch) your podcasts. Here's some helpful links to get you there!

Movies We Dig- Find the website at https://www.movieswedig.com and all our socials at https://linktr.ee/movieswedig.Ancient History Fangirl- Find the website at https://www.ancienthistoryfangirl.com and all their socials at https://linktr.ee/ancienthistoryfangirl.Let's Talk About Myths, Baby!- Find the website at https://www.mythsbaby.com and of Liv's socials at https://linktr.ee/livalbert.

Special thanks to Genn, Jenny, and Liv for taking part in this special livestream event! Please be sure to support them, their podcasts, and all their other amazing projects!

We also want to thank Emma Pauly for providing their translation of the Bacchae for our live read-through of the play. To hear Emma speak about their work on the play, check out this episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/conversations-nonbinary-dionysus-a-look-at/id1264449047?i=1000527595570. You can learn even more about Emma on their website at https://www.emmapauly.com.

Finally, thank you to our listeners for being a part of this amazing community! These shows would not be possible without you!

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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MWD Season 5: “It Belongs in a Museum!” Archaeology on Film

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 18:36:10 GMT

You already got a small taste of Season 5, but get hyped as we prepare to discuss all your favorite fictional archaeologists! We love that Hollywood makes us (Lij and Christie specifically) look like bad asses, but sometimes they miss out on what makes archaeology awesome. We have an amazing lineup of guests from both the academic and the public scholarship world, so grab a trowel and help us dig into the newest season of Movies We Dig!

And if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, subscribe, and write a review! For more news about the upcoming season, be sure to follow us on social media. And stay tuned for a big announcement about International Podcast Day!

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/pop-and-crunch

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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The Name of the Rose (1986), with Joel Christensen & Tim Gerolami

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 10:56:00 GMT

Elementary my dear Adso! We kick off our new archaeology-focused season with director Jean-Jacques Annaud's 1986 adaptation of Umberto Eco's medieval mystery thriller The Name of the Rose. Joining us are super-special return guests: Joel Christensen & Tim Gerolami. We host our own little ecumenical discussing everything from the poverty of Christ to the hotness of Christian Slater. Come learn how cult horror films inform medieval dogma.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Those About to Die, Season 1 (2024), with Alexandra Sills

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 11:08:32 GMT

Ready your quardriga and place your bets as we race to the finish of Movies We Dig Season 4! We end the season with the most recent series depicting ancient Rome, Peacock's Those About to Die. Oddly enough, there's not a single Julio-Claudian in sight. That's right, new imperial family=new opportunities to plot and scheme your way to the top! And if anyone can pull it off, it's Ramsey Bol...excuse us, its Tenax and company. It's time to "Rise or Die!" (sigh). Anyone else getting a strong sense of déjà vu here?

And whenever we see a gladiator, you know we have the call in our good friend and Roman spectacle specialist, Alexandra Sills! Does a show about Roman entertainment manage to entertain a modern audience? Let's find out!

Want to learn more about gladiators in modern media? Then be sure to check out Alexandra’s webpage, writing, social media, and much more at https://linktr.ee/alexandrasills.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Romulus, Season 1 (2020), with the Partial Historians

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 11:00:00 GMT

Rome wasn't founded in a season of television, but you can watch it on Tubi. Joined by super-special guests and experts of archaic Rome, Dr. Peta Greenfield and Dr. Fiona Radford (aka The Partial Historians), we dig into the first season of Romulus (2020), an Italian historical drama retelling the founding of Rome. Familicide, divine epiphanies, pre-agricultural wolf cults, eyeball-poking-masks, this show has everything. It's also the only piece of television (to our knowledge) spoken entirely in Archaic Latin. We also did the whole episode in Archaic Latin too.

You can find out more about the Partial Historians on their website and listen to their show on most streaming services. Pre-order their new book, Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire, now!

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Alexander (2004), with Jenn Finn

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 12:00:00 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Hercules (2014) [AKA Rockules!], with Amy Pistone

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 12:00:00 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Troy (2004), with Joel Christensen

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 12:00:00 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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300 (2006), with Roel Konijnendijk

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 12:00:00 GMT

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

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Interview with the Creators of Blood of Zeus (2020-2024), with Vlas and Charley Parlapanides

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 11:00:00 GMT

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

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Blood of Zeus, Season 2 (2024); with Zoe E Thomas

Thu, 30 May 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Long awaited and much anticipated, we return for the second season of Netflix's anime fantasy series Blood of Zeus. We dig into this show's 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?

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Movies We Dig Does a Conference! CAMWS 2024

Thu, 23 May 2024 12:00:00 GMT

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!

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Spartacus: War of the Damned (2013), with Ancient History Fangirl

Thu, 09 May 2024 11:00:00 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Spartacus: Vengeance (2012), with Christina Hotalen

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 12:00:00 GMT

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

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (2011), with Liv Albert

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 11:00:00 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Spartacus: Blood and Sand (2010), with Alexandra Sills

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 11:00:00 GMT

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

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Movies We Dig Trailer

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Find out what we're all about! Please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe if you like what you hear and follow us on social media. Thanks for listening!

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Xena: Warrior Princess (1995-2001), with Amy Pistone

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 19:47:57 GMT

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***

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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(Retcon) Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief 2010, with Hannah Bazinaw

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 13:00:00 GMT

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:)

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Percy Jackson & The Olympians (2023), with Hannah Bazinaw

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 12:56:00 GMT

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).

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Percy Jackson & The Olympians (2023) Ep. 8 Minisode, with Laura Porto

Sat, 10 Feb 2024 13:00:00 GMT

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!

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Percy Jackson & The Olympians (2023) Ep. 7 Minisode, with Emma Coffey

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 22:00:00 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Extremely Strained and Incredibly Forced: The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Rattlesnakes (2023), with Alexandra Sills

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 13:00:00 GMT

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 always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Percy Jackson & The Olympians (2023) Ep. 6 Minisode, with Colin MacCormack

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 13:15:00 GMT

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!

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Thermae Romae Novae (2022), with Chiara Sulprizio

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 12:00:00 GMT

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!

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Percy Jackson & The Olympians (2023) Ep. 5 Minisode, with Merri Willis

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 01:00:00 GMT

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).

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Percy Jackson & The Olympians (2023), Ep. 4 Minisode

Sun, 07 Jan 2024 02:00:00 GMT

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?

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Domina, Season 2 (2023)

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 13:00:00 GMT

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!

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Percy Jackson & the Olympians (2023), ep. 3 Minisode

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Domina, Season 1 (2021), with Christina Hotalen

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 12:00:00 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Percy Jackson & the Olympians (2023), eps. 1-2 minisode

Sun, 24 Dec 2023 02:42:09 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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I, Claudius (1976), part 2

Sun, 10 Dec 2023 12:00:00 GMT

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!

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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I, Claudius (1976), part 1; with Liz Gloyn

Sat, 02 Dec 2023 12:05:00 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Rome (2005), part 3

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 13:05:00 GMT

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?

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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HALLOWEEN SPECIAL: A Wounded Fawn (2022), Commentary Listen-Along

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 12:20:00 GMT

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!

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Rome (2005), part 2; with Alexandra Sills

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 12:00:00 GMT

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

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Rome (2005), part I

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 12:00:00 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Season 4 Promo

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 12:00:00 GMT

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

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), with Fiona Radford & Peta Greenfield

Fri, 19 May 2023 13:00:00 GMT

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$!

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans (2019), with Emma Coffey

Mon, 01 May 2023 12:03:00 GMT

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?

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Extremely Strained and Incredibly Forced: Altered Carbon (2018), with Jeremy Swist

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 12:34:00 GMT

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 meets Philip K Dick. Verdict: you cannot disembody the embodied body.

you can find Jeremy on Twitter @MetalClassicist and his website https://heavymetalclassicist.home.blog/

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Titus (1999), with Pramit Chaudhuri

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 12:00:00 GMT

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

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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The Warriors (1979), with Joel Christensen and Tim Gerolami

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 13:00:00 GMT

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?

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Extremely Strained and Incredibly Forced: The White Lotus, Season 2 (2022)

Thu, 02 Feb 2023 07:00:00 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Extremely Strained and Incredibly Forced: The Wire (2002-2008), with Adam Rabinowitz

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 07:00:00 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Extremely Strained and Incredibly Forced: The Walking Dead (2010-2022), with Maxwell T Paule

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 07:00:00 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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The Eternals (2021), with David S Anderson

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 07:02:00 GMT

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

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Thor: Love & Thunder (2022), with Jason Nethercut

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 07:20:00 GMT

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...

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Extremely Strained and Incredibly Forced: Moana (2016), with Ayelet Haimson Lushkov

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 07:45:00 GMT

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!)

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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The Sandman (2022), with Kira Jones

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 07:00:00 GMT

A Note to Our Listeners: In the time since we recorded and edited this episode, new and troubling information has come to light as multiple women have accused its creator, Neil Gaiman of sexual coercion and assault. We at Movies We Dig believe these allegations and fully support the women who had the courage to come forward. While it is unlikely we will cover any future work associated with Gaiman, for the time being, we have decided to leave our episode on The Sandman available. We do this primarily to recognize the contributions of our guest, Kira Jones, as well the work done by the many other writers, actors, directors and other artists who contributed to series. Understand that this episode is reflective of our thoughts at the time. Reconciling how to receive art - especially such widely influential and beloved art - in the light of terrible truths about its creator is a difficult process, one we encourage all our listeners to consider seriously. Most importantly, our new priority going forward must be the stories of these women and how they want them told.

If you’d like support after learning that someone in your life has experienced sexual violence or if you are a survivor yourself and want to talk, feel free to call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673) or chat online at online.rainn.org (y en español rainn.org/es)

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 the 1989-1996 comic of the same name. We dig the show's mythological foundations, 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!

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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The Lost City (2022)

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 07:00:00 GMT

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).

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), with David S. Anderson

Wed, 25 May 2022 07:00:00 GMT

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...

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), with Kara Cooney and Jordan Galczynski

Fri, 20 May 2022 07:00:00 GMT

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/

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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The Emperor’s Club (2002)

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 06:36:00 GMT

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!

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Atlantis (2013), with Liv Albert

Wed, 06 Apr 2022 06:03:00 GMT

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

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey (2018), with Deb Trusty

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 06:48:00 GMT

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

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Centurion (2010)

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 06:39:00 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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The Mummy (1999), with Amy Pistone

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 06:18:00 GMT

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."

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Hadestown (2019), with Sam Lipert

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 14:21:19 GMT

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!

If you would like to check out Sam's Unessay Project and all their work examining Addiction and Obsession in Retellings of the Myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, you can do so here.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Superbowl Commercials (2004-2022)

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 06:38:00 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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King Arthur (2004)

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 06:38:00 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Gladiator (2000)

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 12:30:00 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Cleopatra (1970), with Chiara Sulprizio

Thu, 16 Dec 2021 12:00:00 GMT

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

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Fellini Satyricon (1969), with Sarah Bond and Gregory Hays

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 11:30:00 GMT

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!

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Interview with Charley & Vlas Parlapanides (Blood of Zeus), with Zoé Elise Thomas

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 12:30:00 GMT

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".

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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The Last Legion (2007), with Ayelet Haimson Lushkov & Pramit Chaudhuri

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 06:00:00 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Hades (2020), with Donna Zuckerberg

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 05:30:00 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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The Odyssey (1997), with Deborah Beck

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 05:30:00 GMT

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

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Jason and the Argonauts (1963)

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 05:00:00 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Clash of the Titans (1981)

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 05:00:00 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Proem for Season 2

Thu, 30 Sep 2021 23:59:00 GMT

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.

Get

Excited

For Movies

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Blood of Zeus (2020) Part II, with Zoé Thomas

Sat, 19 Jun 2021 00:33:31 GMT

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!

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Blood of Zeus (2020) Part I, with Zoé Thomas

Thu, 10 Jun 2021 18:48:56 GMT

"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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Troy: Fall of a City (2018), Part III, with Ava-Elana Tolley-Enstrom

Fri, 21 May 2021 19:03:57 GMT

“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!

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Troy: Fall of a City (2018), Part II, with Lucile Chambon, Jordan Engstrom and Mitchell Jackson

Fri, 07 May 2021 23:05:38 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Troy: Fall of a City (2018), Part I, with Adam Rabinowitz

Sat, 24 Apr 2021 17:58:32 GMT

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 Slav i c Connexion

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The Eagle (2011)

Sat, 17 Apr 2021 22:50:42 GMT

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?

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Pompeii (2014), with Christy Schirmer

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 22:22:17 GMT

Are you ready to go back to Titanic 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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Agora (2009)

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 23:08:58 GMT

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?

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Black Orpheus (1959), with Rebecca Futo Kennedy

Sun, 21 Mar 2021 17:52:17 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Ben-Hur (1959)

Wed, 17 Mar 2021 01:01:01 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Spartacus (1960)

Thu, 04 Mar 2021 23:43:55 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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O Brother, Where Art Thou (2000), with Joel Christensen

Sun, 28 Feb 2021 01:45:00 GMT

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?

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Cleopatra (1963), with Jeremy Swist and Nicole Becklinger

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 22:01:07 GMT

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

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Quo Vadis (1951)

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 19:36:58 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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The Dig (2021), with Christie Vogler

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 04:51:41 GMT

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979)

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 22:37:53 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966)

Thu, 03 Dec 2020 18:58:14 GMT

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?

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001), with Clara Bosak-Schroeder

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 23:58:16 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Hercules (1997), with Ayelet Haimson-Lushkov

Sat, 14 Nov 2020 05:07:44 GMT

"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...

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)

Thu, 05 Nov 2020 06:22:28 GMT

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...

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Hercules (2014)

Thu, 29 Oct 2020 05:22:41 GMT

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.

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Immortals (2011)

Sat, 10 Oct 2020 19:13:55 GMT

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?

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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Clash of the Titans (2010)

Sat, 10 Oct 2020 19:08:17 GMT

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?

As always, if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show! Stay up-to-date on all the Movies We Dig news by visiting movieswedig.com or checking out our socials.

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