Media-eval: A Medieval Pop Culture Podcast

Mar 08 2025 159 ep. 114 mins 694
Media-eval: A Medieval Pop Culture Podcast artwork

Sarah Ifft Decker, a medieval historian, explores how movies, tv, and books depict the medieval world. What did they get right? What did they get wrong? And what do they tell us about how modern people think about the medieval past?

  TV & Film
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The Black Cauldron & The Sword in the Stone

Mar 08 2025 122 mins  
Tracey Tanoff is back but this time Chris Pine's Peen(R) is not on the table as we dissect a couple of beloved animated classics. We may not have liked them but we appreciate the work!

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Feb 22 2025 142 mins  
The holy Grail! Maeve Doyle returns to help us find the most holy of artefacts as we discuss academic representation on screen, Harrison Fords illegal attractive levels and whether a Nazi who reads is a "good" Nazi.

Orlando

Feb 08 2025 126 mins  
CW: Discussions of historical and modern transphobia Join Sarah and her mom, Beth Greenfield, for their last episode of the podcast together as they discuss 1992 film Orlando, based on the novel by Virginia Woolf. We explore the Little Ice Age, English-Ottoman diplomacy, and trans lives and narratives from the medieval and early modern world. Trans people have a history! Learn m

Excalibur

Jan 25 2025 146 mins  
Sarah is joined by fellow historian Maeve Doyle and fan of people getting stabbed Ollie to talk about the seminal 1981 classic Excalibur. Directed by John Boorman and seemingly filmed in a fog of coke dust and horniness this movie is one of the most famous medieval movies of all time. As Maeve says- this movie is a rich text.

Brave

Jan 12 2025 128 mins  
Join Sarah and returning guest Morgan Morales - back for her final appearance on the podcast - as these two curly-haired historians tackle the top curl representation of 2012: Pixar film Brave. We delve into tartans, tapestries, and folklore, all while making the argument that Brave is WAY better than Braveheart. Social Media:
Twitter: x.com/mediaevalpod
 E-mail: media.evalpod

Gladiator 2

Dec 28 2024 155 mins  
Ridley Scott has released a new movie and that mans Sarah has another chance to take him down! Ollie is back to talk about Zombie baboons and the logistics of having two kids that are the same age but also born 21 months apart! Join us as we have a lot of fun discussing one of the most baffling movies of 2024 at the end of the year!

The Man In The Iron Mask

Dec 14 2024 139 mins  
Ollie is back and failing to be objective as we cover one of his childhood faves. Is the movie a little too long? Yes. Does it get the history wrong? Yes! Is it still a wildly entertaining romp? YES!! Strap in for a wild ride of brothers caging brothers, possible regicide and an honourable man who allows honour to be a sideline to getting some action. Strong recommend.

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

Dec 02 2024 133 mins  
Peter Konieczny returns for his last episode as Media-eval's anime correspondent to discuss 2023 series Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. Join Sarah and Peter as we explore forgeries, change over time, and historical memory in this beautiful series. Social Media:
Twitter: twitter.com/mediaevalpod
 E-mail: [email protected]
 Find Peter at www.medievalists.net

Highlander

Nov 16 2024 129 mins  
It's a movie set in 1986 but its heart is medieval. Ollie is back and he introduces Sarah to one of his all time favourite movies- Highlander! Is it good? some would say no but sometimes being wildly entertaining is more important than being good!

Firebrand

Nov 04 2024 154 mins  
It’s just past Halloween, and Media-eval has an episode with an unusual take on the thriller genre! Join Sarah and returning guest Morgan Morales for a discussion of Firebrand, a 2023 film about the harrowing end to the relationship between Henry VIII and Katherine Parr - or a version of it, at least. We get into Tudor portraiture, religion and politics in early modern England, a