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Recorded for 2020 Black History Month UK, now released in 2021 Black History Month US, Jenna and Hugh decided as a Hallowe'en idea to look at the comic book adaptation FROM HELL from writer-directors the Hughes Brothers. Jenna discusses the conflict between her true-crime geekiness and her current status as a queer historian, while Hugh vents on everything he didn't like about the film when in theatres, and how he feels about it now.
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Recorded during UK Black History Month 2020 but now released in US Black History Month 2021, Hugh and Jenna look at a film that could have been a disastrously unfunny look at real-life events, but instead has become a modern comedy classic as well as a point of pride and inspiration in Jamaica itself.
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Recorded during UK Black History Month 2020 but now released in US Black History Month 2021.
In a film full of the flavour of New Orleans Disney Animation returned to 2D animation with Princess and the Frog. However, the era that the film is set in is a troubled one for people of colour in America. Hugh and Jenna discuss the difficulties of depicting this era for a "family friendly" audience.
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In the week of Holocaust Memorial Day, we look at the 2016 drama DENIAL, and its version of the court case brought against historian Professor Deborah Lipstadt by odious Holocaust denier David Irving. Joining us is guest Dr. Waitman Wade Beorn, himself an expert in the field of Holocaust Studies as well as Digital Academic Studies, to discuss the facts behind the fiction and the fiction behind the 'facts'.
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Recorded during the 2020 Christmas Period, Hugh and Jenna are joined by Dr David Howell of the University of Gloucestershire to discuss the traditions of Christmas. Expect some musslings on the origin of the tradition of celebrating during the midwinter, Santa Claus, and his helper Zwarte Peit, small magical creatures, gift giving, Coal, Trees, Krampus, and singing Welsh Horse Skulls.
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In this season finale, Jenna convinces Hugh to go back to a classic episode of the Simpsons, based around an actual 90s event involving an academic historian researching a biography around a lesser-known US president, and what transpired when she thought she had found possible foul play around his death. Given that the episode centres around the Founding Father of Springfield and his statue, this turns out be a timely selection for the podcast.
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Hugh discovers a new addition to his favourite rom-com list, but Jenna questions whether as a counter-factual this film really holds up.
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In this Episode, Jenna and Hugh look at 1998’s Hollywood adaptation THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK, which gives Jenna a chance to try out her French and Hugh a reason to out himself as a lifelong Alexandre Dumas (Pere) fanboy. Writer/director Randall “BRAVEHEART” Wallace, actor Gabriel “supercool” Byrne, how Jenna knows more Dumas than she realises and Hugh’s favourite quote from the film are all points along the way as they decide how well the film portrays 17th century France.
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Recorded for the 65th anniversary of the original Disneyland’s opening, in this special length episode, Hugh and Jenna chat to their special guest Dr Sabrina Mittermeier, author of the upcoming book “A Cultural History of the Disneyland Theme Parks: Middle Class Kingdoms.”
Along with Sabrina, Hugh and Jenna discuss the Disney parks in terms of their history, how they represent history, as well as issues such as class and Americanisation within the parks.
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In this Episode, Hugh speaks for far too long, as he tries to get inside the reactions of the local cinema audience when he first saw the film. Jenna provides a lot more laughs when he gets too serious, but also drags him back on track and corrects his mistakes. Nationalism, national identity, royalty, scandal, appearances and “the war” all get an airing in this look at the stellar cast and story in the awards-winner from the director of CATS….
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In this episode Hugh and Jenna discuss the 1999 miniseries Joan of Arc directed by Christian Duguay, written by Michael Alexander Miller and Ronald Parker and staring Leelee Sobieski, Jacqueline Bisset, Powers Boothe, Neil Patrick Harris and Peter O'Toole
Hugh and Jenna explore the story of Joan of Arc, and the primary sources that help us know about this young girl’s life, and her role in propaganda and nationalism, while Hugh gushes about many of the legendary actors while chatting about changes that happened to television as it moved into the 2000’s, historian specialisation and historical accuracy when it comes to locations.
Please note, this episode contains a light discussion on the subject of rape.
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In this episode, Jenna and Hugh each look at two very different examples of the Western genre today in an episode that ended up packed with laughs.
As always, SPOILERS lie ahead.
First up, Jenna takes us deep into Rockstar Games' Western game universe RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2, and gets to enthuse as a gamer as well as a historian. Then Hugh tries and fails to control his laughter at the remembered jokes in reviewing Seth McFarlane's A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST, also starring Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried, Neil Patrick Harris, Giovanni Ribisi and Sarah Silverman. He does nearly choke to death, but narrowly avoids it.
The pair discuss the roots of the genre, its evolution and how modern, younger audiences may or may not perceive the genre. In particular, how moving into modern comedy and open-world videogames affects the genre as well as people's perception of it.
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In this episode Hugh and Jenna discuss the film based on the long running game franchise Assassin’s Creed.
Directed by Justin Kurzel, written by Michael Lesslie, Adam Cooper and Bill Collage, and starring Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson, Charlotte Rampling and Michael K. Williams.
In this episode Hugh and Jenna take a break from of late nineteenth century, early twentieth century and decided to take STAB out of history, with Assassin’s Creed.
They discuss the idea of canon and lore of franchises and history, as well as fanfiction and its grey area, Video Game Movies in general, and it’s problems and the Assassin’s Creed Modern Day storylines.
Jenna discusses her experiences in Cordoba, Spain and the Reconquista Era of Spanish history, where the Iberian Peninsula was reconquered by Christian leaders from Islamic Leader, a period of history not explored often by English Language media.
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In this episode Hugh and Jenna explore the 2019 Amazon Studios The Aeronauts, directed and written by Tom Harper and co-written Jack Thorne, staring Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Himesh Patel and Tom Courtenay.
Hugh and Jenna discuss the semi-biographical film which was inspired by a true event, the world flight altitude record of James Glaisher and Henry Coxwell, although in the film, Coxwell was replaced by a fictional women Amelia Wren.
Like always they discuss the historical issues brought up by a film like this, especially with a whole fictional character and can you still be accurate despite that, and the marketing of accuracy, as well as the smallness of the film, the equality of the two main roles, private and public sphere of Victorian England.
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Recorded in time for Freud’s 164th birthday, Hugh and Jenna explore the 2011 film, A Dangerous Method, directed by David Cronenberg, written by Christopher Hampton, and starring Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen, and Michael Fassbender.
Hugh and Jenna discuss the birth and development of psychoanalysis and other psychological methods, though the relationships between the founders, Jung, Freud, and Spielrein.
This brings the questions which language films based in non-English speaking countries should be spoken. And Jenna fangirls a little bit over Freud’s couch
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Recorded during Women’s History Month 2020, in this episode Hugh and Jenna explore the 2015 film, Suffragette, directed by Sarah Gavron and written by Abi Morgan. The film stars Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Brendan Gleeson, Anne-Marie Duff, Ben Whishaw and Meryl Streep.
Hugh and Jenna discuss the suffragette movement of the early twentieth century, as well as the general suffrage movement in the United Kingdom up to that point, look at the importance of class within the movement, why some stories from history deserve a bit more time then a movie is able to give it, and why the film feels a lot like the suffragette’s ‘greatest hits.’ Plus the hosts get to have some fun insulting the Daily Mail
Warning: some technical issues lead to Jenna sounding very quiet when compared to her co-host. Please accept our apologies for this.
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For Reel History’s Easter Special, Hugh and Jenna explore the Monty Python’s classic and controversial film, the Life of Brian which starred and written by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin
Hugh and Jenna discuss the film is both the issues of the biblical period that film is set in as well as the time the film came was release, talking about what life was like for the people living during Jesus’s supposed lifetime, and that there was a hunt for a messiah, as well as how the Python’s used the setting to reflect what was happening in British Leftist Politics at the time.
They also chat a bit about the controversial nature of the film, the reaction from the Anglican Church, and why it is always a good idea to look on the bright side of life.
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Recorded during British LBGTQ+ History month, in this episode Hugh and Jenna explore the life of Alan Turing though the film The Imitation Game directed by Morten Tyldum, written by Graham Moore and staring Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear, Charles Dance, and Mark Strong.
Hugh and Jenna discuss how The Imitation Game took the story of the amazing teamwork at Bletchley Park, and how a group came together to build a machine that could crack the Nazi’s Enigma code, and changed the narrative to focus on Alan Turing, an incredible individual, but someone who was happy to be part of a team, and what that does to the history.
They also chat a bit about LGBTQ history and issues, as well as Autism.
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In episode Jenna is joined by a special guest, Leah Holmes to explore the Channel 4 Sitcom Derry Girls, created and written by Lisa McGee, and staring Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Louisa Harland, Nicola Coughlan, Jamie-Lee O'Donnell and Dylan Llewellyn.
Jenna and Leah discuss the Irish Troubles, from the point of view of a teenager child growing up during the period. Leah Holmes talks about her experiences as the women compare it to the dark comedy of Derry Girls.
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In this 2019 Christmas Special, Hugh and Jenna explore the Netflix film Knight before Christmas, directed by Monika Mitchell, written by Cara J. Russell and staring Vanessa Hudgens, Josh Whitehouse and Emmanuelle Chriqui.
This time Hugh and Jenna have some festival fun discussing a rather silly film quite seriously, including talking about masculinity, what should be the actual reaction of an fourteenth century knight transported to the twenty-first century, the history of Christmas trees and are pleasantly surprised by how much history conversation they are able to get out of this film.
Please note, this episode was recorded in two parts.
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