This week Craig Bruce Smith and Robert Greene II drop in to debate whether The Terminator was the most important film made in the 1980s, plus ranking the biggest action stars from 1980 to 2000. About our guests: Craig Bruce Smith is an associate professor of history at National Defense University in the Joint Advanced Warfighting School (JAWS) in N…

This week, resident HATM horror experts Rachel Gunter and Nicole Donawho drop in to talk about Scream, its legacy, and our favorite scream queens.

This week we dive into the history and science behind Antarctica and question who made it out: Childs or MacReady? The Thing is a 100% PERFECT film. Grab your flamethrower and join in. About our guests: Peter Neff is a glaciologist and climate scientist working primarily to develop glacier ice core records of past climate, environmental conditions,…

Wait, the pyramids weren’t built by aliens???This week HATM celebrates our 100th episode by talking Egyptology with Julia Troche and Stargate’s historical consultant, Stuart Tyson Smith.

It's spooky season around here and that means it's time to visit Dawn of the Dead. Kelly Baker and Thomas Lecaque drop into to talk about the history of zombies in western culture, our favorite zombie kills, and exactly what we'd do in the zombie apocalypse. About our guests: Award-winning and Amazon bestselling author Kelly J. Baker is a freelance…

This week we talk about the life and legacy of Neil Armstrong and the Apollo 11 mission. Joining us is Jim Hansen, who wrote the book First Man and served as a consultant on the film, along with HATM space expert Kevin Rusnak. We talk about the Armstrong's inward journey into outer space, his relationships with his fellow astronauts, and the role h…

Any Given Sunday turns 25 this year and it may have predicted the modern football era whether the NFL liked it or not. Sports historian Lou Moore stops in to talk about the rise of Black quarterbacks, CTE, social media in sports, malevolent owners, and his new book The Great Black Hope: Doug Williams, Vince Evans, and the Making of the Black Quarte…

Colin Farrell is back as the boss of Gotham City. This week Blake Scott Ball, author of the forthcoming book Batman: The Making of an American Myth joins in to talk about Batman, the Penguin, and whether or not you should check out the show.

It's Talk Like A Pirate Day and that makes it the perfect time to invite pirate historians Jamie Goodall and Rebecca Simon to talk about pirate mythology, superstitions at sea, and our favorite books and movies about swashbucklers. About our guests: Jamie Goodall is a historian at the U.S. Army Center of Military History in Washington, D.C. She als…

This week Zach Schonfeld drops in to talk about his new book detailing Nicolas Cage's origin story. We dive into how Nicolas Coppola grew up in the shadow of his famous uncle, his struggles to break into Hollywood, and the highs and lows of Nicolas Cage's filmography. This pod is the first of its kind and I think you're gonna dig it.…

We lost James Earl Jones today. Thomas Lecaque joins me to remember the man and what he meant to all of us.

This week Kellie Carter Jackson drops in to talk about The Help. We get into Black representations in film, white savior tropes, and what more nuanced discussions of the lived experiences of Black workers in the Civil Rights era look like. Kellie is a freaking powerhouse. Expect her to be back. About our guest: Kellie Carter Jackson is the Michael …

This week Nancy MacDonell makes her debut on HATM Podcast to talk about Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Anna Wintour, and her book, Empresses of Seventh Avenue, which tells the history of the women who built New York into a fashion powerhouse in the years after World War II. This is a blast, and for me, and eye opening conversation. Hope you enjoy. Ab…

This week Kate Sheppard, John Wyatt Greenlee take a look at the newest edition of the Alien franchise to see what it has to say about capitalism, colonialism, and whether or not the series still has legs after 45 years. Jump in with us on this one. About our guests: Dr. Kathleen Sheppard earned her PhD in History of Science from the University of O…

This week sociologist Jessica Calarco drops in to talk about the magificent 9 to 5, the changing and sometimes unchanging roles of women in the workplace, her work examining the role of women as America's social safety net, and the one and only Dolly Parton. Let's go. About our guest: A Sociologist and Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madis…

This week we are joined by three historians of archaeology: Kate Sheppard, Julia Troche, and Leah Packard-Grams to talk about one of the most perfect films ever made: Raiders of the Lost Ark. We jump into the history of archaeology, Egypt, Hitler's fascination with the occult, and the perfect pair of Marion Ravenwood and Indiana Jones. Oh, and we d…

This week media archaeologist Brian Michael Murphy drops in to talk about the cult classic, Sneakers starring Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, and roughly every actor in Hollywood. We talk about just how prescient this film was in predicting data mining as well as Brian's own work exploring data storage, record keeping, and the American obsession wi…

This week Kate Carpenter drops in to talk about the new film Twisters along with her research on the history of modern-day storm chasing. We get into what they got right, what liberties they took, the role of climate change in the spread of tornado alley, and exactly how crazy are tornado chasers anyway. If you feel it, ride it. About our guest: Ka…

This week Kate Sheppard drops in to talk about the movie that made everyone bisexual: 1999's The Mummy starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. We get into why this is such a perfect summer movie and dive deep into the history of archaeology itself. Kate also shares with us the findings from her new book Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untol…

Happy 6th birthday to HATM! This week we have something special for you: the film that started it all! And as a bonus, we asked the screenwriters of National Treasure, Cormac and Marianne Wibberley to join me and Joanne Freeman to talk about the creation of the film, what it has to say about history, and the movie's legacy. This is a fun time. Abou…

This week Megan Kate Nelson and Kate Carpenter drop in to talk about Kevin Costner's new American epic, Horizon. Our reviews (and our drinks) are mixed but this is such a fun episode as we talk not only about where Horizon succeeds and fails but also about what Costner's career has to say about The West in general. This one is fun. About our guests…

The trailer for Gladiator II is out and we are here for it. Craig Bruce Smith joins in to talk about what we are expecting, the first film's legacy, and Denzel Washington. Let's go.

This week Kevin Levine, Waitman Beorn, and Rich Condon drop in to talk about the most famous battle of the Civil War. We jump into Ted Turner's 1993 production, asking if it is an apologist film, talk about the events surrounding the battle, and talk about our favorite Civil War books and films. About our guests: Waitman Beorn is an assistant profe…

This week Kevin Rusnak, Tyler Peterson, and Michael Bazemore drop into talk about the Cold War, daredevils, and the birth of the Space Program. We have a lot of fun talking about the men and women who made NASA and maybe the coolest movie poster of all time.Oleh Jason Herbert

This week poet and screenwriter Jimmy Santiago Baca joins Jimmy Patiño and me to talk about his 1993 epic Blood In Blood Out. We talk about Jimmy's life story, the challenges facing Chicanos in the 70s & 80s and the film's legacy today. This is a special pod. Hope you like it. About our guests: Jimmy Santiago Baca is a poet and activist of Chicano …

This week Greg Eghigian drops in to talk about Steven Spielberg's first extraterrestrial film and his new book charting the global history of UFO sightings. We get into the histories behind the sightings, how the Cold War affected how we think about space aliens, and whether or not one should put gravy on Devil's Tower. About our guest: Greg is a p…

This week Jamie Goodall joins #HATM regulars John Wyatt Greenlee and Leah Lagrone to get to the bottom of a serious question: to which generation does The Goonies belong. We are up to no good in this episode and even through in some pirate history to boot. HATM never says die. About our guests: Dr. John Wyatt Greenlee is a medievalist and a cartogr…

This week Julio Capó, Jr. drops in to talk about The Birdcage. We get into Robin Williams' queer performances, what this film meant then, and what it means now. We also talk about Julio's scholarship of Miami's immigration and LGBTQ+ history, along with our mutual love of Florida. One of the best pods we've ever done. I hope you enjoy. About our gu…

This week Max Felker-Kantor and I talk about what may be the world's most unlikely history movie: 21 Jump Street. We talk about the real-life attempts to embed police officers undercover in schools, the rise and fall of D.A.R.E., and the role DARE played in creating the carceral state. This is such a surprising episode with some real revelations an…

This week Liz Covart drops in to talk with Kelsa and I about the final episode of Franklin, along with her thoughts on the show as it was. We get into the diplomatic manuevering at Paris, Liz's Codfish moment, the brigand that was William Augustus Bowles and ask if the French lost the American Revolution. About our guest: Liz Covart is a historian …

This week marine biologist and world reknowned shark expert Melissa Cristina Márquez dives in to talk all things Jaws. We talk about her career as a scientist, the role of sharks in the ecosystem, and the impact the book and film had on global shark populations. This is a different look for HATM and a lot of fun talking to an inspiring scholar. We'…

Listen. You don't need to have watched the Franklin series at this point. Listen to THIS POD. This one. Everything you need is here. We've got Kelsa Pellettiere. We have Michael Hattem. We have JOANNE FREEMAN. We have colonial ideologies and diatribes on where an American Revolution series should go. We have disappointment in Michael Douglas. We ha…

This week Kelsa and I ask the tough questions about the series: Are they spending too much time on Temple? Is Lafayette the best character? How will they resolve the series? Which Founding Father would have had an OnlyFans account? Stick around for the wildest discussion on the American Revolution you've ever heard.…

This week we are joined Bathsheba Demuth to talk about the Chris Hemsworth-led In The Heart of the Sea. Bathsheba is the author of one of my favorite books, Floating Coast: An Environmental History of the Bering Strait and we talk about the history of whaling, her work with Indigenous communities in the Yukon, and of course, Moby Dick. This is one …

This week my good friend and native Coloradan Kathleen Belew drops in to talk about the movie that etched the word "wolverines" into our lives forever: Red Dawn. We talk about how Red Dawn depicts Cold War fears on the big screen, and how it has been perceived in the *checks notes* forty years since its release. As usual, Kathleen and I talk about …

This week the legendary Seth Cotlar joins in with Kelsa and me to talk about Episode 5 of Franklin. We get into the dynamics between John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, talk about the need for more meat some of these storylines, and address the needs of the colonies to those of Ukraine in the present day. It's another great trip to the 18th century.…

This week Agnes Arnold-Forster jumps in to talk about the emotional roller coaster that is Pixar's Inside Out. We talk about how historians have conceptualized emotions, their role in the human experience, and Agnes' new book which charts the history of nostalgia. This is such a cool pod because we go places we rarely get to visit. I hope you dig i…

This week HATM friend Lindsay Chervinsky drops in to talk about Episode 4 of Franklin. We talk about the very real possibility all of this could fail, spies galore, a young Louis XVI (with a head!) and a villainous John Adams? Join in with us now! About our guest: Dr. Lindsay M. Chervinsky is a presidential historian. She is the author of the award…

This week Elsa Devienne drops in to talk about Gidget and the history and transformation of the California beach. We get into the fascination with the US and the environment, as well as the influence of Hawaii on California beach culture. We also jump into issues of body image, gender dynamics, and queer representation in beach movies and the globa…

This week begins our first episode covering the new series on Apple TV, FRANKLIN, starring Michael Douglas. Each week we'll recap the episode, fill in with historical backstory, and offer plenty of snark. We have a permanent cohost for the series in Kelsa Pelletiere, one of the foremost Franklin scholars in the world. And we'll rotate in new guests…

This week Drew McKevitt returns to talk about Robocop (1987). We get into depictions of Detroit as a failed city and of Robocop as both the commercial answer to the Terminator and maybe the antithesis of Dirty Harry. And we dive deep into Drew’s new book to talk about the rise of the gun culture in the United States. Hanging with Drew is always a b…

This week the pod welcomes back Thomas Lecaque and John Wyatt Greenlee along with #HATM newcomer Anna Waymack to talk about maybe the best medieval movie ever made: A Knight's Tale. We talk Chaucer, romance, Heath Ledger, the Black Prince, and that fucking soundtrack. Let's go. About our guests: Thomas Lecaque is an associate professor of History a…

This week Jeff Melnick and Erik Baker jump in to talk about Steven Spielberg's Munich. We talk about the history behind the attacks in 1972, why they were relevant in 2005, and why they remain relevant today. And yes, we absolutely discuss the warfare and attempted genocide in Palestine today. This is a really important conversation and I hope that…

This week Christina Abreu drops in to discuss Cuban-American history, Cuban music, and the representation of Cubans in film. We explore the origins and characteristics of Cuban music, as well as the migration of Cubans to the United States in the 1950s. We also discuss the relationship between Cuban-Americans and other Latino groups, as well as the…

We've reached the end of the mission here at Historians At The Movies. This week Sarah, Colin, Luke and I talk about the final thrust of the air war in Germany, POW camps and escape attempts, Rosie's legacy, and the melancholy of leaving the war behind. We also give our final thoughts about the series, where to place it alongside Band of Brothers a…

This week Karen L. Cox swings by to talk about the South, the 70s, and why Burt Reynolds was so damn cool. This is probably the first time you’ve heard Smokey and the Bandit on a history podcast, but that’s what we are here for. This one is fun. About our guest: Karen L. Cox is an award-winning historian and a Distinguished Lecturer for the Organiz…

This week Sarah, Colin, and Luke drop in to talk about the penultimate episode of Masters of the Air. We've a lot to talk about in this episode- inlcuding the air war in Italy and Romania, which highlighs the strategic and tactical operations of the 15th Air Force and the role of the Tuskegee Airmen. We also revist the prison camp storyline, to tal…

This week Mary Hicks and Margari Hill drop in to talk all things DUNE. We focus on Dune Part 2 but also talk about the historical influences on Frank Herbert as he wrote Dune, along with how Dune influenced the science fiction and fantasy that came afterward. We talk about the parallels between the fictional universe and historical events, such as …

This week Sarah, Luke, Colin, and I continue to follow the Bloody Hundredth in what amounted to a tonal shift for the series. We talk about life inside German POW camps, the Great Escape, the Battle of Berlin, and Black Monday. We dive into the Red Cross and also compare the experiences of American prisoners in Europe and the Pacific, along with th…

This week Matt Guariglia drops in to talk about Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruises's Minority Report. We also discuss the history of policing in New York City and its impact on other cities. We jump into as eugenics, race and ethnicity in policing, gender dynamics, and the influence of World War I on the evolution of criminality in New York City and …