Welcome to episode 2 of season 2 of Reel History! 🎤 This week we dust off our mics, clear our throats and try not to choke as we digest the 2006 smash hit ‘Apocalypto’. Mel Gibson delivers a heart thumping tropical jungle chase that is one part Rambo, one part Predator with a double serving…
Welcome to Reel History! On this podcast we talk about historical movies and TV, anything that claims to be based on a true story, and we check – how bad did they mess it up? What was life actually like during that time period? That’s why we’re here – to separate the real history from the Reel History!
Hosted by two Irish history buffs and a Swedish guy who doesn’t know anything about history. Part of the Shows What You Know network. Cover art by Kim Boland. Music by Dan Monaghan. Follow us @Reel_History and don’t forget to rate and review!
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Apocalypto (2006) | Mesoamerica Meets Cortés (1519)
A Knight’s Tale (2001) | Feudal Europe (1372)
Season 2 of Reel History starts today! We’re aiming to release episodes every other week so please subscribe, leave us a review and tweet your history puns at us @reel_history. A Knight’s Tale from 2001 is a sport films about jousting and while it has a tenuous connection to any real history it serves as…
Reel History Season 1 FINALE
With 10 episodes we’re closing out season 1 of Reel History! In this finale episode we follow a more loose structure, having general chats about history and answering listener questions that have cropped up throughout the season. If you have any questions for us to answer in future episodes, don’t hesitate to get in touch…
Outlaw King (2018) | Robert the Bruce at War (1304)
Welcome to episode nine of Reel History: Shows What You Know About Braveheart! Join us as we delve into 14th Century Britain and come to terms with the feudal struggle between the Kingdoms of Scotland and England. How can a man falling off a horse lead to decades of bloodshed? How does Robert the Bruce…
The Irishman (2019) | The American Mafia (1975)
Welcome to Cut to Black: A Reel History Special. This is a crossover between two of our Shows What You Know podcasts! On Cut to Black we discuss The Sopranos; on Reel History we dig into the historical context of movies and television. This episode bridges the gap between both podcasts as we’ll be using…
Hamilton (2015) | American Revolution (1776)
Welcome to episode 7 of Reel History ! Well this week we were eager to find out “how does a ragtag volunteer army in need of a shower- Somehow defeat a global superpower?” 🤔 So naturally our gaze couldn’t help being drawn to the phenomenal smash hit “Hamilton – An American Musical” (2015) ! Who…
300 (2007) | This is Sparta (480 BC)
Are you prepared for glory? Well you better get prepared because this week we’re discussing King Leonidas and the brave 300! Frank Miller’s famous comic book gets the Zack Snyder treatment and turns the Greco-Persian wars into a rock’n’roll soap opera where semi-naked men slaughter wave after wave of demons from the East. But who…
Darkest Hour (2017) | Winston Churchill (1940)
Welcome to episode five of Reel History! This week we (well mainly Mark to be honest) take a critical sledgehammer to Joe Wright’s 2017 semi-historical drama “Darkest Hour” (available now on Netflix). Written by Anthony McCarten and set in early 1940, it provides a glimpse into the chaotic life and whiskey-soaked times of that quintessentially…
Kingdom of Heaven (2005) | The Crusades (1187)
This week we tackle Michael’s favourite subject – the Crusades. Yes, we’re discussing Ridley Scott’s flawed epic “Kingdom of Heaven.” from 2005. Join us as we discuss the events often described as a clash of civilisations, when religious fervor and ethnic allegiances led to the rise and fall of kingdoms and the siege of the…
The Death of Stalin (2017) | From Gangster to Red Tzar (1953)
Welcome to episode three of Reel History! This week we delve head first into the paranoid pressure cooker of Stalin’s Soviet Union as we feast our eyes on the comedic pantomime that is Armando Lannucci’s “The Death of Stalin“ (2017). Based on the graphic novel “La Mort de Staline” by Fabien Nury & Thierry Robin…