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Ben and Rob are joined this week by a very special third mast, guest host Amber Poppit for an episode covering Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, the $250 million, 100% IMAX 70mm adaptation of Homer's original road trip gone wrong epic.Starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, the King of Ithaca who spends a decade failing to simply go home, alongside Tom Holland as his son Telemachus and Anne Hathaway as long suffering wife Penelope, The Odyssey rounds out its absurdly stacked cast with Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Charlize Theron as Circe, and Zendaya as Athena; the goddess whose entire arc has the internet arguing about whether she's a deity, a vision, or a guilt trip with cheekbones. It is, depending on who you ask, either Nolan's most ambitious swing yet or yet another film maker desperately trying to get Matt Damon home.Ben, Rob, and Amber dig into the "shot entirely on IMAX film" claim and what that actually means for a movie shot across real-world locations instead of a soundstage, the casting choices that had half of Film Twitter cheering and the other half frothing at the mouth, what this interpretation of Homer's The Odyssey is doing for culture and cinema as a whole, Ben proves without a doubt that we live in a time of apparent magic and the 3 embark on a journey almost as epic as The Odyssey itself. USUAL DISCLAIMER; everything said about ancient Greek mythology should be independently verified.And finally... what does it really mean?!CONSUUUME to find out all this and much, much more!PLUS we have a Patreon with EXCLUSIVE content just for you starting at less than £2 a month - Click the link below!Find us on your socials of choice at www.linktr.ee/everymovieeverpodcastGET 20% OFF CINEWORLD UNLIMITED MEMBERSHIP WITH DISCOUNT CODE: ' TEL013 ' You're Welcome!
Mysteries at Midnight - Mystery Stories read in the soothing style of a bedtime story
A mysterious sea god who can transform into fearsome beasts may hold the long-awaited truth about Odysseus. As Telemachus hears the extraordinary story of Achilles—from his secret hiding place to his rise as Greece's greatest warrior—a bitter quarrel threatens to tear the Greek army apart. With an angry god striking the camp and Hector's forces gathering beneath a thousand watch-fires, the heroes must face dangerous choices between pride, loyalty, glory and survival. Save the playlist for all episodes - Here In the first part we meet Telemachus, now on the verge of becoming a man, who is waiting for Odysseus's return. A mysterious stranger brings him good news, and he decides to confront the suitors of his mother Penelope who want to take the kingdom of Ithaca for their own. If you would like a version with our relaxing sleep music please scroll down to the next episode. Please leave a 5-star review & SUBSCRIBE on Apple and Spotify. Sleep Cove Premium Become a Premium Member for Bonus Episodes & Ad-Free listening: Visit https://www.sleepcove.com/support and become a Premium Member. Get Instant Access and sign up in two taps. Our Sister Shows: - Sleep Cove - is our Sleep Hypnosis, Meditation and Bedtime Story channel, where you can find the perfect episode to help you sleep deeply all night long. - Calm Cove - is our music Podcast, where you can find Relaxing Music, White Noise and Nature Sounds. - Let's Begin - is our Day Meditation podcast. Start your day feeling relaxed and positive, or take some time out to unwind with these calming meditations with wakeners at the end so that you can continue your day. - YouTube Bedtime Story Channel - YouTube Sleep Hypnosis & Meditation Channel Connect: - Join the Newsletter for a Bonus Meditation - Facebook: here - Instagram: here - TikTok: here Recommended Products: Comfortable Sleep Headphones - https://www.sleepcove.com/headphones The Best Mattress from Puffy: https://sleepcove.com/puffy _______________ All Content by Sleep Cove is for educational or entertainment purposes and does not provide or replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your medical professional before making any changes to your treatment and if in any doubt, contact your doctor. Please listen in a place where you can safely go to sleep. Sleep Cove is not responsible or liable for any loss, damage or injury arising from the use of this content. _________________ Sleep Cove content includes guided sleep meditations, sleep hypnosis (hypnotherapy), sleep stories (visualizations) and Bedtime Stories for adults and grown-ups, all designed to help you get a great night's sleep Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah and Juan discuss the ways that Homer depicts women in The Odyssey before introducing a lecture from Dr. Benedict Whalen. Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, uses her own cunning to deceive the suitors while she awaits her husband’s return. Telemachus, their son, journeys to Sparta seeking news of his father. The Odyssey tells the tale of the cunning and crafty hero of the Trojan War on his journey home. After ten years of war, Odysseus faces another ten years of fantastic temptations, deadly monsters, treacherous seas, and impious men. Meanwhile, Ithaca is threatened by suitors who plague his wife and plunder his wealth. When Odysseus reaches home, he must slay the suitors, test the loyalty of his friends and family, and restore order to his marriage and his kingdom.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah and Juan discuss the ways that Homer depicts women in The Odyssey before introducing a lecture from Dr. Benedict Whalen. Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, uses her own cunning to deceive the suitors while she awaits her husband’s return. Telemachus, their son, journeys to Sparta seeking news of his father. The Odyssey tells the tale of the cunning and crafty hero of the Trojan War on his journey home. After ten years of war, Odysseus faces another ten years of fantastic temptations, deadly monsters, treacherous seas, and impious men. Meanwhile, Ithaca is threatened by suitors who plague his wife and plunder his wealth. When Odysseus reaches home, he must slay the suitors, test the loyalty of his friends and family, and restore order to his marriage and his kingdom.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We are wrapping up our 2026 Summer Blockbusters lineup with the grandest, most ambitious titan of the season: Nolan's massive, star-studded adaptation of The Odyssey. Shot entirely on new IMAX film cameras across global locations, this 172 minute mythic action epic is easily the biggest cinematic event of July.To fuel ourselves for a ten year journey home, Mackenzie is serving up a refreshing custom cocktail - The Lotus Flower - but it packs a punch strong enough to make you forget your own homeland.This week, we dive into how Nolan takes Homer's foundational, 3,000 year old poem and turns it into a high-stakes blockbuster. We discuss Matt Damon's fiercely physical performance as Odysseus, capturing a king who is a brilliant, wily strategist but entirely worn down by war and cosmic obstacles. We gush over the incredible ensemble cast, highlighting Anne Hathaway's fierce, resilient Penelope, Tom Holland's raw and restless turn as Telemachus, the scene-stealing presence of Zendaya as Athena, and Charlize Theron as Calypso. We also break down the film's spectacular, practical effects heavy encounters, from the terrifying scale of the Cyclops Polyphemus to the haunting sound design of the Sirens, and analyze how Hoyte van Hoytema's breathtaking cinematography makes ancient myth feel completely immediate and real.If you have your tickets booked for the nearest 70mm IMAX screen, or if you just want to hear us debate how Nolan managed to make a three hour ancient Greek poem feel like a relentless sci-fi thriller, this is the episode you need. We are blending our awe for a master filmmaker at the absolute peak of his craft with our usual casual banter, making this the true, definitive grand finale of our summer blockbuster coverage. The gods have spoken.This episode VIDEO is live on YouTube AND Spotify!Follow us on Instagram to get ep sneak peaks and find out what's coming up. DM us what you want to hear about next!Interested in what we're watching off the pod? Check out Mackenzie or Lemar's Letterboxd!
Mysteries at Midnight - Mystery Stories read in the soothing style of a bedtime story
A mysterious sea god who can transform into fearsome beasts may hold the long-awaited truth about Odysseus. As Telemachus hears the extraordinary story of Achilles—from his secret hiding place to his rise as Greece's greatest warrior—a bitter quarrel threatens to tear the Greek army apart. With an angry god striking the camp and Hector's forces gathering beneath a thousand watch-fires, the heroes must face dangerous choices between pride, loyalty, glory and survival. Save the playlist for all episodes - Here In the first part we meet Telemachus, now on the verge of becoming a man, who is waiting for Odysseus's return. A mysterious stranger brings him good news, and he decides to confront the suitors of his mother Penelope who want to take the kingdom of Ithaca for their own. If you would like a version without our relaxing sleep music please scroll up to the next episode. Please leave a 5-star review & SUBSCRIBE on Apple and Spotify. Sleep Cove Premium Become a Premium Member for Bonus Episodes & Ad-Free listening: Visit https://www.sleepcove.com/support and become a Premium Member. Get Instant Access and sign up in two taps. Our Sister Shows: - Sleep Cove - is our Sleep Hypnosis, Meditation and Bedtime Story channel, where you can find the perfect episode to help you sleep deeply all night long. - Calm Cove - is our music Podcast, where you can find Relaxing Music, White Noise and Nature Sounds. - Let's Begin - is our Day Meditation podcast. Start your day feeling relaxed and positive, or take some time out to unwind with these calming meditations with wakeners at the end so that you can continue your day. - YouTube Bedtime Story Channel - YouTube Sleep Hypnosis & Meditation Channel Connect: - Join the Newsletter for a Bonus Meditation - Facebook: here - Instagram: here - TikTok: here Recommended Products: Comfortable Sleep Headphones - https://www.sleepcove.com/headphones The Best Mattress from Puffy: https://sleepcove.com/puffy _______________ All Content by Sleep Cove is for educational or entertainment purposes and does not provide or replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your medical professional before making any changes to your treatment and if in any doubt, contact your doctor. Please listen in a place where you can safely go to sleep. Sleep Cove is not responsible or liable for any loss, damage or injury arising from the use of this content. _________________ Sleep Cove content includes guided sleep meditations, sleep hypnosis (hypnotherapy), sleep stories (visualizations) and Bedtime Stories for adults and grown-ups, all designed to help you get a great night's sleep Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Subscribe now for the full episode. Joel Christensen, professor of classics at the CUNY Graduate Center, joins Danny and Derek for a discussion about Christopher Nolan's adaptation of The Odyssey. They talk about the scholarly debate over Homer as an idea rather than an individual; the mythic Trojan War; guilt and moral responsibility in Homer's Odysseus vs. Nolan's; the roles of Penelope, Telemachus, and Agamemnon; the film's monsters, casting choices, and depictions of the gods; and how Nolan's ending departs from that of the original. Be sure to check out Joel's book Why Odysseus? Survivor, Scoundrel, Anti-Hero. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Well heck, everyone else and their scylla is talking about the Odyssey so we might as well too.After watching Christopher Nolan's brilliant new blockbuster, and after Andrew read two different translations, we talked about what we thought of it, reminisced about some of our favorite parts (Circe! And that Cyclops!) and addressed a few of the more controversial aspects of the film.Today's root beer is Frostop.Intro and Outro music by Stockmusic331 on Pond5Send us Fan Mail
Modern Wisdom: Read the notes at at podcastnotes.org. Don't forget to subscribe for free to our newsletter, the top 10 ideas of the week, every Monday --------- Alex Petkas is a historian, writer, and podcaster. What's the real story behind The Odyssey? As the ancient epic returns to the big screen, a historian reveals the original tale, the world that shaped it, and the timeless lessons hidden within it. Expect to learn why The Odyssey is such an important story, what type of person and writer Homer was, who the important women of The Odyssey were and which ones were benevolent, heroic, or dangerous, why revenge and justice are the key underlying themes in the story, what a real historian thinks of Christopher Nolan's adaptation of The Odyssey and much more... Sponsors: See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals Get up to $350 off the Eight Sleep Pod 5 at https://eightsleep.com/modernwisdom Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT's most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get the brand new Whoop 5.0 and your first month for free at https://join.whoop.com/modernwisdom Get 15% off your first order of my favourite Non-Alcoholic Brew at https://athleticbrewing.com/modernwisdom Get ChatGPT to explore ideas, solve problems, and learn faster at https://chatgpt.com Timestamps: (00:00) Why The Odyssey Still Matters Today (06:19) What Happens in The Odyssey? (09:41) Did Homer Write The Iliad First? (15:20) How Much of The Odyssey Is Just Retelling? (16:31) Why Is Penelope the Ultimate Prize? (21:43) Telemachus' Quest to Live Up to His Father (36:19) How Order Can Slip into Anarchy (37:21) Why Odysseus Walked Away From a Goddess (54:13) The Power of Cunning (01:01:09) How Odysseus Outsmarted the Cyclops (01:07:35) The One Mistake That Cursed Odysseus (01:09:23) Is Family the True Heart of The Odyssey? (01:24:57) How Odysseus Finally Returns Home (01:27:48) The Reunion of Odysseus and Telemachus (01:29:57) The Fall of the Suitors (01:42:12) Is Penelope the Real Hero of the Story? (01:46:25) Why Divine Favour Changes Everything (01:49:02) The Hidden Role of Oral Storytelling (01:53:24) Why Nolan's Films Divide Audiences (01:57:52) Is Emily Wilson's Translation Accurate? (02:01:26) Has the Classic Hero Disappeared? (02:11:09) Why We Need to Beware Modern Sirens (02:19:48) Where to Find Alex Extra Stuff: Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom Episodes You Might Enjoy: #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman - Get In Touch: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode, I tell you the story of the Odyssey, and as in previous mythology videos I discuss a few historical and literary aspects. If you want to know about the lotus-eaters, the cyclopes, the sirens, Aeolus, Circe, Scylla and Charybdis, Calypso, and many more things, relax and enjoy the long journey Odysseus will have to endure to be reunited with his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus. This podcast is entirely scripted and recorded by real people, it includes no AI, and mid-roll ad breaks are turned off so that you can relax without interruption. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 The End of Troy 05:39 The Odyssey 20:40 The Odyssey's non-linear Plot 27:04 Telemachus' Journey 38:52 Odysseus' Character 45:08 Aeolus 55:02 The Underworld 1:04:28 The Disaster 1:09:00 Return of the King #sleep #documentary #bedtimestory #asmr #sleepstory #greek #mythology #odyssey Welcome to Lights Out Library Join me for a sleepy adventure tonight. Sit back, relax, and fall asleep to documentary-style bedtime stories read in a calming ASMR voice. Learn something new while you enjoy a restful night of sleep. Listen ad free and get access to bonus content on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LightsOutLibrary621 Enjoy my audiobook on Ancient Egyptian History, Myths & Mysteries: https://open.spotify.com/show/6mCqX5FoO6uCilrWCS8mB9?si=e1ecb983d2534d69 Listen on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LightsOutLibraryov ¿Quieres escuchar en Español? Echa un vistazo a La Biblioteca de los Sueños! En Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1t522alsv5RxFsAf9AmYfg En Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/la-biblioteca-de-los-sue%C3%B1os-documentarios-para-dormir/id1715193755 En Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LaBibliotecadelosSuenosov Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Everybody's talking about Christopher Nolan's latest film...and so are we! We've got Eurovangelists co-host Dimitry Pompée with us to discuss the first movie ever shot in 70mm IMAX film, adapted from one of history's oldest and most famous works of literature...it's THE ODYSSEY! Then we'll talk about some of the books we read in high-school that have been (or should be) adapted for the big screen. What's Good? Alonso: vegetables that don't give you explosive diarrhea Drea: Blue Diamond Dill Pickle Nut-Thins Dimitry: The Ottoman Empire (Rise of Empires: Ottoman on Netflix) Kevin: the Other Mommy trailer ITIDICHollywood Deems the Box Office “Back” – Big TimeA Rotoscoped TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE is in production The Odyssey/We Bought a Zoo meme A Letterboxd List: High-School Reads Staff Picks Alonso: The Good House Drea: The Return Dimitry: Polite Society Kevin: The Long Walk and other great movies to fall asleep to, if you're Kevin Listen to Eurovangelists! Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinmaxfilm Follow us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, or LetterboxdWithKevin AveryDrea ClarkAlonso DuraldeProduced by Marissa FlaxbartSr. Producer Laura Swisher
Corporate confusion, multiversal panic, Gotham body horror, dragon-fueled paranoia, and one very expensive boat trip. This week on the podcast, Brian and Darryl unpack the Paramount-Warner Bros. regulatory whiplash, judge the new Avengers: Doomsday and Clayface trailers, survive another cheerful hour in Westeros, and set sail with Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. Episode Index Intro: 0:07 Doomsday Trailer: 12:19 WBD/Paramount News: 20:40 Clayface Trailer: 28:54 House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 5: 36:45 X-Men ’97 Season 2, Episode 6: 50:20 The Odyssey: 60:00:30 Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Paused as States' Challenge Proceeds A federal judge has granted a bid from a coalition of 12 states to temporarily stop Paramount from closing its $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín on Monday issued a temporary restraining order after the states sued last week. The emergency motion sought to prevent the studio from moving ahead with the merger for 14 days. “The Court ultimately finds the public interest favors their requested TRO to stay the merger in the interim,” Martínez-Olguín wrote in the order. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/paramount-warner-bros-merger-paused-states-challenge-1236651179/ Avengers: Doomsday | Official Trailer | In Theaters December 18 In Avengers: Doomsday, universes collide as the Multiverse Saga enters its final chapter. The Avengers, New Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men converge across realities to face Doctor Doom, an existential threat. The film sets the stage for a universe-shattering conflict that paves the way for Avengers: Secret Wars. Clayface | Official Trailer Clayface, explores Hagen's psychological descent from a tragic victim into a revenge-filled monster, delving into themes of lost identity, corrosive love, and the dark side of scientific ambition. While originally pitched as a standalone horror film, it is now framed as the story of a disfigured victim driven by obsession rather than a traditional villain origin. The movie is scheduled for release in theaters on October 23, 2026. House of the Dragon (HBO Max) House of the Dragon, Season 3, Episode 5 Title: Unbowed and Unbent Air date: July 19, 2026 Director: Nina Lopez-Corrado Writer: Philippa Goslett Summary: As the hunt for Aemond and Vhagar continues, Rhaenyra's grip on King's Landing grows shakier and Daemon tries to contain a campaign of increasingly gruesome violence. Alicent and Helaena search for a way out of the city, Alys Rivers tightens her hold over a recovering Aemond, and Ormund begins positioning Daeron as a rival king. Meanwhile, Criston Cole marches toward what looks increasingly like an elaborate suicide-by-Riverlander, while a bloody “feast for traitors” makes it clear that Team Black has enemies hiding everywhere. Rating Out of 5, That’s One Hell of a Last Super Art Installation Brian: 3.68/5 Darryl: 3.4/5 X-Men '97 (Disney+) X-Men '97, Season 2, Episode 6 Title: Danger.exe Air date: July 22, 2026 Director: Emmett Yonemura Writers: Beau DeMayo, Mariah Wilson, and Bailey Moore Summary: Polaris returns to Xavier's mansion just as the Danger Room develops a mind—and several grudges—of its own. Xavier's unhealthy habit of repeatedly simulating Magneto's death helps transform the training system into a very real threat, forcing the mutants to confront what their home has become. Meanwhile, Xavier launches X-Corp as the team's new public-facing operation, while Apocalypse completes a resurrection that turns an old friend into something much more dangerous. Because apparently grief counseling was never an option. Rating Out of 5, You’re in the Dangerzone… err… Room Now Charles Brian: 4.33/5 Darryl: 4/5 The Odyssey (2026) Release Date: July 17, 2026 Runtime: 172 minutes Director: Christopher Nolan Writer: Christopher Nolan Based On: The Odyssey by Homer Studios: Universal Pictures, Syncopy, and Woodsted Picture Company Distributor: Universal Pictures Summary: After the fall of Troy, Odysseus, king of Ithaca, begins a brutal voyage home to his wife Penelope and son Telemachus. His journey becomes a years-long battle against monsters, gods, temptation, grief, and his own worst instincts, while the family he left behind struggles against the suitors consuming his kingdom. Christopher Nolan turns Homer's foundational epic into a massive, brooding survival story about war, memory, loyalty, and the consequences of being the cleverest man in every room. Main Cast: Matt Damon as Odysseus Tom Holland as Telemachus Anne Hathaway as Penelope Robert Pattinson as Antinous Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra Zendaya as Athena Charlize Theron as Calypso Samantha Morton as Circe Jon Bernthal as Menelaus Benny Safdie as Agamemnon John Leguizamo as Eumaeus Himesh Patel as Eurylochus Ellen Page as Sinon Mia Goth as Melantho Production Notes: The Odyssey reunites Christopher Nolan with producer Emma Thomas and the Syncopy team behind Oppenheimer. Nolan wrote, directed, and produced the film, which was shot around the world and became the first feature photographed entirely with IMAX film cameras. The production built much of its ancient world practically and mounted a full-scale, globe-spanning shoot designed to make Odysseus' voyage feel physical, dangerous, and appropriately enormous. Rating Out of 10, Nobody… Nobody Was Attacking Me or Was It? Brian: 6/10 Darryl: 5.8/10 Contact Us The Infamous Podcast can be found wherever podcasts are found on the Interwebs, feel free to subscribe and follow along on social media. And don't be shy about helping out the show with a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts to help us move up in the ratings. @infamouspodcast facebook/infamouspodcast instagram/infamouspodcast stitcher Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Play iHeart Radio contact@infamouspodcast.com Our theme music is ‘Skate Beat’ provided by Michael Henry, with additional music provided by Michael Henry. Find more at MeetMichaelHenry.com. The Infamous Podcast is hosted by Brian Tudor and Darryl Jasper, is recorded in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show is produced and edited by Brian Tudor. Subscribe today!
Mysteries at Midnight - Mystery Stories read in the soothing style of a bedtime story
A golden apple sparks a fierce contest between three powerful goddesses, leading Paris to make a choice that will plunge Greece and Troy into war. Meanwhile, Telemachus reaches Pylos, where the wise King Nestor shares stories of the heroes who fought beside Odysseus. His search then takes him to the magnificent palace of Menelaus and Helen, where surprising memories may finally reveal clues about his missing father. With the upcoming release of The new Odyssey film coming up, I have decided to read a version of the Odyssey that also includes the Tales of Troy. I studied the odyssey at school, and I'm looking forward to reading the full story. Save the playlist for all episodes - Here In the first part we meet Telemachus, now on the verge of becoming a man, who is waiting for Odysseus's return. A mysterious stranger brings him good news, and he decides to confront the suitors of his mother Penelope who want to take the kingdom of Ithaca for their own. If you would like a version with our relaxing sleep music please scroll down to the next episode. Please leave a 5-star review & SUBSCRIBE on Apple and Spotify. Sleep Cove Premium Become a Premium Member for Bonus Episodes & Ad-Free listening: Visit https://www.sleepcove.com/support and become a Premium Member. Get Instant Access and sign up in two taps. Our Sister Shows: - Sleep Cove - is our Sleep Hypnosis, Meditation and Bedtime Story channel, where you can find the perfect episode to help you sleep deeply all night long. - Calm Cove - is our music Podcast, where you can find Relaxing Music, White Noise and Nature Sounds. - Let's Begin - is our Day Meditation podcast. Start your day feeling relaxed and positive, or take some time out to unwind with these calming meditations with wakeners at the end so that you can continue your day. - YouTube Bedtime Story Channel - YouTube Sleep Hypnosis & Meditation Channel Connect: - Join the Newsletter for a Bonus Meditation - Facebook: here - Instagram: here - TikTok: here Recommended Products: Comfortable Sleep Headphones - https://www.sleepcove.com/headphones The Best Mattress from Puffy: https://sleepcove.com/puffy _______________ All Content by Sleep Cove is for educational or entertainment purposes and does not provide or replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your medical professional before making any changes to your treatment and if in any doubt, contact your doctor. Please listen in a place where you can safely go to sleep. Sleep Cove is not responsible or liable for any loss, damage or injury arising from the use of this content. _________________ Sleep Cove content includes guided sleep meditations, sleep hypnosis (hypnotherapy), sleep stories (visualizations) and Bedtime Stories for adults and grown-ups, all designed to help you get a great night's sleep Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Odyssey (2026) Directed by: Christopher Nolan Written by: Christopher Nolan Starring: Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Samantha Morton, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong'o, Elliot Page, John Leguizamo, Benny Safdie, Jon Bernthal, Himesh Patel, Mia Goth, Bill Irwin, Travis Scott IMDB: [IMDB LINK] Episode Summary In this episode of Mindframes, Michael and Dave discuss The Odyssey (2026), Christopher Nolan's three-hour adaptation of Homer — a $250 million epic and the first narrative feature shot entirely on IMAX 70mm. The discussion covers Nolan as an auteur and whether the "never made a bad movie" claim holds up, the practical-effects approach to the Cyclops and Circe, the deliberately cold Northern palette imposed on the Mediterranean, Ludwig Göransson's score, and an ensemble so large the hosts concede they can't get to everyone. After the ratings, the spoiler section turns to the film's central choice: the Olympian gods have been removed while the monsters remain, and what that does to Odysseus' moral agency. Comparisons range across Nolan's own filmography, Troy, The Northman, and the sword-and-sandal epics of the 1950s and '60s. Reviews Michael: 4.5 / 5 — came out thinking four, and it has only grown in his esteem since. Praises the baseline of visual and musical quality, Damon working better as a lead than expected, and a supporting cast that carries every stop on the journey. Docks it for a cast so crowded it distracts, and for an ending too in love with its own moralism. Dave: 4.5 / 5 — would watch it again in a heartbeat. Calls it a film that grabs hold of empire, heroism, reverence, and humility all at once, and rates the separation of gods from monsters as pitch perfect. His one dent in the fender: the film plays a little episodic, a series of very large encounters rather than a single build. Thematic Discussion The Odyssey removes the Olympians but keeps the monsters. Circe, the Sirens, and the Cyclops are all simply part of the natural world here; it's Athena and Zeus who stay shadowy and inferred. Michael's reading is that this absence exists to hand moral agency back to Odysseus — if the gods were visibly steering, his guilt over the Trojan Horse wouldn't be his to carry. That guilt is framed through xenia, the Greek code of hospitality. Odysseus offered a gift that turned out to be murder, and comes to believe that breaking that norm is what set his civilization's collapse in motion. The hosts draw the parallel to the erosion of political and social norms in contemporary America, and to the film's closing turn — the Bronze Age is ending because of the Sea Peoples, and the Greeks realize they are the Sea Peoples. The episode's central disagreement is over Athena. Dave reads her as constructed: she wears the face of a priestess Odysseus watched his own men murder in her temple, and the film is showing how humans build gods out of guilt and the sense that something is sacred. Michael pushes back that the film sustains a genuine ambiguity — the idea that gods appear in human form is planted repeatedly, and the priestess is decapitated at the exact moment Athena's statue is, which leaves open that Odysseus may believe they killed a god. He points to the same ambiguity in the Cyclops' cry to Poseidon, which some of the crew claim to hear and neither Odysseus nor the audience does. Neither host resolves it, and both prefer it that way. Michael's position is that the ambiguity is the answer rather than the absence of one — something underpins their world that they don't fully see and are damaging anyway, whether that's Zeus and Poseidon or simply decency and the value of human life. Dave, arriving from a position of religious faith, says he likes that Odysseus has to live in the same uncertain world the rest of us do. The structural evidence they land on: Homer ends with a deus ex machina, Athena descending to stop the cycle of revenge. Nolan cuts it. Nobody intervenes, so Odysseus abdicates, gives the throne to Telemachus, and sails west with Penelope — a change that hands the ending's moral weight entirely to the man. Timestamps Time Segment 00:00 Intro & setup 05:08 Nolan's filmography — is he an auteur? 08:51 Practical filmmaking and visual style 09:37 IMAX 70mm and the limits of the format 14:40 Hoyte van Hoytema 17:16 Why the Mediterranean looks cold 19:39 Ludwig Göransson's score 25:20 Travis Scott, the bard, and the casting discourse 28:56 The ensemble 39:39 Reviews & ratings 49:56 Spoiler section begins 52:18 Xenia and the collapse of norms 54:50 The gods and moral agency 56:12 The Athena reveal 1:01:46 The case for ambiguity 1:05:03 "We're the Sea Peoples" 1:09:02 The ending Nolan changed 1:19:36 Final interpretation debate — are the gods there? 1:26:49 Closing thoughts Films & Directors Mentioned Memento — Christopher Nolan Inception — Christopher Nolan The Prestige — Christopher Nolan Interstellar — Christopher Nolan Dunkirk — Christopher Nolan Tenet — Christopher Nolan Oppenheimer — Christopher Nolan Troy The Northman Dune Saving Private Ryan Fruitvale Station — Ryan Coogler Creed — Ryan Coogler Black Panther — Ryan Coogler Sinners — Ryan Coogler Minority Report The Whale Anemone Disclosure Day — Steven Spielberg Barbie Michael John Ford and Monument Valley Hans Zimmer The sword-and-sandal epics of the 1950s and '60s Contact Web: https://mindframesfilm.com Facebook: Mindframes Network: Now Playing Network Email: info@mindframesfilm.com
Pack your bags and prepare for a cinematic voyage of mythical proportions! This week on The Filmlosophers, Hosts Eddie and Spencer, alongside the ever-glorious Intern Manager/Managing Intern Amy, are taking a massive journey through history, mythology, and the pop culture news cycle. Trailers, Layoffs, & Comic-Con Before the crew sets sail for Ithaca, they tackle a wildly jam-packed week of movie news. With the Mecca of nerd and pop culture officially underway, Amy kicks things off by sharing her biggest expectations, most anticipated panels, and overall hopes for San Diego Comic-Con. From there, the table shifts to the unfortunate reality of the recent Disney and Pixar workforce reductions, questioning the industry logic behind cutting over a hundred Pixar jobs just as Toy Story 5 prepares to cross the billion-dollar mark at the global box office. The conversation then pivots to the massive trailer drops that shook the internet this week. The trio analyzes the Earth-bound, notably space-lacking footage of Avengers: Doomsday, featuring Robert Downey Jr.'s highly anticipated return as Doctor Doom. Shifting from superhero spectacles to sheer terror, Eddie breaks down the digital marketing analytics and campaign performance metrics driving the viral success of the traumatizing trailer for Jessica Chastain's Other Mommy. An IMAX Epic: Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey Once the news desk is cleared, the team delves deep into their grand review of Christopher Nolan's sprawling, $250 million R-rated adaptation of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey. The crew discusses the sheer magnitude of Nolan's unique storytelling, echoing the widespread praise that this film is a visceral, must-see theatrical experience. The Filmlosophers marvel at the film's magical practical effects, emphasizing how the historic decision to shoot the entire feature on IMAX 70mm film elevates the terrifying reality of the mythical creatures and the perilous Mediterranean journey. The hosts also spotlight the impeccable score and the astounding ensemble performances, particularly praising Matt Damon's complex, wily portrayal of Odysseus and Tom Holland's desperate determination as Telemachus. With its grounded take on ancient Greek mythology, the crew sets the stage for a masterpiece that will undoubtedly go down in history as one of Nolan's absolute greatest achievements. Grab your Comic-Con badge and your IMAX tickets—it is time to get mythological! The Filmlosophers is streaming on all major platforms!
Discover whether the latest epic film "The Odyssey" truly justifies its grandeur and nearly three-hour runtime, and explore other TV series that offer cozy, character-driven storytelling. We compare cinematic spectacle against binge-worthy TV, analyzing how casting choices, storytelling techniques, and technical elements shape our viewing experiences.Key Topics:An in-depth discussion of Christopher Nolan's film "The Odyssey" — themes, cast, visual effects, and its approach to mythThe narrative structure of "The Odyssey" film, including storytelling techniques like multiple narratorsHow epic storytelling is reflected through casting, with stars like Matt Damon and Tom HollandTechnological aspects, including Nolan's signature soundscape and visual effectsThe parallels between "The Odyssey" and scenes from Oppenheimer, especially thematic linksA review of the TV show "Rooster" — workplace comedy with an ensemble cast, created by Bill LawrenceThe appeal of half-hour episodes versus longer formats in contemporary TVThe Odyssey - Homer's epicChristopher Nolan's Official WebsiteRooster on Sky/Now TVBill Lawrence's Shows (Scrubs, Shrinking)Oppenheimer (film)Netflix vs. Cinema PodcastTosin - TwitterSharon Bollen - LinkedInTimestamps:00:00 - Intro: Stream vs. Screen – what are we watching this week?01:15 - Watching "The Odyssey" in cinemas — ticket scarcity and experience03:48 - Discussions about screenings and rating restrictions for "The Odyssey"04:18 - The backlog of series and choosing between Netflix and cinema05:14 - Have you read Homer's Odyssey? A brief about its epic nature06:00 - Setting the scene for "The Odyssey" — Trojan War and Odysseus's cunning07:23 - Odysseus's journey home — mythic obstacles and divine wrath08:40 - Penelope and Telemachus — stories on Ithaca's shore10:04 - Impression of the film's grand cast and visual effects15:54 - The thematic influences from "Oppenheimer" and myth16:11 - The film's depiction of gods and divine influence, with supernatural elements17:10 - The horrors and perils faced by Odysseus — body horror and monsters18:22 - The minimalist portrayal of gods — human-centric storytelling19:23 - Narrative techniques: multiple narrators and storytelling layers20:42 - Viewer engagement and pacing of "The Odyssey"25:21 - Overall rating: 4.25 stars — immersive experience with stellar performances26:22 - Cast performances and character depth—Matt Damon's standout in this role28:20 - Film's box office success and Nolan's future projects29:25 - Transition to "Rooster" — a workplace comedy set in a college30:05 - Plot overview: a writer forced into teaching at a college due to scandal32:00 - The ensemble cast and found family theme — character-driven storytelling34:00 - The show's pacing, episodes, and appeal in cozy, adult drama35:59 - Personal favorites: episodes length, binge potential, and pacing36:39 - Final thoughts: Odyssey's victory and Nolan's ongoing success37:20 - Upcoming films and series to look out for, including "The Invite"Resources & Links:Connect with the Hosts:
In this episode of A Lost Plot, hosts Maverick and Andrew delve into Christopher Nolan's latest film, 'The Odyssey.' They discuss their initial impressions, expectations, and the storytelling techniques employed by Nolan, drawing connections to the original work by Homer.----------Highlights:0:00 ‘The Odyssey' Introduction6:54 Telemachus10:40 Odysseus20:13 The gods37:33 Changing Story Intent56:05 The Antagonists1:05:21 Changes from the Book1:08:32 Lasting Impact#theodyssey #christophernolan #alostplot #homer #odysseus
This episode of All Pop, No Culture is led by a full spoiler discussion of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. Kevin and Andrew both give the nearly three-hour epic an 8 out of 10, praising its extraordinary IMAX presentation, real-world locations, practical effects, and enormous ensemble cast. They examine Matt Damon's performance as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway's emotional work as Penelope, Tom Holland's portrayal of Telemachus, Robert Pattinson's villainous turn, and John Leguizamo's quietly essential role. The conversation also covers Zendaya's symbolic appearance as Athena, the Cyclops and Circe sequences, Nolan's potential future in horror, and the movie's larger argument that victory in war rarely feels like victory to the people who survive it. Lauren reviews The Invite, Olivia Wilde's comedy-drama about two married couples confronting intimacy, resentment, parenthood, and the uncomfortable truths hidden inside long relationships. She also recommends the Broadway production of Every Brilliant Thing, an interactive one-person play starring Tracee Ellis Ross that explores depression, grief, suicide, and the many small reasons life remains worth living. Kevin closes with a recommendation for Shrinking, the Apple TV+ dramedy starring Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, and Jessica Williams. The episode also includes quick discussions of X-Men '97 and a Lost rewatch.
Mysteries at Midnight - Mystery Stories read in the soothing style of a bedtime story
A golden apple sparks a fierce contest between three powerful goddesses, leading Paris to make a choice that will plunge Greece and Troy into war. Meanwhile, Telemachus reaches Pylos, where the wise King Nestor shares stories of the heroes who fought beside Odysseus. His search then takes him to the magnificent palace of Menelaus and Helen, where surprising memories may finally reveal clues about his missing father. With the upcoming release of The new Odyssey film coming up, I have decided to read a version of the Odyssey that also includes the Tales of Troy. I studied the odyssey at school, and I'm looking forward to reading the full story. Save the playlist for all episodes - Here In the first part we meet Telemachus, now on the verge of becoming a man, who is waiting for Odysseus's return. A mysterious stranger brings him good news, and he decides to confront the suitors of his mother Penelope who want to take the kingdom of Ithaca for their own. If you would like a version without our relaxing sleep music please scroll up to the next episode. Please leave a 5-star review & SUBSCRIBE on Apple and Spotify. Sleep Cove Premium Become a Premium Member for Bonus Episodes & Ad-Free listening: Visit https://www.sleepcove.com/support and become a Premium Member. Get Instant Access and sign up in two taps. Our Sister Shows: - Sleep Cove - is our Sleep Hypnosis, Meditation and Bedtime Story channel, where you can find the perfect episode to help you sleep deeply all night long. - Calm Cove - is our music Podcast, where you can find Relaxing Music, White Noise and Nature Sounds. - Let's Begin - is our Day Meditation podcast. Start your day feeling relaxed and positive, or take some time out to unwind with these calming meditations with wakeners at the end so that you can continue your day. - YouTube Bedtime Story Channel - YouTube Sleep Hypnosis & Meditation Channel Connect: - Join the Newsletter for a Bonus Meditation - Facebook: here - Instagram: here - TikTok: here Recommended Products: Comfortable Sleep Headphones - https://www.sleepcove.com/headphones The Best Mattress from Puffy: https://sleepcove.com/puffy _______________ All Content by Sleep Cove is for educational or entertainment purposes and does not provide or replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your medical professional before making any changes to your treatment and if in any doubt, contact your doctor. Please listen in a place where you can safely go to sleep. Sleep Cove is not responsible or liable for any loss, damage or injury arising from the use of this content. _________________ Sleep Cove content includes guided sleep meditations, sleep hypnosis (hypnotherapy), sleep stories (visualizations) and Bedtime Stories for adults and grown-ups, all designed to help you get a great night's sleep Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome back to Moviewallas, your weekly dose of film reviews, movie news, and general banter – in theatres, on streaming, or in the back of an airplane. This week, Joe, Rashmi, and Yazdi take on just one movie, but it is a very big one: Christopher Nolan's sprawling, IMAX-shot adaptation of The Odyssey. Before setting sail, the team celebrates Rashmi's newly published children's book, Your Fluff Is Enough, now available through major booksellers. Learn more about Lenny the sheep, the Happy Wiggly farm, and the book's message of self-acceptance at happywiggly.com. Streaming Picks – “I Can't Find Anything to Watch…” Remarkably Bright Creatures – Netflix Yazdi recommends this warm adaptation of Shelby Van Pelt's novel, starring Sally Field as an aquarium custodian whose story unfolds with a little help from a remarkably observant octopus. India Sweets and Spices – Netflix Rashmi revisits this charming indie dramedy about family, community expectations, hidden histories, and a young woman returning home from college. Warrior – Prime Video Joe reaches back into the early Moviewallas archives for this powerful sports drama starring Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, and Nick Nolte. It may look like a conventional fighting movie, but its performances and emotional weight lift it far above the genre clichés. The Odyssey Christopher Nolan takes on one of the oldest and most influential stories ever told, with Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Tom Holland as Telemachus, and a huge ensemble that includes Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong'o, Himesh Patel, Samantha Morton, and more. Shot entirely in IMAX, this is Nolan operating at his most ambitious: vast locations, practical filmmaking, mythological creatures, booming sound design, and a story that spans war, guilt, temptation, survival, and the long journey home. The team discusses the film's extraordinary technical achievement, its unconventional structure, Nolan's reinterpretation of the story's women, Matt Damon's take on Odysseus, and whether all that cinematic majesty comes with enough emotional warmth. They also debate whether Nolan's devotion to IMAX and fractured timelines strengthens the story or sometimes gets in its way. Despite a few reservations, everyone agrees that The Odyssey demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible. Like, comment, and subscribe if you enjoy spoiler-light movie discussions with strong opinions, mythology tangents, filmmaking analysis, and the occasional debate about whether “Dad” belongs in Ancient Greece. Hosted by: Joe, Rashmi & Yazdi Watch on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @moviewallas www.moviewallas.com Discover Your Fluff Is Enough at: www.happywiggly.com Timestamps 00:00 – Start 00:44 – Back Together and San Diego Heat 02:45 – Your Fluff Is Enough 06:10 – Streaming Picks 06:42 – Remarkably Bright Creatures 09:18 – India Sweets and Spices 10:37 – Warrior 13:07 – The Odyssey #Moviewallas #TheOdyssey #ChristopherNolan #MattDamon #AnneHathaway #TomHolland #RobertPattinson #Zendaya #IMAX #MoviePodcast #FilmReview #GreekMythology #StreamingPicks #YourFluffIsEnough #TooManyMoviesTooLittleTime
Forrest, Conan Neutron, Kristina Oakes and Zach Marsh talk about Christopher Nolan's new adaptation of The Odyssey!! Starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, Tom Holland as Telemachus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Travis Scott, and Jon Bernthal It's been 3 years since Oppenheimer came out and Christopher Nolan has been working on an adaptation of The Odyssey. #christophernolan #theodyssey #mattdamon #tomholland #zendaya #robertpattinson #annehathaway #oppenheimer #homer #travisscott #odyssey #iliad #nolan #filmpodcast #moviepodcast #ancientgreece
The ships have arrived at Ithaca! #NolanClub finishes its epic run with our review of Christopher Nolan's ambitious 2025 film, The Odyssey! We'll share our theories on how Nolan interprets the magic of the gods, tackle the towering presence of the Cyclops, and discuss why poor Telemachus just can't seem to catch a break. Despite some questionable casting choices and the challenges posed by the nonlinear source material, Nolan delivers a big, brawny all-star spectacle. So grab your popcorn, settle in, and join us for a journey through one of the most audacious retellings of Homer's epic poem to hit the big screen.For more exclusive bonus podcasts like our Justice League Review show, our Teen Titans Podcast, and our GHL Exclusive Discord, join the Geek History Lesson Patreon ► https://www.patreon.com/JawiinGHL RECOMMENDED READING from this episode► https://www.geekhistorylesson.com/recommendedreadingFOLLOW GHL►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geekhistorylessonThreads: https://www.threads.net/@geekhistorylessonFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/geekhistorylessonGet Your GHL Pin: https://geekhistorylesson.etsy.comYou can follow Ashley at https://www.threads.net/@ashleyvrobinson or https://www.ashleyvictoriarobinson.com/Follow Jason at https://www.threads.net/@jawiin or https://bsky.app/profile/jasoninman.bsky.socialThanks for showing up to class today. Class is dismissed!
SPOILER ALERT Christopher Nolan made The Odyssey, and somehow the loudest movie of the year is about a guy who just wants to go home. This week on Thumb War, we're joined by Dan to break down Nolan's massive Greek mythology epic: Matt Damon as Odysseus, Tom Holland as Telemachus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Robert Pattinson, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, Samantha Morton, Elliot Page, Charlize Theron, gods, monsters, boats, gongs, suitors, and one dog scene that nearly destroyed us. We talk about the IMAX spectacle, the punishing Dolby sound mix, the score, the Cyclops, the Sirens, Calypso, Athena, the suitor massacre, Tom Holland's eternal Spider-Man baby face, Matt Damon's “smart guy” energy, and whether this is actually top-three Nolan. Jason went in dreading The Odyssey. Rachel saw it twice and would apparently go again. Dan elevated the show, as usual. Full spoiler review is up now. Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify Support the show on Patreon for ad-free episodes & bonus content : http://bit.ly/44Mo8xU Like & Subscribe Leave a 5-star review if you're enjoying Thumb War Email us: ThumbWarPod@gmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
A voyage so fantastic it only comes along once in a lifetime. Jay and @PhilWMovies talk Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey (2026) in this special episode of Film Strip Sessions.Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is already one of the most talked-about films of the year, but instead of a traditional review, Jay and Phil at the Movies dive into the movie's biggest themes, unforgettable performances, breathtaking production design, powerful score, and what makes Nolan's adaptation of Homer's epic resonate with modern audiences. From Odysseus and Penelope to Telemachus, Calypso, and the supporting cast, they explore heroism, homecoming, mythology, and the lasting impact of one of Nolan's most ambitious films. Spoilers throughout.Follow Phil and his works.
“I want someone who has regrets. I want someone who's learned the hard way. I want someone who understands that life is made of those messy compromises.” — Joel Christensen on the Odysseus he hopes to see in Matt Damon Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is out — the controversial movie of the year, much of the controversy raging before anyone had seen a frame. So, before either of us had seen the epic, I talked to the CUNY classicist Joel Christensen, author of the timely Why Odysseus? Survivor, Scoundrel, (Anti)hero. What, I asked Christensen, did he most dread about Hollywood's treatment of his beloved Odyssey? His answer: a hero too noble to be interesting. The Odysseus of the epic is a survivor, a scoundrel, an antihero — the master sergeant who does what needs to be done, from engineering the Trojan Horse to making sure Hector's infant son doesn't survive it. Christensen's worry about Matt Damon came down to one word: too likeable. What he wanted instead was a man with regrets — De Niro in Raging Bull rather than anybody noble. So did Christensen get the Odysseus he wanted? Below is his review, written after seeing the film when it came out. Postscript: Joel Christensen's Verdict on the Film Nolan's Odyssey is not Homer's Odyssey. This should be clear to anyone. Nolan faced an almost impossible task well: ancient audiences knew the story already. Modern audiences do not, so he created a ring structure with the beginning union of Penelope and Odysseus anticipating the reunion at the end, also introducing plot elements like the dog Argos and the pin by which Penelope will recognize Odysseus. The film is not Homer. Homer's power is poetry; the film's is image. Some of the images are striking: the scene when Circe turns his men into animals is the most arresting in the whole movie, showing everything that can be done with visceral imagery and a slight adaptation (Circe here is a survivor of sexual assault). The changes made to the plot such as omitting the Phaeacians, Nestor, Laertes, the bed and more are not as jarring as some of the general decisions. Calling “Zeus' Law” “do unto others…” makes an understandable translation to a Christian context, but it is somewhat nonsensical for Homer. Depicting a mutilated Helen is a strange decision that I am struggling with. What the movie gets right is making humans responsible for their own suffering. In a novel take on Odysseus as a traumatized warrior, the hero spends seven years with Calypso eating Lotus to forget the loss of his men. Damon, too likeable, regrets the trick of the Trojan Horse after witnessing the slaughter during the sack of Troy. We find out as well that the “sea people” from history, bringing an end to the “civilization” are actually the Greeks returning from the Trojan War and suffering for the transgressions they committed there. Is this ending an echo of Zeus' plan to end the race of heroes in the Trojan War? Is it an allegory for our civilizational collapse in the future thanks to technology, environmental catastrophe, and fascism? Any potential social critique dissipates with the movie's end. The traumatized veteran turns out to be merciful and kills only some of the suitors, showing many mercy. Then, guilty of violating “Zeus' Law”, Odysseus happily goes into exile with Penelope, leaving Telemachus to be king. There's no way to make Homer's Odyssey into a film and convey all its ambiguity and depth. That would be an unfair expectation. Nolan's film is a compelling spectacle and it makes me wonder more about how it reflects who we are as an audience. Do we need the hero to be ultimately good, even if he messed up? Are we so simple that we need to hear about Zeus' Law and the Sea People so repetitively? I fear that in this age where fiction and fact are so hard to disentangle, that we long for narratives that are just simpler. We don't get the Odyssey we want; we get the one we deserve. Five Takeaways • A Complicated Man: The Translation Problem. Every word of Homer carries echoes no English can hold, and the fights over Nolan's dialogue replay the fights over translation. Emily Wilson detonated a controversy by rendering polytropos — poly, many; tropos, turn — as “a complicated man,” alluding at once to Odysseus's travels and the many forms of his character; Daniel Mendelsohn's “man of roundabout ways” does the work too, if you can stop thinking about rotaries. Even the objection to Tom Holland's Telemachus saying “dad” collapses on inspection: Telemachus uses the colloquial form in Homer. And the “authentic” dialect purists want was an artificial amalgam that no ancient Greek ever spoke. • The Culture Wars Come for Homer. Nobody remembers a brouhaha over Wolfgang Petersen's Troy — a pretty bad movie, Christensen notes — but Nolan's Odyssey generates more controversy than a scholar can track daily. Lupita Nyong'o's Helen is attacked as inauthentic by one side and as cultural appropriation by the other; since 2015, classicists have watched the Western tradition weaponized by the alt-right while their own field argues about who owns it. Christensen's advice channels the epic itself: between Scylla and Charybdis, take Scylla. You'll lose six men. The alternative is losing the ship — and if the story doesn't persuade in three hours, nobody will remember the armor anyway. • The Valence of Violence. Modern audiences are more accustomed to represented violence than any in history — you don't need Natural Born Killers when Twitter serves unverifiable clips from Gaza and Iran. The question Christensen brings to the film is what the violence is for. Uberto Pasolini's The Return gave Ralph Fiennes's Odysseus a steady, untroubled thump of arrows; the epic's own slaughter of the suitors, read closely, approaches Tarantino-adjacent parody. And the hardest tests are the atrocities the adaptations always cut: the mutilation of the goatherd Melanthius, and Telemachus hanging the enslaved women. Does the violence glorify the hero — or show what even the best of us are capable of? • Keep Penelope Ambiguous. The great interpretive question of the Odyssey is when Penelope knows the beggar is her husband — the suitors, dead in the underworld, are convinced she was in on it all along. The epic grants her remarkable intelligence and agency, then reins it in: Agamemnon's ghost praises her by way of insulting all women, and she vanishes from the text. Christensen's advice to Nolan wouldn't be Margaret Atwood's Penelopiad, which centers the women's voices; it would be more screen time and total ambiguity — no access to her mind, a wife who matches her husband in wits and may even have outwitted him. Though based on Nolan's arc, he doubts we'll get a woman at the center. • Survivor, Scoundrel, (Anti)hero. Christensen's worry about Matt Damon was simple: too likable. Odysseus is the master sergeant — the one who takes the hard orders, tricks Achilles into the war, engineers the Horse, and makes sure Hector's infant son doesn't survive to rebuild Troy. The ancient hero is neither good nor ...
Greek mythology retellings keep multiplying, and nobody can quite explain why. Christopher Nolan just dropped a $250 million adaptation of The Odyssey, a poem roughly 2,700 years old, and Meaghan and Shirin wanted to figure out what keeps pulling all of us (and Hollywood) back to these stories. This one stays high-level, and neither of us was a classics major, so we'll own that upfront. We walk through what The Odyssey actually is, why Odysseus is a much grayer hero than people remember, and why feminist retellings like Madeline Miller's Circe keep landing so hard. Then we get into Nolan's stacked cast: Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Tom Holland as Telemachus, Zendaya as Athena, Robert Pattinson as the suitor Antinous, and Lupita Nyong'o doing double duty as Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey (2026): The Cast, Explained • Nolan's $250 million IMAX adaptation of The Odyssey hit theaters on July 17, 2026, his first film since Oppenheimer. • Confirmed casting: Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Tom Holland as Telemachus, Zendaya as Athena, Robert Pattinson as the suitor Antinous. • Lupita Nyong'o pulls double duty as Helen of Troy and her sister Clytemnestra. Charlize Theron plays Calypso (some listings say Circe, so we're flagging it). The Odyssey, For People Who Skipped Classics • The short version: Odysseus spends ten years getting home to Ithaca after the Trojan War, mostly because he pissed off Poseidon. • Penelope holds down the kingdom and fends off suitors while raising their son, Telemachus, not knowing if her husband is alive. • Gods, monsters, a cyclops, the enchantress Circe, the sirens. Odysseus survives on cunning over brute strength, then loses his whole crew anyway. Why Greek Mythology Retellings Keep Winning • Older texts sort people into good and bad. Modern retellings hand the mic to the ones shoved to the margins. • Feminist retellings are the clearest example, like Madeline Miller's Circe, centering a character the original treats as a footnote. • Odysseus himself was never a clean hero, and that gray area is a big reason the story keeps holding up. Odyssey Adaptations Hiding in Plain Sight • You've seen more of them than you think: O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Cold Mountain (Charles Frazier, 1997), and [LINK: Ulysses] by James Joyce. • It reaches into sci-fi too, from 2001: A Space Odyssey to the creatures and detours borrowed by Percy Jackson (Rick Riordan). On Our Nightstand: New Releases and ARCs • Shirin is deep in Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman, now getting a Peacock series from Seth MacFarlane (Princess Donut on screen, finally). • Meaghan is reading an ARC of The Iron Hex, the debut romantasy from Canadian author Victoria S. Walsh, out August 4, 2026. Subscribe on your favorite platform!SpotifyApple PodcastAmazon MusiciHeart RadioPodchaserYoutubeDon't forget to follow us on socials too!InstagramThreadsTikTokBlueSkyFacebook Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Alex Petkas is a historian, writer, and podcaster. What's the real story behind The Odyssey? As the ancient epic returns to the big screen, a historian reveals the original tale, the world that shaped it, and the timeless lessons hidden within it. Expect to learn why The Odyssey is such an important story, what type of person and writer Homer was, who the important women of The Odyssey were and which ones were benevolent, heroic, or dangerous, why revenge and justice are the key underlying themes in the story, what a real historian thinks of Christopher Nolan's adaptation of The Odyssey and much more... Sponsors: See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals Get up to $350 off the Eight Sleep Pod 5 at https://eightsleep.com/modernwisdom Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT's most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get the brand new Whoop 5.0 and your first month for free at https://join.whoop.com/modernwisdom Get 15% off your first order of my favourite Non-Alcoholic Brew at https://athleticbrewing.com/modernwisdom Get ChatGPT to explore ideas, solve problems, and learn faster at https://chatgpt.com Timestamps: (00:00) Why The Odyssey Still Matters Today (06:19) What Happens in The Odyssey? (09:41) Did Homer Write The Iliad First? (15:20) How Much of The Odyssey Is Just Retelling? (16:31) Why Is Penelope the Ultimate Prize? (21:43) Telemachus' Quest to Live Up to His Father (36:19) How Order Can Slip into Anarchy (37:21) Why Odysseus Walked Away From a Goddess (54:13) The Power of Cunning (01:01:09) How Odysseus Outsmarted the Cyclops (01:07:35) The One Mistake That Cursed Odysseus (01:09:23) Is Family the True Heart of The Odyssey? (01:24:57) How Odysseus Finally Returns Home (01:27:48) The Reunion of Odysseus and Telemachus (01:29:57) The Fall of the Suitors (01:42:12) Is Penelope the Real Hero of the Story? (01:46:25) Why Divine Favour Changes Everything (01:49:02) The Hidden Role of Oral Storytelling (01:53:24) Why Nolan's Films Divide Audiences (01:57:52) Is Emily Wilson's Translation Accurate? (02:01:26) Has the Classic Hero Disappeared? (02:11:09) Why We Need to Beware Modern Sirens (02:19:48) Where to Find Alex Extra Stuff: Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom Episodes You Might Enjoy: #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman - Get In Touch: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What happens when Christopher Nolan takes on Homer? We're finding out. Tune in as we dissect the 2026 epic The Odyssey, exploring everything from the journey home to Ithaca to the complex dynamics between Penelope and Telemachus. We're live-reacting to the spectacle, analyzing Nolan's non-linear storytelling, and celebrating the return of the king—even if he's MIA for most of the ride. Don't miss the breakdown—follow @kevin27wrld for updates!
pWotD Episode 3363: Odyssey Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 311,479 views on Friday, 17 July 2026 our article of the day is Odyssey.The Odyssey (; Ancient Greek: Ὀδύσσεια, romanized: Odýsseia [odýsseːa]) is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences. Like the Iliad, the Odyssey is divided into 24 books. It follows the heroic king of Ithaca, Odysseus, also known by the Latin variant Ulysses, and his homecoming journey after the ten-year-long Trojan War. His journey from Troy to Ithaca lasts an additional ten years, during which time he encounters many perils and all of his crewmates are killed. In Odysseus's long absence, he is presumed dead, leaving his wife Penelope and son Telemachus to contend with a group of unruly suitors competing for Penelope's hand in marriage.The Odyssey was first composed in Homeric Greek around the 8th or 7th century BC; by the mid-6th century BC, it had become part of the Greek literary canon. In antiquity, Homer's authorship was taken as true, but contemporary scholarship predominantly assumes that the Iliad and the Odyssey were composed independently, as part of long oral traditions. Given widespread illiteracy, the poem was performed for an audience by an aoidos or rhapsode.Key themes in the epic include the ideas of nostos (νόστος; 'return', homecoming), wandering, xenia (ξενία; 'guest-friendship'), testing, and omens. Scholars discuss the narrative prominence of certain groups within the poem, such as women and slaves, who have larger roles than in other works of ancient literature. This focus is especially remarkable when contrasted with the Iliad, which centers upon the exploits of soldiers and kings during the Trojan War.The Odyssey is regarded as one of the most significant works of the Western canon. The first English translation of the Odyssey was in the 16th century. Adaptations and re-imaginings continue to be produced across a wide variety of media. In 2018, when BBC Culture polled experts around the world to find literature's most enduring narrative, the Odyssey topped the list.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 16:13 UTC on Saturday, 18 July 2026.For the full current version of the article, see Odyssey on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Jasmine.
Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey has finally landed in cinemas around the world, and to mark the occasion, we've turned the latest episode of The Interviews into an Odyssey special, as Chris Hewitt talks to two of the key pairings from Nolan's epic adaptation of the Homer poem. First up, you'll hear from Himesh Patel and John Leguizamo, who play Eurylochus and Eumaeus, two characters who are close to Odysseus, the warrior whose journey home after The Trojan War is beset by the kind of bad luck that would have you begging for a bus replacement service. And then you'll hear from Odysseus himself, aka Matt Damon, and Tom Holland, who plays Odysseus' son, Telemachus, as they talk about their toughest days on set, the worst smells, and forging a father-son bond between two characters who are apart for much of the film. These aren't spoiler interviews, but references are made to certain scenes, so perhaps wait until you've seen The Odyssey before listening, just in case. But both pairings were on cracking form, and we hope you'll enjoy.
James Diggle, emeritus professor of Greek and Latin at Cambridge University, and John Underhill, professor of geoscience and energy transition at the University of Aberdeen, join School of War to discuss their decades-long search for the real Ithaca of Homer's Odyssey. Based on their recent Antigone journal article, “In Search of Ithaca,” they explain why the island we've called Ithaca for centuries may actually be the wrong one. Can modern geology solve a 3,000-year-old mystery? Have we finally found the true home of Odysseus? And what would that mean for one of the greatest stories ever told? 02:44 – The mystery of Homer's Ithaca 04:45 – Can Homer be treated as history? 06:19 – The Bronze Age world of Odysseus 09:25 – Why modern Ithaca doesn't fit Homer's description 12:02 – Robert Bittlestone's hypothesis 17:15 – The geology expedition begins 23:17 – The million-euro search for Ithaca 28:37 – Disproving the original theory 31:19 – The geological breakthrough 35:09 – The discovery that changes everything 37:22 – Homer never actually calls Ithaca an island 41:24 – Solving a 3,000-year-old mystery 46:22 – Telemachus' journey finally makes sense 50:54 – Would Robert Bittlestone have agreed? 57:43 – The hidden cave Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Odyssey Movie Review! Greg Alba shares his out of theater reaction to Christopher Nolan's new mythological epic. Greg breaks down the film's breathtaking practical filmmaking, nonlinear storytelling, Matt Damon's lead performance, and why this ambitious adaptation of Homer's classic left such a lasting impression. Grab your D-BOX tickets here: https://www.cinemark.com/movies/the-o... This massive nonlinear action-adventure follows Odysseus on his perilous journey home after the Trojan War, confronting gods, monsters, war, trauma, and the relentless passage of time while his wife Penelope and son Telemachus struggle to preserve their family and kingdom in Ithaca. In this spoiler-free movie review, Greg discusses Matt Damon's phenomenal lead performance, Christopher Nolan's breathtaking practical filmmaking and real-world locations, the film's surprisingly accessible story, its dense opening act, pulsating score, improved sound mixing, and why the mythology occasionally plays like religious horror on an epic scale. He also shares his thoughts on Tom Holland as Telemachus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Robert Pattinson's chilling performance as Antinous, Zendaya's presence as Athena, whether the star-studded ensemble ever becomes distracting, and how the film evolves from an intellectually engaging slow burn into an emotional, unforgettable cinematic experience. If you're a fan of Christopher Nolan movies, Greek mythology, The Odyssey by Homer, IMAX epics, practical filmmaking, historical fantasy, nonlinear storytelling, and powerful stories about family, identity, memory, and the meaning of home, this review is for you. Follow Greg Alba: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegregalba/ Twitter: https://x.com/thegregalba Follow Greg Alba: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegregalba/ Twitter: https://x.com/thegregalba Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this packed episode of Mostly Superheroes, the crew dives into Christopher Nolan's epic new 2026 film, The Odyssey, starring Matt Damon as Odysseus and Tom Holland as Telemachus. We break down the epic Greek mythology, runtime, and IMAX experience. We also discuss upcoming Marvel releases, including Spider-Man: Brand New Day hitting theaters next week, Avengers: Doomsday cast rumors featuring Steve Rogers, and the new horror-focused Marvel Midnight comics. Plus, Jules gears up for the Marvel Studios Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Andy gives a Sports Break covering the 2026 World Cup Finals and MLB All-Star Game, and we hype up our upcoming interview for the Super Troopers 3 Behind the Badge Tour in St. Louis! Finally, we prep for a live watch of X-Men '97 Season 2, Episode 5. Shoutout to Team Jakey for a great Endless Comics event over the weekend! Timestamps: 00:00 - Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey (2026) Review & Cast Discussion 00:15:00 - Andy's Take on The Odyssey vs. Troy 00:20:15 - Marvel Midnight Comics Reveal 00:22:40 - Spider-Man: Brand New Day Hype & SDCC Hall H Prep 00:27:00 - Avengers: Doomsday Cast Leaks & Captain America Theories 00:36:45 - Sports Break: 2026 World Cup Finals & MLB All-Star Game 00:46:00 - Super Troopers 3 Behind the Badge Tour & Interview Prep 00:49:20 - X-Men '97 Season 2 Episode 5 Live Watch Setup Watch listen subscribe support at mostlysuperheroes.com/support ©2026 Carrogan Studios
Everything You Need to Know Before Nolan's Odyssey Read These Translations Christopher Nolan's film adaptation of _The Odyssey_ is almost here, so the team is sitting down to revisit Homer's epic! They walk through the poem's structure and themes—the long journey home, Penelope and the suitors, Telemachus coming of age, and what a pagan world teaches us. Then they compare the major translations (Butler, Wilson, Fagles, and more) and offer recommendations for young readers and adults alike. Finally: what they hope Nolan gets right, and what to know before seeing the film. Purchase our _Odyssey_ Complete Set right here! https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/classical-studies/odyssey-set/229
Today, we end our 12-week study of the Odyssey with a discussion on Books 23-24 with Dr. Justin Jackson and Dr. Benedict Whalen of Hillsdale College alongside host, Dcn. Harrison Garlick.There is yelling, laughter, cursing, and general chaos--but more of Homer's truth is unearthed in the process.Check out our ONLINE LIBRARY for resources on the great books.Check out Dr. Justin Jackson's Substack working through the Bible.Check out Dr. Justin Whalen at Hillsdale College.The long-awaited homecoming unfolds with Odysseus and Penelope's emotional reunion, the famous test of the immovable olive-tree bed, and the climactic confrontation with the suitors' vengeful families. The conversation crackles with insight as the guests unpack Penelope's cunning, Odysseus' complex character, parallels to Achilles and Heracles, and the poem's meditation on fidelity, mortality, justice, and the costs of homecoming.Dr. Jackson brings contrarian fire—challenging heroic ideals, celebrating the domestic, and wrestling openly with whether Odysseus' reckoning is justice or raw revenge—while Dr. Whalen offers sharp textual observations on themes of rootedness, temptation, and the poem's unresolved tensions.Expect yelling, laughter, heartfelt disagreement, and the kind of raw intellectual energy that makes great books come alive.Whether you've followed the whole series or are just dipping in, this capstone will leave you rethinking everything you thought you knew about the Odyssey. Stick around after the discussion for a look ahead at Plato's Republic and more. If you love the Great Books, this is unmissable.Chapters00:00 - Introduction: Finishing the Odyssey Journey04:46 - Host Welcome & Episode Setup06:27 - Guest Introductions: Dr. Justin Jackson & Dr. Benedict Whalen07:04 - Dr. Jackson's New Book on Reading Literature16:28 - Diving into Book 23: Penelope Learns Odysseus Has Returned21:07 - Penelope's Skepticism & the Secret Signs25:05 - The Great Rooted Bed Test & Recognition Scene36:36 - Odysseus & Penelope Reunion, Emotional Moments47:05 - The Final Labor & Comparison to Heracles59:11 - Temptations: Calypso, Nausicaa & Penelope1:11:32 - Transition to Book 24: Laertes & the Avenging Families1:15:26 - Achilles & Agamemnon in the Underworld1:35:02 - Reunion with Laertes & Proof Scenes1:49:10 - Dolius, the Final Battle & Deus Ex Machina Ending2:11:04 - Reflections on Justice, Revenge & the Poem's Message2:16:50 - Closing Thoughts & Upcoming EpisodesKeywordsOdyssey Books 23 and 24, Homer's Odyssey finale, Odysseus Penelope reunion, rooted bed test, immovable olive tree bed, suitors slaughter, Ithaca homecoming, Penelope cunning, Odysseus homecoming, Great Books podcast, Ascend podcast, Hillsdale College professors, Dr. Justin Jackson, Dr. Benedict Whalen, Homer teacher philosopher, Telemachus maturation, Achilles Agamemnon underworld, Laertes reunion, Poseidon penitential journey, justice vs revenge Odyssey, classical literature podcast, Western canon Odyssey analysis, father son reunion Odyssey, Penelope faithfulness, heroic fate comparison, Plato Republic preview.
If you can't tell your Eurylochus from your Telemachus, fear not: Your primer on “The Odyssey” is here, just in time for Christopher Nolan's new film adaptation of the 3,000-year-old epic. Madeline Miller, who reinvented “The Odyssey” in her best-selling novel “Circe,” explains why you shouldn't be intimidated by the classic. Plus, our critic at large A.O. Scott explains how nearly every genre out there — sci-fi, romance, bloody revenge and more — can be found in this poem's sprawling tale. Books and Other Works Discussed on This Episode: “Philoctetes,” by Sophocles “The Iliad,” by Homer “The Penelopiad,” by Margaret Atwood “Watership Down,” by Richard Adams “Aeneid,” by Virgil “I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem,” by Maryse Condé “An American Marriage,” by Tayari Jones “The Buddha in the Attic,” by Julie Otsuka Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Something is very wrong in the opening scenes of the Odyssey. The master of the house is gone. His wife is besieged. His son is powerless. And the men eating him out of house and home are waiting for the right moment to strike. Welcome to Part 1 (of 6!) of our new series, where we cover Homer's great epic. Part 1 covers Books 1 to 4, the monsters haven't arrived yet — but the groundwork for everything is laid here. What does it take to reestablish order once it has fallen? What kind of man can do it? Follow Telemachus as he learns to speak, to threaten, and to travel among serious men, and meet the figures who shape his fate: Athena, Penelope, Nestor, Menelaus, Helen, and the doomed suitors led by Antinous. As Christopher Nolan's film approaches, it's a perfect time to dust off a copy of Homer's Odyssey, and follow along this epic story in our 6-part retelling.Timestamps:0:00 Why the Odyssey begins with Odysseus's absence1:08 Introducing the show1:25 Book One: Athena visits Ithaca4:05 Telemachus welcomes the stranger7:33 The poem's opening lines and Odysseus's epithets10:06 Odysseus and the wrath of Poseidon11:43 The Council of the Gods13:58 Athena's plan to help Telemachus17:20 Athena's instructions: call an assembly19:08 The story of Orestes and Telemachus's zeal22:08 Penelope's first appearance27:00 Telemachus finds his courage29:25 Book Two: The Assembly begins31:56 Antinous defends the suitors35:59 The omen of the eagles37:55 Telemachus's plan revealed40:16 Athena returns as Mentor45:15 Telemachus sets sail for Pylos46:48 Book Three: Arrival at Pylos52:41 The story of Agamemnon and Aegisthus1:02:17 Book Four: Arrival in Sparta1:05:28 Helen's grand entrance1:11:41 Helen's magic drug1:19:50 Menelaus and Proteus, the shapeshifting sea god1:27:08 Menelaus's fate: the Elysian Fields1:32:09 The suitors plot to kill Telemachus1:33:23 Closing thoughtsCallouts:Special thanks to Dr. Richard Johnson for his longtime support of the show. You are Caesar and Odysseus's Top Guy!In tribute to the life and aspirations of Savitha Shanmugasundaram, a University of Texas at Austin honors student who died tragically in the March 1 mass shooting, her parents have established the Savitha Shan Endowed Scholarship at UT Austin. The fund is intended to extend Savitha's legacy by supporting the educational journeys of future UT Austin students. Please consider donating if you can.
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick welcomes Dr. Alex Priou to discuss Book 22 of the Odyssey, the Slaughter of the Suitors.Check out our LIBRARY of written guides to the Great Books.Check out Dr. Priou's new Substack: The Close Read.What happens in Book 22?Odysseus stands at the threshold of his home, cries out to Apollo, and lets loose an arrow straight through the neck of Antinous (22.15). Chaos erupts in the hall as bread and meats are soaked in a swirl of bloody filth (22.21). Eurymachus attempts to broker a truce with Odysseus, but it is rejected (22.57); he then calls the suitors to arms and is slaughtered (22.73). Telemachus brings armor and weapons to his father, the swineherd, and the cowherd (22.121), but the goatherd sneaks weapons to the suitors (22.151).On his second run, the cowherd and swineherd intercept the goatherd, tie him up, and hang him from the rafters (22.196). Athena first arrives in the guise of Mentor (22.217) and then perches like a sparrow on the rafters, assisting Odysseus with her man-destroying shield of thunder (22.250). The suitors fall into panicked madness as Odysseus and his men wheel into the slaughter, slashing left and right, with grisly screams breaking from cracked skulls and the floor awash with blood (22.311).Odysseus spares the bard and the herald but shows no mercy to the prophet (22.327). The slaughter complete, Eurycleia summons the disloyal female servants, who help carry out the corpses and clean the gore (22.458–471). Telemachus oversees the disloyal women being slowly hanged in the courtyard—a pitiful, ghastly death (22.487)—while the goatherd is retrieved and mutilated to death by the swineherd and cowherd (22.500). Odysseus purifies his home with fire and brimstone (22.518), and the book ends with the loyal maidservants surrounding their king as he breaks down and weeps (22.528).Chapters:00:00 Introduction to the Great Books Podcast04:40 Exploring the Odyssey: Book 22 Overview06:58 The Role of the Gods in the Odyssey09:55 Justice and Revenge in the Slaughter of the Suitors12:54 Imagery of Food and Gore in Homer14:49 The Cyclops Narrative and Guest Friendship18:51 Antinous: The First Death and Its Implications22:36 The Role of Recognition in Justice25:05 Eurimachus and the Plea for Mercy29:18 Piety and the Restoration of Order32:53 The Political Landscape of Ithaca33:48 Purging and the New Order in Ithaca34:18 The Balance of Power and Leadership Lessons35:24 Pedagogical Journeys: Odysseus and His Men37:39 Divine Endorsement and the Purging of the Unworthy39:35 Odysseus's Transformation: From Arrogance to Understanding41:36 The Role of Recognition in Identity43:08 The Consequences of Identity and Wisdom46:29 The Tragedy of Odysseus and Penelope48:42 Telemachus's Growth and Inexperience53:12 Divine Justice and the Nature of the Fight58:11 The Role of Prophecy and Piety in Justice01:05:23 The Nature of Piety and Accountability01:06:59 Eros and the Path to Ascent01:09:52 Self-Reflection and the Nature of Desire01:13:10 Justice and the Fate of the Maidservants01:23:36 The Consequences of Disloyalty01:30:37 Recognition and Political RuleDiscussion:Dr. Priou and Dcn. Garlick examine the justice of the slaughter, noting that while Antinous dies without recognizing Odysseus, the goatherd Melanthius suffers one of the most gruesome tortures in Homer—strung up and mutilated in language echoing the barbaric king Echetus. They discuss the hanging of the disloyal maidservants, Telemachus's role in their execution, and why such violence may be necessary to purge disloyalty and restore order. Key themes include the restoration of piety, the shift from a decayed oligarchic rule by the suitors to a new natural aristocracy involving loyal servants, Odysseus' pedagogical journey, and the tension between recognition, glory, and the establishment of a stable political regime supported by fear of the gods.Overall, the episode portrays Homer as a profound teacher on the ugly necessities of justice and political founding.The speakers reflect on how the book repudiates certain Iliadic values like vaunting over the slain, emphasizes cleansing and purification, and sets the stage for the final books. Dr. Priou highlights Odysseus's cunning, the limits of rhetoric, and the need to curtail eros for civilized life, while both Dr. Priou and Dcn. Garlick encourage listeners to confront uncomfortable questions about revenge, mercy, and the role of divine and human violence in re-founding a polity.Next week our 12-week study of the Odyssey ends with Books 23-24!
As Christopher Nolan brings The Odyssey to the big screen, Dawn is taking listeners back to the source. Join Dawn and guest Sam Cowan as they get down and dirty with Homer, unpacking the gods, mortals, monsters, and misadventures that made The Odyssey one of the most enduring stories ever told. By the end, you'll be walking into your local cineplex HILF'd and loaded. --
In this Mere Mortals book review, I talk through The Odyssey by Homer the famous follow-up companion to The Iliad, and one of the great adventure stories of the Western canon.Compared with The Iliad, I found The Odyssey much more readable, more story-driven, and honestly more enjoyable. This is the great soldier-returning-home story: Odysseus trying to make his way back to Ithaca after the Trojan War, while Telemachus searches for answers, Penelope holds off the suitors, and the gods keep interfering with everyone's lives.0:00 Intro — The Odyssey after The Iliad0:54 The basic structure of The Odyssey1:18 Odysseus, Ulysses and the journey home2:03 Telemachus, Penelope and the suitors2:43 Where Odysseus has been3:09 Cyclops, monsters and the famous adventures3:46 Returning to Ithaca4:04 The original soldier-coming-home story4:25 Why The Odyssey reads better than The Iliad5:02 The book that kept me reading at night6:00 Why this story has lasted7:10 Iliad vs Odyssey: rage vs cunning8:19 Major themes: home, temptation, storytelling and justice10:03 The parts I skimmed10:43 Should you read The Iliad first?11:37 Final thoughts on The Odyssey12:26 Final recommendationConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastSubstack: https://substack.com/@meremortalsnotes Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFqTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, we are discussing Books 20 & 21 with Mr. Thomas Lackey and Dr. Frank Grabowski. NEW ARTICLE: Why Should Christians Read Homer?Check out our COLLECTION OF WRITTEN GUIDES.In this episode of Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and guests Dr. Frank Grabowski and Thomas Lackey dive into Books 20 and 21 of Homer's Odyssey, where the stage is set for the long-awaited slaughter of the suitors. The portents multiply: Theoclymenus's terrifying vision of the palace drenched in blood and gore, Athena's divine orchestration, and Penelope's masterful test with Odysseus's legendary bow. Amid feasts for Apollo, disloyal servants, and growing frenzy, Odysseus the beggar masters his patience while Telemachus comes fully into his own—echoing the father-son reunion and the maturation arc that began in Book 2.The conversation has rich insights on Homeric anthropology, the thumos (spirited), xenia's sacred bonds, ritual symbolism, and the limits of repentance under divine justice. Listeners will relish the similes, prophecies ignored at peril, subtle Christological resonances, and the masterful dramatic pause Homer builds before the violence erupts in Book 22. Whether you're tracking Odysseus's cunning, Telemachus's growth, or the poem's deeper moral and theological layers, this episode delivers fresh appreciation for why the Odyssey endures. Don't miss it—especially with Dr. Patrick Deneen joining soon to connect the epic to our own age. Subscribe, grab the written guide, and join the journey on Patreon, YouTube, or thegreatbookspodcast.com.Keywords: Odyssey Book 20 summary, Odyssey Book 21 analysis, Homer Odyssey Books 20 and 21, Penelope bow test, Odysseus bow contest, Theoclymenus prophecy vision, slaughter of the suitors setup, Odysseus beggar disguise, Telemachus maturation, xenia guest friendship Odyssey, divine justice in Homer, Homeric thumos anthropology, Apollo feast day Odyssey, Greek classics podcast, Great Books discussion Odyssey, Odysseus revenge portents, Penelope cunning test, Homer similes Book 20, ritual symbolism Odyssey, Christological parallels Odyssey, Ascend Great Books Podcast.
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and Dr. Frank Grabowski dive into Books 17–19 of Homer's Odyssey, where the disguised king returns to Ithaca as a beggar.Check out our WRITTEN Q&A GUIDE TO THE ODYSSEY.Check out Dr. Grabowski's new Substack: The Porch and the Altar.The conversation explores iconic moments like Odysseus's heartbreaking reunion with his loyal dog Argos, the tense first dialogue with Penelope that raises fascinating questions about what she truly knows or suspects, and the escalating violations of xenia by the suitors. Listeners will appreciate the rich analysis of loyalty as the ultimate standard, Odysseus's hard-won maturation in temperance and piety, and striking contrasts between faithful servants like Eumaeus and disloyal figures like Melanthius.Homer emerges here as both poet and philosopher, using these scenes to probe justice, the nature of heroism, the city at peace, and the interplay of fate and human choice.With Athena guiding events and the tension building toward the suitors' doom, Deacon and Dr. Grabowski illuminate how Odysseus' trials have prepared him not just for revenge, but for restoring order.Whether you're new to the epic or a longtime reader, this episode offers fresh insights that make the ancient story feel urgently relevant. Don't miss it—subscribe and join the community as the Odyssey study continues toward its dramatic climax!Chapters00:00 Introduction to the Odyssey Study04:30 The Role of Penelope and Theoclymenus07:14 Contrasting Characters: Eumaeus and Melanthius10:28 Odysseus' Growth and Maturation13:11 The Loyalty of Argos16:26 The Test of Guest Friendship19:10 The Fate of the Suitors22:22 The Beggar Fight and Its Implications24:43 Odysseus' Reflection on His Journey27:21 The Irony of Antinous30:45 Penelope's Anticipation and the Build-Up to Reunion33:28 Odysseus' Moral Self-Awareness36:37 Conclusion and Themes of Justice42:10 The Philosopher Beggar and the Blindness of the Suitors44:49 The Nature of Law and Lawlessness47:33 Penelope's Cleverness and the Suitors' Downfall52:09 Telemachus' Growth and the Stability of Society57:19 The Reunion of Odysseus and Penelope01:01:40 The Test of Loyalty and the Nature of Guest Friendship01:06:23 The Subtlety of Odysseus and Penelope's Intuition01:12:19 The Significance of Names and Identity01:19:33 The Tension of Recognition and the Test of the SuitorsKeywords: Odyssey Books 17-19, Homer Odyssey summary, Odysseus as beggar, reunion with Argos, Penelope and Odysseus dialogue, what Penelope knows, xenia guest friendship, loyalty in the Odyssey, Argos the dog, Melanthius goat herder, Eumaeus swineherd, Theoclymenus prophecy, suitors fate, Odysseus maturation, temperance and piety, Homer philosopher, city at peace, Athena disguise, beggar fight Book 18, bow of Odysseus, scar of Odysseus, Great Books Podcast, Ascend podcast Odyssey, Frank Grabowski Homer, classical education Odyssey, Western literature analysis.
Mysteries at Midnight - Mystery Stories read in the soothing style of a bedtime story
With the upcoming release of The new Odyssey film coming up, I have decided to read a version of the Odyssey that also includes the Tales of Troy. I studied the odyssey at school, and I'm looking forward to reading the full story. Save the playlist for all episodes - Here In the first part we meet Telemachus, now on the verge of becoming a man, who is waiting for Odysseus's return. A mysterious stranger brings him good news, and he decides to confront the suitors of his mother Penelope who want to take the kingdom of Ithaca for their own. If you would like a version with our relaxing sleep music please scroll down to the next episode. Please leave a 5-star review & SUBSCRIBE on Apple and Spotify. Sleep Cove Premium Become a Premium Member for Bonus Episodes & Ad-Free listening: Visit https://www.sleepcove.com/support and become a Premium Member. Get Instant Access and sign up in two taps. Our Sister Shows: - Sleep Cove - is our Sleep Hypnosis, Meditation and Bedtime Story channel, where you can find the perfect episode to help you sleep deeply all night long. - Calm Cove - is our music Podcast, where you can find Relaxing Music, White Noise and Nature Sounds. - Let's Begin - is our Day Meditation podcast. Start your day feeling relaxed and positive, or take some time out to unwind with these calming meditations with wakeners at the end so that you can continue your day. - YouTube Bedtime Story Channel - YouTube Sleep Hypnosis & Meditation Channel Connect: - Join the Newsletter for a Bonus Meditation - Facebook: here - Instagram: here - TikTok: here Recommended Products: Comfortable Sleep Headphones - https://www.sleepcove.com/headphones The Best Mattress from Puffy: https://sleepcove.com/puffy _______________ All Content by Sleep Cove is for educational or entertainment purposes and does not provide or replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your medical professional before making any changes to your treatment and if in any doubt, contact your doctor. Please listen in a place where you can safely go to sleep. Sleep Cove is not responsible or liable for any loss, damage or injury arising from the use of this content. _________________ Sleep Cove content includes guided sleep meditations, sleep hypnosis (hypnotherapy), sleep stories (visualizations) and Bedtime Stories for adults and grown-ups, all designed to help you get a great night's sleep Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick is joined by returning mentor Dr. Frank Grabowski—Third Order Franciscan, diaconate candidate, and Dean of Faculty at Holy Family Classical School—and Latin teacher Jack Drury for a rich discussion of Odyssey Books 15 and 16.Check out all our resources on the great books!Check out Dr. Grabowski's new Substack on the great books.The conversation explores Telemachus's maturation and homecoming, the poignant father-son reunion in the swineherd's hut, and the deepening bonds of loyalty with Eumaeus. Listeners will enjoy thoughtful reflections on xenia (guest-friendship), Theoclymenus the mysterious prophet, Helen's prophetic insight, Menelaus's gracious hospitality, and the growing threat of the suitors, all while tracking themes of thumos, divine guidance, and the slow unfolding of justice.With warmth, humor, and insight, the trio unpacks Homer's masterful storytelling—why Telemachus must become a threat, the nobility of the “lowly” swineherd, and the beautiful (and bittersweet) dynamics of recognition and reunion. Chapters00:00 Introduction to the Great Books Podcast09:15 Telemachus' Journey: A Coming of Age Story15:25 Menelaus: The Gracious Host22:57 The Arrival of Theoclymenus: A Mysterious Prophet30:36 Odysseus and Eumaeus: Testing Loyalty31:05 The Swineherd's Loyalty and Laertes' Mystery32:41 Odysseus' Questions and Eumaeus' Story34:41 The Tragic Tale of Eumaeus38:36 Social Status vs. Moral Character41:47 The Unique Island and Divine Justice43:43 Guest Friendship and Telemachus' Choices46:25 The Reunion of Father and Son50:29 Telemachus and Odysseus: A Complex Relationship55:27 Testing Nobility and Virtue01:00:25 Divine Disguises and Recognition01:04:59 The Standard of Belief01:11:37 The Plan Against the Suitors01:18:58 The Nature of Justice and RetributionWhether you're reading the Odyssey for the first time or returning to it with fresh eyes, this episode illuminates how these ancient books continue to form souls and speak to fatherhood, virtue, and the return to order. Perfect listening for anyone journeying through the Great Books—don't miss it!
In this inspiring episode of The Nonprofit Exchange, Hugh Ballou welcomes Phil Cousineau, author of The Wisdom of the Odyssey: Twenty-Four Life Lessons from Homer's Epic, for a rich conversation about ancient wisdom and modern leadership. Phil explores why Homer's Odyssey still speaks powerfully to leaders today, especially those serving through nonprofit work. He describes myth not as an old story locked in the past, but as a sacred story that continues to reveal how we live, lead, suffer, heal, remember, and return home. Through the journey of Odysseus, the devotion of Penelope, the growth of Telemachus, and the wisdom of mentorship, Phil draws out lessons on endurance, responsibility, hospitality, trust, healing, and the deeper meaning of service. The conversation connects the themes of The Odyssey directly to nonprofit leadership: staying rooted in mission, remembering the original “why,” creating places of welcome for the wounded or forgotten, and leading with courage through uncertainty, scarcity, and conflict. Phil also highlights the Greek concept of xenia, or sacred hospitality, as a model for building trust, listening to people's stories, and creating communities where people feel seen and valued. At the heart of the episode is the question every leader eventually faces: How do we keep going when we feel far from home? Phil's answer is simple and profound: follow the love. Remember what called you into the work, what contribution you hoped to make, and what shared story can bring people together again. This episode invites nonprofit leaders to see their own work as an odyssey through storms, temptation, loss, discovery, responsibility, and renewal—and to recognize that wisdom is often formed along the journey itself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mysteries at Midnight - Mystery Stories read in the soothing style of a bedtime story
With the upcoming release of The new Odyssey film coming up, I have decided to read a version of the Odyssey that also includes the Tales of Troy. I studied the odyssey at school, and I'm looking forward to reading the full story. Save the playlist for all episodes - Here In the first part we meet Telemachus, now on the verge of becoming a man, who is waiting for Odysseus's return. A mysterious stranger brings him good news, and he decides to confront the suitors of his mother Penelope who want to take the kingdom of Ithaca for their own. If you would like a version without our relaxing sleep music please scroll up to the next episode. Please leave a 5-star review & SUBSCRIBE on Apple and Spotify. Sleep Cove Premium Become a Premium Member for Bonus Episodes & Ad-Free listening: Visit https://www.sleepcove.com/support and become a Premium Member. Get Instant Access and sign up in two taps. Our Sister Shows: - Sleep Cove - is our Sleep Hypnosis, Meditation and Bedtime Story channel, where you can find the perfect episode to help you sleep deeply all night long. - Calm Cove - is our music Podcast, where you can find Relaxing Music, White Noise and Nature Sounds. - Let's Begin - is our Day Meditation podcast. Start your day feeling relaxed and positive, or take some time out to unwind with these calming meditations with wakeners at the end so that you can continue your day. - YouTube Bedtime Story Channel - YouTube Sleep Hypnosis & Meditation Channel Connect: - Join the Newsletter for a Bonus Meditation - Facebook: here - Instagram: here - TikTok: here Recommended Products: Comfortable Sleep Headphones - https://www.sleepcove.com/headphones The Best Mattress from Puffy: https://sleepcove.com/puffy _______________ All Content by Sleep Cove is for educational or entertainment purposes and does not provide or replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your medical professional before making any changes to your treatment and if in any doubt, contact your doctor. Please listen in a place where you can safely go to sleep. Sleep Cove is not responsible or liable for any loss, damage or injury arising from the use of this content. _________________ Sleep Cove content includes guided sleep meditations, sleep hypnosis (hypnotherapy), sleep stories (visualizations) and Bedtime Stories for adults and grown-ups, all designed to help you get a great night's sleep Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Recorded by Academy of American Poets staff for Poem-a-Day, a series produced by the Academy of American Poets. Published on June 13, 2026. www.poets.org
What can Homer's Odyssey teach us about resilience, trauma, grief, purpose, and living a meaningful life in the modern world?Clinical psychologist Dr. Sam Akbar joins Classical Wisdom Speaks to explore why The Odyssey remains one of the most powerful guides to human psychology ever written. Drawing on her work with trauma survivors and refugees, she reveals how Odysseus, Penelope, and Telemachus offer timeless lessons on resilience, emotional growth, identity, belonging, and finding your way home, both literally and psychologically.Whether you're interested in Greek mythology, psychology, mental health, personal growth, Stoicism, or Homer's epic poetry, this conversation will change how you read The Odyssey.KEY TOPICS COVEREDThe psychology of Homer's OdysseyWhy Odysseus still resonates with modern readersResilience, trauma, and post-traumatic growthWhat refugees can teach us about the meaning of homeWhy flawed heroes are more inspiring than perfect onesPenelope's hidden psychological strengthTelemachus and the journey to adulthoodGrief, loss, and personal transformationAncient wisdom for modern mental healthCommunity, loneliness, and the Greek concept of xeniaFinding purpose and defining your own IthacaTIMESTAMPS00:00 Introducing Dr. Sam Akbar & The Odyssey Mindset01:40 Psychology meets Classics05:06 What Homer understood about human nature07:42 Why Odysseus still resonates today12:18 Trauma, refugees & reading Homer differently16:10 The Odyssey as a post-war story20:00 Resilience, acceptance & psychological growth22:07 Penelope and quiet resistance24:00 What does “home” really mean?30:00 Telemachus, mentorship & growing up34:50 Grief, loss & personal odysseys41:20 Community, loneliness & modern life45:00 Catharsis, collective healing & ancient wisdom50:10 Final reflectionsIf you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe for more discussions on Ancient Greece, philosophy, psychology, mythology, and the timeless lessons hidden in classical texts.Comment below: What is your personal “Ithaca”? What lesson from The Odyssey has stayed with you the most?
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