The Middle Geeks Episode 45: ‘Black Adam’ Review with Hanna Flint
We welcome Hanna back on the podcast for us to review Black Adam together!
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 45: ‘Black Adam’ Review with Hanna Flint”Tag: Marwan Kenzari
‘Black Adam’ is Less Than the Sum of its Parts but Still a Fun Time
“The hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is about to change,” we’ve heard for weeks on end from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Did it really change that much with the release of Black Adam? Honestly? Yeah, kind of!
Continue reading “‘Black Adam’ is Less Than the Sum of its Parts but Still a Fun Time”
The Middle Geeks Episode 23: ‘I Still Hide to Smoke’ and a Plethora of MENA News
We’re joined by Mae’s sister Sonia to discuss the inaugural film of Algerian director Rayhana Obermeyer, I Still Hide to Smoke. How well does this film convey the experiences of living as a woman in Algeria in the mid-1990s? How are the themes explored applicable to women’s issues worldwide? How amazing is Hiam Abbas in the lead role (answer: incredibly amazing as she is in everything.)
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 23: ‘I Still Hide to Smoke’ and a Plethora of MENA News”
The Middle Geeks Episode 21: ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ and its MENA Issues
We are joined by the wonderful Hanna Flint to discuss Wonder Woman 1984 in this special bonus episode! We discuss the various ups and downs of the film, how well we thought the actors did with the script and story they had, and whether this movie did Diana Prince/Wonder Woman justice. We also discuss the many racist and Orientalist aspects of its depiction of Egypt and Egyptian people, and how detrimental it is for MENA representation. There’s a LOT to discuss, and we go through it all. Enjoy listening!
Spoilers for Wonder Woman 1984 begin around 11:26.
TW for discussion of rape and sexual assault 11:44 -12:57
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 21: ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ and its MENA Issues”
The Middle Geeks Episode 15: ‘The Old Guard’ Review and Cancel Culture
We have a PACKED episode this month. After discussing some excellent and exciting MENA entertainment news, Mae and Swara review Netflix’s The Old Guard, which is directed by the incredible Gina Prince-Bythewood and stars one of our favorite MENA actors Marwan Kenzari! But before that, we have an open and frank discussion about “cancel culture,” why it scares powerful and privileged white people so much, and how if they just actually devoted themselves to be better people they wouldn’t have to worry about being “canceled.” Enjoy listening!
Spoilers for The Old Guard being around 1:12:00.
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 15: ‘The Old Guard’ Review and Cancel Culture”
The Live Action ‘Aladdin’ Doubles Down on Orientalist and Colorist Trends
Aladdin is one of my favorite films of all time. It gave me, as a brown Middle Eastern kid, heroic representation that’s always stayed with me. I’ve already written at length for about my overall very complicated feelings on the live action remake. While the new trailer is solid, it’s also given more insight into the problematic trends this live action movie seems to perpetuate. Overall, I have little to no confidence that this film will improve upon the problematic aspects of the original (besides the welcome addition of having people of color play the main roles), and in fact will double down on more troubling aspects.
Continue reading “The Live Action ‘Aladdin’ Doubles Down on Orientalist and Colorist Trends”