Denis Villeneuve’s Dune adaptation, based on a book that was explicitly and heavily influenced by Middle East and North African (MENA) and Islamic cultures, is out, and we are joined by our friends and fellow MENA critics Hanna Flint and Roxana Hadadi to review it.
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 31: ‘Dune’ Review”
The internet was abuzz a few weeks ago when the first photos for Denis Villeneuve’s Dune 2020 adaptation came out, but where were all the MENA people who should have been cast in a work clearly informed by the Middle East and its people, down to blatantly using Arabic and Persian words? In our exasperation at this blatant exclusion, we have our friend and lifelong Dune fan Rocky on again to discuss why this is troubling and its overall implications for MENA representation in Hollywood. Why did Warner Brothers and Villeneuve not cast any MENA actors or We’re very tired. We also discuss the return of Legends of Tomorrow and what we thought of Tala Ashe’s mesmerizing performance, give our recommendations for our collective time in quarantine, and much more!
It’s still Spooky Season here on The Middle Geeks! In our slightly belated Halloween special, we have our first guest! Our friend Roxana joins us to discuss one of her favorite horror films, Babak Anvari‘s Under the Shadow, which is set during the Iran-Iraq war. Join us as we discuss what we enjoyed about this supernatural horror and drama film, and how Anvari masterfully uses the experience of being Iranian to drive the narrative. We also discuss our thoughts and concerns on what is happening in the Middle East region today and discuss the latest Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker trailer.
(We start our Under the Shadow discussion at the 27:41 mark.)
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 6: Under the Shadow, Spooky Season in Iran”
