Free Republic

Emily Jashinsky is joined by Victor Davis Hanson, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and author of the forthcoming book, “The Counterrevolution: The Fall and Rise of Donald Trump and the MAGA Movement,” to discuss the controversy surrounding Christopher Nolan's upcoming adaptation of The Odyssey, focusing on comments by Lupita Nyong'o about telling the story from a female perspective and broader debates over casting and representation.

It isn’t exactly news that Homer’s “Odyssey” is a very, very good poem. But seeing Christopher Nolan’s screen adaptation drove this home again for me. The hotly anticipated mega-spectacle is, in the end, pretty good. But it isn’t Homer. Mr. Nolan’s shortcomings have made me love Homer more by comparison and sent me running back, agog, to his deathless masterpiece. Mr. Nolan’s “Odyssey” succeeds as well as any adaptation can. It tells the story of Odysseus’ 10-year journey home from the Trojan War with verve and affection for the source material. It isn’t the hostile woke takeover that some high-profile...

A new trailer for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has sparked a strong reaction online, with more dislikes than likes appearing on YouTube. The film, which is set to release in July and stars Matt Damon, Zendaya, and a large ensemble cast, has quickly become one of the most talked-about movies of 2026. The information comes from viewer reactions on YouTube and wider reporting on the trailer’s reception. Many viewers have focused on what they see as modern-style dialogue and casting choices that do not match expectations of historical accuracy. Some people online say the characters sound too contemporary, while others...

Hollywood director Christopher Nolan is being ripped by a Greek-interest publication for not having any Greek actors in his adaptation of The Odyssey.Nolan’s film is based on the 2,800-year-old epic poem told by Homer, which follows the fantastic journey of the heroic king of Ithaca, Odysseus. It is one of the oldest known works of literature in history and was composed by a Greek man — in Greek, for his fellow Greeks. Yet Nolan’s film, toasted by Hollywood access media for its “diversity,” doesn’t have any Greeks in it at all. And the Greek City Times — an Australia-based news...

Reports of transgender actor Elliot Page — formerly Ellen — playing Achilles in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film, The Odyssey, have sparked fierce backlash. “You could have paid me to tank this movie and I wouldn’t have thought of this,” actor Kevin Sorbo reacted. While Page’s role in Nolan’s retelling of Homer’s The Odyssey — set to debut in theaters on July 17 — has yet to be officially confirmed, the Juno star is known to be in the movie, according to a report by the video gaming and entertainment website IGN. “The trailer might’ve given away who the actor is...

Lupita Nyong'o, has been confirmed to play Helen of Troy — as well as her twin sister, Clytemnestra.

Nolan’s movie keeps the spectacle, but cuts the moral heart out of Homer’s timeless classic. Christopher Nolan’s audacity to gut one of the greatest stories ever told of its themes, meaning, and essence is an unforgivable sin that can only have been perpetrated by Hades or Hollywood. The only reason Nolan’s Odyssey is winning praise at the box office is that we stopped teaching the Classics a hundred years ago, and with it, education itself. Homer’s most important lessons do not even make the screen. What he replaces them with is an assault on the heroic and divine world of...

Turning beloved stories woke or repurposing destroyed monuments is the beginning of a process that ends with real violence. t was difficult to peruse social media last week without seeing a steady stream of reactions and reviews of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey — a film that had already prompted, weeks before its premiere, mountains of derisive commentary for its purportedly woke casting choices, strangely modern costumes, American accents, and flat color palette. But now that the film is out, reviews have been largely positive. Fears of a wokeified epic mocking the heroic age of the West turned out to have...

THE SPIN BEGINS: "'The Odyssey' seizes $124M opening in BOX OFFICE TRIUMPH." "2026's biggest live-action debut." What they DON'T tell you: It's only the THIRD biggest opening of the year, behind "Toy Story 5" and "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie." TRANSLATION: Not as good as a talking toy and a video game movie. They don't tell you it likely needs around $800 million worldwide just to break even. Not to make a profit. Just to break even. And the studio typically keeps only about 50–55% of the domestic gate - and less internationally. And the $139.6 million from 73 international...

Apparently, USC does not have any literature classes — or at least none on ancient Greece. Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” hit theaters on Friday, and the USC football team tried to get in on the fun, posting “Our Odyssey begins August 29” on X, referring to their first game of the year. The issue with that is Homer’s 8th century epic poem “The Odyssey” follows Odysseus’ 10-year journey back to Greece after defeating the city of Troy in the Trojan War — the same city that serves as inspiration for USC’s nickname. The literary Trojans never had an odyssey. In...

“The Odyssey” didn’t need a Trojan Horse to break into the top of Friday’s box office charts. Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” earned $51 million on Friday from 3,919 North American screens. Early estimates had the saga grossing $90 million to $100 million by Sunday, but after a stellar opening day, forecasts have the film climbing as high as $120 million. “The Odyssey” will soon become the third film in 2026 to open above $100 million after “Toy Story 5” ($159 million) and “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” ($131 million). “The Odyssey” carries a hefty $250 million price tag. An $120...

Christopher Nolan‘s The Odyssey sets sail on its box office voyage as the star-studded retelling of the classical mythological tale aims to get moviegoers back in the saddle after a recent stretch of underperforming debuts. Universal Pictures‘ feature collected $17.6 million from Thursday previews on 3,900 North American screens as it targets a $50 million Friday and a better-than-expected $117 million opening weekend. (It was projected to bow to between the mid-$80 million range to upwards of $100 million). That would give it both the top live-action opening of the year, and the top R-rated opening of the year, as...

“When we did the forced perspective stuff of the Laestrygonians ... there were these stunt men who were all seven feet,” he said, referring to the intimidating, armor-clad foes Odysseus and his men face during an island stop. “And then they got stuntmen who were under five feet. And so my double was a woman, a female stunt performer who had the greatest arms I’ve ever seen.” He continued, “And when she came into the catering tent, [it] was the first time I ever met her. I went up and I hugged herand I thanked her for all the work...

Holy cr*p. LAFD reportedly canceled their annual fire hydrant testing a few weeks ago citing “fiscal challenges.” But they have enough money for an LAFD DEI Bureau and DEI chief. Unbelievable. Quote Max Bonilla @outragedteen_ · 9h Any reason why Los Angeles County failed to test their fire hydrants a week before this fire started? The Notice: TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF ANNUAL HYDRANT TESTING FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024/2025 Tuesday, December 24, 2024 - 08:30:00 In consideration of the Department's current operational and fiscal challenges, the annual hydrant testing scheduled for the beginning of this year will be temporarily suspended. This decision...

The winners of this year’s Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute “Peace Through Strength Award” are none other than Biden administration Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY).Austin, who has been criticized for implementing “woke” military policies as the Department of Defense (DOD) leader, and McConnell, who just went through yet another major health scare while on the job at the Capitol, were recognized for their “extraordinary contributions to the state of our national defense” in a press release from the Reagan institute. “After his service in uniform, Secretary Austin continued to serve his country, leading our military...

Former President Bill Clinton said Sunday on CNN’s “Inside Politics” that it would be a “travesty” if former President Donald Trump became president again. Host Manu Raju said, “Clinton got candid about American might not survive four years of Trump.” Clinton said, “I think you have to look at what the definition of ‘survive’ is,” Clinton said. “You can put me on a breathing tube tonight, but it wouldn’t be surviving like I’m surviving now. And the same thing’s true in politics. I don’t know if we can survive or not. I think it would be a travesty if he...

https://youtu.be/BStVK29ewIg?feature=shared. Merit Street. Dr. Phil's new independent media June 4 Interview with two top lawyers on the Travesty of the Trump Verdict. June 6 Trump is scheduled to be interviewed on Merit Street

On Friday’s broadcast of HBO’s “Real Time,” CNN Senior Political Commentator and former Obama adviser David Axelrod stated that he thinks “it’s a good thing in this country if, no matter who you are, you are held accountable when you break the law.” But acknowledged that the case against 2024 Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump relied on a “novel legal theory” but Trump’s crime “was there for everybody to see.”

House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik filed an ethics complaint against Judge Juan Merchan for an alleged conflict of interest pertaining to his daughter’s role at a firm known for representing Democratic politicians. Merchan, an acting Supreme Court justice in New York, is presiding over the unprecedented criminal trial against former President Trump stemming from charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Stefanik, R-N.Y., filed the complaint with the New York State Commission on Judiciary Conduct, warning that Trump, who pleaded not guilty to all 34 counts of falsifying business records, faces "a maximum of 136 years’ imprisonment" if...

State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan cleared the courtroom Monday over a dramatic spat with the defense’s first main witness, Robert Costello, causing a period of mayhem at former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial. Mr. Costello, a lawyer who once spoke to Trump lawyer-turned-accuser Michael Cohen, seemed to take exception to one of Judge Merchan’s objection rulings, uttering “Jeez,” and then sighing, “Strike it.” “You don’t say ‘jeez.’ And you don’t say “strike it,’ because I’m the only one who strikes it,” Judge Merchan told Mr. Costello, an experienced attorney and prosecutor. He also told him not to give...