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Space the Nation — Arts
Space the Nation

On Space the Nation, we take our love of science fiction (and fantasy and horror) and smash it together with our professional passions: international relations (as brought to the table by Tufts University professor and Washington Post columnist Dan Drezner) and cultural criticism (as brought to the table by political columnist Ana Marie Cox). It’s a highly informed but hilarious conversation that starts with an examination of a particular text (everything from Ursula K. LeGuin to the MCU, Star Trek to Colson Whitehead) and veers into current events, mental health practices and imagined conversations between Ted Cruz and the Predator. For people who like white papers and graphic novels, Chapo Trap House and what Political Science Twitter used to be.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Copyright: © Space the Nation

Latest Episodes:

S3E35: WHAT WE DID ON OUR SUMMER VACATION Sep 04, 2023

Show notes

Ana and Dan keep it real casual. What we liked, what we didn't like, and a problematic fave. You will need to find your IR/capitalism analysis elsewhere, we're OOO.

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S3E34: THE MEG 2 Sep 01, 2023

Show notes

Ana and Dan try to train the megalodon, because that's never a bad idea, right? This second Jason Statham adventure has a bit more sense of self-aware fun than the first outing, but is basically just exactly what it set out to be: a kind of dumb but pleasant way to escape 100-degree heat. In that way, what's it's really about is climate change, and that's a critique of capitalism. Also there's some IR. (On a personal note: This episode was delayed by some mental health stuff and also not having my laptop. These things are not actually related but everything is mostly back to normal in both regards. Take your meds, everyone! Take them!)

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S3E32: THE MEG Aug 21, 2023

Show notes

Ana and Dan close the hatch on their crewmate; they were doomed, anyway! Surprisingly understated for a movie about a gigantic shark; the actors should have been munching a lot more scenery. As it is, they make the most of what you can do with a plot that consists of "Look, giant shark!" Some good-to-pleasant performances lightly elevate this fish-in-water story. There is more IR in the making of this movie than in the movie.

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S3E31: THEY CLONED TYRONE Aug 13, 2023

Show notes

Ana and Dan spelunk into the conspiracy cavern of this wild genre mix-up: Blaxploitation! Mystery! Mad Scientists! Even, dare we say it, some zombie sh*t. The most fun you'll have trying to grapple with the legacy of chattel slavery all year! There is IR in this movie.

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S3E30: RIDDICK Aug 07, 2023

Show notes

Ana and Dan went and did the worst crime of them all... they got civilized, which means they gave this movie the chance it didn't quite deserve after Chronicles of Riddick's decant goofiness. It's a surprisingly okay return to Pitch Black's creature feature bona fides, if marred rapey bull*** extraneous to the plot. We continue to wonder about the functionality of a merc-based economy. There is IR -- and a dog -- in this movie.

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S3E29: CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK Jul 31, 2023

Show notes

Ana and Dan calculate the screen time-to-fun ratio for all the characters in this movie, and you'll never guess who comes out ahead! (It is not Karl Urban. Poor Karl Urban.) Ultimately, it's kind of a dud, but you can't help but be impressed by Vin Deisel taking all the studio capital (and money) he earned with Pitch Black and Fast & Furious and making a D&D-inflected space fantasy that has about as much in common with Pitch Black as it does with Fast & Furious. There is IR in this movie. And Judi Dench! Dame Judi Dench is in this movie!

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S3E28: PITCH BLACK Jul 24, 2023

Show notes

Ana and Dan decide to huddle together until the lights go out, because those are the ideal conditions for watching this early-aughts sci-fi horror gem that sheds exposition in favor of steely one-liners, strong characters, and meticulously-constructed shots. (Please keep this in mind if you watch the sequel. The filmmakers did not keep that in mind as they made the sequel.) There is IR in this movie.

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S3 SPECIAL EPISODE: SILO (5-10) Jul 21, 2023

Show notes

Ana and Dan find out what was wrong at that silo.

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S3E27: THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR Jul 17, 2023

Show notes

Ana and Dan write notes to each other on the insides of eggs, on the second skin of a python, in the smoke from a funeral pyre for the last good man on Earth, in the scree of a trail forged by a herd of unicorns. This book has some lovely turns of phrase and.... well, it has some lovely turns of phrase. And some IR.

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S3E26: SAN JUNIPERO Jul 10, 2023

Show notes

Ana and Dan change into their Wham! outfits and day-glow sunglasses to talk about this highly unusual Black Mirror episode: It does not make you want to sink under the waterline of a warm bath and maybe never come out. It's about two hot ladies of the 80s falling in like, then in love, and then maybe out of love and then... well, it has a happy ending! (Spoiler alert?) There is not much IR in this episode.

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