Space the Nation

Ana and Dan will have the pickled garlic, thank you. A wildly inventive and expertly made popcorn movie, with sympathies for a few devils and more lore than you can shake a guitar at. There is IR and an implicit critique of a particular form of capitalism in this movie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the heady days of May 2022: Dan and Ana would have the pilot give the plans directly to the rebels, but decide to watch the movie anyway. Can you make a great movie entirely premised on a retcon? Does it take extremists to goad rebellions into action? How would Adorno feel about all this? There is IR in this movie. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan hope you're enjoying the leisurely pace of these episode drops, letting you linger in the all-too-brief glory that was Andor Season 2 even as it starts to fade into memory. There's a bit of IR in this show. And if you're a patron, don't miss our video chat on a post-Andor rewatch of Rogue One. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan aren't too green to podcast in this volatile environment—they'll be fine.NOTE: Dan repeatedly refers to the "KX" droids as "KY" droids, and I did nothing to stop him. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan brush off the bourgeoisie's cosplay rebellion to get to the real heart of revolutionary struggle: ignoring signs of drug abuse in loved ones. Star Wars for grown-ups continues to ask hard questions about means and ends—and doubles as a PSA for trauma-informed workplace policies. There's IR and a critique of capitalism in this show. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After seeing trailers for this action-amid-the-white-papers flick, Ana and Dan brainstormed the next wave of thrillers based on foreign policy gatherings: New from Netflix: THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, with Naomi Watts, Jason Isaacs, and Alison Pill. Hulu presents THE MUNICH SECURITY CONFERENCE. Paramount+ unveils a new prestige drama: UNESCO.Alas, G20—the actual movie—is not quite the geopolitical thrill ride we hoped for. EGOT-winner Viola Davis gives it her all, but the film doesn't deserve her. Also: way less IR than you'd expect. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan dance like no one is watching. Andor Season 2 is finally here—was it worth the wait? The first arc brings us sexpest fascists, sad droids, multiple rebellions in search of a group chat, Cassian in motivational speaker mode, Mad Men in space, and genocide served over light refreshments. We dig into imperial bureaucracy, Star Wars as labor economy, and why Tony Gilroy might be the last great showrunner of his kind. Yes, there is IR in this galaxy.Content warning: discussion includes sexual assault and real-world current events. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan pause to commune with the horses just as dawn breaks. How is 2007's "Michael Clayton" related to science fiction? 1) Only alien technology explains how someone with Clooney's looks and charm is the office henchman and not running the place 2) It's the creation of Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy. This is good enough. Highly quotable, gorgeous, perhaps (in Ana's opinion) a perfect film in the vein of Alien: not a single shot or line of dialogue wasted, everyone in the movie performing at the same high level, endlessly re-watchable, satisfying without being trite. Enjoy! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan reintegrate to unpack the second half of Severance Season 2, from haunting standalone episodes to an action-packed finale. They explore the show's psychological and thematic depth: labor alienation, the inner child, and late-stage capitalism in a company town. We learn Harmony Cobel invented severance, Gemma was probably lured with a fake baby promise, and Cold Harbor might be killing innies one spreadsheet at a time. Also: Milchick dances, Gwendoline Christie fights, and the baby goat lives (for now). There's class war, metaphysical angst, and echoes of The Graduate, The Matrix, and every emotionally constipated Apple product demo. There's IR in this episode, and a critique of capitalism bosses hate more than big words. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan would not volunteer for a road trip across a ruined America, even if it involved Gen-X micro-targeted mid-90s nostalgia. We break down The Electric State, a film that raises big questions about AI labor and passive entertainment but then does nothing interesting or coherent with them. The most expensive film Netflix has ever made (no, seriously), yet everything looks like a student film shot in the mustard aisle. The Tuch Tuches it up! Giancarlo Esposito does chillingly casual menace! All in vain. There's class war, robot angst, and echoes of Terminator, The Road, and that Fallout series I forgot to finish. There's some IR in this episode, and a critique of capitalism that feels like a drone strike from above. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan would not volunteer to die over and over again, even to be a working-class counterpoint to an obvious Trump parody. We explore the existential horror of being a disposable clone in a world that treats human life like office supplies. There's class war, clone angst, and echoes of Moon, The Prestige, and Severance. Also: One of us finds the romance compelling, the other is skeptical. There's some IR in this episode and a critique of capitalism that will hit you like a giant pill bug. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan's outies prefer two scoops of ice cream in a serving, but they (the ice cream scoops) must be the same flavor. Our return to Lumon coincides with our own intense interest in being able to disassociate from the real world! But trauma will reveal itself with or without you remembering it specifically. There is a critique of capitalism and some IR in this TV show. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan didn't realize their "palate cleansing" entry into Nuclear Winter would be about the heroism of civil servants and fighting against a racist autocracy founded by businessman-turned-despot. There is IR in this movie. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan hang onto their shopping bags for this slog through one of the most downbeat takes on the apocalypse that is not actively promoting a cult. CONTENT WARNING: For people who watch the news. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan would never leave Rusty outside the fallout shelter. We discuss the movie that made Gen X the nihilist losers we are—and find more humanity than we remembered. This is the first of three in our Nuclear Winter 2025 series (Threads and The Postman are dropping soon).CONTENT WARNING: Not intended as commentary on current events, but you may find yourself reminded. Also, there's some IR in this episode. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan wish you a happy Valentine's Day, this podcast will erase itself as it plays. Revisiting this scifi art-house classic after 20 years reveals some of its deep flaws and something about Young Dan's wistful notions about bookish young men and Manic Pixie Dream Girls. If you loved this episode's saltiness about saccharine tales, perhaps it would make a good gift for the sober sweetheart of your dreams? Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the last day of Fishmas, my true love gave to me an extremely well-produced piece of sh*t—and a partridge in a pear tree! Dan and I dive into The Prophecy, an Audible Original that proves our thesis: Laurence Fishburne makes everything better. We attempt to untangle its apocalyptic theology, its oddly specific hydrology content (like, really specific), and its absolute refusal to acknowledge how national security actually works. Come for the biblical name drops, stay for the moment I realize I've accidentally hate-listened to the whole thing. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan and Ana stop fighting long enough to have a civilized drink. We're wrapping up Fishmas, the most wonderful time of the year, with what might be the most delightful installment yet. There's a lot of discussion of Chapter One in this episode; you'll likely need to watch both to fully appreciate both Chapter Two and this discussion!  Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan and Ana are in a blood feud with the Super-Podcasters; don't get in their way. This may be one of the most less-than-the-sum-of-its-parts movies we've ever seen! Two Oscar winners are in this movie! And Walter Goggins! Topher Grace is genuinely funny. And yet. And yet. There is less IR in this movie than you'd think, but a surprisingly robust critique of capitalism. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just been a little bit since we saw you and thought we'd check in.We had some behind-the-scenes stuff get more bumpy than usual! We're good now but we appreciate your patience with our little hobby pod and we hope you're doing ok. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christmas comes but once a year, but Fishmas lasts all year long--at least as Dan and I practice it. We've had some personal and professional chaos over the past month, so forgive our tardiness. The good news is that the wait is worth it, which is more than you can say about this sequel to The Matrix! It has not aged particularly well! But Dan liked the Luddite rave. More to come very soon and we love you very much. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm dreaming of a terrible movie / Just like the ones Dan nominates / Where the plot is leaden / And acting deadens / But Laurence Fishburne's charisma dominates, so dominates...Continuing Fishmas with one of the worst movies we've done for this pod--and Fishburne is still fantastic. Look for our other Fishmas classics on the feed! Become a Patron to skip the ads! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam Neill baby / slipped a time-space fold under the tree / for meI'm an awful good captain / Sam Neill, baby / so let's get the f*ck out this is much too creepy for meFishmas Past continues with one of our favorite episodes of all time! Please enjoy our Fishmas Present episodes, including the upcoming Matrix Reloaded as well as the recently-out Contagion! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have yourself a merry little Fishmas / Let your pill be red / From now on this movie's themes / will be misread...Happy holidays! Please enjoy our other Fishmas offerings, including the new episodes for Contagion and (soon to drop) Matrix Reloaded. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Merry Fishmas! We celebrate all things somber and authoritative with a selection of Laurence Fishburne masterpieces. In addition to Contagion, we're re-releasing our other Fishburne bangers including audience favorite Event Horizon and the truly execrable The Colony (our only episode devoted to script doctoring!).However, be forewarned: This is a non-jolly re-watch. Contagion has aged all too well, even four years after lockdown.We appreciate your patience with our erratic posting as of late: Dan got sick, Ana's house sprung a leak, and, you know ::gestures vaguely:: We hope you're doing ok. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the annual tradition of Spacegiving, where Dan and Ana discuss the science fiction and genre creations they're grateful for or haven't had a chance to cover during the year. The episode is delayed but just as relevant as ever--can't we celebrate gratitude all year long?Discussed: House of the Dragon, Silo, Titanium Noir, Constellation, Agatha All Along, Parable of the Sower, video essays from HBomber and Jenny Nicholson, and The Penguin (among others)!Image: Thanksgiving 2001, Expedition 3 crewmembers enjoying Thanksgiving dinner aboard the space station. Left to right: Vladimir N. Dezhuro and Mikhail V. Tyurin of Roscosmos. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan put on their midriff-baring uniforms for this visit to the Mirror Universe, in Star Trek: Enterprises spin on the familiar Trek plot device that allows your favorite characters play slutty Halloween versions of themselves. There's IR but not enough critique of capitalism to sustain Ana's interest. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan can't number their episodes correctly. Okay, that's totally on me, Ana, who writes these episode descriptions. I also originally gave him the wrong episode numbers to talk about; luckily, he understood what I was interested in (the occupation of New Caprica) and so the numbering didn't matter. Something to think about.This show is about the occupation of New Caprica by the cylons which has no parallels to anything that has ever happened on Earth. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan are in line for some important promotions and personal citations when this thing's over with! There is some IR in this movie. (This is part of our October Surprise series on sci-fi adjacent political thrillers!) Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan become human Swiss Army knives, but without the nail files, because does anyone use that one? Welcome to a movie that we both liked! Logan Marshall-Green transcends being "not Tom Hardy" and the asshole boyfriend in Prometheus in this tightly-wound little body-horror thriller. There is IR as well as tech mogul named ERON. Eron. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First of all, Civil War is now streaming! Also, Civil War is even more terrifying than it was in April. Sorry for the lack of a new episode, things have been ::gestures at US election:: If you are a US citizen, please check your registration and vote as soon as you are able. Find out more here. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I forced Dan to make predictions about the upcoming Vice Presidential debate (that's Oct. 1, for those in the future). This is a special treat for not having an original episode this week. If you're hearing this in the podcast feed, know it's also available at Patreon as a video! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan and Ana were Thoreau-pilled at a young age, that's why they never even thought about becoming Pretties. What's really funny about taking this long to drop this episode is that it includes our discussion of current politics! Enjoy the time-traveling aspect, because the movie we're discussing isn't very enjoyable at all. Oh, and our audio is weird! Uglies episode, indeed. IR abounds! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan don't like to study 20th-century history -- too depressing. In celebration of the Bell Riots, we take a trip backward-forward to 2024 as imagined in the mid-90s. There's a critique of capitalism in this episode! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan made Ana watch this as retribution for Pandorum and he's just about as successful explaining his love for it as she was explaining why Pandorum captivates her. They are both silly films but aren't we all at least a little silly? There's neither much IR nor much criticism of capitalism in this movie. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan get separated at the beginning of the movie and... one of them is lying about something, but who???? This is ultimately a silly movie, a copy of a copy of a copy of Event Horizon that's also been printed on toilet issue. Not so bad it's good, just not good. Ana cannot explain why she likes it, but Dan very thoroughly explains why he doesn't. There's not much of anything in this film. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you enjoy Ana and Dan talking about science fiction and political science? Then you might enjoy Ana and Dan talking about political science -- and politics in general! This is a special peek into Ana's new show, available as a podcast or as a YouTube channel. (It's a few days late but still fascinating.) Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan will keep trying to turn those xenomorphs into some kind of profitable venture. This time, there will be no unexpected consequences. But... how's this for an unexpected consequence -- a good Alien movie! There's some IR and a lot of critique of capitalism, like all good Alien movies. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan lean down to pet the cute little snake thing! So adorable, the ghostly white-translucent little sucking cobra! Was Ana forcing Dan to watch this movie as bad an idea as any one choice made in the movie itself? Dan thinks so! There is a bit of IR in the film. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

And and Dan talk about that really old movie, Captain America: Civil War? Ever see it? Last week, we took a look at Deadpool & Wolverine as a possible future of the MCU -- is it a good idea to remember what its future used to be? There's a lot of IR but not the kind you think—also, capitalism. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan and Ana go deep (huh-huh) on this genre-savvy bromance, the little indie movie that could. It's now Marvel's fourth-most successful opening weekend of all time and is expected to become the top-grossing rated-R movie of all time. We ask, "Can Marvel handle such a big unit?" and, "How will this affect the back end?" This movie has IR and capitalism (though not much critique). Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan begin the cycle of progress and destruction that is humanity's lot. This is an episode of canon fodder, about the problem of cannon fodder. It's a dark vision with a dark backstory. For a novel about the costs of nuclear war, there isn't a lot of IR or capitalism! There is a lot to think about. (THIS WAS POSTED A BIT LATE, THOUGH ON THE SCALE OF CENTURIES, NOT LATE AT ALL. APOLOGIES TO THOSE OF YOU EXISTING ON A MORE LIMITED PLANE.) Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NOTE: This is a couple of days old (obviously). We posted the video the day-of but this is provided for folks who are, like, washing the dishes. We plan on doing more of these -- weekly or as the news warrants. These are available to all listeners but if you are not a patron and enjoy these special episodes, we would appreciate you becoming one.Ana and Dan go rogue and discuss the asteroid that hit the presidential race: Joe Biden withdrawing from the 2024 election and the potential implications. They explore the various factors that contributed to this decision, including Biden's declining cognitive abilities, his staff's handling of the situation, and the role of the media. They also speculate on who would write the fictional version of these events and recommend science fiction literature to provide context. (AI WROTE THIS SUMMARY) Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan shhhhhhh... and use the thunderstorm to cover their conversation about the most recent entry in John Krasinski's silent apocalypse. Surprise! It's a mumblecore melodrama with a deadly setting and a cat. We loved the intimacy and interpersonal gentleness, some of the monster stuff still doesn't make sense. There is IR in this movie! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan turn on the red lights and delve into a trad-horror* classic. It's beautiful, well-acted, and has gender roles more hardened than the carapace of the monsters from Planet Quiet Car. There's surprisingly little IR but some fun and wildly tangential critique of capitalism!*J.D. Vance as VP would be a different sort of trad-horror. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan don't think too hard about it, because the movie is just better that way. Another over-stuffed cast wrangles some nonsense as best they can, to perfectly adequate results! Pro: one of the franchise's best action scenes and an old/new casting face-off that delivers. Con: Professor X can't fix these plot holes. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan collect rocks and talk about the least memorable meeting of the two most memorable actors ever to grace the small screen. The plot is just a lot of nonsense! It starts with an in-your-face reminder that holodecks are magic and moves on to a metaphor for drugs? Maybe? We thought about this more than the people that made it. There is not really any IR in it. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan need some coffee to get through this inert mech-suit porn. It has Jennifer Lopez in it! Listen to the episode to hear how it was a last-ditch effort to keep Bennifer going, which is a more interesting story than one in the movie. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan don't turn their eyes away from the violence. They watch, stony-faced, just to prove that you can't break them. This is not as good as Fury Road, sorry. A for effort for the Hemsworth involved here and all the gold stars for young Alyla Browne, who is in the movie maybe more than Anya Taylor-Joy -- and definitely plays a bigger part than IR. There's a critique of capitalism, I guess. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our names are Ana and Dan and our world is fire and blood. And IR, and capitalism. This is a damn-near-perfect movie, not a scene or word wasted, though there are many of the former and very few of the latter. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ana and Dan had to leap so many hurdles to record this, they don't even remember the movie so much? It's like a copy of a copy of some ape that died many generations ago. I'm not even sure why anyone would have heard of Ceasar at this point. Maybe we can find someone to teach us Roman history. There's IR in this episode because Dan's good at finding it. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.