The Bad Take

The Bad Take

A conversational podcast on anything from politics and pop culture to the universe and the meaning of life.

  1. 3d ago

    #22 On Nolan’s Odyssey

    Christopher Nolan’s take on Homer’s ancient epic is all anyone’s talking about these days. So much so that it even managed to spurt us out of retirement. We are back. Sort of. With our own spicy take on the biggest movie of 2026. Show notes: Thamara’s review of The Odyssey: https://thamara.co.uk/notebook/2026/08/the-odysseyHimal’s review of The Odyssey: https://himalkk.substack.com/p/nolans-odyssey-audacious-but-ultimatelyThe IMAX ‘Blimp’: https://www.filmaesthete.com/2025/11/19/nolan-and-hoyte-van-hoytema-test-game-changing-imax-blimp-system/The IMAX camera mirror system: https://ymcinema.com/2026/07/03/the-odyssey-imax-blimp-mirror-system/Aeneid: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AeneidEmily Wilson’s review of The Odyssey: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v48/n14/emily-wilson/an-uncomplicated-manMary Beard on The Odyssey: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2026/jul/20/the-odyssey-nolan—mary-beard-stateside-podcastXenia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenia_(Greek)Oppenheimer shot in 57 days: https://variety.com/2023/film/news/oppenheimer-shot-57-days-cillian-murphy-pace-insane-1235672356/McCarthyism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyismEmily Wilson’s translation of The Odyssey: https://www.emilyrcwilson.com/the-odysseyRobert Fagles’ translation of The Odyssey: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odyssey_(Robert_Fagles_translation)E. V. Rieu’s translation of The Odyssey: https://archive.org/details/TheOdyssey/mode/2up

    #22 On Nolan’s Odyssey

  2. 06/05/2022

    #21 Sri Lanka in Crisis: Is the Political Elite Doomed? (with Rajni Gamage)

    In this episode, joined by Rajni Gamage, we discuss the nature of elite politics in Sri Lanka in the context of the current crisis. We explore what scope there is for a new politics of solidarity and social transformation through the people's protests and the shifts in elite politics this would entail. Rajni is a politics researcher based in Colombo. She holds a PhD in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Queensland.  Rajni is on Twitter at @Rajni_Gamage Show notes for this episode, including links to everything mentioned: thebadtake.com/episode21 Credits: Soundtrack -  Downtown Funk by Dj Quads @aka-dj-quads Music provided by Free Music for Vlogs youtu.be/UYBJQkvLTIw Background image - Nazly Ahmed on Flickr

    #21 Sri Lanka in Crisis: Is the Political Elite Doomed? (with Rajni Gamage)

  3. 02/29/2020

    #20 A Matter of Words (with Carmen Aguilera-Carnerero)

    On this episode, we're joined by linguist Carmen Aguilera-Carnerero based in Granada, Spain. She was in Sri Lanka for some months last year, studying extreme speech online. She has also studied graffiti and "wall art" in Spanish and other European cities. This is a deep dive into her findings. Carmen Aguilera-Carnerero is a lecturer at the University of Granada (Spain), a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for the Analysis of the Radical Right and co-editor of the academic journal GRETA. Her area of study is Linguistics, and she has explored the syntax and sematics interface in her pre-doctoral phase and the Critical Discourse Analysis of Cyberdiscourse in her post doctoral stage (from 2013). Her areas of interest primarily are the articulation of hate speech online (specially in social media) with cyberislamophobia (both in text and image) and online racism in Sri Lanka in focus. Carmen has also worked in products of subculture and their subversiveness via linguistics and semiotics such as graffiti. Carmen is on Twitter at @Carmenable. Special thanks to our Patron Uditha Umesh for making this episode possible. Show notes for this episode, including links to everything mentioned: thebadtake.com/episode20 Support us on Patreon and get exclusive extras: thebadtake.com/patreon Credits: Soundtrack -  Downtown Funk by Dj Quads @aka-dj-quads Music provided by Free Music for Vlogs youtu.be/UYBJQkvLTIw Background image - Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash

    #20 A Matter of Words (with Carmen Aguilera-Carnerero)

  4. 01/31/2020

    #19 Planet Hunting (with Mahesh Herath)

    On this episode, we're joined by Sri Lankan astronomer Mahesh Herath who made headlines last year when he discovered not one but two exoplanets - no big deal - in a remote corner of our galaxy. We talked about his rigorous research process and the future of space exploration technologies among other things. Mahesh Herath is a research scientist attached to the Arthur C Clarke Institute of Modern Technologies (ACCIMT). His discovery of two extra solar planets (exoplanets) orbiting a distant star has put Sri Lanka’s footprint on the map of space research. Mahesh Herath read for his degree in physics at the University of Southampton, UK and then went on to do his master’s in space science at KU Leuven in Belgium. The course of study included spacecraft engineering, space law and statistics. Mahesh is currently reading for his MPhil in planetary astronomy at the University of Colombo. Mahesh is on Twitter at @MaheshHerath5. Show notes for this episode, including links to everything mentioned: thebadtake.com/episode19 Support us on Patreon and get exclusive extras: thebadtake.com/patreon Credits: Soundtrack -  Downtown Funk by Dj Quads @aka-dj-quads Music provided by Free Music for Vlogs youtu.be/UYBJQkvLTIw Background image - Alexander Andrews on Unsplash

    #19 Planet Hunting (with Mahesh Herath)

  5. 12/31/2019

    #18 Demystifying AI (with Nisansa de Silva)

    Joined by subject expert Nisansa de Silva, we bust some myths about AI and its applications, while exploring the challenges in AI development and the inevitable social, economic and political implications it poses. Nisansa de Silva is a doctoral candidate at the Department of Computer and Information Science at the University of Oregon. His research interests are in the area of Artificial Intelligence, specifically, in the sub-domains of; Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning, and Data mining. Nisansa is currently on study leave from his position of lecturer at the Dept. of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Moratuwa. He is a polymath of sorts and has a wide range of interests including history, philosophy, linguistics, mythology, pop culture and classical music. Nisansa is on Twitter at @NisansaDdS. Show notes for this episode, including links to everything mentioned: thebadtake.com/episode18 Support us on Patreon and get exclusive extras: thebadtake.com/patreon Credits: Soundtrack -  Downtown Funk by Dj Quads @aka-dj-quads Music provided by Free Music for Vlogs youtu.be/UYBJQkvLTIw Background image - Brett Jordan on Unsplash

    #18 Demystifying AI (with Nisansa de Silva)

  6. 11/22/2019

    #17 Fidel off the Field - In conversation with Andrew Fidel Fernando

    We caught up with sports writer Andrew Fidel Fernando for a chat on his first book, the well received travelogue Upon a Sleepless Isle. Andrew is a prolific sports writer with a penchant for incisive analysis of all things cricket. He is also a historian and travel writer, and his new book Upon A Sleepless Isle has been well received both here and abroad. He is on Twitter at @afidelf Andrew's book, Upon a Sleepless Isle, is available in select bookstores, Takas.lk and Amazon. Show notes for this episode, including links to everything mentioned: thebadtake.com/episode17 Support us on Patreon and get exclusive extras: thebadtake.com/patreon Credits: Soundtrack -  Downtown Funk by Dj Quads @aka-dj-quads Music provided by Free Music for Vlogs youtu.be/UYBJQkvLTIw Background image - Ashwin on Instagram

    #17 Fidel off the Field - In conversation with Andrew Fidel Fernando

  7. 11/03/2019

    #16 At The Movies: Hollywood Ramblings

    This edition of our At the Movies episodes is a somewhat belated discussion on Tarantino's latest outing and legendary filmmaker Martin Scorcese's remarks on the MCU. --- Show notes for this episode, including links to everything mentioned: https://thebadtake.com/episode16 --- Music used in this episode: Vanilla Fudge - You Keep Me Hangin' On (© WMG on behalf of Atco) Soundtrack: Downtown Funk by Dj Quads @aka-dj-quads Music provided by Free Music for Vlogs youtu.be/UYBJQkvLTIw

    #16 At The Movies: Hollywood Ramblings

  8. 06/26/2019

    #14 Major Throwback - '90s Pop Culture in Sri Lanka

    From Doo Daruwo to Soora Pappa, from Rookantha to Bathiya & Santhush, the 1990s saw an unprecedented boom in popular entertainment in Sri Lanka that defined an entire generation. This is a look back at the glory days. --- Show notes for this episode, including links to everything mentioned: https://thebadtake.com/episode14 --- Soundtrack: Downtown Funk by Dj Quads @aka-dj-quads Music provided by Free Music for Vlogs youtu.be/UYBJQkvLTIw

    #14 Major Throwback - '90s Pop Culture in Sri Lanka
See All (23)

About

A conversational podcast on anything from politics and pop culture to the universe and the meaning of life.

Information

  • Creator
    The Bad Take
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Bad Take
  • Show Website
    The Bad Take