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contains explicit language. I'm Stephen McCaffin. This is the Slate Culture Gapfest

Radiators and Bassoons Edition. It's Wednesday, October 23rd, 2013. On today's show, the new movie from director Steve McQueen, 12 years a slave. And then we'll talk about Alec Baldwin's new talk show Up Late. And finally, we speak with the creators of the hugely successful podcast. Welcome to Night Vale. Joining me today is Slate's deputy editor,

Julia Turner. Hello, Julia. Hi, Steve. And of course, Slate's film critic, Dana,

Dana, Dana, I got to start with you. Twelve Years of Slave is the new movie from the director,

Steve McQueen, who I probably don't need to say, but will say, is not the car chase macho man.

He's the British director, known for the movie's Hunger and Shame.

His new film is based on a true story about Solomon Northrop and African-American Freeman,

who was snatched off the streets of Washington sold into slavery in the 1840s.

It's about obviously the 12-year round of torture and humiliation that he then suffers at the hands of various masters and overseers. Dana, this movie's getting an enormous amount of attention. It's a critical love. What did you think of it? Well, I'm glad we're talking about it because I think I'm still processing this movie more than a week after seeing it. Steve, I know you just walked out of it, so you probably really don't have enough distance to analyze it that much.

But I'm starting now to get into a mode where I am following conversations about it and analyzing it a bit.

I think this is a very beautiful film.

I mean, obviously visually and orally, extraordinary, beautifully crafted, a very important film,

something that deserves most of the accolades it's getting.

There's something about its relationship to its audience that didn't quite sit right with me that I want to think through out loud with you guys. But I think on the whole, I'm a strong partisan of this movie. I really want to hear the rest of that. That's really interesting. I cogitate for a moment while I turned to Julia Turner, Julia, this movie, was a powerful experience to sit through.

It couldn't leave anybody inert, but I'm just wondering which way it polarized you.

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