Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*
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74 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
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2001: A Sound Odyssey
25 oktober 2026 · 59 min
We have reached over halfway through the 2001: A Space Odyssey mini-series! Today's episode (which is episode 3) I will be speaking to an amazing sound designer and a musicologist (yes that's a real job) to delve into the delights of the very spectacular sound design involved in the greatest sci-fi film of all time*. Lees meer
As always, there are spoilers ahead! In addition to ones about 2001: A Space Odyssey there are light to medium spoilers for Odyssey (2026) and Paths of Glory (1957)
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you are feeling rich and generous and would like to be a patron of the podcast, you can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
A few notes from the conversation:
• Foley Sound Effects were named after Jack Foley who pioneered recording everyday sounds for the use in films in post-production all the way back in the late 1920s when sound was all brand new and shiny. (In film of course, although there is no evidence to suggest the whole world was absolutely silent before he came along. How could we ever know?)
• Midge mentions the Moog synthesiser which had actually been invented in 1964 but had not proliferated until Wendy Carlos released Switched on Bach in October 1968.
• I seem to have failed to mention the Stargate sequence when talking about dissonance and micropolyphony but the effects are in the background and if you watch the video you'll see it. Apologies.
I am so lucky to have two amazing guests to break down the sound of the film.
Midge Costin is Professor Emeritus of Cinematic Arts at USC and a retired Hollywood sound designer of multiple Blockbuster films. She is also produced & directed the award winning, and very fantastic, feature documentary, Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound. (Honestly this is a very inspirational and engaging documentary and I would highly recommend it!)
Christine Gengaro is a profes…
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2001: Special Effects That Changed Cinema
9 oktober 2026 · 1 uur
"Please read the show notes!" She screamed into the void of a blank page. (I realise no one apparently reads the show notes but this time I genuinely think it might be useful to you.) Lees meer
This is episode two of the 2001: A Space Odyssey mini-series!
I like to keep episodes under an hour to make them digestible but there is a 15 minute longer version of the episode available for Patreon members or to buy as a one off for £3 or $3. You can find it here: https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
It is being released early because I am going on holiday and I have no idea how great my internet is going to be or how often I'll be able to check it while I am away. (I do know that in the summer of 2024 it once took somewhere between 3 and 6 hours to upload the podcast from my mum's house.)
We have two more episodes to go (one about the sound and the other about Kubrick).
If you missed the first episode I would suggest you go and take a listen to both parts. If you have not watched 2001: A Space Odyssey you can find an overview of it here on the Wikipedia page.
I have also mentioned the IMDB page during the episode and the full list of credited cast and crew can be found here: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062622/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_cst_sm
This episode is about some of the mind-blowing, ahead of their time (by at least 11 years or so when Star Wars came along) and fantastical special effects of the film.
I never watch videos for podcasts myself, but I would perhaps consider it for this episode as Paul expresses the practicalities of special effects quite well with hand gestures. There are clips of the special effects you may want to look at. You can find the video on YouTube and on Spotify.
As always, there are spoilers ahead!
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
The special effects for 2001: A Space Odyssey were shocking in 1968 but still amaze almost sixty years later. I have managed to procure two heavyweight guests to talk u…
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2001: A Space Odyssey (Part 2)
27 september 2026 · 52 min
As always there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
This is episode one of a four-episode mini-series. To make things even more confusing Episode 1 has two parts. This is part 2. If you have arrived here before treading the ground of part 1 turn back now!
The idea is to most definitely watch the film before listening to the episode. If you don't want to do that and still want an overview of the film and the plot you can check out the Wikipedia entry here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001:_A_Space_Odyssey
Please refer to these very show notes for some extra information or clarification. (Yes I'm repeating the same text from part 1. Do you even know how busy I've been and now I must copy and paste to get this out on time!)
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you have money to invest in further space or other scientifically romantic adventures and would like to be a patron of the podcast, pay heed! You can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
Thankfully my two guests are heavy weight bearing beams (of light?). I am indeed getting my metaphors in a mix. That makes no sense. Apologies.
Michael Benson is an artist, filmmaker and author of a range of exciting books including the magnificently comprehensive 2018 Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and the Making of a Masterpiece.
Scott Bukatman is a cultural theorist and Professor of Film and Media Studies at Stanford University. He has written extensively about popular culture with a focus on how it mediates between modern technologies and the human experience. He is also the author of the wonderful BFI book on Blade Runner.
Clarification: The quote I use near the beginning "Politics and religion are obsolete. The time has come for science and spirituality" originates from Indian philosopher Vinoba Bhave. Arthur C Clarke used the quote in a keynote address. Kubrick underlines the second ha…
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2001: A Space Odyssey (Part 1)
27 september 2026 · 55 min
As always there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
As we chronologically venture through science fiction history it is finally time to examine one of the heaviest of heavyweight sci-fi films. 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The idea is to most definitely watch the film before listening to the episode. If you don't want to do that and still want an overview of the film and the plot you can check out the Wikipedia entry here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001:_A_Space_Odyssey
This is episode one of a four-episode mini-series. To make things even more confusing Episode 1 has two parts. This is part 1. Part 2 is also out. (Why two parts? Because I prefer a more digestible length of podcast.)
Please refer to these very show notes for some extra information or clarification.
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you have money to invest in further space or other scientifically romantic adventures and would like to be a patron of the podcast, pay heed! You can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
This is the longest episode I've ever recorded (hence the two parts) and I simply couldn't cut much of it down because of my phenomenal guests.
Michael Benson is an artist, filmmaker and author of a range of exciting books including the magnificently comprehensive 2018 Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and the Making of a Masterpiece.
Scott Bukatman is a cultural theorist and Professor of Film and Media Studies at Stanford University. He has written extensively about popular culture with a focus on how it mediates between modern technologies and the human experience. He is also the author of the wonderful BFI book on Blade Runner (which we will get to in good time).
34:48 The literal translation of "alte kackers" which is how Stanley Kubrick's wife Christiane described the people at the premiere is "old shitters".
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:43 Chil…
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Planet of the Apes: Evolution, Supremacy, & the Death of Liberty
13 september 2026 · 57 min
As usual there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you have an air of gravitas and money to spend and would like to be a patron of the podcast, please do! You can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
The novel Planet of the Apes was released in 1963 in France by French author Pierre Boulle. In that same year publicist Arthur Jacobs bought the screen rights while he was looking for something "like King Kong".
Five years later in 1968 the film was released with one of the most famous twist endings of cinematic history.
The film is a fun "off-planet" sci-fi adventure story with heavy commentary on societal expectations and standards.
I have two lovely guests to help us understand this sci-fi classic.
John Wills is a Professor of American Media and Culture at the University of Kent. He has written lots about popular culture including his new book Doom Town USA
Phil Nichols is Senior Consultant to the Ray Bradbury Center at Indiana University, and formerly Film & Television course leader at the University of Wolverhampton.
The Scopes trial was a 1925 case in the USA in which a teacher was accused of violating the law by teaching evolution in schools. The trial was set up on purpose to challenge the Butler Act which prevented the teaching of evolution.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:20 Book vs film
03:53 Arthur Jacobs
06:28 From astronaut to animal
11:10 Simian society
15:43 Concepts of civility
20:07 Western vibes
22:39 The Trial
26:40 Race
32:46 1968 USA
39:25 The twist ending
42:34 Liberty in ruins
47:37 Legacy
52:18 The brains behind the ending
53:19 Recommendations
Recommendations
Inherit the Wind (1960)
Soylent Green (1973)
NEXT EPISODE!
Eep! It's finally here. I tried to put it off for as long as I could but the 2001: A Space Odyssey mini-series will begin next week with a two-part first epi…
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Barbarella 1968: Pop Art, Sex & Space Opera
30 augustus 2026 · 58 min
As always, there are spoilers ahead. Lees meer
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you have an air of gravitas and money to spend and would like to be a patron of the podcast, please do! You can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
Graphic novels and comics were widely considered to be for children in the early 1960s. It was a relatively small number of artists and publishers who were working to have comics seen as a viable form of art as well as making comics for adults.
Although the history of comics for adults is definitely older, this period marks a surge in European interest in the medium. Famous film producer Dino de Laurentiis helped this when he bought the filming rights to adult comics Diabolik (from Italy) and Barbarella (from France) turning them both in to movies in the 1960s.
De Laurentiis originally wanted Bridget Bardot for the title role and after she turned it down, he looked to Sophia Loren who did the same. His third choice was Jane Fonda who initially rejected the script until her then husband Roger Vadim convinced her to take it. Vadim joined as Director and the rest is kitschy sci-fi history.
I have two fantastic guests to talk through this swinging 60s sci-fi space opera oddity.
Lisa Yaszek is Regents' Professor of Science Fiction Studies at Georgia Tech and has written/edited extensively on science fiction.
Hugo Frey is Professor of History at the University of Chichester. He has a special interest in graphic novels and is co-author of the 2026 book The Look of the 1960s. Barbarella and the Pulp Pop Comics.
CORRECTION: In the question about the legacy of Barbarella I say Star Trek when I mean Star Wars.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:17 Sci-fi precedence
03:45 Barbarella comic origins
06:31 1960s France and the rise of adult comics
09:37 Jane Fonda playing it straight
10:59 Jean Claude Forest
12:22 Jane Fonda: …
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Je t'aime, je t'aime (1968): Time Travel, Memory and Loss
16 augustus 2026 · 59 min
Translation for the intro: Lees meer
A race against time. Office time against outside time.
Who's winning?
I don't know yet.
Apologies as I am coming down with a heavy cough and need sleep. I am so out of it that I almost forgot that it is release day! But I jumped out of bed with quite a shock and here you have the episode. Phew!
As always, there are spoilers ahead.
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you have an air of gravitas and money to spend and would like to be a patron of the podcast, please do! You can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
1968's Je t'aime, je t'aime (AKA I Love You, I Love You). A wonderfully unusual science fiction film about memory, love and loss by French New Wave director Alain Resnais.
If you would like an overview of the plot you can find it on the Wikipedia page here.
The time code after the beep (indicating the discussion about sexual violence is done) 50 minutes and 40 seconds.
I have two magnificent guests!
Mark Bould is a professor of Film and Literature at the University of West England, Bristol. He has written/edited extensively about science fiction cinema.
Mani Sharpe is a lecturer in Film Studies at the University of Leeds. He is the author of the book Late-Colonial French Cinema: Filming the Algerian War of Independence.
At one point Mark mentions Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius by Jorge Luis Borges and I'm mentioning it here as I had to look it up and it might be on interest.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:42 Alain Resnais
07:20 France in 1968
11:27 Cancelled Cannes Film Festival
13:51 Editing and Chronology
20:10 Continuity conventions
24:33 Editing words and memories
33:23 Unreliable Narrator
39:05 The film watching experience
44:21 Loss and heartbreak in sci-fi
50:55 Legacy
55:05 Recommendations
Recommendations
New Rose Hotel (1998) by Abel Ferrara
Alain Resnais by Emma Wilson
N…
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Destroy All Monsters 1968: Godzilla's Kaiju in Combat
2 augustus 2026 · 52 min
Translation for Intro: Lees meer
"Fire Dragon can reduce Tokyo to ashes in just a few hours."
Godzilla ROARS.
"It's Godzilla!"
As always there are spoilers ahead!
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you have like to wear a monocle and talk about fancy artisan cheeses maybe you would like to be a patron of the podcast? Luckily neither of those things are a requirement! You can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
If you are interested in the plot of the film you can read an overview on the wikipedia page here.
Correction: In the intro I say Japanese Air Base when I mean Japanese Moon Base.
Welcome to the podcast!
TIME FOR PANIC TO ENSUE!!! We are in 1968! It's finally here! Am I ready for the 2001: A Space Odyssey? No, I am not! But I'm getting there. Please bear with me.
In the meantime, I shall distract you with a chat about one of the most visually delightful of Kaiju Films (Although one of our guests' recommendations may have it beat in visual delights). You can see an array of the stills from Destroy All Monsters on my Instagram account. This is the swinging 60s Japan style!
In 1968 ToHo studios decided to wrap up the Godzilla Franchise with a big bang! A Kaiju extravaganza featuring 11 monsters. Let me list them for you.
Godzilla
Rodan
Angurius
Mothra (very tragically in larva form)
Gorosaurus
Minilla (Godzilla's son who gives me the creeps. Sorry!)
Kumonga
Baragon
Manda
Varan
King Ghidorah
Due to international success the franchise continued on. Hoorah!
I have two gargantuan guests for you. (They actually are, as far as I am aware, human sized although I have no proof.)
Yuki Miyamoto is Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Humanities Center at DePaul University. Her work focuses on the ethics around nuclear discourse.
Blair Davis is a Professor of Media and Cinema Studies at DePaul University. He has writ…
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Sci-fi & Architecture: Visions of the Future
19 juli 2026 · 56 min
There are spoilers ahead! For many films I'm afraid. Lees meer
I would especially avoid the episode until you have watched Ex-Machina (which you really really should immediately it really is phenomenal) as Jes does talk directly about the ending between 53:23 till 53:46.
I have made a list of the films and books mentioned below.
This is another detour episode and perhaps you're thinking I'm trying to avoid the very big task of recording 2001: A Space Odyssey content. And perhaps you're right. But I hope you enjoy this discussion.
If you try to think of a futuristic city your mind may be drawn towards a real place but it could just as easily be drawn towards the great science fiction films that render our future on our screens.
Films like Blade Runner, Minority Report, Fifth Element and (the granddaddy) Metropolis have all shown us what human futures could look like. Sometimes these visions are intimidating, terrifying or occausionally aspirational. These images in turn can affect and inform own understanding of what an unwritten future should be like.
I have two wonderful guests to talk through the somewhat symbiotic relationship of science fiction and architecture
Amy Brookes is an architect and an Associate Professor at the University of Reading. She has written extensively about architecture and one of her special interests is Architecture in science fiction literature and film.
Jes Deaver is an award-winning architect as well as a filmmaker and writer. She is the author of the article The Architecture of Imagination which explores the parallels between science fiction and architecture.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:32 The SF-Architecture connection
06:40 How the symbolism of the tower changes
14:38 Anxieties in architecture
17:00 The reciprocal relationship
27:10 Fears of suburbia
30:27 Non place and virtual space
33:43 Apocalyptic futures
40:02 Hopeful alternatives
49:04 Favourite architectural sci-fi films
53:46 Recommendations
Recommendations:
A…
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Quatermass: Nigel Kneale, Hammer and Mid-Century Britain
5 juli 2026 · 1 uur
There is a longer version of the podcast available which includes more tangential topics on Patreon for paid subscribers or for a $3 or £3 fee! The long version is just under one hour and twenty-five minutes. If you would like to become a Patreon patron and get all the podcast episodes ad free (as well as the longer edit) you can do that on: https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm Lees meer
As always there are spoilers ahead!
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
As mentioned on the podcast here is an outline of the Quatermass offerings:
FILM
1955: The Quatermass Xperiment AKA The Creeping Unknown (dir, Val Guest)
1957: Quatermass 2 AKA Enemy from Space (dir. Val Guest)
1967: Quatermass & the Pit AKA Five Million Years to Earth (dir. Roy Ward Baker)
1979 The Quatermass Conclusion (recut from TV series, dir. Piers Haggard)
2005 The Quatermass Experiment (Live TV movie, dir. Sam Miller)
Radio
1996: The Quatermass Memoirs
TV Series
1953: The Quatermass Experiment
1955: Quatermass II
1958-59 Quatermass and the Pit
1979 Quatermass (AKA Quatermass IV or The Quatermass Conclusion)
2005 The Quatermass Experiment (Live)
Professor Bernard Quatermass was created by British superstar screenwriter Nigel Kneale and aired on the BBC in 1953. The TV series went on to great popularity and Hammer Films eventually came knocking for film rights.
Nigel Kneale did not have any rights over the character due to being a staff writer at the time but would eventually go on to international fame especially in sci-fi and horror circles with John Carpenter (amongst others) being a vocal fan.
Despite all this many people have not heard of Quatermass. Although there have been many attempts to revive the franchise none have come to fruition.
But that won't stop me seeking out two of the best academics to talk excitedly about their passion for this early TV sci-fi pioneer.
Mark Bould is a professor of Film and Literature at the University of West E…
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The Face of Another 1966: Scars & Identity in Post War Japan
21 juni 2026 · 59 min
Trigger warning: This discussion includes talk about sexual assault and sexual violence. This is a theme apparent in the film and the source material. It is mentioned a few times. The topic is not spoken about in detail, but I wanted to share a general trigger warning for those that would prefer to avoid the topic altogether. Lees meer
Subtitles for the intro: "It's not that I specialise in treating fingers. I'm a psychiatrist in fact. Inferiority complexes dig holes in the psyche, and I fill them in."
As always, there are spoilers ahead!
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you have fancy pants and would like to be a patron of the podcast please do! You can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
If you are interested in the plot of the film you can read an overview on the wikipedia page here.
In 1964 Director Hiroshi Teshigahara's film Woman in the Dunes won the Special Jury Prize at Cannes. The film was the second of four in which Teshigahara would collaborate with writer Kōbō Abe.*
The Face of Another rode the coattails of Woman in the Dunes but was nowhere near as successful. Although both films have a very bleak undertone, The Face of Another feels more jarring and less abstract in its confrontations.
The story is of a man horribly disfigured from an accident in the lab where he works. He manages to find a possible solution to the isolation and desperation he experiences when he is given the opportunity to have a new face with which to navigate life.
The story has many philosophical themes set in a Japan that is still wrangling with its post war cultural identity.
Thankfully I have managed to procure two big brained and generous guests!
Roger Luckhurst is a Professor at Birkbeck, University of London. He has written/edited numerous articles and books on cultural history and film.
Jennifer Coates is a Professor of Japanese Studies at the …
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Blade Runner: Paul Franklin's Favourite Sci-Fi Film
7 juni 2026 · 46 min
As always there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
Blade Runner was not a huge hit in 1982 but it did gain a fair few fans on its initial release. One of those fans was a teenager from Cheshire by the name of Paul Franklin who would go on to work on numerous big budget films and win two Oscars for his work as a Special Effects Supervisor on Interstellar and Inception.
I spoke to Paul about his first impressions of the film, what makes it special and how it influences Batman Begins and The Dark Knight Rises.
Apologies for the abrupt ending to this episode. It is late, I've been quite busy and I have other work I really must tend to. Details of the next episode at the bottom of the show notes.
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you would like to support the podcast you can become a patron and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free versions of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:47 Paul's first impressions
07:11 Influences on Blade Runner
14:01 Syd Mead's design
17:52 A future without Blade Runner
21:28 PK Dick & Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
23:36 The plight of the androids
27:18 Deckard as replicant
32:01 Influence of Blade Runner on Paul's work
40:45 Vangelis
41:58 ET vs Blade Runner
NEXT EPISODE!
Next episode we will be discussing the rather striking and uncomfortable 1966 Japanese film The Face of Another. The film is available on Criterion Channel in the US and Canada and on YouTube. You can check the Just Watch website to see where the film is available in your region.
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Fantastic Voyage: Psychedelic Nanotech in 1966
24 mei 2026 · 57 min
As always there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you would like to be a patron of the podcast and help an indie podcaster out, you can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
An extra huge thank you to my wonderful guests as this episode had to be re-recorded due to a major problem with the audio file the first time.
You can find the synopsis of the film on Wikipedia here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantastic_Voyage#Plot
In 1966 20th Century Fox chose a steady pair of hands in Richard Fleischer (the son of animation superstar Max Fleischer) to helm what at the time was both the tiniest and the biggest science fiction adventure. Tiny because of the nano science storyline and biggest because of it being the most expensive science fiction film ever made (at that time) costing over five million dollars.
I talk to two top tier guests about the film.
Jay Telotte is Professor Emeritus of film and media studies at Georgia Tech. He has written/edited numerous books and articles about science fiction film including his upcoming books Before Trek: Building American Science Fiction Television.
Lisa Yaszek is Regents' Professor of Science Fiction Studies at Georgia Tech and has written/edited multiple books on science fiction including her upcoming book Mothership Rising: Afrofuturism in the Radium Age.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:40 Big budget scifi
05:45 Richard Fleischer
09:10 The history of Nanotech sci-fi
16:41 Sci-fi and scale in cinema
19:42 Richard Feynman and small science
22:55 1950s influences
25:53 James Bond and Spy-fi
27:05 Psychedelic scifi
31:22 Harper Goff, Disney and design
33:36 1960s crew dynamics
42:48 Asimov's novelisation
44:24 Secularism vs religion
46:52 Legacy
52:57 Recommendations
Recommendations:
The Diamond Lens by Fitz-James O'Brien (which can be found here)
Surface Tensio…
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Fahrenheit 451: Truffaut's 1966 Suburban Dystopia
10 mei 2026 · 57 min
Show notes Lees meer
As always there are spoilers ahead!
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you would like to be a patron of the podcast and feel like nobility funding the podcasting arts, I would like to encourage such sentiments! You can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
If you are interested in the plot of the film you can read an overview on the wikipedia page here.
In 1953 writer Ray Bradbury released his magnum opus Fahrenheit 451. It quickly became a widely acclaimed cautionary tale about the dangers of censorship, authoritarianism and the effects of mass media on human ideas and connection.
One of the most prominent science fiction books it is easy to understand why François Truffaut, one of the French New Wave's most prominent directors, became utterly focused on making the story into a film.
The process had its challenges with producers, funding and a casting changes causing delays. The film was finally wrapped up and released in 1966 to both positive and negative reviews. It is an interesting watch if not a gripping one and my two expert guests unravel the ins and outs of how it came to be.
Ian Scott is a Professor of American Film and History at The University of Manchester. He has written extensively about politics and film in Hollywood including the book American Politics in Hollywood Film.
Phil Nichols is a visiting lecturer at the University of Wolverhampton and a researcher with a special interest in Ray Bradbury. He is Senior Consultant to the Ray Bradbury Centre at Indiana University and editor of The New Ray Bradbury Review. He is also the man behind the Bradbury 100 podcast and the Science Fiction 101 podcas
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:32 Fahrenheit 451: a sci-fi heavyweight
04:36 Truffaut and the book
11:03 Suburban scifi in the mid century
13:33 Politics of the story
15:07 Truffaut's perspective
20:01 Jul…
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Seconds 1966: Rock Hudson's Devastating Disillusionment
26 april 2026 · 58 min
As always there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you would like to be a patron of the podcast and get that amazing feeling of wellbeing that comes from contributing to the research, planning and anxiety that does towards making a podcast I would love to encourage it! You can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
Seconds is a visually striking and thoroughly uncomfortable film. A 1960s film that examines dissatisfied suburban living, mid-life crisis and the yearning for youth and freedom. I think it's vastly underrated which is probably something both of my genuinely amazing guests agree with. (Apologies for not offering more of a counterpoint to this view!)
Mark Bould is a professor of Film and Literature at the University of West England, Bristol. He has written/edited extensively about science fiction cinema.
Sherryl Vint is Professor of Science Fiction Media Studies at the University of California, Riverside. She has also written/edited extensively about science fiction.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:31 Frankenheimer's fantastic films
05:55 Science fiction in the 60s
07:55 The striking work of James Wong Howe
12:18 Saul (and Elaine) Bass credits
14:42 Mid Life Crisis in the 1960s
19:20 Dissatisfaction in the middle class
21:38 The Tennis Trophy
24:40 Rock Hudson and John Randolph
31:54 The Wine Stomp
37:02 Corporation as "The Monster" and PK Dick
38:48 Frankenstein and face surgery
41:44 The business model and Tech Bros
45:08 Legacy
50:39 Trivia tidbits
53:51 Recommendations
Recommendations:
Phase IV (1974)
Face of Another (1966)
Mark also mentions: Eyes Without a Face (1960) and Darkman (1990)
NEXT EPISODE!
Next episode we take a dive into the 1966 François Truffaut science fiction film Fahrenheit 451. The film is very annoyingly tough to get hold of on streaming platforms but can appar…
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The 10th Victim: Italy's 1965 Pop Art Dystopia
12 april 2026 · 55 min
As always there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you would like to be a patron of the podcast you can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
Apologies in advance for my butchering of Italian pronunciation during this episode.
Although we mentioned in the Planet of the Vampires episode the copycat nature of Italian cinema in the 1960s, The 10th Victim by Elio Petri does not fit that mould. The film has a definite style that may offer commentary on Italian film, comics and culture but looks to set a new mould for films coming out of Italy. Cultural change in Europe and America in the 1960s came in many different flavours and with different driving forces. My excellent guests help to unravel the cultural context of this stylish cult classic.
Stephen Gundle is a Professor of Film and Television at the University of Warwick. He has a special interest in Italian cultural history.
Leon Hunt is a retired Senior Lecturer of Screen Studies at Brunel University with a special interest in Italian Genre Cinema.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction.
01:17 Collectively written script
04:02 Italy in the 1960s
05:19 Marcello Mastroianni Commedia all'Italiana and global fame
09:33 Echoes of La Dolce Vita
15:02 Style over substance?
17:03 Gender roles
20:38 The violence of man
23:28 The gun bra, design and pop art
26:17 Comic book culture in Italy
32:46 Religion and belief systems
36:55 Changing Italian culture: American influence, economic growth and celebrity worship
45:52 Legacy
51:07 Recommendations for the listener
Recommendations:
Danger Diabolik (1968) directed by Mario Bava
Modesty Blaise (1966) directed by Jospeh Losey
La Dolce Vita (1960) directed by Federico Fellini
NEXT EPISODE!
You have two weeks to find and watch Seconds (1966) by John Frankenheimer as we finally head into 1966! The film is available to rent…
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Star Trek: Woke Since 1966
29 maart 2026 · 56 min
As always there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you would like to be a patron of the podcast you can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
Despite a failed pilot Star Trek made it to TV in 1966. Creator, Gene Roddenberry's vision of a future that was beyond the contemporary struggles of civil rights and racism and global Cold War tensions but very much aligned with the style of the 1960s. As a diverse crew faced alien planets and tackled ethical questions audience numbers dwindled and cancellation loomed. The show was finally axed in 1969 but a growing fanbase aided by syndication meant what could have been a small part of TV history actually became a huge phenomena.
My amazing Trekkie guests discuss the origins of my favourite franchise.
Julian Chambliss is a scholar and a professor at Michigan State University. He has taught Star Trek as part of his Media Race and Culture classes.
Carey Millsap-Spears is a professor of communications/literature at Moraine Valley Community College. She has written extensively about Star Trek including the 2023 book Star Trek Discovery and the Female Gothic.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:36 Gene Roddenberry's pitch and the pilot episode
04:29 A new kind of frontier
08:34 The fans
11:06 Woke and the 1960s
17:26 The gothic in Star Trek
20:39 Captain Kirk as Casanova?
26:09 That kiss and Uhura
30:42 Utopia!
36:47 Propaganda
39:24 The Alien others
44:08 Technology, NASA and Nichelle Nichols
47:29 The Next Generation
51:52 Why do we love Star Trek?
54:32 Recommendations
Recommendations
The Centre Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek (2021)
StarTrek II: The Wrath of Khan
NEXT EPISODE!
You have two weeks to find and watch The 10th Victim (1965) by Elio Petri. Another Italian film (like last episode's Planet of the Vampires) but a very different feel. Although coupld contend with …
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Planet of the Vampires 1965: Mario Bava's Budget Beauty
15 maart 2026 · 56 min
As always there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you would like to be a patron of the podcast you can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
Planet of the Vampires was directed by Mario Bava and released in 1965. American International Pictures had made money with Italian films such as Black Sunday (1960) but would often need to oversee many changes to make the films suitable for an American audience. Their solution was to provide a script and co-produce a film so they could control the content.
The film had a small budget of around $200,000 and although it definitely has its fair share of Schlock, Bava had a reputation for doing a lot on a small budget.
My guests unravel why Mario Bava's reputation and love for this film continue to grow.
Scott Higgins is Professor of Film at Wesleyan University as well as being the Curator of the Wesleyan Cinema Archives.
Russ Hunter is an Assistant Professor in Film & Television Studies at Northumbria University. He has a special interest in Italian genre cinema.
Scott says Eugenio Bava (Mario's Father) invented the Schüfftan process before Eugen Schüfftan after whom it was named. You can read more about this here: https://dcairns.wordpress.com/tag/schufftan-process/
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:46 AIP involvement
04:14 Italian cinema in 1965
09:01 Dubbing
14:31 Names changes and US appeal
17:28 Mario Bava
21:51 Scott's love for this film
27:12 Bava and Barry
29:22 Special Effects and the Schüfftan process
33:39 Production and Set Design
35:21 Style over coherence
38:33 The alien
41:35 Influences and origins
43:40 Vampires in name
44:20 Legacy
49:06 Recommendations
Recommendations:
The Green Slime (1968) by Kinji Fukasaku
Tu Vuo' Fa' L'americano by Renato Carosone
Danger: Diabolik (1968) by Mario Bava
Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark by Tim Lucas
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Alphaville: Godard's 1965 Break-up Tech Noir
1 maart 2026 · 58 min
As always there are spoilers ahead! (And the podcast is much more fun if you've seen the film first.) Lees meer
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you would like to be a patron of the podcast you can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
Jean-Luc Godard is potentially the most prominent of the French New Wave directors. In the mid-60s his mind turned to science fiction and the result was a visually striking, choatic film about a dystopian world in which logic rules and love is punished.
If you find the film confusing you are not alone and I have two brilliant academic brains to help us out.
Roger Luckhurst is a Professor at Birkbeck, University of London. He has written/edited numerous articles and books on cultural history and film.
Douglas Morrey is an associate professor of French at the University of Warwick. He has a special interest in the French new Wave on which he has written extensively, including the 2005 book Jean-Luc Godard.
CORRECTION: In the podcast I mention Roger citing Alphaville having an image from Chris Marker's La Jetée but the image is actually Marker's photograph which is in the credit sequence but doesn not feature in La Jetée.
The book of poetry in the film Capitale de la douleur (Capital of Pain) is written by Paul Elouard.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:40 French New Wave in 1965
03:38 Godard's influences for Alphaville
11:31 Eddie Constantine: The illogical Noir hero
16:43 Lemmy Caution and fascism
18:05 Alienation and confusion
25:52 Godard's technique and budgets
30:07 Sound design
32:30 The swimming pool execution scene
39:26 Love, poetry and Godard's divorce
47:00 Godard and women
49:30 Legacy
53:57 Recommendations
Recommendations:
• The Trial written by Franz Kafka and made into a film by Orson Wells released in 1962.
• Weekend (1967) by Godard.
NEXT EPISODE!
Next episode we will be talking about …
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The Doctor, the Daleks & the 1960s
15 februari 2026 · 56 min
As usual there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you would like to be a patron of the podcast you can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
This episode we track the birth of one of the longest running franchises. Dr Who was first broadcast in 1963 and with the help of some exterminating aliens a film was produced just a couple of years later. I speak to my wonderful Whovian guests about the origins, the hallmarks and the 1960s context of the infamous Doctor including the colourful and shiny 1960s feature films.
Paul Booth is a professor of Media and Pop Culture with a special interest in fandoms on which he has written extensively. He is co-editor of the book Adventures Across Space and Time: A Doctor Who Reader.
Lee Arnott is the co-host if the Problematic Gaze podcast. He is a social historian who is currently researching the the social history of Britain since the 1960s through the lens of Doctor Who.
Although Australian composer Ron Gainer wrote the music for Dr Who it was Delia Derbyshire at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop who produced the theme.
You can see the Delia Derbyshire clip I mention on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsRuhCflRyg
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:41The BBC origins of the series
04:45 The first episode, changes and differences on the big screen
09:40 The Daleks and Dalekmania
13:20 WW2, Nazis and nuclear fears
19:37 More Daleks
23:33 The Doctor
27:33 What is canon
29:21 The Companions
35:13 The Tardis
38:05 Design
42:02 (The best ever) theme tune
45:46 Legacy
49:22 Success and favourite doctors
53:04 Recommendations
Recommendations:
Lee recommended The War Game (1965) and Paul recommended the book Dr. Who & The Daleks: The Official Story of the Films by John Walsh.
NEXT EPISODE!
Next episode we will be discussing the 1965 French New Wave science fiction …
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First Men in the Moon: From HG Wells to 1964
1 februari 2026 · 55 min
As always there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you would like to be a patron of the podcast you can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
First Men on the Moon was written by HG Wells and serialised in The Strand Magazine beginning in 1900. The book was published in 1901 a year before Georges Méliès kicked off science fiction cinema with La Voyage dans la Lune in 1902. (You can learn more about that film in episode number 2 The First Science Fiction Film Ever.)
Then in the swinging 60s as the space race was heating up a collection of brilliant sci-fi filmmakers go together to make a story about a Victorian British scientist going to the moon with his anti-gravity material Cavorite! And yet even the amazing Ray Harryhausen stop motion special effects were not enough to make this film a success. My amazing guests break down the origins and outcomes of this mid-century oddity.
Keith Williams is a Reader in English Literature at the University of Dundee where he runs the science fiction programme. He has a special interest in the pre 1945 period and is the author of the book H.G. Wells, Modernity and the Movies.
Matthew Rule-Jones is a senior lecturer in film studies at the University of Exeter and author of the book Science Fiction Cinema and 1950s Britain: Recontextualising Cultural Anxiety.
At 6:09 Keith is about to explain the contraption that Robert William Paul was planning based on HG wells Time Machine. I interrupt him as we've covered this in two episodes priot. You can access more information about that on episode 37 The Time Machine: HG Wells' Legacy in 1960s Sci-Fi at timecode 23:07 or in episode 9 The Invisible Man Exposed at timecode 38:29.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
02:23 HG Wells, selenites and Georges Méliès Trip to the Moon
06:57 Balancing act: Producer Charles Schneer vs Writer Nigel Kneale.
12:44…
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Missed Episode, Medicine & Metropolis
18 januari 2026 · 56 min
I am very sorry but I have been unwell this past week. (But I am on the mend!) Lees meer
Multiple visits to the hospital mean that although I have the next episode recorded I have not been able to edit it.
I've heard many podcasts serve up older episodes in this circumstance. Maybe an annoyance to those who have already heard all the episodes but for those who haven't since it is 2026 it's probably a good opportunity to watch Metropolis (1927) as this year is the year it was set. I have two remarkable and engaging academics speak about it.
Sonja Fritzsche is a professor of German Studies and an author/editor for many books about science fiction. She has taught courses on science fiction, utopia and Metropolis.
Noah Isenberg is a film historian and best-selling author. He is a professor at the University of Texas and editor of the book Weimar Cinema: An Essential Guide to Classic Films of the Era.
This episode was originally released in April 2024 and was episode 5 of the podcast.
I will hopefully be back in great health soon and the new episode on First Men in the Moon will be edited for release in two weeks.
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Dr. Strangelove: Cold War Comedy & 1964 USA
3 januari 2026 · 58 min
As always there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you would like to be a patron of the podcast you can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
In 1958 the Peter George novel Red Alert was published about the dangers of nuclear war. A few years later when Stanley Kubrick was looking to make a (serious) film about the topic he was recommended the book.
Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb was the resulting film. The film takes aim at military strategy, rhetoric and the people involved to give us one of the most famous satires in cinema.
It would be quite easy to double the length of this episode, but we've tried to fit as much as we can into the hour with my two remarkable guests.
Mark Bould is a professor of Film and Literature at the University of West England, Bristol. He has written/edited extensively about science fiction cinema.
Rodney F Hill is a Professor of Film at the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication at Hofstra University and has written extensively about film.
This is the article I mention by Eric Schlosser: https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/almost-everything-in-dr-strangelove-was-true
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:12 Source material
03:12 The threat of Lumet's Fail Safe
05:35 Herman Kahn, winnable nuclear war and the doomsday machine
08:25 Nazi scientist Wernher von Braun and Operation Paperclip
13:55 Nuclear policy and the Cold War
17:23 Doomsday comedy
25:51 Masculinity, techno-eroticism and bodily fluids
33:21 Peter Sellers
38:04 1960s satire boom
40:11 Production design of Ken Adam
41:25 Music
43:27 The changes to the film
46:32 Legacy
54:34 Recommendations
Recommendations: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and Fail Safe (1964).
NEXT EPISODE!
Next episode we will be talking about First Men on the Moon (1964). The film is based on the HG Wells nove…
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What is Afrofuturism?
21 december 2025 · 53 min
Time for another detour! An introduction to Afrofuturism with two magnificent guests. Lees meer
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you would like to be a patron of the podcast it would be greatly appreciated! You can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
The symbol mentioned in the podcast a few times is the Sankofa symbol which is a recurring symbol in Afrofuturism. It represents the idea that there are things that you go back for (and things you leave behind). You can read more about it on this wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sankofa
Julian Chambliss is a scholar and a professor at Michigan State University. He is the author of multiple books including Mapping Afrofuturism: Understanding Black Speculative Practice
Ytasha Womack is a filmmaker, cultural critic and author of the books Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture and The Afro Futurist Evolution: Creative Paths of Self Discovery.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:18 Afrofuturism origin story
08:04 Afrofuturism and science fiction
11:44 Retro Afrofuturism: Of One Blood by Pauline Hopkinson
16:37 The diaspora and Afrofuturism
19:53 Dance and the individual as a nexus of time and space
23:24 Ancestry in Afrofuturism
25:32 Moving away from dystopia: Slavery as apocalypse
29:55 Optimism for the future
33:03 Holistic utopias and protopia.
35:43 Mystical frameworks
38:15 Alternative realities and the multiverse
41:38 Theory, practice and interconnectedness
46:21 Recommendations
Recommendations:
The Afro Futurist Evolution: Creative Paths of Self Discovery by Ytasha Womack
(I would also thoroughly recommend her book Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture.)
Agharta by Miles Davis
Blake; or The Huts of America: A Tale of the Mississippi Valley, the Southern United States, and Cuba by Martin Delany
Space is the Place by Sun Ra
Le…
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Ikarie XB-1: 1963 Communist Utopia in Space
7 december 2025 · 56 min
As always there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
We've discussed Czech scifi before with Karel Zeman's gorgeous steam punk offering from 1958 Invention for Destruction (dubbed into the English language The Fabulous World of Jules Verne) and we've also covered Communists in Space with 1960s The Silent Star (AKA First Spaceship on Venus).
The Czech Ikarie XB-1 (1963) has connections to both of those films but also offers an aesthetic that seems to directly inspire Kubrick for 2001: A Space Odyssey. The year is 2163, communism has won, and a crew of 40 are sent to find life on the white planet in Alpha Centauri with a journey fraught with sociological, psychological and physical challenges.
I have two amazing academics to help give insight into the film.
Evan Torner is an Associate Professor of German Studies and Niehoff Professor of Film & Media Studies at the University of Cincinnati.
Simon Spiegel is a lecturer of Film Studies at the University of Zurich. He has written extensively about Science Fiction and Utopia and has just released the book The Fear of Knowing about spoilers in film and media.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:11 Stanislaw Lem's The Magellanic Cloud
04:28 Czechoslovakian New Wave and film industry
09:49 The striking introductory scenes and Kubrick's 2001
13:05 Cabin fever in spaaace!
15:13 Music by Zdeněk Liška
16:57 Communist utopia in spaaace!
20:57 The draw of sociological stories
26:19 A utopian party and a red alert
28:15 The capitalist ship and the 20th century
32:47 Putting science into sci-fi
39:30 Evan's Dark Matter Shenanigans
42:21 Post Stalin faith
43:41 The ending
45:39 The US edit
47:27 Legacy
52:18 Recommendations
NEXT EPISODE!
I will be taking a detour next episode to talk about Afrofuturism which I've been wanting to discuss since the very early days of research before I launched the podcast. Almost two years late but I hope you enjoy it. After that we will be discussing Dr Strangelove and I would recommend you also w…
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X-Ray Eyes: Roger Corman's 1963 Psychedelic Sci-Fi
23 november 2025 · 55 min
As always there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you would like to be a patron of the podcast you can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
Roger Corman produced hundreds of films in his lifetime and directed dozens. X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes is a colourful, psychedelic, 1960s extravaganza with aspirations of transcendence.
If you wanted to join in, you can watch the film X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes from 1963 first. DVDs of the film are available, but it is also available to rent and watch online on Apple TV and many other platforms. You can check the Just Watch website to see where it is available in your region.
Oscar winner Ray Milland (we heard a bit about him in the Panic in Year Zero! episode) stars as a mad scientist who creates a serum that will help him understand the secret of life itself. A serum that unlocks the 90% of the visible spectrum that is beyond our realm of vision. The film is fun and pacey and the tone is once again firmly in the 1960s.
I have two excellent guests to help us unravel the minds and life's mysteries around what could be Corman's magnus opus.
Barry Keith Grant is professor Emeritus of Film Studies at Brock University Canada. He has written/edited numerous books, articles and essays about science fiction cinema.
John Wills is a Professor of American Media and Culture at the University of Kent. He has written lots about popular culture including 1950s American and Nuclear film.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:57 Barry's experience of watching the film on release
03:48 Eyeballs and vision
08:58 The body in sci-fi
10:57 Mad science and closing in on the Gods
12:20 Science in the 60s
15:56 LSD
17:18 A film of two halves
19:18 Diane's romantic arc
21:57 Hays Code & the Nudie Cuties
25:35 Roger Corman's 2001: A Space Odyssey comparison
31:17 Special Effects
32:41 Gurus…
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The Manchurian Candidate 1962: Politics, Power & Paranoia
9 november 2025 · 58 min
As always there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you would like to be a patron of the podcast you can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
In 1959 at the cusp of a new and exciting decade Richard Condon wrote a book that is largely described as a political thriller. And it is a political thriller. But it also fits neatly into my concept of science fiction. To learn more about what is and isn't science fiction you can head to the heady days of the first episode where the topic is discussed with science fiction scholars Lisa Yaszek and Glyn Morgan. (Please do excuse the fear in my eyes.)
Just a few years later a film was made by John Frankenheimer, starring Frank Sinatra, Janet Leigh and a brilliant and manipulative Angela Lansbury.
The 1960s USA is in peak cold war fears, and the CIA is undertaking covert operations of their own, with the MKUltra programme, testing on humans to discover whether they can be manipulated and brainwashed.
Although this film continues many themes from the 1950s it is definitely a product of the new age as culture shifts and a new batch of Hollywood directors take cinema in a different direction.
I am lucky to have two brilliant guests to talk us through the themes and context of this film.
Ian Scott is a Professor of American Film and History at The University of Manchester. He has written extensively about politics and film in Hollywood including the book American Politics in Hollywood Film.
Sherryl Vint is Professor of Science Fiction Media Studies at the University of California, Riverside. She has written/edited many books about science fiction.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:23 New Hollywood Directors
04:57 Richard Condon's novel
07:00 Mind control in science fiction
09:40 Cold War in the Far East
16:57 The brilliant brainwashing scene
25:28 Raymond Shaw the unlikely he…
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The Day of the Triffids: Wyndham vs Sci-Fi Spectacle
26 oktober 2025 · 59 min
There are spoilers ahead for all versions of The Day of the Triffids and also for the film Signs. Lees meer
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you would like to be a patron of the podcast you can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
This episode had been edited down to a more digestible length of under an hour but a longer (audio only) version is available for Patreon subscribers (alongside the shorter option).
We are doing things a little differently and discussing the 1963 film along with the source material which is John Wyndham's 1951 book The Day of the Triffids.
The Day of the Triffids film was released in 1963 after reshoots were required to add a whole new arc in the story and bring the time to a more suitable length for a feature.
The film has many of the hallmarks of a 1950s science fiction film but seems to be reflective of the Golden Era of science fiction very much coming to its end.
The film is (very loosely) based on John Wyndham's first successful novel but seems more dedicated to the tropes of a 1950s sci-fi marketed for a mass, US leaning audience. The book is chockful of themes that are touched upon throughout the story which have very little (if any) presence in the film.
I have added a list of the characters we discuss below as well as a quick overview of their roles in the book and the film.
As usual I have two insightful guests to help us understand all of this.
Matthew Rule-Jones is a senior lecturer in film studies at the University of Exeter and author of the book Science Fiction Cinema and 1950s Britain: Recontextualising Cultural Anxiety.
Adam Stock is a senior lecturer in English Literature at York St John University and author of the book Dystopian Fiction and Political Thought: Narratives of World Politics.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:30 John Wyndham's first hit
05:23 The concept of the cosy catastrophe
08:…
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Panic in Year Zero: Nuclear Apocalypse & the Nuclear Family
12 oktober 2025 · 56 min
As always there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you would like to be a patron of the podcast you can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
There is a trigger warning for discussion of rape in this episode. I have marked the beginning of that part of the discussion with a beep and the discussion lasts for four minutes and four seconds after the beep if you wanted to skip past it.
Last week we told you "Don't Panic!" but this week we focus in on the panic.
Panic in Year Zero was directed by and stars Ray Milland and is about a father taking his family on the road to do some camping. One the way there a nuclear bomb is dropped on Los Angeles and the world starts to fall into disarray. Not because of the bomb causing devastation or radiation but because of how human s are absolute nutters given the slightest chance.
This film has a very 1950s sensibility but with a Jazz laden soundtrack that hints at the unruly decade ahead.
The Federal Civil Defense Administration in the US in the early 50s was set up by President Truman to educate and prepare the public in case of an attack on US soil. The short film mentioned in the discussion The House in the Middle can be viewed on YouTube here.
This episode we talk not just about the film but the human fascination with apocalypse. I have the perfect guests for the task.
Steven Schlozman is a psychiatrist and a writer of books including the novel The Zombie Autopsies which was being adapted to film by George Romero before his death in 2017.
John Wills is a Professor of American Media and Culture at the University of Kent. He has written lots about popular culture including 1950s American and Nuclear film.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:52 The non-nuclear nuclear film
07:10 Nuclear drills in schools
10:07 USA nuclear prep: Civilian education and CONELRAD
16:33 Jazz musi…
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Don't Panic: The Hitchhiker's Guide Phenomenon
28 september 2025 · 57 min
As always there are spoilers ahead. You can buy the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy book in most bookshops and you can listen to the radio play on YouTube and also on the Internet Archive. Lees meer
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you would like to be a patron of the podcast you can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show and be revered amongst both the G'Gugvuntts and the Vl'Hurgs: https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
As mentioned elsewhere this is not an analysis of the film or any kind of review of the book but more like a chat amongst fans of what the story means to us and why.
My amazing guests are very qualified to wax lyrical about the topic at hand.
Michael Newton is a University Lecturer at the Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society. He is a cultural historian who has written about film amongst many other topics including being the Editor of the book The Origins of Science Fiction.
Mark Steadman creative digital producer, long time podcaster and host of the Beware of the Leopard podcast which explored the A to Z of the Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy. (He also has what I consider the best productivity podcast in the world as it takes into consideration that we are humans with feelings and lives. Undo – How history's outliers got stuff done can be found here.)
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:52 When we were first exposed to H2G2
05:01The Late 70s and scifi
06:54 Mental health and the art of Zen
10: 40 Zaphod: Douglas Adams and the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster
15:31 Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect
19:53 Suburban life and bathos
21:46 Douglas Adams' "first album"
24:41 The broad appeal
28:03 Douglas' delightful detours
32:25 We love Douglas and his thin plot
32:58 No happy ending
36:18 Absurdism
37:31 Sirius Cybernetics Corporation and Silicon Valley
41:29 Gadgetry in H2G2
47:11 Shoutout to the super intelligent colour blue
50:25 Legacy: Tech, atheism…
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La Jetée: French New Wave's 1962 Sci-Fi Classic
14 september 2025 · 59 min
As always there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
A quick note that I shall be at the London Film Festival on October the 16th giving a whistlestop tour of sci-fi cinema. It is a free event but you have to reserve tickets so if you happen to be in London and wanted to attend here is the information.
Translation for the beginning of the podcast:
"Later, he knew he had seen a man die.
And sometime after came the destruction of Paris."
You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you would like to be a patron of the podcast you can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
La Jetée is very different from the science fiction films I have covered so far. A 28-minute art film mostly made of still images that went on to inspire many films as well as the 1995 12 Monkeys. The filmmaker, Chris Marker was an elusive French multimedia journalist, artist, writer, filmmaker, photographer who very rarely did interviews. He was part of the Left Bank group in Paris which was part of the larger French New Wave movement.
My amazing science fiction authorities today are Lisa Yaszek who is Regents' Professor of Science Fiction Studies at Georgia Tech and has written/edited multiple books on science fiction and Mark Bould who is a professor of Film and Literature at the University of West England, Bristol. He has also written/edited numerous books on science fiction.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:15 The French New Wave
08:50 The New Wave of science fiction literature
13:00 The New Wave science fiction films
17:53 Vertigo's influence
21:10 Eros and Thanatos: Love and death (and time loops)
23:55 A very different science fiction film: Un photo-roman, sound and reliable narrators
32:00 The darker future: gritty retrofuturism and echoes of WWII
36:59 What is real? (And why is it so beautiful?)
40:52 Distressing distortions and more death
46:03 The one moving image
48:33 12…
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The Day the Earth Caught Fire: Britain's 1961 Apocalypse
31 augustus 2025 · 55 min
As always there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
If you'd like to join in on more conversations and keep up to date on what I'm working on you can follow me on social media: Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
After last episode's UK village setting we stay in the country but head to London for a newsroom apocalyptic drama. We have more hints that we are heading into the 60s with a surly hero and a sultry ex-Disney heroine.
The Day the Earth Caught Fire was finally released in 1961 after eight years of director Val Guest trying to get the film made. Perhaps the mid-50s Britian wasn't ready for this story although it would be interesting to see what kind of differences there would have been. (Val Guest was busy making The Quatermass Xperiment during that time!)
I welcome back two excellent guests to teach us more about this film.
Jay Telotte is Professor Emeritus of film and media studies at Georgia Tech. He has written/edited numerous books and articles about science fiction film including the 2023 book Selling Science Fiction Cinema.
Glyn Morgan is Head of Collections and Principal Curator at the Science Museum in London and a science fiction scholar.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:17 1961: Anxiety, British Free Cinema & Angry Young Men
07:28 The CND and memories of the war
08:05 The highs and lows of Cli-Fi
13:16 The beginning of the end
15:47 Val Guest
18:43 Snappy dialogue or too much talk?
22:25 The newsroom
27:40 Arthur Christiansen
30:06 The surlier hero
34:47 Janet Munroe
37:05 Disney & breaking out of type
41:06 One foot firmly in the 60s
42:09 Ambiguous and alternate endings
46:39 Legacy
51:57 Recommendations
NEXT EPISODE!
Next week we will be talking about the beautiful, half hour long, science fiction art film La Jetée (1962) that 12 Monkeys was based on. You can find the film on Apple, Amazon and also on YouTube but the version with English subtitles is not great quality.
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Village of the Damned: Creepy Kids & the Cosy Catastrophe
17 augustus 2025 · 55 min
As always there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
You can follow the podcast on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you want to support the podcast you can get ad free versions at Patreon.
In 1956 the film The Bad Seed was a big hit for Warner Bros featuring a blond-haired evil child.
One blond scary child sometimes isn't enough! Writer John Wyndham published The Midwich Cuckoos in 1957 which had already sold to MGM before he'd completed it. The film tells the story of a different kind of alien invasion. Midwich village is infested with pregnancies affecting the female population who all give birth to blonde haired and light eyed, rapidly growing, telepathic children (did I mention they were creepy?). Outsiders who will go to any length to keep their kind alive.
I have two absolutely amazing guests who can tease apart some of the history and themes of this wonderful sci-fi horror.
Mark Bould is a professor of Film and Literature at the University of West England, Bristol. He has written/edited extensively about science fiction cinema.
Roger Luckhurst is a Professor at Birkbeck, University of London. He has written/edited numerous articles and books on cultural history and film.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:38 John Wyndham, The Midwich Cuckoos and MGM's British studios
04:22 Post War anxieties
07:10 Wyndham and pacifism
08:29 Feminism, forced birth and Wyndham's women
11:16 The life of George Sanders: a fabulous cad
18:50 The Cosy Catastrophe
21:38 The premise: terrifying telepathic toddlers
27:20 The evil child and the concept of innocence
31:42 The legacy of the evil child in cinema
35:59 Telepathy
41:47 Class and post war social mobility
47:25 Legacy and the John Carpenter remake
51:29 Recommendations for the listener
The telepathic couple Mark mentions are most likely the Piddingtons.
When Mark says "Astounding" he is referring to the magazine Astounding Science Fiction where the editor was John W Campbell Jr.
NEXT EPISODE!
Next episode we will be t…
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The Silent Star: 1960 East German Sci-Fi & the Space Race
3 augustus 2025 · 55 min
As always there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
In 1951 Poland, during its Stalinist era, acclaimed science fiction writer Stanislaw Lem released his first book: The Astronauts. (He had already written the novel The Man from Mars which was serialised).
In 1960 The Astronuats would go on to become the basis of East Germany's ambitious communist sci-fi film Der schweigende Stern or The Silent Star. The script would go through 12 drafts before filming by which time Lem had removed his name from the project.
Although the script lacks focus it is full of historical and cultural significance and is a strong an indictment of why ideological control should not be asserted on the arts.
The film is idealistic, looks great with some beautiful design and does not feature Christopher Nolan (link to Instagram post).
I have two top notch academics to discuss the film.
Sonja Fritzsche is a professor of German Studies and Senior Associate Dean at Michigan State University. She has also written/edited many books about science fiction.
Evan Torner is an Associate Professor of German Studies and Niehoff Professor of Film & Media Studies at the University of Cincinnati.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:53 Post Metropolis German Sci-Fi
09:50 East German filmmaking in 1960: DEFA, Kurt Maetzig & Utopian futures
16:34 The Bitterfelder Weg programme: the working class in the arts
18:50 The Polish influence: Stanislaw Lem, ideological space & the Polish October
24:31 12 drafts of the scripts: Too many cooks
29:24 Influences: Forbidden Planet, Woman in the Moon and If All the Guys in the World
32:03 The communist ideal in spaaaace!
38:32 Visual delights: Box office draw and Nazi Agfacolor
45:11 The stolen US edit: First Spaceship on Venus
47:15 Legacy, language and recommendations
NEXT EPISODE!
Back to Blighty for some good old fashioned evil children in Village of the Damned (1960). The film is easy to rent or buy on an array of streaming platforms including YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/…
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The Time Machine: HG Wells' Legacy in 1960s Sci-Fi
20 juli 2025 · 54 min
As always there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
You can follow the podcast on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
HG Wells shadow is a long one and his seminal work on time travel was published in 1895. But well over a half a century later Hollywood was still hooked on Herbert (George Wells). The Time Machine was directed by George Pal and released 1960. From the turn of the century to the beginning of a new decade my amazing guests break down the themes and influences on this mid-century steampunk precursor.
Keith Williams is a Reader in English Literature at the University of Dundee where he runs the science fiction programme. He has a special interest in the pre 1945 period and is the author of the book H.G. Wells, Modernity and the Movies.
Ian Scott is a Professor of American Film and History at The University of Manchester. He has written extensively about politics and film in Hollywood.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
02:39 HG Wells in 1985: the book and the birth of cinema
05:37 1960s USA: the cusp of a new age
10:02 The influences on Wells: Thomas Henry Huxley and William Morris
17:21 James Bond: Rod Taylor's missed opportunity
19:08 Time travel: the time machine, mannequins and the BBC
27:57 The far-flung future: evolution, class and nuclear war
35:32 Fritz Lang, Metropolis, and the death of flower power
39:24 The Legacy
47:09 Recommendations for the listener
NEXT EPISODE!
Next week I will be discussing the Eastern Block with brainy experts and discussing one of the first sci-fi films from the region Der schweigende Stern, AKA The Silent Star from 1960.
It was also re-edited and released as The First Spaceship on Venus. You may like to watch the MST3K version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVmgb3jEimQ
If you are in the USA and have a public library card you should be able to find the film on Kanopy: https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/116646
The film is available to rent online depending on your region. Just Watch should be able to help.
If you felt v…
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The Wasp Woman: Roger Corman's Corporate Queen
6 juli 2025 · 51 min
As always there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
Scroll down to read a brief synopsis of the film. The idea is to watch the film in advance before tuning in but apparently many of you listen without prep which is lovely albeit confusing! Next episode's film is also listed below.
Roger Corman began his career in film in 1950 and would go on to leave a huge mark on the industry by mentoring many filmmakers in the 1970s (Peter Biskind's book Easy Riders, Raging Bulls is a great read if you're interested!).
The Wasp Woman from 1959 was produces and directed by Corman and rounds of the podcast's fantastic foray into the 50s.*
A film that focuses on the CEO of Janice Starlin Enterprises: Janice Starlin herself! The company is suffering and Janice is ageing but scientist Dr Eric Zinthrop had discovered the secret to youth in extracts of royal jelly taken from queen wasps.
My two amazing guests are here to enlighten us on wasps, women and workplace* etiquette.
Roger Luckhurst is a Professor at Birkbeck, University of London. He specialises in literature, film, and cultural history from the 19th century to the present.
Sherryl Vint is Professor of Science Fiction Media Studies at the University of California, Riverside. She has written/edited many books about science fiction.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
02:00 Roger Corman
07:06 Women in 1959, the Mad Men era and real life women CEOs
09:38 The Fly: death, face reveals and campiness
15:52 The 1995 remake
18:13 The parasitic wasp
20:59 Royal jelly, royalty and matriarchs
22:50 Office politics: youth, beauty and 50s expectations
32:48 Teen market & production constraints.
35:14 Death of the Wasp Woman
36:42 Susan Cabot's tragic death
40:00 Legacy of the film
46:38 Recommendations for the listener
Synopsis of The Wasp Woman
Dr Eric Zinthrop has been research the royal jelly of queen wasps and has discovered an elixir of youth that changes grown animals into baby ones. He is exactly what Janice Starlin, the ageing CEO of the h…
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The Tingler: Vincent Price, William Castle & 1959 Ballyhoo
22 juni 2025 · 55 min
Hello wonderful people! Lees meer
You can follow the podcast on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
Thank you so much to Patreon subscribers! If you would like to support the podcast and get ad free versions you can subscribe for $3 or £3 a month at https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
The idea behind the podcast is we all watch the film (with film choices and where to watch given in the show notes of the previous episode) and then you can listen to the podcast after two weeks and learn more about the film.
It has been brought to my attention (thank you, Olivia!) that sometimes a synopsis might be very helpful to know what on earth is going on. It seems not everyone is watching these films before listening. So, I have added more information further below. As always there are spoilers ahead!
The Tingler (1959) was released in cinemas with the expectation that cinema owners would install "Percepto!" under certain seats. This was a small electric buzzing device that would be triggered during key moments of the film.
Director William Castle was known for these kinds of interactive, promotional gimmicks and had used them many times before. The tradition of "Ballyhoo" in cinema is an old one and involves enticing audiences to the movies with various types of marketing stunts.
Vincent Price plays the hammy lead with a gravitas very few people can pull off. I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable film despite the lack of "Percepto!" in my own home.
As always, I am lucky to have two excellent guests joining me.
Scott Higgins is Professor of Film at Wesleyan University as well as being the Curator of the Wesleyan Cinema Archives.
Matthew Rule Jones is a senior Lecturer in Film Studies at the University of Exeter.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:57 William Castle the King of Ballyhoo
04:21 William Caste's background
10:19 The death of Florence Lawrence and movie myth-making
13:50 The Avant Garde, The Grand Guinol and The Surrealists
18:40 Red blood in a black and white film
2…
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Teenagers from Outer Space: Aliens, Ray Guns & Gargons, Oh My!
8 juni 2025 · 53 min
You can follow the podcast on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky. Lees meer
Thank you so much to Patreon subscribers! If you would like to support the podcast and get ad free versions you can subscribe for $3 or £3 a month at https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
As usual there are spoilers ahead!
This film is silly. And I love that for me. I hope many of you will enjoy something much more lighthearted after the heavy topic of nuclear annihilation from the last episode.
Teenagers from Outer Space (1959) was the work of Tom Graeff who wrote, produced, directed, edited and acted in the film.
As previously mentioned, the film is silly but I found it very enjoyable. Stilted dialogue that is often out of sync, special effects that are very simple and yet effective, space fascists with rayguns and a sweet hearted rebel finding his way in the unfamiliar new world of Earth. How many sci-fi tropes can you possibly fit into a film made on the tightest of budgets?
The film made me laugh a lot which admittedly isn't too difficult to do but it was a much needed laugh after the beautifully bleak misery of On the Beach.
I am not the only person who has a soft spot for this film. I am very lucky to be joined by two wonderful guests who are definitely avid fans of this alien invasion adventure.
Marc Longenecker is an Associate Professor of the Practice of Film Studies at Wesleyan University.
Blair Davis is a Professor of Media and Cinema Studies at DePaul University. He has written a lot about cinema and comics and including the book The Battle for the Bs: 1950s Hollywood and the Rebirth of Low-Budget Cinema.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
02:37 Why do you love this film?
08:41 Distribution and reception
12:48 "Bad" film
18:15 The tragic life of Tom Graeff
25:53 Derek the hero: the rebel anti-fascist with daddy issues
33:10 Special effects
38:17 Chekov's Gargon: the lobster monster!
40:58 Space adventures on Earth and teen appeal
44:28 Thor! A bad guy with great comedic value
47:04 T…
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On the Beach: Atomic Apocalypse in 1959
25 mei 2025 · 53 min
As always there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
Trigger warning for a lot of discussion of suicide with analysis of the plot along with a side of dark humour.
If you would like to support the podcast and get ad free versions you can subscribe for $3 or £3 a month at https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm
You can follow the podcast on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
If you want to watch the film before you listen you can check the Just Watch website to see where it is available in your region. On the Beach is available online to buy and rent from Apple and other sources in many places.
I can't believe I am almost done and dusted with this film! I did really like the film and have to admit that perhaps I have been giving it a hard time. Perhaps because it gave me a hard time! There are moments of fun, flirtation and enjoyment but it is all within the backdrop of undeniable impending annihilation. I am definitely someone who prefers some depth and thematic discussion of the ethics of humanity in my science fiction (as well as some good old pew-pew led heroism) but I did find this film to be so very sad. Luckily I have two absolutely wonderful guests to keep me company and help me keep a stiff upper lip in the face of doom.
Thomas Doherty is a professor of American Studies at Brandeis University, he is a cultural historian with a special interest in Hollywood cinema on which he has written extensively.
John Wills is a Professor of American Media and Culture at University of Kent. He has written lots about popular culture including 1950s American and Nuclear film.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:10 Nuclear war is apparently not fun
08:09 Not your usual sci-fi
09:21 Scope, scale and cultural impact
13:43 We are ALL doomed
15:58 Gregory & Ava: Dwight & Moira
20:51 Fred Astaire as the scientist!
23:45 Peter and Mary contemplate suicide and murder
27:27 Love in the time of annihilation
30:03 Submarine: Signals and San Francisco
36:58 The Final Ferrari Race
39:30 Suic…
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The World, the Flesh and the Devil: Harry Belafonte, Race and Apocalypse
11 mei 2025 · 1 uur
As usual there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
You can follow the podcast on social media: Instagram, Threads and BlueSky.
You can support the podcast and get ad-free episodes on Patreon.
Please be aware that we touch upon sexual assault in this episode due to the content of the film.
Description
USA in 1959 was on the brink of a decade that would see major changes in the country in terms of race. But never without opposition. It was also the year in which Harry Belafonte, at the peak of his fame, would star in The World, the Flesh and the Devil.
The film centres Belafonte's character, Ralph Burton, as the last man on earth. A Black man at a time when the country was wrangling with desegregation. Ralph is joined by Sarah and Ben: White survivors who enter what was for a while his world. This episode focuses on race and racism and I am so lucky to have two amazing guests to help us put the plot and frustrations into context.
Mark Bould is a professor of Film and Literature at the University of West England, Bristol. He has written/edited extensively about science fiction cinema.
Stéphanie Larrieux is the associate director of the Centre for the study of Race and Ethnicity at Brown University. She wrote about the World, The Flesh and the Devil as part of her PhD.
Chapters (times may vary slightly due to advertising!)
00:00 Introduction
01:07 Why is this film largely unknown?
03:10 Source material
10:05 Harry Belafonte
16:25 An empty Manhattan
18:53 The last man on earth
23:12 Double sight and racial panopticism
24:26 Cultured and capable
28:03 Sarah's unnerving feet
31:31 The frustrations of this film
35:26 Free, white and 21: Ralph and Sarah's relationship
39:25 The hair cutting scene
41:42 Ben comes to town: Mel Ferrer
45:31 The ending
47:09 Inger Stevens
48:29 Ben's "idealism"
49:47 The title
50:28 Black protagonists in science fiction
53:36 Legacy
NEXT EPISODE!
Next episode we will be talking about On The Beach (1959) starring Gregory Peck, Ava …
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The Fabulous World of Jules Verne: Czechoslovakia, Steampunk and Zeman in 1958
26 april 2025 · 48 min
If you would like to support the podcast and get ad free versions you can subscribe for $3 or £3 a month at https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm Lees meer
You can follow the podcast on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
Although science fiction cinema did not begin in the USA it seems that by the 1950s Hollywood had tapped into the ravenous appetite the public had for the genre.
The period is now known as the Golden Age of Science Fiction with an array of films ranging in style, topic and quality. Themes of space travel, alien invasion, nuclear fears and cold war paranoia are strewn across the decade.
Meanwhile in Czechoslovakia Karel Zeman was working on making some cinematic masterpieces made for children based on the works of Jules Verne and other late 19th century authors. In 1958 he made the film Invention for Destruction based on Verne's novel Facing the Flag. In 1961 this was dubbed in English and retitled The Fabulous World of Jules Verne and distributed by Warner Bros.
The visual style is based on late 19th century etchings and illustrations of Verne's novels which you can take a look at on this Instagram post.
The film went on not only to inspire many prominent filmmakers like Hayao Miyazaki, Tim Burton and Terry Gilliam but also a cohort of writers who cite his film as being the origin for the style of steampunk science fiction.
I spoke to two wonderful guests to understand the historical context and ongoing influence of the film.
Thomas Lamarre is a Professor of Film, Media, and East Asian Languages and Civilisations at the University of Chicago. He is also the author of the Steam Punk cinema chapter in the Oxford Handbook of New Science Fiction Cinemas.
Mary Heimann is Professor of Modern History at Cardiff University. She is also the author of the book Czechoslovakia: The State that Failed.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the show and Karel Zeman
03:51 Post War Czechoslovakia
06:52 A Christmas Dream and Hermina Týrlová
07:25 Global animation after W…
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The Mysterians: 1957 Sci-Fi Space Invaders in Postwar Japan
13 april 2025 · 55 min
You can find the podcast on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky. Lees meer
In 1992 Ishiro Honda sat down for his final interview with journalist David Milner. When asked about which of his own films were his favourite Honda listed Godzilla (1954), Gorath (1962) and The Mysterians from 1957.
The Mysterians is a visually beautiful film full to the brim with sci-fi tropes. A technologically advanced but desperate alien race, affected by radiation, is invading earth and wants to take our healthy women for breeding purposes. There's also a groovy space station and the first mecha-kaiju in the form of Moguera. A film made at a time when Japan seems to be wrangling with what it means to be a post imperial, post nuclear tragedy country with a growing economy and a booming film industry.
I have two wonderful experts to help shed light on the context of this trope laden sci-fi classic.
Jay Telotte is Professor Emeritus of film and media studies at Georgia Tech. He has written/edited numerous books and articles about science fiction film including the 2023 book Selling Science Fiction Cinema.
Yuki Miyamoto is Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Humanities Center at DePaul University. Her work focuses on the ethics around nuclear discourse.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:56 Japanese Golden Age of Cinema: censorship, art vs big budget & the USA
08:47 Pacifism and militarism
14:04 Toho studios
15:36 Glorious colour, Toho-scope and cinema culture
19:57 Tradition, science and military might
27:55 Taking our women: occupation, war & marketing
36:55 Message of collaboration
39:50 The US market
44:51Battle of the Planets
45:55 Shout outs: Akira Ifukube and Eiji Tsuburaya
48:10 Legacy and Recommendations
NEXT EPISODE!
In two weeks we will be speaking about a film that shocked me with its striking visual style. The Fabulous World of Jules Verne (1958), also known as Invention for Destruction or in its original Czech: Vynález zkázy. You can look to find the film on J…
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I Married a Monster from Outer Space: Gender expectations in 1958
30 maart 2025 · 51 min
You can find the podcast on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky. Lees meer
I Married a Monster from Outer Space was released as part of a double bill (with The Blob) in 1958. The story focuses on newlywed couple Marge and Bill Farrell but unbeknownst to his new bride and the whole town Bill has been replaced by an alien on the eve of their wedding.
Themes of marriage, resentments and gendered expectations are as rife as can be expected in the 1950s. We have two insightful experts help shine a light on these themes.
The Experts
Thomas Doherty is a professor of American Studies at Brandeis University, he is a cultural historian with a special interest in Hollywood cinema on which he has written extensively.
Sherryl Vint is Professor of Science Fiction Media Studies at the University of California, Riverside. She has written/edited many books about science fiction.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:58 Science fiction golden age and the marriage melodrama
05:27 The female led sci-fi film and Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique
08:40 Patriarchal expectations of 1950s men
13:24 Changes in post war America
16:33 The Hays production code and the scandalous double bed
21:19 The Alien: looking good and learning to love
26:14 Marge's dilemma
30:42 Romantic, sexual and gendered anxiety
39:20 Devil Girl from Mars: Aliens are coming to take our men!
41:36 Legacy
45:59 Recommendations for the listeners
NEXT EPISODE!
Next episode we will be hopping slightly back in time and discussing The Mysterians from 1957. The film was made in Japan by Toho studios. It is quite difficult to buy or rent a copy but is available in some regions on FlixFling, The Criterion Channel and some other internet sites.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The Blob, Steve McQueen and the Rising Teen
15 maart 2025 · 53 min
As usual there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
Somewhere in the late 1950s society began to come to terms with the idea of the teenager. Teens were heading to the cinema leaving younger siblings and parents at home. The Blob (1958) isn't a tale of rebellion or film warning about teenage delinquency but a thoroughly enjoyable time with a catchy theme tune.
I have two wonderful guests to help us unravel this classic 1950s sci-fi.
The Experts
Roger Luckhurst is a Professor at Birkbeck, University of London. He has written/edited numerous of articles and books on cultural history and film.
Matthew Rule Jones is a senior Lecturer in Film Studies at the University of Exeter and the author of Science Fiction Cinema and 1950s Britain: Recontextualising Cultural Anxiety.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
03:22 The origins of the film
06:05 Moral panic, the teenager and the AIP film formula
11:36 Red scare as red herring: Jello and suburbia
16:25 The intention vs the interpretation of films
17:32 The Blob
20:00 The theme song vs the earnest tone
24:15 The cinema scene and self-reflection
28:32 The double bill offering
29:56 Steve McQueen: The adult teen
39:10 What are we gonna do?
39:40 Legacy: Sequels and the education system
48:55 Recommendations for the listener
The Next Episode!
The next episode we will focus on the film I Married a Monster from Outer Space. You can buy or rent the film from many outlets or check the Just Watch website to see where it may be streaming in your region
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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McCarthyism vs Ed Murrow: History Daily
9 maart 2025 · 19 min
For this bonus episode I've teamed up with the excellent History Daily podcast. Lees meer
Very exciting!
History Daily tells fascinating stories of what happened "on this day" in history with a new episode every weekday.
The early 1950s in the USA stand out as not just a time of economic prosperity but also one of paranoia. The country faced the fear of the atomic bomb, the Red Scare and a moral panic around juvenile delinquency. (Teenagers were new and unpredictable!)
During this time Joseph McCarthy's power to seek out and persecute perceived communists was at its peak but the tide was about to turn. In 1954 it took journalist Ed Murrow guts to stand up to the influential senator.
You can learn more about History Daily on their website here.
(And please just indulge me in telling you that it is a complete coincidence that this episode release aligns with this day in history! 9th March 1954 is when Ed Murrow aired his report on Joseph McCarthy!)
You can hear more from me on social media platforms Threads, Instagram and somewhat gingerly also on Bluesky.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Ed Wood's Plan 9 from Outer Space: The Worst Movie Ever?
2 maart 2025 · 52 min
You can find the podcast on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky. Lees meer
The Worst Film of All Time by The Worst Director of All Time. So claimed the 1980 book The Golden Turkey Awards by Michael and Harry Medved regarding the film Plan 9 from Outer Space and director Edward Wood Jr AKA Ed Wood.
But this very title is one of the reasons behind the revival of the film and of Ed Wood. The film has issues with continuity, set design, dialogue and a coherent 'Plan 9' but something about the film appeals to a subset of film lovers. Perhaps it's the flashes of style, the joy in its failings or perhaps it's a recognition of something beyond the traditional and often formulaic nature of mainstream narrative filmmaking. Today I speak with two wonderful film academics and fans of the film.
The Experts
Mark Bould is a professor of Film and Literature at the University of West England, Bristol. He has written/edited extensively about science fiction cinema.
Rodney F Hill is a Professor of Film at the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication at Hofstra University and has written extensively about film.
If you are interested in finding out how you can help the Prince Charles Cinema you can visit this page here.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:28 Ed Wood: Hollywood, Kubrick and Corman
05:04 Glen or Glenda, the production code and censorship
12:39 Plan 9 and the Baptist Church
14:33 Bela Lugosi and the rest of Ed Wood's crew
20:35 The Amazing Criswell
23:23 Plan 9: An unconventional classic
25:50 Why my guests love the film
34:04 Bad science
35:46 The more traditional aspects Plan 9
37:22 The Worst Film of All Time and The Worst Director of All Time
39:57 Ed Wood the outsider and the Church of Ed Wood
43:14 Comparison to mainstream films
45:21 The Legacy
48:08 Recommendations
50:37 Save the Prince Charles Cinema
NEXT EPISODE!
The next episode we will be discussing The Blob (1958) which is available to rent and buy online in many places. You can also watch the film on th…
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The Incredible Shrinking Man: 1950s Masculinity in Crisis
16 februari 2025 · 56 min
As usual there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
I would love to know what you make of the ending of this film if you watched it. Best place to do that is on social media. Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.
1957 USA seems like a country on the brink of huge social change. (Of course, I say this with the benefit of hindsight and with a deep affection for the decade that was just around the corner.) But so many of the events of the year are an indication of what's to come.
The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was the first of many legislative attempts to bring federal protection for African Americans in the face of growing dissatisfaction in the South towards desegregation of schools and society.
1957 was the year the Little Rock Nine were enrolled into a previously all white school. The photos of nine black children often surrounded by angry and jeering crowds and the presence of US paratroopers are staggering.
It is the year Enovid was approved by the FDA for menstrual problems. Two years later it would become the first FDA approved contraceptive pill.
And in October 1957 Russia launched Sputnik into orbit causing a shock across the USA. Despite anxiety about their biggest rival the country was not ready for such a display of technological accomplishment.
The year prior in 1956 Jack Arnold (who had become somewhat disillusioned by the increasingly schlocky independent sci-fi films of the late 50s) was convinced to return to Universal to make The Incredible Shrinking Man.
Richard Matheson's story is an unusual examination of a man losing stature both physically and socially. Many consider this Jack Arnold's greatest science fiction film. We have two wonderful guests to explain why that might be.
Scott Higgins is a Professor of Film at Wesleyan University as well as being the Curator of the Wesleyan Cinema Archives. He has written multiple books and essays about film.
Ian Scott is a Professor of American Film and History at The University of Manchester. He has written extensively a…
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How Forbidden Planet Shaped Sci-Fi Cinema
2 februari 2025 · 53 min
As usual there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
Forbidden Planet (1956) is a somewhat overlooked 50s classic. Although it often fails to make lists of the greatest sci-fi films of all time it has come across often in my written research and when speaking to guests. It's a film that not only seems to excite avid fans of sci-fi cinema but also influenced some of the genre's heavy hitters like both Star Wars and Star Trek. A costly, slick, colourful movie which takes a break from the red scare themes and invites us to delve into the dangers of the human mind.
We mention Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics in the episode which are:
1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
The fourth law also known as Law Zero or Zeroth Law is:
A robot cannot cause harm to mankind or, by inaction, allow mankind to come to harm.
I have two amazing guests to help unravel the threads in this space opera.
The Experts
Jay Telotte is Professor Emeritus of film and media studies at Georgia Tech. He has written/edited numerous books and articles about science fiction film including the 2023 book Selling Science Fiction Cinema.
Glyn Morgan is Curatorial Lead at the Science Museum in London and a science fiction scholar.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the film, some historical context and the guests
02:25 The impact of Forbidden Planet
07:56 MGM does big budget sci-fi
13:52 Robby the Robot: a new type of robot and Asimov's laws
22:02 Special effects
23:15 Altaira: miniskirts, the Hays Code and sexism
32:44 The monster: Disney, the id and technological hubris
38:01 The sound of electronic music: Bebe and Louis Barron's breakthrough
43:50 The legacy of Forbidden Planet
50:09 Recommendations for the listen…
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Invasion of the Body Snatchers: Pod People & Paranoia Since 1956
19 januari 2025 · 55 min
As usual there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
You can follow the podcast on social media: Instagram, Threads and dipping my toes into BlueSky a little too.
Description
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) spawned many remakes over the years, each rendition reflecting the anxieties of its time. The original film is one of my absolute favourites with a variety of potential meanings for a mid-century USA grappling with what it means to be American. My heavyweight sci-fi guests help to unravel the multiple threads.The Experts
Barry Keith Grant is professor Emeritus of Film Studies at Brock University Canada. He has written/edited a huge number of books including the BFI Classics book on Invasion of the Body Snatchers.Sherryl Vint is Professor of Science Fiction Media Studies at the University of California, Riverside. She has written/edited many books about science fiction.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:25 From book to screen: different visions, nostalgia and AI
07:24 Invaders from Mars: mistrust and madness
11:58 Sci-fi, Horror and Noir, oh my! The film gets framed with an ambiguous ending
21:21 Sleep, Shakespeare and tranquillisers
25:29 Capitalism vs communism: Corporate culture, McCarthyism and conformity
31:57 Becky: the frothing dress, changing social dynamics and divorce
41:07 The great remake: 1978 and the cynical fade of counter culture
47:22 The benefits of being a pod person
50:52 1993 remake
52:22 RecommendationsNEXT EPISODE!
The next episode is on one of the most underrated science fiction classics of all time: Forbidden Planet. You can buy or rent the 1956 film from many outlets or check the Just Watch website to see where it may be streaming in your region. It is worth checking platforms like Tubi and Pluto if they are available in your region.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Godzilla in 1954: Japan's Nuclear Nightmare and Sci-Fi Legacy
5 januari 2025 · 52 min
As usual there are spoilers ahead! Lees meer
For the full show notes without character limits you can head to the website here.
You can follow the podcast on Instagram and Threads although I am also trying to join in on BlueSky a bit. (It's a bit weird though.)
Description
Godzilla was released in 1954 in Japan it has gone on to become one of the longest standing movie franchises and began the Kaiju film tradition. Directed by Ishiro Honda, produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka with special effects my Eiji Tsuburaya. It was inspired in part by the 1933 King Kong and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms from the year before.A big difference compared to US 1950s sci-fi films dealing with nuclear themes is the Japanese perspective. The film wasn't officially released in the US until 2004 but the US re-edit Godzilla: King of the Monsters! (1956) brought Godzilla to a global audience. My absolutely wonderful guests share their insights on this cinematic masterpiece.
The Experts
The wonderful Lisa Yaszek is Regents' Professor of Science Fiction Studies at Georgia Tech. She has written/edited numerous books on science fiction.Yuki Miyamoto is Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Humanities Center at DePaul University. Her work focuses on the ethics around nuclear discourse.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:56 A short overview of Japanese science fiction history
04:42 Yuki's experience of Godzilla in Japan
07:00 1950s sci-fi in the USA
10:40 Japanese cultural context: Post nuclear bomb, radioactive tuna and censorship
16:03 Scientists and flipped themes
22:44 The scientist's daughter, a demure rebel and the moral centre
27:27 Japanese self-sacrifice
29:27 Godzilla: King of the Monsters! Social critique vs entertainment
40:16 The Legacy of Godzilla
48:55 Recommendations for listeners
51:25 Jean-Luc Picard's birthday message to meTHE NEXT EPISODE!
The next film we will be covering is the 1956 Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The film is available to buy and rent on many outlets a…