For our 100th investigation, we head deep into the jungle for John McTiernan’s Predator (1987) — the iconic genre-busting science-fiction action movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers and Kevin Peter Hall.

At first, Predator looks like the ultimate testosterone-fuelled 1980s action movie!

In this episode, we investigate what makes Predator such an enduring classic. How did John McTiernan transform a seemingly straightforward action movie into a tense science-fiction horror thriller? And how does it flip the action hero concept on its head? 

CASE FILE: PREDATOR (1987)

Directed by: John McTiernan
Written by: Jim Thomas and John Thomas
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers and Kevin Peter Hall
Genre: Action / Science Fiction / Horror / Thriller

Cinema Sleuths is produced by Luke Deckard & Matthew Booth 

Edited by Luke Deckard 

Theme song by Luke Deckard 

Logo by  Phil Dragash 

DISCLAIMER

All content presented in this podcast episode is the property of the podcast creator and is protected under applicable copyright laws. Any copyrighted material used in this episode is used under the principles of fair use for purposes such as commentary, criticism, education, and review. No part of this episode may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission from the copyright holder, except where permitted by law.

*All movie and TV clips used in this episode are the property of their respective copyright holders and are used here for the purpose of review and commentary under Fair Dealing / Fair Use. No copyright infringement is intended.*

Space. The final frontier! 60 years ago, STAR TREK was released on the small screen. And nearly 50 years ago, STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE hit the BIG SCREEN! To celebrate TREK, this week, you Cinema Sleuths investigate Robert Wise’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), the ambitious science-fiction epic that brought the original Star Trek crew to cinemas for the first time.

Starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, and Walter Koenig, the film reunites the crew of the USS Enterprise for a mysterious mission involving an enormous alien entity known as V’Ger, which approaches Earth with seemingly unstoppable power.

Based on the television series created by Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek: The Motion Picture was written by Harold Livingston, with story contributions from Harold Livingston and Alan Dean Foster, and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Robert Wise.

In this episode, we put Star Trek: The Motion Picture under the magnifying glass, investigating the extraordinary journey from beloved television series to blockbuster movie. And we are joined by special cinema sleuth Ayesha Khan, host of Every Sci-Fi FIlm Ever podcast! 

We explore the film’s troubled and famously expensive production, the pressure to bring Star Trek to the big screen after Star Wars' success, and the ambitious decision to make a slower, more cerebral science-fiction film rather than simply turning the Enterprise crew into action heroes.

We investigate the movie’s visual effects, Jerry Goldsmith’s iconic score, V’Ger mystery, philosophical themes and spectacular Enterprise flyby, and so much more.

We also look at the movie’s initial reception, its reputation as “the slow one”, and the reassessment it has received over the years.

CASE FILE: STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE (1979)

Directed by: Robert Wise
Written by: Harold Livingston
Based on: Star Trek, created by Gene Roddenberry
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols and Walter Koenig
Music by: Jerry Goldsmith
Genre: Science Fiction / Space Opera / Adventure / Mystery

Was Star Trek: The Motion Picture a misguided attempt to compete with Star Wars — or a bold, beautiful piece of science fiction that was simply misunderstood in its time?

CREDITS

Cinema Sleuths is produced by Luke Deckard and Matthew Booth 

Edited by Luke Deckard 

Music by Luke Deckard 

Logo by Phil Dragash 

DISCLAIMER:

All content presented in this podcast episode is the property of the podcast creator and is protected under applicable copyright laws. Any copyrighted material used in this episode is used under the principles of fair use for purposes such as commentary, criticism, education, and review. No part of this episode may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission from the copyright holder, except where permitted by law.

We investigate Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 and The Punisher: One Last Killer to see if Marvel's 2026 R-rated output is really all it's cracked up to be. Join us as we look at both and speculate about Punisher and Daredevil's involvement in Spider-Man Brand New Day! Be warned, spoilers abound! 

Cinema Sleuths is produced by Luke Deckard & Matthew Booth 

Edited by Luke Deckard 

Theme song by Luke Deckard 

Logo by  Phil Dragash 

DISCLAIMER

All content presented in this podcast episode is the property of the podcast creator and is protected under applicable copyright laws. Any copyrighted material used in this episode is used under the principles of fair use for purposes such as commentary, criticism, education, and review. No part of this episode may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission from the copyright holder, except where permitted by law.

*All movie and TV clips used in this episode are the property of their respective copyright holders and are used here for the purpose of review and commentary under Fair Dealing / Fair Use. No copyright infringement is intended.*