Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*

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*.

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 professor of music at Los Angeles City College, she has a PhD in Musicology and is author of the book Listening to Stanley Kubrick: The Music in His Films.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:58 Sound in Cinema

07:59 2001: Before the Dawn of Man

12:21 Also Sprach Zarathustra

18:11 Micropolyphony and what it does

22:18 Silence in Spaaaaace!

26:08 Breathing (in Spaaaaace!)

27:58 POV sound

29:54 HAL

31:42 Cultural context of the cold cosmonaut

34:25 The choice of old-fashioned music

41:55 The twee nature of Waltzes

44:51 Ligeti's lawsuit

48:33 Bookends

53:09 Legacy

56:49 Recommendations

Recommendations

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (2019)

Gravity (2013)

Interstellar (2014)

Kubrick: An Odyssey by Robert P Kolker and Nathan Abrams

THE NEXT EPISODE!

The next episode we will be discussing the man behind the movie! Kubrick experts Nathan Abrams and Rodney F Hill will grace us with their wonderful brains! IN the meantime you can watch Night of the Living Dead (1968) as we will be heading for a zombie flavoured detour after the mini-series is over.

*Almost

"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.)

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 us through this mammoth achievement. (I wanted to make an ape pun but I remembered I don't actually like puns.)

Paul Franklin is a Special Effects Supervisor for many blockbuster films including the Dark Knight series and has won Oscars for his work on Interstellar and Inception.

Julie Turnock is Professor of Media and Cinema studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign she has written extensively about special effects in cinema including in Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Chapters

0:00 Intro

01:35 Special vs Visual Effects

06:12 Impact of 2001 A Space Odyssey special effects

12:45 Douglas Trumbull and more

29:03 The Discovery centrifuge

33:38 A slow visionary film

39:35 Defying gravity

41:47 Joy Sneddon's moon

43:51 The floating pen

45:34 Front projections on The Dawn of Man

49:53 Legacy

54:36 Recommendations

Recommendations:

The Lost Worlds of 2001 by Arthur C Clarke

Bodies in Space: Film as "Carnal Knowledge" by Annette Michelson: https://www.artforum.com/features/annette-michelson-on-stanley-kubricks-2001-a-space-odyssey-210883/

NEXT EPISODE!

I shall be speaking about the music and sound of 2001: A Space Odyssey so no need to watch any films in the meantime. If you are extra eager about what comes after the mini-series, I will be taking a detour (kind of) to discuss the 1968 origin of the modern zombie: The Night of the Living Dead.

As always there are spoilers ahead!

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 half in his copy of the speech. (Michael then goes on to open his fantastic book with this quote.)

28:25 The concept of a technological singularity is a theoretical scenario in which technology increasingly becomes so advanced that is has unpredictable and irreversible effects ono humanity.

34:13 JPL is short for Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.

48:23 Mad magazine's parody of 2001 is available to view here: https://www.tumblr.com/keirdullea/34795391907/201-minutes-of-space-idiocy-a-mad-magazine

Lastly: I concede that my internet search for the giant baby may have led me to some very dubious sources.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

19:00 The Sublime

11:30 Kubrick's minimalism

20:32 HAL

34:58 Doug Trumbull and George Lucas' Star Wars droids

37:57 Slow pace and filming restrictions

39:58 Legacy

46:50 Recommendations for the listener

Recommendations

Childhood's End and The Sentinel both by Arthur C Clarke

201 (minutes of) A Space Idiocy by Mad Magazine. (Link above)

NEXT EPISODE!

In the next episode we will be prepping to discuss the special effects of 2001 in two weeks' time!

As always there are spoilers ahead!

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 Childhood cinematic experiences of the film

07:31 Not understanding the film

09:57 The impact on sci-fi cinema

10:28 The proverbial good science fiction film

14:35 The philosophical nature of science fiction

17:09 Kubrick and Clarke in the mid 60s

21:26 Initial intentions

25:46 Special effects and immersion

33:04 The reception of the film

46:32 The ape arm throws a bone

51:15 Kubrick and improvisation

53:52 Outro to part one

NEXT EPISODE!

The next episode is already out and it's part 2 of this discussion! After that we will be prepping to discuss the special effects of 2001: A Space Odyssey in two weeks' time.

As usual 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

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 episode.

The film is available widely. According to Just Watch (where you can find the availability in your region) it is included in the HBO subscription in the USA and Australia. In Canada it's included in the Crave subscription. In the UK it's Prime video and Now Cinema.

But the film can also be bought or rented online from many outlets including Apple, Fandango, Spectrum and Prime. Or you could buy a fancy DVD of it to add to your collection.

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

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: Body dysmorphia and sexploitation

14:01 Censorship

19:19 Pop Art and design

26:56 Big hair and science fiction

32:24 Terry Southern

35:50 UK vs US reception

41:48 Government girl with a gun

44:22 A progressive Barbarella?

46:48 Masculinity and femininity

55:37 Recommendations

Recommendations:

Born in Flames (1983)

Bardot, Deneuve and Fonda: The Memoirs of Roger Vadim

Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg (2024)

NEXT EPISODE!

Next episode we will be talking about The Planet of the Apes (1968). Planet of the Apes is available to rent or buy from major online platforms including Apple TV. It is also available on Disney+ in the UK. You can check the Just Watch website to find where it may be streaming in your region.

Translation for the intro:

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

NEXT EPISODE!

Wish me luck as I attempt to arrange an episode on Barbarella in two weeks. As this hasn't been finalised I would suggest that you might also like the watch Planet of the Apes just in case should the fates be tricky! Both of these films are quite easy to find to rent.

Translation for Intro:

"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.

1. Godzilla
2. Rodan
3. Angurius
4. Mothra (very tragically in larva form)
5. Gorosaurus
6. Minilla (Godzilla's son who gives me the creeps. Sorry!)
7. Kumonga
8. Baragon
9. Manda
10. Varan
11. 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 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 Introduction

01:33 Sci-Fi films from 1950s to 1968

03:14 Comparison to Godzilla 1954

05:23 1960s Japan

08:49 Blair's love of the film

09:59 The intentions behind the film

11:14 The 'Monster Rally' tradition

13:53 Visual delights

14:36 The first 10 minutes

18:22 The island connections

21:14 The Showa Era and Japan on the global stage

24:49 Aliens! The Kilaaks

29:38 The Izu Peninsula and Shogun

30:16 The Kaijus

40:17 The final battle

43:12 A changing Godzilla

46:52 Legacy

49:26 Recommendations

Recommendations:

Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971)

Godzilla in Hell by James Stokoe

NEXT EPISODE! Next episode (if all goes well) we will be talking about the Je t'aime, je t'aime (1968) which is available on BFI player in the UK (which is accessible through Apple TV) but seems very elusive elsewhere. There is a version on YouTube but it is in French. The English title (I Love You, I Love You) did not seem to help. The BluRay is also available but for slightly silly prices outside of the UK from what I can see. I wish you luck in finding it!

There are spoilers ahead! For many films I'm afraid.

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:

And He Built a Crooked House by Robert Heinlein

Octavia's Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements

Films mentioned in the episode:

• Metropolis (1927)
• Blade Runner (1982)
• Minority Report (2002)
• Chappie (2015)
• District 9 (2009)
• Attack the Block (2011)
• Fifth Element (1997)
• Just Imagine (1930)
• Gagarine (2020)
• Atlantics (2019)
• Tommorowland (2015)
• Truman Show (1998)
• Stepford Wives (1975)
• Edward Scissorhands (1990)
• Soylent Green (1973)
• Don't Look Up (2021)
• Children of Men (2006)
• Snowpiercer (2013)
• Hunger Games (2012)
• Robocop (1987)
• Nation Estate (2012)
• Silent Running (1972)
• High Rise (2015)
• Ex Machina (2014)

Books mentioned:

• Rem Koolhaas (Remment Lucas Koolhaas) is a Dutch Architect and author of the book Delirious New York published in 1978.
• Ready Player One by Ernest Kline. (Made into a film by Steven Speilberg in 2018)
• Every Version of You by Grace Chan.
• Artificial Wisdom by Thomas R Weaver.
• Everything for Everyone: An Oral History of the New York Commune, 2052-2072 by Eman Abdelhadi and M. E. O'Brien
• Mouldiness Manifesto by Friedensreich Hundretwasser

TV Shows mentioned:

• Westworld
• Andor

Other links of interest:

• A page from Mark Bould's website about the city: https://markbould.com/tag/paul-verhoeven/
• '5 Minute Modern' YouTube video about Brutalism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib82VYtjFtY
• An interesting article about Fritz Lang's depiction of the future city The German Take on Gotham: https://jacobin.com/2025/12/the-german-take-on-gotham

NEXT EPISODE!

The next episode will be about Destroy All Monsters which features lots of Kaiju, a Japanese Moonbase, evil aliens who look like beautiful women and groovy 60s outfits. You can rent the film on Apple TV (at least in the UK) but take a look at Just Watch and Rotten Tomatoes to see where the film is showing in your region. DVDs and Blurays of the film are also available for relatively reasonable prices.

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

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 England, Bristol. He has written/edited extensively about science fiction cinema.

Matthew Rule-Jones is a senior lecturer in film studies at the University of Exeter. A doctor of science fiction who likes to write about cinema including the book Science Fiction Cinema and 1950s Britain: Recontextualising Cultural Anxiety.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

02:24 Nigel Kneale

06:28 Rudolph Cartier and changes in TV

08:22 Hammer films and Quatermass

13:09 The many iterations of Quatermass

22:04 The traditional tinkering British scientist

26:47 From TV to Film

32:44 Quatermass 2 and the 1950s

41:30 Aliens!

48:58 Kneale and Victorian influences

52:21 Legacy

57:47 Recommendations

Recommendations

Sapphire & Steel (1979-1982, TV series)

Event Horizon (1997)

NEXT EPISODE!

Next episode we take a break from science fiction films to talk to two experts about science fiction and architecture. Then we're heading into 1968 so wish me luck!