Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*

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.

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 World War 2

10:48 Journey to the Beginning of Time

12:47 Why haven't I heard of this film*?

15:37 Science Fiction in Czechoslovakia

18:27 Steampunk!

23:08 Thomas' experience of the film

24:58 The Czech perspective

26:12 The Czech New Wave and the Prague Spring

30:58 Milos Forman and filmmakers in exile

32:19 The messaging and nature of the film

35:56 Legacy

41:41 Recommendations for the listener

44:44 Ads and subscription details

NEXT EPISODE!

Next episode we will be speaking about another lesser known science fiction film: The World, the Flesh and the Devil from 1959. You can find out where the film is streaming in your region on the Just Watch website and an internet search brings a few leads for the full film online.

*Possibly because I am stupid.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You can find the podcast on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.

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 Just Watch but people in mainland and central Europe may find it easier to find with mainstream streaming services. The Criterion Channel also has the film available and there may be some Central and Eastern European services that you may be able to sign up to. I believe there may be a copy on YouTube but I am unsure of its quality or validity.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You can find the podcast on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky. 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.

As usual there are spoilers ahead!

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.

For this bonus episode I've teamed up with the excellent History Daily podcast.

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.

You can find the podcast on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.

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 the Just Watch website which was quite unexpected! (And remember folks, Steve McQueen is supposed to be 17 years old in this film!)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As usual there are spoilers ahead!

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 about politics and film in Hollywood.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:42 Jack Arnold's best film?

06:30 Special effects and 1950s horror

09:15 1957 USA: The rumblings of change

13:29 Metaphors and definitions of masculinity

30:43 Kafka, psychoanalysis and The Kinsey Reports

35:22 Women

37:38 The End!

45:17 Legacy

49:55 Recommendations for the listener

NEXT EPISODE!

Next episode we will be talking about what the book The Golden Turkey Awards declared as the Worst Film of All Time by The Worst Director of All Time. Plan 9 from Outer Space by Ed Wood is available to rent or buy on various online platforms. Just Watch is a good resource to check where it might be available in your region. Mubi and Pluto are only available in some regions but do offer a decent range of older science fiction films.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As usual there are spoilers ahead!

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 listeners

NEXT EPISODE!

The next episode we will focus on The Incredible Shrinking Man. 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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As usual there are spoilers ahead! You can follow the podcast on social media: Instagram, Threads and dipping my toes into BlueSky a little too. DescriptionInvasion 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 ExpertsBarry 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 Recommendations

NEXT 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.

As usual there are spoilers ahead! 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 me

THE 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 and even some free with ads streaming platforms. You can check the Just Watch website to see where its available in your region. We will (as usual) be spending some time speaking about the sequels so it might be worth watching the 1978 version as it is considered the best version by many! I loved it but the original holds a very special place in my heart so it will not be replaced by a copy. The episode hasn't been recorded yet but the plan is also to speak a little about the 1953 film Invaders from Mars that has many similar themes.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.