Science vs Fiction

Here's a fun little sidebar to our Blade Runner(s) episode. Scott sits down for a brief chat with Charles de Lauzirika, whom sci-fi fans will recognize as the producer of the stunning Blade Runner blu-ray release as well as "The Final Cut." Which means he's also one of the globe's leading experts on the original Blade Runner.

It's time for another "original vs remake". This time we set our sights on two films inspired by the grandfather of science fiction, H.G. Wells. The 1953 version of War of the Worlds is considered a classic of the genre, but how does it hold up today? Can Steven Spielberg's 2005 rendition survive the scrutiny of an analytical revisit? We cover alien space travel, whether the Earth was indeed created in six days, and the wonderfully abrupt "deus ex bacteria" ending. All this and more on the latest episode of the podcast that asks: Do you really need smart science in good movies? Tune in to find out.

This week we present our first ever LIVE SHOW! Scott and Steven ply their trade at Other Worlds Film Festival in Austin, TX, where they discuss 1979 fan favorite Time After Time (aka the movie in which H.G. Wells chases Jack the Ripper into modern-day San Francisco). Join us as we open the massive can of worms that is cinematic time travel, with the participation of a group of smart and savvy science fiction fans.

Can your limbs really disappear in real time if someone cuts them off in the past? How many different versions of time travel does the Terminator franchise use? Is it possible that the audience watching a movie influences the events of the movie on a quantum level? We tackle these and other questions on this week’s (LIVE!) Science vs Fiction.

How likely is it that humans can catch horrible diseases from adorable monkeys? Are those big, shiny decontamination suits all that effective? Can deadly snot work its way through the ventilation system of a crowded theater? These questions and more (even some intelligent ones) as Scott and Steven do the SvF treatment on Outbreak (1995) and Contagion (2011), two very different takes on one very scary scenario. 

And we have a guest! Dr. Vincent DeGennaro (yep, Steven's brother) is an epidemiologist who has fought disease all over the globe and is currently hard at work in Haiti. He's also a big movie nut, which makes Dr. Vince the perfect person to help dissect these two star-studded thrillers in the areas of entertainment value and (especially) scientific intelligence. 

Do Leprechauns have gold testicles? What would happen if you shot Jason into the heart of the sun? Why are McDonald's french fries so fluffy? We answer these and other deeply scientific questions as we discuss two of the first horror franchises to go into outer space for some reason.