Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*

• Ed Wood's Plan 9 from Outer Space: The Worst Movie Ever?

  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!)

  --------  

  51:32
• The Incredible Shrinking Man: 1950s Masculinity in Crisis

  Description 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 listenerNEXT 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.

  --------  

  55:51
• How Forbidden Planet Shaped Sci-Fi Cinema

  As usual there are spoilers ahead! Description 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 ExpertsJay 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 listenersNEXT 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. 

  --------  

  53:17
• Invasion of the Body Snatchers: Pod People & Paranoia Since 1956

  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 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.

  --------  

  55:14
• Godzilla in 1954: Japan’s Nuclear Nightmare and Sci-Fi Legacy

  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. Chapters00:00 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 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.

  --------  

  52:18

Más podcasts de Cine y Televisión

Podcasts a la moda de Cine y Televisión

Acerca de Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*

Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*: Podcasts del grupo