The Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever* podcast looks back at more than a century of films, beginning in 1902 and working towards the future. Each episode focuses on...
I Married a Monster from Outer Space: Gender expectations in 1958
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story focuses on newlywed couple Marge and Bill Farrell but unbeknownst to his new bride and the whole town Bill has been replaced by an alien on the eve of their wedding.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 dilemma30:42 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 listenersNEXT 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.
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The Blob, Steve McQueen and the Rising Teen
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 formula11:36 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 listenerThe 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
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McCarthyism vs Ed Murrow: History Daily
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.
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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!)
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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.
The Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever* podcast looks back at more than a century of films, beginning in 1902 and working towards the future. Each episode focuses on a film, director or theme and brings in experts to discuss the history, politics, and influences. Join sci-fi enthusiast Ayesha Khan as she travels through time and space, encounters aliens, and battles authoritarian regimes all from the comfort of your home planet. Released every two weeks*Almost
USA