Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*

As always there are spoilers ahead! You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky. If you would like to be a patron of the podcast and help an indie podcaster out, 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 An extra huge thank you to my wonderful guests as this episode had to be re-recorded due to a major problem with the audio file the first time. You can find the synopsis of the film on Wikipedia here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantastic_Voyage#Plot In 1966 20th Century Fox chose a steady pair of hands in Richard Fleischer (the son of animation superstar Max Fleischer) to helm what at the time was both the tiniest and the biggest science fiction adventure. Tiny because of the nano science storyline and biggest because of it being the most expensive science fiction film ever made (at that time) costing over five million dollars. I talk to two top tier guests about the film. Jay Tellote 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. Lisa Yaszek is Regents' Professor of Science Fiction Studies at Georgia Tech and has written/edited multiple books on science fiction. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:40 Big budget scifi 05:45 Richard Fleischer 09:10 The history of Nanotech sci-fi 16:41 Sci-fi and scale in cinema 19:42 Richard Feynman and small science 22:55 1950s influences 25:53 James Bond and Spy-fi 27:05 Psychedelic scifi 31:22 Harper Goff, Disney and design 33:36 1960s crew dynamics 42:48 Asimov's novelisation 44:24 Secularism vs religion 46:52 Legacy 52:57 Recommendations Recommendations: The Diamond Lens by Fitz-James O'Brien (which can be found here) Surface Tension by James Blish Microcosmic God by Theodore Sturgeon Dr Cyclops (1940) The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) Honey I Shrunk the Kids (1989) NEXT EPISODE! Next episode I will be speaking with Oscar winning Special Effects Supervisor Paul Franklin to discuss his favourite sci-fi film Blade Runner (1982). Paul has worked on an array of blockbusters including The Batman Begins trilogy, Venom (2018), Inception (2010) and Interstellar (2014).

Show notes As always there are spoilers ahead! You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky. If you would like to be a patron of the podcast and feel like nobility funding the podcasting arts, I would like to encourage such sentiments! 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. In 1953 writer Ray Bradbury released his magnum opus Fahrenheit 451. It quickly became a widely acclaimed cautionary tale about the dangers of censorship, authoritarianism and the effects of mass media on human ideas and connection. One of the most prominent science fiction books it is easy to understand why François Truffaut, one of the French New Wave's most prominent directors, became utterly focused on making the story into a film. The process had its challenges with producers, funding and a casting changes causing delays. The film was finally wrapped up and released in 1966 to both positive and negative reviews. It is an interesting watch if not a gripping one and my two expert guests unravel the ins and outs of how it came to be. 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 including the book American Politics in Hollywood Film. Phil Nichols is a visiting lecturer at the University of Wolverhampton and a researcher with a special interest in Ray Bradbury. He is Senior Consultant to the Ray Bradbury Centre at Indiana University and editor of The New Ray Bradbury Review. He is also the man behind the Bradbury 100 podcast and the Science Fiction 101 podcas Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:32 Fahrenheit 451: a sci-fi heavyweight 04:36 Truffaut and the book 11:03 Suburban scifi in the mid century 13:33 Politics of the story 15:07 Truffaut's perspective 20:01 Julie Christie's double role 26:50 Searching for Montag 34:29 Burning with her books 39:12 Bernard Herrmann's score 40:40 The 2018 remake 49:56 Bradbury's stage play 51:37 Recommendations Recommendations: Never Let Me Go (2010) The Wild Child (1970) NEXT EPISODE! Next episode we will be discussing Fantastic Voyage from 1966! The film is annoyingly a little tricky to find online but can be rented easily on mainstream platforms in some countries. You can check the Just Watch website to see where it is available in your region.

As always there are spoilers ahead! You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky. If you would like to be a patron of the podcast and get that amazing feeling of wellbeing that comes from contributing to the research, planning and anxiety that does towards making a podcast I would love to encourage it! 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 Seconds is a visually striking and thoroughly uncomfortable film. A 1960s film that examines dissatisfied suburban living, mid-life crisis and the yearning for youth and freedom. I think it's vastly underrated which is probably something both of my genuinely amazing guests agree with. (Apologies for not offering more of a counterpoint to this view!) 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. Sherryl Vint is Professor of Science Fiction Media Studies at the University of California, Riverside. She has also written/edited extensively about science fiction. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:31 Frankenheimer's fantastic films 05:55 Science fiction in the 60s 07:55 The striking work of James Wong Howe 12:18 Saul (and Elaine) Bass credits 14:42 Mid Life Crisis in the 1960s 19:20 Dissatisfaction in the middle class 21:38 The Tennis Trophy 24:40 Rock Hudson and John Randolph 31:54 The Wine Stomp 37:02 Corporation as "The Monster" and PK Dick 38:48 Frankenstein and face surgery 41:44 The business model and Tech Bros 45:08 Legacy 50:39 Trivia tidbits 53:51 Recommendations Recommendations: Phase IV (1974) Face of Another (1966) Mark also mentions: Eyes Without a Face (1960) and Darkman (1990) NEXT EPISODE! Next episode we take a dive into the 1966 François Truffaut science fiction film Fahrenheit 451. The film is very annoyingly tough to get hold of on streaming platforms but can apparently be found on Fandango and you can search the Just Watch website to check where it might be available in your region. You can buy the DVD quite easily for not extortionate prices in many places. There do seem to be dodgy websites that also have the film but obviously I would never encourage you to search for such things.

As always there are spoilers ahead! You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky. If you 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 Apologies in advance for my butchering of Italian pronunciation during this episode. Although we mentioned in the Planet of the Vampires episode the copycat nature of Italian cinema in the 1960s, The 10th Victim by Elio Petri does not fit that mould. The film has a definite style that may offer commentary on Italian film, comics and culture but looks to set a new mould for films coming out of Italy. Cultural change in Europe and America in the 1960s came in many different flavours and with different driving forces. My excellent guests help to unravel the cultural context of this stylish cult classic. Stephen Gundle is a Professor of Film and Television at the University of Warwick. He has a special interest in Italian cultural history. Leon Hunt is a retired Senior Lecturer of Screen Studies at Brunel University with a special interest in Italian Genre Cinema. Chapters 00:00 Introduction. 01:17 Collectively written script 04:02 Italy in the 1960s 05:19 Marcello Mastroianni Commedia all'Italiana and global fame 09:33 Echoes of La Dolce Vita 15:02 Style over substance? 17:03 Gender roles 20:38 The violence of man 23:28 The gun bra, design and pop art 26:17 Comic book culture in Italy 32:46 Religion and belief systems 36:55 Changing Italian culture: American influence, economic growth and celebrity worship 45:52 Legacy 51:07 Recommendations for the listener Recommendations: Danger Diabolik (1968) directed by Mario Bava Modesty Blaise (1966) directed by Jospeh Losey La Dolce Vita (1960) directed by Federico Fellini NEXT EPISODE! You have two weeks to find and watch Seconds (1966) by John Frankenheimer as we finally head into 1966! The film is available to rent or buy on Apple TV in the UK, and for free on Kanopy in the US. You can check the JustWatch website for details of where it's available in your region. (Waves frantically at new global listeners!)

As always there are spoilers ahead! You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky. If you 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 Despite a failed pilot Star Trek made it to TV in 1966. Creator, Gene Roddenberry's vision of a future that was beyond the contemporary struggles of civil rights and racism and global Cold War tensions but very much aligned with the style of the 1960s. As a diverse crew faced alien planets and tackled ethical questions audience numbers dwindled and cancellation loomed. The show was finally axed in 1969 but a growing fanbase aided by syndication meant what could have been a small part of TV history actually became a huge phenomena. My amazing Trekkie guests discuss the origins of my favourite franchise. Julian Chambliss is a scholar and a professor at Michigan State University. He has taught Star Trek as part of his Media Race and Culture classes. Carey Millsap-Spears is a professor of communications/literature at Moraine Valley Community College. She has written extensively about Star Trek including the 2023 book Star Trek Discovery and the Female Gothic. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:36 Gene Roddenberry's pitch and the pilot episode 04:29 A new kind of frontier 08:34 The fans 11:06 Woke and the 1960s 17:26 The gothic in Star Trek 20:39 Captain Kirk as Casanova? 26:09 That kiss and Uhura 30:42 Utopia! 36:47 Propaganda 39:24 The Alien others 44:08 Technology, NASA and Nichelle Nichols 47:29 The Next Generation 51:52 Why do we love Star Trek? 54:32 Recommendations Recommendations The Centre Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek (2021) StarTrek II: The Wrath of Khan NEXT EPISODE! You have two weeks to find and watch The 10th Victim (1965) by Elio Petri. Another Italian film (like last episode's Planet of the Vampires) but a very different feel. Although coupld contend with Mario Bava's Danger Diabolik (1968) for the most 60s film ever made! The film is available to rent online in many places. You can check the JustWatch website for details of what it's available in your region.