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.

Description
Invasion 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 Experts
Barry 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.

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.

The end of 2024 is nigh!

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.)

Welcome to an end of year special! A compilation of some interesting parts of conversations from the podcast in 2024 that were edited out. I edit the podcast down to a more digestible length but this means I often lose parts of conversations that are really fun or insightful so here is a collection of those.

I also wanted to give a shout out to some amazing independent podcasters who (like myself) do not have huge teams or budgets to put together their shows. They’ve also offered me some sense of camaraderie in the crazy world of obsessing over something and then making podcasts about it.

You can find The Lorehounds crew and offerings which include conversations and recaps on some of the best sci-fi shows around on their website.

Em at Verbal Diorama is absolutely lovely, passionate about films (especially The Mummy) and does deep dives into many popular movies. Her research skills are fantastic and she is a fellow winner on the Ear Worthy podcast awards for 2024. Her website is here.

Mark Steadman is a fantastic and knowledgeable digital producer who knows lots about the podcasting business. He will be launching Undo: How history’s outliers got stuff done in January. You can learn more about him and it here.

Details of the guests and shows featured in this end of year episode:
• Jess Nevins and Julian Chambliss were guests on episode 10: Pulps, Comics and the Rise of Superheroes.
• Mark Bould and Peter Conolly Smith were guests on episode 8: King Kong: The Origin of a Cinematic Titan.
• Sonja Fritzsche and Noah Isenberg were guest in episode 5: Metropolis: The Most Influential Sci-Fi Film Ever*.
• Thomas Doherty and Xavier Aldana Reyes were guests on episode 12: Mad Scientists: Frankenstein, Dr Jekyll & Boris Karloff.
• Keith Williams and Ari Brin were guests on episode 14: Robert Duncan Milne: A Lost Pioneer of Science Fiction.
• Jay Telotte and Marc Longenecker were guests on episode 15: The Thing from Another World: Howard Hawks & the Cold War.
• Scott Higgins and Phil Nichols were guests on episode 18: It Came From Outer Space: Bradbury, 3D & 1950s Teens
• Thomas Doherty and Mathew Rule Jones were guests on episode 21: Them! The 1954 Horror Sci-Fi that Spawned Big Bug Cinema.
• Jay Telotte and Mark Bould were guests on episode 11: Flash Gordon: From Buck Rogers Rip-Off to Space Opera Legend.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro and indie podcast shoutouts
02:06 Comics and Pulps: Who is your favourite superhero?
05:46 King Kong: Hays Code, covert wars and Frank-N-Furter
10:17 Metropolis: Rotwang the prototype
15:35 Mad Scientists: Favourites
20:55 Robert Duncan Milne: From page to screen
30:35 The Thing from Another World: Themes of seeing
34:15 It Came From Outer Space: 3D cinema and unions
36:28 Them! Drive-ins, degenerates and dingy cinemas
46:53 Flash Gordon: Casting choices

NEXT EPISODE! The next film we’ll be focusing on is the original Japanese version of Godzilla (1954). This is surprisingly difficult to get hold of although you can purchase a DVD from many outlets. In the US it is available on Apple TV and Max (previously HBO Max) as well as on Tubi. You can check the Just Watch website to see if it might be streaming in your region. I just wanted to add that the opening credits and music are just phenomenal in my opinion.