Godzilla in 1954: Japan’s Nuclear Nightmare and Sci-Fi Legacy
Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*
Release Date: 01/05/2025
The Time Machine: HG Wells’ Legacy in 1960s Sci-Fi
Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*
As always there are spoilers ahead! You can follow the podcast on , and . HG Wells shadow is a long one and his seminal work on time travel was published in 1895. But well over a half a century later Hollywood was still hooked on Herbert (George Wells). The Time Machine was directed by George Pal and released 1960. From the turn of the century to the beginning of a new decade my amazing guests break down the themes and influences on this mid-century steampunk precursor. Keith Williams is a Reader in English Literature at the University of Dundee where he runs the...
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The Wasp Woman: Roger Corman’s Corporate Queen
Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*
As always there are spoilers ahead! Scroll down to read a brief synopsis of the film. The idea is to watch the film in advance before tuning in but apparently many of you listen without prep which is lovely albeit confusing! Next episode’s film is also listed below. Roger Corman began his career in film in 1950 and would go on to leave a huge mark on the industry by mentoring many filmmakers in the 1970s (Peter Biskind’s book Easy Riders, Raging Bulls is a great read if you’re interested!). The Wasp Woman from 1959 was produces and directed by Corman and rounds of the...
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The Tingler: Vincent Price, William Castle & 1959 Ballyhoo
Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*
Hello wonderful people! You can follow the podcast on , and . Thank you so much to Patreon subscribers! If you would like to support the podcast and get ad free versions you can subscribe for $3 or £3 a month at The idea behind the podcast is we all watch the film (with film choices and where to watch given in the show notes of the previous episode) and then you can listen to the podcast after two weeks and learn more about the film. It has been brought to my attention (thank you, Olivia!) that sometimes a synopsis might be very helpful...
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Teenagers from Outer Space: Aliens, Ray Guns & Gargons, Oh My!
Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*
You can follow the podcast on , and . Thank you so much to Patreon subscribers! If you would like to support the podcast and get ad free versions you can subscribe for $3 or £3 a month at As usual there are spoilers ahead! This film is silly. And I love that for me. I hope many of you will enjoy something much more lighthearted after the heavy topic of nuclear annihilation from the last episode. Teenagers from Outer Space (1959) was the work of Tom Graeff who wrote, produced, directed, edited and acted in the film. ...
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On the Beach: Atomic Apocalypse in 1959
Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*
As always there are spoilers ahead! Trigger warning for a lot of discussion of suicide with analysis of the plot along with a side of dark humour. If you would like to support the podcast and get ad free versions you can subscribe for $3 or £3 a month at You can follow the podcast on , and . If you want to watch the film before you listen you can check the Just Watch website to see where it is available in your region. On the Beach is available online to buy and rent from Apple and other sources in many places. I can’t believe I am almost done and dusted with this...
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The World, the Flesh and the Devil: Harry Belafonte, Race and Apocalypse
Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*
As usual there are spoilers ahead!
You can follow the podcast on social media: Instagram, Threads and BlueSky.
You can support the podcast and get ad-free episodes on info_outline
Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever* If you would like to support the podcast and get ad free versions you can subscribe for $3 or £3 a month at https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever* You can find the podcast on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky. In 1992 Ishiro Honda sat down for his info_outline
Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever* You can find the podcast on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky. Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever* 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 Bi
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 th
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.
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