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Creature from the Black Lagoon: Horror, Politics and Passion in 1954

Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*

Release Date: 11/24/2024

On the Beach: Atomic Apocalypse in 1959 show art 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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Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*

As usual there are spoilers ahead!

 

You can follow the podcast on social media: Instagram, Threads and BlueSky.


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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

 

You can follow the podcast on Threads, Instagram and <

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Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*

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In 1992 Ishiro Honda sat down for his info_outline I Married a Monster from Outer Space: Gender expectations in 1958 show art I Married a Monster from Outer Space: Gender expectations in 1958

Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*

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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story focuses on newlywed couple Marge and Bill Farrell but unbeknownst to his new bride and the whole town Bill has been replaced by an alien on the eve of th

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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

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Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*

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

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Every Single Sci-Fi Film 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

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Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*

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.&nb

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Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*

As usual there are spoilers ahead! 


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

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As usual there are spoilers ahead!

For the full show notes with no character limits you can visit the website.

Description
Creature from the Black Lagoon released in 1954 is in many ways the epitome of 1950s science fiction cinema. Jack Arnold (director), William Alland (producer) and Richard Carlson (the leading man) were all people who has become associated with the increasingly popular genre. It also has a beautiful and stylish Julie Adams as the heroine, scientists on a mission and of course the monster. But there are no themes of nuclear radiation, Russian invasion or small town shenanigans here. The film was filmed in 3D although the peak of 3D popularity had faded and most viewers saw this film in 2D. 

Two absolute heavyweights of sci-fi research join me to enlighten us.

The Experts
Jay Telotte is a Professor Emeritus of film and media studies at Georgia Tech. He has written/edited numerous books and articles about science fiction film.

Mark Bould is a professor of Film and Literature at the University of West England, Bristol. He has also written/edited extensively about science fiction cinema.

You can take a look at the Forbidden Planet poster mentioned amongst others that have the same trope by viewing my instagram post here

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the film and guests 
02:16 Little Jay goes to the cinema 
03:19 Universal monsters and comebacks 
06:20 The mythical origin of the story 
10:03 The monster, its maker and dangerous desires 
21:37 Human invaders and Jack Arnold 
23:22 Everybody loves Kay 
28:59 Man, nature, science and the environment 
29:12 Evolution: The Scopes Monkey Trial 
33:32 1950s sci-fi: Space opera to the dangers of the depths 
38:55 The Legacy: Sequels 
45:00 Legacy cont: The Shape of Water 
53:10 Recommendations for listeners

NEXT EPISODE!
Next episode we will be taking a closer look at Them! (1953). You can check Just Watch to see where it can be found in your region and the film is available to buy or rent at many outlets including Apple TV. 


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