The Wasp Woman: Roger Corman’s Corporate Queen
Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*
Release Date: 07/06/2025
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 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 podcast’s fantastic foray into the 50s.*
A film that focuses on the CEO of Janice Starlin Enterprises: Janice Starlin herself! The company is suffering and Janice is ageing but scientist Dr Eric Zinthrop had discovered the secret to youth in extracts of royal jelly taken from queen wasps.
My two amazing guests are here to enlighten us on wasps, women and workplace* etiquette.
Roger Luckhurst is a Professor at Birkbeck, University of London. He specialises in literature, film, and cultural history from the 19th century to the present.
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 Intro
02:00 Roger Corman
07:06 Women in 1959, the Mad Men era and real life women CEOs
09:38 The Fly: death, face reveals and campiness
15:52 The 1995 remake
18:13 The parasitic wasp
20:59 Royal jelly, royalty and matriarchs
22:50 Office politics: youth, beauty and 50s expectations
32:48 Teen market & production constraints.
35:14 Death of the Wasp Woman
36:42 Susan Cabot’s tragic death
40:00 Legacy of the film
46:38 Recommendations for the listener
Synopsis of The Wasp Woman
Dr Eric Zinthrop has been research the royal jelly of queen wasps and has discovered an elixir of youth that changes grown animals into baby ones. He is exactly what Janice Starlin, the ageing CEO of the hugely successful but failing cosmetics brand Janic Starlin Enterprises needs to change her and her companies fortune around.
A couple of the men who work for Janice do not trust Zinthrop. They enlist Janice’s secretary Mary to spy on her boss. Although Janice can see the effects of the new drug she impatient with the slow results and Zinthrop’s cautious attitude. She goes to the laboratory and injects herself to speed up results.
Meanwhile Zinthrop realises his formula makes his test animals crazy but before he is able to warn Janice he gets into a car accident. Janice cannot find him and so decides to continue to self-administer doses of the serum and begins to look increasingly younger.
When Zinthrop is finally found by Janice she pays for and takes over his care sleeping at the office. She also discovers the serum has an unfortunate side effects of turning her head into that of a huge wasp and causing her to kill! This all leads to a big fight at the end in which Janice Starling’s wasp form is attacked and thrown off a high floor balcony.
NEXT EPISODE!
We will be shimmying into 1960 with the classic HG Wells adaptation The Time Machine. The film is available to buy or rent online from major outlets including Apple. You can check the Just Watch website to see where the film is available in your region.
*I would like a gold star for alliteration please.