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Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Ayesha Khan
The Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever* podcast looks back at more than a century of films, beginning in 1902 and working towards the future. Each episode focuses on a film, director or theme and brings in experts to discuss the history, politics, and influences. Join sci-fi enthusiast Ayesha Khan as she travels through time and space, encounters aliens, and battles authoritarian regimes all from the comfort of your home planet.
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- 1 weeks ago55 min
Sci-fi & Architecture: Visions of the Future
There are spoilers ahead! For many films I'm afraid. I would especially avoid the episode until you have watched Ex-Machina (which you really really should immediately it really is phenomenal) as Jes does talk directly about the ending between 53:23 till 53:46. I have made a list of the films and books mentioned below. This is another detour episode and perhaps you're thinking I'm trying to avoid the very big task of recording 2001: A Space Odyssey content. And perhaps you're right. But I hope you enjoy this discussion. If you try to think of a futuristic city your mind may be drawn towards a real place but it could just as easily be drawn towards the great science fiction films that render our future on our screens. Films like Blade Runner, Minority Report, Fifth Element and (the granddaddy) Metropolis have all shown us what human futures could look like. Sometimes these visions are intimidating, terrifying or occausionally aspirational. These images in turn can affect and inform own understanding of what an unwritten future should be like. I have two wonderful guests to talk through the somewhat symbiotic relationship of science fiction and architecture Amy Brookes is an architect and an Associate Professor at the University of Reading. She has written extensively about architecture and one of her special interests is Architecture in science fiction literature and film. Jes Deaver is an award-winning architect as well as a filmmaker and writer. She is the author of the article The Architecture of Imagination which explores the parallels between science fiction and architecture. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:32 The SF-Architecture connection 06:40 How the symbolism of the tower changes 14:38 Anxieties in architecture 17:00 The reciprocal relationship 27:10 Fears of suburbia 30:27 Non place and virtual space 33:43 Apocalyptic futures 40:02 Hopeful alternatives 49:04 Favourite architectural sci-fi films 53:46 Recommendations Recommendations: And He Built a Crooked House by Robert Heinlein Octavia's Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements Films mentioned in the episode: Metropolis (1927) Blade Runner (1982) Minority Report (2002) Chappie (2015) District 9 (2009) Attack the Block (2011) Fifth Element (1997) Just Imagine (1930) Gagarine (2020) Atlantics (2019) Tommorowland (2015) Truman Show (1998) Stepford Wives (1975) Edward Scissorhands (1990) Soylent Green (1973) Don't Look Up (2021) Children of Men (2006) Snowpiercer (2013) Hunger Games (2012) Robocop (1987) Nation Estate (2012) Silent Running (1972) High Rise (2015) Ex Machina (2014) Books mentioned: Rem Koolhaas (Remment Lucas Koolhaas) is a Dutch Architect and author of the book Delirious New York published in 1978. Ready Player One by Ernest Kline. (Made into a film by Steven Speilberg in 2018) Every Version of You by Grace Chan. Artificial Wisdom by Thomas R Weaver. Everything for Everyone: An Oral History of the New York Commune, 2052-2072 by Eman Abdelhadi and M. E. O'Brien Mouldiness Manifesto by Friedensreich Hundretwasser TV Shows mentioned: Westworld Andor Other links of interest: A page from Mark Bould's website about the ci
- 3 weeks ago59 min
Quatermass: Nigel Kneale, Hammer and Mid-Century Britain
There is a longer version of the podcast available which includes more tangential topics on Patreon for paid subscribers or for a $3 or £3 fee! The long version is just under one hour and twenty-five minutes. If you would like to become a Patreon patron and get all the podcast episodes ad free (as well as the longer edit) you can do that on: https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm As always there are spoilers ahead! You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky. As mentioned on the podcast here is an outline of the Quatermass offerings: FILM 1955: The Quatermass Xperiment AKA The Creeping Unknown (dir, Val Guest) 1957: Quatermass 2 AKA Enemy from Space (dir. Val Guest) 1967: Quatermass & the Pit AKA Five Million Years to Earth (dir. Roy Ward Baker) 1979 The Quatermass Conclusion (recut from TV series, dir. Piers Haggard) 2005 The Quatermass Experiment (Live TV movie, dir. Sam Miller) Radio 1996: The Quatermass Memoirs TV Series 1953: The Quatermass Experiment 1955: Quatermass II 1958-59 Quatermass and the Pit 1979 Quatermass (AKA Quatermass IV or The Quatermass Conclusion) 2005 The Quatermass Experiment (Live) Professor Bernard Quatermass was created by British superstar screenwriter Nigel Kneale and aired on the BBC in 1953. The TV series went on to great popularity and Hammer Films eventually came knocking for film rights. Nigel Kneale did not have any rights over the character due to being a staff writer at the time but would eventually go on to international fame especially in sci-fi and horror circles with John Carpenter (amongst others) being a vocal fan. Despite all this many people have not heard of Quatermass. Although there have been many attempts to revive the franchise none have come to fruition. But that won't stop me seeking out two of the best academics to talk excitedly about their passion for this early TV sci-fi pioneer. 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. Matthew Rule-Jones is a senior lecturer in film studies at the University of Exeter. A doctor of science fiction who likes to write about cinema including the book Science Fiction Cinema and 1950s Britain: Recontextualising Cultural Anxiety. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:24 Nigel Kneale 06:28 Rudolph Cartier and changes in TV 08:22 Hammer films and Qu
- Jun 21, 202659 min
The Face of Another 1966: Scars & Identity in Post War Japan
Trigger warning: This discussion includes talk about sexual assault and sexual violence. This is a theme apparent in the film and the source material. It is mentioned a few times. The topic is not spoken about in detail, but I wanted to share a general trigger warning for those that would prefer to avoid the topic altogether. Subtitles for the intro: "It's not that I specialise in treating fingers. I'm a psychiatrist in fact. Inferiority complexes dig holes in the psyche, and I fill them in." As always, there are spoilers ahead! You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky. If you have fancy pants and would like to be a patron of the podcast please do! 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 1964 Director Hiroshi Teshigahara's film Woman in the Dunes won the Special Jury Prize at Cannes. The film was the second of four in which Teshigahara would collaborate with writer Kōbō Abe.* The Face of Another rode the coattails of Woman in the Dunes but was nowhere near as successful. Although both films have a very bleak undertone, The Face of Another feels more jarring and less abstract in its confrontations. The story is of a man horribly disfigured from an accident in the lab where he works. He manages to find a possible solution to the isolation and desperation he experiences when he is given the opportunity to have a new face with which to navigate life. The story has many philosophical themes set in a Japan that is still wrangling with its post war cultural identity. Thankfully I have managed to procure two big brained and generous guests! Roger Luckhurst is a Professor at Birkbeck, University of London. He has written/edited numerous articles and books on cultural history and film. Jennifer Coates is a Professor of Japanese Studies at the University of Sheffield. She has written extensively about Japanese cultural history and cinema and is the President of the British Association of Japanese Studies. During the intro to the show I mention a video essay that I watched during research for the film which I found very interesting. You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yarOXWeZlzY Although this is not directly relevant to the film, one of the earliest shots is an x-ray of a skull in conversation. This is reminiscent of the very early 1996 film usually known as Macintyre's X-Ray Film. Just a small historical film curiosity which you might be interested in. You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqMYHawAKmA Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:35 Source Material: Kobe Abe's book 06:33 Abe and Teshigahara's collaboration: Woman in the Dunes 07:38 Face Masks 10:55 The manufactured Japanese New Wave 14:31 Japan in the 1960s 19:39 Alienation and Philosophy 24:47 Boundaries and skin 26:17 Moral boundaries 30:52 The skin, Japan and saving face 34:14 Scarring and the bomb 41:05 Identity and Japan 47:40 Visual delights 52:46 Legacy 55:03 Face transplants 56:51 Recommendations Recommendations: When the Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960) Eyes with
- Jun 7, 202646 min
Blade Runner: Paul Franklin's Favourite Sci-Fi Film
As always there are spoilers ahead! Blade Runner was not a huge hit in 1982 but it did gain a fair few fans on its initial release. One of those fans was a teenager from Cheshire by the name of Paul Franklin who would go on to work on numerous big budget films and win two Oscars for his work as a Special Effects Supervisor on Interstellar and Inception. I spoke to Paul about his first impressions of the film, what makes it special and how it influences Batman Begins and The Dark Knight Rises. Apologies for the abrupt ending to this episode. It is late, I've been quite busy and I have other work I really must tend to. Details of the next episode at the bottom of the show notes. You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky. If you would like to support the podcast you can become a patron and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free versions of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:47 Paul's first impressions 07:11 Influences on Blade Runner 14:01 Syd Mead's design 17:52 A future without Blade Runner 21:28 PK Dick & Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep 23:36 The plight of the androids 27:18 Deckard as replicant 32:01 Influence of Blade Runner on Paul's work 40:45 Vangelis 41:58 ET vs Blade Runner NEXT EPISODE! Next episode we will be discussing the rather striking and uncomfortable 1966 Japanese film The Face of Another. The film is available on Criterion Channel in the US and Canada and on YouTube. You can check the Just Watch website to see where the film is available in your region.
- May 24, 202657 min
Fantastic Voyage: Psychedelic Nanotech in 1966
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).
- May 10, 202656 min
Fahrenheit 451: Truffaut's 1966 Suburban Dystopia
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.
- Apr 26, 202658 min
Seconds 1966: Rock Hudson's Devastating Disillusionment
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.
- Apr 12, 202654 min
The 10th Victim: Italy's 1965 Pop Art Dystopia
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!)
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About Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*
The Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever* podcast looks back at more than a century of films, beginning in 1902 and working towards the future. Each episode focuses on a film, director or theme and brings in experts to discuss the history, politics, and influences. Join sci-fi enthusiast Ayesha Khan as she travels through time and space, encounters aliens, and battles authoritarian regimes all from the comfort of your home planet.
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