Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*
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. Released every two weeks*Almost
The Incredible Shrinking Man: 1950s Masculinity in Crisis
Description 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. 1957 USA seems like a country on the brink of huge social change. (Of course, I say this with the benefit of hindsight and with a deep affection for the decade that was just around the corner.) But so many of the events of the year are an indication of what’s to come. The Civil Rights Act of 1957
How Forbidden Planet Shaped Sci-Fi Cinema
As usual there are spoilers ahead! Description 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 speaking to guests. It’s a film that not only seems to excite avid fans of sci-fi cinema but also influenced some of the genre’s heavy hitters like both Star Wars and Star Trek. A costly, slick, colourful movie which takes a break from the red scare theme
Invasion of the Body Snatchers: Pod People & Paranoia Since 1956
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. DescriptionInvasion 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 thr
Godzilla in 1954: Japan’s Nuclear Nightmare and Sci-Fi Legacy
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 Tsubura
Cuts, Comics and Creatures: A Sci-Fi Podcast Retrospective
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 ou
Them! The 1954 Horror Sci-Fi that Spawned Big Bug Cinema
As usual there are spoilers ahead!For the full show notes without character limits you can head to the website here.Description Them! (1954) is the 6th film we are covering from the 1950s. Hollywood is beginning to realise that sci-fi is a money making genre! The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms from the year before was a big hit for Warner Brothers and Them! followed suit. Another nuclear monster but this time it’s giant ants! Them! was the very first big bug feature and is often considered the greate
Creature from the Black Lagoon: Horror, Politics and Passion in 1954
As usual there are spoilers ahead!For the full show notes with no character limits you can visit the website. DescriptionCreature 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 t
Interstellar Science: Einstein, Wormholes and Gravity with Claudia de Rham
As with all episodes of this podcast there are spoilers ahead! Earlier this year I approached a brilliant theoretical physicist about whether she would like to come on the podcast to speak about her favourite science fiction film but instead she wanted to speak to me about the science of the film Interstellar (2014). I apologise in advance for my own level of understanding of physics which is a mix of decades old lessons in school, a tiny handful of pop science books and a number of science fict
It Came from Outer Space: Bradbury, 3D & 1950s Teens
As always there are spoilers ahead! If you want to read the full show notes you can click the episode on this page and scroll down. Description Are we sick of alien invasion films? I certainly hope not! Although this one is a little different as the aliens just want to leave. It Came from Outer Space (1953) was directed by Jack Arnold who would make a name for himself in the 1950s as a director of many sci-fi films. Although the script was written by Harry Essex the treatment for the film was by
The War of the Worlds: HG Wells' Martians in 1953
As always there are spoilers ahead! Description: After the classic film The Day the Earth Stood Still we move forward to 1953 and yet another Alien invasion. This time the aliens are definitely not looking to be friends. The War of the Worlds was written by HG Wells and published in 1897 in Pearson’s magazine. There have been many adaptations of the text including the famous radio play from Orson Welles in 1938 and the film adaptation by Steven Spielberg in 2005. I mention the drawings of the Ma
The Day the Earth Stood Still: Klaatu's Ultimatum
As usual there are spoilers ahead!If you want to read the full show notes you can click the episode on this page and scroll down. The Day the earth Stood Still was released in 1951 just like The Thing from Another World. And just like that film The Day the Earth Stood Still is based on a story from Astounding Science Fiction magazine. The flying saucer craze of 1947 has obviously made its impression on Hollywood and The Day the Earth Stood Still delivered a seamless sleek futuristic saucer along
The Thing from Another World: Howard Hawks and the Cold War
As always there are spoilers ahead! For the full show notes with no character limits you can click the episode on the website watch page here. Description:We are finally in the 1950s! The Golden Era of science fiction cinema. Although the 1950s are known for may B Movies The Thing from Another World was produced (and possibly directed) but the very famous Howard Hawks and came from RKO which was a big name studio at this time. This film capitalised on the growing appetite for science fiction in
Robert Duncan Milne: A Lost Pioneer of Science Fiction
Unlike most episodes there are no film spoilers ahead! For full detailed show notes please click the episode on this page and scroll down. This episode we take a huge jump back to the end of the 19th century and a side step to science fiction literature rather than film. Robert Duncan Milne is a lost pioneer of science fiction literature. Milne’s work had largely vanished despite a book drawing attention to him in 1980. Born in Scotland in 1844 he died in San Francisco at the dawn of the 20th ce
How Alien Changed Sci-Fi Cinema in 1979
As with all episodes of this podcast there are spoilers ahead! For full detailed show notes (without character limits) you can choose the episode on the watch page here: https://www.everyscififilm.com/watch This is a special crossover episode with The Lorehounds podcast. To learn more about The Lorehounds and their extensive coverage of multiple TV series you can visit their website here. DescriptionIt has been 45 years since the first Alien (1979) film released in the cinema receiving lukewarm
Alien: Romulus (2024) trailer reaction with The Lorehounds
Be warned: There are some potential spoilers ahead. Neither of us have watched Alien: Romulus yet but there is a lot of talk of the franchise and what we are expecting of the new film including a very clever theory from David which could be a spoiler. This is a bonus episode which is part of my first ever crossover podcast! Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever* is joining The Lorehounds podcast as both are a little too excited about a certain franchise. Alien (1979) is 45 years old this year and Alien:
Mad Scientists: Frankenstein, Dr Jekyll & Boris Karloff
As with all episodes of this podcast there are spoilers ahead! For full detailed show notes (without character limits), including the titles of the films mentioned or shown, you can choose the episode on the watch page here: https://www.everyscififilm.com/watch Description: The idea of the ‘mad scientist’ has been with us for a very long time. In the early 1930s science fiction (and horror) films proliferated with the trope. Metropolis (1927) had already had the remarkable Rotwang who was a prot
Flash Gordon: From Buck Rogers Rip-Off to Space Opera Legend
As with all episodes of this podcast there are spoilers ahead!For full detailed shownotes (without character limits) you can choose the episode on the watch page here.If you would like to watch the Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers film serials they are available on YouTube. (Warning: the serials are repetitive and there are three Flash Gordon serials and one Buck Rogers!) The 1980 Mike Hodges Flash Gordon film is available to rent or buy at an array of outlets including Apple TV. Although it was Buck
Pulps, Comics and the Rise of Superheroes
Whilst researching the Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers film serials of the 1930s I was delighted to find far too much information about the pulp and comic book origins of these heroes. So we are taking a detour to speak with people who really have their heads wrapped around this topic.For full shownotes for this episode without character limits you can visit here.We will be talking about Flash Gordon (and a little about Buck Rogers) in the next episode. Scroll down to get more information on where
The Invisible Man Exposed
As with all episodes of this podcast there are spoilers ahead!For full detailed shownotes (without character limits) you can choose the episode on the watch page here.I would love for you to join in by watching The Invisible Man here. You can follow what I'm researching and working on next on the podcast Instagram page @everyscififilm.Description:When HG Wells wrote The Invisible Man in 1897 he was in a world in which the telephone, the phonograph and even the invention of the radio brought
King Kong: The Origin of a Cinematic Titan
As with all episodes of this podcast there are spoilers ahead! For full detailed shownotes (without character limits) you can choose the episode on the watch page here. I would love for you to join in by watching the film King Kong here.Description:In early March 1933 the US welcomed Franklin D Roosevelt as their 32nd president. The longest lasting presidency in US history. That same weekend the original King Kong opened in theatres in New York. The huge ape was a big success and continues to wo
Just Imagine a Musical Rom-Com Sci-Fi!
As with all episodes of this podcast there are spoilers ahead! For full detailed shownotes (without character limits) you can choose this episode on the watch page here and scroll down. I would love for you to join in by watching the film Just Imagine which is available here.If you would like to share your thoughts on the film or the episode you can do that on Instagram. DescriptionHow did the US make a lighthearted, musical rom-com in answer to the grand German dystopia of Metropolis? Just Imag
Frankenstein Goes to Hollywood
We're doing things a little differently this episode. There are still spoilers ahead! Frankenstein is considered by many people to be a solid first choice for the first science fiction novel. (Before you start jumping up and down in disgust, yes, there are many stories from the 1600s and even ancient tales which are considered to be strong contenders for the first written sci-fi story. That does not take away from the influence of Mary Shelley.) In 1816 the teenager* went on holiday to Swit
Metropolis: The Most Influential Sci-Fi Film Ever*
*Almost. As with all episodes of this podcast there are spoilers ahead!You can watch Metropolis (1927) here or here: For full shownotes visit the watch page for this episode on the website: https://www.everyscififilm.com/watchDescriptionAfter losing World War I Germany entered a time of economic hardship and political turmoil. In 1918 the Monarchy abdicated. The country was financially crippled by the reparations enforced by The Treaty of Versailles and German democracy began.From 1918 until Hit
Aelita: The 100 Year Old Queen of Mars
As with all episodes of this podcast there are spoilers ahead!You can watch Aelita Queen of Mars (1924) here. For full shownotes visit the watch page for this episode on the website: https://www.everyscififilm.com/watch Lenin, the leader of the Russian revolution and the new soviet Russia declared “cinema is for us the most important of the arts”. He recognised the power of film to reach a wide range of audiences and its potential as propaganda. The country was struggling as was its film industr
The First Science Fiction Film Ever
As with all episodes of this podcast there are spoilers ahead! I would love for you to join in by watching the film, Le Voyage Dans La Lune here. The film was made by the pioneer French film director George Méliès in 1902. It is widely considered to be the first sci-fi film ever. There is a small rumble of a potential contender which I have added at the bottom of the full shownotes. For full shownotes with references to the subjects mentioned in this episode you can visit https://www.everyscifif
The Creator: David Eagleman's favourite sci-fi film ever
As with all episodes of this podcast there are spoilers ahead! Every once in a while we take a break from watching and learning about old science fiction films and speak to a guest about their favourite sci-fi film. In this episode I speak to David Eagleman about The Creator and what about this 2023 film made it to the top of his list.For full shownotes with references to the subjects mentioned in this episode you can visit https://www.everyscififilm.com/the-creator-david-eagleman-s-fvouriteThe
What is Science Fiction?
And so we begin! The very first episode. Before we start the journey of examining every single sci-fi film ever* we must understand what science fiction is. In this episode I speak to science fiction scholars Lisa Yaszek and Glynn Morgan about the definitions of this well-known genre. What is the difference between science fiction and fantasy? Are superhero movies sci-fi? Are the we the real monsters? Please be warned: as always there are spoilers ahead! Link for the next film is at the bottom.
Trailer: Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*
Every single sci-fi film ever. Almost. Award-winning podcast producer and sci-fi film enthusiast Ayesha Khan volunteers for the task. Her continuing mission: to explore strange old films, seek out the experts, and to boldly bring them to you.We will begin our journey with an episode dedicated to finding out what science fiction actually is. Then we move to Paris, 1902, to watch and discuss the first sci-fi film ever: Le Voyage Dans La Lune. Occasionally we will take some detours to hear some fas