Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever* Titelbild

Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*

Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*

Von: Ayesha Khan
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 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.© 2025 Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever* Kunst
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  • The Tingler: Vincent Price, William Castle & 1959 Ballyhoo

    The Tingler: Vincent Price, William Castle & 1959 Ballyhoo
    Jun 22 2025
    Hello wonderful people! You can follow the podcast on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky. 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 https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm 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 to know what on earth is going on. It seems not everyone is watching these films before listening. So, I have added more information further below. As always there are spoilers ahead! The Tingler (1959) was released in cinemas with the expectation that cinema owners would install “Percepto!” under certain seats. This was a small electric buzzing device that would be triggered during key moments of the film. Director William Castle was known for these kinds of interactive, promotional gimmicks and had used them many times before. The tradition of “Ballyhoo” in cinema is an old one and involves enticing audiences to the movies with various types of marketing stunts. Vincent Price plays the hammy lead with a gravitas very few people can pull off. I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable film despite the lack of “Percepto!” in my own home. As always, I am lucky to have two excellent guests joining me. Scott Higgins is Professor of Film at Wesleyan University as well as being the Curator of the Wesleyan Cinema Archives. Matthew Rule Jones is a senior Lecturer in Film Studies at the University of Exeter. Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:57 William Castle the King of Ballyhoo 04:21 William Caste’s background 10:19 The death of Florence Lawrence and movie myth-making 13:50 The Avant Garde, The Grand Guinol and The Surrealists 18:40 Red blood in a black and white film 21:50 A brink film: LSD, insanity and the impending Psycho 25:53 Loose ends and ethical loopholes 29:03 Vincent Price as the part-time mad scientist 33:33 The bad wife 34:57 The Tingler, teen audiences and a screaming crescendo 40:07 Manly screaming and scream queens 42:33 The silent era references 46:32 Legacy 52:14 Recommendations NEXT EPISODE! Next episode we will be talking about The Wasp Woman from 1959 directed by Roger Corman. I believe the film is in the public domain and is easily available online for free or to buy and rent on many streaming services. It is also available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpPAN6frZmU Synopsis of The Tingler The Tingler begins with the director William Castle addressing the audience about how they are about to experience a tingling sensation that no audience has ever experienced before. Relief can be gained by screaming! The story involves Dr Warren Chapin (played by Vincent Price) investigating the cause of why some inmates are frightened to death before their executions. A man names Olly Higgins visit Dr Chapin and tells him that it is his brother-in-law that Chapin is doing an autopsy on. Chapin is convinced there is something physical in the body that causes death by fear! Olly Higgins runs a silent cinema with his deaf-mute wife Martha. Warren Chapin is obsessed with his work and ignores his wife who has decided to spend her time cavorting with other men! Her sister Lucy is good, kind and the epitome of idealised 1950s femininity. Lucy is in love with Dr Chapin’s assistant David. In his experiments Dr Chapin pretends to kill his wife to scare her, tests LSD on himself (a relatively new drug that is in 1959 legal and used by psychologists) and experiments on animals and potentially on Martha Higgins with LSD although that part isn’t really clarified. In an x-ray of his wife (who he has frightened into believing she’s dead – we can’t expect things to make sense) Dr Chapin discovers there is a long caterpillar-like creature that hugs the spine when people are terrified. Dr Chapin visits Martha Higgins to give her some medication which may or may not be LSD. After this she experiences many frightening experiences including a bath filled with red blood (in a black and shite film). Martha is terrified of blood and collapses. Olly Higgins brings his wife Martha to Dr Chapin. She is very sick or dead. Dr Warren declares Martha dead but after she moves he gets permission to find out why. He discovers and extracts the tingler! Shenanigans commence involving a murderous wife, an escaped tingler in the silent cinema and Martha’s revenge!
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    55 Min.
  • Teenagers from Outer Space: Aliens, Ray Guns & Gargons, Oh My!

    Teenagers from Outer Space: Aliens, Ray Guns & Gargons, Oh My!
    Jun 8 2025

    You can follow the podcast on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.

    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 https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm

    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.

    As previously mentioned, the film is silly but I found it very enjoyable. Stilted dialogue that is often out of sync, special effects that are very simple and yet effective, space fascists with rayguns and a sweet hearted rebel finding his way in the unfamiliar new world of Earth. How many sci-fi tropes can you possibly fit into a film made on the tightest of budgets?

    The film made me laugh a lot which admittedly isn’t too difficult to do but it was a much needed laugh after the beautifully bleak misery of On the Beach.

    I am not the only person who has a soft spot for this film. I am very lucky to be joined by two wonderful guests who are definitely avid fans of this alien invasion adventure.

    Marc Longenecker is an Associate Professor of the Practice of Film Studies at Wesleyan University.

    Blair Davis is a Professor of Media and Cinema Studies at DePaul University. He has written a lot about cinema and comics and including the book The Battle for the Bs: 1950s Hollywood and the Rebirth of Low-Budget Cinema.

    Chapters

    00:00 Intro

    02:37 Why do you love this film?

    08:41 Distribution and reception

    12:48 “Bad” film

    18:15 The tragic life of Tom Graeff

    25:53 Derek the hero: the rebel anti-fascist with daddy issues

    33:10 Special effects

    38:17 Chekov’s Gargon: the lobster monster!

    40:58 Space adventures on Earth and teen appeal

    44:28 Thor! A bad guy with great comedic value

    47:04 The ending

    50:18 King Moody: from space fascist to Ronald McDonald

    50:54 Recommendations for the listener

    NEXT EPISODE!

    Next time we’ll be discussing the film The Tingler (1959) starring Vincent Price. The film is readily available on multiple streaming services to rent or buy and also on some free services in some regions. The Just Watch website gives a good overview of where you can find films in your region.
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    53 Min.
  • On the Beach: Atomic Apocalypse in 1959

    On the Beach: Atomic Apocalypse in 1959
    May 25 2025

    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 https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm

    You can follow the podcast on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.

    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 film! I did really like the film and have to admit that perhaps I have been giving it a hard time. Perhaps because it gave me a hard time! There are moments of fun, flirtation and enjoyment but it is all within the backdrop of undeniable impending annihilation. I am definitely someone who prefers some depth and thematic discussion of the ethics of humanity in my science fiction (as well as some good old pew-pew led heroism) but I did find this film to be so very sad. Luckily I have two absolutely wonderful guests to keep me company and help me keep a stiff upper lip in the face of doom.

    Thomas Doherty is a professor of American Studies at Brandeis University, he is a cultural historian with a special interest in Hollywood cinema on which he has written extensively.

    John Wills is a Professor of American Media and Culture at University of Kent. He has written lots about popular culture including 1950s American and Nuclear film.

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction

    02:10 Nuclear war is apparently not fun

    08:09 Not your usual sci-fi

    09:21 Scope, scale and cultural impact

    13:43 We are ALL doomed

    15:58 Gregory & Ava: Dwight & Moira

    20:51 Fred Astaire as the scientist!

    23:45 Peter and Mary contemplate suicide and murder

    27:27 Love in the time of annihilation

    30:03 Submarine: Signals and San Francisco

    36:58 The Final Ferrari Race

    39:30 Suicide

    46:16 Legacy

    49:09 Recommendations

    Correction:

    At 9:54 Tom mentions the film has not been revived but a joint US-Australia TV film released in 2000 was made.

    NEXT EPISODE!

    Next episode we will be discussing Teenagers from Outer Space (1959). It is a low budget indie film which seems to fit into the “bad film” category and so will not be for everyone! But I found it a relief full of lots of sci-fi tropes, funny parts, a coherent plot and likeable characters.

    The film is in the public domain. You can watch it on the Internet Archive website and there is also a weirdly colourised version of the film on YouTube where you can also find the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 episode on the film. I found that very funny too.
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    53 Min.

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