Dr. Alfred Morris (George Zucco) has a deadly new obsession: an ancient Mayan nerve gas that creates a state of "death in life." When his star pupil Ted Allison (David Bruce) becomes the unwitting guinea pig, he is transformed into a subservient ghoul who requires fresh human hearts to survive. Is this a simple Jekyll-and-Hyde knockoff, or is there a strain of zombie DNA to be found amidst all the heart-harvesting and the love rectangle? John, Andy, and Producer Brad venture back to 1943 to find out whether or not The Mad Ghoul is a vital link in the undead evolutionary chain.

SHOW NOTES:

Theatrical release date: November 12, 1943

AFI Catalog entry

Evelyn Anker's New York Time's obituary

George Zucco's New York Time's obituary

Turhan Bey's The Guardian obituary

TCM review of The Mad Ghoul

Jack Pierce's makeup for The Man Who Laughed (1929)

Theme music composed by Neil Dube.

Additional music by Elarasound.

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Additional voice work by Russell Bentley.

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Every day, scientist Robert Morgan (Vincent Price) wakes up to the same routine: scrounge for food. Repair his shelter. Head to town... and kill every vampire he finds there. How did he wind up as The Last Man on Earth(1964)? Is there any hope left for him after the apocalypse? And is it possible that this vampire movie is the biggest evolutionary leap forward in the zombie genre so far? John, Andy, and Producer Brad grab their stakes and garlic and brace for an apocalyptic zombie film that paves the way toward Night of the Living Dead.

SHOW NOTES:

Theatrical release date: May 6, 1964

Cemetery Dance interview with Richard Matheson

New York Times article on Robert Lippert and his troubles with the Screen Actors Guild. 9/9/1965

New York Times article announcing Sears and Roebuck's Vincent Price Collection. 6/9/1962.

Observer article on The Vincent Price Collection opening in Denver, CO.

Talking Heads Remain in Light press kit with bibliography.

April 21, 1988 Rolling Stone interview with David Byrne.

Rob Zombie and Waxwork Records release The Last Man on Earth soundtrack.

TCM podcast The Plot Thickens - Season 6 - Cleopatra

Theme music composed by Neil Dube.

Additional music by Elarasound.

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Additional voice work by Russell Bentley.

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Additional music by

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When evil sorcerer Aderbal (John Drew Barrymore) invokes the power of a sinister three-eyed goddess to raise an invulnerable zombie army, only one man has the courage (and biceps) to stop him: centurion Gaius (Ettore Mani). This sword-and-sandal epic set in ancient Rome has it all: swords! sandals! beautiful women! bare-chested men! And, of course, zombies. Does this zombie army live up to the hype? There's only one way to find out: join the Zombie Strains crew on an odyssey into the Italian peplum genre.

SHOW NOTES:

Movie poster artist Reynold Brown

1961 New York Times article on the art of dubbing in Italian films.

With Gorley and Rust episode on Rosemary's Baby, John referenced.

Theme music composed by Neil Dube.

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When three hep cats visit a sinister fortune teller at the carnival, their future takes a turn for the worse. The mysterious Madam Estrella wants Jerry to join her collection of hypnotized, murderous zombies. Will Harold and Angela save their friend before it's too late? John, Andy and Producer Brad gaze into their crystal ball to try and divine whether there's a good zombie flick to be found amidst all the crazy camerawork and psychedelic madness of this infamous B-horror schlockfest.

SHOW NOTES:

Theatrical Release Date: February 10, 1964

Ray Dennis Steckler 20 Film Boxed Set

Dark Eyes of London blog posting on Ray Dennis Steckler

Carolyn Brandt: Queen of Cult

Collider: 15 Movies that Have Very, Very, Very Very, Very, Long Titles

The Golden Turkey Album: The Best Songs from the Worst Movies

Theme music composed by Neil Dube.

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Three naive young women looking for work. One bitter old crone desperate for eternal life. And one mad scientist creating human/animal hybrids in the basement. Mix these ingredients together and you get a MONSTROSITY (1963) in more ways than one! Will Anita, Bea, and Nina (pronounced NINE-uh) escape this house of horrors? Join John, Andy, and Producer Brad as they venture into the first zombie movie to give a cat top billing on its poster.

SHOW NOTES:

Online obit for Erika Brunson (Peters)

Sue Dwiggins Variety Obituary

Wayne Keyser's short documentary on Ken Strickfaden.

Kickstarter campaign for a 4K restoration of Monstrosity.

The Atomic Brain musical

Cinema Cats - celebrating cats in movies and television.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 wiki entry for The Atomic Brain (aka Monstrosity)

Theme music composed by Neil Dube.

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What was the scariest part of living in the 1960s? We'd like to think it was all the zombies, but other little factors like massive societal transformation and the threat of atomic annihilation might be contenders too! Like all good horror monsters, zombies work best when they're exploiting the fears and anxieties of viewers. As the Zombie Strains team ventures into a new decade of zombie film, John and Andy take a special side trek to find out what real-life terrors 1960s zombie films were drawing on, reacting to, critiquing, and amplifying.

Theme music composed by Neil Dube.

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A living decapitated head, a knife-wielding Aztec mummy, and something called the Ring of Death. That's a lot of scary stuff to store in your basement all at once, as a group of gentleman explorers in 1963 Mexico discovers to their peril. How many will die in gruesome Aztec rituals before the curse is ended? Will reincarnated Aztec lovers romantically reunite amidst all these bloody hearts and murdered archaeologists? Do mummies even count as zombies? John, Andy, and Producer Brad return to Mexico to ask the important questions.

SHOW NOTES:

Theatrical Release Date: March 3, 1963

The Golden Age of Mexican Horror Cinema by Paul A J Lewis

Theme music composed by Neil Dube.

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A Criterion Collection film? Fantastic editing, camerawork, and direction? Are we sure Carnival of Souls is in the right podcast? After narrowly surviving a car accident, Mary uproots her life to become a church organist in Utah... but death isn't quite done with her. Her mind begins to unravel, and soon she cannot tell reality from her escalating nightmares. Join John, Andy, and Producer Brad as they scramble to declutter the Zombie Strains lab and break out the fine china for a true rarity: a great zombie film.

Show Notes:

Premiere date: September 26, 1962

AFI Catalog entry for Carnival of Souls.

Los Angeles Times 1990 appreciation of Carnival of Souls.

Roger Ebert's review of Carnival of Souls.

Candace Hilligoss' YouTube channel with several videos about Carnival of Souls.

Interview with Candace Hilligoss about sequel efforts.

Interviews with director Herk Harvey and writer John Clifford.

Video highlights of 1989 cast and crew reunion.

"Rembering Sidney Berger" from the University of Houston.

History of Saltair from the official state of Utah website.

theSaltair.com

Robert Altman's first directing credit, "Modern Football."

Mike Patton/Jean-Claude Vannier's music video for "A Schoolgirl's Day."

Television Academy announcement of Reza Badiyi's death.

Theme music composed by Neil Dube.

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"Before the Bite: Ten Things You Didn't Know About Zombies"

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