Journey Through Sci-Fi

This week on Journey Through Sci-Fi, we're heading into murkier, creepier territory as we pair Mimic and Splice - two films that take mad science out of the lab and straight into body-horror nightmare fuel. Directed by Guillermo del Toro and Vincenzo Natali, they arrive from very different moments in sci-fi cinema. Mimic comes out of the late-90s creature-feature era, mixing practical effects with early CGI and big studio ambition. Splice, released over a decade later, taps into anxieties around gene splicing, biotech, and scientists who really should know better. Visit our website https://www.journeythroughscifi.com/Email Us!Support the podcast on PATREON INSTAGRAMTIKTOKFACEBOOKLETTERBOXD

We look back at the biggest sci-fi moments of 2025 — franchise returns, standout TV, Marvel's slump, DC's revival, and the auteur films that kept the genre interesting. From Superman and 28 Years Later to Severance and Alien: Earth, we break down what landed, what didn't, and what comes next for JTSF. Visit our website https://www.journeythroughscifi.com/Email Us!Support the podcast on PATREON INSTAGRAMTIKTOKFACEBOOKLETTERBOXD

This week on Journey Through Sci-Fi, we revisit Flubber (1997) and The Nutty Professor (1996) to explore how both films became showcases for the 90s CGI boom. We look at how early digital effects, morphing tech, ILM's rubbery animation, and ambitious makeup and prosthetics reshaped the mad-scientist trope for a family audience. From Eddie Murphy's multi-character transformations to Flubber's bouncy CGI flying rubber, we break down the moment Hollywood shifted from practical FX to digital spectacle and what effect it had on the depiction of Mad Science. Visit our website https://www.journeythroughscifi.com/Email Us!Support the podcast on PATREON INSTAGRAMTIKTOKFACEBOOKLETTERBOXD

"Remember, no matter where you go… there you are." This week on Journey Through Sci-Fi, we're looking at two very different visions of genius at work - one saving the world, the other stealing dreams. We discuss The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) - now say that five times fast - and The City of Lost Children (La Cité des enfants perdus, 1995) to explore the heroes and villains of mad science. Visit our website https://www.journeythroughscifi.com/Email Us!Support the podcast on PATREON INSTAGRAMTIKTOKFACEBOOKLETTERBOXD

We're back with another Future Frontiers episode, covering all the latest sci-fi hitting screens this month. We chat about Predator: Badlands, Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, Yorgos Lanthimos' Bugonia and the upcoming Running Man remake from Edgar Wright - plus we try to decode what on earth Vince Gilligan's mysterious new series Pluribus might be. We also talk about what we've been watching lately - Peacemaker S2, Gen V, Foundation, and Demon Slayer - and tackle your big listener questions. Should The Thing and Predator start one minute later? Chapters 00:01:05 – What We've Been Watching 00:05:32 – Anime at the Box Office Demon Slayer, Chainsaw Man. 00:08:15 – New Sci-Fi in Cinemas - Bugonia, Predator: Badlands, and The Running Man remake. 00:15:01 – Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein 00:17:51 – Upcoming Sci-Fi Series: Pluribus & Stranger Things 5 00:22:26 – Mailbag: Time Travel & The Toaster Paradox 00:26:02 – Jake's hot take on re-editing iconic openings and fan edit talk. 00:30:12 – What's Next for Journey Through Sci-Fi Subscribe for deep-dive sci-fi chat every other Thursday, and join us on Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes. Visit our website https://www.journeythroughscifi.com/Email Us!Support the podcast on PATREON INSTAGRAMTIKTOKFACEBOOKLETTERBOXD

"Who's going to believe a talking head? Get a job in a sideshow!" We're diving head-first (literally) into the weird world of Frankenstein's legacy once again, with Re-Animator (1985) and Poor Things (2023). From glowing green serums to brain-swapping brilliance, we explore how both films rewire the Frankenstein formula mixing horror, humour, and the eternal question of whether a mad science creation can ever truly go 'right'. Visit our website https://www.journeythroughscifi.com/Email Us!Support the podcast on PATREON INSTAGRAMTIKTOKFACEBOOKLETTERBOXD

To celebrate the upcoming Predator: Badlands and the big-screen re-release of Prey on November 5th (for a very limited cinema run) we're bringing one of our favourite Patreon episodes to the main feed. In this bonus epsiode we revisit Prey (2022), and discuss how it re-energised the franchise, why it works as sci-fi horror, and where it fits in the Predator legacy. 🩸 Predator: Badlands lands Nov 7 — we'll be covering it exclusively on Patreon. 🎧 Join us at patreon.com/journeythroughscifi Visit our website https://www.journeythroughscifi.com/Email Us!Support the podcast on PATREON INSTAGRAMTIKTOKFACEBOOKLETTERBOXD

What happens when unlicensed nuclear accelerators meet ancient rituals? This week we look at what happens when mad science collides with the world of ghosts, gods, and monsters. From proton packs in Ghostbusters (1984) - Oh the nostalgia! - to underground experiments in The Cabin in the Woods (2011), we explore how science and the supernatural crash together in hilarious and horrifying ways. A perfect pairing for the spooky Halloween season! Visit our website https://www.journeythroughscifi.com/ Email Us! Support the podcast on PATREON Add us on INSTAGRAM Find us on TIKTOK Like us on FACEBOOK Follow us on LETTERBOXD

As we’ve just revisited Tron and Tron: Legacy, you knew we couldn’t resist jacking back into the Grid for Tron: Ares. This is a spoiler-free sneak peek of our full Patreon episode, where we talk Jared Leto’s turn as Ares, the film’s take on AI, and whether that Nine Inch Nails soundtrack hits as hard as promised. Does this long-awaited sequel push the Tron universe forward, or just coast on nostalgia? That's what we plan to find out... 👉 Hear the full spoiler-filled episode on Patreon: patreon.com/JourneyThroughSciFi Visit our website https://www.journeythroughscifi.com/ Email Us! Support the podcast on PATREON Add us on INSTAGRAM Find us on TIKTOK Like us on FACEBOOK

What happens when humanity steps inside the machine? This week we’re diving back into the grid! In anticipation of Tron: Ares, we revisit both Tron (1982) and Tron: Legacy (2010). Two landmark films that imagined what life might look like inside a computer. From the neon glow of 80s cyberspace to Daft Punk’s sleek digital symphony, we explore how these films evolved our ideas about artificial intelligence and virtual reality. Featuring archive clips from our AI and VR series, this episode connects the dots between man, machine, and the legacy of Tron. Visit our website https://www.journeythroughscifi.com/ Email Us! Support the podcast on PATREON Add us on INSTAGRAM Find us on TIKTOK Like us on FACEBOOK Follow us on LETTERBOXD

What happens when mad science pushes the human mind and body to their absolute limits? Our latest journey through sci-fi takes us from swirling cosmic vortices to larval mind-control worms. We explore how Ken Russell's Altered States (1980) turns science into body horror and how Shane Carruth's Upstream Colour (2013) transforms trauma into an arthouse mystery about love and memory. Visit our website https://www.journeythroughscifi.com/ Email Us! Support the podcast on PATREON Add us on INSTAGRAM Find us on TIKTOK Like us on FACEBOOK Follow us on LETTERBOXD

Would you kill baby Hitler? That classic moral dilemma sits at the heart of The Boys from Brazil (1978), where Gregory Peck’s Josef Mengele pursues a chilling plan to revive the Reich. Adapted from Ira Levin’s Nazi-hunter thriller, the film blends real history with speculative science fiction in unsettling ways. After that, we tackle Das Experiment (2001), a dramatic take on the Stanford Prison Experiment. We talk through how the film captures the terrifying speed at which normal people can be dehumanised, corrupted, and broken by power. Visit our website https://www.journeythroughscifi.com/ Email Us! Support the podcast on PATREON Add us on INSTAGRAM Find us on TIKTOK Like us on FACEBOOK Follow us on THREADS Follow us on LETTERBOXD

We’ve been on a little break over the summer, but we're back for a brand-new Future Frontiers episode! In this episode, we catch up on everything sci-fi we’ve been watching (and missing) while the Mad Science series has been on pause. We chat about the big blockbusters of the summer that we caught - Superman, Jurassic Park: Rebirth, and Fantastic Four – plus horror highlights Weapons and Together. On TV, we get into The Studio, Slow Horses, Upload, and share our first thoughts on Alien: Earth. Looking ahead, we break down the latest trailers for Tron: Ares (with a Nine Inch Nails soundtrack!), Edgar Wright’s Running Man, Project Hail Mary, Afterburn, and French indie gem Meanwhile on Earth. We also touch on Guillermo del Toro’s long-awaited Frankenstein, Yorgos Lanthimos’s new sci-fi project, and the next Skyline sequel. And to wrap up, we tackle a big listener question: how will AI change the future of sci-fi storytelling? Visit our website https://www.journeythroughscifi.com/ Email Us! Support the podcast on PATREON Add us on INSTAGRAM Find us on TIKTOK Like us on FACEBOOK Follow us on THREADS Follow us on LETTERBOXD

Who knew artificial intelligence could get so emotional? In this bonus compilation, we count down our Top 5 A.I. characters in sci-fi cinema - from HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey to Samantha in Her, the replicants of Blade Runner, and the lovable WALL-E. Drawn from our archives, these clips explore how A.I. in film has challenged what it means to be human - sometimes terrifying, sometimes tragic and sometimes completely adorable. If you enjoyed this episode make sure you go back and listen to our previous epsiodes in full: Her 2001: A Space Odyssey Blade Runner WALL‑E Terminator 2

Summer Sci-Fi Preview In this month’s Future Frontiers episode, we preview the biggest upcoming sci-fi movies and TV shows landing in June and July (just before we go on our summer break) - from Predator: Killer of Killers and 28 Years Later to M3GAN 2.0, Ironheart, and the return of Foundation. We chat about what we've been watching lately (Invincible and The Last of Us finale) and open up the mailbag to tackle your sci-fi questions — including just how "mad" Reed Richards really is, and which Doctor rules the TARDIS. Visit our website https://www.journeythroughscifi.com/ Email Us! Support the podcast on PATREON Add us on INSTAGRAM Find us on TIKTOK Like us on FACEBOOK Follow us on THREADS Follow us on LETTERBOXD

Mad Science Meets Mealtime. This week on Journey Through Sci-Fi, we’re serving up a double helping of food-fueled madness as we dive into Return of the Killer Tomatoes (1988) and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009). From sentient tomatoes plotting global domination to various meats falling from the sky. Is it delicious, disgusting… or both? And which one has a surprising link to The Muppets? Join us as we chew over the bizarre origins of these culinary sci-fi comedies and ask the ultimate question: would you eat that? Want to watch the classics we’re chatting about on the podcast? Grab your copies of the movies through our affiliate links 🎬 Return of the Killer Tomatoes (1988)Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) Visit our website https://www.journeythroughscifi.com/ Email Us! Follow us on TWITTER Add us on INSTAGRAM Like us on FACEBOOK Follow us on LETTERBOXD Support the podcast on PATREON

In this week’s episode of our Mad Science series, we slip into our fishnets and fire up the floppy disks as we delve into the horny world of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) and Weird Science (1985). From Frank-N-Furter’s glitter-soaked lab to an ‘80s teenage boys pervy fantasy, we explore two more takes on the Frankenstein myth. Expect cult cinema, born-sexy-yesterday tropes, and a lot of talk about Tim Curry. Want to watch the classics we’re chatting about on the podcast? Grab your copies of the movies through our affiliate links 🎬 The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) Weird Science (1985) Visit our website https://www.journeythroughscifi.com/ Email Us! Follow us on TWITTER Add us on INSTAGRAM Like us on FACEBOOK Follow us on LETTERBOXD Support the podcast on PATREON

In this month’s bonus Future Frontiers episode, we dive into the future of AI-dubbed films, featuring the Swedish sci-fi Watch the Skies hitting cinemas. We also discuss the highly anticipated returns of Andor and The Last of Us, take a closer look at Thunderbolts (what's up with the asterisk in the title?), and unpack Apple's intriguing new Murderbot series, based on Martha Wells' novel (don’t let the title fool you!). Plus, we explore the growing trend of video games adapted into films and answer your latest questions in the mailbag. Visit our website https://www.journeythroughscifi.com/ Email Us! Support the podcast on PATREON Add us on INSTAGRAM Find us on TIKTOK Like us on FACEBOOK Follow us on THREADS Follow us on LETTERBOXD

Two films. One mind-blowing concept: what if you could go inside the body? This episode, we explore the micro-madness of Fantastic Voyage (1966) and Innerspace (1987) - two very different takes on internal exploration. From high-concept sci-fi to comedic calamity, we look at how the trope of the shrunken scientist has mutated through the decades. Want to watch the classics we’re chatting about on the podcast? Grab your copies of Fantastic Voyage and Innerspace through our affiliate links 🎬 Fantastic Voyage (1966) Innerspace (1987) Visit our website https://www.journeythroughscifi.com/ Email Us! Follow us on TWITTER Add us on INSTAGRAM Like us on FACEBOOK Follow us on LETTERBOXD Support the podcast on PATREON

It's alllliiiiiiiive!...again This week, we continue our journey through mad science examining two continuations of the Frankentesin cinematic legacy: James Whale's Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and Kenneth Branagh's Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994). We delve into how Whale's Gothic flair and camp sensibility redefined the story, while Branagh's Shakespearean touch added tragic depth and a fair share of melodrama to the tale. Visit our website https://www.journeythroughscifi.com/ Email Us! Follow us on TWITTER Add us on INSTAGRAM Like us on FACEBOOK Follow us on LETTERBOXD Support the podcast on PATREON