In this wildly free-roaming episode, Ben and Eugene discussd institutional failures in education, the assumption that everyone is motivated by greed, Disney’s Song of the South taken in a modern context, the notion that the child of two hillbillies could be educated not to be a hillbilly, is electing an idiotic TV personality to the ... Read more
Simon and Eugene mark the 800th episode of Fusion Patrol where they discuss the classic 1931 Frankenstein, the extent of the impact of this film across other media, the differences between the film and the book, and whether the film or Mary Shelley are responsible for the perception of the mad scientist. 00:01:00 Anniversary Opening ... Read more
Kenneth and Eugene look at Andrei Tarkovsky’s famous, and ponderously slow, 1972 film, Solaris. They discuss why 40 minutes of the film is set amongst wet greenery, Tarkovsky’s daddy issues, they ask “What the hell was the point of the horse?” and “Why did we sit through 10+ minutes of silent driving through Osaka?” This ... Read more
Ben and Eugene discuss Irwin Allen’s second attempt to get City Beneath the Sea going with this TV movie and seeming back door pilot. They discuss the survivability of an asteroid strike in the Pacific Ocean, Robert Wagner’s evil ‘tache, the fact that the unsuspecting people of Pacifica were always going to get saddled with ... Read more
Kenneth and Eugene explore the 1955 classic “This Island Earth.” Their discussion highlights Cal’s research, mysterious technology, and ethical dilemmas posed by the Metalunans. They reflect on the film’s pacing, special effects, and its commentary on Cold War politics, examining how its themes resonate with contemporary issues. They also discuss the film’s charm and its ... Read more
Not a movie, but a follow-up to our discussion of the Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea feature, as we look at this television episode remake of the movie. Ben and Eugene examine the moral dilemmas faced by Admiral Nelson and Dr. Weber as they propose differing solutions to a catastrophic scenario. The discussion ... Read more
In this episode of Fusion Patrol, Ben and Eugene delve into the 1961 Irwin Allen film “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,” starring Walter Pidgeon and Joan Fontaine. The discussion centers on the USOS Seaview and Admiral Nelson’s desperate mission to extinguish a catastrophic burning of the Van Allen Belt, which threatens all life ... Read more
This week Simon and Eugene look at the last nugget of the Disney-BBC Doctor Who deal, the War Between the Land and the Sea where they discuss parallels between the modern UNIT and Torchwood, whether Kate Lethbridge-Stewart is the true heir to the Brigadier, and Eugene explains why the naming of Homo Aqua is as ... Read more
This week Fusion Patrol looks at The Andromeda Strain as Ben and Eugene discuss hard science fiction tension built from plausible medical and military technology; human errors, prejudice, and design flaws that nearly trigger nuclear catastrophe; Nostalgic enthusiasm for long‑forgotten light pen computer interfaces; and a strangely prominent topless corpse and its clash with the ... Read more
This week Fusion Patrol looks at the 1973 movie Soylent Green as John and Eugene discuss if starving people even care if Soylent Green is people, Charlton Heston’s most human performance in a dystopian film, women treated as apartment “furniture” in a collapsing society, and Edward G. Robinson’s final acting role as his own death ... Read more
This week, Ben and Eugene look at the 1956 Japanese Kaiju classic, Rodan! Or, as originally known, Sora no Daikaiju, Radon. Rodan Release Date: December 26, 1956 (Japan), August 6, 1957 (US) Runtime: 74 minutes Starring: Kenji Sahara, Yumi Shirakawa, Akihiko Hirata Director: Ishirô Honda Writer: Takeshi Kimura, Takeo Murata (screenplay), based on story by ... Read more
This week Ben and Eugene look at the 1960 movie, Village of the Damned, inspired by the 1957 John Wyndham novel, the Midwich Cuckoos.
It’s hard to keep a good Phibes down. Would it be as hard to keep a bad Phibes down? Ben and Eugene discuss the 1972 The Abominable Dr. Phibes sequel, Dr. Phibes Rises Again. Dr. Phibes Rises Again Release Date: July 5, 1972 Runtime: 89 minutes Starring: Vincent Price, Robert Quarry, Valli Kemp, Peter Cushing, ... Read more
This week, on World Beyond movie Night, Ben and Eugene dip their toes into comedy/horror Diesel Punk with The Abominable Dr. Phibes. The Abominable Dr. Phibes Release Date: May 18, 1971 Runtime: 94 minutes Starring: Vincent Price, Joseph Cotten, Virginia North, Hugh Griffith, Terry-Thomas, Peter Jeffrey, Aubrey Woods, Susan Travers, David Hutcheson, John Cater, Maurice ... Read more
Between seasons 1 and 2 of Space: 1999, Gerry Anderson took another stab at space opera, this time with an eye towards teachiing children about Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity. How well did that plan go? Find out as Ben and Eugene discuss The Day After Tomorrow. (AKA, Into Infinity) The Day After Tomorrow (Into ... Read more
“Barbarella, pychodella, there’s a kind of cockleshell about you…” It began as a scandalous comic book, then Dino De Laurentiis thought, “hey, they oughta make a movie about that.” …and now, Ben and Eugene have to watch it and discuss it. It’s the 1968 movie, Barbarella starring Jane Fonda.
Cheap Star Wars ripoff, or a more brilliant parody than Space Balls? This week, Ben and Eugene look at the Roger Corman film, Starcrash!
This week, it’s movie night, and Ben and Eugene take a serious look at a movie about a giant flying turtle. It’s 1995’s Gamera: Guardian of the Universe!
This week, Ben and Eugene look at the 1972 British-American pilot movie Baffled!, a supernatural thriller starring Leonard Nimoy.
John (suspicious name) and Eugene discuss that most 80’s of 1980’s cult films: The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension.
John and Eugene look at the third “Shin” reimaging movie of classic Japanese science fiction/fantasy properties. This week, it’s 2023’s Shin Kamen Rider. How well does a movie about human-grasshopper cyborg translate to the big screen?
This episode, we’re celebrating our 700th episode of Fusion Patrol with the film The Day the Earth Stood Still, 1951 edition. Simon and Eugene discuss whether the film is an appeal to authoritarianism or pacifism, whether the spaceship was guarded by UNIT soldiers, and, of course, Eugene talks about sex with robots. The Day the ... Read more
This week, John and Eugene look at the 1972 film Silent Running. They discuss the naming order of Huey, Dewey, and Louie, does Eugene find the film as boring now as he did as a child in the 1970s, and how much of a monster is Freeman Lowell for murdering a robot?
This week, John and Eugene watch Sean Connery in space as they discuss the 1981 Sci-Fi movie Outland.
John and Eugene look back in time to 1976 for a peek at Irwin Allen's prospective pilot for the Time Travelers. The story of scientists trying to solve a pandemic of the day using a pandemic of yesteryear.
