No U-Turns at the Drive-In

Part XVI in our Classic Sci-Fi series! "A whale of a tale and it's all true, I swear by my tattoo!" A great cast is assembled for a high seas adventure from one of the earliest science fiction classics. You may not think of this as a 50s era sci-fi, but it is! We explore the depths of what links this with other sci-fi and how it stands apart, as well as drop some insight into how to develop sci-fi ideas. Get your scuba gear on and dive into 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea! Next Up: This Island Earth!

Part XV in ous Classic Sci-Fi series! A double dose of terror as two titans of the 50s monster scene go head to... well, the blob doesn't really have a head, but that's beside the point. It's a showdown 60 years in the making! THE BLOB! THE FLY! What are you waiting for? Play the episode now! Next Up: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea!

Part XIV in our Classic Sci-Fi series! Another Double Feature of Gigantic Proportions! These low budget sci-fi potboilers that kept the back burners simmering as the cycle was winding down to a close feel closer to disaster films than monster movies. Perhaps they belong to a strange subset of gerne that should be classified as "Unnatural Disaster" films! Think of the unexplored potential hidden in these near forgotten classics, just waiting for energetic new filmmakers to exploit! BTW, check out the baby carriage in the poster for Monolith Monsters. Somebody had Battleship Potemkin on their mind. And if you didn't get enough of him in the Giant Claw, Jeff Morrow is back with a big boner in Kronos! (That will make sense when you listen to the show) Next Up: The Blob & The Fly!

Part XIII in our Classic Sci-Fi series! A Double Featrure of oversized creepy crawlies! The descendants of THEM! show the proportional strength and occasional bugs in the formula. First up is a strange tale with an even stranger creature and the strangest side characters you're likely run into in The Monster That Challenged The World! Then we get another dose of excellent stop motion from the man who created KING KONG with The Black Scorpion! Next Up: The Monolith Monsters & Kronos!

Feeling a bit obsessed? We brought them on to discuss De Palma for Sisters, now Evan Jones and Matt Allegretti are back in the sound booth to scream about Blow Out! It's a good scream. It's a good scream. Next Up is a Science Fiction Double Feature with The Monster that Challenged the World and The Black Scorpion!

Part XII in our Classic Sci-Fi series! Out in the desert sands there's a crime being committed. The body count is rising. But this is no maniac on the loose, it's something truly monsterous! This is what happens when you make a monster movie in the style of a procedural crime story. This is THEM! Next Up we take a break from 50s Sci-Fi to have some friends return to the show to discuss Brian De Palma's BLOW OUT!

Part XI in our Classic Sci-Fi series! We wrap up our Ray Harryhausen highlights with one of his more interesting creations in his 1950s "Destruction" series. The Ymir holds the distinction of being in the top ten Original Monsters of the era, that is to say it's not simply a dinosaur or giant insect. It manages to mingle great atmosphere and mystery for it's first act, yet as the film goes on it becomes a more predictable and by-the-numbers monster fare. Does it still hold up and, more intriguingly, does it deserve a remake? How far have we come from 20 Million Miles to Earth! Next Up: THEM!

Part X in our Classic Sci-fi Series!  Tenticles terrorize citizens as audiences are tortured by terrible troglodyte diatribes! It can't be helped by the efforts of Ray Harryhausen! There's no reason why It Came from Beneath the Sea! Next Up: 20 Million Miles to Earth!

Part IX in our Classic Sci-Fi series! 20 years after King Kong came out of the jungle, before Godzilla breathed atomic rays on Tokyo, there was The Beast From 20000 Fathoms! The 1st in a dawning age of atomic monsters was given incredible life by artist and animator Ray Harryhausen in the film that ignited his career.  Next Up: It Came from Beneath the Sea!

Part 8 in our Classic Sci-fi series! Do you ever feel tired? Anxious? Lonely? Irritable? Lustful? Depressed? Ambitious? Weary? Hopeful? Lost? Let it all go. Embrace the Pod. You too can know the simplistic bliss of not wanting for anything, because, as a Pod, you'll feel nothing at all. Don't go on suffering from emotions that build you up just to let you down. WE'RE HERE! YOU'RE NEXT! Listen to our Podcast and you will begin to understand the benefits of Invasion of the Body Snatchers! Next UP: The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms!

Our Annual Misadventure Continues! Never ask if tings can get worse, the answer is always yes, and they will. For a series that didn't have much creative integrity to begin with they still managed to find yet a deeper bottom to their barrel. As horror franchises go it's almost inevitable that they take their monster into the final frontier. How? Why? These are only some of the questions you'd naturally ask that this film does nothing to answer. Happy St. Patricks Day Jellyheads, it's Leprechaun 4: In Space. Next Up: Invasion of the Body Snatchers!

Part 7 in our Classic Sci-Fi series! An action packed arctic adventure awaits! See an extraterrestrial menace frozen in ice, shot, attacked by dogs, cut up with an axe, set on fire, and come back for more! The only thing more fast and furious than the action is the actors dialog. This film is a true precursor to modern lore that still holds up as solidly entertaining on its own. It may be a plant monster, but it isn't Swamp Thing, or Man-Thing, it's The Thing from Another World! Next week we diverge on our annual hollidy viewing with Leprechaun 4: In Space! Next up in our Classic Sci-Fi series: Invasion of the Body Snatchers!

Part VI in our Classic Sci-Fi series! A creature feature featuring a creature, to be sure a freak of nature, who lives in a lagoon not a lake nor a pond nor a creek, sir! That's right, in our 3rd Jack Arnold directed picture in a row we get one of the greatest movie monsters of all time! Until recently you would say there'd never been anything like it - but Guillermo del Toro fixed that - it's The Creature from the Black Lagoon! *Dave apologizes for the unforseen technical trouble that made his audio sound like dirt. We are working on it. Next Up: The Thing from Another World!

Part V in our Classic Sci-Fi series! A little film that stands out from the pack of Classic Sci-fi for it's unique and intriguing premise. Big props go to the final act of the story ending thing on a high note. Join us as we take out our microscopes to get a closer look at The Incredible Shrinking Man! Next Up: The Creature from the Black Lagoon! 

From the imagination of Ray Bradbury and the director of The Creature from the Black Lagoon comes a tale of cosmic horror, mystery, and anxiety. Whoever or whatever they are they did not intend to be here, and are as unprepared to deal with us as we are them. Would you Believe it? Would you dare? Beware the day someone knocks on your door and tells you It Came from Outer Space! Next Up: The Incredible Shinking Man!

Part III in our classic sci-fi features series. We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on! We're going to survive! Today we discuss Earth vs. The Flying Saucers! Next Up: It Came From Outer Space!

War! Huh! Yeah! What is it good for? Absolutely Nothing! Listen to me, the Martian ships are indestructible. There's literally absolutely nothing you can do. It's hopeless. Goerge Pal brings to life H. G. Wells seminal tale of mankinds annihilation at the hands of an invading alien force. How long will you last in The War of the Worlds! Next Up: Earth vs. The Flying Saucers!

Kicking off classic Sci-Fi with the original blockbuster of the genre. You have little choice but to acknowledge the significant part this film played in the popularization of Sci-Fi in the 50s, when cold war tensions ran high and these fantastic tales became a creative outlet for relecting our hopes and fears. It was a dawning of a new trend in filmmaking filled with special effects and allegory. It was The Day the Earth Stood Still! Next Up: War of the Worlds! 

With Special Guests Matt Allegretti and Anthony Castoria! The latest chapter in the epic saga has struck the world, leaving some fans fiercely divided. Our 4 voices offer a multifaceted look at the film's strength and weakness, as well as discuss what it means in terms of the past and future of the franchise. Is this the beginning of something new, or is it The Last Jedi? Next Up: The Day the Earth Stood Still!

Before The Last Jedi was released to the world we fans spent a lot of time sitting around and wondering what it could be. Trailers and rumors gave us hints, but until we took our seats the possibilities flooded our imaginations. No matter what you thought when you saw the film, this was an exciting time to be a Star Wars, and it should be remembered. So, on the eve of its release we sat down to record our thoughts and, effectively, put that into a time capsule. What did we get right, what surprises did we have in store, did Lucas read too many spoilers? This is the one we've been waiting for. *Dave would like to apologize for the quality of his mic, this was an impromptu recording and he had lent his usual setup to friends. Next: Star Wars: Episode VII - The Last Jedi!

Things don't always go as planned in this classic British farce with a brilliant cast of caricature characters. They may not be the prettiest bunch, but they certainly are The Ladykillers! Next Up: The Last Jedi: Fan Anticipations!

With Special Guests Evan Jones and Laura Graver! The heavily stylized live action comic book that wet our young appetites for Film Noir may be a bit clumsey at times, but still holds up as a fascinating production. Other podcasters beware when we're on the case with Dick Tracy! Next up: The Ladykillers (1955)!

It's Noirvember, and if you were born in the 1980s like we were then the movie that probably introduced you to the elements of Noir was Tim Burton's heavily stylized Batman! Still a resonating work of comic book fantasy brought to life, it reinvented the character in the public mind and also established the groundwork for what was to come a dacade later. A true landmark of cinema and comic book history. Next up: Dick Tracy!

With Spacial Returning Guest Sarah Hartman! It's a Halloween Hangover as we sink our fangs into Bela Lugosi's most iconic role! As the curtain fell on silent cinema an eerie creaking coffin lid announced the rise of a new horror on the silver screen who would set the stage for all children of the night to follow. He's been remade an Untold number of times, more than any other single monster, and yet the original still has more bite than most of them. We bid you welcome to the legend of Dracula! Next Up: Batman!

With Special Guest Kyle Kleege! Nowadays you throw a rock and you'll hit a Zombie, but back in 1932 there was only one Zombie movie, and it featured a very diferent Zombie from what we know today. Here Bela Lugosi is the wielder of dark magics that bring the dead to life to do his bidding. This lurid low budget offering was to films like Dracula or Frankenstein what the pulp magazines of the time were to literature. Get out your shovels, kiddies, cause we're digging into some Pre-code Hollywood Horrors to showcase how not-so-quaint these old timey flicks really were. You'll be so shocked you'll turn into a White Zombie! Next Week it's a Halloween Hangover, cause we're back with Bela in the classic Dracula!

Based on appearances alone this is a story where H.P. Lovecraft arrives at an inn and is visited in the night by FDR, who warns him something strange is going on before getting murdered by Albert Einstein. Ghosts, Vampires, murder, all presented through an autuers whimsical nightmare. Filmmaking that still rings true as innovative today. The most surreal adaption of Bram Stoker's Dracula isn't Coppola's, it's Dreyer's Vampyr! Next Up: White Zombie!

Who would've guessed that spending a night in a spooky mansion wasn't half your troubles, or even half the movie? Believe it or Knotts this trick or treat plot is about as shakey as it's lead actor. Does it hold together on good vibrations, or tumble like a haunted house of cards? You will be judge and jury when you meet The Ghost and Mr. Chicken! Next Week: Vampyr!

THE ROAD TO STAR WARS CONCLUDES!!! We discuss Inspiration, what makes the original film Original, Character Introductions then to now, and why Peter Cushing plays such a great villian. We finally did it, we're talking about STAR WARS! Next Week: The Ghost and Mr. Chicken!

THE ROAD TO STAR WARS: EPISODE V - THE STRIKING IMAGERY OF SPACE!! An experience like no other film podcast can give you. Open your pod bay doors and explore with us how one defining science fiction epic influenced another defining science fiction epic. Does the Monolith give off the same mysterious energy as the Force? Is Hal 9000 the spiritual father of C-3PO? Did George Lucas just take shots of looming model spacecraft and add lasers? Perhaps we will have to read some tie-in novels to fully understand it all. There's little we can add that hasn't already been said about Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, but we'll say it anyways! Next Week: STAR WARS!!!!

We were somewhere around Mos Eisley on the edge of the desert when the Midichlorians began to take hold. The Road to Star Wars has been a bumpy ride, so while our land speeder is getting some repairs we thought we'd just hang out and shoot the Womp Rats. We cover some of the big Star Wars news of the day, tackle a few Star Wars influences we won't be reviewing in full, and ramble on about a couple of 2017's big releases. So sit back, grab a glass of blue milk, and enjoy!

THE ROAD TO STAR WARS PART IV: A NEW SEARCH As we search for the makeup of one of our favorite films we come to the American Western; a gerne most famously dominated in the classic era of Hollywood by director John Ford and actor John Wayne. In what is considred by many to be among the greatest films ever made we see surprising influences on our Galactic Epic, including the source of Luke Skywalker's character, but we also encounter the film's dark reflection on the troubling aspect of the racism of John Wayne's character, Ethan Edwards. Wayne's disturbing performance is possibly the best of the actors impressive career, and the highlight of the film next to Ford's masterful direction. They are part of Star Wars History, they are part of Cinema History, they are part of American History, they are The Searchers!  Next Week: 2001: A Space Odyssey!

THE ROAD TO STAR WARS PART III Where did the idea for C-3PO and R2-D2 come from? What about a hermit who turns out to be a general? A princess too? What more can we find in The Hidden Fortress! Next Week: The Searchers!

THE ROAD TO STAR WARS: PART II The legendary outlaw archer of European lore is part of our cultural tapestry and a classic heroic architype. It's ability to balance action and fun with a positive message might hold an inherent lesson for todays screen heroes, and offer audiences an escape from cliché cynicism that's become nausiatingly overdone. Surprising Star Wars connections await you, so let's get into the swing of things with The Adventures of Robin Hood! Next Week: The Hidden Fortress!

A long time ago from the pages of a comic strip came Flash Gordon! A fast paced thrill ride of spaceships, monsters, princesses and an evil emperor. Sound familiar? It should, because it had a big influence on a little indie picture you may have heard of called Star Wars! Listen and you will hear the astonishment in our voices at how much of Flash Gordon is in Star Wars - Or is that how much Star Wars is in Flash Gordon? THE ROAD TO STAR WARS BEGINS HERE! Next Week: The Adventures of Robin Hood! 

We set sail into waters deeper than the content of this movie would merit! They say that getting there is half the journey, well let's skip that part and get to the there part. Bob and Bing keep things lively as the run away from their worries as well as the narrative on the Road to Singapore! Next Week: Flash Gordon!

You may not believe in The Haunting, but you cannot deny this podcast! Lock your doors, bolt your windows, turn on every light in the house, but it still won't save you from the unseen terrror of our voices discusing the 1963 classic from master filmmaker Robert Wise. We even share a tale or two of our own personal spooky experiences along the way. Don't listen to this one alone! 

As authentically Chinese as the Kung Pow chicken at your local mall, it's the great detective, Mr. Wong! So get yourself a bowl of pork fried rice and listen to us chew the fat on an 80 year old wave of Americanized Oriental Investigators. Funny how Hollywood used to have white actors play different ethnicities. Glad we don't do that anymore, right? Don't get us wrong, we love all the weirdness of Wong, and looking back on the hows and whys of how this trend became popularised is some particularly fascinating insight you don't want to miss out on. For better or worse the yellow faced detective has gone the way of the dodo, I guess some fads are Doomed to Die!  Next Week: The Haunting! (The Original 1963 Movie)

The skeleton is the hero, the scientists are soldiers, the drill has sunglasses, we don't know who the main character is, and the bad guy is in his pajamas. Oh, and it's Japanese. This predecessor to what we know in the states as Power Rangers sets its plot on the roof of its, hits the gas, and never looks back.  As far as we can tell there's no reason for the title character to be in the movie, but there he is like a reget from a heavy metal album cover that wouldn't exist for another decade at least. Because what kid doesn't want to see a laughing skeleton that kicks butts. We've dug up and present to you, our dear listeners, The Golden Bat!  Next Week: Doomed to Die!

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a flying battleship! No, it's the most infamously terrible giant monster of the atomic age! Hey, as we here at No U-Turns see it when you fail this spectacularly you deserve some sort of accolade. So lets dig deep into how this massive turkey got off the ground and do our best to give a big hand to The Giant Claw! Next Week: Golden Bat!

Don't be confused by the poster, this isn't E.T., so put down the Resse's Pieces because we're not phoning home and don't wave your finger at me. This is a movie about geese, a little girl who lost her mom and had to move to Canada with her loser father, and an a strangly unreasonable forest ranger dead set on crushing their dreams. Why? Because you gotta fight the system! Even if you have a decently compelling personal drama you can't ease up on oppresssive forces like your local forest ranger, and maybe, I don't know, a guy who wants to build a hotel in a swamp. They can't keep us down. Like birds we are meant to be free. Free to fly and... other stuff! And if it gets cold we'll fly someplace warm, and call that home! We'll... Fly Away Home! Next Week: The Giant Claw!

We can't get enough of talking animal movies, and this one has more than just "some pig." A modern classic of the family film genre which is in a class of its own, and also a universe of its own! Kinda like the Twilight Zone, but a bit more whimsical. We know what we're talking about, Babe!  References to Past Shows: Lady and the Tramp / Homeward Bound / The Matrix / Creepshow Next Week: Fly Away Home!

Warwick Davis is back in the green makeup and raising the stakes on mischief and murder in glitzy Las Vegas! As much fear and loathing as anyone could hope to find in this straight to video classic of '95. If you still have enough fingers and toes to count past 2 you just might make it through Leprechaun 3! References to Past Shows: Leprechaun / Leprechaun 2 / Labyrinth / Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace / Alien / Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens Next Week: Babe!

I hope all you stunt cats  are ready for a dip into the stream of conciousness as we dredge up even more nostalgic memories. From this heartwarming family classic we find connections to everything fromTwin Peaks to 9/11, and, if we don't come down with a bad case of Casper Syndrome, who knows what else? Whatever directions we may wander off rest assured we are always Homeward Bound! References to Past Shows: The Land Before Time / Lady and the Tramp / Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveler / The Star Wars Holiday Special / MMPR: The Movie / Embryo / Alien Next Week: Leprechaun 3!

Grab yourself a plate of spaghetti and get ready to bring back some childhood memories. Before we watched Harry meet Sally, before they taught us anything in school about Romeo climbing the balcony to Juliet, and way before we knew what "doggystyle" meant, Walt Disney introduced us to two stracrossed pups known as Lady and the Tramp! WARNING: THIS CONTENT IS NOT SAFE FOR CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY ORPHANS!!! References to Past Shows: Treasure Planet Next Week: Homeward Bound!

With Special Guest Host: Evan Jones! Many directors are known for their various styles or genres they have left their mark on, stand out among them are the comedies of the Coen Brothers. Combining rich characterization with the patently absurd and capturing it through a wide angle lense. This, their first comic adventure, is a heartwarming, looney tune-eaque tale of a man trying to become a better person through stealing a baby. Because you never know what life will throw at you when you're Raising Arizona. References to Past Shows: Zardoz / Evil Dead 2 Next Week: Lady and the Tramp!

We Arrived to 2016 wanting to Sing the praises of La La Land when a Civil War broke out and by the Dawn of Justice we were ready to call in the Suicide Squad. We went Rogue at Hacksaw Ridge, caught up with Captain Fantastic and did some Moonlighting in Zootopia. Ended up skipping the Sausage Party and had a better time with The Nice Guys while Strange Doctors Found Dory and discovered The Secret Life of Pets. We took a Trek Beyond The Jungle Book and even gave Fantastic Beasts a look, but Ben-Hur had already been there and left Sully crying Hail, Caesar in the Deadpool. From The Shallows to the Deepwater Horizon we asked “Why Him?” and even The Magnificent 7 couldn’t Purge this Election Year. So Kubo gave his Two Strings to the BFG to direct the Passengers to 10 Cloverfield Lane where they could finally find some Silence. Still, it always Hurt’s to say goodbye. References to Past Shows: Alien / Snowpiercer / Equilibrium Next Week: Raising Arizona! 

Remember the movies you watched as a kid? Well, perhaps it's best to forget. Lucas didn't forget and look what happened. A stamp obsessed Canadian clusterf**k full of stuttering children who can't act. It sounds like we're making this up as we go, but we're not. Don't blame us, but instead send your letters to Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller! References to Past Shows: Nomads / Robot Monster / Manos: The Hands of Fate Next Week: The 2017 Oscars!

Take a vacation. Escape from the mundane daily drudgery of your life. Escape from yourself. A world of fantasy made reality awaits you in Westworld! Trust us, it'll make you feel more alive than you've ever been. References To Past Shows: Alien / Frankenstein / The Last Man on Earth / Nomads / Planet of the Vampires Next Week: Raising Arizona!

With Special Guests Matt Allegretti and Lucas Cotterell! "Do. Or do not. There is no try." Another Star Wars film has rocked the world and has left some fans split. Did you hop into an X-Wing grinning and ready for the ride, or slice this up like Vader through Rebel Troopers? Who's with it till the end and who's ready to pack their bags? Will any of our initial reactions survive this discussion? No one asked us on this mission, but here we are. All aboard for Rogue One! References To Past Shows: Salvaging the Star Wars Prequels Next Week: Westworld!

It feels like a long, long time ago, especially if you were a kid when it hit theaters. Nearly eighteen years and a worldwide web of dogpiling later we review how well George Lucas' first entry into the Star Wars Prequels holds up. Is it the best of its trilogy? Does it have any redeeming qualities? What are the lasting effects on a generation of disappointed fandom? Is there a silver lining we can take with us as we appreciate the Star Wars universe as a whole, or just a lingering Phantom Menace we would rather have cut out of our beloved franchise?  References To Past Shows: Das Boot / Turkish Star Wars / Total Recall / Salvaging the Star Wars Prequels Next Week: Rogue One - A Star Wars Story!

In a time past 2001, where apes had ruled the planet, everyone died at thirty, and Barbarella's screamed, "Soylent Green is people!" there was one to shock them all and make us question everything. We are the chosen ones who know what is good and what is evil. We are influenced by L. Frank Baum, H. G. Wells, and J. R. R. Tolkien. We watch, listen, and discuss in the name of Zardoz! References to Past Shows: Warriors of the Wasteland / Things to Come / Plan 9 from Outer Space / The Room / Manos, the Hands of Fate Next Week: Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace!