Explore every episode of the podcast Zombie Strains
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawn of the Dead (2004) | 08 Jan 2025 | 01:07:39 | |
John and Andy begin their zombie journey with Zach Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead (2004). John goes big with his choice for the ideal zombie movie. Fast zombie hordes with quick transmission rates forcing moral choices as the world ends is John’s zombie jam. US Theatrical Release: March 19, 2004 Opening Weekend Box Office, March 19, 2014 Top grossing horror films of 2004 Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: | |||
| The Girl with All the Gifts (2017) | 15 Jan 2025 | 01:01:49 | |
It’s Andy’s turn to present his baseline zombie film. His choice, The Girl with All the Gifts (2017), is strikingly different than John’s. Fast zombies? Check. Fast transmission? Check. Hordes of children who turn into zombies at the scent of humans? That’s new! Andy and John discuss this thought-provoking movie as they take another step on their zombie journey. US Theatrical Release Date: February 24, 2017 Box Office for February 24, 2017 The Girl with All the Gifts Box Office Top grossing horror films of 2017 Theme music composed by Neil Dube.
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| The Ghost Breakers (1940) | 19 Feb 2025 | 01:11:47 | |
We have a new Strain of zombie movie! Our first zombie comedy, starring Bob Hope(!?), Paulette Goddard, and Willie Best. Released in 1940, it is one of the first horror comedies. Dan Akroyd even cites it as a huge influence on Ghostbusters! Join Andy and John in the lab to analyze all of these new zombie developments. Producer Brad tells the tale of how he met Bob Hope decades ago. Don’t miss it! US Theatrical Release Date: October 30, 1942 Dan Ackroyd cites The Ghost Breakers as inspiration. Theme music composed by Neil Dube.
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| Revolt of the Zombies (1936) | 12 Feb 2025 | 01:15:34 | |
Revolt of the Zombies (1936) is our fourth and final zombie film from the 1930s. Set in Cambodia during World War I, it was intended to be a sequel to White Zombie (1932). It trades Haitian voodoo zombies for ancient Asian zombies. It starts off with a collection of generals fearful that zombies will disrupt the balance of world power. In the end, this is another love story about a boy, standing in front a girl, asking her to love him, and using his zombie powers to make it come true. US Theatrical Release Date: June 4, 1936 History of Yamashiro restaurant Rhodes, Gary D. White Zombie: Anatomy of a Horror Film. McFarland, 2006 Theme music composed by Neil Dube.
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| Ouanga (1936) | 05 Feb 2025 | 00:56:11 | |
After watching Maniac (1934), John and Andy are praying that the next zombie movie on their list, Ouanga (1936), is a return to the horror movies they love. What looked like another run-of-the-mill “voodoo” zombie movie contained an unexpectedly amazing performance. What other secrets does Ouanga hold?! Listen on your podcast app! US Theatrical Release Date: 1942 Link to view restored version with discussion hosted by UCLA. Theme music composed by Neil Dube.
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| Maniac (1934) | 29 Jan 2025 | 01:14:38 | |
John and Andy take an unexpected turn on their zombie journey and stumble into Maniac (1934), an early exploitation flick. The film’s poster promises “dynamic sex lectures” and “strange loves exposed”, but the movie delivers mad scientists, murder, a cat named Satan and maybe one zombie. US Theatrical Release Date: September 11, 1934 Theme music composed by Neil Dube.
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| White Zombie (1932) | 22 Jan 2025 | 01:06:11 | |
John and Andy go back 93 years to the dawn of zombie films to watch White Zombie (1932), the very first zombie movie. Horror movie legend Bela Lugosi stars as a sinister zombie master, just one year after he terrified audiences as Dracula. What connections to modern zombie strains will John and Andy find? US Theatrical Release Date: August 4, 1932 Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America "Dos and Don'ts page 5 Theme music composed by Neil Dube.
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| Ritual (2002) | 02 Apr 2025 | 01:29:20 | |
After the cinematic high of I Walked with a Zombie it was inevitable that the pendulum would swing in the opposite direction. Specifically in the direction of 2002's Ritual, a loose remake of I Walked with a Zombie that stars Tim Curry, Jennifer Grey, and... the Crypt Keeper. How do the nuanced themes of the 1943 original interact with the salacious direct-to-DVD horror of this Tales from the Crypt production? Your intrepid zombie reporters John, Andy, and Brad are on the scene. US Home theater release date: May 2, 2006 Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: | |||
| I Walked with a Zombie (1943) | 26 Mar 2025 | 01:15:17 | |
Based on Charlotte Bronte’s lyrical Jane Eyre and directed by legendary French director Jaques Tourneur, I Walked with a Zombie is a beautifully shot melodrama about… Wait what the hell is going on here?! Have John and Andy stumbled into the wrong podcast?! Or have they stumbled into… a good movie? Join us to discover what it is like when an auteur enters the zombie-verse! Theme music composed by Neil Dube. zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com AFI Archive's file on I Walked with a Zombie Inez Wallace original I Met A Zombie article | |||
| Bowery at Midnight (1942) | 19 Mar 2025 | 01:16:02 | |
What is this? Bowery at Midnight stars Bela Lugosi as a kindly man running a soup kitchen for the down-and-out residents of the Bowery? Can you believe it !? Haha, no. We couldn't believe it either. As Bela builds his crimal empire, one of his henchmen secretly introduces one of the most critical Zombie Strains yet! Join John and Andy as they analyze the movie and share the startling results. US theatrical release date: October 30, 1942 Theme music composed by Neil Dube. | |||
| King of the Zombies (1941) | 12 Mar 2025 | 01:13:12 | |
King of the Zombies is the next mini-boss for our intrepid zombie adventurers, John and Andy. This film has the increasingly familiar mad scientist mixed with voodoo mash-up. But King of the Zombies adds a twist…Not just a mad scientist, but a Nazi mad scientist... using his zombies to uncover American military secrets. Will his foul plan succeed?! Or will he become a victim of his own machinations? Tune in to find out! US theatrical release date: May 14, 1941 1942 Academy Award winners (for movies released in 1941) Horror movies released in 1941 Theme music composed by Neil Dube. | |||
| The Gorge (2025) | 05 Mar 2025 | 01:25:25 | |
John and Andy get reckless and jump all the way to the present with The Gorge (2025) starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller. It is an action movie! And a love story! But is it a zombie movie? Join us as we try to figure out what The Gorge is trying to tell us about zombies today. 2024 US Horror Films Box Office Interview with writer Zach Dean Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: | |||
| Shaun of the Dead (2004) | 26 Feb 2025 | 01:11:12 | |
Last episode, John and Andy watched the first zombie comedy, The Ghost Breakers (1940). This episode John and Andy watch the best zombie comedy. Like an oasis from the future in the desert of the 1940s, Shaun of the Dead arrives to remind us why we fell in love with zombie movies in the first place. Original U.S. one sheet poster Edgar Wright's early influences Theme music composed by Neil Dube. | |||
| Valley of the Zombies (1946) | 14 May 2025 | 01:20:18 | |
So much awaits us in the Valley of the Zombies: an undead mortician with very specific medical needs! A desperate car chase centered around a malfunctioning radio! And best of all, a chilling new zombie master (Ian Keith) who just might rival the great Bela Lugosi with his scenery-chewing menace. Join John, Andy, and Producer Brad as they explore a fascinating off-shoot of the zombie genre that pulls in elements of vampire horror. US Release Date: May 24, 1946 Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) | 07 May 2025 | 01:13:00 | |
Legendary comedy duo Abbott and Costello bravely (?) stumble into a monster mash in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein! This movie may not feature a zombie, but it's too important a genre influence to not investigate--and after Zombies on Broadway, it's time to see horror comedy done right. Zombie Strains hall-of-famer Bela Lugosi is joined by Frankenstein's monster (Glenn Strange) and the Wolfman (Lon Chaney Jr.) with an "invisible" cameo by Vincent Price. Join John, Andy, and Producer Brad for our most monstrous episode yet. US Theatrical Release Date: June 15, 1948 Abbott & Costello US War Bonds Tour LATimes article on Robert Lees Murder Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Zombies on Broadway (1945) | 30 Apr 2025 | 01:16:19 | |
PR men Jerry and Mike have to find a “genuine zombie” before the opening of the hot new nightclub, the Zombie Hut. If they don’t, the mobster who hired them is going to put them on ice. It's a tough job. But is it as tough as sitting through Zombies on Broadway? John, Andy, and Producer Brad aim to find out. US Theatrical Release Date: May 1,1945 Theme music composed by Neil Dube. | |||
| Voodoo Man (1944) | 23 Apr 2025 | 01:05:10 | |
Our old friend Bela Lugosi makes his return to the Zombie Strains laboratory… this time with a laboratory of his own! He’s concocting a desperate plan to bring his beloved wife back from the dead by stealing the life essence of innocent young women. Can he be stopped?! And more importantly, is there a new strain of zombie here? Join John, Andy, and Producer Brad as they enter the tangled web of the Voodoo Man! US release date: February 21, 1944 Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| The Frozen Dead (1966) AND The Last of Us (S2E1) | 16 Apr 2025 | 01:39:32 | |
More Nazi zombies! The elite of the German army have been on ice since the end of WWII. Doctor Norberg must perfect his technique of reanimating his zombicles before his plans are foiled by his… niece? Join the Zombie Strains crew as they encounter animated body parts! Talking severed heads! Attempted murder by potted plant! Can they survive The Frozen Dead? BONUS: Stay tuned to the end where John and Andy sneak into the sub-sub-sub cellar of the Zombies Strains Lab to analyze The Last of Us. US Theatrical release date: November 15, 1967 Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Revenge of the Zombies (1943) | 09 Apr 2025 | 01:02:40 | |
John, Andy, and Producer Brad travel deep into the swamps of Louisiana hot on the trail of a new zombie strain: The Nazi Super Soldier! Revenge of the Zombies has it all - Mad science, German spies, switched identities, and (best of all) podcast favorite Mantan Moreland. But there’s more! If you listen closely you’ll hear the first cinematic instance of brains being the key to a zombie’s existence. Pack a snack and join us on our journey to uncover the next step in zombie evolution. SHOW NOTES: US Theatrical release date: September 17, 1943 Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| The Devil's Daughter (1939) | 04 Jun 2025 | 00:52:22 | |
John, Andy, and Producer Brad have time for one last trip to the Caribbean to see a movie they missed the first time around; 1938’s The Devil’s Daughter. In this loose remake of team favorite Ouanga the action moves from Haiti to Jamaica, and from voodoo to obeah. How does this film stand up to the original? Join us in the lab as we break it down. US Theatrical Release Date: December 7, 1939 UCLA Archives article on race films Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| The Walking Dead (1936) | 28 May 2025 | 01:10:01 | |
Let's welcome a brand new horror legend to the zombie genre: Boris Karloff, playing a wrongly-executed man brought back to life by mad science. You'll be as surprised as we were by this somber, atmospheric tale of justice from beyond the grave. Whether this is truly a zombie movie is a matter of debate (and we do debate it!), but you won't regret taking a stroll with John, Andy, Producer Brad, and The Walking Dead (no, not that Walking Dead). US Theatrical Release Date: March 14, 1936 Films with actor's names in title Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| J'accuse (1919) | 21 May 2025 | 01:14:11 | |
The Zombie Strains team goes waaaay back to 1919 and the dawn of cinema to watch J'accuse, a French zombie movie. Don’t worry, it is not as bad as that sounds. Actually, it is really good! The team skipped this one initially, but now that we have circled back to watch it… Is this the zombie horde John, Andy, and Producer Brad have been looking for all this time?! French Release Date: April 25, 1919 US Release Date: October 9, 1921 Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Zombies of the Stratosphere (1952) | 09 Jul 2025 | 01:15:52 | |
The Zombie Strains team is in for some serious culture shock as they burst into the 1950s. Voodoo masters? mesmerism? mad scientists? All gone! Instead we find aliens, atom bombs, and rocket ships. This is going to take some serious experimentation in the Zombie Strains lab to figure out what is going on in this crazy decade. Release date: July, 1952 Wilson Wood's stage recreation of the famous JRR Tolkien photo. Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| 28 Years Later and Last of Us Season 2 | 02 Jul 2025 | 00:49:43 | |
While Producer Brad is away on special assignment, John and Andy continue to break the rules by talking about zombie movies out of order. In this episode we talk about the biggest zombie events of 2025 - The Last of Us Season 2 (SPOILERS!) and 28 Years Later (NO spoilers). Plus, Andy reports on his participation in an actual voodoo ceremony. | |||
| The 1950s: Rockets, Red Scares, and Rock & Roll | 25 Jun 2025 | 00:51:24 | |
Season 2 of Zombie Strains is almost upon us. In this special episode, John and Andy dissect the terrors and anxieties of the 1950s in the Zombie Strains lab. Our goal is to predict how the next wave of zombie movies will exploit the hidden fears of this most paranoid of decades. Join us as we brace for a brand new decade of horror! | |||
| Multiplex Overthruster: Poltergeist | 18 Jun 2025 | 01:33:20 | |
Multiplex Overthruster is a podcast dedicated to the summer movie's of the 80s. It is hosted by Javier Grillo-Marxuach (writer of Lost, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, The Witcher, and creator of The Middleman), Paul Alvarado-Dykstra (co-founder of Fantastic Fest, the leading genre film festival in the US), and produced by Zombie Strain's Producer Brad. Enjoy this episode on Poltergeist, the 1982 film directed by Tobe Hooper and produced by Steven Spielberg. This ingenious phantasmagoria features beautiful analog VFX wizardry by ILM, a refreshingly functional family, and one of the greatest expository monologues in genre cinema. You can follow Mulitplex Overthruster here. | |||
| Season 1 Wrap Up | 11 Jun 2025 | 01:21:39 | |
We made it! We survived the first three decades of zombies--22 movies in all. What did we learn? And what's coming next? In this special season 1 wrap-up episode, John, Andy, and Producer Brad answer listener feedback, take a surprise zombie trivia quiz, reflect on the journey so far... and prepare for the horror to come as we strike out into the world of 1950s zombies. | |||
| Scared Stiff (1953) | 16 Jul 2025 | 01:07:31 | |
The Zombie Strains crew comes up against Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in this remake of the delightful The Ghost Breakers (1940). George Marshal directed both the original and this 1950s update. The team was eager to explore the new horrors Marshall would concoct this time around, but we were unprepared for the terror of... Jerry Lewis’s performance. Scared Stiff may feature the least impressive zombie we've seen yet, but the Zombie Strains crew found a few gems--including the possible inspiration for the title of a 1980s horror-comedy favorite. List of films remade by the original director. Theme music composed by Neil Dube. | |||
| Doctor Blood's Coffin (1961) | 01 Oct 2025 | 01:24:31 | |
This week, our bold Zombie Strains investigators chart a course for rural England, where the sinister Dr. Blood (Keiron Moore) is harvesting the still-beating hearts of his victims to empower his insane medical "research." Join John, Andy, and Producer Brad as they brave the dangers of the Cornish Tin Mines, meet scream-queen legend Hazel Court, face their most gnarly zombie yet... and unravel the mystery Doctor Blood's Coffin. Show Notes: Still of blood donor poster seen in Doctor Blood's Coffin. The Zombie Encyclopedia by Peter Dengle Zombie Movies: The Ultimate Guide by Glenn Kay Hazel Court, 82, Screaming Horror-Film Star, Dies - The New York Times Review of Hazel Court's autobiography, Horror Queen. Blog post on the matte paintings of Hammer films. Bio for famed matte painter Lew Bowie. Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Additional music by Elarasound. www.pond5.com Additional voice work by Russell Bentley. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Weapons (2025) | 27 Sep 2025 | 00:47:04 | |
Everybody's talking about Weapons, an unsettling 2025 horror film about a community in shock after a classroom of grade-school children vanishes overnight. Always on the hunt for modern films with connections to their favorite horror genre, John and Andy take a road trip to American suburbia to investigate for themselves. Don't tell Producer Brad that they recorded this without him. Please note that this is a spoiler-heavy discussion of Weapons. | |||
| Creature with the Atom Brain (1955) | 30 Jul 2025 | 01:19:25 | |
Creature with the Atom Brain takes the science of zombie film to a whole new level. This movie is packed with exciting zombie firsts: atomic-powered zombies, rampaging zombie hordes (finally!), a city put under martial law to contain the zombie threat, and very cheap zombie make-up. Andy, John, and Producer Brad have their hands full sorting through all the zombie goodness on this sci-fi horror B movie. Show Notes: Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| The Revived Monster (1953) | 23 Jul 2025 | 01:13:26 | |
The Zombie Strains crew stumbles across an unexpected delight in 1953’s El Monstruo Resucitado (The Revived Monster), the first Mexican zombie film! Set in Czechoslovakia and dripping with atmosphere, this film tells the story of a resourceful journalist (Miroslava) who finds herself tangled up in the hopes and hatreds of a hideously deformed mad scientist with a chip on his shoulder, a brain-transference device in his basement, and a fresh corpse ready to be revived as a murderous zombie. The lights will be on all night in the Zombie Strains Lab as we dissect this thoughtful thriller. Show notes: "Where to begin with Mexican Macabre cinema" BFI article Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| The Dead One (1961) | 24 Sep 2025 | 01:26:50 | |
Our first color zombie films is also a throwback to the 1930s! Newlyweds John and Linda (John McKay and Linda Ormond) inherit an old plantation outside of New Orleans, only to discover that their bitter cousin Monica (Monica Davis) has angry, zombie-related plans for them. Will Monica's voodoo magic spell a gruesome end to their honeymoon bliss? John, Andy, and Producer Brad venture into the swamps to find out--and to learn why this is the first zombie movie to be set in New Orleans. Show Notes: AFI Catalog entry for The Dead One. Barry Mahon paid death notice in the New York Times. Zombie Movies: The Ultimate Guide by Glenn Kay Santa's Christmas Elf Named Calvin directed by Barry Mahon The Wonderful Land of Oz directed by Barry Mahon Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Additional music by Elarasound. Additional voice work by Russell Bentley. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Teenage Zombies (1959) | 17 Sep 2025 | 01:11:42 | |
We've been dreading their appearance ever since we started watching 1950s zombie films, and they're finally here: teenagers! That's right, 1959's Teenage Zombies is not only our first zombie film starring teenagers, but it's also a clear forerunner of the modern teenage-slasher flick. Can this crew of plucky '50s teens foil a foreign plot to turn the entire population of the U.S. into mindless, docile zombies? And more importantly, can Teenage Zombies make Plan 9 from Outer Space look like a masterpiece of cinema? Andy, John, and Producer Brad descent into a terrifying world of poodle skirts, malt shakes, and zombie gorillas in Teenage Zombies. Show Notes: Jerry Warren's Mystery Science Theater 3000 riffed movies. American Society of Cinematographer profile on Brianne Murphy. Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959) | 10 Sep 2025 | 01:29:40 | |
Plan 9 is often called the worst movie ever made. But could there be a zombie gem buried beneath the hilariously bad sets, abysmal acting, and tortured script? John, Andy, and Producer Brad venture into this legendary fiasco and come face to face with a sexy vampire, a gigantic Swedish wrestler, Bela Lugosi’s last performance, arrogant space aliens, and of course the infamous Plan 9 itself. Show Notes: Plan 9 From Outer Space Movie Poster Movie Posters by Tom Jung, here and here. New York Times 1993 article on Plan 9 From Outer Space. Variety obituary for actor Paul Marco. Los Angeles Times obituary for the Amazing Criswell. Hollywood Reporter obituary for Maila Nurmi. Plan 9 From Outer Space filming locations. Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Invisible Invaders (1959) | 03 Sep 2025 | 01:22:15 | |
The Zombie Strains crew have hit the motherlode of zombie firsts! Invisible Invaders brings together all kinds of famous and familiar zombie tropes in one film: a zombie-created apocalypse, heroes taking refuge in a science bunker, convincing zombie make-up, and a truly compelling tough moral choice. The story follows a sequence that will be familiar to any fan of modern zombie movies, as a small group of survivors hunkers down in a shelter to figure out how to stop a global zombie menace (that was instigated by invaders from space). Tensions run high, and one of our party snaps under the pressure. Join John, Andy, and Brad as they push the Zombie Strains lab equipment to its limit as they break down all the zombie firsts in this movie. Show Notes: Invisible Invaders movie poster National Geographic article on the American "uranium gold rush." MIT Press Article on Uranium Rush, a game encouraging families to prospect for uranium. History of Detectron, the company that made the geiger counter seen in Invisible Invaders. List of movies with underground bunkers. Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake (1959) | 27 Aug 2025 | 01:22:50 | |
Jonathan Drake suffers under an ancient curse! His cruel colonial forbears massacred a South American tribe, and the immortal zombie survivors will not rest until Jonathan is dead. And by dead, we mean injected with an ancient poison, decapitated, and his head shrunken in the lab of the scenery-chewing villain Dr. Emil Zurich (Henry Daniell). Will Jonathan, his daughter Allison, and Lt. Rowan stop the zombies before the curse strikes again? Join John, Andy, and Brad as they encounter two unique zombies, surprisingly gruesome special effects, and more semi-competent police work in The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake. Show Notes: AFI Catalog entry for The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Womaneater (1958) | 20 Aug 2025 | 01:24:54 | |
Sally (Vera Day) is living day to day, just trying to get by. But things take a turn for the sinister when she crosses paths with mad scientist Dr. Moran (George Coulouris). Dr. Moran has plans for the women in his life—plans that involve feeding them to a carnivorous Amazonian plant in order to steal their life essence, extract a serum from the devil tree, and use that serum to bring the dead back to life! Will he succeed? Will Sally agree to marry a jerk she just met the previous day? Does the Devil Tree's diet truly consist of women only, or is that a decision Dr. Moran is making for it? At least some of these questions get answered when Andy, John, and Producer Brad grab their Pulsometers and come face to face with 1958’s Womaneater. Show Notes: Italian style haircuts of the 1950s. Marpessa Dawn obituary from the New York Times Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Zombies of Mora Tau (1957) | 13 Aug 2025 | 01:28:10 | |
Some treasures are best left undisturbed—especially when they're guarded by ancient curses. But if the treasure hunters in Zombies of Mora Tau were smart, we wouldn't get a horde of underwater zombies, a band of backstabbing scoundrels, the world's toughest grandma, and the legendary Allison Hayes (Attack of the 50 Foot Woman) as a scheming femme fatale. Don your deep sea diving suit and join John, Andy, and Producer Brad off the coast of Africa, where we discover a horror film that moves the zombie genre forward in surprising ways. US Theatrical Release Date: February 19, 1957 Zombies of Mora Tau movie poster AFI Catalog entry for Zombies of Mora Tau Variety obituary for screenwriter Bernard Gordon WGA post on corrected Hollywood Blacklist credits. Consumer's Guide to Dietary Supplements and Alternative Medicines by W. Marvin Davis with introduction about Allison Hayes. Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Voodoo Island (1957) | 06 Aug 2025 | 01:03:08 | |
Who could possibly survive an expedition to “the weird jungle of cobra plants that feed on women... and rip men apart”? Boris Karloff plays a skeptical scientist who journeys into the heart of darkness alongside a brooding '50s adventurer, a shifty gangster, a plucky assistant, and a zombie. Grab your pith helmet and machete and join John, Andy, and Producer Brad as they brave the unknown terrors of Voodoo Island. Show Notes: US Theatrical Release Date: February, 1957 AFI Catalog entry for Voodoo Island History of the theremin as told by Andrew Hickey on his podcast A History of Rock in 500 Songs Queer Cinema Archive article on Voodoo Island and the queer-coded character played by Jean Engstrom. Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| The Last Man on Earth (1964) | 10 Dec 2025 | 01:25:47 | |
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. Additional voice work by Russell Bentley. Additional music by Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| War of the Zombies (1964) | 03 Dec 2025 | 01:26:08 | |
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. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies (1964) | 26 Nov 2025 | 01:21:00 | |
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 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. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Monstrosity (1963) | 19 Nov 2025 | 01:26:02 | |
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) Wayne Keyser's short documentary on Ken Strickfaden. Kickstarter campaign for a 4K restoration of Monstrosity. 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. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| What's So Scary About the 1960s? | 12 Nov 2025 | 00:59:17 | |
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. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| The Living Head (1963) | 05 Nov 2025 | 01:19:59 | |
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. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Carnival of Souls (1962) | 29 Oct 2025 | 01:20:27 | |
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. 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. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Tales of Terror (1962) | 22 Oct 2025 | 01:10:57 | |
What happens when film's most legendary B-horror director turns his unsubtle eye to the zombie genre? You get Tales of Terror, one of many Roger Corman films loosely based on Edgar Allan Poe stories. This anthology film (written by the iconic horror and scifi writer Richard Matheson) is packed with three separate creepy stories, and one of them features a gruesome strain of zombie that doesn't easily fit into our zombie categories! Join John, Andy, and Producer Brad as they dissect their first, but probably not last, Corman zombie film. Show Notes: AFI Catalog entry for Tales of Terror. New York Times review of Tales of Terror and Burn, Witch, Burn double bill. Film Snob short on American International Pictures from Vanity Fair. Library of Congress bulletin on Confucius with mention of his family tree. Debra Paget's Snake Dance from The Indian Tomb (1959). Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Santo vs The Zombies (1961) | 15 Oct 2025 | 01:07:28 | |
When zombies are after you, only the world's greatest hero can save you. And who is that? It's El Santo, elite luchador and Mexican cultural phenomenon! After a professor vanishes and a sinister masked man unleashes a horde of zombies on a local orphanage, the police know that only the legendary luchador Santo can save the city. John, Andy, and Producer Brad watch in awe as Santo takes on the undead both within and outside the wrestling ring--and they wrestle with a few of their preconceived notions about zombie films. Show Notes: Newspaper clipping detaling Armando Silvestre's attempt at a bullfighting career. The cars seen in Santo vs the Zombies. Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| The Curse of the Doll People (1961) | 08 Oct 2025 | 01:15:27 | |
What's scarier than a zombie trying to kill you? A zombie teaming up with possessed dolls to kill you! In the Mexican zombie flick The Curse of the Doll People (Muñecos infernales), foolish adventurers steal a voodoo idol and face a fate is worse than death--unless the courageous Karina (Elvira Quintana) can stop a sinister voodoo master, his zombie assistant, and his horde of murderous dolls. Andy, John, and Producer Brad head to Mexico to investigate the many questions this film raises, such as whether dolls invested with the spirits of their own victims count as zombies. Show Notes: Zombie Movies: The Ultimate Guide by Glenn Kay Marilyn Monroe visits Xavier Loyá in Mexico. Mexican Film Bulletin listing Alfredo Salazar's Frankenstein, el vampiro y compañía Trailer for The Bat Woman (1968) MPAA article on Gaz Alazraki's Father of the Bride Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||