Explore every episode of the podcast Zombie Strains
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden of the Dead (1972) | 14 Oct 2026 | 01:25:29 | |
In our first zombie prison movie, a group of incarcerated, formaldehyde-sniffing bad seeds make a break for it, but their plan gets nipped in the bud when the prison guards mow them down. The situation gets even thornier when undead horror quickly blooms from the shallow soil. Will everyone wind up pushing daisies? John, Andy, and Producer Brad grab their pruning shears and head into the GARDEN OF THE DEAD. SHOW NOTES: US Theatrical Release Date: August 23, 1972 AFI|Catalog - Garden of the Dead The 10 Best SFX Makeup Artists Of All Time Before Pixels, There Was Fire | |||
| Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things (1972) | 07 Oct 2026 | 01:22:47 | |
We've been wondering when the NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD knockoffs would arrive. Well, they're officially here, starting with CHILDREN SHOULDN'T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS! This movie hides its twenty minutes of solid Romero-style zombie action behind an hour of bizarre drama involving a team of actors, their sadistic director, and lot of black magic mumbo-jumbo. John, Andy, and Producer Brad explore a cult classic that makes them wonder if they should've listened to their parents and stayed far away. SHOW NOTES: US Theatrical Release: 1972 AFI|Catalog - Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things Canuxploitation Interview: Bob Clark BOB CLARK Explains Why CHILDREN SHOULDN'T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS | RUE MORGUE ARCHIVES Carl Fischer The Bass Grimoire | Guitar Center Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Additional music by Elarasound. Additional voice work by Russell Bentley. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Baron Blood (1972) | 30 Sep 2026 | 01:27:35 | |
It's probably a bad idea to try and resurrect somebody named Baron Blood, right? Especially in a medieval castle with a torture dungeon, an iron maiden, and lots of spikes that could conveniently be used for impalings. Nonetheless, that's exactly what our bold (or foolish) heroes do in this strangely compelling low-budget Italian zombie film directed by the legendary Mario Bava. Will John, Andy, and Producer Brad survive this run-in with an off-brand Dracula and his dungeon full of zombies? SHOW NOTES: US Theatrical Release Date: October 27, 1972 Italian Theatrical Release Date: February 25, 1972 The 30 best classic horror movies of all time Variety The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time Joseph Cotten, 88, Is Dead; Actor on Stage and in Films - The New York Times Quiet Quality: The Life and Films of Joseph Cotten - Best Movies by Farr The Siberian Hell Sounds - Skeptoid Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Resident Evil (2026) | 26 Sep 2026 | 01:06:57 | |
Scarce ammunition, locked doors, a sewer level, and of course, loads of disgusting bio-mutant zombies: everything that scared you when you first ventured into Spencer Mansion on your 90s-era Playstation is here in Zach Cregger's take on RESIDENT EVIL (2026). So does the much-lauded director of WEAPONS and BARBARIAN successfully evoke the famous horror video game series without stumbling into the usual video game-adaptation pitfalls? And amid all the goo and gunfire, does Resident Evil add anything significant to the family tree of zombie cinema? Show Notes: US Theatrical Release Date: September, 2026 Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Tombs of the Blind Dead (1972) | 16 Sep 2026 | 01:40:43 | |
Just because they can't see you doesn't mean they can't catch you and tear you apart! John, Andy, and Producer Brad journey across the Atlantic to Spain in the waning days of the Franco regime, where they confront a Euro-horror cult classic that combines lurid exploitation with sharp social commentary. Expect spooky castles, zombie Templars, and a psychedelic confrontation with the undead in a mannequin factory! Show Notes: US Theatrical Release Date: February, 1973 Legend of the Zombie Crusaders Amando de Ossorio.O último templario.Parte 1 Amando de Ossorio.O último templario.Parte 2 Yeah, You Know Giallo — But There’s Another European Horror Movement You're Missing Out On HORROR EUROPA — Mark Gatiss Explores Europe’s Darkest Cinema (2012) Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Blood of Ghastly Horror (1971) | 09 Sep 2026 | 01:37:03 | |
Director Al Adamson's 1965 heist film, PSYCHO A-GO-GO flopped. So in 1969, he hired John Carradine to play a mad scientist, shot new scenes, and retitled it THE FIEND WITH THE ELECTRONIC BRAIN. That, too, flopped. Adamson hired Tommy Kirk in 1971 and shot more new scenes and released it with another new title, BLOOD OF GHASTLY HORROR. Will John, Andy, and Producer Brad be able to keep all this mayhem straight? And will they find an actual zombie movie at the bottom of this genre jumble? Show Notes: US Release Date: 1971 Dendle, Peter. THE ZOMBIE MOVIE ENCYCLOPEDIA Kay, Glenn. ZOMBIE MOVIES: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE HORROR DIRECTOR SLAIN, ENTOMBED BENEATH HIS TUB – Deseret News The Murder Of Director Al Adamson – Original Cinemaniac The Old Oregon Trail (1928) A Silent Film Review BOOKS OF THE TIMES: Superman at 50! Shades of Gray: The Life and Death of the Oft-overlooked Master - The Comics Journal Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Colony (2026) | 03 Sep 2026 | 01:17:17 | |
One giant high-rise in downtown Seoul. Hundreds of people going about their everyday lives inside. Add one mad scientist with a vision for a fungus zombie hivemind apocalypse, and you have the recipe for a wild zombie action film! Director Yeon Sang-ho has already given us two modern zombie classics ("Train to Busan" and "Peninsula") but he's not done with us yet. John and Andy take a quick detour to modern-day South Korea to catch the latest from one of zombie cinema's rising stars. Show Notes: Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| I Drink Your Blood / I Eat Your Skin (1971) | 26 Aug 2026 | 01:27:23 | |
Get ready for the grindhouse! In this zombie double feature, the Zombie Strains team faces down two very different sides of zombie cinema. First up is the ultraviolent schlockfest I DRINK YOUR BLOOD, followed by the curiously retro I EAT YOUR SKIN. One of these is our first glimpse of 70s grindhouse, and the other might be the last dying groan of the traditional voodoo zombie. Which path will John, Andy, and Producer Brad choose? Show Notes: AFI|Catalog - I Drink Your Blood Bhaskar Roy Chowdhury Papers, 1930-2003 Rabies in the United States: Protecting Public Health | Rabies | CDC Katherine Dunham dancer Vanoye Aikens passes - New York Amsterdam News A Woman Ahead of Her Time: Katherine Dunham and Afro-Caribbean Dance Katherine Dunham | Queen Mother Of Black Dance (Biography) Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| What's So Scary About the 1970s? | 19 Aug 2026 | 00:57:32 | |
Crime waves... Watergate... disco... 70s zombies don't rise from the dead in a vacuum! The 70s was the decade that horror broke into the mainstream. So what lurking fears of the 1970s were exploited and amplified by zombie cinema? John and Andy take a little break from the regular lineup of zombie movies to talk through what exactly was so scary about the groovy 70s. Show Notes: Us Theatrical Release Date: The Cinema of Solitude by Charles Ramírez Berg Shock Value by Jason Zinoman Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| The Omega Man (1971) | 13 Aug 2026 | 01:34:18 | |
The end of the world was just the beginning of Robert Neville's problems. Sure, he's set up in a swanky post-apocalyptic penthouse suite, but he's cursed to spend his days and nights battling a Luddite cult of zombie hippies! John, Andy, and Producer Brad brave their first big-budget Hollywood zombie epic of the 1970s. Will this action blockbuster, another adaptation of Richard Matheson's I Am Legend, contribute as much to zombie cinema as its 1964 predecessor did? Show Notes: Us Theatrical Release Date: August 1, 1971 Kinney National Company | Logo Timeline Wiki | Fandom Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Snake People (1971) | 05 Aug 2026 | 01:10:46 | |
What happens when zombie horror gets put on a collision course with... the early 20th century temperance movement? Add a toucan, a snake dancer, acid trips, and Boris Karloff (and did we mention all the snakes?), and you have SNAKE PEOPLE. John, Andy, and Producer Brad return to the voodoo roots of zombie cinema in a film that combines decades-old horror cliches with the salacious sentiments of 1970s exploitation films. Show Notes: US Theatrical Release: March, 1971 Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| The World of the Dead (1970) | 29 Jul 2026 | 01:09:55 | |
Teleporting zombies. A tortured antihero. A sinister satanic cult. Only one man can save the day! The world's greatest luchador Santo returns to Zombie Strains for one last match against the undead. This time, the horror begins in colonial New Spain, travels to 1971 Mexico, and culminates in a trip to hell itself. John, Andy, and Brad don their masks and capes for one last wrestling match against zombies, witches, and demons. Show Notes: Mexican Release Date: October 1, 1970 Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Additional music by Elarasound. Additional voice work by Russell Bentley. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Santo and Blue Demon vs The Monsters (1970) | 22 Jul 2026 | 01:34:18 | |
Santo's back, and so are his wrestling zombie enemies! He might be facing a full rogue's gallery of classic Hollywood monsters, but he's not alone in the fight. He's joined by the mysterious luchador Blue Demon... at least until Blue Demon is cloned and turned against Santo. There's just so much to deal with in our first 1970s zombie film that we called in some backup to help us wrestle with it: Javier Grillo-Marxuach (writer for Lost, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, The Witcher, and more). Grab yourself a ringside seat and find out who's still standing at the end of SANTO AND BLUE DEMON VS. THE MONSTERS. Show Notes: Mexican Release: May, 1970 History/Review of Santo and Blue Demon vs the Monsters | |||
| The Avengers - "Return of the Cybernauts" (1967) | 08 Jul 2026 | 01:00:30 | |
Don your most posh bowler hat, squeeze into your brightly-colored jumpsuit, and grab your umbrella sword. We're on a mission to Swinging London! John and Andy once again commandeer the Zombie Strains lab to visit the '60s spy-fi hit THE AVENGERS. See what happens when secret agents John Steed and Emma Peel face off against a two-pronged zombie threat... and find out what 1960s network TV was doing with the concept of the zombie. Show Notes: The Fashion Guide to "The Avengers" season 5: John Steed, and Emma Peel Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Thriller - "Pigeons from Hell" (1961) | 30 Jun 2026 | 00:53:09 | |
Pigeons aren't the scariest bird... UNLESS they team up with vengeful zombies in the post-Civil War South. Then they become a force to be reckoned with! John and Andy take a swampy detour on the trail of PIGEONS FROM HELL, a 1961 episode of the TV show "Thriller" based on a short story by pulp maestro Robert E. Howard (creator of Conan and other pulp heroes). Will they survive the night camped out in this creepy, pigeon-infested plantation? | |||
| Bunny Lake is Missing (1965) | 10 Jun 2026 | 00:59:05 | |
Bunny isn't the only thing missing in BUNNY LAKE IS MISSING (1965)! There's also no trace of zombies. Or is there? In the interlude between Zombie Strains seasons, John and Andy take a curious detour into a psychological thriller about a possibly delusional mother's quest to find her possibly non-existent missing child. Keep your eyes and ears peeled, and you just might pick up the trail of a very unique kind of "zombie." Show Notes: Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Season 2 Wrap-Up | 03 Jun 2026 | 01:28:53 | |
Against all odds, we've survived to the end of the 1960s! What have we learned about zombies along the way? What were the unexpected delights and the unprecedented horrors of the last twenty years of zombie cinema? John, Andy, and Brad wrap up season 2 of Zombie Strains--and brace themselves for the coming disco era--by reflecting on the remarkable ways that zombies evolved through the 1950s and 60s. Show Notes: Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Night of the Living Dead (1968) | 20 May 2026 | 02:18:07 | |
Seven terrorized survivors. One isolated farmhouse. And one endless horde of the living dead. It's time to confront the patient zero of modern zombie film, Night of the Living Dead (1968)! In addition to guns, torches, and survival supplies, John, Andy, and Brad are bringing all the knowledge of zombie cinema they've gained from watching four decades of zombie movies. What did this masterpiece invent? What did it draw from previous films? And will all that accumulated zombie trivia help John, Andy, and Brad survive the night? Show Notes: US Theatrical Release Date: October 4, 1968 Did George Romero Ever Think Pittsburgh was Scary? The Empire Film Podcast with George Romero Mister Rogers Gets a Tonsillectomy - Directed by George Romero Perspective: An Appreciation of Duane Jones | University of Pittsburgh Marilyn Eastman Dies: ‘Night of the Living Dead’ Actress & Producer Was 87 Birth of the Living Dead (2013 documentary) The Top Ten Best Low Budget Horror Movies of All Time Interview Magazine, 1969 Night of the Living Dead Review Cahiers du cinema, 1970 Night of the Living Dead Review Variety, October 15, 1968. Night of the Living Dead: Film Review New York Times, December 5, 1968. Night of the Living Dead Review Roger Ebert's January, 5, 1969, reaction to Night of the Living Dead Fred Rogers: The Last Interview and Other Conversations. Melville House Williams, Tony. George A. Romero Interviews. University Press of Mississippi Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Dr. Satan vs. Black Magic (1968) | 06 May 2026 | 00:57:37 | |
How do you take down a vampire mastermind who's out to conquer the world? You send in hell's most dangerous secret agent! Aided by his zombie henchwomen, the enigmatic antihero Dr. Satan must match wits with the bloodsucking Yei Lin in a wild series of heists, assassinations, and intrigues. Who will be the last one standing? John, Andy, and Brad venture into the deadly world of the Mexican vampire/zombie/devil/spy movie Dr. Satán y la magia negra (1968) (AKA Dr. Satan vs. Black Magic) to find out. Show Notes: US Theatrical Release Date: 1968 Ciuk, Perla. DICCIONARIO DIRECTORES CINE MEXICANO (2000) Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| The Astro-Zombies (1968) | 29 Apr 2026 | 01:22:01 | |
Show favorite John Carradine is back as Dr. DeMarco in 1968’s THE ASTRO-ZOMBIES. DeMarco has figured out how to create enhanced humans (don't call them zombies!) for the space program, but now everyone wants his secret. The CIA must find DeMarco before the sinister Satana (Zura Satana) and her gang of thugs steal the secret of the Astro-Zombies for their own sinister purposes. Who will reach him first? Why has one of Astro-zombies gone on a mad killing spree? Will Dr. DeMarco ever stop speaking in techno-babble? Join the Zombie Strains team in pursuit of The Astro-Zombies to find out what makes them kill! Show Notes: US Theatrical Release Date: May, 1968 Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Additional music by Elarasound. Additional voice work by Russell Bentley. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Strange Invasion (1965) | 22 Apr 2026 | 01:04:51 | |
Didn't your parents always warn that if you watched too much mind-numbing TV, you'd turn into a mindless zombie? Little did they know how literally that would turn out! In EXTRAÑA INVASIÓN (1965),AKA STRANGE INVASION, a small town is horrified as its children become addicted to a mysterious zombifying TV broadcast. John, Andy, and Producer Brad head once again to Argentina to find out whether this movie's cultural commentary can overcome its low budget to make it a zombie classic. Show Notes: Cinebeats remembrance of Emilio Vieyra Mark Cole review of Strange Invasion MARILYN MONROE'S IMAGE // She's gone, but the money lives on Law Decides Who Owns a Dead Star's Image (NPR) Court Rules for Heirs of a Man Who Took Pictures of Monroe - The New York Times Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Additional music by Elarasound. Additional voice work by Russell Bentley. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| The Deadly Organ (1967) | 15 Apr 2026 | 01:07:52 | |
The trippy 60s are finally here! This hip party beach in Argentina has a problem: young women are sinking into a zombie-like state, wandering off, and getting themselves murdered by a psychotic killer. THE DEADLY ORGAN is a psychadelic film that has everything you expect from 1960s horror: sex, drugs, and... no actual zombies? John, Andy, and Producer Brad don their coolest beach attire to learn whether or not we're dealing with an overlooked zombie classic or just another zombie-less exploitation flick. Show Notes: US Theatrical release date: October, 1967 Link to Sharp Mini Stereophone pocket record player similar to the one used in the film Porsche 718 Spyder as seen in the film Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Dr. Terror's Gallery of Horror (1967) | 08 Apr 2026 | 01:16:04 | |
It's time for another horror anthology film, this one rooted in the melodramatic twist endings of horror comics! DR. TERROR'S GALLERY OF HORROR walks us through five spooky tales that feature vampires, werewolves, and yes, zombies--as well as horror veterans Lon Cheney and John Carradine. Will this film's earnest charm overcome its bargain-basement production values? Join John, Andy, and Producer Brad as they try to survive through all five stories. Show Notes: US theatrical release date: April 17, 1967 Weaver, Tom. EYE ON SCIENCE FICTION: 20 INTERVIEWS WITH CLASSIC SF AND HORROR FILMMAKERS Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Zombie Madness Showdown! | 01 Apr 2026 | 01:25:10 | |
Forty-eight zombies enter... but only one will leave! Who is the scariest of them all? It's time for a ZOMBIE MADNESS SHOWDOWN to find out! We put every movie zombie from 1919 to 1966 into a bracket to face off against each other. Follow along as John, Andy, and Producer Brad weigh the relative strengths, weaknesses, and overall vibes of zombies across the first 50 years of zombie cinema. Which will be the last zombie standing? Show Notes: Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| The Plague of the Zombies (1966) | 25 Mar 2026 | 01:08:47 | |
Who knew there was more than one zombie movie centered on Cornish tin mines? That's the setting of the Hammer Horror classic THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES (1966), which features spooky moors, an arrogant British zombie master, and the most intense (and violent) zombie resurrection we've seen so far. Venture into the mines with John, Andy, and Producer Brad as they excavate a true zombie cinema gem. Show Notes: Medium post on the making of THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES Dendle, Peter. The Zombie Movie Encyclopedia Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| The Very Important Zombie Affair | 18 Mar 2026 | 01:21:01 | |
Exotic locations! Spy gadgets! Suave secret agents taking down enemy... zombies? With "THE VERY IMPORTANT ZOMBIE AFFAIR", an episode of the hit 1960s TV show THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., the Zombie Strains team ventures into uncharted territory: the satirical superspy genre. Napoleon Solo and his sidekick Ilya go up against a Caribbean dictator whose favorite method of oppression is zombification. Will our heroes take out the villain without becoming zombies themselves? Tune in on your shoe phone or favorite podcast app to find out. Show Notes: Original broadcast date: December 31, 1965 Ian Flemings involvement with THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Dr. Orloff's Monster (1965) | 11 Mar 2026 | 01:30:50 | |
Revenge is a dish best served with zombies! At least, that's the plan of mad scientist Dr. Conrad Fisherman, who has brought his own brother back from the dead and sent him on a misogynistic killing spree. Look closely amid all the low-budget terror of DR. ORLOF'S MONSTER and you might just find a few zombie movie firsts, like zombie-killing headshots! Join the Zombie Strains team as John, Andy, and Brad tackle this strangely compelling European gothic tale of madness, betrayal, and the walking dead. SHOW NOTES Theatrical release dates: October 12, 1965 (Spain) Kay, Glenn. Zombie Movies: The Ultimate Guide Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| The Frozen Dead (1966) | 04 Mar 2026 | 01:18:15 | |
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? SHOW NOTES: US Theatrical release date: November 15, 1967 Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Hercules in the Haunted World (1961) | 25 Feb 2026 | 01:21:00 | |
Can Hercules (Reg Park) thwart the evil machinations of usurper King Lico (Christopher Lee!) in time to save his beloved Deianira (Leonora Ruffo) from spending the rest of eternity as a ... zombie?! Swords and sandals once again meet the living dead in this 1961 Italian fantasy adventure: Hercules in the Haunted World. Hercules and his "helpful" friends Theseus and Telemaco enter Hades to save Deianara, but will they ever escape? Andy, John, and Producer Brad done their sandals and encounter not one, but two different types of zombies in the movie that inspired Arnold Schwarzenneger to become a body builder. SHOW NOTES: Theatrical release date: November 16, 1961 (Italy) April, 1964 (US) Reg Park's influence on Arnold Schwarzenneger Corti, Roberto. Italian Gothic Horror Films: 1957-1969 Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| Terror-Creatures from the Grave (1965) | 18 Feb 2026 | 01:19:35 | |
When a lawyer arrives at a gloomy estate to settle a will, he finds that his client is already dead... but his collection of plague-ridden severed limbs is still very much active! Legendary scream queen Barbara Steele dominates this Italian gothic horror film that features a spooky castle, vengeance from beyond the grave, and just maybe a few zombies. Join John, Andy, and Brad as they face off against "Terror-Creatures from the Grave"! SHOW NOTES: Italian release date: June 23, 1965 US release date: May 16, 1967 AFI Catalog entry for Terror-Creatures from the Grave Curti, Roberto. Italian Gothic Horror Films: 1957-1969. Flop House episode on Giallo films. Multiplex Overthruster episode on Yor: Hunter from the Future. Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| An Evening with Batman and Robin (1965) | 11 Feb 2026 | 01:33:09 | |
Holy propoganda, Batman! Before the iconic Batmobile, before the Shark Repellant, before the showdown against Superman... Batman and Robin were featured in a wartime movie serial where they battled a Japanese spymaster and his zombie minions. Will the Dynamic Duo prevail? Can the Zombie Strains team make it through 3 hours of racist propoganda? John, Andy, and Producer Brad don their cowls and patrol the dark streets of Gotham City to find out. SHOW NOTES The Batman serial original theatrical release date: July 16, 1943 An Evening with Batman and Robin release date: 1965 Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) | 04 Feb 2026 | 01:13:33 | |
Following hot on the heels of 28 Years Later, director Nia DaCosta's sequel 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple picks up right where the first film ended. Spike has been saved from the infected by some colorful characters, but are they friends? John and Andy sneak out of the Zombie Strains lab to the movie theater to see new a new film that reflects on humanity, empathy, and torture horror all at the same time. Has a zombie movie ever had this much empathy for the nominal villains of the story? Listen to this spoiler filled episode to find out. SHOW NOTES: US Theatrical release date: January 16, 2026 Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Additional music by Elarasound. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| The Earth Dies Screaming (1964) | 28 Jan 2026 | 01:19:16 | |
In a quaint English village, the last remnants of humanity have gathered. But what hope does a ragtag band of survivors have against marauding alien robots and their zombie slaves? When John, Andy, and Brad explore The Earth Dies Screaming (1964), they find a low-budget movie that lays a startling amount of groundwork for future zombie apocalypses. SHOW NOTES: US Theatrical release date: October 14, 1964 Virginia Field's New York Time's obituary Elizabeth Lutyens on Apple Music Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Additional music by Elarasound. Additional voice work by Russell Bentley. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| The Horror of Party Beach (1964) | 21 Jan 2026 | 01:29:49 | |
Radioactive waste meets teenage rebellion in THE HORROR OF PARTY BEACH! Grab your surfboard and hit the sandy beaches of Connecticut with John, Andy, and Brad as they brave a surf-rock nightmare featuring dozens of bikinis, a slumber party massacre, and lots of hip music by the Del-Aires. SHOW NOTES Theatrical Release Date: April, 1964 The Horror of Party Beach comic book Weaver, Tom. Interviews with B Science Fiction and Horror Movie Makers Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| We Bury the Dead (2026) | 14 Jan 2026 | 01:04:56 | |
After an experimental weapon devastates Tasmania, Ava Newman (Daisy Ridley) joins a body retrieval unit to find her missing husband. There's just one little catch--and you've probably guessed what it is, since this is a zombie movie podcast. Where does this melancholy tale of loss and regret belong in the evolutionary tree of zombie cinema? John and Andy break into the Zombie Strains lab late at night to put WE BURY THE DEAD (2026) under the microscope. (The first half of this episode is spoiler-free; we clearly state when the spoiler discussion starts.) Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| The Man from Planet X (1951) | 07 Jan 2026 | 01:30:02 | |
A mysterious planet is hurtling toward Earth. An alien spacecraft with a zombie-creating ray has landed in the Scottish moors. And those might not actually be the villains in this Atomic Age cautionary tale! John, Andy, and Producer Brad head back to 1951 to take stock of THE MAN FROM PLANET X, a zombie film that manages to rise above its shoestring budget and remind us who the real monsters are. Show Notes: Theatrical release date: April 27, 1951 LA Time obituary for Robert Clarke NY Times obituary for Margaret Field NY Times obituary for Harold Gould NY Time obituary for William Schallert Interviews with B Science Fiction and Horror Movie Makers, Tom Weaver Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Additional music by Elarasound. Additional voice work by Russell Bentley. Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on | |||
| The Mad Ghoul (1943) | 17 Dec 2025 | 01:19:54 | |
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 Evelyn Anker's New York Time's obituary George Zucco's New York Time's obituary Turhan Bey's The Guardian obituary Jack Pierce's makeup for The Man Who Laughed (1929) Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Additional music by Elarasound. Additional voice work by Russell Bentley. 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 | |||
| 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. | |||
| 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 | |||