Ep. 04-25: Quatermass and the Pit (1967)

Prehistoric skeletons are discovered during an expansion of the London Underground. Paleontologist Matthew Roney (James Donald), believes them to be remnants of ancient man, but the strange metal object found with them is a mystery. Professor Bernard Quatermass (Andrew Keir) thinks it is evidence that the creatures came from space. More digging reveals the corpses of actual Martians and a strange energy field that sends London into a panic.

Quatermass and the Pit

As much fun as Universal films in America, Hammer films of England often bear wonderful chestnuts and refreshing dips into the pool of nostalgia. And though Hammer is mostly known for its forages into Universal monster territory, Quatermass and the Pit (1967) is one of their rare science fiction films. Join us as we discuss the talented team of writer Nigel Kneale, and director Roy Ward Baker and their spin on a deeply intellectual H. G. Wells-type story. Listen as Johnny has the Keys go down into the London underground where historical evidence of Earth, and perhaps Mars, lies not so still.

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Ep. 04-23: The Invisible Man (1933)

While researching a new drug, Dr. Jack Griffin (Claude Rains) stumbles on a potion that can make him invisible. When he reveals his new ability to his old mentor (Henry Travers) and his fiancée (Gloria Stuart), it’s clear that a side effect of the potion is insanity. Jack goes on a violent rampage, and the police struggle to hunt him down, unable to see their target, while his mentor and his former partner (William Harrigan) desperately try to devise a plan to capture him.

Episode 4-23 The Invisible Man

Ah, Universal monster movies. For nostalgia’s sake, you can’t beat them… especially in the horror-hardened heart of your co-host, Tim. James Whale is a seasoned director and, though The Invisible Man (1933) is not a perfect film, it earns its place in the canon of Universal classics. Join us as we discuss the men behind it, including H. G. Wells, James Whale, Claude Rains–and the mindboggling state-of-the-art special effects of the day. Listen as Johnny has the Keys travels to a tiny English village where strides in modern science lead to inexplicable phenomena and mass murder.

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Ep. 04-21: 12 Monkeys (1995)

An unknown virus has wiped out five billion people in 1996. Forced to live underground, only 1% of the population has survived by the year 2035. A convict, James Cole (Bruce Willis), volunteers to be sent back in time to 1996 to gather information about the origin of the epidemic (supposedly spread by a mysterious “Army of the Twelve Monkeys”) and locate the virus before it mutates so that scientists can study it. Unfortunately, Cole is mistakenly sent to 1990, six years prior, and is arrested and locked up in a mental institution, where he meets Dr. Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe), a psychiatrist, and Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), the insane son of a famous scientist and virus expert.

Episode 4-21

We return to the world of time travel, a concept Bruce Willis should be well-acquainted with, considering he’s starred in multiple time travel movies—The Kid (2000); Looper (2012). This time, he jaunts the years via the brilliant insanity of director, and former Monty Python member Terry Gilliam. Join us as we discuss this often overlooked gem that spawned a successful television series… two decades later. Listen, as Johnny has the Keys time-travels somewhat recklessly to save the world, searching for the origins of man’s folly amongst fools.

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Ep. 04-19: Fantastic Planet (1973)

This animated tale follows the relationship between the small human-like Oms and their much larger blue-skinned oppressors, the Draags, who rule the planet of Ygam. While the Draags have long kept Oms as illiterate pets, this hierarchy shifts after an Om boy becomes educated, thanks to a young female Draag. This leads to an Om rebellion, which weakens the Draag control over their race. Will the Oms and the Draags find a way to coexist? Or will they destroy each other?

Fantastic Planet

Confused? So are we. This classic foreign animated film ranks highly in the canon of science fiction cinema. We don’t really understand why. It’s basically an example of its time in history, bizarre, psychedelic, and just plain strange. Join us as we discuss the almost primitive animation, the strange, incohesive story, and the dated music. Listen as Johnny Has the Keys takes a trip to another world where blue giants keep humans as pets and nothing really makes a whole helluva lot of sense.