Ancient Geeks episode 14: Monster movies of the 50s and 60s

During the 1950s and 1960s, a combination of big ideas from science fiction, Cold War paranoia, and the sheer coolness of monsters inspired a generation of monster movies. Godzilla was only the start. Thrill at the rampages of giant atomic mutations (ants, birds, spiders, you name it), ready to wipe humanity from the face of the earth! Shiver as alien invaders walk among us! Plunge into the unknown corners of the world, and the mysterious realm of the human mind, to discover – what else? – monsters!

In this episode, we discuss how our younger selves, Tom especially, became monster movie fans. We break down a few examples, both good and bad, and also talk plenty of other movies as well. The verdict: even when they were bad, they were still lots of fun!

We also discuss monster movie fandom, centering around late-night TV hosts and magazines like Famous Monsters Of Filmland. 

Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of culture. We were geeks before it was chic!

For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, reviews on your podcast platform of choice are always appreciated.

© 2025 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor