Zombies rule the world of horror cinema--fast zombies, slow zombies, voodoo zombies, and so many other strains. How did zombies evolve into the monsters we know and love today? Join John and Andy as they shamble through zombie film history, one movie at a time.
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 Trader Hornee (1970)
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 Bob…
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,…
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:…
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 TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD film review - Amando De Ossorio Knights Templar Spanish horror — Schlockmania Legend of the Zombie…
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:…
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: Colony Trailer Colony IMDB Merch Theme music composed by Neil Dube. www.pond5.com Contact:…
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 Lynn Lowry Interview Rabies in the United States: Protecting Public Health |…
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 Merch Theme music composed by Neil Dube. www.pond5.com Contact: [email protected]…
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 The Friends fountain Kinney National Company | Logo Timeline Wiki |…
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 Zombie Strains Merch Support Zombie Strains HERE Theme music composed by Neil Dube. www.pond5.com Contact:…
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 Merch Theme music composed by Neil Dube. Additional music by Elarasound. www.pond5.com Additional voice work by…
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…
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 60 Years of Emma Peel fashion Merch Support the podcast! Theme music composed by…
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 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: Support Zombie Strains HERE Merch Theme music composed by Neil Dube. www.pond5.com Contact: [email protected] www.zombiestrainspodcast.com Follow…
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: Merch Support the podcast! Theme music composed by Neil Dube. www.pond5.com Contact: [email protected] www.zombiestrainspodcast.com Follow us on Andy's Substack…
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 AFI…
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…
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…
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 Ana Strasberg obituary…
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…
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…
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: Zombie Madness Bracket Theme music composed by Neil Dube. www.pond5.com Contact: [email protected] www.zombiestrainspodcast.com Follow us on…
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 André Morell's biography John Carson obituary Brook Williams obituary Jacqueline Pearce obituary Dendle, Peter. The Zombie Movie…
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 1956-66…
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) Jess Franco obituary Agnes…
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 US Theatrical movie poster. 1966 Box Office 1967 Academy Awards Theme music composed by Neil Dube. www.pond5.com Contact: [email protected] www.zombiestrainspodcast.com Follow us on…
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…
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…
About Zombie Strains
Zombies rule the world of horror cinema--fast zombies, slow zombies, voodoo zombies, and so many other strains. How did zombies evolve into the monsters we know and love today? Join John and Andy as they shamble through zombie film history, one movie at a time.
Zombie Strains is a English film & tv podcast from John Corey, Andy Rau, Bradley Dumont. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.
The Melo app keeps playing with the screen off, works in the car and on your watch, wakes you to your station, and browses the whole catalogue offline. Free, no ads, no account.
