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.

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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

Voodoo Island movie poster

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.

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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:

Mommie Dearest boardroom scene with S. John Launer (Captain Dave Harris in Creature with the Atom Brain).

Theme music composed by Neil Dube.

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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

Notable horror films of 1953

Theme music composed by Neil Dube.

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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.

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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

Movie poster

List of 1952 movies

1952 Academy Awards

Correspondence between JRR Tolkien and relatives of Zombies of the Stratosphere cast member Wilson Wood.

Wilson Wood's stage recreation of the famous JRR Tolkien photo.

Theme music composed by Neil Dube.

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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.

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!