The Mad Science Movie Awards: 58 Films, So Many Bad Ideas

About this episode

The episode features a humorous and critical look back at mad science in cinema through a series of awards.

We close out our Mad Science series the only way we know how: with a very serious, deeply prestigious and completely unofficial Mad Science Film Awards . After 58 films and more than a century of sci-fi cinema, we look back at the scientists, monsters, labs, experiments and terrible decisions that defined the season. From Frankenstein , Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and The Invisible Man to The Fly , Re-Animator , Jurassic Park , Get Out and Poor Things , we trace how mad science evolved from gothic cautionary tales to atomic-age anxiety, body horror, corporate genetics, surveillance, consent and control. Categories include Best Mad Scientist , Biggest Ego in a Lab Coat , Most Unethical Experiment , Best Creation , Best Lab , Hidden Gem and the big one: Best Mad Science Movie . Plus we unveil what we will be covering the next series of Jounrey Through Sci-fi! 🚀 Join The JTSF Logbook Recommendations, discoveries and updates from our journey through sci-fi cinema: journeythroughscifi.beehiiv.com Visit our website https://www.journeythroughscifi.com/ Email Us! Support the podcast on PATREON Add us on INSTAGRAM Find us on TIKTOK Like us on FACEBOOK Follow us on LETTERBOXD

People in this episode

Host: James Payne

Topics covered

• mad science
• film awards
• sci-fi cinema
• horror
• experiments
• scientists

Keywords

• mad science
• film awards
• sci-fi
• horror films
• experiments
• mad scientists
• cinema history

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Invisible Man, The Fly, Re-Animator, Jurassic Park, Get Out, Poor Things

More episodes of Journey Through Sci-Fi: Science Fiction Film History

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• Frankenstein (2025) & The Bride! (2026): Mad Science Comes Full Circle · April 9, 2026 · 1h 32m
• Get Out (2017) & Possessor (2020): Losing Control of Your Own Body · March 26, 2026 · 1h 7m
• The Human Centipede (2009) & Tusk (2014): Turning People into Monsters · March 12, 2026 · 1h 1m
• Hulk (2003) & Iron Man (2008): When Scientists Become the Experiment · February 26, 2026 · 1h 8m