Exploring Humanity Through Sci-Fi

Becoming the Borg Queen and Beyond: Alice Krige Unplugged

In this episode of Exploring Humanity Through Sci-Fi, host Tony Tellado talked with the renowned actress Alice Krige, best known to Star Trek fans as the iconic Borg Queen. Alice discusses her powerful role in the film She Will, where she portrays Veronica Ghent, an aging movie star recovering from surgery in a mysterious Scottish retreat—a place infamous for its history with witch burnings. She delves into how trauma, vulnerability, and the quest for redemption shape her character and enrich the film's narrative.

Alice shares fascinating behind-the-scenes insights about working with first-time director Charlotte Colbert, executive producer Dario Argento, and her talented co-stars, including Malcolm McDowell and Kota Eberhardt. She highlights the film’s unique visual style and how nature and the cosmos are artfully interwoven with personal healing and justice.

The conversation moves to Alice’s multifaceted journey as the Borg Queen across multiple Star Trek projects, including her pivotal roles in Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Voyager, and the animated series Lower Decks. Alice reflects on the character’s enduring allure, mysterious qualities, and cultural significance as an archetype that evokes complex reactions in viewers.

Tony and Alice also reminisce about her acclaimed performances in projects like Carnival Row, Ghost Story, and her broad theater background. Alice provides a candid look at how immersive roles can profoundly affect actors—sometimes lingering well past filming, as she recounts from her experience on Silent Hill.

With warmth and wisdom, Alice credits her career’s richness to a passion for storytelling, collaboration, and the enduring joy of working with devoted creative teams. Whether discussing the demands of fantasy roles, the art of transformation through makeup and costume, or her gratitude for a life spent in performance, Alice offers an inspiring perspective for fans and fellow artists alike.

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"Alien Invasion Meets Political Deadlock: The Genius of Braindead"

Rewind Episode Overview

In this special episode, Tony Tellado dives into the 2016 summer series Braindead, a unique blend of political satire, sci-fi, comedy, and horror that is even more eerily relevant today. With members of the cast and co-creators Robert and Michelle King, we explore how space bugs eating politicians' brains becomes a clever (and hilarious) lens for examining extremism and the current political climate.

Key Topics & Highlights

• Braindead Premise:
  Alien insects arrive on meteors and literally eat politicians’ brains in Washington D.C., making humans act in bizarre, extreme ways.

• Bridging Genres Beyond the Norm:
  The cast discuss how the show combines political drama with sci-fi, horror, and even romantic comedy—a shift from what you’d expect from the Good Wife creators.

• Acting in the Absurd:
  Tony Shalhoub talks about channeling both sides of his evolving character, Red Wheatus. Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Aaron Tveit discuss the fun and challenge of playing ideologically opposed leads who must unite.

• Satire Meets Reality:
  The Kings discuss how real-life politics became stranger than fiction, often outpacing the show’s most absurd ideas. They also touch on the inspiration from actual shutdowns, and their attempts to satirize increasing polarization where “compromise is lost.”

• Balancing Tone:
  Maintaining comedic timing while blending in horror and satire proved to be both fun and challenging for the cast and creators.

• Behind the Scenes:
  Insight into research, from Capitol Hill strategy to entomology, and witty anecdotes about gross-out scenes and network standards.

• Larger Themes:

  • Extremism and the lack of dialogue in U.S. politics

  • Humanizing both sides of the political divide

  • How fear, satire, and laughter can help us process social anxieties

Memorable Quotes

• “The terrifying thing is not the big monster. The terrifying thing to me is that something will crawl on me when I sleep…” – Robert King

• “Our show kind of has a serious point underneath it. But the last thing I want to watch is a serious show.” – Robert King

• “We did lean heavily into the first Red, the Red, who’s a heavy drinker and kind of a lush…” – Tony Shalhoub

Further Discussion

• Reflections on today’s relentless news cycles and how real events often upstage even the wildest fictional premises.

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Byte Final Destination Bloodlines

Interview comments courtesy Of Warner Bros with Teo Briones, Rya Kihlstedt ,Richard Harmon , Max Llyod Jones, Kaitlyn Santa Juana, and co-Directors are Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein

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Byte Predator: Killer Of Killers

Interviews from Beyond Fest with Amber Midthunder, Lindsay Lavanchy , Screenwriter Micho Robert Rutare, Co-director Josh Wassung, and a sit down interview with producer director Dan Trachtenberg. On Plus, there are video interviews and three clips from the film. 

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Wonder Woman: Behind the Scenes of Her Animated Origin – An Inside Look with the Creative Team

In this episode, Tony Tellado looks back at a key moment in Wonder Woman’s legacy: her first standalone animated film. With insights from key creators and talent behind the project, this episode shines a light on how the Amazonian icon finally took center stage in animation, the creative decisions that shaped her portrayal, and the mythology that grounds her character.

Featured Guests

• Bruce Timm (Producer, Animation Legend)

• Lauren Montgomery (Director)

• Michael Jelenic (Screenwriter)

Topics Covered

• Why Wonder Woman Took So Long: Bruce Timm discusses the wait before Wonder Woman received her own animated feature, and the importance of finally giving her the spotlight.

• Creating Wonder Woman’s Story: The challenge of weaving together various comic book versions to create a fresh, definitive take on the character.

• Portraying an Icon: Insights into the complexities of bringing Wonder Woman to life as a lead, and how her character differs from the animated Justice League version.

• Controversy and Fan Expectations: From the invisible jet to whether she should fly, the episode explores passionate fan debates and production decisions.

• Voice Casting Magic: Highlights of Keri Russell’s and Nathan Fillion’s performances as Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor, plus Alfred Molina as Ares.

• Mother and Daughter Dynamics: Thematic exploration of Wonder Woman’s relationship with Hippolyta and the generational tension within Amazonian society.

• Villains & Mythology: Deep dive into the film’s Greek mythological roots and how Ares was developed as a formidable antagonist.

• Directing Animated Features: Lauren Montgomery on the unique challenges of directing animation versus live action, and her experience shaping Wonder Woman’s look and story.

• Scriptwriting Challenges: Michael Jelenic on translating Wonder Woman’s complex legacy into an engaging origin story and balancing mythos with originality.

• Female Superheroes in Animation: Reflections on the importance of featuring more female leads and untapped potential in the DC universe, from Wonder Woman to future hopes like Aquaman.

Key Quotes

• “Sometimes you don’t want to give the audience what they want. You give them what they need.” – Bruce Timm

• “Wonder Woman was the start, and it was so much fun to work on the project, and I’d love to be able to do more female lead characters.” – Lauren Montgomery

Where to Watch Wonder Woman’s animated feature is available on Max, Blu-Ray, and a special two-disc DVD edition.

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Superman Soars & Marvel Skips Comic Con Hall H: On Weekly

Episode Overview:
Tony takes listeners on a tour of the biggest headlines and developments in the worlds of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and comics. This week’s episode is packed with news, opinions, and a touch of industry analysis from Tony’s unique perspective.

Highlights:

• Superman Movie Update

  • MPAA has rated the upcoming Superman film PG-13 for violence.

  • Tony shares his early impressions of the trailer and the film's tone.

• Harry Potter TV Series News

  • Main trio cast: Dominic McLaughlin (Harry), Alistair Stout (Ron), Arabella Stanton (Hermione).

  • John Lithgow cast as Dumbledore.

  • Supporting cast announced; key roles still uncast.

• San Diego Comic Con: Marvel's Hall H Absence

  • Marvel will skip Hall H; presence focused on “Fantastic Four.”

  • Tony’s take on Marvel’s “villain problem” post-Thanos.

• Stranger Things Final Season

  • Season will premiere on November 26, 2025, split in three parts.

  • New cast includes Linda Hamilton and more.

• Doctor Who Casting

  • Ncuti Gatwa’s tenure ends; Billie Piper set to “morph” into The Doctor.

  • Billie Piper expresses excitement about returning.

• Monster High Live Action Movie Announced

  • Directed by Gerard Johnstone.

  • Movie based on popular doll franchise; potential for franchise expansion.

• Blumhouse Adapting ‘Phasmophobia’

  • Hit horror investigation game to become a movie.

• The Sandman Series Finale

  • Second and final season coming to Netflix, with a bonus “Death”-focused episode.

• Sci-Fi Movie Recommendations

  • ScreenCrush’s best sci-fi of the decade, with Tony’s commentary on top picks.

• Industry Insights

  • “Andor”’s $650M budget revealed.

  • Sam Altman’s AI ambitions and sci-fi’s influence on real technology.

  • “Severance” Season 2 updates and hints at possible spin-offs.

• Handmaid’s Tale Final Season

  • Everett Carradine (Naomi Putnam) reflects on her journey with the show.

• Scream 7 Reunion

  • Kevin Williamson discusses returning focus to Sidney Prescott.

• Wednesday Season 2 Sneak Peek

  • Netflix releases first six minutes, featuring creepy new villain played by Haley Joel Osment.

• Gen V Season 2 Premiere

  • “The Boys” spin-off returns September 17, 2025.

• Splinter Cell Movie in Development

  • Sydney Sweeney cast; John M. Chu set to direct.

• List: Worst Superhero Movies Ever

  • Tony reacts to Fiction Horizon’s fan-voted list.

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The Mix 100 - #28 Rubikon

My subscribers picked this episode at number 28 for The Mix 100 about a future, where a space station orbits a very toxic Earth. Astronauts find survivors in protective domes that houses the elites. So the question is, do they rescue them or themselves? Director  Magdalena Lauritsch based this script on a real life refugee crisis. Julia Franz Richter is one of the astronauts whom she cites gave her lots of emotional range to play. 

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Peter Joseph's Journey Exploring Humanity

Based on his book, The Human Rights Movement, his film Interreflections is different in form from his book. The film is broken up in three different time lines with each scene is an investigation of social issues. There is also a satirical science fiction layer with an antagonist, a protagonist, they're debating life in space. 

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The Mix 100 #65 Undone

At number 65 my subscribers picked my interviews from San Diego Comic Con for the animated series Undone. But star Rosa Salazar approached it like doing live action despite it being rotosoped. She was impressed by the painted backgrounds added later which she said look classical. You're hear from the creative team in how this series was put together. 

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Byte Slasher Flesh And Blood

Interview with Paula Brancotti, Creator Aaron Martin, director Adam McDonald and executive producer Ian Carpenter on this horror series. 

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