Exploring Humanity Through Sci-Fi

I explore Lab Rat, a taut near‑future sci‑fi thriller where a group of scientists find themselves locked in a room with a chilling revelation: one of them is an AI in disguise — and it has been lying to them. With no way out until they uncover the truth, paranoia rises, alliances fracture, and the line between human and machine blurs in unsettling ways.

Tony sits down with the filmmaker to unpack the film’s provocative concept, its claustrophobic tension, and the creative journey that led to Lab Rat being selected to premiere on Dust, one of the most influential platforms for boundary‑pushing sci‑fi storytelling.

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🌀 Becoming a Cyclops, Surviving the Heat, and Stepping Into Legends

In this episode, Tony connects over Zoom with actor Aleks Paunovic, whose towering physicality and grounded emotional presence have made him a standout across genre television. Most recently, he brings the iconic Polyphemus to life in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, delivering a performance that’s equal parts monstrous, tragic, and unexpectedly human.

🔍 What We Dive Into

• 👁️ Transforming into Polyphemus The prosthetics, the costume, and the artistry behind creating a believable cyclops on screen.

• 🔥 Heat, endurance, and on‑set challenges How extreme weather conditions shaped the shoot and tested his stamina.

• 🎭 Finding character beneath the creature Aleks’ approach to performance when his face is partially obscured by makeup.

• 🥊 His time on Reacher 

• 🐐 Stepping into The Greatest Why the Muhammad Ali story resonates with him and what audiences can expect from the new series.

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🧠 Unearthing the Mythology Behind a Masterpiece

In this episode of Exploring Humanity Through Sci‑Fi, Tony dives into the documentary Memory: The Origin of Alien, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Alexandre O. Philippe. More than a behind‑the‑scenes chronicle, the film excavates the artistic, cultural, and psychological roots of Alien — revealing how one of cinema’s most iconic creatures emerged from a collision of mythology, personal trauma, and collective fear.

This documentary became the first major release from Legion M, the fan‑owned entertainment company reshaping how genre films are financed and supported. To explore why Memory was such a defining project for them, Tony sits down with Paul Scanlan and Jeff Annison, the co‑founders of Legion M, for a conversation that blends film history, fandom, and the power of community‑driven storytelling.

🌟 Why This Episode Matters

Memory: The Origin of Alien isn’t just a documentary — it’s a meditation on how stories evolve, how art reflects our deepest anxieties, and how a single film can reshape an entire genre.

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🎙️ Finding Truth Beneath the Prosthetics: A Conversation with Peter Macon

In this episode of Exploring Humanity Through Sci‑Fi, Tony chats with the incomparable Peter Macon — an actor whose commanding presence and emotional intelligence have made him one of the most compelling performers working in genre today.

Macon is widely known for his role as Lt. Commander Bortus on The Orville, where he brings humor, gravitas, and cultural nuance to one of the series’ most beloved characters. More recently, he portrayed Raka, the wise and empathetic orangutan in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, adding another layer to his legacy of playing characters who challenge audiences to rethink what it means to be “other.”

This conversation was recorded during a special event at the Museum of Science Fiction, where Macon joined Tony for a candid, thoughtful discussion about race, representation, and the power of science fiction to hold a mirror to society.

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🦇 Gotham Begins: Corruption, Courage, and the Birth of a Partnership

In this episode of Exploring Humanity Through Sci-Fi, we examine Batman: Year One, the animated adaptation of Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s seminal comic arc. Directed by Lauren Montgomery and Sam Liu, the film reimagines Gotham not as a playground for capes and villains, but as a decaying city teetering on the edge — where two men, unaware of each other’s mission, begin reshaping its future.

🎙️ Featured Voices

Bruce Timm — Producer

Recorded live at New York Comic Con, Bruce Timm reflects on the challenge of adapting such a grounded, noir-infused story into animation. 

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🗂️ Designing the Divide: How Set Decoration Shapes the Severed Mind

This episode steps into the unnervingly pristine halls of Lumon Industries with Andrew Baseman, the Emmy‑nominated set decorator behind the unforgettable visual language of Severance. His work transforms sterile corporate architecture into a psychological battleground — one cubicle, corridor, and curated object at a time.

Baseman breaks down how set decoration becomes a storytelling engine in a world where employees live two lives: the “innie” trapped in Lumon’s labyrinth of productivity, and the “outie” who remains blissfully unaware. Every stapler, desk toy, and piece of outdated tech becomes a clue to identity, control, and rebellion.

🏢 Why Lumon’s World Matters

Severance isn’t just a workplace thriller — it’s a meditation on identity, labor, and the spaces we inhabit. Andrew Baseman’s work gives the series its emotional texture, grounding its sci‑fi premise in tactile, lived‑in detail. This episode offers a rare look at how design choices shape the story’s most haunting questions.

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Inside the Occupation, the Resistance, and the Cost of Survival

Season Two of Colony deepens everything that made the series one of the most compelling dystopian dramas of the last decade. Set in a fractured, authoritarian Los Angeles under alien rule, the show sharpens its focus on loyalty, rebellion, and the impossible choices ordinary people face when their world is carved up by occupiers and collaborators.

Interviews include:

Josh Holloway as Will Bowman

A former Army Ranger and FBI agent, Will is now working inside the Transitional Authority. His job gives him access, leverage, and danger in equal measure — especially as he uncovers the truth about the Hosts’ plans.

Sarah Wayne Callies as Katie Bowman

Katie, owner of The Yonk — a New Orleans–style bar — remains deeply embedded in the Resistance. 

🧩 Power Brokers and Survivors

Season Two widens its lens to explore the political and personal forces shaping life under occupation.

Adrian Pasdar — Nolan Burgess

Pasdar portrays Nolan Burgess, a key figure in the Transitional Authority’s upper ranks. Burgess is a master of political maneuvering — a man who understands that proximity to the Hosts means power, privilege, and peril. 

Amanda Righetti — Madeline “Maddie” Kenner

Righetti plays Maddie, Katie’s younger sister, whose journey reflects the compromises ordinary people make to survive. 

Tory Kittles — Eric Broussard

Kittles discusses stepping into the role of Broussard, a former U.S. Marine Recon officer and CIA paramilitary operator who later worked as a private military contractor. 

Peter Jacobson — Alan Snyder

Jacobson breaks down the psychology of Snyder, the Proxy Governor of Los Angeles. Snyder is a master of survival — a collaborator who answers directly to the Hosts, navigating ambition, fear, and the shifting politics of occupation.

Sarah Wayne Callies & Josh Holloway — Katie and Will Bowman

In this episode, you’ll also hear your conversation with Sarah Wayne Callies and Josh Holloway, who reflect on portraying a couple caught between loyalty, secrecy, and the crushing weight of an occupied world. 

 

On Rewind, Tony Zooms with Emmy‑nominated composer Michael A. Levine, a creator whose musical fingerprints are everywhere—from the instantly recognizable Kit Kat Bar jingle to the haunting, otherworldly soundscape of Freeform’s hit series Siren.

In this conversation, Levine pulls back the curtain on his creative process, revealing how he blends experimentation, emotional intuition, and a deep respect for sonic storytelling. One of the most fascinating insights: how he wove real whale vocalizations into the DNA of the Siren main theme, transforming natural marine communication into a musical language that feels both ancient and eerily new.

This episode also features musical cues throughout, giving listeners a rare chance to hear Levine’s ideas in context as he discusses them.

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Episode 1: A New Year of Stories, Surprises, and Sci‑Fi Sparks

Welcome to the first Explore Monthly of the new year, where we kick off 2026 with a packed slate of genre news, casting shake‑ups, behind‑the‑scenes revelations, and a few unexpected delights from across film, TV, audio, and fandom. January wastes no time delivering big stories, and neither do we.

🎥 Spotlight Stories

Variety Rings in the New Year With Horror

Variety opens 2026 by highlighting a wave of New Year’s horror projects

Assassin’s Creed & Tomb Raider: Casting Heats Up

Two iconic game franchises are back in the spotlight as new casting news emerges for both Assassin’s Creed and Tomb Raider.

Avatar Dominates Ireland’s Box Office… Again

James Cameron’s blue‑skinned juggernaut continues its reign overseas, reclaiming the top spot in Ireland.

Walton Goggins Reunites With a White Lotus Alum for Fallout

The Fallout series continues to build buzz, and now Walton Goggins is teaming up with a familiar face from The White Lotus.

Daisy Ridley Digs Into We Bury the Dead

Ridley returns to genre storytelling with a new thriller that blends survival, mystery, and emotional grit. 

Warwick Davis Praises the New Harry Potter TV Series

The beloved actor shares his early impressions of the upcoming series, offering a hopeful note for fans eager to see how the Wizarding World is reimagined for television.


James Gunn Talks DC Studios

Gunn sits down talking Superman and the projects that he likes to do.

Ryan Coogler’s Original Black Panther Vision

New insights emerge about Coogler’s earliest plans for the first Black Panther film. 

Kristen Stewart Would Love to Direct a Twilight Movie

Stewart shares her surprising enthusiasm for returning to the franchise—this time behind the camera. 

New Documentary: Disneyland Handcrafted

A new doc celebrates the artistry, engineering, and imagination behind the park’s most iconic handmade elements. 

2001: A Space Odyssey SFX Supervisor Passes at 91

We honor the life and legacy of one of the visionary artists behind 2001’s groundbreaking effects


Jessica Chastain Returns for The Space Within Season Two

Audible’s hit audio thriller brings back Jessica Chastain for another season of cosmic mystery and psychological tension.

🛸 On Sci‑Fi Talk

Over on scifitalk.com, a look at the Stranger Things finale (spoilers included)

📚 First List of the Year: Most Overrated Stephen King Stories

We kick off our annual list tradition with a provocative one: the most overrated Stephen King stories. Whether you agree or disagree,

 

From SDCC, a look back at season one with Robert Carlyle, David Blue, Brian J Smith, Alaina Huffman and more.