The Deadly Spawn (1983) & Metamorphosis: The Alien Factor (1990)

A cult fan favorite of the 1980s low-budget monster boom, The Deadly Spawn is best remembered for one of the era's most distinctive creature designs. Its semi-sequel, Metamorphosis: The Alien Factor, is a scrappy and underrated follow-up that's still a lot of fun, and long overdue for a proper Blu-ray upgrade. Behind both films is Ted A. Bohus, a true multi-man of independent genre cinema.

Beyond producing and directing, Bohus has also been a vital chronicler of film history and technique through his magazines SPFX and Candid Monsters, publications that routinely reveal how much there still is to discover about movies we think we already know. In this episode, he sits down with us to talk about The Deadly Spawn, Metamorphosis, and the realities of working in the low-budget, independent filmmaking world, sharing more than a few hard-earned lessons for aspiring filmmakers along the way.

We also dive into his work as a publisher, including the deep-research, damn-near-a-book issues of Candid Monsters, which take exhaustive looks at some of our favorite classic films. So sit back and enjoy a conversation packed with great stories, sharp insights, and a genuine love for the messy, fascinating world of making movies and magazines.

Films mentioned in this episode:

Angry Red Planet (1959), The Alien Factor (1978), The Alligator People (1959), Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025), Black Scorpion (1957), The Blob (1958), The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), The Deadly Spawn (1983), Destination Fame (2012), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931), Fiend (1980), Forbidden Planet (1956), Freaks (1932), Friday the 13th (1980), Gog (1954), Gorgo (1961), Hell on Earth (2010), Hideous Sun Demon (1958), The House of Haunted Hill (1959), The Invisible Boy (1957), It's a Wonderful Life (1946), King Kong (1933), Kronos (1957), The Maze (1953), Metamorphosis (1990), Metamorphosis: The Alien Factor (1990), Mighty Joe Young (1949), The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959), Nightbeast (1982), Primate (2025), Regenerated Man (1994), Son of Kong (1933), Star Wars (1977), Them (1954), The Tingler (1959), Tobor the Great (1954), Vampire Vixens from Venus (1995)