Episode Nine: They Look Like People (2015) & The Invitation (2015)

Episode Nine: The Look Like People (2015) & The Invitation (2015). Urban paranoia, independent cinema and the horrors of friendship</p>Welcome to episode 9 of the Horror Double Bill, the podcast where each week we put two films together to create something far greater than the sum of its parts. </p>This week  we are unwrapping the horrors of friendship, with two films from 2015 that ask the questions, what do you do when people you once thought you knew are no longer the people you remember, and how long should you stick around to find out exactly who they have become?</p>First up is They Look Like People, the debut from director Perry Blackshear, a film which explores the bonds of male friendship and  the impacts of male insecurity as two friends reunite in New York for the first time since college.  </p>Then we head over to the west coast for another reunion, this time in LA, with The Invitation from director by Karyn Kusama, a study of paranoia and the impact of grief, depicting a group of old friends meeting for a dinner party where everything rapidly falls apart. </p>Both of this week’s films are shining examples of American Independent Cinema, and draw, to a greater or lesser degree, from the notion of replacement horror – the idea that someone close to you has been substituted by someone or something else, creating a heightened sense of paranoia and raising questions as to whether perceptions are reality or indeed reliable.  </p>Instagram: thehorrordoublebill</p>email: thehorrodoublebill@gmail.com</p>Sources used for this weeks episode:</p><b>Replacement Horror:</b></p>Invasion of the Body Snatchers: A Tribute edited by Kevin McCarthy and Ed Gorman</p>Don Siegel Director by Stuart M Kaminsky<b> </b></p><b>They Look Like People:</b></p>interviews with the cast and crew on the 2022 Yellow Veil Pictures Blu Ray release as well as the director and cast commentaries</p>https://www.scifinow.co.uk/interviews/they-look-like-people-is-a-horror-that-spans-genres/</p>https://screenanarchy.com/2015/01/slamdance-2015-review-they-look-like-people-the-nightmare-of-self.html#:~:text=The%20other%20marvel%20to%20take,which%20also%20intelligently%20explore%20the</p>https://screenanarchy.com/2022/04/perry-blackshears-psychological-horror-debut-they-look-like-people-gets-a-blu-ray-release-from-yello.html#:~:text=,Audience%20Award%2C%20Nashville%20Film%20Festival</p><b>The Invitation:</b></p>interviews and commentaries with the writers, cast and crew on the blu ray release from Second Sight films</p>Karyn Kusama at the Directors Guild of America:</p>https://youtu.be/_n-a7f1UBNc?si=s8h8wweCBmiC-5Vl</p>Karyn Kusama at Frightday:</p>https://youtu.be/7TDAUxznVhM?si=ba5PpGqGBk-jce_9 </p>An interview with Logan Marshall Green:</p>https://dailydead.com/exclusive-interview-with-the-invitations-logan-marshall-green/#:~:text=Logan%20Marshall,view%20the%20audience%20sits%20in</p>Filmmaker Magazine</p>https://filmmakermagazine.com/97782-framing-is-its-own-dark-art-karyn-kusama-on-the-invitation/#:~:text=Kusama%3A%20Phil%20Hay%20and%20Matt,horrifying%20element%20of%20the%20story</p>Go Into The Story:</p>https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/go-into-the-story-interview-matt-manfredi-and-phil-hay-f5925c5923a</p>https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/interview-written-karyn-kusama-and-phil-hay-the-invitation-c2690e24e97a</p>The Guardian:https://support.theguardian.com/uk/guardian-ad-lite?returnAddress=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ffilm%2F2016%2Fapr%2F05%2Fthe-invitation-film-review-karyn-kusama-suspense </p><br /></p><br /></p><br /></p><br /></p><br /></p>

01:00:02

Episode Eight: Isle of the Dead (1945) & Martin (1977)

Episode Eight: Isle of the Dead (1945) & Martin (1977) : There's no such thing as a vampire.</p>Welcome to episode 8 of The Horror Double Bill – the podcast where we put two films together to create something greater than the sum its parts.</p>This week we are unpacking 2 rather unusual takes on vampire mythology. First up is Isle of the Dead from 1945, produced by Val Lewton, who we discussed back ion episode two, and starring the legendary Boris Karloff. Then we jump forward 32 years to 1977 and Martin from director George A Romero’s, which marks the first time that Romero would work with special effects wizard Tom Savini. This is a character study of a young man who believes himself to be a vampire, or then again maybe he doesn’t, and was one of the director’s favourites of all his films. </p>Contact and socials</p>IG: the horrordoublebill</p>email: thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com</p>References used for this episode:</p>Boris Karloff & Isle of the Dead:</p>Karloff.com </p>Val Lewton The Reality of Terror by Joel E Siegel </p>Universal Horror by Tom Weaver, Micheal Brunas and John Brunas</p>Dreams of Darkness by Jp Telotte</p>Icons of Grief, Val Lewton’s Home Front Pictures by Alexander Nemerov</p>American Gothic: Six Decades of Classic Horror Cinema by Jonathan Rigby</p>George A Romero & Martin</p>George A Romero Interviews, edited by Tony Williams</p>George A Romero on Screen by Chris Wade</p>The American Nightmare (documentary):  </p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5v03a_zCSM&t=3928s</p>Various special features and commentaries on the Blu Ray release of the film from Second Sight films and the Immortal Edition DVD release from Arrow Video</p><br /></p>

01:19:38

Episode Seven: Village of the Damned (1960) & Who Can Kill a Child (1976)

Episode Seven: Village of the Damned (1960) & Who Can Kill a Child (1976). There's something very wrong with the children....<br /><br />Welcome to The Horror Double Bill, the podcast where we combine two films, and fall down several rabbit holes, to create something greater than the sum of its parts.<br /><br />First up is Village of the Damned, from 1960 starring George Sanders and Barbara Shelley, in which group of mysterious children take control of a small English village. Then we are heading to another village, only this time in Spain, for Who Can Kill a Child from 1976, which even in its very title, poses the question of how far would you go to protect yourself… when the danger comes from those that society has sworn to protect?<br /><br />Join us every Sunday for a new pairing and a new discussion<br /><br />Instagram: @thehorrordoublebill<br /><br />#horrorpodcast #horrorcinema #spanishhorror #britishhorror #1970shorror #1960shorror #cultcinema #horrormovies <br /><br /><br />Sources:<br /><br />Evil Seeds The Ultimate Movie Guide to Villainous Children edited by Vanessa Morgan<br /><br />Historical background and context:<br /><br />https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/cloning/clonezone/<br />https://www.history.com/news/juvenile-delinquency-1950s-culture<br />https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/surviving-the-female-psychopath/202308/the-genesis-of-william-marchs-the-bad-seed<br />https://william-golding.co.uk/lord-of-the-flies-and-the-second-world-war<br />https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/bixby_jerome<br />https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_Bixby<br />https://www.history.com/news/cold-war-paranoia-in-pop-culture<br />https://retroreport.org/video/population-bomb-the-overpopulation-theory-that-fell-flat/<br />https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Population_Bomb#<br />https://www.britannica.com/event/baby-boom<br />https://tangentonline.com/interviews-columnsmenu-166/interviews-columnsmenu-166-interviews-columnsmenu-166/classic-ray-bradbury-interview/#:~:text=TANGENT%3A%20Ray%2C%20you%20have%20a,and%20just%20about%20everything%20since.<br /><br />Village of the Damned:<br /><br />English Gothic: Classic Horror Cinema 1897 – 2015 by Jonathan Rigby<br />https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/jun/10/johnwyndham#:~:text=Critical%20verdict<br />https://www.theguardian.com/film/2003/dec/05/2<br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Midwich_Cuckoos<br />https://reactormag.com/village-of-the-damned-killer-kiddos-from-outer-space/#:~:text=Upon%20its%20move%20to%20the,that%20unfortunate%20driver%20smashes%20into<br />https://culturevulture.net/film/village-of-the-damned/#:~:text=The%20Midwich%20Cuckoos%20alludes%20not,a%20heresy%20to%20Catholic%20dogma<br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Sanders<br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Conway<br />https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001694/<br />https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2010/jul/14/george-sanders-centenary<br /><br />Who Can Kill A Child:<br /><br />“Who Can Kill a Child?” Mondo Macabro Blue Ray release special features: Interview with Narcisso Ibanez Sarrador, Interview with Kim Newman<br />Spanish Horror Film by Antonio Lazzaro-Reboll<br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Can_Kill_a_Child%3F<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>

01:11:18

Episode Six: Night of the Eagle (1962) & The Devil Rides Out (1968)

Episode Six: Night of the Eagle (1962) & The Devil Rides Out (1968). Must be the season of the witch......</p>Welcome to The Horror Double Bill, the podcast where we combine two films, and fall down several rabbit holes, to create something greater than the sum of its parts.</p>First up is Night of the Eagle, from 1962, released in the US as Burn Witch Burn, in which professional rivalries on a college campus spill over into something far more primal and far more ancient. We follow that with my favourite hammer movie, The Devil Rides Out from 1968, which was released in the US as The Devil’s Bride, in which Christopher Lee, rather unusually representing the forces of good, battles for the soul of a young friend against the power of darkness. </p>Along the way we will be discussing the rise of interest in the occult in the 1960s, changing attitudes in British censorship, the career and work of Richard Matheson, the life of notorious occultist and the ‘wickedest man in the world’ Alistair Crowley, and more.</p>Sources:<br /><br />Background:<br /><br />https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/jun/25/richard-matheson<br />https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/richard-matheson-dead/2013/06/24/7c1bc0f6-dd38-11e2-9844-8979d66cdd71_story.html<br />https://variety.com/2013/film/news/richard-matheson-dies-at-87-1200505071/<br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Matheson<br />https://www.mopop.org/science-fiction-fantasy-hall-of-fame/inductees/richard-matheson/<br />English gothic classic horror cinema 1897 to 2015 by Jonathan Rigby<br /><br />Night of the Eagle:<br /><br />Audio commentary and special features on the special edition Blu-ray release of Night of the Eagle from Imprint films <br />https://www.bostonmovienews.com/burn-witch-burn-revival<br />https://www.blackgate.com/2014/02/15/lust-women-and-the-devil-seven-decades-of-conjure-wife<br />PeterWyngard.uk<br /><br />The Devil Rides Out:<br /><br />Various features from the Criterion Blu Ray release of The Devil Rides Out, including cast commentaries and the documentary “Black Magic The Making of the Devil Rides Out’ Devil is a Gentleman: The Life and Times of Dennis Wheatley by Phil Baker<br />Hammer Complete: The Films, the Personnel, the Company by Howard Maxford<br />The Hammer Story: The Authorised History of Hammer Films by Marcus Hearn and Alan Barnes<br />Hammer And Beyond: The British Horror Film by Peter HutchingsA History of Magic – Richard Cavendish<br />Aleister Crowley: The Biography – Tobias Churton<br />“The Neverendingly Occulted Aleister Crowley” – Marco Pasi, Numen<br />https://www.bl.uk/people/aleister-crowley<br />https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/aleister-crowley/zvjvscw</p>

01:09:23

Episode Five: The House With Laughing Windows (1976) & Don't Torture a Duckling (1972)

Episode 5: The House with Laughing Windows (1976) and Don't Torture a Duckling (1972) : Rural Giallo, Postwar Italy, and the Haunted Landscape<br /><br />In this episode of The Horror Double Bill, we journey deep into the unsettling beauty of the Italian countryside to explore The House with Laughing Windows (1976) and Don’t Torture a Duckling (1972). These two standout examples of rural gialli capture a nation in flux—reflecting the tension, suspicion, and isolation brought about by post-war migration from the south to the north of Italy.<br /><br />We unpack the social, cultural, and historical upheaval that followed World War II, as Italy’s rural communities were transformed by internal migration, superstition, and deepening class divides. <br /><br />Expect thematic analysis, behind-the-scenes details, historical research, and a deep dive into how horror can expose the fractures in national identity.<br /><br />References & Sources used for this episode:<br /><br />Books<br /><br />So Deadly, So Perverse by Troy Howarth<br />La Dolce Morte : Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo by Mikel J Koven<br />Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1970–1979 by Roberto Curti<br />Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci by Stephen Thrower<br />Milking the Moon by Eugene Walter<br />The Palgrave Handbook of Contemporary Gothic edited by Clive Bloom<br /><br />articles<br /><br />https://brightlightsfilm.com/brutal-nobility-painting-death-house-laughing-windows-pupi-avati-1976/<br /><br />Blu Rays<br /><br />Don't Torture a Duckling Arrow video special edition blu ray - interviews and commentary<br />The House with Laughing Windows Shamless films special edition DVD - interview with Pupi Avati<br /><br /> #cultcinema #giallo #horrorpodcast #1970shorror #cinephile #classichorror #darioargento #eurohorror #luciofulci #pupiavati #eurohorror #europeanhorror #1970shorror<br /><br />🔗 Subscribe for new episodes every Sunday, and follow us on social media for more horror history, film theory, and obscure recommendations.<br /><br />📸 thehorrordoublebill<br /><br />📍 Available wherever you get your podcasts</p>

01:08:45

Episode Four: And Soon The Darkness (1970) & The Hitcher (1986)

Episode 4 – The Horror Double Bill: And Soon the Darkness (1970) & The Hitcher (1986)<br /><br />In this episode of The Horror Double Bill, we explore two chilling roadbound nightmares that turn travel into terror. First, we examine And Soon the Darkness (1970), a sun-drenched British thriller where isolation in the French countryside gives way to dread. Then, we dive into The Hitcher (1986), a haunting, nihilistic American horror-thriller in which a lone driver picks up far more than he bargained for on the open road.<br /><br />Both films use beautiful yet empty landscapes to generate feelings of isolation, and in this episode  we discuss the use of space, cinematography, casting, and production stories, as well as the original critical reception and later re-evaluation of both films.<br /><br />sources used for this episode:<br /><br />And Soon the Darkness <br /><br />StudioCanal Blu-ray (2021 edition): <br />https://www.studiocanal.com/ <br /><br />British Film Institute (BFI): <br />https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/and-soon-darkness-daylight-thriller<br /><br />Little White Lies retrospective: <br />https://lwlies.com/articles/and-soon-the-darkness-1970-retrospective/<br /><br />Film Stories article: <br />https://filmstories.co.uk/features/and-soon-the-darkness-1970-british-thriller/<br /><br />Hammer and Beyond blog: <br />https://hammerandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/06/and-soon-darkness-1970.html<br /><br />Newspaper archives: The Guardian, The Times, The New York Times, <br /><br />The Hitcher <br /><br />The Hitcher (1986) – Second Sight Films 4K UHD Blu-ray Special Features (2024) : Interviews with Robert Harmon, Eric Red, C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Mark Isham, and John Seale:<br /><br />https://secondsightfilms.co.uk/<br /><br />"The Hitcher - How do these films get made" - feature included in the Momentum special edition DVD release. <br /><br />Chris Broughton, “How we made chiller classic The Hitcher,” The Guardian, Oct 7, 2024:<br />https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2024/oct/07/rutger-hauer-chiller-classic-the-hitcher-thomas-howell<br /><br />Roger Ebert, “The Hitcher,” Chicago Sun-Times review, 1986<br />https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-hitcher-1986#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20Hitcher%E2%80%9D%20grants%20the%20Hauer,movie%20is%20diseased%20and%20corrupt.<br /><br />Newsweek review by Jack Kroll (quoted in Los Angeles Times, 1986)<br />Daily Variety & The Hollywood Reporter reviews (1986), quoted in Los Angeles Times<br /><br />https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-02-23-ca-10847-story.html</p>📸 thehorrordoublebill<br />📧 thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com</p>

01:04:31

Episode Three: Frightmare (1974) & Possum (2018)

The Horror Double Bill Episode Three: Frightmare (1974) & Possum (2018) British suburban gothic, moral outrage, and the horror of family values.<br /><br />This week on The Horror Double Bill, we’re digging into the unsettling world of British horror with a pairing that’s as psychologically disturbing as it is politically charged: Frightmare (1974), directed by Pete Walker, and Possum (2018), the bleakly brilliant debut from Matthew Holness.<br /><br />Join us as we chew over themes of madness, repression, and inherited trauma, exploring how these two films capture a peculiarly British horror – one rooted in decaying institutions, Victorian legacies, and a deep distrust of the family unit. We also cast a critical eye on 1970s Britain, from Mary Whitehouse and the Festival of Light to the eerie legacy of public information films and the uncanny weirdness of kids’ TV.<br /><br />Subscribe for more deep-dive horror analysis each week.<br /><br />📸 thehorrordoublebill<br />📧 thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com<br /><br />artwork by Justin Parker <br />📸 jpkr_illustration<br /><br />A Gun for George by Matthew Holness: https://youtu.be/Fq0xt_gbVH0?si=EV_TxxWEVeUf-GB2<br /><br />Sources used for this episode:<br /><br />Frightmare:<br /><br />• Making Mischief: The Cult Films of Pete Walker by Steve Chibnall<br />• English Gothic: Classic Horror Cinema 1897–2015 by Jonathan Rigby<br />• Nightmare Movies by Kim Newman<br />https://youtu.be/nrJNpitX-Fc?si=5PNxx36KdpSNFpGQ<br />https://youtu.be/1Rn3t0CsIiU?si=dUCwoXYBdwo7LRRX<br />https://youtu.be/L2nGhSZRXRE?si=-ppxESgGEmOsi87g<br />https://youtu.be/O2piqstEaTI?si=H-XOt-pnyZ-KwL2j<br />https://youtu.be/oswUssXzFlY?si=xR4owVtVEO5TyUTL<br /><br />Possum:<br /><br />• Film4 (2018) Interview with Matthew Holness<br />• Essay: “Waking up, is it?”: Childhood Trauma, Repression, and Freud’s Uncanny in POSSUM (Father, Son, and Holy Gore, by C. H. Newell) : fathersonholygore.com/2019/04/10/essay-waking-up-is-it-childhood-trauma-repression-and-freuds-uncanny-in-possum/#:~:text=He%20uses%20the%20Uncanny%20to,if%20that's%20at%20all%20possible.<br />https://youtu.be/c8Hkh1yYX7g?si=J4aSRI2hC-64FUtM<br />https://youtu.be/_BskDyQra1o?si=RzXkltifcbv8x7Ad<br /><br />#cultcinema #britishhorror #1970shorror #petewalker #possum #frightmare #exploitationmovies  #horror #podcast</p>

01:01:16

Episode Two: The Leopard Man (1943) & Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971)

The Horror Double Bill Episode 2: The Leopard Man (1943) & Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971) Guilt, madness and the Italian Giallo<br /><br />Welcome to The Horror Double Bill, where horror is a feeling, not just a genre.<br /><br />In this episode, we delve into The Leopard Man (1943), a moody psychological thriller from producer Val Lewton. Then we leap into the stylised paranoia of Dario Argento’s Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971)<br /><br />We explore the legacy of Val Lewton’s “suggestive horror,” the evolution of giallo cinema, and how both films capture dread through style, sound, and suggestion.<br /><br />Subscribe for more horror pairings, cult film deep dives, and a bit of film history<br /><br />Sources used for this episode:<br /><br />The Leopard Man:<br /><br />Dreams of Darkness by J.P. Telotte<br />Val Lewton: The Reality of Terror by Joel E. Siegel<br />Icons of Grief: Val Lewton’s Home Front Pictures by Alexander Nemerov. <br />Fear: The Autobiography of Dario Argento<br /><br />Four Flies on Grey Velvet<br /><br />Four Flies on Grey Velvet by Luigi Cozzi<br />Broken Mirrors, Broken Minds by Maitland McDonagh<br />Dario Argento: The Man, the Myths & the Magic by Alan Jones.<br /><br />📸 thehorrordoublebill<br />📧 thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com<br /><br />artwork by Justin Parker <br />📸 jpkr_illustration<br /><br />#HorrorPodcast #TheLeopardMan #FourFliesOnGreyVelvet #Giallo #DarioArgento #ValLewton #ClassicHorror #PsychologicalThriller #HorrorDoubleBill #FilmAnalysis #CultCinema</p>

01:06:07

Episode One: La Cabina (1972) & El Bar (2017)

Episode One: La Cabina (1974) and El Bar (2017) - claustrophobia and paranoia in Madrid<br /><br />Welcome to the debut episode of The Horror Double Bill, a podcast that celebrates horror in all its unsettling, uncanny, and occasionally absurd forms. Inspired by the BBC2 double bills of the 1970s and early ’80s, each week we pair two films that share themes, tones, or a peculiar sense of dread that lingers long after the credits roll. <br /><br />This week, we descend into the claustrophobic madness of Spanish horror with Antonio Mercero’s eerie TV classic La Cabina and Álex de la Iglesia’s explosive ensemble thriller El Bar. We talk BBC horror double bills, the Spanish civil war, Franco-era censorship, the golden age of spanish horror, urban paranoia,  and why no respectable Spanish man would eve  let himself become a werewolf. <br /><br />New episodes every Sunday.<br /><br />you can watch La Cabina here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1H1_p6B4Ugo <br /><br />main sources used for this episode <br /><br />The Spanish Fantastic: Contemporary Filmmaking in Horror, Fantasy and Sci-fi by Shelagh Rowan Legg <br />The Spanish Horror Film By Antonio Lazaro-Reboll <br />Sex, Sadism, Spain and Cinema by Nicholas G Schlegel <br /><br />Spanish Civil War resources:<br /><br />https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLH4to6F_MKfJGJf_4mSL_Xh6fVhHe86tB&si=Z-MPyHj13KBqbdVr<br />https://youtu.be/hjr3LrgqnuQ?si=t_SXOl99acunLple<br /><br />La Cabina resources:<br />La Cabina Creating Horror from the absurd by Amyus: https://the-artifice.com/la-cabina/<br /><br />El Bar resources: <br />https://anthemmagazine.com/living-legends-alex-de-la-iglesia/<br />https://cineuropa.org/en/interview/322757/<br />https://variety.com/2014/film/festivals/alex-de-la-iglesia-preps-my-big-night-and-the-bar-for-2015-1201374693/<br />https://youtu.be/EHNCNth6jxw?si=oJGPvoDd7zjNRh-7<br />https://youtu.be/EzwlBGDsffw?si=eusjzlk-VyfE2EYg<br /><br />📸 thehorrordoublebill<br />📧 thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com<br /><br />artwork by Justin Parker <br />📸 jpkr_illustration</p>

01:05:45