The Horror Double Bill

Craig Johnson

Welcome to The Horror Double Bill, the podcast where each week we pair two movies to create something far greater than the sum of their parts.  Expect discussions on shared themes, directors. writers and atmosphere, as we explore what the films say about the time they were made and our fears in the present; including social history, folklore, censorship, and a love of horror in all its forms. New episodes every Sunday.  📸 @thehorrordoublebill 📧 thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com 

  1. 6D AGO

    Episode 35: City of the Dead (1960) & The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015)

    Welcome to episode 35 of The Horror Double Bill, the podcast where each week we pair two movies to create something greater than the sum of their parts First up this week is City Of The Dead from 1960 and director John Moxey, released in the US as Horror Hotel, and starring Christopher Lee, Patricia Jessel, Valentine Dyall, and Venetia Stevenson. Then we jump forward to 2015 for The Blackcoat’s Daughter, written and directed by Osgood Perkins, and stars Emma Roberts, Keenan Shipka, Lucy Boynton and James Remar. Along the way will be discussing the meaning of Candlemas Eve, British actor Valentine Dyall, the career of director Osgood Perkins, and much more Recommendations Little Shoppe of Horrors Magazine https://www.littleshoppeofhorrors.com/ Appointment with Fear (BBC radio) https://youtu.be/Nq3x3ybA3EA?si=k0VwnHG-4gyRtToh The Night Stalker 1972 The Night Strangler 1973 References Little Shoppe of Horrors issue 20 City of the Dead - Blu ray restoration release from Arrow Video  English Gothic Classic Horror Cinema 1897 – 2015 by Jonathon Rigby  Dark Romance: Sex and Death in the Horror Film by David J Hogan https://rue-morgue.com/exclusive-interview-filmmaker-osgood-perkins-on-birthing-the-blackcoats-daughter/ https://www.screamhorrormag.com/interview-osgood-perkins-talks-blackcoats-daughter/ https://cinemastrikesback.com/qa-blackcoats-daughter/ https://birthmoviesdeath.com/2017/02/15/oz-perkins-talks-the-blackcoats-daughter-and-mining-horror-cinema-from-pers.html https://horrornews.net/119951/interview-lucy-boynton-blackcoats-daughter/#:~:text=Lucy%2D%20I%20mean%20prefer%20to,in%20the%20dead%20of%20winter. https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-kiernan-shipka-learned-to-act-for-an-audience-of-millions/ https://www.nylon.com/articles/kiernan-shipka-emma-roberts-blackcoats-daughter https://americana-uk.com/interview-elvis-perkins-on-recording-old-songs-and-being-called-elvis https://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/a-movie-can-be-a-poem-oz-perkins-on-the-blackcoats-daughter https://youtu.be/JHIhbClRfds?si=VmPTwDpvl_dKhAaq https://youtu.be/zfoL6AeQDE8?si=RG0Vd0Pf2tJZ-h4r https://youtu.be/epo1_fELKGY?si=aPDuRM4R43jafbMd https://youtu.be/1M6oERl-eDs?si=1I2CSfaIV3d05qIV Instagram: @thehorrordoublebill email: thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com youtube: @thehorrordoublebill artwork by Justin Parker (IG jpkr_illustration.com)

    1h 27m
  2. JAN 25

    Episode 34: Theatre of Blood (1973) & Stagefright (1987)

    Welcome to episode 34 of The Horror Double Bill, the podcast where each week we pair two movies to create something greater than the sum of their parts. For this week’s double bill we are off to the theatre, taking in the works of William Shakespeare and a 1980s stage musical, with a healthy slice of murder and mayhem on the side. First up, we have Theatre of Blood from 1973, directed by Douglas Hickox. This stars Vincent Price, Diana Rigg, Ian Hendry, and a whole cast of British talent including Robert Morley, Dennis Price, Harry Andrews, Michael Hordern, and Arthur Lowe. Then we head across to Italy for StageFright from 1987, directed by Michele Soavi and starring David Brandon, Barbara Cupisti, Mary Sellers, and Giovanni Lombardo Radice. Along the way we’ll be discussing the life and career of Vincent Price, actor, writer and director Luigi Montefiore, the career of director Michele Soavi, and much more. Recommendations The Fly (1958) The House on Haunted Hill (1959) The Tingler (1959) The Masque of the Red Death (1964) The Abominable Dr Phibes (1971) Dr Phibes Rises Again (1972) The Price of Fear (BBC Radio series) The Dark Fantastic (2025) The Dark Fantastic Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFJimPVVW60 Dellamorte Dellamore (1994) Sir Donald Wolfit Films (for curiosity) Svengali (1954) Blood of the Vampire (1958) The Hands of Orlac (1960) References VincentPrice.com Into the Velvet Darkness – A Celebration of Vincent Price, published by We Belong Dead Theatre of Blood by John Llewellyn Probert. Spaghetti Nightmares: Italian Fantasy Horrors as Seen Through the Eyes of Their Protagonists by Luca M. Palmerini and Gaetano Mistretta,  Stagefright (Shameless Entertainment blu ray release) https://www.fangoria.com/from-terror-mentee-to-master-of-horror-an-interview-with-michele-soavi/ simonboswell.com https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Price https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_of_Blood https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michele_Soavi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_Fright_(1987_film) https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0811714/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001637/ https://www.avclub.com/diana-rigg-on-the-avengers-mrs-peel-game-of-thrones-1798281429 Instagram: @thehorrordoublebill email: thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com youtube: @thehorrordoublebill artwork by Justin Parker (IG jpkr_illustration.com)

    1h 29m
  3. JAN 18

    Episode 33: Se7en (1995) & Cure (1997)

    Welcome to episode 33 of The Horror Double Bill, the podcast where each week we pair two movies to create something greater than the sum of their parts. First up we have David Fincher’s Se7en from 1995, starring Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, and Gwyneth Paltrow.. Then we head across to Tokyo for Cure from 1997, directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. This stars Kōji Yakusho, Anna Nakagawa, and Masato Hagiwara. Recommendations The Guard from Underground (1992) Sweet Home & Resident Evil : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2THjrOMT0Y SE7EN Seven by Richard Dyer (BFI Film Classics) Commentaries and interviews on the WB Blu Ray release https://andrewkevinwalker.com/ https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/interview-written-andrew-kevin-walker-c70ae9ace6f0?gi=d6964be3df44 https://thecinemen.com/2025/10/30/andrew-kevin-walker-interview-austin-film-festival/ https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2024-04-18/david-fincher-seven-imax-tcm-classic-film-festival-interview https://screenrant.com/seven-movie-ending-box-inside-explained-gweneth-paltrow-head-david-fincher/ https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/feb/03/david-fincher-interview-transcript https://letterboxd.com/journal/david-fincher-seven-interview/ https://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/jul/14/guardianinterviewsatbfisouthbank1 https://youtu.be/Sb723n-cWdA?si=Yk1oCUUnUMpxIZN0 CURE CURE by Dominic Lash (BFI Film Classics) CURE  Masters of Cinema Blu Ray release from Eureka Entertainment The Flms of Kiyoshi Kurosawa: Master of Fear by Jerry White https://www.slashfilm.com/1130847/kiyoshi-kurosawa-wanted-cure-to-feel-like-an-american-detective-story/ https://www.dvdtalk.com/interviews/emerging_cinema.html https://limiterevista.com/2024/04/14/interview-with-kiyoshi-kurosawa/ https://www.fangoria.com/the-j-horror-virus-exclusive-clip/ https://youtu.be/9PkF8h5ULBs?si=7qLCHd_vhUBGzYs5 https://youtu.be/5hIbgSppWuI?si=W321hpFtGPsaCnpW https://youtu.be/bJJLA62CxeQ?si=Htg_qYL81SAVWuKs https://youtu.be/H0aTroCBodI?si=tHU307dC1EJZ5sI8  Instagram: @thehorrordoublebill email: thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com youtube: @thehorrordoublebill artwork by Justin Parker (IG jpkr_illustration.com)

    1h 35m
  4. JAN 11

    Episode 32: Blood on Satan's Claw (1971) & In The Mouth of Madness (1994)

    Welcome to episode 32 of The Horror Double Bill, the podcast where each week we pair two movies to create something greater than the sum of their parts.  First up is Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971) directed by Piers Haggard and starring Linda Hayden, Michele Dotrice, Wendy Padbury, and Patrick Wymark. Then we have John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness (1994) starring Sam Neill, Julie Carmen, Jürgen Prochnow, and David Warner. Recommendations https://www.youtube.com/@TheEldritchArchives The Great God Pan: https://youtu.be/GW2q07Z8qeo?si=IkN0zAH1evuoZlub The Willows: https://youtu.be/JexumpZ99Ww?si=BnREVRPPugHnQTYo The Music on the Hill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzwpr5xSubw Exegesis Lovecraft Documentary by Qais Pasha (available on TUBI) Blow Up (Antonioni 1966) Sredni Vashtar by Saki References Blood on Satan’s Claw written by David Evans Powell, published by Liverpool University Press as Devil’s Advocates English Gothic: Classic Horror Cinema 1897 to 2015 by Jonathan Rigby robertwynnesimmons.com interviews and commentaries with the cast, crew, and director that can be found on the special edition Blu-ray release from 88 Films https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blood_on_Satan%27s_Claw https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Hayden_(actress) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSmDBP1NK88 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUvyk-kmutc https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piers_Haggard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Goodman_Brown https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrawn_Janet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Bough https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Witch-Cult_in_Western_Europe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Bell In the Mouth of Madness by Michael Blyth, Devil’s Advocates series from Liverpool University Press Interviews, commentaries, and special features that can be found on the special edition Blu-ray release from Arrow Films.  https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/in-the-mouth-of-madness-oral-history https://www.reddit.com/r/horror/comments/qw0tyj/please_explain_cosmic_horror_to_me/ https://www.newpulptales.com/author-interview-with-ramsey-campbell/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%BCrgen_Prochnow https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Carmen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Neill Instagram: @thehorrordoublebill email: thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com youtube: @thehorrordoublebill artwork by Justin Parker (IG jpkr_illustration.com)

    1h 53m
  5. Episode 31: Dead End (2003) & The Day of the Beast (1995)

    12/21/2025

    Episode 31: Dead End (2003) & The Day of the Beast (1995)

    Welcome to episode 31 of The Horror Double Bill, the podcast where each week we pair two movies to create something for greater than the sum of their parts This week we are discussing two movies that are both very dark comedies and are both set on Christmas Eve, First up is Dead End from 2003 written and directed by Jean Baptiste Andrea and Fabrice Canepa. This stars Alexandra Holden, Ray Wise, Lynn Shea, and Mick Cain. Then we head over to Spain for The Day of the Beast  from 1995  and director Alex De La Iglesia; starring Santiago Segura, Armando de Razza, Alex Angulo, and Terele Pavez. T Along the way will be discussing the careers of Lynn Shea and Ray Wise, Alex de la Iglesia's views on Christmas, the story of Don Quixote and much much more The Spectral Lines Zine:  https://thespectrallines.bigcartel.com/ The Occultaria of Albion https://www.occultariaofalbion.co.uk/ Recommendations mentioned in this episode Alone in the Dark (1982) Resources and Research Dead End Making of featurette available on the Pathe DVD release https://morbidlybeautiful.com/lin-shaye-interview-one/ https://www.joblo.com/interview-ray-wise/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lin_Shaye https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/3277/andrea-jean-baptiste-dead-end/ http://www.reviewgraveyard.com/Interview/04-04-01_Jean-BaptisteAndrea.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Wise https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0936403/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Baptiste_Andrea Day of the Beast Interview with Alex de la Iglesia and “Heirs of the Beast” documentary feature, available on the Severin Films blu ray release https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/3339/de-la-iglesia-alex-day-of-the-beast-etc/ https://filmint.nu/round-table-discussion-with-alex-de-la-iglesia/ https://www.xataka.com/entrevistas/alex-iglesia-dia-bestia-partida-rol-cura-personaje-chtulhu Spanish Horror Film by Antonio Lazaro Reboll,  The Spanish Fantastic Contemporary Filmmaking In Horror Fantasy And Sci-Fi by Shelagh Rowan Legg     Instagram: @thehorrordoublebill email: thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com youtube: @thehorrordoublebill artwork by Justin Parker (IG jpkr_illustration.com)

    1h 15m
  6. Episode 30: The Curse of the Cat People (1944) & The Haunting (1963)

    12/14/2025

    Episode 30: The Curse of the Cat People (1944) & The Haunting (1963)

    Welcome to episode 30 of The Horror Double Bill, the podcast where each week we pair two movies to create something greater than the sum of their parts. This week both films are directed by Robert Wise, a multiple Oscar-winning American director whose works have included The Body Snatcher, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Andromeda Strain, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, West Side Story, and The Sound of Music, as well as this week’s two movies. So first up, for our Christmas movie we have The Curse of the Cat People from 1944, starring Simone Simon, Kent Smith, Elizabeth Russell, and Ann Carter. Another film in the series from RKO Studios and producer Val Lewton, this marked Wise’s feature directing debut, although he did in fact share the directing credits with Gunther von Fritsch. Then we jump forward to 1963 and one of the most famous haunted house movies of all time, The Haunting. This was based on The Haunting of Hill House, written by Shirley Jackson, and stars Julie Harris, Richard Johnson, Russ Tamblyn, and Claire Bloom. Along the way we’ll be discussing in detail the career of Robert Wise, the career and writing of Shirley Jackson, and much, much more. Recommendations: The Lottery by Shirley Jackson The Summer People by Shirley Jackson We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) Directed by Robert Wise The Return (TV Ghost Story) :  https://youtu.be/MkPCslMN-ps?si=SEZ6IQTN6v72Vxwo Sources and References Val Lewton: The Reality of Terror by Joel E. Siegel  Icons of Grief: Val Lewton’s Home Front Pictures by Alexander Nemerov. Little Shop of Horrors, (issue 49) - The Roads to Hill House: The Making of Robert Wise’s The Haunting”  by Anthony McKay.  https://www.the-haunting.com/index.html Dance Macabre by Stephen King The Masterpieces of Shirley Jackson with an introduction by Donna Tartt Instagram: @thehorrordoublebill email: thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com youtube: @thehorrordoublebill artwork by Justin Parker (IG jpkr_illustration.com)

    1h 23m
  7. Episode 29: Dead of Night (1945) & From Beyond the Grave (1974)

    12/07/2025

    Episode 29: Dead of Night (1945) & From Beyond the Grave (1974)

    Welcome to episode 29 of The Horror Double Bill; the podcast where each week we pair two movies to create something far greater than the sum of their parts This week we are continuing our Christmas season, where at least one film in our pairing will have a seasonal theme – or perhaps more appropriately, as this week we are all about anthology movies, at least one of the stories in one of our pairings will have a seasonal theme. First up this week is Dead of Night from 1945, the first British horror movie released after World War II, and directed by Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Chricton, Robert Hamer, and Basil Dearden. It stars Mervyn Johns, Sally Anne Howes, Googie Withers and Michael Redgrave. Then we head to 1974 and From Beyond the Grave, the last anthology movie released by British studio Amicus. Directed by Kevin Connor, it stars Peter Cushing, Donald Pleasence, Angela Pleasence David Warner, Ian Bannen, and Diana Dors. Along the way will be discussing the history of Ealing Studios, the career of writer R Chetwynd Hayes, the Amicus anthology horror series, director Kevin Connor, and much more References English Gothic: classic horror cinema 1897 to 2015 by Jonathan Rigby Hammer and Beyond - the British horror film by Peter Hutchings Dead of Night written by Jess Connolly and David Owen Bates (published by Devil’s Advocates) https://bfidatadigipres.github.io/roots%2C%20rituals%20and%20phantasmagoria/2024/09/02/dead-of-night/ https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(15)00431-9/fulltext Remembering Dead of Night, a documentary which can be found on the Criterion collection Blu-ray and 4K special edition releases British Cult Cinema the Amicus Anthology by Bruce G Hallenbeck  Phantasmagoria Magazine R Chetwynd- Hayes special tribute edition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_of_Night https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/From_Beyond_the_Grave https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amicus_Productions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mervyn_Johns https://ealingstudios.com/about-ealing/history-3/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ealing_Studios Instagram: @thehorrordoublebill email: thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com youtube: @thehorrordoublebill artwork by Justin Parker (IG jpkr_illustration.com)

    1h 29m
  8. Episode 28: Whistle & I'll Come to You (1968) & Night of the Demon (1957)

    11/30/2025

    Episode 28: Whistle & I'll Come to You (1968) & Night of the Demon (1957)

    Welcome to episode 28 of The Horror Double Bill the podcast where each week we pair two movies to create something far greater than the sum of their parts This week we are beginning our Christmas season, and discussing two films that are based on the work of M.R James. First up we have Whistle And I’ll Come To You, directed by Jonathan Miller from 1968 and then Night of the Demon from 1957, directed by Jacques Tourneur, starring Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins, and Niall McGinnis  Along the way we will be discussing the origins of the ghost stories for Christmas tradition, the works of MR James, and much much more Sources Radio play: https://youtu.be/upE-BdMHHVw?si=kX7W3SpSt--TjFzk https://www.gothichorrorstories.com/classic-gothic-ghost-stories/a-history-of-winter-tales-and-christmas-ghost-stories-to-make-the-blood-run-wintery-cold/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/plea-resurrect-christmas-tradition-telling-ghost-stories-180967553/ https://visitsleepyhollow.com/how-charles-dickens-stole-christmas/ https://www.history.co.uk/ https://www.nypl.org/blog/2021/12/16/ghost-stories-for-christmas https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/how-chilling-ghost-stories-became-a-christmas-tradition/ Whistle and I’ll Come to You https://headpress.com/blog/2024/12/04/whistle-down-the-wind-an-extract-from-no-diggin-here/ https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/ghost-story-christmas-whistle-ill-come-you https://www.webofstories.com/play/jonathan.miller/23;jsessionid=B9BEC49F95119602BDA6DFAC03EFD09D https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._R._James https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whistle_and_I%27ll_Come_to_You_(1968_film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Miller Night of the Demon English Gothic by Jonathan Rigby Jacques Tourneur The cinema of Nightfall by Chris Fujiwara https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/52516 https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/127530/3/FINAL%20Rev%20Writing%20NoTD%20Article%20for%20HJFRT%20Alison%20Peirse%20080216.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Demon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dana_Andrews https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0000763/       Instagram: @thehorrordoublebill email: thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com youtube: @thehorrordoublebill artwork by Justin Parker (IG jpkr_illustration.com)

    1h 13m

About

Welcome to The Horror Double Bill, the podcast where each week we pair two movies to create something far greater than the sum of their parts.  Expect discussions on shared themes, directors. writers and atmosphere, as we explore what the films say about the time they were made and our fears in the present; including social history, folklore, censorship, and a love of horror in all its forms. New episodes every Sunday.  📸 @thehorrordoublebill 📧 thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com