The Horror Double Bill

Craig Johnson
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Film Reviews

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. 1d ago

    Episode 51: X - The Unknown (1956) & The Blob (1988)

    Welcome to episode 51 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 we are exploring the amorphous world of the science fiction horror hybrid, with two movies that pit man against gelatinous monstrosities from inner and outer space. First up, we have X the Unknown from 1956, an early entry into the horror market from British studio Hammer, This was directed by Leslie Norman and stars Dean Jagger, Leo McKern and Edward Chapman. Then we jump forward to 1988 for the enjoyably goofy The Blob, from director Chuck Russell and co-writer Frank Darabont, and stars Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith, Donovan Leitch, Jeffrey DeMunn and Candy Clark. Along the way, we will be discussing the careers of writer-directors Jimmy Sangster and Chuck Russell, unlikely parallels with Spielberg’s Jaws, shapeless monstrosities in the horror movie, the inspiration for and the production story of the 1958 version of the Blob, and much, much more. References The House that Hammer  Built Volume 2, 1950 – 1954 & Volume 3: 1955–1958 by Wayne Kinsey Hammer and Beyond: The British Horror Film by Peter Hutchings, Hammer Films: An Exhaustive Filmography by Tom Johnson and Deborah Del Vecchio Father of the Blob: The Making of a Monster Smash and Other Hollywood Tales by Jack H Harris https://strasbourgfestival.com/en/interview-jimmy-sangster/ https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/jimmy-sangster/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Sangster https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/aug/21/jimmy-sangster-obituary The Blob (1988) - Scream factory blu ray interviews, commentaries and extras  https://ia801403.us.archive.org/4/items/Fear_04_1989-01-02_no_ads/Fear_04_1989-01-02_no_ads.pdf https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0762727/ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0751080/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blob_(1988_film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blob https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_the_Unknown Instagram: @thehorrordoublebill email: thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com youtube: @thehorrordoublebill artwork by Justin Parker (IG jpkr_illustration.com)

    1h 35m

  2. May 23

    Episode 50: Cannibal Man (1972) & A Bay of Blood (1971)

    Welcome to episode 50 of The Horror Double Bill, the podcast where each week we pair two movies to create something greater than the sum of their parts. Cannibal Man/The Week of the Killer/The Apartment on the 13th Floor (1972) dir. Eloy de la Iglesia, w. Vicente Parra, Emma Cohen, Eusebio Poncela, Vicky Lagos and Charly Bravo. Ecologia del delitto/A Bay of Blood/Twitch of the Death Nerve/Carnage/Blood Bath (1971) dir. Mario Bava w. Luigi Pistilli, Claudine Auger, Claudio Camaso, Laura Betti and Anna Maria Rosati. Recommendations The Glass Ceiling (1971)  No-one Heard the Scream (1973) Kill Baby Kill (1966) Danger Diabolik! (1968) Hatchet for the Honeymoon (1970) References Spanish Horror Film by Antonio Lázaro-Reboll Cannibal Man blu-ray edition (Severin Films) Subversive Effects of Perversion: Sexuality and Social Construction in The Cannibal Man by Carlos Gómez https://www.terrorweekend.com/2021/11/la-semana-del-asesino-review.html?m=1h ttps://www.vanitatis.elconfidencial.com/famosos/2021-03-06/vicente-parra-galan-homosexual-amigo-sara-montiel_2977668 https://www.elconfidencial.com/cultura/2006-03-24/muere-el-realizador-de-cine-eloy-de-la-iglesia_741304 https://www.cageyfilms.com/2021/10/the-films-of-eloy-de-la-iglesia/ https://elpais.com/cultura/2006/03/23/actualidad/1143068408_850215.html So Deadly, So Perverse Volume One by Troy Howarth, The Haunted World of Mario Bava by Troy Howarth Italian Horror Cinema, edited by Stefano Baschiera and Russ Hunter A Bay of Blood blu-ray special edition (Severin Films) https://www.davinotti.com/articoli/intervista-allo-sceneggiatore-dardano-sacchetti/55 https://www.sdangher.com/2022/04/06/speciale-reazione-a-catena-mario-bava-e-lecologia-della-critica-italiana/ https://cinepugno.home.blog/2020/10/10/interview-with-mario-bava-1970-1971/ Instagram: @thehorrordoublebill email: thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com youtube: @thehorrordoublebill artwork by Justin Parker (IG jpkr_illustration.com)

    1h 26m

  3. May 16

    Episode 49: Paperhouse (1988) & Candyman (1992)

    Welcome to episode 49 of The Horror Double Bill, the podcast where each week we pair two movies to create something greater than the sum of their parts. In this weeks episode we discuss two films from British director Bernard Rose,  one based on the children's book Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr, and the other based on a work from the opposite end of the literary spectrum The Forbidden by Clive Barker. First up is Paperhouse (1988) Dir. Bernard Rose w. Charlotte Burke, Glenne Headly, Elliott Spiers, and Gemma Jones and then we follow this with Candyman (1992) Dir. Bernard Rose w. Tony Todd, Virginia Madsen, Kasi Lemmons, Xander Berkeley, and Vanessa Williams. Along the way we discuss the links between children's fiction and horror, childhood trauma, the career of director Bernard Rose, surreal imagery in the horror film, the early works of writer Clive Barker, the history of Cabrini Green, themes of class, repression and oppression, the career of the late, great Tony Todd and much more. Recommendations Shockheaded Peter by Heinrich Hoffmann Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr The Gashlycrumb Tinies by Edward Gorey Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz The Books of Blood by Clive Barker The Great & Secret Show by Clive Barker Coldheart Canyon by Clive Barker Night of the Living Dead (1990) IvansXTC (2000) References https://filmfreakcentral.net/2022/08/bernard-rose-interview/ https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/interviews/mystic-nic-praise-nicolas-roeg https://www.theotherfolk.blog/dissections/paperhouse https://www.scifinow.co.uk/interviews/its-that-weird-thing-that-happens-when-things-arent-concrete-bernard-rose-remembers-paperhouse/ https://www.mikesouthon.biz/portfolio/paperhouse-highlights Candyman by John Towson (Devil’s Advocates) Candyman Special Edition 4k (Arrow Video) https://www.clivebarkerarchive.com/blog/tag/The+Forbidden https://www.clivebarker.info/salomeforbidden.html https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jun/25/how-we-made-candyman-virginia-madsen-tony-todd-bee-sting https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/nov/09/tony-todd-star-of-candyman-dies-aged-69 https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/oct/01/tony-todd-candyman-sequel-black-lives-matter-platoon https://horrornewsnetwork.net/twenty-year-retrospective-of-candyman-with-virginia-madsen/ https://people.com/virginia-madsen-reveals-plan-candyman-prequel-mourns-tony-todd-8744052 https://www.movingpictureshow.com/?p=9402 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Rose_(director) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candyman_(1992_film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paperhouse_(film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clive_Barker https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Books_of_Blood https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Todd https://flexiblehead.blog/2016/02/10/tony-todd/   Instagram: @thehorrordoublebill email: thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com youtube: @thehorrordoublebill artwork by Justin Parker (IG jpkr_illustration.com)

    1h 40m

  4. May 9

    Episode 48: Dracula (1931) & Count Yorga, Vampire (1970)

    Welcome to episode 48 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 after a short break and several episodes of ambiguity, we are exploring the much more direct and explicitly supernatural world of the vampire, with one movie that started the Universal monster series in the 1930s and another which reinvigorated vampire mythology at the start of the 1970s. First, we have Dracula from 1931, directed by Tod Browning. This stars Bela Lugosi, Edward Van Sloan, Dwight Frye, David Manners, and Helen Chandler. Then we jump forward to 1970’s Count Yorga, Vampire, directed by Bob Kelljan and starring Robert Quarry, Roger Perry, Michael Murphy, Judy Lang, and Donna Anders. Along the way, we will be discussing the life and careers of the legendary Bela Lugosi,  co-star Dwight Frye and Robert Quarry, how Dracula was brought to the screen, the horrors of typecasting, how a 1970s exploitation movie redfined vampires for the 1970s and much much more Recommendations Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) Island of Lost Souls (1932) The Black Cat (1934) The Raven (1935) Son of Frankenstein (1939) Dark Eyes of London (1939) The Body Snatcher (1945) References Universal Horrors: The Studio’s Classic Films, 1931 to 1946 by Tom Weaver, Michael Brunas, and John Brunas Tod Browning’s Dracula by Gary D. Rhodes American Gothic by Jonathan Rigby The Blood Is the Life by various authors, published by We Belong Dead.  https://militaryhistorynow.com/2019/10/29/dracula-goes-to-war-bela-lugosi-ww1-and-the-making-of-a-macabre-hollywood-legend/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bela_Lugosi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracula_(1924_play) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracula_(1931_English-language_film) https://drphibesvibes.wordpress.com/2015/04/15/robery-quarry-interview-from-2004 www.filmink.com.au/unsung-auteurs-bob-kelljan https://www.zomboscloset.com/count-yorga-vampire-1970pressbook/?doing_wp_cron=1777637670.0476369857788085937500 https://thelastdrivein.com/category/directors-and-filmmakers/bob-kelljan-director-actor/ https://www.tcm.com/articles/181323/in-the-know-count-yorga-vampire-trivia https://thelastdrivein.com/category/top-classic-horror-films/page/19/ https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-mar-02-me-passings2.s1-story.html https://i0.wp.com/www.zomboscloset.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Count-Yorga-Pressbook-008.webp https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Yorga,_Vampire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Return_of_Count_Yorga https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Quarry   Instagram: @thehorrordoublebill email: thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com youtube: @thehorrordoublebill artwork by Justin Parker (IG jpkr_illustration.com)

    1h 26m

  5. Apr 25

    Episode 47: Daniel Isn't Real (2019) & The Lighthouse (2019)

    Welcome to episode 47 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 Daniel Isn’t Real (2019) dir. Adam Egypt Mortimer, w Miles Robbins & Patrick Schwarzenegger Then The Lighthouse (2019) dir. Robert Eggers, w Willem Dafoe & Robert Pattinson. Recommendations https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1940/10/thus-i-refute-beelzy/654631/ Enoch by Robert Bloch Asylum (1972) Tales that Witness Madness (1973) In This Way I Was Saved by Brian DeLeeuw Easy Riders, Raging Bulls by Peter Biskind,  Some Kind of Hate (2015) At Close Range (1986) Archenemy (2020) References https://rue-morgue.com/exclusive-interview-director-adam-egypt-mortimer-speaks-the-truth-about-daniel-isnt-real-part-two/ https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/adam-egypt-mortimer-discusses-his-cosmic-horror-film-daniel-isnt-real/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffewing/2020/12/11/interview-a-chat-with-director-adam-egypt-mortimer-about-archenemy-superheroes-and-genre-film/ https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3596127/8-films-inspired-daniel-isnt-real/ https://screenrant.com/patrick-schwarzenegger-interview-daniel-isnt-real-clip/ https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/patrick-schwarzenegger-daniel-isnt-real https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/314433/exclusive-interview-with-daniel-isnt-real-director-adam-egypt-mortimer/ https://dailydead.com/sxsw-2019-interview-director-adam-egypt-mortimer-talks-daniel-isnt-real/ The Lighthouse - Arrow Video 4k special edition extras and comentaries https://www.eapoe.org/works/tales/lightha.htm https://www.bfi.org.uk/interviews/robert-eggers-lighthouse-influences https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/04/04/robert-eggerss-historical-visions-go-mainstream https://silverscreenriot.com/talking-robert-eggers-witch/ https://www.bafta.org/media-centre/press-releases/screenwriters-lecture-series-2019-robert-eggers/ https://www.theguardian.com/global/2019/dec/22/robert-pattinson-i-dont-really-know-how-to-act-batman-the-lighthouse https://www.gq.com/story/willem-dafoe-on-why-the-lighthouse-worked-so-well https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/the-lighthouse-robert-eggers-filmmaker-toolkit-podcast-episode-94-1202186291/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smalls_Lighthouse#Smalls_Lighthouse_Tragedy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Isn%27t_Real https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Light-House https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lighthouse_(2019_film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Eggers Instagram: @thehorrordoublebill email: thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com youtube: @thehorrordoublebill artwork by Justin Parker (IG jpkr_illustration.com)

    1h 19m

  6. Apr 18

    Episode 46: The Innocents (1961) & Full Circle aka The Haunting of Julia (1977)

    Welcome to episode 46 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 we are back with haunted houses, classic ghost stories, and more than a little ambiguity, with one film based on a novella by Henry James and the other based on a novel by Peter Straub. First up, we have The Innocents from 1961, directed by Jack Clayton. This stars Deborah Kerr, Megs Jenkins, Martin Stephens, and Pamela Franklin. Then we jump forward to 1977 for Full Circle, which was released in the US as The Haunting of Julia. This was directed by Richard Loncraine and stars Mia Farrow, Keir Dullea, Tom Conti, and Jill Bennett. Recommendations The Turn of the Screw by Henry James Julia by Peter Straub Ghost Story by Peter Straub The Other by Thomas Tryon Momsy, Nanny, Sonny & Girlie (1970) References The Innocents by Christopher Frayling (BFI Film Classics)  https://youtu.be/ZpV5J91BnV0?si=SPH8nq8FBgApLusl https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Innocents_(play) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Innocents_(1961_film) https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/gothic-glamour-innocents https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Clayton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_James Full Circle (BFI blu ray) - interviews and extras  https://bfidatadigipres.github.io/events/2023/04/19/full-circle/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_Circle_(1977_film) https://academic.oup.com/screen/article/65/1/47/7632062 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary%27s_Baby_(film) RichardLoncraine.com. Instagram: @thehorrordoublebill email: thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com youtube: @thehorrordoublebill artwork by Justin Parker (IG jpkr_illustration.com)

    1h 24m

  7. Apr 11

    Episode 45: Possession (1981) & Witching and Bitching (2013)

    Welcome to episode 45 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 we are discussing Possession (1981) dir. Andrzej Żuławski w. Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill Las Brujas de Zugarramurdi aka Witching and Bitching (2013) dir. Alex de la Iglesia w. Hugo Silva, Mario Casas, and Carmen Maura Recommendations The Story of Adele H (1975) The Driver (1978) Camille Claudel (1988) One Deadly Summer (1983) Subway (1985) The Last Circus (2010) References Possession by Alison Taylor Possession 4k Special Edition from Second Sight Films House of Psychotic Women by Kier-La Janisse https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/biggest-regret-of-isabelle-adjanis-career/ www.filmcomment.com/blog/film-comment-interview-andrzej-zulawski https://metrograph.com/making-a-monster/ https://a-rabbitsfoot.com/editorial/film/isabelle-adjani-in-confession https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/isabelle-adjani-possession-never-accept-again-1234895552 https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/sam-neill-possession-could-not-be-made-today-abuse-on-set-1234821437 https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/jul/09/possession-movie-film-1981-octopus-isabelle-adjani-sam-neill https://www.glamour.es/placeres/cultura/articulos/entrevista-con-alex-de-la-iglesia-y-carmen-maura-por-las-brujas-de-zugarramurdi/18848 https://www.glamour.es/placeres/cultura/articulos/entrevista-con-alex-de-la-iglesia-y-carmen-maura-por-las-brujas-de-zugarramurdi/18848 https://cinema.everyeye.it/articoli/intervista-las-brujas-de-zugarramurdi-alex-de-la-iglesia-21024.html https://cineuropa.org/en/interview/244346/   Instagram: @thehorrordoublebill email: thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com youtube: @thehorrordoublebill artwork by Justin Parker (IG jpkr_illustration.com)

    1h 13m

  8. Apr 4

    Episode 44: The Wind (2018) & The Dark and The Wicked (2020)

    Welcome to episode 44 of The Horror Double Bill, where each week we pair two movies to create something greater than the sum of their parts. The Wind (2018) dir. Emma Tammi, with Caitlin Gerard, Ashley Zukerman, Julia Goldani Telles, and Miles Anderson. The Dark and the Wicked (2020), dir. Bryan Bertino, with Marin Ireland, Michael Abbott Jr., Lynn Andrews, and Xander Berkeley. Recommendations  Curse of the Undead (1959), Near Dark (1987), Ravenous (1999), The Burrowers (2008), Bone Tomahawk (2015), The Monster (2016) References The Geography of Horror by Marco Lukic The Rural Gothic in American Popular Culture by Bernice M. Murphy Desert Horror Movies and Horror Westerns by John LeMay West of Everything: The Inner Life of Westerns by Jane Tompkins. https://www.thecherrypicks.com/stories/emma-tammi-on-the-horrors-of-isolation https://filmthreat.com/interviews/the-wind-with-emma-tammi https://moveablefest.com/caitlin-gerard-emma-tammi-teresa-sutherland-wind/ https://latinhorror.com/interview-emma-tammi-the-wind/ https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/prairie-madness-study-silence-great-plains https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1893/09/the-isolation-of-life-on-prairie-farms/523959/ https://www.dallasobserver.com/arts-culture/director-bryan-bertino-vicious-horror-movie-north-texas-40601111 https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/355261/interview-michael-abbott-jr-talks-working-with-bryan-bertino-on-the-dark-and-the-wicked-and-that-three-legged-goat/ https://www.wmagazine.com/culture/the-dark-and-the-wicked-marin-ireland-interview https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/how-dark-and-the-wicked-star-marin-ireland-faced-her-fears-4089466/ https://dailydead.com/interview-xander-berkeley-discusses-his-enigmatic-character-in-the-dark-and-the-wicked-and-reflects-on-candyman/ www.gonewiththetwins.com/interview-bryan-bertino-strangers https://rue-morgue.com/exclusive-interview-producer-adrienne-biddle-on-the-family-terrors-of-the-dark-and-the-wicked/ Instagram: @thehorrordoublebill email: thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com youtube: @thehorrordoublebill artwork by Justin Parker (IG jpkr_illustration.com)

    1h 21m
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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 

Information

  • Creator
    Craig Johnson
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    51
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Horror Double Bill
  • Show Website
    The Horror Double Bill