The Horror Double Bill
Welcome to The Horror Double Bill, where we pair classic and modern horror films to explore the dark, the horrifying and the bizarre. Inspired by the legendary BBC2 horror double bills of the 1970s and 1980s, each week we discuss two films that share twisted themes, unsettling atmospheres, or strange connections—whether it’s psychological terror, gothic chills, ultra-violence, sci-fi or absurd black comedy.
From the shadowy corridors of black and white classics to the paranoia-fueled chaos of the 21st-century, we take a deep dive into what makes these films memorable and the social context in which they were made. Expect discussions on film history, censorship, director profiles, folklore, and cultural anxieties, with a dry British wit (well, I think I'm funny) and a love for horror in all its forms.
Subscribe for unexpected pairings, and a celebration of horror as a feeling—not just a genre.
New episodes every Sunday.
📸 @thehorrordoublebill
📧 thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com
The Horror Double Bill
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.
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.
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.
Subscribe for more deep-dive horror analysis each week.
📸 thehorrordoublebill
📧 thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com
artwork by Justin Parker
📸 jpkr_illustration
A Gun for George by Matthew Holness: https://youtu.be/Fq0xt_gbVH0?si=EV_TxxWEVeUf-GB2
Sources used for this episode:
Frightmare:
• Making Mischief: The Cult Films of Pete Walker by Steve Chibnall
• English Gothic: Classic Horror Cinema 1897–2015 by Jonathan Rigby
• Nightmare Movies by Kim Newman
https://youtu.be/nrJNpitX-Fc?si=5PNxx36KdpSNFpGQ
https://youtu.be/1Rn3t0CsIiU?si=dUCwoXYBdwo7LRRX
https://youtu.be/L2nGhSZRXRE?si=-ppxESgGEmOsi87g
https://youtu.be/O2piqstEaTI?si=H-XOt-pnyZ-KwL2j
https://youtu.be/oswUssXzFlY?si=xR4owVtVEO5TyUTL
Possum:
• Film4 (2018) Interview with Matthew Holness
• 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.
https://youtu.be/c8Hkh1yYX7g?si=J4aSRI2hC-64FUtM
https://youtu.be/_BskDyQra1o?si=RzXkltifcbv8x7Ad
#cultcinema #britishhorror #1970shorror #petewalker #possum #frightmare #exploitationmovies #horror #podcast