The Horror Double Bill
Welcome to The Horror Double Bill, the podcast where each week we pair classic and modern horror films to create something greater than the sum of its parts. 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
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.
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 5: 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
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.
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.
Expect thematic analysis, behind-the-scenes details, historical research, and a deep dive into how horror can expose the fractures in national identity.
References & Sources used for this episode:
Books
So Deadly, So Perverse by Troy Howarth
La Dolce Morte : Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo by Mikel J Koven
Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1970–1979 by Roberto Curti
Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci by Stephen Thrower
Milking the Moon by Eugene Walter
The Palgrave Handbook of Contemporary Gothic edited by Clive Bloom
articles
https://brightlightsfilm.com/brutal-nobility-painting-death-house-laughing-windows-pupi-avati-1976/
Blu Rays
Don't Torture a Duckling Arrow video special edition blu ray - interviews and commentary
The House with Laughing Windows Shamless Entertainment special edition DVD - interview with Pupi Avati
#cultcinema #giallo #horrorpodcast #1970shorror #cinephile #classichorror #darioargento #eurohorror #luciofulci #pupiavati #eurohorror #europeanhorror #1970shorror
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