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.
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The Horror Double Bill
Episode 12: The Cat and The Canary (1939) & The Corruption of Chris Miller (1973)
Welcome to episode 12 of the horror double bill the podcast where each week we combine 2 films to create something far greater than the sum of their parts.
This week we are exploring the horrors of the old dark house, and the enduring influence of its many tropes on horror cinema.
First up is The Cat and the Canary from 1939 — a horror comedy starring Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard, George Zucco, and Gail Sondergaard. Then we head back to Spain for The Corruption of Chris Miller a twisted psychological thriller from 1973 starring Jean Seberg, Marisol, and Barry Stokes.
Both films explore the familiar tropes of the quintessential Old Dark House movie — isolated settings, threatened heroines, power outages, and deranged killers. But while the first takes a lighter, meta commentary and comedic approach, the second leans into something far darker and psychosexual. Along the way we’ll be discussing the origins of the subgenre, the career of Juan Antonio Bardem, and also taking a closer look at the lives and careers of, Gale Sondergaard, Paulette Goddard, Marisol, and Jean Seberg, four actresses whose lives were shaped in very different ways by state surveillance, government oppression, and the systemic abuse of power.
Socials
IG: @thehorrordoublebill
email: thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com
Artwork by Justin Parker:
instagram: @jpkr_illustration
Sources: Introduction & The Cat and the Canary
Silentfilm.org,
American Gothic six decades of classic horror cinema by Jonathon Rigby
charliechaplin.com
ladailymirror.com
starsandletterblogspot.com
https://broadcast41.uoregon.edu/biography/sondergaard-gale#:~:text=In%201951%2C%20she%20was%20subpoenaed,%2C%20un%2DAmerican%20woman.%E2%80%9D&text=1Gale%20Sondergaard%2C%20%E2%80%9CWe%20Speak,August%201951%2C%207%2D8.
https://youtu.be/JXwHouiznKA?si=cArp5DMmtoETW2wT
Sources: The Corruption of Chris Miller
Interview with Juan Antonio Bardem on the Vinegar Syndrome Blu ray release of the film
Euro Gothic Classics of Continental Cinema by Jonathan Rigby
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1980/09/05/the-jean-seberg-story/11049a35-bbdb-4aef-ab67-22d06a9e98e5/
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/apr/22/mondaymediasection.filmnews
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/12/9004756/jane-seberg-movie-true-story-black-panthers-fbi#:~:text=In%20Seberg%2C%20Jean%E2%80%99s%20involvement%20with,profile%20celebrities%20for%20their%20support
https://www.pikaramagazine.com/2018/11/pepa-flores-marisol/#:~:text=,no%20una%20familia%2C%20sino%20cuatro
https://www.eldiario.es/cultura/cine/misterio-marisol-mujer-rebelo-pepa-flores-no-fantasia-infantil-franquismo_1_10976274.html#:~:text=Fue%20el%20comienzo%20de%20un,de%20donar%20al%20partido%20el
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/nov/02/guardianobituaries.filmnews#:~:text=But%20in%20the%201950s%2C%20a,folkloric%20costume%20films%20it%20sanctioned.
Instagram: @thehorrordoublebill
email: thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com
youtube: @thehorrordoublebill
artwork by Justin Parker (IG jpkr_illustration.com)