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.
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The Horror Double Bill
Episode 14: Messiah of Evil (1973) & The Fog (1980)
Episode 14: Messiah of Evil (1973) & The Fog (1980): "Oh I do like to be beside the seaside....."
Welcome To episode 14 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 exploring coastal horrors and the terrors that lurk in the liminal space between the land and the sea. First up we have Messiah of Evil from 1973 a surreal almost Lovecraftian indie horror from the writers of American Graffiti Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and, somewhat bizarrely, Howard the Duck. Then we jump forward to 1980 for the fog, John carpenter's follow up to Halloween, starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins, Adrienne Barbeau and Janet Leigh
Both of this week’s movies depict terrors from the past returning to menace supposedly idyllic seaside California towns, but behind the scenes both have their roots in the rise of American independent cinema in the 1970s and also share some very interesting and rather troubled post production stories. Along the way we'll also be exploring the nature of coastal horror, including just a few of my favourites of the genre, the death of the Hollywood studio system, the rise of independent film making in the 1960s and 1970s, and much more.
William Hope Hodgson Readings
The Derelict - https://youtu.be/x44h5oeVoM0?si=V4mLlwl2DIfcWH6k
The Voice in the Night: https://youtu.be/ASIfPcyTAH0?si=VNJDiwQoJfa5Lb0s
References - Introduction
The Birds by Daphne DuMaurier
Cornish Tales of Terror ed. R. Chetwynd Haynes
https://nmmc.co.uk/2023/07/maritime-superstitions/
https://www.sailingeurope.com/blog/sailors-superstitions
References - Messiah of Evil
"Nightmare USA - the untold story of exploitation independents" by Stephen Thrower
The mini documentary "Remembering Messiah of Evil" form the Code Red DVD Release of the movie
https://creepycatalog.com/messiah-of-evil-movie/#:~:text=released%20the%20movie%20under%20the,%E2%80%9D
https://www.dreadcentral.com/editorials/336575/messiah-of-evil-a-criminally-overlooked-piece-of-1970s-strangeness/
References - The Fog
Extras from the Studio Canal Blu-ray restoration release including the documentary "Retribution - Uncovering John Carpenter's The Fog" and the audio commentary from John Carpenter and writer producer Deborah Hill.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1980/01/28/people-start-running
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