The Horror Double Bill
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.
Inspired by the legendary BBC2 horror double bills of the 1970s and 1980s, each week we discuss two films that share themes, atmosphere, directors or creators to explore what they say about the time they were made and our fears in the present.
Expect discussions on film and social history, folklore, censorship, cultural anxieties, and a love of horror in all its forms.
New episodes every Sunday.
New episodes every Sunday.
📸 @thehorrordoublebill
📧 thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com
The Horror Double Bill
Episode 19: Colossus The Forbin Project (1970) & Upgrade (2018)
This week we are exploring the horrors of Artificial intelligence and tech noir with two films from very different eras but similar fears and concerns.
First up is Colossus: The Forbin Project from 1970, directed by Joseph Sargent and starring Eric Braden, Susan Clark, Gordon Pinsett, and William Schallert. Then we jump forward nearly half a century to 2018 with Upgrade, written and directed by Leigh Whannell, and featuring Logan Marshall-Green, Betty Gabriel, Harrison Gilbertson, and Benedict Hardy.
Both of these films imagine worlds where technology outpaces human intelligence and in which something designed as a helpful tool quickly mutates into something far more sinister. Between them, the two address themes including autonomy, privacy, the arrogance of sciences, and the fallibility and future of our species.
References used:
https://www.wired.com/2017/03/ridley-scott-video/
https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/jean-luc-godards-dystopian-sci-fi-classic-alphaville-turns-50
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Terminal_Man_(film)
https://www.bangor.ac.uk/news/2024-10-09-the-terminator-at-40-james-camerons-dark-vision-is-more-relevant-than-ever
Colossus The Forbin Project
https://catalog.afi.com/Film/23505-THE-FORBIN-PROJECT?cxt=filmography
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Braeden
https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/colossus-the-forbin-projects-eric-braeden-retrospective-interview
The directors commentary on the blu ray release of the movie from Spirit Entertainment
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus:_The_Forbin_Project
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Whitlock
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus_(novel)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._F._Jones
Upgrade
An interview with Leigh Whannell titled "Man.Machine.More" that appears on the Second Sight blu ray release
https://www.avclub.com/saw-creators-leigh-whannell-and-james-wan-1798222299
https://www.starburstmagazine.com/features/leigh-whannell-upgrade/
https://thenerdstemplar.com/2018/05/29/interview-leigh-whannell-upgrade/
https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/01/leigh-wannell-upgrade-interview/
https://punchdrunkcritics.com/2018/06/interview-upgrade-director-leig/
https://rue-morgue.com/exclusive-upgrade-interview-pt-1-leigh-whannell-and-logan-marshall-green-on-practical-effects-and-who-almost-directed/
https://dailydead.com/sxsw-2018-interview-leigh-whannell-logan-marshall-green-and-betty-gabriel-talk-upgrade/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEqZipI7eyc
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email: thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com
youtube: @thehorrordoublebill
artwork by Justin Parker (IG jpkr_illustration.com)