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 21: Cat People (1942) & The Company of Wolves (1984)
Episode 21: Cat People (1942) & The Company of Wolves (1984)
Welcome to episode 21 of The Horror Double Bill, the podcast where each week we pair two films to create something far greater than the sum of their parts.
This week – after a very short break - we are back with the shapeshifters with two films that use metamorphosis as metaphor for sexuality, albeit with very different interpretations.
First up we have Cat People from 1943 and legendary producer Val Lewon. Directed by Jacques Tourneur it stars Simone Simon, Tom Cowway, Kent Smith and Jane Randolph. Then we follow this with The Company of Wolves from 1984, directed by Neil Jordan and staring Angela Lansbury, Sarah Patterson, David Warner and – in a blink and you’ll miss it cameo, the late great Terrence Stamp.
Along the way, we will be discussing the history of RKO Studios, director Jacques Tourneur, actor Simone Simon, author Angela Carter and much much more.
Sources
RKO Pictures:
https://www.britannica.com/art/history-of-film/Post-World-War-I-American-cinema
https://www.britannica.com/money/RKO-Radio-Pictures-Inc
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_Booking_Offices_of_America
https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark%3A%2F13030%2Fkt267nd72c
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RKO_Pictures
Cat People
https://youtu.be/rYLQTFUN7yI?si=LEACT0CJNyBvtoaD
Cat People by Kim Newman (BFI classics)
Val Lewton the reality of terror by Joel E Siegel
Jacques Tourneur The Cinema of Nightfall by Chris Fujiwara
The Company of Wolves
The Company of Wolves by James Gracie (Devils Advocates)
https://youtu.be/7GMb_VPoLr4?si=K52Do2OwxvB48Ndm
https://youtu.be/uzro7hXvp4c?si=TCk44HyEB2rBlPQr
Instagram: @thehorrordoublebill
email: thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com
youtube: @thehorrordoublebill
artwork by Justin Parker (IG jpkr_illustration.com)