BBC2 Horror Double Bill

Ah them were the days, BBC2 on Friday night is still home to Brit horrors but it seems to be a bit hit and miss as to how often they get shown.

Remember the Dr Phibes movies? Great stuff.

I was in touch with Film24 and put it to them that the retro UK horror scene would be a good area to spend some of their increased 2010 budget and they agreed saying that Hammer were top of the list so hopefully something will come of it.
 
afaik Hammer Films were bought by Charles Saatchi now its owned by a consortium headed by Endemol (John de Mol)
so at least they arent as awkward as Canal +

As regarRAB the old horror films which are highly flammable and when they were converted to videotape the quality was lost
 
I agree! I think if they brought back the BBC2 Horror Double Bills on a Saturday night, they should start at either 9pm or 10pm so that kiRAB would get the opportunity to watch them too (or at least the first film of the night).

We should all compile a list of the old films we'd particularly love to see (or see again!)

The following would be cool -
"The Blob" (1958)
"Invasion of the Saucermen" (1957)
"I Was a Teenage Werewolf" (1957)
"Rodan! The Flying Monster" (1956)
"Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1956)
"The Revenge of Frankenstein" (1958)
"Horrors of the Black Museum" (1959)
"The Horror of Party Beach" (1964)
"The Astro-Zombies" (1968)
"Destroy All Monsters" (1969)
"Count Yorga, Vampire" (1970)
"Blood on Satans Claw" (1971)
"Ruby" (1977)
"The Monster Club" (1980)

To name but a few!!! :eek:
 
Yeah, equally rare Yesterday's Enemy is on sale as a Moviemail exclusive, along with Camp On Blood Island and a few others. I was delighted by the recent R1 Sony release of The Snorkel, Cash On Demand etc. and have also been enjoying the Hammer Film Noir -- strangest of cast members appear, such as Charles Hawtrey in one non-speaking role!
 
I think all of the anthology movies listed are worth a watch.Asylum and Tales from the Crypt are by far the best of them IMO,but that's not to say the others don't have their charm.
The Monster Club is totally tongue in cheek with some predictable stories yet it does have an impressive cast: Price,Pleasence,Carradine.
One of the obscure channels on Sky had it on nearly every day (at something like 2pm) during the summer,two years ago.
 
LOL Thanks! Wasn't she in a number of other cult films over the years? Maybe some of the Amicus dinosaur/monster films of the 70's? :confused:
 
As promised i watched Monster's Club. I thought it was okay actually. There was a good calibre of cast and I think Vincent Price hammed it up very well (he is so great in those playful roles, 'Theatre of Blood etc.). The stories on the whole were quite good, but i think the nightclub venue main setting didn't really work.

I thought the first tale was very good actually, an old fashioned style horror tale with elements of Jane Eyre and Beauty and the beast. Also I like how the 'monster' is a character we sympathize with.

The second tale was poor. The bullied kid with the jovial vampire dad was a bit naff, and was neither scary or funny (although it was a nice little flourish to have the vampire hunter get turned into one). Britt Ekland is very much secondary to the story and it enRAB on a pretty lame gag.

The Third Tale was very good, and you can tell it was the one they blew the budget on. I love the atmospheric ghouls village, and the brilliant illustration scene where the ghouls history was taught with very vivid pictures. The ending was predictable though. Whilst not scary, it was definitely atmospheric and creepy.

Now in my original post I wondered whether to me it would count as a proper Amicus anthology with the others. I'd have to say that I wouldn't....firmly because I would label Monster's Club as a comedy-horror. where as the other Amicus films were horror with the odd humorous tongue in cheek jab, Monster's club's entire premise and run is tongue in cheek, from the cross breeding monsters angle, to the monster's nightclub, to the stripper etc. Plus in Amicus anthologies the storymaster at the end usually is the bringer of the listener's demise, here he is a welcome guest, and is initiated in the end.

I don't really like the song interludes. As these songs sound very dated they don't help the film. However the songs themselves are quite fun, and playful. But they're given too much screen time. Overall I think the film is a case of some good stories undermined by a poor but enjoyable concept.
 
Here's an update on the Bring Classic Horror Back to Television Alliance!

We've got some celebrity support including Emily Booth, Eileen Daly, Shane Briant, Reese Shearsmith, Andy Nyman and Caroline Munro!

We are now aiming to get 1000 signatures on our petition by Halloween! Can you help?
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/bringclassichorrorfilmsbacktothebbc/

You can also check all the latest news on the campaign on our website.
http://bringclassichorrorbacktotelevision.blogspot.com/

Thanks for your support!
 
Correct - she was in the truly awful 'People That Time Forgot' (with Doug McClure.)

I actually liked Lost Continent (I think one of the reasons was the presence of the talented Tony Beckley). The whole '[insert word] That Time Forgot' concept was dreadful.

On the evidence of JCS though ... Dana Gillespie had a bloody good voice ... I don't think she ever fulfilled her potential as an actress as I'm sure casting people never looked further than her bosom.
 
That's potentially very good news! Hopefully some documentaries on classic horror films and a season of some of the greats!
Of course, actually reviving the Horror Double Bill season back from the dead would be the best news!
 
I might be wrong, but were the films scheduled under the banner of 'Appointment with Fear'? Ive got that phrase stuck in my mind from the 70s....:confused:
 
Won't be in 2.35:1 I suppose.
If only they showed more than the same handful of Studio Canal owned movies all the time.

Devil Rides Out likely on again soon (my fave Hammer)
 
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