Friday Night Frights - Richard (Cyberschizoid) Gladman on the Classic Horror Campaign

The BBC horror double bills of the 1970s and 1980s have a place close to my heart, as they do for many British horror fans. In fact I trace the origins of this project to a specific date: 22 July 1978. That was the night BBC2 screened a double bill of The Quatermass Experiment and The Crazies. The first film I loved but the second film... it changed my life. And those double bills did the same for many fans, journalists and film-makers.

So I'm delighted to have Richard Gladman (aka Cyberschizoid ) on this week's Friday Night Frights to talk about the Classic Horror Campaign - his initiative to persuade the BBC to bring back the classic horror double bill. Richard's campaign has the support of many industry names and both his websites are nominated for this year's Rondo Awards.

Good Luck to Richard. I hope he wins and I hope you all go to the Rondos to vote for him, as well as signing his On-line petition

Liten to the podcast here

Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton talk The Collection on Friday Night Frights

 

Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton have come a long way in the last few years. Since winning Project Greenlight in 2005 for their screenplay Feast, they have gone on to write Saw IV, V and VI, and Piranha 3DD, as well as writing and directing The Collector (2009) and the sequel The Collection (2012). Not bad for a couple of guys from the University of Iowa. I interview them in this week's Friday Night Frights. Go here.

Stephen (Ghostwatch) Volk is my guest on this week's podcast

In 1992 the British TV programme Ghostwatch hit the headlines after an estimated 30,000 viewers called the BBC to complain about the show. They said it was too disturbing, with some believing the events to be true. To mark the twenty year anniversary a new documentary, Ghostwatch: Behind the Curtain was released on DVD this March.

The man behind Ghostwatch is Stephen Volk, screenwriter and author, and one of the most important names in British horror.  His work for the big screen includes screenplays for Ken Russell and William Friedkin, and he is creator of the hit TV drama, Afterlife.

With this year the centenary of the birth of Peter Cushing, Stephen had published the novella, Whitstable, about a fictionalised Peter Cushing drawn into a web of intrigue by a boy who believes his stepfather is a vampire.

Stephen is my guest on this week's Friday Night Frights where we talk about Ghostwatch and Whitstable, and Stephen reveals some fascinating behind the scenes stories.

To listen go here

Friday Night Frights Episode 22 - with special guest Kim Newman

This month indie film and home entertainment Network Distributing launch The British Film DVD Collection, an intriguing mix of of vintage British movies from the past five decades, including some obscure horror gems like Devil Girl From Mars (1954), the Frankie Howerd horror-comedy House in Nightmare Park (1973) and two Herman I Was a Teenage Werewolf Cohen productions, Horrors of the Black Museum (1959) and Konga (1961).

To mark the launch I spoke to author and critic Kim Newman about what it is that makes these titles so unique within British horror and science fiction.

To listen to the podcast go here

For more information on The British Film Collection visit http://networkonair.com

Friday Night Frights - Dark Skies producer Jason Blum

My guest on this week's Friday Night Frights is Dark Skies producer Jason Blum. His company Blumhouse Productions is responsible for the Paranormal Activity franchise, Insidious and Sinister; and his model of low budget-wide release director-led film-making has made him one of the most successful producers in Hollywood.

To listen go here