Episode Nine: The Look Like People (2015) & The Invitation (2015). Urban paranoia, independent cinema and the horrors of friendship

Welcome to episode 9 of the Horror Double Bill, the podcast where each week we put two films together to create something far greater than the sum of its parts.

This week we are unwrapping the horrors of friendship, with two films from 2015 that ask the questions, what do you do when people you once thought you knew are no longer the people you remember, and how long should you stick around to find out exactly who they have become?

First up is They Look Like People, the debut from director Perry Blackshear, a film which explores the bonds of male friendship and the impacts of male insecurity as two friends reunite in New York for the first time since college.

Then we head over to the west coast for another reunion, this time in LA, with The Invitation from director by Karyn Kusama, a study of paranoia and the impact of grief, depicting a group of old friends meeting for a dinner party where everything rapidly falls apart.

Both of this week’s films are shining examples of American Independent Cinema, and draw, to a greater or lesser degree, from the notion of replacement horror – the idea that someone close to you has been substituted by someone or something else, creating a heightened sense of paranoia and raising questions as to whether perceptions are reality or indeed reliable.

Instagram: thehorrordoublebill

email: thehorrodoublebill@gmail.com

Sources used for this weeks episode:

Replacement Horror:

Invasion of the Body Snatchers: A Tribute edited by Kevin McCarthy and Ed Gorman

Don Siegel Director by Stuart M Kaminsky

They Look Like People:

interviews with the cast and crew on the 2022 Yellow Veil Pictures Blu Ray release as well as the director and cast commentaries

https://www.scifinow.co.uk/interviews/they-look-like-people-is-a-horror-that-spans-genres/

https://screenanarchy.com/2015/01/slamdance-2015-review-they-look-like-people-the-nightmare-of-self.html#:~:text=The%20other%20marvel%20to%20take,which%20also%20intelligently%20explore%20the

https://screenanarchy.com/2022/04/perry-blackshears-psychological-horror-debut-they-look-like-people-gets-a-blu-ray-release-from-yello.html#:~:text=,Audience%20Award%2C%20Nashville%20Film%20Festival

The Invitation:

interviews and commentaries with the writers, cast and crew on the blu ray release from Second Sight films

Karyn Kusama at the Directors Guild of America:

https://youtu.be/_n-a7f1UBNc?si=s8h8wweCBmiC-5Vl

Karyn Kusama at Frightday:

https://youtu.be/7TDAUxznVhM?si=ba5PpGqGBk-jce_9

An interview with Logan Marshall Green:

https://dailydead.com/exclusive-interview-with-the-invitations-logan-marshall-green/#:~:text=Logan%20Marshall,view%20the%20audience%20sits%20in

Filmmaker Magazine

https://filmmakermagazine.com/97782-framing-is-its-own-dark-art-karyn-kusama-on-the-invitation/#:~:text=Kusama%3A%20Phil%20Hay%20and%20Matt,horrifying%20element%20of%20the%20story

Go Into The Story:

https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/go-into-the-story-interview-matt-manfredi-and-phil-hay-f5925c5923a

https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/interview-written-karyn-kusama-and-phil-hay-the-invitation-c2690e24e97a

The Guardian:https://support.theguardian.com/uk/guardian-ad-lite?returnAddress=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ffilm%2F2016%2Fapr%2F05%2Fthe-invitation-film-review-karyn-kusama-suspense

Episode Eight: Isle of the Dead (1945) & Martin (1977) : There's no such thing as a vampire.

Welcome to episode 8 of The Horror Double Bill – the podcast where we put two films together to create something greater than the sum its parts.

This week we are unpacking 2 rather unusual takes on vampire mythology. First up is Isle of the Dead from 1945, produced by Val Lewton, who we discussed back ion episode two, and starring the legendary Boris Karloff. Then we jump forward 32 years to 1977 and Martin from director George A Romero’s, which marks the first time that Romero would work with special effects wizard Tom Savini. This is a character study of a young man who believes himself to be a vampire, or then again maybe he doesn’t, and was one of the director’s favourites of all his films.

Contact and socials

IG: the horrordoublebill

email: thehorrordoublebill@gmail.com

References used for this episode:

Boris Karloff & Isle of the Dead:

Karloff.com

Val Lewton The Reality of Terror by Joel E Siegel

Universal Horror by Tom Weaver, Micheal Brunas and John Brunas

Dreams of Darkness by Jp Telotte

Icons of Grief, Val Lewton’s Home Front Pictures by Alexander Nemerov

American Gothic: Six Decades of Classic Horror Cinema by Jonathan Rigby

George A Romero & Martin

George A Romero Interviews, edited by Tony Williams

George A Romero on Screen by Chris Wade

The American Nightmare (documentary):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5v03a_zCSM&t=3928s

Various special features and commentaries on the Blu Ray release of the film from Second Sight films and the Immortal Edition DVD release from Arrow Video

Episode Seven: Village of the Damned (1960) & Who Can Kill a Child (1976). There's something very wrong with the children....

Welcome to The Horror Double Bill, the podcast where we combine two films, and fall down several rabbit holes, to create something greater than the sum of its parts.

First up is Village of the Damned, from 1960 starring George Sanders and Barbara Shelley, in which group of mysterious children take control of a small English village. Then we are heading to another village, only this time in Spain, for Who Can Kill a Child from 1976, which even in its very title, poses the question of how far would you go to protect yourself… when the danger comes from those that society has sworn to protect?

Join us every Sunday for a new pairing and a new discussion

Instagram: @thehorrordoublebill

#horrorpodcast #horrorcinema #spanishhorror #britishhorror #1970shorror #1960shorror #cultcinema #horrormovies


Sources:

Evil Seeds The Ultimate Movie Guide to Villainous Children edited by Vanessa Morgan

Historical background and context:

https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/cloning/clonezone/
https://www.history.com/news/juvenile-delinquency-1950s-culture
https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/surviving-the-female-psychopath/202308/the-genesis-of-william-marchs-the-bad-seed
https://william-golding.co.uk/lord-of-the-flies-and-the-second-world-war
https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/bixby_jerome
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_Bixby
https://www.history.com/news/cold-war-paranoia-in-pop-culture
https://retroreport.org/video/population-bomb-the-overpopulation-theory-that-fell-flat/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Population_Bomb#
https://www.britannica.com/event/baby-boom
https://tangentonline.com/interviews-columnsmenu-166/interviews-columnsmenu-166-interviews-columnsmenu-166/classic-ray-bradbury-interview/#:~:text=TANGENT%3A%20Ray%2C%20you%20have%20a,and%20just%20about%20everything%20since.

Village of the Damned:

English Gothic: Classic Horror Cinema 1897 – 2015 by Jonathan Rigby
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/jun/10/johnwyndham#:~:text=Critical%20verdict
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2003/dec/05/2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Midwich_Cuckoos
https://reactormag.com/village-of-the-damned-killer-kiddos-from-outer-space/#:~:text=Upon%20its%20move%20to%20the,that%20unfortunate%20driver%20smashes%20into
https://culturevulture.net/film/village-of-the-damned/#:~:text=The%20Midwich%20Cuckoos%20alludes%20not,a%20heresy%20to%20Catholic%20dogma
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Sanders
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Conway
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001694/
https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2010/jul/14/george-sanders-centenary

Who Can Kill A Child:

“Who Can Kill a Child?” Mondo Macabro Blue Ray release special features: Interview with Narcisso Ibanez Sarrador, Interview with Kim Newman
Spanish Horror Film by Antonio Lazzaro-Reboll
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Can_Kill_a_Child%3F