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Post by lukemorningstar on Sept 9, 2008 9:12:19 GMT
Once again it's time to go all dewey eyed, and take on that whole 'wasn't it great being a kid in the 1970s' stance.
Well it was great!
Who else remembers this great institution? Six week school summer holiday, Saturday nights BBC2 and a cracking double bill of horror movies with not an advert in sight. Usually they would show a black and white oldie (mostly Universal) first followed by a Hammer or Amicus afterwards.
Fond memories of sitting up with my older brother, or sometimes my Dad, bag of sweets or crisps and bottle of coke (later to be substituted for pack of 20 Bensons and bottle of Gaymers Olde English!) and best of all, a really good scare...............
I'm trying to think of some particularly good couplings - can you remember any?
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Post by David A. Riley on Sept 9, 2008 9:15:52 GMT
That's a leading question, if ever there was one!  David
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Post by David A. Riley on Sept 9, 2008 9:17:39 GMT
Seriously, though, I do remember those BBC2 Satuday night double-bills. They were great in their day, though I would often watch them after spending the night out at the pub and would frequently fall asleep halfway through!
Those were the days!
David
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Post by lukemorningstar on Sept 9, 2008 9:26:32 GMT
Indeed, alcohol became quite influential on the proceedings, especially as the 70s gave way to the 80s - although I was still at the age of drinking at home rather than at the pub - I recall one year that the Beeb showed a lot of the Corman / Poe / Price films as the second part of the double bill. I was trying to watch 'Masque Of The Red Death' with double vision and the terrible 'spinning room' effect where the telly seems to move up and down. I think I may have been a bit 'ill' shortly afterwards too.......
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kale
Crab On The Rampage
Posts: 17
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Post by kale on Sept 9, 2008 20:41:19 GMT
This trend for BBC2 Universal/Hammer/Amicus films that started in the seventies was more than good enough to last into the mid eighties. I can only assume the audience quotient was successful and that helped maintain this slot over the years.
Now, we seem to be swimming in a veritable smorgasbord of channels. Unfortunately, it seems the quality of program planning has deteriorated to such an extent that it is virtually impossible to revel in an evening of 'classic' horror anymore.
Then again theres the DVD thingamajig sitting uselessly in the corner.
But it's not the same is it.
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Post by Johnlprobert on Sept 9, 2008 21:37:03 GMT
Some memorable BBC2 actual Saturday night double bills:
Curse of the Werewolf &
From Beyond the Grave
Night of the Demon &
The Ghoul
The Fantastic Disappearing Man (Return of Dracula) &
The Man with X-Ray Eyes
The Mad Ghoul &
Dr Terror's House of Horrors
The Strange Door &
Blood From the Mummy's Tomb
Murders in the Rue Morgue (1931) &
The Man Who Could Cheat Death
Man Made Monster &
The Mummy's Curse
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Post by lukemorningstar on Sept 9, 2008 21:57:51 GMT
Now you've got me started!
I remember some of those vividly. The strangest double bill I can recall was the first time I went on holiday to Spain, back in 1981 - and long before the days when you could buy The Sun 'printed today in Spain' I actually made my brother Dave phone England (not as easy or inexpensive as it is now) just to find out what double bill we were going to miss on the Saturday night, and it was;
Bedlam
and
Bug
I can also remember being chased home from Bounds Green tube station by skinheads, in the summer of 1980, getting home by the skin of my teeth, to find my Dad sitting up with a pot of tea, 'Ah, son, you're just in time for the second film - Dr Terror's House Of Horrors' - I wonder whether the skinheads got home in time for it too?
Very happy memories!
Anyone else remember any more double bills? I'm wracking my brains for some specific pairings - I'll have to get back to you!
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Sept 9, 2008 22:11:37 GMT
yes, Colin you've definitely come home. The happy thing about this place is that not only can someone tell you what that missed double bill was, he was probably chased by skinheads on the way home too.
I'm unfortunately one of the geeks with no memory but the place is stacked with experts. I just do the reminiscing...
Although, on consideration, I do have Fear no 1 on the floor beside me with Edward Scissor Hands. I spoke to the editor and came thread away from being published in it. Still got the letter somewhere...
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Post by Johnlprobert on Sept 10, 2008 7:12:09 GMT
Colin - Bedlam & Bug was from the season where every first film was a Val Lewton & most of the second features were 70s American pics. Can't remember many but first was:
Cat People &
Zoltan, Hound of Dracula
and the season finished with
The Body Snatcher &
Theatre of Blood
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Post by lukemorningstar on Sept 11, 2008 8:09:11 GMT
I'm sure the in 1980 or 1981 the one of the double bill movies was a thing called 'Night Of The Lepus' about giant murderous bunny rabbits! A year or two previous, my Mum and Dad had been to the cinema (can't remember what to see) and told me that the support film was 'Night of The Lepus' - I thought Dad was winding me up - but it was true.
I think Janet Leigh was in the film but I'm not sure...............
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kale
Crab On The Rampage
Posts: 17
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Post by kale on Sept 11, 2008 21:11:11 GMT
I don't know if this maudlin is representative of age or good old fashioned sentiment. Either way it's refreshing to see how horror draws people together...even if it is in this strange and transient way.
Do you think the BBC would be affected by veiled threats of license fee abstination from such a small proportion of our fraternity?
No?
Well, at least we thought about trying...
I did anyway.
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Truegho
Devils Coach Horse
Posts: 135
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Post by Truegho on Nov 9, 2008 16:14:59 GMT
Ah yes, I remember the BBC2 Saturday night horror double bills well! I think they were screened both in the summer of 1977 AND 1978, weren't they? Lon Chaney Jr as The Wolf Man featured in a few of them. Does anybody remember the Appointment With Fear movies, that used to be shown on a Monday night after News At Ten? That was when I first got into horror, watching the old Universal Frankenstein movies. Ah, the memories! The Webmaster www.horrorwriters.net |
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Post by sadako on Dec 11, 2008 0:10:44 GMT
I devoured these films! Denis Gifford's A PICTORIAL HISTORY OF HORROR MOVIES had started me on a quest to watch every film in his book! I'm still questing... Here's one you missed - I think it went out with THE BEAST WITH FIVE FINGERS.  |
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Post by pulphack on Dec 11, 2008 15:18:22 GMT
The Maze... now there's a film to bring back memories! Saw it on C4, not the beeb, sad to say, and much later. Barking mad idea, though - mad scottish relative turns out to be frog monster living in pond at centre of maze, glimpsed briefly and rather splendidly at the end.
They don't make 'em like that anymore, and more's the pity. Nowt wrong with modern horror movies - a bit of gore is no bad thing - but by god you can't beat the sheer audacity of those low budget mavens.
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Dec 11, 2008 15:59:58 GMT
Maze was a classic, particularly as its rather hard to make a large frog frightening. Built the atmosphere beautifully. One of my favourites. I include a maze in almost ever thing I write now - its got to be done
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