The Evolution of Horror

The BFI's Michael Blyth returns to the podcast this week to discuss a subject very dear to his heart...the brilliant William Castle. In our first in-depth spoilerific reviews of the series, we discuss Castle's beloved ghostly classic House on Haunted Hill (1959) and his slightly less beloved 13 Ghosts (1960). We also discuss the life and career of horror legend Vincent Price Music by Jack Whitney Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! Join the discussion group! Michael Blyth is a programmer for the BFI and can be found on Twitter (@MichaelJBlyth). Find out what's on at the BFI South Bank by going to https://bfi.org.uk Mike Muncer is a podcaster, producer and editor. He can be found on Twitter (@TheMovieMike).

We're BACK! This week Mike is joined by Ghost Stories writer, actor and director Andy Nyman to discuss ghosts in the horror genre. He's then joined by BFI Journalist and editor of The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Films & TV (EOFFT), Kev Lyons to discuss the cinematic origins of the ghost story. Music by Jack Whitney Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/evolutionpod Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/evolutionofhorror Join the discussion group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/146043106034456 Email us! [email protected] Andy Nyman is a writer, magician, producer, director and Andy. His website is https://www.andynyman.com He can be found on Twitter @AndyNyman Kev Lyons is a journalist and editor of The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Films & TV: https://http://www.eofftv.com/

We complete the Evolution of the Slasher with an end-of-term quiz! For the Final Exam Mike is joined by London Film Quiz host Bryan Ryan. We also do a final round-up of the sub-genre and Mike countdowns down his Top 10 slashers and the listeners top 5 slashers. Thanks for listening and we'll be back in January 2018! Music by Jack Whitney Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/evolutionpod Follow us on FB: https://facebook.com/evolutionofhorror Join the discussion group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/146043106034456 Bryan runs the Big Film Quiz in London and you can find him on Twitter (@BigFilmQuiz). Mike is a podcaster and producer and can be found on Twitter (@TheMovieMike).

This week Mike is joined by Telegraph film critic Tim Robey to review David Robert Mitchell's superb 2014 modern horror masterpiece It Follows... Music by Jack Whitney Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/evolutionpod Find us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/evolutionofhorror Join the FB Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/146043106034456/ Tim Robey is film critic for the Telegraph. He can be found on Twitter (@Trim_obey). Mike Muncer is a podcaster and producer and can also be found on Twitter (@TheMovieMike). It Follows (2014) Dir: David Robert Mitchell Courtesy of Icon Distribution

"Let the games begin..." This week Mike is joined by Jonathan Hatfull and Katherine McLaughlin to discuss where the slashers went in the 21st century! They cover (in spoilerific detail) James Wan's 2004 movie Saw and the dawn of torture porn, plus the Final Destination Franchise. They also discuss what became of Freddy, Jason and Michael in the 21st century, as well as comment on the recent wave of nostalgic comedy slashers such as Detention, The Final Girls, and Tragedy Girls. Music by Jack Whitney Don't forget to find us on social media: https://twitter.com/evolutionpod https://facebook.com/evolutionofhorror Come join the Evolution of Horror discussion group! Kat and Jonathan both have their own horror podcast called Casting The Runes which is available on iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/casting-the-runes-podcast/id1090957646?mt=2) Kat McLaughlin is a film and music journalist and writes for Horrorville, Sci-Fi Now, The List and other outlets. She can be found on Twitter (@Ms_K_McLaughlin) Jonathan Hatfull is editor of Sci-Fi Now magazine and can also be found on twitter (@JonathanHatfull) Mike is a film journalist, video producer and podcaster and can be found on Twitter (@TheMovieMike) Join us next week for our final slasher review...IT FOLLOWS!

"What's your favourite scary movie?" The slashers are BACK! This week Mike is joined by Empire's Helen O'Hara to discuss Wes Craven's phenomenal 1996 slasher, Scream. Things then start getting super meta, as Mike and Rob Watts discuss the wave of 90s slasher movies that followed it. Music by Jack Whitney. Join the Evolution of Horror discussion group and meet / discuss horror with other listeners! https://www.facebook.com/groups/146043106034456 Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EvolutionOfHorror Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/EvolutionPod Helen O'Hara is Editor-At-Large for Empire magazine and is also co-host of the Empire podcast. She can be found on Twitter (@HelenLOHara) and Empire podcast can be found on iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-empire-film-podcast/id507987292?mt=2) Rob Watts is a TV assistant producer, cinephile and blogger. You can find his writing on Outside of a Dream (https://t.co/zsSj1y4nOH) and can be found on Twitter (@RobWatts88). Mike is a TV, video and podcast producer. He can be found on Twitter (@TheMovieMike).

What goes up...must come down. This week Mike is joined by cinephile Brad Hanson to describe the period that followed the 80s slasher boom...the slasher slump. Brad and Mike discuss why this era is generally thought of as one of the worst for horrors and particularly for slasher movies. They discuss such turkeys as Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, Jason Takes Manhattan, Leprechaun and Rumplestiltskin. They also discuss a couple of the gems that stick out from this era, such as Child's Play and Wes Craven's New Nightmare. Music by Jack Whitney. Brad Hanson is a cinephile and film writer and can be found on Twitter (@HadBranson). Mike is a podcaster and producer and can also be found on Twitter (@TheMovieMike).

One, two, Freddy's coming for you! This week, Mike is joined by critic James King to discuss that most 80s of teen slasher movies, A Nightmare On Elm Street. As well as taking a look at the movie in depth, James and Mike explore the 80s obsession with teen movies, the horror cinema of Wes Craven and the phenomenon of Freddy Krueger. Theme music by Jack Whitney. Jack can be found on twitter (jack_whitney). Get in touch! You can find us on twitter (@EvolutionPod), Facebook (@Evolutionofhoror) and you can email us on [email protected] James King is a film critic, author, broadcast and journalist. He can be found on twitter (@JamesKingMovies). Mike is a TV & digital producer and podcaster. He can be found on Twitter (@TheMovieMike). A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984) Wes Craven New Line Cinema

This week Mike is joined by Michael Blyth to give a rundown of the very best of the early 80s slasher boom! From Sleepaway Camp to Slumber Party Massacre, we leave no stone unturned... Theme music by Jack Whitney Michael Blythe is a programmer for the British Film Institute, and is the man behind the BFI Cult strand and BFI Flare. For all information on upcoming events at BFI, visit https://bfi.org.uk Michael can be found on Twitter (@MichaelBlyth) Mike Muncer is a podcast, producer and film journalist. He can be found on twitter (@TheMovieMike) and does another podcast with Rhianna Dhillon called Back Row (@BackRowFilms). List of 80s Slasher films mentioned (in chronological order) Prom Night (1980) Terror Train (1980) New Years Evil (1981) The Burning (1981) My Bloody Valentine (1981) The Prowler (1981) Final Exam (1981) Just Before Dawn (1981) Pieces (1982) Slumber Party Massacre (1982) Sleepaway Camp (1983) Curtains (1983) The House on Sorority Row (1983) Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) The Initiation (1984) The Mutilator (1985) April Fools Day (1986) Stage Fright (1987) Blood Rage (1987)

Chi chi chi ma ma ma... This week Mike is joined by Rob Watts to discuss the most beloved horror franchise of all time. As well as taking an in-depth, spoilerific review, the pair run through the ten sequels that follow and discuss some of the best and worst aspects of the Friday the 13th series. Theme music by Jack Whitney Don't forget you can find all our episodes on iTunes and most other Podcast Platforms (Libsyn, Stitcher, Sound Cloud). Find us on twitter: @EvolutionPod Rob Watts is a film blogger and writes for Outside Of A Dream outsideofadream.wordpress.com You can find him on twitter (@RobWatts88) Mike Muncer is a podcast, producer and film journalist. You can find him on twitter (@TheMovieMike) and he does another podcast with Rhianna Dhillon called Back Row (https://backrowpodcast.net) which is on Twitter (@BackRowFilms)

This week Mike is joined by Boyd Hilton, and the pair get down and dirty to discuss Brian De Palma's controversial erotic slasher, Dressed To Kill. We take a look at the influences De Palma's movie had on 80s/90s erotic thrillers such as Cruising, Blue Velvet and Basic Instinct. Boyd Hilton a critic, broadcaster, journalist and is entertainment director for Heat Magazine. He also hosts the Heat Unmissables podcast (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-unmissables/id1227703572?mt=2) Boyd can be found on Twitter (@Boydhilton) Mike Muncer is a podcaster, producer and film journalist. He can be found on twitter (@TheMovieMike) and also has another movie podcast with Rhianna Dhillon called Back Row (https://backrowpodcast.net) Dressed To Kill (1980) Dir: Brian De Palma Filmways Pictures / Cinema 77 Films Body Double (1984) Dir: Brian De Palma Columbia Pictures Corporation / Delphi II Productions

This week Mike is joined by Chris Hewitt and Jacob Stolworthy to discuss all things HALLOWEEN! We take an in-depth, spoilerific look at John Carpenter's classic 1978 masterpiece and look at the legacy it left behind (i.e. 7 awful sequels and 2 awful remakes). Chris also discusses why John Carpenter is one of the most beloved auteurs in cinema history. Chris Hewitt is host of the world's biggest movie podcast the Empire Podcast (and associate editor of Empire, the world's biggest selling movie magazine). Find Chris on twitter (@ChrisHewitt). Jacob Stolworthy is a culture critic and journalist for The Independent. Find Jacob on twitter (@Jacob_Stol). Mike is a producer, podcaster and film journalist. Find him on twitter (@TheMovieMike). He also co-hosts another movie podcast with Rhianna Dhillon called Back Row (https://backrowpodcast.net). Find Back Row on Twitter (@BackRowFilms). Halloween (1978) Dir: John Carpenter Courtesy of Compass International Pictures / Falcon International Productions. Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) Dir: John Carpenter Courtesy of the CKK Corporation The Thing (1982) Dir: John Carpenter Courtesy of Universal Pictures / Turman-Foster Company Christine (1983) Dir: John Carpenter Courtesy of Columbia Pictures Corporation, Delphi Premier Productions, Polar Film

This week Mike is joined by Rhianna Dhillon to explore two criminally underrated early 70s slasher movies...Black Christmas (1974) and Alice, Sweet Alice (1976). Both movies deal with teenage problems and adolescence discuss the awkwardness of puberty, sex education and bodily fluids. Mike also sits down with Freudian Cinephile Mary Wild who discusses horror cinema from a psycho-analytic perspective. Music by Jack Whitney Jack is a musician and sound engineer. He is on Twitter (@Jack_Whitney) Rhianna Dhillon is a film critic, journalist, presenter and broadcaster. She hosts the Radio 4 Seriously podcast:(https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/seriously/id134091051?mt=2) She can be found on Twitter (@RhiannaDhillon) and also presents Back Row Podcast with Mike (https://backrowpodcast.net) Mary Wild is a psycho-analytic scholar and freudian cinephile. Mary runs a series of lectures and courses called Projections and has an upcoming 6 week course on Women in Horror Films at the Freud Museum. All details of the course can be found here: https://www.freud.org.uk/events/76988/projections-psychoanalytic-investigation-of-women-in-horror-films/ Mary is also on Twitter (@psycstar) and has a YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5zqftkwnUEyNnRnSZHShEA) Thanks for listening, tune in next week for our Halloween special! Alice, Sweet Alice (1976) Dir: Alred Sole Courtesy of Harristown Funding Black Christmas (1974) Dir: Bob Clark Courtesy of Film Funding Ltd of Canada / Vision IV / Canadian Film Development Corporation / Famous Players / August Films

We continue the Evolution of the Slasher by looking at the boom in Italian horror in the late 60s / early 70s, particularly the films known as 'Giallo' (or Gialli?) Mike chats to Giallo guru Alan Jones about the history of the sub-genre, its influence on the slasher and gets the lowdown on Giallo pioneer Dario Argento. He is then joined by Dan Martin from the Arrow Video Podcast to review Argento's Bird With The Crystal Plumage (1970) and Mario Bava's Bay Of Blood (1971). Music by Jack Whitney. Jack can be found on Twitter (@Jack_Whitney) Alan Jones is a broadcaster, critic, author, co-director / founder of FrightFest and a journalist. He has written books on Giallo and on director Dario Argento such as Profondo Argento (2004). Find more information about Alan here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Jones_(film_critic)#Books_.28as_author.29 Find Alan on Twitter (@AlanFrightFest) Dan Martin is a film SFX artist and a co-host of the Arrow Video Podcast. Find their podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/arrow-video-podcast/id1257705874?mt=2 Find Dan on Twitter (@13FingerFX) Mike Muncer is a podcaster, video producer and film journalist. Find him on Twitter (@TheMovieMike). Mike also produces and co-presents a movie podcast with critic Rhianna Dhillon called Back Row (http://backrowpodcast.net) --- The Bird With The Crystal Plumage (1970) Dir: Dario Argento Courtesy of Arrow Video / Central Cinema Company Film / Glazier / Seda Spettecoli A Bay Of Blood (1971) Dir: Mario Bava Courtesy of Arrow Video / Nuova Linea Cinematografica

Happy bonus horror treat! Here's the full, uninterrupted chat with film musician / composer / historian Neil Brand about a history of horror scores. From Nosferatu through to Under The Skin, we cover the trends, the traits and the evolution of the horror score over the last one hundred years. ENJOY! Neil Brand is a film historian, musician and composer. You can find details of his upcoming events at http://www.neilbrand.com/ or follow him on twitter: @NeilKBrand Mike Muncer is a TV & Podcast Producer and Film Journalist. You can find him on twitter: @TheMovieMike He also produces and co-presents another film podcast with Rhianna Dhillon called Back Row: https://backrowpodcast.net Thanks for listening, tune in next week for our GIALLO special. Mike will be joined by Dan Martin from the Arrow Video Podcast, as well as special guest ALAN JONES. Until next time... Dracula (1958) Dir: Terence Fisher Music by James Bernard Courtesy of Hammer Films Psycho (1960) Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Score by Bernard Herrmann Courtesy of Shamley Productions The Birds (1963) Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Score by Bernard Herrmann Courtesy of Alfred J. HItchcock Productions The Innocents (1961) Dir: Jack Clayton Courtesy of Achilles / Twentieth Century Fox Halloween (1978) Dir: John Carpenter Music by John Carpenter Courtesy of Falcon International Productions & Compass International Pictures The Shining (1980) Dir: Stanley Kubrick Music and the Stars and You performed by Al Bowlly Courtesy of Warner Bros. Hawk Films, Peregrine, Producers Circle Deep Red (1975) Dir: Dario Argento Score by Goblin Courtesy of Rizzoli Films & Seda Spettacoli Suspiria (1977) Dir: Dario Argento Score by Goblin Courtesy of Seda Spettacoli Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) Dir: John Carpenter Score by John Carpenter Courtesy of The CKK Corporation Under The Skin (2014) Dir: Jonathan Glazier Score by Mica Levi Courtesy of Film4, BFI, Silver Reel, Creative Scotland, Sigma Films, FilmNation Entertainment, Nick Wechsler Productions, JW Films, Canal+, Scottish Screen & UK Film Council Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) Dir: JJ Abrams Score by John Williams Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios / LucasFilm / Bad Robot Jurassic Park (1993) Dir: Steven Spielberg Score by John Williams Courtesy of Universal Pictures / Amblin Entertainment

This week Mike is joined by Ollie Charles as we begin our in depth look at the evolution of the slasher, and review the two movies that are often considered the forerunners to the format, Psycho and Peeping Tom. Mike is also joined by a chat with film composer, musician and historian, Neil Brand for a chat about that Bernard Herman score. Podcast music by Jack Whitney (@Jack_Whitney) For all other episodes of The Evolution of Horror please subscribe: iTunes: https://t.co/ztPjckq0YS Stitcher: https://goo.gl/2aSB8g Libsyn: https://evolutionofhorror.libsyn.com Ollie Charles works as a film PR for trafalgar releasing and also writes for Front Row Reviews. You can find him on twitter: @OllieCharles Neil Brand is a film historian, musician and composer. You can find details of his upcoming events at http://www.neilbrand.com/ or follow him on twitter: @NeilKBrand Mike Muncer is a TV & Podcast Producer and Film Journalist. You can find him on twitter: @TheMovieMike He also produces and co-presents another film podcast with Rhianna Dhillon called Back Row: https://backrowpodcast.net Thanks for listening, tune in next week for our GIALLO special. Mike will be joined by Dan Martin from the Arrow Video Podcast, as well as special guest ALAN JONES. Until next time... Dracula (1958) Dir: Terence Fisher Courtesy of Hammer Films Psycho (1960) Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Courtesy of Shamley Productions Peeping Tom (1960) Dir: Michael Powell Courtesy of Michael Powell (Theatre) Halloween (1978) Dir: John Carpenter Courtesy of Falcon International Productions & Compass International Pictures

This week Mike is joined by BFI Programmer Michael Blyth and film collective 'The Final Girls' to discuss the tropes, the peaks and the troughs of the slasher sub genre. What makes the slasher one of the most successful horror sub-genres? Why do we love watching endless Jason or Freddy sequels, when they all pretty much follow the same formula? And is there anything feminist about a sub-genre which celebrates and fetishises the dismemberment of pretty teenage girls? Join us for the Evolution of the Slasher... Podcast theme music by Jack Whitney Michael Blyth is a programmer for the BFI (British Film Institute) and is the man behind the current BFI STEPHEN KING season and the BFI Cult Strand. For all information, including showtimes and tickets, visit www.bfi.org.uk. Michael can also be found on Twitter: @michaeljblyth The Final Girls are a film collective that explore female representation (both behind and in front of the camera) in the horror genre. Information about their upcoming events can be found at www.thefinalgirls.co.uk and you can find them on twitter @TheFinalGirlsUK. Mike is a TV, video and Podcast producer and also has another movie podcast called Back Row with Rhianna Dhillon. This is available on iTunes and on their website http://backrowpodcast.net Mike can also be found on Twitter: @TheMovieMike We're taking a 2 week break but will be back next time to continue exploring the Evolution of the Slasher with reviews of Psycho and Peeping Tom! Got a spare minute? Leave us a rating or review on iTunes!

Welcome to the Evolution of Horror, a brand new horror movie review and discussion podcast! Host Mike Muncer and co-host Rob Watts discuss why they love horror, how they got into horror, some of their favourite horror movies, and Mike interviews horror maestro Kim Newman for a brief history and introduction to the genre. Email us: [email protected] Tweet us: @EvolutionPod Rob Watts is author of Outside of A Dream blog: http://outsideofadream.wordpress.com Tweet Rob! @RobWatts88 Mike has another podcast with Rhianna Dhillon called Back Row. http://backrowpodcast.net Tweet Mike! @TheMovieMike