Episode 34: Theatre of Blood (1973) & Stagefright (1987)

Welcome to episode 34 of The Horror Double Bill, the podcast where each week we pair two movies to create something greater than the sum of their parts.For this week’s double bill we are off to the theatre, taking in the works of William Shakespeare and a 1980s stage musical, with a healthy slice of murder and mayhem on the side. First up, we have Theatre of Blood from 1973, directed by Douglas Hickox. This stars Vincent Price, Diana Rigg, Ian Hendry, and a whole cast of British talent including Robert Morley, Dennis Price, Harry Andrews, Michael Hordern, and Arthur Lowe.Then we head across to Italy for StageFright from 1987, directed by Michele Soavi and starring David Brandon, Barbara Cupisti, Mary Sellers, and Giovanni Lombardo Radice.Along the way we’ll be discussing the life and career of Vincent Price, actor, writer and director Luigi Montefiore, the career of director Michele Soavi, and much more.RecommendationsThe Fly (1958)The House on Haunted Hill (1959)The Tingler (1959)The Masque of the Red Death (1964)The Abominable Dr Phibes (1971)Dr Phibes Rises Again (1972)The Price of Fear (BBC Radio series)The Dark Fantastic (2025)The Dark Fantastic Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFJimPVVW60Dellamorte Dellamore (1994)Sir Donald Wolfit Films (for curiosity)Svengali (1954)Blood of the Vampire (1958)The Hands of Orlac (1960)ReferencesVincentPrice.comInto the Velvet Darkness – A Celebration of Vincent Price, published by We Belong DeadTheatre of Blood by John Llewellyn Probert.Spaghetti Nightmares: Italian Fantasy Horrors as Seen Through the Eyes of Their Protagonists by Luca M. Palmerini and Gaetano Mistretta, Stagefright (Shameless Entertainment blu ray release)https://www.fangoria.com/from-terror-mentee-to-master-of-horror-an-interview-with-michele-soavi/simonboswell.comhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Pricehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_of_Bloodhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michele_Soavihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_Fright_(1987_film)https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0811714/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_smhttps://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001637/https://www.avclub.com/diana-rigg-on-the-avengers-mrs-peel-game-of-thrones-1798281429Instagram: @thehorrordoublebillemail: [email protected]: @thehorrordoublebillartwork by Justin Parker (IG jpkr_illustration.com)