225 – Children of the Stones

Part of the Corn and Lesser God trilogy

Tim takes the reins to enthuse about a shockingly creepy British TV series for kids (?!), Children of the Stones.

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Watch the entirety of Children of the Stones on YouTube!

Hear the Reese Shearsmith-led podcast adaptation of Children of the Stones over at the Beeb.

Want more folk horror? Sample our collection of same!

174 – Penda’s Fen

Doesn’t look like a panda to me

Tim is too cool to talk about a nerdy British kid’s coming of age story, so Jen and special guest @bitterkarella step in to talk about cult BBC teleplay Penda’s Fen.

For just $5 a month, hear it and over 80 more episodes on our Patreon!

BFI did indeed release Penda’s Fen on blu-ray in 2016, but it’s also available on YouTube! 

The 2010 post that originally turned Jen on to the film may be found at John Coulthart’s excellent art blog, Feuilleton. At the time of writing, Penda’s Fen was almost impossible to see, as a home video release was far in the future.

As for Penda’s Fen, whenever a TV executive tries to argue that television hasn’t dumbed down I’d offer this work as Exhibit A for the prosecution. Rudkin and Clarke’s film was screened at 9.35 in the evening on the nation’s main TV channel, BBC 1, at a time when there were only three channels to choose from. A primetime audience of many millions watched this visceral and unapologetically intelligent drama; show me where this happens today. – John Coulthart

Jen mangled the words to the Bonzo Dog Band’s “Sport” a little bit (“Sport, sport, masculine sport / equips a young man for society”), but you get the idea.

Also, be sure to listen to our discussion of the Alan Clarke-directed The Firm, along with its inferior remake.

132 – Eyes of Fire

Eyes of Fire, directed by Avery Crounse, 1983

Jen and Tim host Mike Rosen, who is a witch, to discuss a very witchy cult horror movie, Eyes of Fire! Also, if you were dying to know Jen’s thoughts on Midsommar, they’re in there.

Hear the whole episode over at our Patreon and get access to more than 50 other bonus episodes!

Mike’s graphic novel, Malleus Malleficarum, is indeed on itch.io and comes highly recommended by your hosts!

Jen misidentified the actor who plays Will Smythe as “Douglas Lipscomb.” She of course meant Dennis Lipscomb.

Severin Films included Eyes of Fire in their recently released All the Haunts Be Ours folk horror boxed set. If your interest in Eyes of Fire isn’t quite up to that $170 price tag, you can of course watch the film on Shudder’s excellent streaming service.

For more on the genre, Folk Horror Revival offers a generous repository of knowledge.

120 – Nothing But Trouble with Matt Christman

Nothing But Trouble (1991) glitch
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Matt Christman makes a triumphant return to the show to hold forth on the finest American film ever made, Nothing But Trouble! Hear the whole fuckin’ thing at our Patreon!

Want that feature-packed blu-ray? Get it at Shout Factory.

You can also hear our earlier take on Nothing But Trouble with guest Mike Rosen aka @ bitterkarella on Twitter!

117 – The Town That Dreaded Sundown

The killer claims another victim in The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)

Jen and Tim discover two Arkansas originals: The Town That Dreaded Sundown from 1976, and indie film pioneer Charles B. Pierce!

Hear the entire episode over at our Patreon!

Amanda Squitiero, daughter of Charles B. Pierce, corrects some misconceptions about him in this fine article from Filmmaker magazine.

112 – The Wicker Man: The Summerisle Cut

The climax of The Wicker Man (1973)

Tim and Jen welcome a special guest to discuss a fan edit of a beloved horror classic, The Wicker Man: The Summerisle Cut! Listen for yourself and decide if you want to leave angry comments on archive.org!

Hear the whole episode at our Patreon and get access to more than 50 bonus episodes!

View the Summerisle Cut at the Internet Archive.

Visit the Wicker Man site mentioned by our guest, which describes all of the different cuts of the film in detail.

For more great British horror, try our episode on the BBC’s controversial Ghostwatch!