PLUS Q&A WITH MIKE MUNCER FROM THE EVOLUTION OF HORROR PODCAST

Wes Craven. 1984

One, two Freddy’s coming for you! Holy moly it’s the Krueger, everyone’s favourite fedora sporting, teenage slaying, margarita face wearing maniacal janitor! A man so ugly he makes a toxic-wasted Emil from ‘Robocop’ look like 1980s Mickey Rourke! This ‘84 classic reinvented the slasher for a new generation of bubble gum chewin’, shoulder pads wearin’, zit faced poppin’ arcade junkies and mall rats. Robert Englund hams it up and Johnny Depp gets sucked in a bed (not for the first time, allegedly). Stay awake you crazy kids or it’s gonna be shlock all over your block. (Rated EEEEEEEEEXXXXXXXXXXX)

PLUS Q&A WITH BECKY DARKE FROM DON'T POINT THAT HORROR AT ME

Richard Donner. 1976

“Your child is the devil, Mr. Thorn!” This deliciously unsettling horror blockbuster from the recently deceased Richard Donner boasts a cast that would be more at home in a David Lean epic. This along with a grippingly great script from David Seltzer and a score from Jerry Goldsmith elevates this spookio yarn to an out and out classic. It’s no wonder that after its release the name Damien seemed less in demand and that wrought iron railings sales went through the roof. Peck! Remick! Warner! Troughton! Rumpole of the Bailey!

PLUS Q&A WITH LOUISE BLAIN FROM KILLT, BBC TV AND RADIO

Wes Craven. 1996

“Do you like scary movies?” Fuckin’ A we do, and this one’s a hooly! Wes Craven starts his second horror franchise with this scary, gory and funny take on the slasher flick. All the tropes are here; scream queen intimidation, maniac on the loose, teenagers shitting themselves! It’s a boss hog terror trip and no mistake. Brush up on your horror trivia prior to the screening for the quiz, if you get a question wrong…

Alberto Cavalcanti, Basil Dearden, Robert Hamer, Charles Crichton. 1945

Ealing studio’s quintet of terrifying tales still chills the blood. Four vignettes, including stories from HG Wells and EF Benson intertwine as an architect visiting a job proposal sees his recurring dream start to take place in the flesh. Michael Redgrave as the ventriloquist with a dummy who seems to be running the show is outstanding as is the brit-noir cinematography that is as creepy as any of the tales.

Roman Polanski. 1968

Ira Levin’s devil worshiping freak-a-thon of a novel is brought to life by Polanksi and his astute casting of the great John Cassavetes, Mia Farrow and Ruth Gordon. Polanski and Farrow may have thought this was going to be as controversial as their lives got! Nope, just a warm up! Central Park living never looked so good, as long as you don’t answer the door to the nosy neighbours. Holy crap, it’s Ralph Bellamy, one of the old dudes from ‘Trading Places’, he’s got a warm demeanour, he must be a good… oh. If ever a movie screamed, ‘lock your doors and fuck everyone else in your block’, this is it.

PLUS EL GORDO FESTIVAL PRIZE DRAW!

John Landis. 1981

Horror comedy at it’s deplorable finest. Landis’ parody of English folklore and the English in general is a gross out, fun fest from start to finish. Rick Baker’s head expanding make up work still shocks to the core and two of the most underrated American screen actors, Griffin Dunne and David Naughton own the screen as they travel around Blighty and take in all of it’s spoils. Some of them good; fish and chips, Jenny Agutter in constant soft focus like the director wishes he was making a high brow ‘Emmanuel’. Some of them bad; werewolves and grumpy Yorkshiremen in pubs. By the way, this was the height of Thatcher and the NHS was on it’s knees, that nurse’s gaff is fuckin’ pukka!