Monthly Archives: January 2026

Double Shock Horror by Barry Atkinson

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Barry Forshaw

Bear Manor Media are well known for their extremely eclectic catalogue – and for coming up with a variety of book concepts which have simply not been tried before. Here’s a classic example. Double Shock Horror by Barry Atkinson is subtitled ‘Sci-Fi Fantasy Combos in British Cinema 1958 – 1970’, and is the first major attempt to tabulate and add some light analysis of the genre double bills that emblazoned British cinema billboards for a decade or so; it will be a welcome nostalgia trip for many cinemagoers – and not just in Britain. There is an interesting phenomenon whereby a goodly proportion of Americans are intrigued by the treatment of genre products in the UK (there is a similar interest in British reprints of American comics), and Atkinson crams his sizeable volume with some fascinating information. There is also a personal touch – the author often describes the actual cinema experience of seeing particular double bills, and while readers may not share those particular experiences, they will no doubt have their own equivalent – and memories will be ignited via which personal comparisons can be made.

Double Shock Horror by Barry Atkinson is published by Bear Manor Media

 

The Night of Death, Raphael Delpard, director/Nucleus Films

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At first glance, The Night of Death would appear to be a little-known entry in the Italian giallo idiom: a murderfest in which two or three barely clad starlets meet bloody ends. In fact, the actual title of the film is La Nuit de la Mort, and it is a gallic entry in the horror genre, here granted the kind of careful attention that Nucleus Films always bestows on its esoteric issues. Youthful, attractive Martine (played by Isabelle Goguey) has been reluctantly taken on as a nurse at Deadlock House, an isolated retirement home, but she quickly realises that the place is even stranger than she expected. The elderly eccentric residents all have some kind of grotesque dietary requirement rather than just their vegetarian diet, and are under the thumb of the nominating Helene (Betty Beckers). Before long, blood – and a variety of organs – are being spilled. The director Raphael Delpard takes his time before plunging headfirst into grande guignol territory, but justifies this with his solid cast and striking cinematography.