56: The Creeping Flesh (1973) – Tigon British Film Productions – Dir. Freddie Francis – Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee & Lorna Heilbron
General Witchfinders: The British Horror PodcastShow Notes
In this episode of General Witchfinders, we take a close look at The Creeping Flesh (1973), a British horror film from cult studio Tigon British Film Productions. Best known for low-budget horror that ran alongside the likes of Hammer Horror and Amicus, Tigon was founded in 1966 by Tony Tenser and operated out of Hammer House on Wardour Street in London. This marks our first dive into their back catalogue—and what a place to start. The Creeping Flesh stars Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee (#BigChrisLee) as brothers on opposing ends of a bizarre scientific discovery involving an ancient skeleton, reanimation, and some very shaky ideas about inherited evil. Lorna Heilbron plays opposite them as the increasingly disturbed Penelope. The film was directed by Freddie Francis, a key figure in British horror cinema. Francis replaced Don Sharp at the last minute and brought his usual visual flair, having previously directed Paranoiac, The Evil of Frankenstein, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, and Tales from the Crypt. He’s also better known in wider circles for his cinematography—earning two Academy Awards and five BAFTAs for work on Sons and Lovers, The Elephant Man, The Innocents, Return to Oz, and Glory. He also worked on Dune, Cape Fear, and even music videos for All Saints and Jimmy Nail. Cinematographer Norman Warwick handled the visuals on The Creeping Flesh. Warwick was also behind the camera for The Abominable Dr. Phibes (see Episode 10), Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde, and Confessions of a Window Cleaner. The film was shot at Shepperton Studios and Thorpe House in Surrey. We believe The Creeping Flesh was the 20th film pairing Cushing and Lee, likely falling between Horror Express (Episode 7) and Nothing but the Night (Episode 42). We’re happy to be corrected—find us on BlueSky @generalwitch. Subscribe, listen, and join us as we explore the world of British cult horror, Tigon films, and everything in between. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/general-witchfinders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from General Witchfinders: The British Horror Podcast
In this episode, we conclude our deep dive into screen adaptations of Nigel Kneale’s legendary sci-fi creation, Professor Bernard Quatermass. We take a look at the 1979 Euston Films/Thames Television serial The Quatermass Conclusion (also known as Quatermass IV or Quatermass), starring Oscar-winner John Mills as the titular professor. Plus, stick around after the end credits for an exclusive clip preview from Room 5064 and B7 Media’s full-cast audio adaptation of Ramsey Campbell’s iconic folk horror novel, The Hungry Moon – starring Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Louise Jameson, Mina Anwar, and Jemma Moore.
Last time, the files of General Witchfinders Department X revealed how psychic powers and parapsychology grew to be one of the leading frights of 70s horror culture. Now, we look closer at one of the key texts from the 60s counter-culture milieu that drove the psychic boom: Pauwels and Bergier’s ‘The Morning of the Magicians’. Join James and Ross as they take a white-knuckle ride through a book that’s a who’s who of the occult: Charles Fort, H. P. Lovecraft, Arthur Machen and the Golden Dawn, generous amounts of alchemy, ancient aliens – and Nazis! This version of the episode includes background music. If you prefer a voice-only experience without music, listen to the alternative version here. So turn on, tune in and freak out to the second part of the Department X triptych… Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/general-witchfinders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to the second episode of the General Witchfinders Book Club – a spin-off from our regular British horror podcast, run in partnership with Teasel & Skylark, an independent bookshop in Dorchester.
Alternative 3 (1977) – Conspiracies, Secret Mars Bases, Brian Eno and 1970s TV Hoaxes
The 16th episode of the fourth season of the BBC anthology series Play for Today, Penda’s Fen – originally broadcast on 21 March 1974 – is widely celebrated as a visionary masterpiece of British folk horror and 1970s television drama. Written by David Rudkin and directed by Alan Clarke, Time Out London named it one of the 100 best British films.