We return to our rundown of Flash Gordon, just as Flash and Prince Barin are being taken to the Hawkmen’s planet to fight to the death!

Flash Gordon was directed by Mike Hodges, the British filmmaker behind Get Carter and Pulp, and produced by the legendary Dino De Laurentiis. Based on the King Features comic strip created by Alex Raymond, the film stars Sam J. Jones as the all-American hero Flash, Melody Anderson as Dale Arden, Ornella Muti as the dangerous Princess Aura, Max von Sydow as Ming the Merciless, and Topol as the eccentric scientist Dr. Hans Zarkov. The supporting cast includes Timothy Dalton, Brian Blessed, Peter Wyngarde, Peter Duncan and John Hallam — a line-up that reads like a who’s who of cult cinema.

We dig into the incredible production history of Flash Gordon, from De Laurentiis’ first attempts in the 1960s to his decision to turn down George Lucas — a choice that helped inspire Star Wars. The film’s troubled development included a scrapped version by Nicolas Roeg, with Debbie Harry once rumoured to play Princess Aura. Eventually, Hodges took the reins, working from a screenplay by Lorenzo Semple Jr., the same writer who brought Batman’s colourful POW! ZAP! style to TV in the 1960s. That influence is clear throughout, giving Flash Gordon its unmistakable comic-book tone.

The film was shot mainly at Elstree and Shepperton Studios, pushing British set design and visual effects to the limit. For the famous Hawkmen sequence, the crew built a sixty-foot-high, hundred-foot-wide blue screen powered by a million watts of light. The result is one of the most gloriously excessive moments in sci-fi history — a flying army, Brian Blessed shouting “Gordon’s alive!” and Queen blasting through the speakers.

Speaking of Queen, we explore how their soundtrack revolutionised film music, paving the way for rock bands to score major blockbusters. The combination of Freddie Mercury’s operatic flair and Howard Blake’s orchestral compositions gave Flash Gordon a sonic identity that still feels fresh today.

We also look at the film’s eclectic cast. Sam J. Jones’ brief but memorable career, Melody Anderson’s move from acting to social work, and Ornella Muti’s headline-grabbing life and legal troubles. There’s Max von Sydow’s path from The Seventh Seal to The Exorcist and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Topol’s secret links to Mossad, Timothy Dalton’s long and winding journey to becoming James Bond, and Peter Wyngarde’s transformation from Department S to the gold-masked villain Klytus.

And, of course, the mighty Brian Blessed — mountaineer, Shakespearean thunder-god, near-astronaut, and national treasure. From I, Claudius to Doctor Who, Cats, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, and beyond, he’s one of Britain’s most extraordinary performers.

In this episode, we unpack the layers of Flash Gordon as both cult classic and chaotic masterpiece: how its bright visuals masked a difficult shoot, how its camp sensibility influenced generations of filmmakers, and why it remains a cornerstone of British sci-fi fandom. Whether you’re here for trivia, nostalgia, or the Queen soundtrack alone, this is one of our most detailed episodes yet — and we’ll be back next week with part two to finish the adventure.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/general-witchfinders.

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Sorry this one’s a bit late — but to make up for it, we’ve gone all in with an extra-long episode of General Witchfinders, split into two parts. This week, we take you through the extraordinary, over-the-top world of Flash Gordon (1980) — the space opera superhero film that blended camp comedy, science-fiction spectacle, and Queen’s iconic soundtrack into something truly cosmic. The second half of this intergalactic adventure will land next week.

Flash Gordon was directed by Mike Hodges, the British filmmaker behind Get Carter and Pulp, and produced by the legendary Dino De Laurentiis. Based on the King Features comic strip created by Alex Raymond, the film stars Sam J. Jones as the all-American hero Flash, Melody Anderson as Dale Arden, Ornella Muti as the dangerous Princess Aura, Max von Sydow as Ming the Merciless, and Topol as the eccentric scientist Dr. Hans Zarkov. The supporting cast includes Timothy Dalton, Brian Blessed, Peter Wyngarde, Peter Duncan and John Hallam — a line-up that reads like a who’s who of cult cinema.

We dig into the incredible production history of Flash Gordon, from De Laurentiis’ first attempts in the 1960s to his decision to turn down George Lucas — a choice that helped inspire Star Wars. The film’s troubled development included a scrapped version by Nicolas Roeg, with Debbie Harry once rumoured to play Princess Aura. Eventually, Hodges took the reins, working from a screenplay by Lorenzo Semple Jr., the same writer who brought Batman’s colourful POW! ZAP! style to TV in the 1960s. That influence is clear throughout, giving Flash Gordon its unmistakable comic-book tone.

The film was shot mainly at Elstree and Shepperton Studios, pushing British set design and visual effects to the limit. For the famous Hawkmen sequence, the crew built a sixty-foot-high, hundred-foot-wide blue screen powered by a million watts of light. The result is one of the most gloriously excessive moments in sci-fi history — a flying army, Brian Blessed shouting “Gordon’s alive!” and Queen blasting through the speakers.

Speaking of Queen, we explore how their soundtrack revolutionised film music, paving the way for rock bands to score major blockbusters. The combination of Freddie Mercury’s operatic flair and Howard Blake’s orchestral compositions gave Flash Gordon a sonic identity that still feels fresh today.

We also look at the film’s eclectic cast. Sam J. Jones’ brief but memorable career, Melody Anderson’s move from acting to social work, and Ornella Muti’s headline-grabbing life and legal troubles. There’s Max von Sydow’s path from The Seventh Seal to The Exorcist and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Topol’s secret links to Mossad, Timothy Dalton’s long and winding journey to becoming James Bond, and Peter Wyngarde’s transformation from Department S to the gold-masked villain Klytus.

And, of course, the mighty Brian Blessed — mountaineer, Shakespearean thunder-god, near-astronaut, and national treasure. From I, Claudius to Doctor Who, Cats, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, and beyond, he’s one of Britain’s most extraordinary performers.

In this episode, we unpack the layers of Flash Gordon as both cult classic and chaotic masterpiece: how its bright visuals masked a difficult shoot, how its camp sensibility influenced generations of filmmakers, and why it remains a cornerstone of British sci-fi fandom. Whether you’re here for trivia, nostalgia, or the Queen soundtrack alone, this is one of our most detailed episodes yet — and we’ll be back next week with part two to finish the adventure.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/general-witchfinders.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hammer horror reaches peak gothic chills with The Plague of the Zombies (1966), a Hammer Film Productions classic that defines British horror cinema. Shot at Bray Studios from 28 July 1965 and filmed back-to-back with Hammer’s The Reptile (see episode 19), it used the same eerie Cornish village set designed by Hammer’s celebrated production designer Bernard Robinson. Director John Gilling – the so-called “gentleman pig farmer” behind The Shadow of the Cat and The Mummy’s Shroud – stages a story of graveyards, curses and the undead that became a template for Hammer zombie horror. Writer Peter Bryan, who joined Hammer Film Productions in 1948 as a camera operator before turning to screenwriting, provided the script and left the studio shortly after completing A Challenge for Robin Hood in 1967. When The Plague of the Zombies was submitted to the BBFC it was heavily trimmed: André Morell’s Sir James Forbes originally decapitated a zombie with four shovel blows in the graveyard sequence, reduced to one for the censors.

Heatherden Hall at Pinewood Studios doubles as the Forbes mansion, better known to James Bond fans as SPECTRE Island from From Russia With Love. Diane Clare, cast as Sylvia, had been one of the best-paid child “film babies” of the 1940s, appearing in The Ghosts of Berkeley Square and The Silver Fleet before leading roles in Hammer horror such as The Haunting, Witchcraft and The Hand of the Night. Her entire performance in The Plague of the Zombies was dubbed by South African actress Olive Gregg without her knowledge, a practice Hammer repeated when re-voicing Ingrid Pitt in Countess Dracula. André Morell himself had turned down both The Quatermass Experiment and Quatermass II on television before finally playing Professor Bernard Quatermass in the BBC’s Quatermass and the Pit. When Hammer Film Productions made the feature version the role went to Andrew Keir. Morell also played O’Brien opposite Peter Cushing’s Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four, Dr Watson in Hammer’s Hound of the Baskervilles, voiced Elrond in Ralph Bakshi’s The Lord of the Rings and appeared in Doctor Who. Quiz fans: Morell appeared in three films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar – can you name them?

John Carson, born in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), plays Clive Hamilton. He spent time in Australia and New Zealand before settling in Britain, later featuring in Doctor Who’s Snakedance, Tales of the Unexpected and Hammer House of Horror. IMDb longlists even connect him to Tobe Hooper’s Lifeforce (episode 39) though he got none of the roles. With this episode we complete a Hammer horror hat-trick of his films: Captain Kronos (episode 51), Taste the Blood of Dracula (episode 60) and now The Plague of the Zombies. He later emigrated to South Africa with his second wife, Luanshya Greer – formerly Pamela Greer, who became a TV writer for Dixon of Dock Green, Thriller and Triangle. Dr Peter Tompson is played by Brook Williams, a lifelong friend of Richard Burton who appeared with him in Where Eagles Dare, The Wild Geese and The Sea Wolves. Michael Ripper appears as Sergeant Swift; Hammer’s most prolific supporting actor with 33 Hammer Film Productions credits, seven films alongside Peter Cushing and nine with #BigChrisLee. Ripper also starred in all four original St Trinian’s films, .

For a deeper dive into Jacqueline “Servalan” Pearce, check back to our episode on The Reptile (episode 19). This discussion of The Plague of the Zombies cements its place as one of Hammer horror’s boldest British horror releases of the 1960s

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This time on General Witchfinders, we’re heading into deep space — and hell itself — with the notorious 1997 science fiction horror film Event Horizon.··

Directed by Paul Anderson and written by Philip Eisner, Event Horizon is set in 2047. A rescue crew investigates the ship Event Horizon, which vanished years earlier and is now orbiting Neptune.··

After Mortal Kombat (1995), Anderson was suddenly in demand, linked to Mortal Kombat: Annihilation and even X-Men. Instead, he wanted a darker R-rated project. Paramount gave him Eisner’s script, first about alien creatures, but Anderson reworked it into a haunted house in space, drawing on The Haunting and The Shining.··

Filming was rushed when Titanic slipped its release. The first 130-minute cut was heavily trimmed after poor test screenings. One infamous scene, a Bosch-inspired vision of Hell using amputees and adult performers, survived only as brief flashes but fuelled the film’s cult status.··

The gravity drive began as a floating black hole but was redesigned as rotating spiked rings, echoing Clive Barker’s Hellraiser and biblical Ophanim. Built to really move, it rattled so much that dialogue was re-recorded later. Eisner admitted Warhammer 40,000’s “Warp” also influenced the idea.··

At the time Anderson was credited as “Paul Anderson.” He later added the W. S. to avoid confusion with Paul Thomas Anderson. His later films include Resident Evil entries and Alien vs. Predator.··

Filming took place at Pinewood Studios with visual effects by Cinesite and the Computer Film Company. The interior design was inspired by Notre Dame, creating a cruciform gothic cathedral feel. An early space station shot of Dr. Weir took 10 weeks, a third of the FX budget, and was redone more than 20 times. Composer Michael Kamen worked with Orbital for a hybrid score.··

Laurence Fishburne plays Captain Miller of the Lewis and Clark. He later voiced the Silver Surfer, played Jack Crawford in Hannibal, and appeared in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3.··

Sam Neill plays Dr. William Weir. Famous for Jurassic Park, he once auditioned for James Bond, losing to Timothy Dalton, and appeared in Possession and Omen III: The Final Conflict.··

Jason Isaacs appears as D.J., the medic. Early credits include The Tall Guy. He went on to play Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter and Harry H. Corbett in The Curse of Steptoe. He recalled Event Horizon as “genuinely disturbing,” especially the “hell set.”··

Sean Pertwee plays pilot Smith. Son of Jon Pertwee, the Third Doctor, he appeared in Cadfael, horror favourite Dog Soldiers, and later Gotham as Alfred Pennyworth, reimagined as ex-special forces.··

Event Horizon remains a cult 1990s sci-fi horror, combining gothic design, disturbing imagery, and a cast of future stars. Its lost footage and production stories keep fans returning to one of the most infamous horror films of the decade.·

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Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970).

We’re back to Hammer Horror, back to Christopher Lee, and back to Dracula. In this episode of General Witchfinders, we sink our teeth into Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970), the fifth official film in Hammer’s Dracula series and our sixth Hammer Dracula review to date. You can find links to all previous vampire escapades at https://tinyurl.com/Witchdrac.

This British gothic horror classic, directed by Peter Sasdy and written by Hammer regular Anthony Hinds (under the alias John Elder), was nearly a Dracula-free affair. Christopher Lee had originally declined to return, and the script focused instead on Ralph Bates’s doomed Lord Courtley. But Warner Bros. insisted: no Dracula, no deal. So #BigChrisLee once again rises from the grave — bloodthirsty, silent, and furiously regretting his contract.

Taste the Blood of Dracula opens with a satanic ritual involving Dracula’s powdered remains, a trio of Victorian hypocrites, and the ill-fated resurrection of evil. It’s a moody, blood-soaked revenge tale packed with brooding graveyards and Hammer’s trademark blend of sex, sin and satin capes.

Cast Highlights:

• Christopher Lee as Count Dracula — in his fourth Dracula outing for Hammer.
• Ralph Bates as Lord Courtley — Hammer’s would-be replacement for Lee.
• Geoffrey Keen as William Hargood — a patriarch with a hidden penchant for brothels.
• Linda Hayden as Alice Hargood — the daughter turned devotee, previously seen in Baby Love and The Blood on Satan’s Claw.
• Peter Sallis as Samuel Paxton — yes, that Peter Sallis: Cleggy, Wallace, and voice of animated British melancholy.
• Roy Kinnear as Weller — bringing tragic optimism, as only Kinnear can.

There’s Hammer horror royalty in every frame, from Linda Hayden’s eerie innocence to Ralph Bates’s foppish devilry. And Geoffrey Keen? You may recognise him as Sir Frederick Gray, the Defence Minister across six Bond films — The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View to a Kill and The Living Daylights.

Ralph Bates, meanwhile, would go on to star in Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde, The Horror of Frankenstein, Lust for a Vampire, becoming one of Hammer’s key players. He also turned up in the final season of Secret Army (inspiring ’Allo ’Allo), and was once considered for major roles in Lifeforce — as discussed back in episode 39.

Peter Sallis, who we last touched on in our Nicolas Lyndhurst deep-dive (episode 54), had an extraordinary career in British television, from Doctor Who to The Wind in the Willows to Wallace & Gromit. His role in this film might be brief, but his CV is longer than Dracula’s cape.

And finally, Roy Kinnear: from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory to Help!, Watership Down, Blake’s 7, and beyond — always brilliant, always beleaguered.

Trivia for the diehards:

• This film was part of a double bill with Crescendo on release.
• The infamous brothel scene was trimmed from the theatrical cut but restored for later DVD editions.
• Released just 22 weeks before Scars of Dracula (covered back in episode 28).

Whether you’re a lifelong Hammer horror collector, a Christopher Lee completist, or simply a fan of vintage British horror with gothic flair, Taste the Blood of Dracula is essential viewing.

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In this episode of General Witchfinders, we revisit one of the most unsettling and prophetic dramas ever broadcast by the BBC – Survivors (1975), created by Terry Nation, the man behind the Daleks and Blake’s 7. Specifically, we’re talking about The Fourth Horseman, the chilling first episode of this 1970s British post-apocalyptic classic.

💀 Trigger warning / content note: this episode contains discussion of global pandemics, mass death, and social collapse. If the subject feels a little too close to home after recent years, we completely understand if you choose to skip this one.

Survivors imagines a world where a man-made virus, accidentally released by a scientist, spreads globally via air travel. Within weeks, nearly the entire population is dead. Society collapses, infrastructure crumbles, and the few who remain must fend for themselves in a near-empty Britain.

This isn’t zombie apocalypse stuff or glossy sci-fi. There’s no government bunker, no miracle cure—just grief, loss, and the brutal reality of surviving in a world where almost everyone is gone.

Created by Terry Nation—best known for creating the Daleks in Doctor Who—Survivors taps into the very real fears of the Cold War era: disease, nuclear disaster, the fragility of civilisation. Nation was also behind Blake’s 7, and brought his trademark bleakness to both series. But before that, he was a comedy writer for the likes of Tony Hancock, Spike Milligan, and Peter Sellers—a strange career path that makes the grim tone of Survivors all the more striking.

The pilot episode features a brilliant, if doomed, ensemble cast. Peter Bowles plays David Grant, alongside Peter Copley as Dr Bronson. Bowles was a fixture of 70s telly (The Bounder, To the Manor Born, Only When I Laugh, Lytton’s Diary, and The Sarah Jane Adventures). Copley also had an enviable run, including The Forsyte Saga, The Avengers, Pyramids of Mars, and The Colour of Magic.

We’re also introduced to the show’s core survivors:

• Carolyn Seymour as Abby Grant – later seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Voyager, ER, Quantum Leap, and more. She’s also a prolific voice actor, particularly for Big Finish.
• Lucy Fleming as Jenny Richards – niece of Ian Fleming and a regular presence in British drama.
• Talfryn Thomas as Tom Price – the go-to Welsh character actor of his day, best known for Dad’s Army, Steptoe and Son, Hi-de-Hi!, and Doomwatch.

Although Survivors only ran for three series (1975–77), it remains one of the most grounded and frightening depictions of societal breakdown ever broadcast. The lack of music, the naturalistic dialogue, and the eerie emptiness all contribute to its unsettling power.

Whether you remember watching Survivors when it first aired, or you’re coming to it fresh in an age where its central premise no longer feels far-fetched, this is vintage British TV worth revisiting. It’s thoughtful, well-acted, and grim as hell. Just how we like it.

And if you’d like episodes early (and ad-free), you can support General Witchfinders over on Patreon.

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This time on General Witchfinders, we’re heading back into the blood-soaked, Rage-infected streets of post-apocalyptic Britain with 28 Weeks Later — the 2007 zombie horror sequel to Danny Boyle’s groundbreaking 28 Days Later.

Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, 28 Weeks Later builds on the legacy of 28 Days Later (which we covered in episode 43), expanding the world of the Rage Virus and the aftermath of a collapsed society. While Danny Boyle didn’t direct this time around — due to commitments on Sunshine — he stayed on as executive producer and even directed key sequences himself, including the ferocious opening scene.

The original creators — Boyle, producer Andrew Macdonald, and screenwriter Alex Garland — initially considered a direct sequel called 29 Days Later, potentially continuing the story of Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris’s characters. Instead, they pivoted to a broader, bleaker vision: an infected London under military quarantine, a supposed victory against the virus, and the inevitable resurgence of horror.

Set weeks after the events of the first film, 28 Weeks Later follows the failed attempt to repopulate a ‘safe zone’ in London, guarded by the US Army. As expected in a British zombie film, things go catastrophically wrong.

Filming took place in iconic London locations, including Canary Wharf and 3 Mills Studios. A sequence planned for Wembley Stadium had to be shot in Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium instead. The film’s viral marketing campaign — quite literally — included a huge biohazard warning projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover.

The Rage Virus was back.

Opening in 2007, 28 Weeks Later landed in over 2,000 US cinemas and took nearly $10 million on its opening weekend. It didn’t match the cultural impact of 28 Days Later, but it cemented the franchise as a landmark of modern British horror — helping shape the next wave of post-apocalyptic zombie cinema.

28 Weeks Later features a fresh cast, including Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Harold Perrineau, Idris Elba, and a young Imogen Poots. While none of the original characters return, the film builds on the terrifying groundwork Boyle and Garland laid in 28 Days Later — exploring themes of infection, trust, trauma, and institutional failure.

The trilogy-that-never-was stalled with 28 Months Later, which entered development hell. But a proper sequel, 28 Years Later, has finally been greenlit, with Danny Boyle returning to direct and Cillian Murphy on board as producer. The Rage Virus isn’t done with us yet.

If you’re searching for podcasts about 28 Weeks Later, 28 Days Later, 28 Years Later, Danny Boyle, zombie movies, the Rage Virus, post-apocalyptic horror, or modern British horror cinema — you’ve found the right episode.

Expect discussion of British zombie films, Rage-infected lore, military horror, abandoned London, and whether 28 Weeks Later holds up next to its predecessor.

🎧 Subscribe to General Witchfinders for more British horror deep dives, and catch up on our previous episode on 28 Days Later for the full Rage Virus experience.

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This time we watched Tomorrow, the Rat — Episode 4 from Series 1 of Doomwatch, first broadcast 2 March 1970 and written by Terence Dudley. That’s four years before James Herbert published The Rats (which we covered in episode 4). It’s highly likely he was inspired by this vintage BBC sci-fi thriller—pen in hand, watching Doomwatch unfold.

Doomwatch was a vintage BBC science fiction series that aired from 1970 to 1972. A prime example of British sci-fi, it followed a government scientific agency led by Dr Spencer Quist (John Paul) investigating futuristic environmental and technological threats. Think of it as classic BBC sci-fi with serious Black Mirror energy.

The show was created by Doctor Who masterminds Gerry Davis and Kit Pedler—the very same duo who invented the Cybermen. Davis had been a Doctor Who story editor; Pedler served as scientific adviser. Their fascination with the dangers of science run amok became the foundation of Doomwatch, this cult BBC science fiction drama.

Series 1 and 2 each had thirteen episodes; Series 3 had twelve (though one, Sex and Violence, was never broadcast). The BBC got cold feet, possibly due to real execution footage and unflattering portrayals of public figures like Mary Whitehouse and Cliff Richard.

As with far too much vintage BBC content, parts of Doomwatch are missing—wiped or taped over. At its peak, the show pulled in over 13 million viewers, cementing its place in classic British sci-fi history.

Dr Quist was a Nobel-winning physicist haunted by his involvement in the Manhattan Project. (Yes, he appears in Oppenheimer.) John Paul, who played him, was a familiar face on British television: I, Claudius, Triangle, The Avengers, The New Avengers—proper BBC veteran.

Toby Wren, played by Robert Powell (who we talked about in episode 46, The Survivor), was a key figure in Series 1. He met a legendary end in the finale, Survival Code. Powell asked to go out with a bang—literally. The BBC received more letters about his on-screen death than any issue since World War II.

This episode, Tomorrow, the Rat, was written by Terence Dudley—then the producer of Doomwatch. Dudley directed three episodes and went on to work extensively in Doctor Who, including directing Meglos (1980), and writing Four to Doomsday, Black Orchid, and The King’s Demons. He also wrote Target novelisations and K-9 and Company. Classic vintage BBC sci-fi pedigree.

Simon Oates plays Dr John Ridge—you may remember him from Beasts (The Dummy episode, which we reviewed in 44a). He also played Steed in the stage version of The Avengers.

Penelope Lee appears as Dr Mary Bryant. She once auditioned to play Barbara, the Doctor’s original companion. She later voiced Lyn Driver in The Plague Dogs (a British animation not for the faint-hearted) and a computer in Doctor Who: Revelation of the Daleks. She also featured in Richard Donner’s Superman as the Ninth Elder. Peak British sci-fi credentials.

Hamilton Dyce turns up as the Minister. You might recognise him as Major General Scobie in Doctor Who: Spearhead from Space—another vintage BBC sci-fi staple.

And no, before you ask, none of this cast ever turned up in Boon.

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Sorry to audio-spam you all, but we've got two things on the go that we thought you might like to hear about:

First up, Jon’s teamed up with his designer mate Sean Rees to create a photography book celebrating his 25-year love affair with the South Wales Valleys. It’s 72 pages of full-colour images and B5 sized.

He’s currently crowdfunding it, so if you’d like to get a copy, head here:

👉 https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/valleys-photography-book

And secondly, the second issue of our General Witchfinders horror ’zine is now out!

76 pages of pagan rites, glam rock ghosts, Catholic dread, murderous roadies and more. Strange stories. Fantastic articles. Killer art.

You can pick one up here:

👉 https://ko-fi.com/s/b70a30924c

We’d love your support — whether it’s a purchase, a share, or just telling your spooky mates.

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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.

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