Episode 27: Murder by Decree (1979) & Hands of the Ripper (1971)
Description
Welcome to episode 27 of the horror double bill the podcasts where each week we pair two movies to create something far greater than the sum of their parts
This week we are exploring the horrors of Victorian London and Jack the Ripper, with two films that use the legend of the famous serial killer to explore themes of conspiracy, class, and the patriarchy
First up is Murder by Decree from 1979 and director Bob Clark starring Christopher Plummer James Mason, David Hemmings, and Donald Sutherland. Then we travel back to 1971 for Hands of the Ripper from Hammer Studios, directed by Peter Sasdy and starring Eric Porter, Angharad Reese, Keith Bell and Dora Brian.
Along the way will be discussing the history of Jack the Ripper movies from the 1920s onwards, the origins of the royal conspiracy theories surrounding the murders, the horror career of directors Bob Clark and Peter Sasdy and much more
References used
Jack the Ripper & Murder By Decree
English Gothic: Classic Horror Cinema 1897 - 2015 by Jonathan Rigby
Euro Gothic: Classics of Continental Horror Cinema by Jonathan Rigby
The House that Hammer Built Volume 2 by Wayne Kinsey
https://www.tumgik.com/themastercylinder
https://www.framerated.co.uk/murder-by-decree-1979/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_by_Decree
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Clark
https://cfe.tiff.net/canadianfilmencyclopedia/content/bios/bob-clark
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_the_Ripper:_The_Final_Solution
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_the_Ripper_(1959_film)
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls048149930/
Hands of the Ripper
https://carrionfilms.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Peter-Sasdy-Interview.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Sasdy
Hammer and Beyond – The British Horror film by Peter Hutchings
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hands_of_the_Ripper
English Gothic: Classic Horror Cinema 1897 - 2015 by Jonathan Rigby
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artwork by Justin Parker (IG jpkr_illustration.com)



