FAQ

FAQ

"Why is the site called Pass The Marmalade?"

It's named after a classic line of dialogue in the Hammer horror film THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN

"What is the purpose of the site?"

The aim is to record limited details of each and every British horror movie, thereby creating an as-complete-as-possible checklist; we intend this to work as a sort of gigantic index, so you can browse the list, and then perform your own online search if you find films mentioned here and wish to know more about them or watch them

"Who compiles the list?"

Pass The Marmalade is mainly the work of Darrell Buxton, whose research on British horror cinema has been a lifelong passion. Darrell brings his own expert knowledge to bear, while also being indebted to a variety of print and online resources to help in maintaining the Marmalade listings. Darrell is the editor of two major guides to British horror, 'The Shrieking Sixties' and 'Dead or Alive', books which respectively document the movies of the 1960s and 1980s. He is also the co-scriptwriter of three British horror movies, shorts THE OPENING and THE CORIOLIS EFFECT, and the acclaimed feature film OUIJAGEIST

"What qualifies as a British Horror Film?"

This is where things get complicated! For our purposes, 'British' usually means that an English, Scottish, Welsh, or Northern Irish company has been involved (fully or partially) in the production, or in the substantial funding, of a movie. 'Horror' means a film whose subject matter primarily features the accepted classic monsters or variations on those; supernatural events where the intention is to frighten or unnerve; psycho-killers; and other related themes and characters. 'Film' means a visual production shot on celluloid, videotape, digital, or similar media, usually with the intention of original screening in cinemas or (more recently) for home viewing via DVD, Blu-ray, download or streaming services. Our entries in the main list should satisfy all three of these conditions.

"What qualifies for the main list and what qualifies for the shorts list?"

For our purposes, films that originally ran for 40 minutes or longer are feature films; we regard anything under 40 minutes as a short.

"What is a Problem or Borderline title?"

Also very complex! We list these as there are many films on the fringes of qualification, and we want to ensure all relevant titles are recorded somewhere on the site. For instance, a production may have been filmed in England but entirely produced by foreign companies (THE BLACK CAT, 1981); or may be British, contain suitable genre content, run over 40 minutes, but have been primarily intended as a television special rather than a 'film' (THE GOURMET, 1984); or may be a British production, made for cinema, with some content pertinent to the horror genre but in our view not quite tipping over into full-blown horror (TRACK 29, 1988). The 'Problem/Borderline' section of the site contains dozens of interesting, contentious works, all of which ought to be of note to the keen horror fan - indeed, you may wish to put forward a case for a particular favourite as being a 'British Horror film' even if we haven't listed it as satisfying all three conditions.

"How and where can I see these films?"

Many titles listed here can of course be found on Blu-ray or DVD. YouTube, streaming services, television channels, downloads, cinemas and film festivals are all excellent sources, and you'd be surprised what a visit to your local Pound Shop might turn up, British horror-wise.

"Where can I read more about these films?"

There are numerous informative books about British horror cinema. Start with the best, 'English Gothic' by Jonathan Rigby. Then try our own 'The Shrieking Sixties' and 'Dead or Alive', Eric McNaughton's fanzine 'We Belong Dead', Richard Klemensen's fanzine 'Little Shop of Horrors', 'Fragments of Fear' by Andy Boot, 'A Heritage of Horror' by David Pirie, and many more. Online blogs that we particularly recommend include M.J. Simpson's 'British Horror Revival', David Dent's 'Dark Eyes of London', and John Llewellyn Probert's 'House of Mortal Cinema'

"How can I contact Pass The Marmalade?"

We have a dedicated Facebook page, or Darrell can be emailed atdarrellpbuxton@gmail.com