Two Boxes – Televised Terror in Franco’s Spain 12A

Fright Club presents a double bill of two classic Spanish television horror films. Both terrifying and darkly comedic in equal measure, these two cult TV movies reflect life under the tail end of the Francoist regime in the ‘70s, where state surveillance, media censorship and social control were still the norm

In Antonio Mercero’s La Cabina, an unnamed man (José Luis López Vázquez) enters a newly installed telephone box, only to become trapped inside. He attracts the fascination of locals and bystanders while growing increasingly desperate to escape. Regular late-night TV screenings saw La Cabina gather a significant cult following in the UK, inspiring the likes of Black Mirror and Inside No. 9.

In Chicho Ibáñez Serrador’s El Televisor, a dreary suburban man (Narciso Ibáñez Menta) buys a coveted TV set, and soon becomes dangerously obsessed. Originally a special episode of the popular series Tales to Keep You Awake, which earned Serrandor comparisons to Rod Serling and Alfred Hitchcock, El Televisor’s escalating dread and shocking conclusion still retain power to shock over 50 years later.

The 8:30pm screening on Friday 24 July will be introduced by Fright Club’s cult film historian Darrell Buxton.

Follow Fright Club on Facebook to be kept up to date with horror film screenings at QUAD.