Amicus Productions was set up in the early Sixties by American producer Max Rosenberg and screenwriter Milton Subotsky, and over the next twenty years made a name for itself with low-budget tales of murdering monsters and madmen, supernatural creepiness and psychological shadows. Its trademark was the portmanteau horror – asylum inmates being interviewed, prisoners in a crypt shown their terrible futures – and the studio managed to attract stars from Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee and Vincent Price to Charlotte Rampling and Joan Collins. The films were frequently derided by critics but wildly popular at the box office, and have enjoyed a cult following ever since.

Amicus: The Studio That Dripped Blood..., 20 – 25 February, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS. For programme information and ticket prices, visit the Barbican website.