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FAMOUS QUOTES

"I would write that Paul Naschy had at least done his best and that he cared about what he was doing.
I was capable of mistakes - to do it well or to do it poorly - but I assure you is that I did it with feeling and affection.
I love the fantastic cinema."

- Paul Naschy on himself -

9-5-10 KRYPTIC ARMY: NEW MONTH...NEW MISSION
Thanks to all those who participated in last months Slasher Mission. Always great to hear the different movies that are being watched. This month is a tribute to one of my personal icons of the genre (Hint: See directly below). Members of the Army know who I speak of. If you are not a member of the Kryptic Army and would like to join, head over to our Army page for all the details on how you can not only have a lot of fun, but also have the chance to win some great prizes. It's never too late to join this Army. We'll take anybody that is willing!

PAUL NASCHY'S BIRTHDAY TOMORROW
Monday, September 6th would have been Naschy's 76th birthday, had he not passed away last November. We wanted to take a second to remember this great man and his massive film legacy that he has left us. Now would be the time to break out one of his movies and watch in honor and in remembrance of this great man. If you're not familiar with him and his work, then there is no better time than now.
If you are on Facebook, we have posted a topic on Naschy in the Discussion section. Please take a minute to stop over there and post your thoughts on Naschy and / or his work. We'd love to hear your thoughts. You can get their by clicking our Facebook link on the left.

FLASHBACK WEEKEND AT THE DRIVE-IN
They have announced the final lineup for their Drive-In Show next weekend. On Friday the 10th, they will be screening Stuart Gordon's DOLLS, THE UNDERTAKER AND HIS PALS, and then the uber-cult classic PIECES! Then on Saturday the 11th, they will be screening MY NAME IS BRUCE, THE EVIL DEAD, EVIL DEAD 2, and ARMY OF DARKNESS.
Bruce Campbell will be there on Saturday, and Charles Band will be there as well, but we couldn't find it on the site if he was going to be there all weekend or just one of the days. In any case, for all the information, just click HERE to get to the official website.

T-SHIRT UPDATES
We now have all of our new T-shirt designs in stock. We have 4 different designs, with on of them being strictly on women's sizes. But the other three ones, the Naschy design, PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES and WEREWOLF WOMAN, are all available in Mediuams, Large, X-Large, and XX-large. For all the info and to see the designs, head over to our T-Shirt page by clicking HERE or the artwork on the right.

FANGORIA CONVENTION REPORT....FROM 1988!
Not sure why we never wrote a review of this show or even posted the photos. But we finally did it. Back in April of 1988, we headed off to California for our very first horror convention, Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors. Not only was this our first horror convention, but up until then, we had never met anybody that we would have considered famous. That weekend changed it all. So to read our report and see the photos, just click HERE or head over or our Convention section and look for it under our Fangoria Show reports.

TOMAHAWK PRESS BOOK UPDATE
    Tomahawk Press has put out some great books over the years. We have several of them and have always been impressed with what they do. I'm sure it might have something to do with the fact that they put out a lot on the horror genre, but that is beside the point. But coming October, they will be releasing another book that will be a must for fans of Hammer Films.
    Hammer Films – The Unsung Heroes: The Team Behind the Legend, written by Wayne Kinsey, be released at October 30th at a book release party over in the UK. I'm sure they will be available over here in the states at some point, and we'll try to keep you updated when we find out. Kinsey has already written a few amazing books on Hammer, and has always done high quality work. This looks to be no different.
    This new book details the biographies of Hammer's key players, through interviews and stories from the people that worked there. As usual, the book will be packed full of rare photos of the films and the people behind them.

Then coming soon is another book that is looking like a must have for fans of the one and only Boris Karloff. Stephen Jacobs has written Boris Karloff: More Than A Monster, with Sara Karloff calling this book the "definitive biography" of her famous father. Using detailed research, previously unpublished letters, interviews, this book gives new insight to the man and his private life.

DVD NEWS
    Last year at one of the film fests we were at, they were screening PATHOGEN, the zombie movie made by 12-year old Emily Hagins. But they were also showing the documentary about her and the making of this film, ZOMBIE GIRL: THE MOVIE as well. We caught most of PATHOGEN and did enjoy it for what it was. But the documentary was actually really entertaining, and showing the determination of this young girl.
    The documentary will be released on DVD this November by R Squared Films. The DVD will not only include the documentary, but also Hagins' feature film PATHOGEN. The other extras include a Q&A at the premiere of PATHOGEN, an interviews with Hagins about her second and third feature films.
    If you are a young aspiring filmmaker, no matter what age, we think you will find this movie not only entertaining, but showing that if you do have the drive and determination, you can make things happen.

HORROR HISTORY
Are you a fan of the sci-fi / horror films of the '50s? If you are, then you probably already know of our latest figure that we are spotlighting in this week's Horror History Lesson. If you not familiar with those movies, then now is your chance to start. Head over to our classroom to start to start your lesson.

MYSTERY PHOTO
Our last photo was not from a Mario Bava film, which a few people were thinking because of the color scheme in the photo. Though I do admit that I can completely see how that could be thought of. But no, the photo is of Tallulah Bankhead from Hammer's DIE! DIE! MY DARLING!, a pretty decent little film if you haven't seen it yet. Kudos go out to Hoby Abernathy, Aaron Christensen, Mike Shields, and Anthony Vitamia. Job well, lads!
And now on to this week's little puzzling photo. Good luck, and as always, just click HERE to send us that email.

8-29-10 KRYPTIC ARMY LAST CALL FOR SLASHERS
Okay soldiers, you've only got a couple more days to get your reports in for this month's mission. Tuesday is the 31st, so that is not leaving you much time. So let's get a move on and get them in! Because come Wednesday morning, you'll be having a whole other mission to tackle. So let's get it in gear people. With the Halloween season right on our backs, I know everyone is going to have a lot of stuff planned.

ASTRO RADIO Z
Friday night, I had the honor of being a guest on Cory Udler's internet radio show, Astro Radio Z. We talked about everything from PIRANHA 3D to Paul Naschy to the current state of the horror genre, both Hollywood and the independent guys. You can still go to the site and listen to the show from the archive. Just click HERE.

KRYPTIC WORLD TOUR 2010 CONTINUES
    Now that September is almost here, that means we are getting very close to the Halloween season. I have already seen some of the stores breaking out their seasonal items. This really is my favorite time of year. But it also means it is our busiest time of year too. So here is what we have on our schedule so far for the next few months. We hope that you might be able to head out to one of these many events, and if you do, please stop by our table to say hello. We always enjoying meeting other fans of the genre.
    B-Movie Celebration - Sept. 24th-26th. We're still not 100 % we're going to this 3-day movie festival, but we are going to try. We keep missing it and this year we really want to try and have a great weekend just watching movies.
    Cinema Wasteland - Oct. 1st-3rd. Can't believe that it has been 10 years since Pam and Ken started their own little movie show. And it those 10 years, we have been to everyone of their 17 shows, and not once did we not have an amazing time. They put on a show like no other, and we are looking forward to doing it once again.
    Music Box Massacre 6 - Oct. 9th-10th. Another year of 24 hours of movie madness. Once again, it looks like they have an amazing line up planned this year. And so far the special guests include the Chiodo Brothers, the exceptionally talented guys behind KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE, as well as doing effects for tons of movies such as the CRITTERS movie series.
    Horror Society Film Festival - Oct. 24th-25th. This October, Horror Society is throwing a 2-day film fest featuring plenty of both independent shorts and features, along with some classic horror films. They are still working out all the details, but click on the link to see what they have lined up so far.

BLOCKBUSTER FILING BANKRUPTCY...THREE CHEERS!
I knew they were going downhill, but hearing this news just made the day a little better. It has been reported that they will be preparing to file for bankruptcy next month. They have lost $1.1 Billion (not million....BILLION) since 2008, AND has almost another billion dollars of debt! I'm sure it's because of the infiltration of Netlix, Redbox, and being able to stream movies online has really crippled their rental stores with their expensive rental fees.
Now why would I be happy about Blockbuster (hopefully) going out of business? Simply because of what Blockbuster did when they first came on the market. First that came in with such a force and money to purposely drive out the little Mom & Pop video stores. They made deals with the studios to get more copies of big titles, making it even harder for their little single owned stores to compete with. Then once they drove their competition out of business, they raised their prices and became the only big game in town, forcing consumers to go to them if they wanted to rent a movie. So its nice to see that a company like Redbox is doing the same thing to those yellow and blue bastards. So the day I hear they are official gone, I will stop what I'm doing and dance a little jig. Karma....it can be like a bitch slap from out of nowhere.

HORROR HISTORY
This week, we highlight a director that may not have a huge genre filmography, but the few good ones that he did, made a very last impact. So lets head over to the classroom to find out more. Just click HERE.

MYSTERY PHOTO
    We knew this last one was going to be a tough one. But we wanted to throw it out there anyway to see if anyone took the bait. Yea, I know...bad fish analogy. But that fits pretty good since this was from a bad fish movie. The shot is from a movie called ZAAT, which is also known under many other titles, like THE BLOOD WATERS OF DR. Z and HYDRA, and a few others. This movie has even appeared on MST3K getting the typical once over. It is a bad movie. But is one of those that we find pretty damn entertaining. If only because it's got a great monster suit that they like to show off through about 90% of the movie!
    None the less, only two people were able to send in the correct answer. And that was Hoby Abernathy and Craig J. Clark. Nice Job, guys.
    Now lets get to our newest photo. Not as tough this time, I would think. But take a look and see what YOU think. Good luck, and as always, just click HERE to send us that email.

8-22-10 PIRANHA 3D
    Okay...hate to rain on all the praise PIRANHA 3D has been getting from fans, but if you're looking for a boob filled comedy with tons of gore, then you'll enjoy it. If you expecting a horror movie...sorry, watch the original.
    I am amazed at the amount of gore in this film, but it was so much and so over the top, that it did seem to be too much. Never thought I'd ever say that. After the first 15 minutes of intense gore, it really lost any sense of shock value. At least to me. And for someone is still deathly afraid of the water (actually afraid of what might be IN the water) after seeing JAWS, this movie didn't make me flinch or feel uneasy.
    Very surprised to see the gore that Aja was able to get on the screen, but I think in trade for that, he gave Hollywood his soul. The underwater ballet sequence....really? I must be getting old....

MUSIC REVIEWS
We have posted reviews for two new CDs that have come out. One is for the latest release from Nox Arcana, Theater of Illusion, and the other is from the film (but not really) SPIKES. Head over to our Soundtrack Reviews to find out what we're talking about.

FACEBOOK DISCUSSIONS
If you are on Facebook, we do have a Fan page for the site that we would love for you to join. Also, we are going to be posting weekly topics for Discussion on this page. So we would love to hear your thoughts on what ever we have picked for the week. Hopefully we'll see you there.

WILDCLAW THEATRE's DEATHSCRIBE 2010
    It's that time of year again, when fall starts to come, the temperatures start to drop, the leaves turn, and we all get ready for the Halloween season. And what better way to get ready than to submit your 10-minute radio script for the upcoming Deathscribe competition. Here's all the info from WildClaw's website:
    "We are looking for 10-minute radio scripts that are genuinely scary, imaginative, chilling, intelligent, suspenseful, horrific or downright grotesque. We put no restrictions on contestants as to content or tone, but keep in mind that we are a Horror Theatre. We take our horror seriously, and so should you.
    Scripts must be ready to produce - all sound and music cues included. Details on format can be found below. Please be aware that these scripts, if chosen, will be performed by no more than 6 actors, therefore if you have more characters it will require double casting by the director of the piece.
    5 scripts will be selected from all submissions. After being selected, there will be an opportunity for the authors to refine and tighten these scripts if deemed necessary in collaboration with WildClaw Theatre Company.   These scripts will be rehearsed and presented as an evening of Live Radio Drama with Foley sound and recorded for a future WildClaw Blood Radio Podcast."
    Deadline for submissions is October 1, 2010. For all the information about Deathscribe 2010 and WildClaw Theatre, just click HERE.

MUSIC BOX THEATRE HORROR's HAPPENINGS
Chicago's Music Box Theatre, where have seen some amazing films there over the years, have announced their fall schedule, and they have some awesome titles that they are going to be screening. Below are some of the ones that we feel our readers might be interested in. But you can get the full run down by going to their website HERE.

PSYCHO - Oct 8,10,11, & 13
Music Box Massacre 6 - 9th-10th
Jacques Tourneur Matinee Series: CAT PEOPLE - Aug. 28th & 29th and CURSE OF THE DEMON - Oct. 2nd & 3rd

Serial Killers
10 RILLINGTON PLACE - Oct. 23rd & 24th
PEEPING TOM - Nov. 13th & 14th
NIGHT CALLER - Nov. 20th & 21st
BADLANDS - Nov. 27th & 28th

Other Midnight shows:
OLDBOY - Sept. 24th & 25th
BIRDEMIC: SHOCK AND TERROR - Oct. 15th & 16th
AMERICAN PSYCHO - Oct. 22nd & 23rd
HUMAN CENTIPEDE - Oct. 29th & 30th
HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER - Nov. 5th & 6th
DEAD SNOW - Nov. 5th & 6th
LEFT BANK - Nov. 19th & 20th
FRENZY - Nov. 27th.

LINDA BLAIR ADDED TO HORRORHOUND CINCINNATI SHOW
The star of one of the most terrifying horror movies ever made, that we feel still holds up today, will be attending the Cincinnati HorrorHound show this November. Of course, we're talking about Linda Blair. But don't forget, Blair has a few other horror and cult entries in her portfolio, such as HELL NIGHT and SAVAGE STREETS.
For all the information about the show, just head over to their official website HERE.

HORROR HISTORY
Head over to our Horror classroom for this week's entry in our little Horror History lesson. This time we spotlight an actress who worked on several classic Euro Horror titles that are must see for the fans. Enjoy!

MYSTERY PHOTO
    Some times these photos that I use get picked because I just might have the movie laying around on my desk at the time, or had recently gotten it. This one just happened to be sitting there because going to lend it to a friend, so I grabbed a pic from there. The shot is from Siu-Tung Ching's A CHINESE GHOST STORY (1987). It wasn't until after I posted it that I realized that the previous photo was from GHOST STORY, and now I'm putting up A CHINESE GHOST STORY. While as funny this might be, I have to say that it was done purely by accident and was just a bizarre coincidence that I picked it. Have to say though...did make me laugh.
    Only got two correct answers: Aaron Christensen (who I loaned the movie to) and Mark Ferguson. Job well done! But now for the rest of you, I strongly suggest you seek out this movie. There are actually 3 films in the series, all entertaining, but the first one is simply amazing. The crazy cinematography is just beautiful. It's a love story, a comedy, action and martial arts, and the haunting beauty of actress Joey Wang. This film started a whole new sub-genre in Hong Kong cinema. So seek it out....I don't think you'll be disappointed.
    But in the meantime, let's take a gander at our latest photo and see how tough one this might be.....and believe me....its a fun one...but definitely a tough one.

8-15-10 TERROR IN THE AISLES 6
We survived the heat last night at the Terror film fest, along with quite a few other die-hard horror fans that came out to enjoy a night of great movies. We have posted our small little write up along with some photos from the show, which you can get to by clicking HERE, or going to our Convention Reports link to the left.

MUSIC BOX MASSACRE 6 ANNOUNCEMENT
Okay die hard movie fans, mark your calendars! On October 9th, Music Box Massacre 6 will be taking place, of course at the Music Box Theater, in Chicago. Once again, they have an incredible lineup planned. While the lineup is not complete and not final, here is a list of what they have announced so far:

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1925) - Original classic starring Lon Chaney Sr.
THE WOLF MAN (1941) - The original tale of the tormented Lawrence Talbot, starring Lon Chaney Jr.
THE RAVEN (1935) - 2nd horror film to pair up the icons of horror Boris Karloff & Bela Lugosi
PSYCHO (1960) - 50th Anniversary of Alfred Hitchcock's classic
THEATER OF BLOOD (1973) - Great Vincent Price picture has him as an actor killing off his critics
RABID (1977) - David Cronenberg's early film starring Marilyn Chambers
THE FUNHOUSE (1981) - Great little film from Tobe Hooper
HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY (1981) - Another classic from Italian Master of Horror, Lucio Fulci
FRIGHT NIGHT (1985) - See just how good the original was before that remake comes out
KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE (1988) - What a fun movie...unless you got a thing about clowns...
PET SEMATARY (1988) - "Sometimes dead is better."

Also appearing at the Massacre will be the Chiodo Brothers, creators of KILLER KLOWNS, not to mention countless other movies that they worked on, especially creating the stars of the CRITTERS series. But just check out their resume to see the tons of other great films that they contributed to. The fun starts at noon on the 9th, and goes through to noon on Sunday. So make your plans, bring your pillows & blankets, and stay for the fun. For all the details, head over to the Music Box's website HERE.

KRYPTIC ARMY - HALFWAY MARK
Okay soldiers, just a friendly reminder that we are at the halfway point for this month's mission. With the summer coming to an end, let's not get side track with trying to enjoy these last days of sweltering heat, high humidity, and all around slug-creating weather, to make sure you make that time to sit down and relax in front of your TV (hopefully in a nice air conditioned room) and do something that really is important...watching horror movies!
If you are still not a member of the army, it's never too late to sign up, and you can still win some great prizes. In our army, we take everyone who's willing and able. We don't discriminate against age, race, religion, or sex. As long as you are a fan of the horror genre, you qualify. If you're interested, click on the Kryptic Army link on the left.

ITALIAN INVASION III
Fans of Italian horror films, especially Lucio Fulci and his film CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD (aka GATES OF HELL) are going to be pretty excited about this year's lineup at Chiller Theatre Expo this October. They have just announced a total of 7 names that starred in that legendary film. Who knows if they'll be adding anyone else, but here is who they have listed so far: Antonella Interlenghi, Luca Venantini, Catriona MacColl, Carlo De Mejo, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Venantino Venantini, Fabrizio Jovine. Taking place on Oct. 29th through the 31st, this will show case the 30th Anniversary of this Fulci classic.
For all the information, just click HERE.

HORROR HISTORY
Our lesson for this week folks is about someone who helped us enjoy the classic Universal movies that we watched, because of what we hear. Head over to our Horror History Classroom to find out more.

ALL THINGS FRANKENSTEIN
The original FRANKENSTEIN (1931) is one of my all time favorite films, as well as just the character alone. He is someone that a lot of us horror fans can relate to. Not meaning we've been assembled from corpses mind you, but being an outsider and not fitting in with 'normal' society. So if you are like me and are a huge fan of Frankenstein, his creation, and anything else about this timeless story and characters, then please take some time to check out this blog, Frankensteinia: The Frankenstein Blog. This site covers anything and everything about our favorite creature, from movies, to books, to other influences the character and films might have. It is frequently updated and is always a great way to spend some time, not to mentioning learning a few new things.

MYSTERY PHOTO
Our last photo was from the 1981 film GHOST STORY, with the shot being of the unforgettable Alice Krige, in what she says is still most recognized role. We had debated on putting up a photo of her in her more gruesome guise from the film, but thought that might be too easy. But it didn't stop a bunch of you out there naming the correct movie. So kudos out to the following: Hoby Abernathy, Wendy Bodine, Aaron Christensen, Dave Friedman, Michelle Hudecek, Eric Kuhl, David Schmidt, Wayne Teeter, and William Wilson. Nice job people.
So let's take a look at our latest photo. This one might be a bit more difficult, but if you've seen the movie, you will remember it quite easily. I know that I have never forgotten this movie after my first viewing, and has become one of my favorites. Good luck, and as always, just click HERE to send us that email.

8-8-10 TERROR IN THE AISLES NEXT WEEKEND!
Okay Chicago area horror fans, don't forget that next weekend at the Portage Theater will be Terror in the Aisles 6, featuring another horror filled evening. Here is a list of the films being played:

7:30 p.m.: TRAILER TRASH (Vintage trailers & shorts)
8:00 p.m.: CREEPSHOW
10:00 p.m.: CLIVE BARKER'S BOOK OF BLOOD (Midwest Premiere!)
Midnight: TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE: THE MOVIE (20th Anniversary!)

    There will also be a screening of John LaFlamboy's "The Mole Man of Belmont Avenue", starring Robert Englund. Other short films include "Walk Zombie Walk", Gary Shultz's "Devil In My Ride", and Eric Appel's trailer for "Weird: The Weird Al Yankovic Story" with Patton Oswalt and Weird Al.
    Special Guest appearance by director/composer/actor John Harrison! Not only did Harrison director BOOK OF BLOOD & TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE: THE MOVIE, he also created one of our favorite movie scores, CREEPSHOW. Plus, Clive Barker's original paintings from the Packer Schopf Gallery will be on display in the theater lobby. Seeing Barker's work in print is nothing like seeing them in real life.
    Advance tickets are only $10 and can be purchased at Brown Paper Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/116777, or are $12 at the door. We will be set up there in the lobby, and will also be premiering some of our new T-shirt designs as well. Hope to see you there.

OSHKOSH ZOMBIE WALK
In a couple of weeks, Oshkosh will be holding it's second annual zombie walk, Infection 2010, on September 4th. They had a pretty good turn out last year and are trying to make it even bigger this year. After the walk there is a party at the the Time Community Theater. All proceeds from the Zombie Walk goes right to the theater, so it is a great cause. If you're in the area, or feel like making a road trip, I guarantee you'll have a good time.
For more details, just click HERE.

KRYPTIC ROLL CALL
Okay people, a few weeks ago we asked for the members of our Army to sound off on our message board, giving a little background on yourself. So far we've only had 3 members have the guts to do that. Come on now....I know there's got to be more of you out there that would love to spout your love for horror and why you're here. And please feel free to comment on the other posts if you wish. That's an order, soldiers! You can get to the message board by clicking HERE.

FLASHBACK DRIVE-IN EVENT UPDATE
The Flashback Weekend at the Drive-in that we mentioned last month has released some more info about this event, taking place on September 10th & 11th at the Midway Drive-in, located in Dixon, Illinois. We had already announced that they would be screening THE EVIL DEAD, but now they have released some more info. They will also be screening EVIL DEAD 2 and ARMY OF DARKNESS. And appearing at the Midway on Saturday will be the star of those films, Bruce Campbell. They will also be screening his movie THEY CALL ME BRUCE. Charles Band and his Full Moon Road Show will be appearing as well.
There will be a triple feature on Friday night. Then on Saturday, there will be horror dealers set up in the parking lot during the afternoon. Then in the evening, there will be a from dusk til dawn night of movies. For all the details and updates, head over to their website HERE.

HORROR HISTORY
This week lesson is on an actor who only appeared in a handful of genre pics, but always made an impression. Head over to the classroom for this week's Horror History lesson.

MYSTERY PHOTO
Well, we knew our last photo was going to be a tough one and we were right this time out. Only got three correct entries this time out. Even though we had quite a few that thought it was Lamberto Bava' DEMONS, which was a good guess and was from the right country, the shot is from the film ZOMBIE 4: AFTER DEATH. The director behind this wonderful piece of cinema was none other than Claudio Fragasso. That's right...the main that gave us TROLL 2. The scholars that knew the correct movie was Hoby Abernathy, Mads Jensen, and Will Willson.
So lets go a little bit easier this week...a little. Good luck. Just click HERE to send us your answer.

8-1-10 LOSS OF A FRIEND & FELLOW HORROR FAN
    Years ago my friends, like 20+ years, before this whole internet thing started, to connect with people over long distances, you either had to call them on the phone, or write them a letter. That’s right….write out a letter and actually mail it through the postal system, which could take DAYS to get to the other person. So finding and connecting with other die hard horror fans was not as easy as it is today. There was some work involved. But all those years ago, the first person I really connected with, who was as big of a horror fan as I was, was a guy from Florida named Rick Lassiter who wrote to me after seeing my name in a letter section of Fangoria magazine. We immediately connected because of our mad devotion to the genre. We would discuss movies, books, and everything else about the genre. Back in 2003, while we were attending the Horrorfind Weekend in Baltimore, I was pleasantly surprised to see Rick had come out to the show. We had met once before, years ago, so it was nice to see him there and be able to catch up with him. That is Rick in the photo on the right.
    We had still kept in touch over the years and still chatted every now and then. But as life moves on, you get busier, and our talks were fewer and fewer. The last time I talked to Rick was last fall when he called me to tell me that he just found out that I had started to write for HorrorHound and that he loved it. He wanted to tell me that he was so happy for me that I was able to pass on my love for the genre in the magazine. As it turns out, that would be the last time I talked to him.
    I received an email tonight saying that he had passed away last fall from pneumonia. What a blow. Rick was an accomplished martial artist, and had been as long as I'd known him. So for him to be taken from something like that really hit me pretty hard. You just never know. And as the saying goes, you really do have to enjoy not just every day, but also every friend you have out there.
    So Rick, if you're out there, I just want to say that you were a big inspiration to me all those years ago, and to thank you for the countless letters that we sent back and forth to each other, talking on end about our shared passion for the horror genre. The horror genre has lost one of its biggest fans. My thoughts out out to Rick's friends and family. I know he is missed and will continue to be missed.

BEST WORST MOVIE
    Friday night, we headed into the city for some fun and excitement. At the Music Box Theatre in Chicago, they were screening the new documentary BEST WORST MOVIE, which is about the remembering and realization how TROLL 2 has become a huge cult movie. After the documentary, they were then going to screen TROLL 2.
    We were pleasantly surprised to see the theater fill up for this event. Everyone likes a bad movie every now and then, but not that many are willing to come out and support it. The documentary was a lot of fun and director Michael Stephenson (who also starred in TROLL 2) does an exceptional job showing the true spirit behind this movie, as well as the mass confusion that was going on during the making of it. He was able to find and interview pretty much most of the original cast and talk to them about the movie. Dr. George Hardy, who plays Stephenson's dad in the movie, is the main focus of the documentary, has he discovers the incredible following behind this movie. Because of his super friendly personality, it makes the film even more entertaining.
    It's even better that they had gotten the director of TROLL 2, Italian Claudio Fragasso, made it even better. Seeing his face as he sees in amazement at the crowds of people coming to see his movie, but then also this same amazement when he realize people think that its a terrible movie. Being familiar with Fragasso's work for some time, I'm not surprised at all. If you've seen some of this other films like MONSTER DOG (1984) and ZOMBIE 4: AFTER DEATH (1988), you would be surprised either. But like TROLL 2, that doesn't mean they're not entertaining.
    So the bottom line is that if you have the slightest chance to see BEST WORST MOVIE, if you are a fan of cult films and even more so, really bad ones, then you need go out and support this film. You can get a full listing of their theater listings, with some of the cast appearing with the film, at the official website, that you can get to by clicking HERE. Films like this need our support, so please do what you can to help spread the word and the joy of TROLL 2.

DEL TORO FINALLY WILL GO TO THE MOUNTAIN....HOPEFULLY
As much as we love Guillermo del Toro, it's tough to get excited about one of the many projects that he announces, since he has so many in the works at any given time. We have excited ever since he first mentioned wanting to do an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness. But it either kept getting pushed back for something else, or just had trouble getting the studios interested. We just felt that that del Toro would be the one guy that could really bring Lovecraft's work to the big screen and stay faithful to the author and the story. When we first heard that he was no longer going to direct THE HOBBIT, we were ecstatic. We were hoping that we was going to jump on this project or maybe even his adaptation of FRANKENSTEIN that he's been talking about. So when he announced at Comic-Con that he was going to be doing a HAUNTED MANSION movie for Disney, needless to say I wasn't too happy about it.
But now, it seems that after that, his next movie is finally going to be the Lovecraft adaptation. And even better, James Cameron is going to be onboard to produce it.....and it will be in 3-D. They are suppose to start pre-production in a few weeks, and will be shooting it next year. Now, to me, the good thing about that news is that means that they will be able to get the budget and freedom that they need. At least I am praying for that. The last thing a Lovecraft story needs is studio interference. So we have our tentacles crossed that this will finally happen.

KILLDOZER T-SHIRT
Any time someone puts an obscure movie on a shirt, it gives me a smile. It shows that there are still people out there willing to take a chance and invest in something that might not be as popular as another Freddy or Jason shirt. So major kudos to Fright-Rags for creating a KILLDOZER t-shirt. They have always come up some great and original designs from movies, both famous and cult. Just love the colors they come up with. I know we will be adding this new design to our collection very soon. You can check out their site HERE.

KRYPTIC ARMY - NEW MONTH....NEW MISSION
New month which means new mission. Thanks again to all those who are participating in our Army Challenge. You're hard work is great appreciated, not to mention that you are discovering some fun new movies....at least most of you. You should have already gotten this month's mission email. If you have any questions, please feel free to drop me a note and I'll help you out.
And for those who are not participating, it's never too late to start. There will be plenty of prizes at the end of the year, even if you only participate in one of the months, you could still win. For all the info, just click on the Kryptic Army link on the Navigational Bar, or just click HERE.

HORROR HISTORY
This week's entry is another one of those men behind the scenes that was responsible for some incredible monster creations, but sadly hasn't gotten the notoriety that he should. Head over to our Horror History page to find out more.

MYSTERY PHOTO
Once again, pretty impressed with the number of people out there that recognized our last photo. It was from the 1980 film DON'T GO IN THE HOUSE, and we'd have to say is one of the better DON'T movies made at that time. Features some pretty impressive camera tricks for the burn sequence, especially for 1980. If you haven't seen this, then here is another title for your list. I think you'll enjoy it.
So to the one that did get it right, such as Aaron Christensen, Dave Friedman, Lawrence Raffel, David Schmidt, Wayne Teeter, Gert Verbeeck, Tom White, and Will Wilson, you have our ever dying admiration. At least until week's list of names. And speaking of which, lets take a look at our latest photo. Take a good hard look at this one, folks....it's a tough one.

UPDATE ARCHIVES

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