Muchas Gracias Señor Lobo Final Edition

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Being sort of a fan of the work of actor/writer/director and all around horror fan Jacinto Molina aka Paul Naschy, when Creepy-Images announced yet another edition of their book Muchas Gracias Señor Lobo, not only did I know I was going to have to get a copy, but I had no idea the size of this newest edition. Plus, I didn’t know until afterwards that this would be the last edition of this book. So there’s that.

But going from what the last edition had in it, being 400 pages and 1400 images, to now having 200 more pages and bringing the image count to 2200! Now for any movie fan, especially those that are collectors of memorabilia, it is always fascinating to see not only the different posters and other promotional material that came out, but even more so when it is from many different countries! Even if you’re not a collector, or have a modest budget, at least with this book you can see all of these images at your fingertips! I know for myself, I can smile when I see a piece that I have, but then also come across one that I don’t and wonder if I could even find and afford one!

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Mystery Photo 8-24

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Just one more week to go and we’ll start the fall season! It’s amazing to have seen Halloween decorations up in the stores over a month ago! Not sure why they just leave that stuff up all year round, Am I right??? Our photo from last week was of course, from Takashi Miike’s Audition (1999). I think everyone that has seen that film remembers it quite well… even if we try to forget! And can you believe that came over 27 years ago!?!?! Congrats to the following for sending in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Todd Barwick, Tom Brennan, Aaron Christensen, Dada Debaser, Chris Dyer, Tim Palace, Michael Pniewski, Chris Richmond, Jeremy Smith, William Wilson, and Greg Wojick. Well done.

This week, we’re going old school again with a nice black and white one. Hopefully you agree that these films never get old and are still entertaining. But we’ll see if you recognize it first. Just send me your answer, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. And most of all, Good Luck!

Hammer Script Books

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Because Hammer Films isn’t satisfied enough with me spending all of my money on their incredible movie releases, so now they are putting out books of un-made movie scripts, in what looks like just gorgeous editions!!! They will be releasing an Official Script Collection, “exploring Hammer’s films through the original scripts, drafts and production documents that reveal what happened behind the scenes.”

The Unquenchable Thirst of Dracula was a script written by Hammer producer / writer Anthony Hinds that never saw the light of day. I can’t say I’ve heard of that title before, but I know there were a couple of unmade scripts that were based in India, so maybe this is one of them. The book also contains the screenplay for Dracula: High Priest of Vampires, yet another unmade Dracula script. From the photos posted on Hammer Films’ website, this looks like quite the treat to those that not only collect Hammer Films memorabilia, but also for unproduced scripts.

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DtH Episode 129 – Horror Through the Decades: 1920s

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We know this isn’t the first time we’ve preached the wonders of silent films, but there are so many amazing films from that era, that as horror historians that we all are, it’s always great to look back to when it all first started. While the ’30s is what fans usually go back to as “the beginning” because of Universal Studios, while they might not have been called horror films, they were there.

In this episode, we’re going to dig a little into the 1910s and 1920s to not only see what films were coming out at that time, but what was going on in the world that could have affected and even changed what we were seeing in the world of cinema. Even if silent films might not be your particular favorites, maybe by hearing some horror history, maybe you’ll want to try that road out again. Who knows, maybe this time around you’ll see something different. Or at the least, maybe you will learn a little about this genre that we all love.

Movies Mentioned in this Episode:

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The Value of Fun

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I’ve been vendor at movie conventions for well over three decades. I’ve never done this for a living, meaning I have a regular day job, so whether I do good or not at a show isn’t going to break me. I know plenty of vendors where that is there day job, so it is pretty important that they make money. But for me, and a lot of other venders, it’s a little different. Some might think that being a vendor is pretty simple. Just getting a table and some stuff to sell and you’re good to go. But what they don’t tend to realize is the expenses. Let’s say the table costs you $300 and the hotel for two nights is another $300, that means you need to sell $600 worth of merchandise before you even cover those costs. Not to mention the cost of getting there, and food for the weekend. And that still doesn’t include the cost of your product. And if you are making whatever you sell, then there is your time/cost spent doing that. So, if you only made $600, that means you basically gave away $600 of product for free. And if you’re okay with it, that’s fine, just makes it harder to substain.

So, there are times when I look at how we’ve done and wonder if it is all worth the trouble. And honestly, I’ve been thinking of that more and more as of late. I love having the opportunity to pass on horror reference books to eager fans, that are excited to dive into some history about our favorite genre. It’s one of the reasons I chose to deal in these books as opposed to just being another toy dealer or T-shirt vendor. But when you compare how I do at some shows compared to others, it makes me think. Am I wasting my time? Or am I just set up at the wrong shows?

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Screaming Mad George – Rest in Peace

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Yesterday, we heard the news that the makeup world had lost another iconic voice from the industry. Screaming Mad George had passed away back on February 10th at the age of 69, but his family had not released it to the public because they wanted time to grieve on their own, which is completely understandable. His work was unmistakenly original, creative, and usually so bizarre and off the wall, you knew it was his work. He liked being called a “surrealist” rather than a makeup artist, and that couldn’t fit him better. While he didn’t work on a ton of films, the ones he did definitely carried his brand of talent. But the most famous is probably his work on Brian Yuzna’s Society (1988). You’ll see special effects creations you’d never thought you see onscreen, brought to life by this mad genius. He definitely had a unique vision, and we are thankful that we had a chance to experience some of that madness on film, and that his work will live on.

Our thoughts go out to his friends and family during this difficult time. Rest in Peace, S.M.G.

Mystery Photo 8-17

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Our photo from last week was from the low-budget classic Don’t Look in the Basement (1973), from S.F. Brownrigg. Though originally titled The Forgotten (which is actually a real good title for this picture), changing it to one of the many “Don’t” titles probably didn’t hurt it. While they are cheaply made, Brownrigg did some amazing stuff which what he had, and I would recommend seeking this one out, if you haven’t seen it. A great example of a regional independent horror film creator. Congrats to the following for sending in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Kevn Hart, Ken Johnson, Michael Pniewski, Mike Shields, and William Wilson. Well done!

This week’s photo is one that really packs a punch and is one you never forget. Take a look below and see if you recognize where this shot is from. Just remember to send your guess to me in an email, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

Movie Review: Destination Moon / Flight to Mars

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Destination Moon (1950)
Directed by Irving Pichel
Starring John Archer, Warner Anderson, Tom Powers, Dick Wesson, Erin O’Brien-Moore

Flight to Mars (1951)
Directed by Lesley Selander
Starring Cameron Mitchell, Marguerite Chapman, Arthur Franz, Virginia Huston, John Litel, Morris Ankrum, Richard Gaines, Robert Barrat

Sure, these two films aren’t horror by any means. You could make a stretch to say that the space crews in each of these films get put into peril, but I don’t feel the point is to frighten anyone. What I do think the point is, especially at the time these were made, was to give viewers something they’ve never seen before, a very early look at traveling into space. Made over a decade before we would start sending man into space, these two films give us two very different tales of those courageous men and women blasting off the planet into the unknown.

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Super-Monster-Rama: Grave Outdoors!

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For fans of ’80s SOV movies, these two titles were staples at many video stores, and would grab your attention from their box art and / or titles alone. Now you can have the chance to see them in the theater next weekend at the Music Box Theatre, with a prerecorded intro from the writer/director/star Jon McBride for each of the films.

On Friday, August 28th, at 11:59pm, they will be screening Woodchipper Massacre (1988). That title kind of says it all, doesn’t it? 

Then on Saturday, August 30th, they will be screening the one and only Cannibal Campout (1986). This one was definitely one you’d see at most video stores. At least the cool stores! 

As usual at these events, your host John McDevitt will have trivia contests with some great prizes donated by The Shadowboxery, Cryptid Craft Studio, Night Natalie, Migzie Flores, Full Bleed, and Drive-In Asylum. These are always fun events to see some hidden little gems. For all the info, just click HERE.

New Frightfest Guide!

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It’s been a while since the last edition of FAB Press’ Frightfest Guides, but now they are back! This time tackling Japanese Horror! Starting a decade ago, FAB Press started publishing these guides to different sub-genres, with gorgeous layouts and plenty of incredible information, from a variety of authors. In the previous editions, they’ve covered exploitation films, Grindhouse, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, monster movies, and mad doctors, which was their last edition, which came out in 2023. In their latest edition, it is all about the Japanese horror genre, which is one of the oldest horror film genres around!

Author Tom Mes, who has written books on people like Takashi Miike, Shinya Tsukamoto, Kinji Fukasaku, Tai Kato, and even actress Meiko Kaji, so let’s just say, the guy knows his stuff, so what better person to tackle titles from Kwaidan (1964) to Ringu (1998), from cat demons to mushroom people, and so much more. This volume will over more than 200 film titles. Filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa provides the foreword to the book.

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