To A New World of Gods and Monsters

March 5, 2018 by Jon Kitley in Misc. Ramblings and tagged Best Picture, Doug Jones, Guillermo del Toro, Oscars, The Shape of Water | Leave a comment

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Last night, for the first time in the Academy Awards 90-year history*, a creature feature won Best Picture. Now we know that all the normal critics keep trying to rename and redefine what it is, but us monster kids know that it is a monster movie. Sure, it’s not the first horror movie to win, which would be Silence of the Lambs, but that movie featured human monsters. Yes, there is a monster in The Shape of Water, but he’s the one wearing the tailored suit, not the fish suit. Never in a million years would I ever think that a film like this could even have a chance to win Best Picture. And the creator of this “fairy tale for trouble times”, Guillermo del Toro, also took home the Oscar for Best Director. I am speechless.

Well…almost.

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Mystery Photo 3-5

March 5, 2018 by Jon Kitley in Misc. Ramblings | Leave a comment

Welcome to the first Monday in March! Yeah…pretty much the same as any other Monday. Except it’s one more closer to convention season! Okay, okay…back to the post at hand. Our last photo was from a disturbing film from Hammer that it still amazes me that they not only got it made, but that they would even tackle such a forbidden subject, but yet it was done so well. The film is Never Take Sweets from a Stranger (1960) and is about a old man that is doing harm to some local little girls. But because he is one of the upper families, no one believes the claims. Great film about a very dark subject. But kudos to the following for sending in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Troy Howarth, and Michael Shields.

Now on to this week’s little photo. It’s from one of my favorites so let’s see what you can come up with. As always, PLEASE remember not to post your answers here so others can have a chance at it. Good luck!

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New Book on Dr. Phibes!

March 4, 2018 by Jon Kitley in Book News and tagged Abominable Dr. Phibes, BearManor Media, Dr. Phibes, Justin Humphreys, Robert Fuest, Vincent Price | 1 Comment

Dr. Phibes Companion When I first really got into horror films, one of my favorites was The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971), starring the wonderful campy Vincent Price. Even though he was the villain, you always rooted for him! And even though he never actually “talked” in the film, he still commanded your attention each and every frame he was on screen. With a beautiful mixture of horror and humor, director Robert Fuest and Price created a highly memorable character that we got to experience in not only the first film, but its sequel, Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972).

Last year, one of my favorite books that I read was Interviews Too Shocking To Print by Justin Humphreys. So when I discovered that he was coming out with a Dr. Phibes companion book, I was just ecstatic. BearManor Media has announced that The Dr. Phibes Companion is now available for pre-order, both in hard and soft cover editions ($32 & $22), though they don’t have a publication date on the site just yet.

Humphreys had previously written about the first Phibes movie in “The Kind of Fiend Who Wins” and now takes that and expands on it, giving us the definitive history of our favorite devious doctor, as well as a new essay on the sequel, Dr. Phibes Rises Again. There is also a new forward by William Goldstein, one of the creators of this wonderful character. Adding in interviews with many of the people involved with the films, such as director Fuest, screenwriters Goldstein and James Whiton, art director Brian Eatwell, sound designer Peter Lennard, organist Nicholas Kynaston, composer John Gale, and many others. The book will also include never-before-seen production artwork by Fuest from his personal shooting script, as well as photos that have never been published. And one part that I’m really interested in reading, the thorough history of the sequels that never came to be.

I know this will definitely be added to my library once it comes out and can’t wait to dive into it. For more information, just head over to BearManor Media’s website HERE.

Book Review: Laird Cregar – A Hollywood Tragedy

March 3, 2018 by Jon Kitley in Reviews: Horror Reference Book and tagged Gregory Mank, Gregory William Mank, Hangover Square, Laird Cregar, McFarland, The Lodger | Leave a comment

Laird Cregar: A Hollywood Tragedy
Published by McFarland, 2018. 329 pages
By Gregory William Mank

The reading goal that I have set for myself is to get through at least one book per month, and for the last couple of years, I’ve happily gone a little past that goal. But thanks to the wonderfully talented Mr. Mank, my average for this year just went up. It usually takes me 3-4 weeks to get through a book, mainly because I have to steal away time to read. But once I started this latest volume, on the actor Laird Cregar, I went through the first half of it in the first two days, finishing it off within a week. I just couldn’t put it down.

I have been a fan of Cregar’s since the very first time I watched The Lodger (1944). I was just amazed at not only how effective and well made the picture was, but also the amazing talent of Cregar. I immediately started to seek out other of his films, especially Hangover Square (1945), again being mesmerized by his performance. I started to read up on this seemingly unknown (to me at least) actor and his life in various books and online, only be to be depressed on how this brilliant performer was treated in his life, by others as well as how he treated himself. A couple of years ago, while talking to Mank at a Monster Bash conference, he mentioned Cregar was going to be the subject of an upcoming book, which I knew I would get the minute it came out. Which I did.

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