This has been one hell of a year. On my write up for 2024, I made a point to remind us of all that with all the crap going on in the world, we need to look for the positives out there, because they are there and we need not lose sight of that. But I have to say, it wasn’t the easiest to do that in 2025. When I first started to review the past year from the posts here in the Krypt, I couldn’t find much that I thought were highlights. At least not more than a couple of things. But then I went back a couple of weeks later, with a more thorough set of eyes, and low and behold, there were plenty. Once again, it just shows that sometimes the positives are hard to see and remember. They might even seem pretty trivial, but they are there. So, amidst all the chaos and tragedy that is going on, that doesn’t mean there isn’t something to make us sit back and think “yeah…that was pretty cool.” They might not be huge events or something, but that made you glad you were there and part of it. And we need to be focused on and remembering those moments, now more than ever, to help us get through this dark time we’re going through.
There were a lot of milestones in 2025. For me personally, I hit the big 60 this year. Granted my age has never been something I paid much attention to. I’ve always liked that theory of if you didn’t know how old you really were, how old would you think you are? Sure, there are some mornings where I feel like I’m 103, with the sound of cracking and wondering why that certain part of your body aches now. But I still have the same passion for movies as I did when I was 10 years old. In fact, probably more now than ever. I’ve discovered the older I get, the more in love with cinema I’ve become, the fascination of learning more about them, and the wonderment they can still provide us. And it just keeps getting better. I’m not just talking about new films, but older titles that I once either just thought were “okay” or a little to artsy or “out-there” for me, I now see something in there I had missed, or really just didn’t understand. So, it’s like experiencing the film for the first time.
2025 also marked the 10-year anniversary of moving the Krypt to WordPress. And now, close to 2700 posts later, I still think it was the right decision. It allows me to do what I want, without having to be too fancy, or get bogged down with details. The Krypt has always been about me having my own little soapbox to hopefully spread my passion for the horror genre, and moving to WordPress has helped me continue to do that. Just another 3 years until the Krypt hits the big 30!
One of the bigger milestones was the 25th anniversary of Cinema Wasteland. Their first show was in Sept. of 2000, and I honestly remember it like it was yesterday. I have been to each and every single show they have put on in that quarter of a century, and have had countless hours of fun, incredible conversations, and have met so many amazing people that I consider my close friends. Ken and Pam Kish have truly created a show like no other, one that has never lost what its intentions were right from the start. They never worried about being better or bigger than the next show, but to continue putting on a show where everyone just had a great time and wouldn’t completely bust your bank account by going to. Kudos to them, and everyone that has helped keep Cinema Wasteland alive and the same as it has been for all those years.
Speaking of milestones, Discover the Horror Podcast made it through another year, putting out yet another 26 episodes in 2025, putting us at 112 total. We covered directors like Bob Clark, Andy Milligan, Mario Bava, and Val Lewton, hitting more on Turkeys and TV Horrors, to diving into some early Hammer films like the Quatermass series and their Cushing / Frankenstein films, as well as having guests like Frightrags’ Ben Scrivens, author Bryan Senn, artists Don England, and Howard Berger and Marshall Julius!
We have still continued to keep to our original goal, in helping other fans, both new and old-school ones, look at the films we discuss with a little more attention than before. From the comments that we get from listeners, I think it’s still working. I know it has for me, pretty much with each episode. Thanks to my co-hosts Damien and Aaron for continuing this hard-work-but-damn-fun project!
Whether this is positive or negative (for my wallet), this year has not slowed down on the number of books and movies coming out that I feel the need to add to my collection. It simply is an incredible time to be a film fan these days. The films that once were considered cheesy, low budget, or just something a serious movie fan wouldn’t even look at, but now are getting 4K releases, jam packed with extras.
The one company that immediately comes to mind is what Hammer Films has been doing. After years and multiple new owners that promised us new projects and whatever else, to see this new leadership under John Gore finally producing something. And these new special editions they are putting out are a Hammer fans dream come true. From multiple commentaries, both old and new, which gives fans so many different insights into the film, learning more and more about it, to interviews, and so much more. When you think that The Curse of Frankenstein was cursed by most critics as being for “sadists only” to now having this lustrous 4K release, it just incredible. But then it’s not just that one, but the first two Quatermass films, Captain Kronos, and more. And now with Hammer Presents, they will be putting out other British horror films, breathing new life (and quality) into them.
Of course, after decades of hearing about Paul Naschy’s (and Waldemar Daninsky’s) film debut in Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror had originally been filmed and briefly released in 3D, to finally see that version get a release on Blu-ray was something off my checklist that I didn’t think would happen. Once again, the fact that it even exists for us fans today is really something to be thankful for.
Another thing that has never stopped increasing is the number of non-fiction books on the horror genre that keep coming out. Along with how many movies I watch, I also keep record of what and how many books I read each year. I’ve always had a goal of 1 book a month, which I was doing when I first started keeping track. But not since 2020 have I been able to reach that goal, barely getting 8 in a year. But for 2025, I’m back on track, knocking out 13! Just like trying to decide what movie to watch, sometimes the decision to pick what book you want to dig into next is just as time consuming! I have so many great titles that I really want to jump into, but only so much time!
Very seldom do I get through a book and not having a sense of newfound excitement about the subject matter, usually that makes me want to bust out and rewatch a film or two, depending on what the subject of the book was about. Early in the year, after reading Nicholas Schlegel’s book German Popular Cinema and the Rialto Krimi Phenomenon, I immediately took a deep dive into a sub-genre that I had previously known little about and yet found myself enjoying the hell out of them. Reading books on a particular film, such as Matthew C. DuPée’s We’re Here for the Krites, or It’s Me, Billy: Black Christmas Revisited by Paul Downey and David Hastings, or even Sausages: The Making of Dog Soldiers and The Making of The Descent by Janine Pipe and Neil Marshall, they all will not only teach you things about these amazing films, but most likely, will make you want to watch them all over again, maybe even seeing things you missed previously.
In other words, it’s not just movies and the extras on the special editions that can open your mind. Keep reading those books!
And one last thing… a huge round of applause to the Music Box of Horrors, the incredible 24-hour horror movie marathon, for selling out in a little over 24 hours earlier this year. That was before they had announced even half the titles for that year’s events. This shows me that the Music Box Theatre, and those programming different screenings over the years, have really helped develop and nurture the horror community in Chicagoland. It makes me proud to be a part of that. Well done!
Looking forward to making more of those fantastic memories, making new friends, and discovering even more incredible movies and people to talk to them about. Let’s get started!
