Author Archives: Jon Kitley

Return of the Kryptic World Tour

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It looks like we will be returning to the convention circuit (if all still goes according to plan) at the end of July, for the Flashback Weekend, taking place in Rosemont, IL, from July 30th to August 1st. It’s been a long time coming, so we are very excited about it.

As usual, Flashback Weekend has come up with a wide variety of guests that should make all horror fans happy! They have Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith from the Saw series appearing, Mark Rolston and Jenette Goldstein from Aliens (among many other roles), a Friday the 13th: A New Beginning reunion with Melanie Kinnaman, Deborah Voorhees, Dick Wieand, Ron Sloan, and Carol Locatell. Also on hand will be Kane Hodder and Nick Castle.

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Friday Favorites: Jess Franco!

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Two days ago would have been Jess Franco’s 91st birthday. He would had to have lived another 109 + years to be as old as how many films he directed! There were some years he averaged more than one film a month! Love him or hate him, there is no denying the man loved to make films. In fact, there is below quote from him that I think not only explains him and his work, but also a work ethic that I think many of us share in.

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Skyline’s Super Monster Movie Fest Update

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The Skyline Drive-in in Shelbyville, IN has announced their lineup for this year’s Super Monster Movie Fest, and it is a DOOZY! The theme this year was The Devil Made Us Do It and I have to say, ‘ol Lucifer really helped them in programming one hell of a show! Taking place the weekend of Aug. 27th & 28th, with a special appearance by Sammy Terry! Here is what they will be screening:

Friday August 27th
The Black Cat (1934)
Prince of Darkness (1987)
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
The Sentinel (1977)
Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971)

Saturday August 28th
Curse of the Demon (1957)
Black Sunday (1960)
The Exorcist (1973)
Evilspeak (1981)
Satan’s Cheerleaders (1977)

We’ve been going to this event for quite a few years now and always have such a great time. They really have an incredible lineup, from some old classics like The Black Cat with Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi appearing together for the first time on the big screen, Mario Bava’s Black Sunday, Jacques Tourneur’s Curse of the Demon, to some favorites from the 80s like Evilspeak! How can you go wrong with Clint Howard contacting demonic evil though his computer?!?! Not to mention all the devilish delights you’ll find at their snack bar throughout the night! Hope to see you there!

Movie Review: The Dead (2010)

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The Dead (2010)
Written & Directed by Howard J. Ford & Jonathan Ford
Starring Rob Freeman, Prince David Oseia

When this first came out, I was amazed at how well done and effective is was. I recently got the soundtrack, which made me want to revisit it for the first time in over a decade. I was still amazed how good it still is and realized that I had never officially reviewed it here on the Krypt. That is now fixed! For a sub-genre that is a half of a century old (yes, I am making Romero’s Night the starting point) and has hundreds of entries, it is very difficult to make one that is entertaining, let alone effective and scary after all this time. But with a very small cast to carry the story, some incredible special effects, and a land as barren and sparse as one’s hope in the film, the Ford Brothers has created one of the best zombie films in these last 50 years.

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Mystery Photo 5-10

by in Mystery Photo

It seems that while the word is slowly making its way back to a little bit of normalcy, it is also here at the Krypt. Looks like we’re done moving things around for right now, and even replaced our computer without too much trouble! My son would be proud! Now hopefully we can get back to the important things at hand, like today’s new Mystery Photo! We decided to go with another fun one. But first, let’s go over last week’s, shall we? It was from the 1975 epic The Giant Spider Invasion from director Bill Rebane! Believe it or not, but Giant Spider was one of the Top 50 grossing pictures of that year! No matter how you might view it, I’ve always found it to be damn entertaining. Kudos to the following for sending in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Kevin Hart, Gary McGuire, Michael Shields, and Mark Turner. Well done!

So on to this week’s photo. Take a peek and see what you can come up with. Might be pretty easy for most (at least I hope so) but maybe not for everyone. So we’ll see. Either way, Good Luck! Just remember to send us your guess in an email (to jon@kitleyskrypt.com).

Soundtrack Review: The Dead

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The Dead (2010)
Released by Howlin’ Wolf Records
31 Tracks with a Total Running Time of 64:44 min.
Music Composed by Imran Ahmad

We all know that within the zombie sub-genre, it’s hard to do something different. But in 2010, the Ford Brothers did just that with their tale of the undead, setting it in the desert lands of Africa. It was highly effective, and so well done. The same goes for the music, with composer Ahmad taking a different route, both in sound and design, but still delivering a powerful and emotional score.

Right from the first track, The Dead Theme, we hear this haunting vocals over a string instrument, some drums, and some kind of flute, all that work together to give us a start that makes quite the lasting impact, which continues through the rest of the score. The use of percussions throughout the score does a great job building the tension with the rapid beating, or even suspense when it slows down both in speed and volume, to almost like a heartbeat.

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Horrors at the Skyline Drive-In!

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We had posted before about this year’s Super Monster Movie Fest at the Skyline Drive-In, taking place on Aug. 27th & 28th, with the theme being The Devil Made Us Do It, but they have a few other events coming up that might be of interests. For the Devil marathon, they still haven’t listed any titles yet, so we are still waiting, but I’m sure it will be another fun selection of titles. But in the meantime, check out below for some very interesting events they have scheduled.

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Friday Favorites: Paul Naschy!

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While I anxiously wait for my copy of Naschy’s Howl of the Devil Blu-ray arrive from Mondo Macabro, it got me thinking. I actually can’t believe I didn’t have this one way before now! I guess now is the time! Most of you that follow me and this site know my fondness for the works of Paul Naschy, from his many times as the tormented Waldemar Daninsky to the plethora of other characters that he has played throughout his massive career. From vampires to zombies to hunchbacks to even the devil himself, Naschy is one of the few actors to have played that many monsters on screen. And it was something he was very proud of.

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FAB Press Releases Fisher Biography

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Way back in July of 2020, we posted about FAB Press announcement that they would be publishing Tony Dalton’s authorized biography of the incredibly underrated director Terence Fisher, best known for the work he did for Hammer Films. Well now it is at the printers and should be released next month. But you still have time to pre-order it and get a signed edition! The price is £29.99 (which right now is about $42), but we all know the beautiful work that FAB puts into their books, so it will be worth every penny. Not only that, but this hardcover edition is over 500 pages, almost that many illustrations, and is the first authorized biography of the man who helped start Hammer in their reign of terror that lasted over three decades.

Starting in the business as an editor in the mid-30s, he started directing in 1948 with A Song for Tomorrow. But in 1952, he started his association with Hammer Films, directing the crime drama Man Bait. He would dabble in science fiction with titles like Four Sided Triangle and Spaceways (both 1953), but it was in 1957 when he directed Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee in The Curse of Frankenstein that made the world take notice.

I can’t wait to dig into this book and if you’re a serious fan of Hammer Films, this really is a must. To get your pre-order in, just click HERE to get to FAB Press’ website.

Little Shoppe of Horrors Takes on Dracula

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Orders are now being taken for the latest issue of the magazine that has been running to close to half a century! Issue # 46 will be covering Hammer’s Dracula (1958), or as known in the states here, The Horror of Dracula, with the making of article by Bruce G. Hallenbeck. There will also be a tribute to Barbara Shelley, the Making of the Men Who Made Hammer series for Shout Factory, and so much more.

If you’re not familiar with this amazing magazine, I couldn’t urge you enough to look into it. If you love Hammer and British horror in general, there is no better magazine than this one. Always filled with amazing articles, incredible artwork, and so much information. Once you start, you’ll be like me and be hooked!

For all the ordering information, just head over to their website HERE.