Mystery Photo 9-28

One more Monday closer to October. In fact, this will be our last photo for this month, so we are almost there! No excuses to be busting out even more horror titles to watch over the next 31 days then we already normally do. To try and spark that urge, here’s a photo to get you started. But first, let’s go over last week’s photo. It was from Luigi Cozzi’s 1989 film The Black Cat. Also known as Edgar Allan Poe’s The Black Cat and even Demons 6, this was actually supposed to be an unofficial sequel to Dario Argento’s Three Mothers Trilogy (Suspiria and Inferno). To say this didn’t hit upon the same level of genius as the previous Argento titles is bit of an understatement. This was a title that was very hard to find a copy decent enough to watch for many years. But now thanks to Severin Films, it will soon to be out on Blu-ray! Congrats to Tim Palace and William Wilson for sending in (and actually knowing the film) the correct answer. There might have been one more of you but I think I lost that message. If so, I apologize!

So let’s get to this week’s photo and see if we get any more takers. Remember, just send us an email (to jon@kitleyskrypt.com) with your answer. Good Luck.

Peveril To Unleash the Seven Golden Vampires!

Coming in November of this year, Peveril Publishing will release their next book in their always amazing volumes on Hammer Films. This one tackles the 1973 film The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires (amongst many other titles!), that was a co-production between Hammer and Hong Kong’s famous Shaw Brothers Studios. While this might not be a favorite of most Hammer fans (myself included), the history of this film is just as important because it is the last appearance of Peter Cushing as Van Helsing for the studio! But even besides that, no matter what the title, keeping the history alive and available to fans is always important, because the more you know about the actual production, both positive and negative, it will help you appreciate the film much more. 

Peveril has always published beautiful looking books, and this one looks to be no different. It includes both Cushing’s and director Roy Ward Baker’s annotated scripts, showing all the notes they wrote down during the production. Just seeing all the notes that Cushing made, even for this lesser production, still shows how much of a perfectionist he was when creating a character, or even returning to one. The book even shows the water color paintings of suggestions for his character’s costume. Continue reading

Horror History: Bradford Dillman

Bradford Dillman
Born Apr. 14th, 1930 – Died January 16th, 2019

Dillman is one of those actors that if you grew up watching made-for-TV movies and feature films throughout the 70s, then while you might not know the name, you’ll know his face. From appearing on TV in one of my favorite Night Gallery episodes (Pickman’s Model) to movies like Fear No Evil (1969), Moon of the Wolf (1972), and The Dark Secret of Harvest Home (1978), to feature films like Joe Dante’s Piranha (1978), Irwin Allen’s The Swarm (1978), to the best movie ever to feature flaming cockroaches, William Castle’s Bug (1975), Dillman was always interesting to watch. Whether he was playing the villain or the hero, he always delivered. He was one of those faces from my childhood fandom that I’ve always remembered fondly.

Friday Favorites: Peter Lorre

Yes, after a month sabbatical, Friday Favorites is back! I’ll do my best to keep this up on a regular basis, but one of the things that helps keep this alive is the participating from you, the reader. The last few Friday Favorites post only had a few responses. The whole reason for this idea to get start the conversation. Until the whole plague happened, during the after-hours at conventions, we would have these long conversations about a variety of subjects, but mainly movies and those that worked in the business. That is what I’m trying to replicate here, a place for fans to give their two cents worth and maybe start a little bit of dialogue. So if you have time, please take a few minutes to post a thought or two, or make a comment on someone else’s comment. With social gatherings being few and far between, let’s make one thing in social media a good thing and talk about the horror genre! Continue reading

Assault on the System: The Nonconformist Cinema of John Carpenter

Author Troy Howarth, in his free time between all the amazing and informative audio commentaries he’s been cranking out, has finished his newest book, this time focusing on the one and only John Carpenter. Few directors these days can have more than a few titles in their filmography that are considered classics, not to mention damn good films, but Carpenter is definitely one of them.

This book “charts Carpenter’s trajectory from screenwriter-for-hire to director of low-budget oddities like Dark Star (1974) to his meteoric rise and fall within the very system he came to distrust. All of Carpenter’s films are analyzed in detail, including his forays into made-for-TV fare, and his various sideline projects as a writer, a composer, and a producer are also examined.”

It also contains brand new interview’s with actor/director Keith Gordon, Carpenter’s wife Sandy King-Carpenter, as well and Carpenter himself. It also features guess essays by Matty Budrewicz & Dave Wain, Lee Gambin, John Harrison, Randall D. Larson, Robert Russell LaVigne, Francesco Massaccesi, Paul Poet, and Nick Smith.

The book is now available on Amazon in the color edition, but soon will be available in a black and white version as well. I can’t really see how this could not be a welcome edition to any film fan’s library. I know it will soon be in mine!

 

Horrors at the Skyline Drive-in!

In the last few days, the Skyline Drive-In in Shelbyville, IN, announced several weekends of horror lineups coming up in October. I’m not sure how many of them I’ll make, but I know I’ll be there for the last one I have listed! For all the information head over to their Facebook page HERE.

Below is the events they have listed and what will be screening. Start making your plans!

Scariest Movies of All Time Part 1
Oct. 2nd & 3rd
Poltergeist (1982)
The Amityville Horror (1979)
The Exorcist (1973) Continue reading

Unearthed Films Unleashes The Untold Story on Blu-Ray!

Back in the day when I was renting a ton of Honk Kong films from a laserdisc store (if that doesn’t date this), anytime you came across a Category III movie, you knew you were in for something intense, whether it be nudity, gore, or just the subject matter. But I was not expecting what I got when I rented The Untold Story. It starred Anthony Wong, who I just loved from action flicks like Hard-Boiled (1992), to Full Contact (1992), to The Heroic Trio (1993), to even more tragic stories like Taxi Hunter (1993), so I knew I was going to be in for another great performance. But I had no idea what I was in for when I first took home this one, which brings new meaning to the word brutal. Even more amazing is that Wong took home a Best Actor Award in Hong Kong for his role in this movie!

Now, thanks to the fine folks over at Unearthed Films, not only will this film be available here in the states for the first time on Blu-ray in its restored version, but it has a ton of extras included, which are listed below.

If you are a bit squeamish, this is not for you. It is gory, brutal, and pretty terrifying in what happens on screen, as Wong’s character goes crazy, using his fellow employees (and their families) as meat for the restaurant’s pork buns! But if you want to see a film that is hard to forget, and a performance to match, then order your copy today! Continue reading

Mystery Photo 9-21

Looks like even though our last movie is currently streaming on Amazon, not too many of you have seen it or recognized our last photo. It was from Mark of the Witch (1970), directed by Tom Moore, who also directed The Return to Boggy Creek (1977), as well as producing The Town that Dreaded Sundown (1976). Congrats to Hoby Abernathy, Todd Barwick and Bob Hartman, Michael Shields for sending in the correct answer.

For our next photo, we’re going once again with something a little obscure, but I have my reasons! Check it out and see what you can come up with. Just send your answer to us, at jon@kitleyskrypt.com. And Good Luck!

Michael Myers Marathon at the Midway!

It seems that the Midway Drive-In is going over-the-top this Halloween season with another marathon announcement. On Saturday, October 10th, they will be screening the first 4 Halloween movies that feature Michael Myers. Yes, I know, that means no Halloween 3, but deal with it. This marathon is all about Michael Myers. From the original classic from John Carpenter and it’s immediate follow-up, to the 2nd storyline with the Shape seeking out his niece, Jamie.

For more information, head over to the Midway’s website HERE. They don’t have much info on there just yet, but keep checking back for updates

 

Soundtrack Review: Scars of Dracula

Scars of Dracula
Released by GDI Records,
22 Tracks with a Total Running Time of 48 min.
Music by James Bernard

No matter how you might feel about this entry in the Hammer / Dracula saga, I don’t think anyone could argue about how good the music is. Once again, James Bernard has created a score that encompasses what we love about these films. It has that rich and powerful score that seems to burst through the screen.

With the second track, Innocent Victim / Opening Credits, we hear those strings that immediately bring a sense of sorrow followed by those strong tones of the darkness. Bernard was able to bring visuals just from the themes that he created, whether it was villagers storming the castle, or Dracula’s resurrection, you could feel it in the music. That was one of the key elements to Hammer Films, and a lot of that had to do with Bernard. With just a couple of notes, like in Slaughter in the Church for example, you knew something bad was coming. I think that is where Bernard excelled so much in bringing an immediate emotion with just a few seconds of music.

While this CD might not be the easiest to find these days, if you are a fan of Bernard and of Hammer, then you really do need this in your collection. It will bring back memories of old castles, crazy servants, and the Prince of Darkness, and all with a smile.