Author Archives: Jon Kitley

Soundtrack Review: Rest Stop – Don’t Look Back

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reststop2Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back
Released by La-La Land Records, 2008
20 Tracks with a Total Running Time of 64:38 min.
Music Composed by Bear McCreary

I believe this was my second Bear McCreary score that I was reviewing and once again was amazed at the sounds coming from it, not to mention how different it was from what I was expecting. This is really almost a blues album instead of a soundtrack, but that is the beauty of it… it still works extremely well as a creepy score!

Now there are a few tracks that are regular songs, 5 of them in all, which for me was a distraction from the actual score. One track, Jesus, He Forgives You Too, has the singer listed as Rev. Buford “Buck” Davis, but damn if it doesn’t sound like Weird Al Yankovic. They are part of the overall picture, so I can’t really complain. But the tracks that are just the straight background music makes this score one of my favorites. He is able to create mood and atmosphere by some of the strangest sounds, such as the track On the Bus, almost like guitar strings being pulled and stretched, then breaking into a guitar riff and melody. Very effective. Not sure if a banjo was used at times to come up with some of the sounds, but it amazes me the sounds that McCreary can create that work so well as a musical score. This one remains one of my favorites. It has it all, creepy and atmospheric, with a nice bluesy sound to it.

Horror History: Bryan Haliday

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Bryan HalidayBryant Haliday
Born April 7th, 1928 – Died July 28th, 1996

If you’re a fan of obscure British horror films, then you might know the name of Bryan Haliday. He appeared in films like Devil Doll (1964), Curse of the Voodoo (1965), The Projected Man (1966), or my personal favorite, Tower of Evil (1972). But if you’re a serious cinephile, then you definitely know something else he was involved in.

Haliday started Harvard with the plan of studying international law, but instead fell in love with acting. In the late ’40s, he was one of the founding members of the Brattle Theatre Company which took residence in an old church, turning it into an actual theater, producing numerous plays there. Later, it was turned into a movie house.

In 1956, along with his partner Cyrus Harvey, they founded Janus Films, which specialized in foreign film distribution, which was later acquired by The Criterion Collection. So if you have a number of Criterion’s DVDs and Blu-rays, I’m sure you’re familiar with Janus Films emblem. Haliday was a huge fan of cinema and really got into film acting just because he enjoyed it so much. The titles he appeared in weren’t going to win any Academy accolades, but he enjoyed them. And so did we!

May Kryptic Army Mission: Cinco de Mayo!

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On May 5th, 1862, General Ignacio Zaragoza and 2000 loyal men, fortified the town of Puebla and held strong against an invasion of 6000 French troops when they attacked the city. At the end of the day, the French retreated. It may not have turned the tables on the war against the French but it was a symbolic victory for the Mexican government and their people. So now on May 5th of each year, people of Mexican descent celebrate their heritage, remembering that great victory. Or for everyone else, to eat tacos and drink Tequila!

Bloody Vampire

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Soundtrack Review: Wrong Turn 2: Dead End

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wrongturn2cdWrong Turn 2: Dead End
Released by La-La Land Records, 2007
16 Tracks, with a total running time of 52:07 min.
Music by Bear McCreary

When you receive a soundtrack to review, entitled Wrong Turn 2, which was a made-for-DVD release, my expectations weren’t that high, for the movie itself, let alone the score. But I think this was my introduction to the incredible talent that is Bear McCreary, which quickly showed me how wrong my expectations were.

If I would have told you that you were going to hear a scary soundtrack that heavily featured a banjo for the main instrument, you’d think I was crazy. But listen to this score and tell me I’m wrong. The only Main Title, starting with some background noises, such as a pounding or thumping, we then hear a distorted banjo sound. Now, I may be wrong in whether this is a banjo, but it sounds like it, so that’s what I’m going with. Anyhow… you have this eerie twanging going on, then is combined with a whistling that really creates almost like a Morricone western score, except if it was made in Louisiana! Continue reading →

Music Box Announces 24-hours of Horror!

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Music Box of Horrors 2016Chicago’s own Music Box Theatre has announced the date for this year’s Music Box of Horrors, which will take place on Saturday, October 24th, starting at noon! We can all hope that things will be back to some sort of normality so us devious horror fans can enjoy another 24 hours of madness! I missed last year’s marathon because we were at an out-of-town show so this year we are hoping to make our return!

So far, they only have two titles announced, but I gotta say, they’ve picked to stellar movies! The first one is one of the last great pictures from the King of Ballyhoo, William Castle! Joining forces with Joan Crawford, we get Strait-Jacket (1964), with this twisted tale of axe-murderer on the loose. Screening from a 35mm print! Continue reading →

Movie Review: The Projected Man (1966)

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The Projected Man (1966)
Directed by Ian Curteis
Starring Bryant Haliday, Mary Peach, Norman Woodlan, Ronald Allen, Derek Farr, Tracey Crips, Derrick De Marney

This was a title that was pretty tough to come across, mainly because it took forever for it to get a release over here in the states. But we all knew the title because it was the second half of a double bill with Island of Terror, which came out the same year. While it is now available on Blu-ray, my first experience with is was from an import DVD release. It was one of those titles that I really wanted to see because I was a fan of the star Bryant Haliday from his roles in Tower of Evil (1972) and Devil Doll (1964), plus the fact that it was one of those (at the time) rare titles I wanted to check off my list. Continue reading →

Mystery Photo 4-27

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Welcome once again… to Monday. While some it may not feel like a Monday, especially if you’re stuck at home, but for me, it feels just like a Monday. But at least we have a new photo, right? But let’s go over last week’s photo, shall we? It was from the 1965 Italian film Il mostro di Venezia, or The Monster of Venice, or by the American retitling, The Embalmer! Which I have to admit, is a pretty damn catchy title and would totally get me to go see it. Congrats to the following who sent in the correct answer: Gregory Avery, Andrew Bochte, Craig Clark, Thomas Hladczuk, Ken Johnson, Jeff Owens.

Okay, let’s not waste any more time and get to this week’s photo.  It’s a fun one, that is for sure. Look carefully at the image below and see what you can come up with. Just send your answer to us at jon@kitleyskrypt.com Good Luck!

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Soundtrack Review: Dead Silence

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deadsilencecdDead Silence
Released by Lakeshore Records, 2007
31 Tracks with a Total Running Time of 48:15 min.
Music by Charlie Clouser

While I was not a big fan of the movie itself when it first came out, it didn’t take long for the score to hit me like a freight train! With a very similar sound and feel to either a Carpenter score or even Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells, Clouser has created an amazing theme that just resonates with the listener, immediately giving you the chills. But it doesn’t stop with just that theme. Throughout the running time, there are many eerie pieces of music that really sets the mood. Plus, the theme returns over and over again, with slightly different sounds or tempo but it still works.

Mainly known for his scores for the Saw series, Clouser is not only a talented composer, but shows how important an effective score can is and the impact it can make on the viewer. Where some scores are just background music, Clouser makes his music part of the film experience. Well done!

 

Book Review: Shirley Jackson – A Rather Haunted Life

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shirley-jackson-biographyShirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life
Published by Liveright Publishing, 2016. 624 pages.
By Ruth Franklin

I have been an admirer of Shirley Jackson since my very first viewing of The Haunting (1963). When I started to really delve into reading, her novel that film was based on, The Haunting of Hill House, was one that I immediately sought out. The more I discovered about Jackson’s work, the more I discovered that I had already knew of some of it, such as The Lottery and the tale of the boy who has a troublemaker classmate that always seemed to get into trouble. But I had never really known that much about Jackson herself, until now.

I’ve read a few biographies on different actors and directors that I’ve admired but I think this is the first one where I was really given a open book, so to speak, to that person’s life. While at times it was depressing what Jackson had to deal with in her life, it showed me just how human she was, thankful we were fortunate enough that she had the talent to take her life and transform it into incredible personal and beautifully written literary works for others to enjoy and be inspired by. Granted, there were a few that would resonate with the readers, haunting them to their core! Continue reading →

Untold Horror – The Real Stuff of Hollywood Nightmares

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Untold HorrorBeing horror movie fans, unless you’re on the inside of the business, I don’t think we really know of the real horror that lies inside working in the Hollywood system. We see what is finally released, but what about all the ones that never made it to the greenlight and are now lost in oblivion? Well now we’ll have a chance to learn about a few of those, from the filmmakers that were there involved.

Coming this November, Dave Alexander, the former editor-in-chief of Rue Morgue magazine, gives us Untold Horror, a collection of interviews from directors, screenwriters, and producers like Guillermo del Toro, George Romero, Takashi Miike, and many more, that tell the tales of developmental hell they’ve been involved with in their careers. From the unmade Re-Animator sequels, to all the different remakes and sequels that never made it to the screen, such as the Halloween franchise. The book will feature art, scripts, and other production notes from films that never made it to the final product. 

Coming from Dark Horse Books in November, with a price tag of $39.99, this looks like a must for any fan of horror films that love to see behind the curtains of Hollywood. I’m sure there are going to be more than a few stories of films that us fans would have loved to see happen but didn’t. Stay tuned for more details when they become available.