Author Archives: Jon Kitley

Dyanne Thorne – Rest in Peace

by in Rest in Peace and tagged , , , | 2 Comments

I’ve been meaning to get this posted, but between being busy every night, and the fact that it took me forever to find this photo of the lovely Ilsa and myself at a Cinema Wasteland, but here it is.

As I’m sure most of you know, Dyanne Thorne passed away recently. She was mainly known for her role in the three official Ilsa movies: Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS (1975), Isla, Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks (1976), Ilsa, the Tigress of Siberia (1977), and the one un-official sequel directed by Jess Franco, Wanda, the Wicked Warden (1977). But she also appeared in an episode of the original Star Trek, as well as titles like Point of Terror (1971) and Blood Sabbath (1972), which might not have been Oscar caliber, but at least for us fans of the grindhouse/exploitation type films, we enjoyed them.

Ilsa RIPShe may have been an evil of a character in the movies, but in real life, she was an ordained, non-denominational minister in Las Vegas, where, along with her husband, Howard Maurer, would get couples traveling from all over the world to be married by the one and only Ilsa! Now, I’ve never been a huge fan of the Ilsa movies, which are not my particular cup of tea. But I’ve had the occasions to meet her a couple of times at the different Cinema Wasteland shows and she is another one of these actors that creates one of the most terrible of characters, but is total opposite of what they are like in real life. The photo to the right here was taken at her last Wasteland appearance, after she stopped by our table and chatted with me for more than a few minutes. When the conversation was done, she insisted that we take picture together. Such a sweet soul, kind and generous with her time with her fans, that it was so cool to have a chat with her. And she really did seem to love meeting her fans.

While she was worried that the Ilsa movies would hurt her career (which they did), she still didn’t let it bother her. In fact, this quote below from her really defines how she felt about her infamous character, and what it meant to meet her fans.

“I know I’ve brought pleasure to a certain group of people. If I had been in more conventional Hollywood films, perhaps I would have been lost in the shuffle.”

She definitely has not been lost in any shuffle and will always be remembered fondly, by myself, and thousand of other fans. Our thoughts go out to her friends and family. Rest in Peace.

Book Review: The Haunted House on Film

by in Reviews: Horror Reference Book and tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Haunted House on filmThe Haunted House on Film: An Historical Analysis
Published by McFarland, 2019. 222 pages
By Paul Meehan

The haunted house film is one of my favorite sub-genres so I was very excited to dig into this title when it finally came out. I was hoping to add a multitude to titles to my “Crap! I haven’t seen that yet” list, which is exactly what I did. Even before we get into the thick of this review, anytime a book has you seeking out different titles, that is always a good thing!

The introduction gives a great overview of the not only haunted house in cinema, but in fiction as well, giving the reader a nice background as to where all of this really started. When you consider that the very first haunted house film, Georges Méliès 1986 film Le Chateau Hante (aka The Haunted Castle), was also the very first horror film, makes this sub-genre really the oldest in the horror film category. But we also have early titles discussed such as D.W. Griffith’s One Exciting Night (1922) and Roland West’s The Bat (1926). Meehan covers the early “old dark house” films that really were a combination of mystery/thriller/comedies, giving a good explanation as to why these are really different than what one would normally define as a haunted house film. On many of the movies discussed, where there is a mystery killer, the author leaves it up to the reader to find the movie and watch it to find out who that might be. Since many authors will give away any surprises, which really is a letdown going into the film if you know the ending, it’s nice to know those secrets were left hidden. Continue reading →

It’s Rondo Time!

by in Misc. Ramblings and tagged , | Leave a comment

Rondo nominated bookThe nominees for this year’s Rondo Awards have been announced and I’m proud to say that not only was my column for HorrorHound, They Came from the Krypt, nominated once again for Best Column, but my book, Discover the Horror, was also nominated for Book of the Year!!! I am shocked, amazed, as well as humbled to even have it nominated. Being in the same categories as authors like Gary D. Rhodes, Lee Gambin, Roberto Curti, and Bryan Senn, is an honor alone. And I’m sure my step-mother is rolling in her grave at the thought of the kid she used to help try forming a sentence that actually made sense, now has a book nominated for a Rondo! Wonders never cease.

If you by chance haven’t picked up your copy, you can still order them directly from me (and get it signed at no extra cost!!!). Just click the link to the right for all the info.

Now is the time for you to do your part and cast your vote. Yes, I would love to have you vote for me in the Best Column category as well as Book of the Year, but really I hope that you cast your vote. Quite a few of people listed throughout all the categories do what they do out of the passion of it. Some make a little money at it, while others make none. Some of them put their blood, sweat, and tears into these projects, so it is up to their fans and their peers to let them now what they are doing matters.

So please take a few minutes, head over to the Rondo Awards website (just click HERE), and cast your votes. You don’t have to vote for every category, but the ones that you do know. You have until March 29th to get them in. Just email your picks to David Colton at taraco@aol.com.

And yes, we’d love your vote, but please just vote!

 

 

 

Mystery Photo 2-3

by in Mystery Photo and tagged | Leave a comment

Welcome to February and to our first photo of the new month. This one might be a little easier than our last one, since admittedly it was a pretty obscure film. Only one person sent in the correct answer and that was Hoby Abernathy. The film’s title is La vendetta di Lady Morgan, or The Vengeance of Lady Morgan (1965). Directed by Massimo Pupillo, who that very same year, also directed Bloody Pit of Horror and Terror-Creatures from the Grave! That’s one hell of a month! Lady Morgan stars Paul Muller, Erika Blanc, Gordon Mitchell, and Barbara Nelli, which is about a woman coming back as a ghost to get revenge on her evil husband. Great little flick and highly recommended.

Okay, so this week’s photo might be a little easier but let’s see if you’re paying attention. Take a look and see if you can name the film here. As always, please remember not to post your answers here in the comments section, so that others can have a chance. Just send them to us in an email, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

mp020320

Ennio Morricone: In His Own Words

by in Book News and tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ennio Morricone In His Own WordsI know I may be a little late to the party on this one (and kind of pissed at myself that I’m just finding out about this) but there is a book about this amazing composer out now, called Ennio Morricone: In His Own Words. Whether you are a fan of western soundtracks, horror, and any of the other genres Morricone worked on, you know he created an unbelievable amount of magic through his music. For me, going back to films like Nightmare Castle to the work he did with Dario Argento, his scores are always amazing.

According to the description, Morricone and Alessandro De Rosa had a years-long discussion of “life, music, and the marvelous and unpredictable ways that the two come into contact with and influence each other.” Published by Oxford University Press last March, this 368 page book covers the Maestros work and those he collaborated with, names like Leone, Carpenter, De Palma, Almodóvar, Polanski, and many more. According to Morricone himself, this is “beyond a shadow of a doubt the best book ever written about me, the most authentic, the most detailed and well curated. The truest.” How can you argue with that?

I know this will be among my next order with Amazon and I can’t wait to dig into it.

Is the Drive-In Open Yet?

by in Movie Events and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Midway Maniac

Okay, so while there is still snow on the ground and the temps are below freezing, maybe it might be a little early to be hitting the drive-ins. BUT… it is a great time to start making plans to attend them, especially when there are already all night horror shows scheduled. Continue reading →

February Kryptic Army Mission: Evil Ways!

by in Kryptic Army | 34 Comments

Road to Hell

“It is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.”
Buddha

These may have been wise words from a golden statue but this time out, it is actually going to be yours truly that is going to lure you. We will see after your movie choices for this month’s mission if you’ll call me a friend or foe, but I’m willing to take that chance. Are you? Continue reading →

Mystery Photo 1-27

by in Mystery Photo and tagged | Leave a comment

It is always nice to see a lot of correct answers come over when a classic ’50s photo is posted, especially when the creatures were created by Paul Blaisdell. The film is Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957), directed by Edward L. Cahn. Blaisdell went through hell to come up with a designed that appeased both AIP heads Sam Arkoff and James Nicholson, but what he finally did come up with definitely hit the mark because they are still being remembered today. Congrats to the following for sending in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Gregory Avery, Todd Barwick, Christopher Dyer, Dave Fronto, Bob Hartman, Bryan Senn, and Michael Shields. Well done!

Now we’re going to go back with something a little more obscure. Trust me, I’m not making these hard to stump everyone as much as trying to bring attention to these rare and near lost films. So yes, there is method for my madness! Take a look and see if you recognize where this shot is from. As always, please do not post your answers here so that others can have a chance at guessing. Just send us your guess in an email (jon@kitleyskrypt.com). Good Luck!

mp012720

Unearthed Films Releases What the Waters Left Behind

by in Misc. Ramblings and tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

What the Waters Left Behind PosterBack in 2013, two brothers from Argentina created a short film, just an over an hour long, called Sonno Profondo that was inspired by the Italian giallo films of the ’70s. With a miniscule budget and a crew that pretty much consisted of them, they showed how much style and talent they had. They were Luciano and Nicolás Onetti. Two years later, they released a feature length film entitled Francesca (2015), that once again showed their immense talent. If you didn’t know, and watched this film, you would swear that it was some lost Italian film from the ’70s. The look and feel of it, not to mention the amazing score (also done by Luciano), was just incredible.

But now they have left the giallo behind for now and have made a film that is reminiscent of the gritty and grimy slasher films of the ’70s, such as Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Hills Have Eyes. The film is called What the Waters Left Behind, and will be released by Unearthed Films on Blu-Ray and DVD on May 12th. Continue reading →

Horror History: Gale Sondergaard

by in Horror History and tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Gale SondergaardGale Sondergaard
Born Feb. 15th, 1900 – Died Aug. 14th, 1985

This is an actress that only appeared in a handful of horror film titles, but was known to be one of the character actress that audiences love to hate. She tended to play wicked and evil characters that she actually enjoyed playing. In an interview in 1974, she said about the characters she’s known for were “usually more colorful than the hero and, from an acting standpoint, more fun to play.” So wicked in fact, that she was actually cast to play the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz, but turned it down when it was decided to make the character more ugly and scary than originally planned as a beautiful witch like in a Disney film. She was also the very first recipient of the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, in the film Anthony Adverse (1936), which also happened to be her screen debut.

As for her horror roles,  you can find her in such titles as The Cat and the Canary (1939), The Black Cat (1941), The Invisible Man’s Revenge (1944), and The Climax (1944).

The real horror in her life was when she was blacklisted during the McCarthy “Red Scare” in Hollywood because she refused to testify and give names. She didn’t work for 20 years because of it. It really is a shame what we missed during those two decades when nobody would hire her.