Author Archives: Jon Kitley

Mystery Photo 10-14

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Back online and back again for another fun photo challenge. Because of the Halloween season, we’re going to stick with another classic. Well, maybe one not everyone would call a classic, but that is always debatable. But before we get to that one, let’s go back to our last one. It was from the original Tales from the Crypt (1972) that I feel still holds up today, with the stories as well as the acting! Kudos to the following for sending in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Todd Barwick, Dave Fronto, Troy Howarth, Martin Meeks, & William Wilson. Well done!

Okay, back to this week’s photo. Take a good look and see what you can come up with. But don’t strain that brain… wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself before Halloween. As always, don’t post your answers here so others can have a guess. Just send an email to us, at jon@kitleyskrypt.com. It’s that simple! Good Luck!

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We’re Back!

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office

Yes, we are back online! Sorry for the online absences but we had some new windows installed in the Krypt and to do so, that meant moving everything away from the windows. Well, if you’ve ever been to the Krypt, there is not a bit of free space anywhere! So moving stuff from one place to another was a bit challenging. Even in my office, I had to move a bookcase and my computer desk, which meant unhooking everything and finding places for all of the books in that bookcase. Ugh! Continue reading →

Book Review – Fear: The Autobiography of Dario Argento

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Fear Aregento AutobiographyFear: The Autobiography of Dario Argento
Published by FAB Press, 2019. 288 pages.
By Dario Argento

No matter what you have to say about Dario Argento, he is a powerful voice in cinema, with a staggering amount of pictures that will be discussed at length, at movie conventions and film schools alike, for many years to come. So when news of his autobiography, which was first published in Italy in 2014, was going to see its first English version thanks to FAB Press, I immediately pre-ordered a copy.

Autobiographies can be a bit tricky, especially coming from someone as high up as Argento is. Sometimes they can be very self-indulgent, filled with self-praise, or even though while entertaining, you question the legitimacy of some, if not all of the stories. So I went into this volume with a slight trepidation as to what I was going to get. What I did get was something that felt completely honest and written from the heart. If there is one thing that is filled within each and every page, it is passion. Even in the opening chapter, when he touches on his thoughts of suicide, you can tell he is not holding back with his stories. Continue reading →

AC’s Scare-A-Thon 2019: Day of the Lorax

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AC's Lorax

Our good friend Aaron Christensen is doing his annual Scare-A-Thon, this time putting attention to the Amazon by raising money for Amazon Watch. No, this isn’t anything to do with ordering stuff online or watching streaming movies, but to help the Amazon rain forest and the people that live there. And its pretty simple to help AC in his quest. Continue reading →

Mystery Photo 9-30

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Just a day away until October starts, where we can truly celebrate the Halloween season. Then again, I’m sure most of us celebrate it all year round! None the less, Happy Monday. Our photo from last week was from the 1968 film Blood Beast Terror, starring Peter Cushing. It just so happens that this film is the next cover feature on the next issue of Little Shoppe of Horrors! Congrats to the following that sent in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Cate Cameron, Dave Fronto, Bob Hartman, Troy Howarth, Lee Nattrass, & William Wilson. Well done.

For this week’s photo, if you don’t get it, I’m sure you’ll wishing to go back in time to send in your guess. Either way, check it out and see what you can come up with. As always, please do not post your answers here so that others can have a chance. Just send your guess in an email to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

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Double Dose of LSoH!

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The latest issue of the always amazing Little Shoppe of Horrors is now available for order! In this issue, #43, the spotlight is put upon the little British shocker from Tigon Productions, The Blood Beast Terror, starring Peter Cushing (which he called the worst film he ever appeared in) and Robert Flemyng. The issue will have a making of article by John Hamilton, interview with the director Vernon Sewell, as well as a follow up to the last issue with a piece on Children of the Damned.

Continue reading →

Last Shark Soundtrack?!?!

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Great White CDSure, we’re probably getting close to the End of Days, with all the idiots in our governments, the climate change going out of control, and the world basically just turning to shit. But how can we not forget about all of that negativity when someone has released the soundtrack for one of the greatest Jaws rip-offs ever committed to film?!?!?

Exactly!

Thanks to the wonderful people at Beat Records, Guido & Maurizio De Angelis’ score for Enzo G. Castellari’s L’ultimo Squalo (aka The Last Shark or Great White) is coming out on CD! This 1981 film was actually pulled from release after playing in the states for about a month, after Universal sued the makers of the film for copyright infringement, and won! With James Franciscus and Vic Morrow hunting a very smart and very large Great White, it is a perfect slice of Italian cheese.

Being released here in the states for the very first time, this release is limited to only 500 copies and is priced at $19.95. Having close to 75 minutes on this release, that is a damn good price. I know I’ve already ordered my copy! The release also comes with a 12-page booklet. You can order your copy from Screen Archives by clicking HERE.

Music Box of Horrors 2019

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Music Box of Horrors 2019The Music Box of Horrors has unleashed its final lineup for this year’s 24-hour marathon. And as always, they have gathered together one hell of lineup with some amazing titles in there, as well as a couple of great guests. Director John Hancock will be on hand for a screening of his highly underrated film Let’s Scare Jessica to Death. Very creepy and a must see. They will also be screening Dog Soldiers, one of the best werewolf movies to come out in the last two decades, with director Neil Marshall in attendance!

Taking place on Saturday, Oct. 19th, starting at noon and running to noon on Sunday the 20th. As we mentioned before, this will be the very first Music Box marathon that we will be missing and it really bums me out. But I’m guarantying those that come out to this will have a great time, just like the previous years. Continue reading →

Book News! Start Saving!

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For those book lovers in your life, here are more than a few gift ideas for the upcoming holidays, or just because you want to support the print industry! I know each and every one of these titles will be added to my own personal library in the very near future! But these are a few that we’ve recently come across that sound pretty amazing.

Darkening the Italian Screen: Interviews with Genre and Exploitation Directors Who Debuted in the 1950s and 1960s by Eugenio Ercolani is a collection of interviews with names that might not be as familiar with most fans, but yet have had a huge impact on the Italian exploitation cinema. There are some of the usual suspects like actor George Hilton and director Sergio Martino, but then we’ll also get to hear from the likes of Uberto Lenzi, Alberto De Martino, Enzo G. Castellari, Franco Rossetti, among others. I can’t wait to hear some of their stories and tales from the trenches of getting some of their films made and released. Continue reading →

Dracula & Frankenstein on the Big Screen!

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monster double feature

Back in 1938, a theater owner named Emil Umann rented prints of the original Dracula and Frankenstein, along with Son of Kong, and screen them as a triple feature. He got the rental of the films pretty cheap because the studios didn’t think anybody cared about these monster films anymore. Oh how they were wrong. These screenings became so popular, that Umann started running them close to 24 hours a day to keep up with the demand. He even contacted Bela Lugosi to come down to make appearances during the screenings. Once Universal discover this, not only did they increase the film rentals, but made 500 more prints and started renting them to other theaters. Plus, they immediately put another Frankenstein film into production!

If you haven’t had the chance to see these two classic monster films on the big screen and are in the Chicagoland area, now is your chance. The Pickwick Theater in Park Ridge, IL, will be screening both Dracula and Frankenstein on October 30th, starting at 7pm. The Pickwick is a great theater to see these films too! So make your plans now to make sure you attend and see our horror history come to life on the big screen!

For more information, just click HERE.