Author Archives: Jon Kitley

April Ghouls Drive-In Monster-Rama

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The Riverside Drive-In Theater has announced the lineup for this year’s April Ghouls Drive-In Monster-Rama and once again, it’s a doozy! I know, I know… I’m always preaching about the drive-in experience. But I tell you, if you haven’t been to the drive-in, you really are missing out. And if you’ve never been to one of these all-night horror marathons, then you are really missing out. So make that a challenge for 2019. Whether it be at the Riverside in PA, the Skyline in IN, the Midway in IL, or any other drive-in theater in the US, just make it happen!

Okay enough preaching. Just check out the lineup below and see if this doesn’t make you want to change your mind. For more information, just click HERE.

Drive-in Monster-Rama April 2019

Master of Dark Shadows

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Master of Dark ShadowsYou couldn’t grow up watching TV in the ’70s and not know of the work of Dan Curtis. His work had a huge impact on my life, from The Night Stalker (1972), The Norliss Tapes (1973), Trilogy of Terror (1975), and so many other made-for-TV movies. Oh yeah, and there was that series Dark Shadow that you might have heard of. Needless to say, if it was from Curtis, you know it was going to be worth your time. And now, thanks to director David Gregory, we’re going to have a chance to learn a little bit more about this amazing man.

Set to be released next month, this feature length documentary covers Curtis and his work, hearing from a ton of people that worked with him and were fans of his work, such as Ben Cross, Roger Davis, Jonathan Frid, Whoopi Goldberg, John Karlen, William F. Nolan, David Selby, Barbara Steele, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Bob Cobert, and many more.

While he definitely worked outside the horror genre a few times, like writing, producing, and directing the Emmy Award Winning mini-series War and Remembrance (1988-89), he made such an impact with horror fans with his films. And they are still as entertaining now, decades later, as they were then. Kudos to Gregory for helping bring light to this talented man that was use to working in the shadows.

More Hammer from Scream Factory!

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Frankenstein Created WomanNever a bad bit of news when there is an announcement of another Hammer film hitting Blu-ray, especially when it is coming from Scream Factory. If the fact that it’s another Hammer title doesn’t get your attention, then this amazing cover art from Mark Maddox probably will. Coming out on June 11th, the extras haven’t been finalized yet, but if it is what we’ve come to expect from Scream Factory, it will be well worth it. If you pre-order it now, you’ll get an 18×24 poster of the Maddox artwork!

Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) was Hammer’s fourth entry in their Frankenstein series, with Peter Cushing returning once again as the evil doctor. This time out, instead of sewing bodies together, he is experimenting with soul transferring! Starring the lovely Susan Denberg, and the always entertaining Thorley Walters, this is a must for Hammer fanatics!

For ordering information, just head over to Shout Factory’s site HERE.

Mystery Photo 3-4

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Another fun Monday morning Mystery Photo! What a way to start off the week. I am happy to say that we got a few correct answers sent in this time, and even more surprising because it is not a title that is often talked about. But, like a lot of fans that grew up paging through reference books, this photo popped up here and there. The movie is The Black Cat (1966), which will be a little more easily available when Severin releases in in their Hemisphere Horror box set. Kudos to the following for sending in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Todd Barwick, Doug Fronto, Troy Howarth, Michael Shields, Todd Warren, and William Wilson. Well done!

Now on to this week’s pictorial puzzle. Could be another easy one. Or not. Either way, just make sure you don’t post your answer here so that others can have a chance at guessing. Just send your guess to us at jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

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Rondo Award Time!

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Yes Folks, it is that time once again. The annual Rondo Awards have been announced and it is time for all fans of the genre to take a few minutes and cast your votes. Yes, my column for HorrorHound has been nominated again, but this isn’t a call for votes for me. Sure, if you want to vote, I’ll take it. But there are so many other talented people here nominated, most of which are doing it for the sheer pleasure and passion. In fact, just being nominated shows that and brings attention to them. The Rondos are about the fans that continue to work in keeping the movies we love alive and well, and definitely not forgotten. 

Plus, it makes my heart shine with I go through the nominees and see so many people I call my friend. Granted, it makes it harder to vote when they are in the same category, but that is my burden to bear!

Head over to the Rondo Awards page (just click HERE) and vote. You don’t have to vote in every category but vote with your heart.

Mystery Photo 2-25

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Back once again for another pictorial puzzle on this fine Monday. Are we ready? Before we begin, let us back up a week and go over our last photo. It was from the Spanish film The Graveyard of Horrors (1971), which is also known under the titles The Butcher of Binbrook and Necrophagus. Not one of the best examples of Spanish horror, but a fun watch if you can find a copy. Kudos to Todd Barwick and Michael Shields for sending in the correct answer.

Now let’s get to this week’s photo. Don’t think too hard, or you just might get a splitting headache! Yeah, I know… but just couldn’t pass it up. As always, please remember not to post your answers here so that others can have a chance. Just send us an email to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

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Hemisphere Horrors!

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Hemisphere HorrorsOnce again, Severin comes through in delivering the goods! After wetting fan’s appetite with the Blood Island box set, now you can experience more that Hemisphere Pictures released back in the late ’60s and early ’70s, all collected together in great little box set. Here are the films you get:

The Blood Drinkers (1964)
Curse of the Vampires (1966)
Brain of Blood (1971)
The Black Cat (1966)
The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism (1967)

While the first 3 titles will be available separately, the last two are only available in the box set, which will retails at $59.99. Not a bad deal when you consider you’re getting 5 features, all been given 2K and 4K scans from vault film elements. These are probably going to look the best they ever have!

I remember back in the early days of me collecting films, trying to find some of these films were tricky because they sometimes would go under several different names. The distributors would change the names and release them over and over again, hoping the public wouldn’t notice that they might have seen this picture already! That is why Curse of the Vampires is also known as both Creatures of Evil and Blood of the Vampires.

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Discover the Horror: The Book!!!

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Book Cover Art 2-22-19Since we’ve been talking about new books coming out all this week, I figured it was about time to make my big announcement. 

After 50+ years in the making (with about 5 of that doing the actual writing), I am proud to announce my first book, coming out this August. Discover the Horror: One Man’s 50-Year Quest for Monsters, Maniacs, and the Meaning of it All is part autobiography and part of my preaching, ranting and rambling, but all me. It is the story of how I became who and what I am today… A die hard horror movie fan and damn proud of it.

Within these pages, you’ll read about the days of my youth, devouring horror television programs, my kinship to Frankenstein’s creature, to my early days in the film business (aka movie theater usher), to starting my website which has become one of the longest running sites out there. You’ll also read plenty of my thoughts on the different aspects of the genre and the many different sub-genres out there. Plus, there is plenty of tales from the convention road that I have traveled over the last 30 years, meeting such luminaries as Lucio Fulci, Paul Naschy, Ingrid Pitt, and many more.

While the cover is still being tweaked, the book will be available this summer. Stay tuned here for more details and updates.

Baker’s Metamorphosis

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MetamorphosisIn another installment of our Book News Week, it looks like those fans of Rick Baker are going to have to save some of their pennies for this bad boy. Coming from Cameron Books this October, is Metamorphosis, a 2-volume set that goes over Rick Baker’s work, starting in the very beginning in 1950 all the way through 2019. With 720 pages between the two volumes, you’ll get to see over 1000 color images and original sketches from this man’s 40+ years in the business. The price? $250.

Volume 1 will cover 1950 to 1989 and Volume 2 will cover from 1990 to 1919. We’ll get to see coverage from his work from Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Harry and the Hendersons, Men in Black, and obviously An American Werewolf in London, which brought him his first of seven Oscars. Personally, I’m looking forward to hopefully seeing coverage of his earlier work, like on Octaman (1971) and It’s Alive (1974)! But we’ll have to wait and see. I’m still on the fence about this one because of the price. It’s a bit hefty, but I’m sure the pages and pages of photos would be amazing.

Like Vampire Movies?

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Strange BloodIf you’re a fan of those bloodsuckers of cinema, then you may want to add this upcoming book to your list of titles to buy. With Strange Blood, editor Vanessa Morgan has collected another amazing array of authors (yours truly included!) covering “offbeat and underrated” fang flicks, which are discussed in 70 different essays.

Morgan’s previous book, When Animals Attack, covered a different breed of beasties. Now we get to take a look at the more human type of animal, the vampire. This book should be out in April, but we will definitely pass that information on when it becomes available. In the meantime, check out the amazing cover by Gilles Vranckx.