Author Archives: Jon Kitley

Soundtrack Review: A Quiet Place

by in Reviews: Soundtrack and tagged , | Leave a comment

A Quiet Place soundtrack

A Quiet Place
Released by Milan Records, 2018
16 Tracks with a Total Running time of 48 min.
Music by Marco Beltrami

The thing that struck me right away was that for a movie with “quiet” in the title, this score does not follow that thought. Even in the opening track, It Hears You, it starts with low pounding that starts to increase in volume, to jumping to a much higher range, making its presence known. I had sort of expected a much lower tone and feel to this movie since I was guessing (haven’t not seen the movie yet) that there wasn’t a lot of noise in the movie, so the music would be more quiet and subdue. That is not the case.

Continue reading →

Wasteland Survivor

by in Conventions and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

cw_show_logo1

For the last 18 years, we’ve been heading to Strongsville, OH for the Cinema Wasteland convention. And this last weekend was no different. Each and every time we set up there, we have a blast. Picked up more than a few Blu-rays from Diabolik DVD (which I think a lot of people coming through the door were), but came home with some great titles that I can’t wait to pop in and watch! There was a real nice crowd this year, and even though they just weren’t the book-buying crowd, we still had a blast. And that is because of these people below, plus plenty more that I didn’t get photos of.

I’ve mentioned before of our convention family and these people are part of that. They truly are one of the best part of these little gatherings. We get to talk about the recent films we’ve seen, older ones we’ve discovered, and all eager to hear other’s opinions on them. Sure there is always a little ribbing going on, but when done amongst great friends, it’s taken for what it is. And having the difference of opinions makes the conversations even more interesting. I’m sure most of us go away with a few new titles on their Need-to-Watch list each and every time.

Continue reading →

Movie Review: Last Shark (1981)

by in Reviews: Movies and tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

lastsharkbanner

The Last Shark (1981)
Directed by Enzo G. Castellari
Starring James Franciscus, Vic Morrow, Joshua Sinclair, Giancarlo Prete, Stefania Girolami Goodwin, Gian Marco Lari, Chuck Kaufman, Gail Moore, Joyce Lee

It was not uncommon for a foreign film studio to make their own version of a popular US film. I’m not talking remakes, mind you, since that would imply buying the rights for it. I’m just talking on using the same ideas, storyline, or theme, but changing them enough to make it their own. Just look at when William Friedkin’s The Exorcist came out … there were tons of rip-offs … sorry, films made that were “inspired by” just in Italy alone. Now this wasn’t a bad thing, and we’re not complaining, since we love a lot of those … variations. But when a new film called Great White hit the US shores in March of 1982, Universal Pictures filed a lawsuit against the producers of the film, stating that it was too similar to their film Jaws and Jaws 2. After only a month on the screen, it was pulled. Of course, that didn’t stop the producers from making a reported $18 million for that single month. Not too bad for a rip-off, huh?

Continue reading →

Rondo Awards…Final Days

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

rondobanner

This Sunday is the last day to get your votes in for this year’s Rondo Awards, so don’t forget! Yes, we are nominated in a couple of categories (and you could even write in Kitley’s Krypt for Best Website/Blog…just a thought…), but there are plenty of extremely talented people nominated throughout all the categories that deserves your vote. From the authors and artists, bloggers, podcasters, writers, and filmmakers, most of these people are doing it for the sheer passion and pleasure, so to receive recognition for their work is always a good thing.

So take a few minutes, head over to the Rondo site (HERE), and vote from your heart for those that you feel deserve it. Every vote counts and always shows support.

Always a big thanks to David Colton for all the hard work he puts in every year for this too!

Horror History: Bill Rebane

by in Horror History and tagged , | Leave a comment

rebaneBill Rebane
Born Feb. 8th, 1937

If you’ve heard of Bill Rebane, it is probably due to his movie 1975 epic The Giant Spider Invasion. But that is a good start if you haven’t heard of him. Rebane made quite a few lower budgeted films, all made in Wisconsin, usually at his Shooting Ranch Studio, a full fledge film production studio that not only made several feature films, but tons of commercials, industrial films, and much more.

Rebane arrived in the US in 1952 at the age of 15, coming from Estonia. While he speaks 5 languages, he learned to master the English language by watching American movies, which helped fuel his love for the cinema. He started his media career at WGN-TV in Chicago, working his way up from the mailroom to eventually executive producer.

In the late ’60s, he started his film ranch in Wisconsin which would be the first full-time feature film studio in the Midwest, which ran for over 30 years. During those years, he made such films as Rana: The Legend of Shadow Lake (1975), The Alpha Incident (1978), The Capture of Bigfoot (1979), and The Demons of Ludlow (1983), and even a few more.

While his films might not be the best made films, they are usually entertaining, even if in a MST3K sort of way. And he made the most entertaining giant spider movie ever made! So for that fact alone, everyone should know and remember who Bill Rebane is.

Wasteland Weekend!

by in Conventions and tagged , | 1 Comment

cw_show_logo1

In just a couple of days, we’ll be continuing our 2018 Kryptic World Tour, celebrating 20 years of the Krypt, as we head to Strongsville, Ohio for the Cinema Wasteland show! We’re creeping on 20 years for that show as well, and I’ve never missed one and have always had a great time. And I know this one will be no different. It is always great to see our convention family again, staying up to the wee hours of the morning talking about the movies we love (and sometimes hate!).

We’ve got a few new book titles on the table as well as a couple more pillow and tote bag designs from Horror Slave too! So make sure you stop by our table to say hello! Honestly, that is one of the best parts of this, or any show, is getting to hang out and talk horror movies with like-minded film fans! Granted, I only get about 8 hours of sleep in those 3 days, but it is well worth it!

Love and other stuntsThey’ve got a hell of a lineup at this show too, with names like Dee Wallace, Michael Berryman, P.J. Soles, Gary Kent, and plenty more!

You might not have heard of Gary Kent, but I’m sure you know the movies that he’s worked in as a stuntman, or any of the countless other jobs he’s had in the industry. In fact, they will be screening a new documentary on Kent at the shows on Friday night, with the director Joe O’Connell and Kent there to introduce it. The film is called Love and Other Stunts. Make sure you check it out!

Just head over to the Wasteland website (HERE) to get all the latest details. Hope to see you there!

Movie Review: Prey (1977)

by in Reviews: Movies and tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

prey banner

Prey (1977)
Directed by Norman J. Warren
Starring Barry Stokes, Sally Faulkner, Glory Annen

prey VHS coverBack in the VHS days, back when we sought these tapes because of the actual movies instead just because they were collectable, one title that if you came across on the video shelf you would immediately have to rent, was the big box version of Norman J. Warren’s Prey, or Alien Prey as it was known on the VHS release here in the states.  With some sort of human-beast creature, chewing on the flesh and meat of a naked girl in bed, blood and gore everywhere, if that didn’t get to you rent it, then you were in the wrong section, especially if you were a young and eager horror fan. Now thanks to Vinegar Syndrome, over 40 years after its initial release, Norman J. Warren’s little alien invasion flick hits Blu-ray!

For any filmmaker starting out, this is a perfect title to watch to see just how you make a film with hardly any money. There are so many things here that Warren does that is so creative that was done because of simply no money. For example, the opening shot when you have the spaceship coming to earth, all we get to see is a black screen as we hear the communications between the alien and his command. Then the “landing” is just a bunch of flashing lights coming in through a bedroom window. There are many more elements in the film that were done for the very same reasoning.

Continue reading →

Movie Review: Hammer Horror – The Warner Bros. Years

by in Reviews: Movies and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hammer Horror Warner Bros YearsHammer Horror: The Warner Bros. Years (2018)
Directed by Marcus Hearn
Starring Veronica Carlson, John Carson, Steve Chibnall, Joe Dante, Jonathan Rigby, Peter Sasdy, Madeline Smith, Caroline Munro, Christopher Frayling, Wayne Kinsey, Denis Meikle

So…a new documentary on Hammer Studios? I’m there. Simple as that. Add to the fact that when the producers of this documentary started a Kickstarter fund to get this project off the ground, I immediately signed up. Honestly, I don’t remember which level I put in for, but I did get a nice poster print as well as the Blu-ray. Being a huge fan of this famous British studio, this review might be a little jaded, but I will try to be as honest and straight forward as I can.

If you ever wondered just what happened to Hammer Studios, as to why they went under, then this feature length documentary will either answer that, or at least give you some very strong contributing factors that might have caused it. Even though this studio was very successful in the late ’50s and ’60s, by the time the ’60s were coming to a close, things were starting to change. Not with just the audiences, but the ratings boards, other movies the studios were releasing, as well as where Hammer was getting their funding from.

Continue reading →

Mystery Photo 4-2

by in Mystery Photo and tagged | Leave a comment

I briefly thought of posting a photo yesterday that wasn’t even from a movie but one that I took somewhere, just to see the answers I’d get, but there were too many of those April Fool’s things going on already and I didn’t feel I needed to add to it. So while it wasn’t posted this morning, we do have a new photo now. But first, let’s give a little congrats to Bill Harrison and Michael Shields for identifying our last photo from the film The Cosmic Man (1959), starring John Carradine. Nicely done!

So on to this week’s photo. Maybe it will be an easy one…maybe not. But give is a look and see what you got! As always, please remember not to post your answers here so others can have a chance. Just send them to us in an email to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

mp040218

Horror History: Les Tremayne

by in Horror History and tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

tremayneLes Tremayne
Born Apr. 16th, 1913 – Died Dec. 19th, 2003

Here is an actor that was more famous for his voice than his face. In fact, along with Bing Crosby and President Franklin D. Roosevelt, he was one of the most distinctive voices on American radio. Born in England but moving to the states when he was only 4, it didn’t take long for him to develop his voice. By the age of 17, he was already working in radio. During the ’30s and ’40s, you could hear Tremayne’s voice on as many as 45 shows a week. He also appeared in countless TV shows over his career, from soap operas to westerns to thrillers and everything in between, including the role as the Mentor in the TV show Shazam!

But cult movie fans will recognize him for his roles in films like War of the Worlds (1956), The Monolith Monsters (1957), The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959), and The Angry Red Planet (1959). For real fans of the cheesy classics, he also appeared in The Slime People (1963) and in Larry Buchanan’s Creature of Destruction (1967), and the killer snake movie Holy Wednesday aka Snakes (1974).

With a very distinct voice, Tremayne will always be remembered to cult film fans like us, always giving it all, never winking at the camera, and always entertaining the audience.