Author Archives: Jon Kitley

Mystery Photo 11-6

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Now that the Halloween season is official over, though for most of us, it’s never is over, we will continue on with what we do every day….celebrating the horror genre! And what better what to do that then start off with a little pictorial puzzle, right? But before we get to this week’s, let us go over our last photo. It was from the 1964 film Castle of Blood, starring the alluring Barbara Steele. Unfortunately, we only got one person that recognized this shot and that was Hoby Abernathy. Well done, my friend!

So I can’t honestly say that this one is going to be much easier. Really could be a shot from a dozen or so movies. But let us see who might be able to pick out the right one. That is half the run, right? Making your brain do a little digging? Well take a look below and see what you can come up with.

As always, please do not post your answers here so others can have a go at it. Just send your guess to us in an email to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

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Soundtrack Review: Horror Rises from the Tomb

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Horror Rises

Horror Rises from the Tomb / The Killer is One of Thirteen
Released by Quartet Records
17 Tracks with a Total Running Time of 34.13
Music by Carmelo Bernaola & Alfonso Santisteban

Listen up folks, the fact that I even have this chance to review a soundtrack for not one, but TWO Paul Naschy movies is something that I never thought would be possible. Plus the fact that one of the films is the first Naschy flick I had ever seen, and still remains my favorite, Horror Rises from the Tomb. So I am more than a wee bit stoked when this came in the mail.

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The Cinepocalypse Is Upon Us!

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Cinepocalypse Graphic

This last Thursday, the new film festival Cinepocalypse started at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago. With over 60 films selected that are running through Thursday the 9th, there are plenty of new films, as well as some old classics, that are just going to blow you away.

This Monday alone is going to be one hell of a special night. At 7pm, they will be screening a rare 35mm Italian print of Dario Argento’s Suspiria! For this 40th year anniversary, this uncut print will be in Italian with English subtitles. And if that wasn’t enough to excite you, how about the fact that actress Jessica Harper will be in attendance!!!

For those couple out there that haven’t seen Suspiria, then here’s the trailer.

 

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Mystery Photo 10-30

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One more day before Halloween. Hopefully everyone has been enjoying the holiday season. I know we have! So let’s continue that with this week’s photo. But first, let us review last week’s. It was from the film Invasion of the Vampires (1963), a nice little atmospheric gem from Mexico. Kudos to Hoby Abernathy, Doug Lamoreux, and Gavin Schmitt for sending in the correct answer!

Now on to this week’s photo. I thought in the spirit of the holiday, I’d stick with another classic black and white film. Take a good look and see if you can tell what movie this shot has been taken from.

Please remember not to post your answers here, so that others can have a chance at it. Good luck!

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A Celebration of Peter Cushing

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Cushing-covers

I don’t think there is a horror fan out there that doesn’t love Peter Cushing. I mean, how could you not love this incredibly talented actor that appeared in so many great films, let alone in the horror genre? Well, the fine folks who publish the We Belong Dead magazine, as well as the books 70’s Monster Memories and Unsung Horrors, have now published a new volume solely dedicated to this fine actor, simply called A Celebration of Peter Cushing.

This new book is 300 pages in a large format, and in full color, with introduction by Veronica Carlson. It covers not just his horror films, but all of his career, such as his roles as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Who.

Now the one thing that might sting a bit for us Cushing fans in the US is the price. It is £25.00, with another £20.00 for shipping. That makes it about $60 for us. Now that is a bit high for a single book. But I have their previous two volumes and they are just gorgeous volumes. Their 70’s Monster Memories sold out upon publication and now goes so a ridiculous amount, so it might be a wise ‘investment’ to take the plunge. Plus, it is about one of our most beloved actors, so why not get something that gives a fine tribute to this uncommon human being. 

You can place your order, or get more information about it from their website HERE.

 

Book Review: Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1970-1979

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IItalian Gothic Horror Filmstalian Gothic Horror Films, 1970-1979
Published by McFarland, 2017. 256 pages
By Roberto Curti

Here is yet another prime example of why I love horror reference books. I’d say that I’ve seen my share of Italian horror films in the last 30 years and could pretty much hold my own in a conversation about said topic. But reading through Curti’s book, it showed me a couple of things. First, I don’t know as much as I thought I did! Not even close. Just a few pages in and I was reading about films that I had either never heard, had forgotten about, and never seen. Probably the first. But it also showed me just how great the genre is because even after all these years, there are still plenty of more titles out there just waiting for me to explore.

Curti definitely knows his stuff. With each entry, he gives us not only the usual items, like cast, crew, and synopsis, but also a plethora of information about the film and the people involved with it. While only covering a decade of cinema, it was a great time frame for Italian horror. Listed within these pages are more than a few of some of my favorites, like The Devil’s Wedding Night (1973), Night of the Devil (1972), or even entertaining trash like Werewolf Woman (1976) or Lady Frankenstein (1971), and many others. It will give you plenty of titles that you’re going to want to seek out for the first time, and many that you’ve seen before but now want to revisit once again.

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Movie Review: Don’t Torture a Duckling

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Don't Tortue Duckling1

Don’t Torture a Duckling (1972)
Directed by Lucio Fulci
Starring Florinda Bolkan, Barbara Bouchet, Tomas Milian, Irene Papas, Marc Porel, Vito Passeri

I can still remember when I first got hold of a bootleg copy of this rare (at the time) Fulci film. This was at a time in my career as a horror fan that I only knew Fulci from his gore films such as Zombie, The Beyond, and such. So it was quite a surprise seeing something so different than what I was used to. Plus, it also showed me just how a skilled craftsman Fulci was before he became known for just his gory films. This is a grim tale of a small Italian village where someone is killing young boys. Several people seem suspicious, some are even accused and bad things happen. Fulci shows us a darker side of humanity, while still being able to weave together a great little giallo.

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Umberto Lenzi – Rest in Peace

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Umberto Lenzi - RIPIf you were a fan of Giallo films, or just Italian horror cinema, especially their cannibal sub-genre, then you definitely knew who Umberto Lenzi was. While he started off studying law, he turned to his real passion…cinema. At first working as a critic and writer, he soon moved into film production. His first film was Queen of the Seas (1958). But starting in the late ’60s, he made several well made giallos, such as So Sweet…So Perverse (1969), Seven Blood-Stained Orchids (1972), Spasmo (1974), and Eyeball (1975).

But in 1972, he made the film Sacrifice (aka Man from Deep River), which was a slight take off on the 1970 film A Man Called Horse, except Lenzi’s was a little darker. With this film, some say that he started the Italian cannibal sub-genre, even before Deodato’s Cannibal Holocaust (1980). In fact, a year after that film came out, Lenzi did his best to top even that one, with Cannibal Ferox (aka Make Them Die Slowly) which one might think would be hard to do. Whether he did or not is up to the viewers, but either way, it’s a pretty tough film to watch. He would continue to make films into the ’90s, but never with any real success, usually due to budgetary reasons.

While he is usually remembered because of the later day films he made, his early giallo titles are well worth seeking out. None the less, no matter your tastes in his films, he was one filmmaker that made a permanent impact on the horror genre. And that is something to be said.

Lenzi recently passed away on Oct. 19th, at the age of 86. He will be missed, but his films will help him and his memory live on.

Mystery Photo 10-23

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Monday, Monday…here we are back once again. Hope we all had a fright-filled weekend? I know we did. But let’s get down to business. Our last photo was that of the lovely Mary Woronov in the 1989 film Warlock! Kudos to the following for sending in the correct answer: S. Hayashi, Kuba Haczek, Gavin Schmitt, Chadwick Saint John, Gert Verbeeck, and William Wilson. Well done, folks. Well done, indeed.

So on to this week’s pictorial puzzle. This one not only might stump you, but will probably have you seeking it out if you don’t know what it is, just from the photo alone. I mean…how could you not want to see this???

As always, please do not post your answers here so everyone can have a chance. Just send them in an email to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

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