Author Archives: Jon Kitley

Mystery Photo 8-7

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Good Evening! Yes, a little later than our normal Mystery Photo update, but we were still recovering from the last three days at Flashback Weekend. But let’s get to what you’ve probably been sitting at your computer all day just waiting for this to be posted…right?

Hello?

Okay, okay…we did get quite a few people who recognized that little clip from Amicus’ 1970 bizarre little film Scream and Scream Again. I remember the very first time I watched this, I was so pissed off that while it gives Price, Lee, and Cushing top billing, they have very little scenes together, especially with Cushing getting killed off after one scene! But you have to give them kudos for releasing something so strange as this one. Kudos out to the following for sending in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Gregory Avery, Dave Fronto, Bill Harrison, Doug Lamoreux, Jeff Owens, Michael Shields, Mark Turner, Alan Tromp, and William Wilson.

Now on to this week’s photo. Might be easy. Might not be easy. But give it a good look and see if you can figure it out. Good luck. Please remember not to post your answer here, but send them to us in an email to jon@kitleyskrypt.com

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The Year of Naschy Continues…

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Night-Howling-Beast

Finally! We can happily announce the titles for the Paul Naschy Collection Vol. 2! Now, not to diminish how amazing it was to get the films in Vol. 1 released on Blu-ray, but to be fair, those titles all had been previously released on DVD. BUT…Volume 2 is going to give us some that were not only never released on DVD in the states before, but one of them is probably one of the most sought after titles amongst Naschy fans. That title would be the 1975 masterpiece, The Werewolf and the Yeti (aka Night of the Howling Beast). We’re used to seeing copies from either the Super Video VHS tape, or the Greek PAL VHS, both of which didn’t look that great. The Super Video print was so dark that during the night scenes it was hard to see anything! Well, knowing Shout Factory’s quality, all of that should be corrected now.

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Mystery Photo 7-31

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That time again, folks. Time to start the new week once again. But before we get back into the grind, let’s take a peek at this week’s photo. But before we do that, let us review last week’s photo! It was from Lamberto Bava’s 1987 giallo Delirium. Great cast in that one! Kudos to the following for sending in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Troy Howarth, and Bryan Martinez.

Now to get to this week’s photo. I found this one just hanging around so I thought I’d use it! So take a good look and see if you can identify the film. Good luck!

As always please remember not to post your answers here, so others can have a chance at it. Just send them to us in an email to jon@kitleyskrypt.com.

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Bava Comes to Chicago!

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Black Sabbath

Some time ago, we posted about a Mario Bava Film Festival that was being held in New York, and that since we’re in the Chicago area, it was just too far to even think of making it to it. But now Chicago fans don’t need to worry since those Bava titles are coming to the Gene Siskel Film Center, starting next weekend, on August 4th! If you have never had the chance to witness the wonder of Mario Bava on the big screen, I couldn’t recommend it enough, especially titles like Blood and Black Lace or Black Sabbath. The colors alone on these two will just blow your mind. But even the beautiful black and white cinematography in Bava’s directorial debut, Black Sunday, is just stunning to see. Seriously, if you are a fan of horror films, Italian horror, or cinema in general, do yourself a favor and make it out to some of these (if not all of them!).

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Book Review: Monster Movies of Universal Studios

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Monster Movies of Universal StudiosThe Monster Movies of Universal Studios
By James L. Neibaur
Published by Rowman & Littlefield, 2017. 213 pages.

Anytime there is a book about the Universal monster movies, then count me in, since I’m always up for revisiting these classic films. Of course, the only problem is that since this subject has been written about just a few times before, it might be tough to come up with something new and different for readers to get information that have haven’t several times before. But overall, I think that Neibaur does a good job discussing these films.

After a very brief history of Universal Studios (which could be a book on it’s own), the it follows all the movies from there that feature their main set of monsters: Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy, the Wolf Man, the Invisible Man, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. So any film that featured one of these monsters, or possibly their descendent, the title is covered. There is a total of 29 features covered here, starting with 1931’s Dracula and ending with The Creature Walks Among Us (1956), with each chapter covering each of the titles. The credits and cast are listed, before Neibaur gets into details of each film, such as the plot, information about the people involved, and some other trivia as well.

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Movie Review: The Ghost of Frankenstein

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Ghost of Frankenstein Banner

The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)
Directed by Erle C. Kenton
Starring Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, Cedric Hardwicke, Ralph Bellamy, Lionel Atwill, Evelyn Ankers, Janet Ann Gallow, Barton Yarborough, Dwight Frye

There are certain movies from our childhood that still hold a type of charm over us. Ones that when watching it as an adult, even though the film might have flaws, or just isn’t the best, it still is able to recreate the same feeling it did upon that first viewing, all those years ago. The Ghost of Frankenstein is one of those for me. I still consider the original 1931 Frankenstein film one of my favorites and a much better film, but for some reason, I’d probably be more likely to sit down and watch Ghost on some afternoon than the original. Maybe because watching the original, I view it more like an adult, but with Ghost, it makes me feel like a 14 year old kid again watching it on my 13-inch black and white TV. That was when I first got to see this and I can still remember sitting there in my room, eyes glued to the little television set.

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Music Box of Horrors Announces Date

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MBoH17 logo

Chicago’s first and foremost 24-hour marathon is back again this year for another fun-filled, terror-packed deluge of demented cinematic treasures! This year’s event will be taking place from noon on Saturday, Oct. 7th to the following noon on Sunday.

What do they have in store for you this time? Well, more details will be coming soon, and trust me, you won’t be disappointed. But so far, they have announced that they will be screening John Carpenter’s highly underrated, Lovecraftian tale, In the Mouth of Madness (1994), a rare screening from the only surviving 16mm print of Rusty Cundieff’s Tales from the Hood (1995), and one of the THE best Christmas horror movies ever filmed, Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010).

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Suspiria Screening at Flashback Weekend

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Suspiria

Okay Argento fans, now is your chance to see Suspiria on the big screen like you’ve never seen it before. On Friday night, Aug. 4th, at 10:30pm at the AMC Rosemont 18 (formally Muvico), they will be screening the new 4K restoration of this Argento classic on the big screen, thanks to Synapse Films. We all know the incredible work that Synapse has done on their previous releases, so you know that this version, “beautifully restored from an original fully uncut and uncensored 35mm Italian camera negative, presented with the original 4.0 discrete sound mix not heard since the original theatrical release in 1977”, it is going to be just jaw-dropping amazing to witness.

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Soundtrack Review: Wish Upon

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Wish Upon CDWish Upon
Released by Lakeshore Records, 2017
25 Tracks with a Total Running time of 42 min.
Music by tomandandy

When four notes of a score hook you in, showing just what kind of music you’re in for, the composer has done something right. There are a ton of scores out there that while are good and fill out the background while the movie is playing, a good and creepy score will grab you right away, burrowing its way into your psyche. The four notes that I mentioned are used throughout the entire score, but it is that one chilling part that gets you.

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Mystery Photo 7-24

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Sorry for the late posting, but its Monday, so that has to mean a new Mystery Photo, right? Before we get to this week’s, let us go over our last one. It was from the 1981 slasher flick Graduation Day. How could you go wrong with a movie starring Christopher George? Congrats to the following that sent in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy and Robert Freese. Well done, guys!

Okay, so here is this week’s photo for you to take a ponder on. Just remember not to post your answers here, but instead put them in an email to us at jon@kitleyskrypt.com.

Good Luck!

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