Author Archives: Jon Kitley

Horror Screenings at the Music Box Theatre

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The Music Box Theatre, our favorite Chicago destination, where I have been going to for over 30 years to see an unbelievable assortment of films, continues to bring screenings of both old and new horror to their theater. In case you’re interested, here’s a list of a few they have coming up.

The Hidden (1987) – Part of their David Lynch: Moving Through Time series, they are screening this great action/sci-fi/horror film directed by Jack Sholder and starring Kyle MacLachlan and Michael Nouri. This is screening on April 12th, at 11:59pm.

Super-Horror-Rama is back with two twisted tales from the even more demented mind of Japanese director Shinya Tuskamoto. On April 18th, at 11:45pm, they will be screening Denchû kozô no bôken aka Adventures of Electric Rod Boy (1987). Then the following night, they will be screening Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989), at 11:45pm. This might have been might first first film I saw at the Music Box back in the ’90s. I had seen it before from an old bootleg VHS but seeing it in the theater is even more incredible. If you haven’t seen it at all, then you don’t want to miss it.

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Mystery Photo 4-7

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Welcome to April! We’re 2 shows into our Convention World Tour, and so far, it’s been a pretty fun time! Let’s hope that continues. Our last photo was from Leprechaun: Origins (2014), which is you can get past the fact that he looks like younger creature from The Descent (2005), it’s really not a bad film. Kudos to Mike Benedict, Kevin Hart, and Erik Martin for sending in the correct answer! Well done.

This week’s photo is a little different, so let’s see if anybody can pick up what movie it is from. Just remember to send me your guess in an email, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

DtH Episode 90s Sci-Fi Horror

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Hardware (1990), Death Machine (1994), and Event Horizon (1997)

The 1990s are often thought of as a decade of dread for horror fans—not because of what was on the screen, but because nothing good supposedly came out of it. Or at least, that’s the typical response. But as we continue down the path to Discover the Horror, we’re starting to realize that what we remember about the past isn’t always accurate—whether it’s based on our own memories or what we were told.

When you really dig into those ten years, there’s actually a lot of great stuff that came out—even just here in the U.S. And when you look beyond to international horror, it gets even better. Browse through the list and you’re bound to say, “Oh yeah, I forgot about that one.”

In this episode, we decided to tackle that decade and picked three titles that, as it turns out, share some very similar themes. And we think all three are well worth watching.

Films mentioned in this episode:

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Mystery Photo 3-31

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Our last photo for March! That means we’re one quarter through 2025! Wasn’t sure if we were going to make it this far, so I guess that’s a positive. But let’s get down to business. Our last photo was from the cheery film Five (1951), from writer / director Arch Oboler, a simple tale of some survivors after the holocaust. Pretty powerful stuff here, and for the budget, I think they did a pretty stellar job. You can’t watch this and not be affected, even a little bit. It’s one that definitely needs a little more attention. Kudos to Hoby Abernathy, Dave Fronto, Bob Hartman, and Erik Martin. Nice job guys!

This week’s photo might be easy, might be hard. But then again, don’t I usually say that? So just take a look and see which one it is for you! Just remember to email me your answer, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. And Good Luck!

Soundtrack Review: Texas Chain Saw Massacre

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The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Released by Waxwork Records, 2025
14 Tracks with a Total Running Time of 40 min.
Composed and performed by Tobe Hooper and Wayne Bell

I have quite a few soundtracks that are not what most would call “music” but just ambiance sounds, rather than a melody or any type of music. They can range from vibrating elements to loud and quick bangs or clanking, to just different notes being played for a long time to build up that uneasy feeling it might cause, or any kind of feeling. Some of these are highly effective, especially when viewed with the actual film they are from. A lot of the times, you never even notice it because it is so subdued, it is almost like white noise but can help get under your skin. Listening to them by themselves though, sometimes can lose the impact it has as the film score.

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Clive Revill – Rest in Peace

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Actor Clive Revill has passed away earlier this month, at the age of 94. While he has appeared in a few horror films in his long career, such as The Headless Ghost (1959), Bunny Lake is Missing (1965), and even C.H.U.D. II: Bud the Chud (1989), he did appear in a film that think is one of the greatest haunted house movies ever made. While it doesn’t top Robert Wise’s The Haunting (1963), John Hough’s 1973 film The Legend of Hell House, based on the novel from Richard Matheson, comes damn close. Revill played the condescending Dr. Barrett, so sure of himself that he doesn’t even entertain any notion or idea that disagrees with his theories. Working alongside Roddy McDowall and Pamela Franklin, they create such tension between their characters, even though they all have the same goal. But it is their performances that make the film so special. And Revill was very much a part of that.

Our thoughts go out to his friends and family during this difficult time. But I know that, like the ghosts wandering around the Belasco House, he will live on in his wonderful performances that he left us. In Hell House, as well as the countless others in his 200 appearances. Rest in Peace.

New Critters Book Now Out!

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The Krites have escaped! Harker Press, who has released an amazing array of books on some of our favorite movies, now have a brand new one! It’s called We’re Here for the Krites: The Making of Critters, by Matthew DuPée. I can remember seeing Critters at our local drive-in, after reading about it in the pages of Fangoria and was very excited about it. Absolutely loved it. A great mixture of humor and horror, which as we all know, is not easy to do. And believe it or not, Critters 2: The Main Course was pretty entertaining too! So, I’m very excited to dig into this latest volume from Harker Press which I’m sure is going to make me want to revisit these films.

This book will have “new insights and rare photos” from the Critters franchise, including interviews with over 40 people involved, as well as over a hundred of rare photos from the series. You’ll learn about the creation process in creating these little eating machines, learning about alternate and deleted scenes, set design, and prop fabrications. There are call sheets, film schedules, and premiere invites, as well as reading about some “harrowing stories of on-set mishaps and follies!”

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Mystery Photo 3-24

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A little late in the day, but it’s still Monday so it still counts! Didn’t get back from HorrorHound Weekend until the wee hours of the morning, so running on a very little energy right now! But I did have a great time and got to talk about horror movies with a lot of people, so that is always a good thing! But let’s get to business! Last week’s photo was from the very strange film called The Driver’s Seat aka Identikit from 1974, starring Elizabeth Taylor, in probably one of the strangest roles she’s ever had! Only got one correct answer and that was from Erik Martin! Well done, Erik!

This week’s photo might be a head scratcher, but don’t ponder too long or you just may look like the guy in the photo! Just remember to send your guess to me in an email, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. And most of all, Good Luck!

DtH Episode 92 – H.P. Lovecraft Movies

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Die, Monster, Die! (1965), Necronomicon (1993), and Gods of the Deep (2023)

While Stephen King may reign supreme when it comes to movies based on his work, good or bad, one would think that with the impact that the words of H.P. Lovecraft has had on the literary world, that filmmakers would be jumping at the chance to bring his horrors to the screen. But while there are a quite a few films, not as many as you’d expect. Could it be that since Lovecraft wrote not in details of what his characters witnessed in his stories, but what it did to them, usually driving them into some kind of madness. But yet, that was the beauty of his work.

In this episode we tackle three very different films, from three different decades, almost three decades apart from each other, all based on the works of this strange author from Providence, Rhoade Island. If not you’re not too familiar with the works of Lovecraft, then here is your chance to watch three adaptations, loose as they may or may not be, but at least will give you a slight peek into his demented stories.

Films Mentioned in this Episode:

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Book Review: The Cinema Coven

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The Cinema Coven: Witches, Witchcraft and Women’s Filmmaking
Published by McFarland, 2024. 208 pages
By Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

Do we need another book on female filmmakers? Honestly, yes, we do. It goes back to my thoughts when I saw The Substance (2024) in the theater last year. Did we need another movie showing us how shitty women are treated in the film industry? Then you realize it is still going on, and that we obviously still haven’t learned enough, so that message must continue on.

So yes, we definitely need another book on women filmmakers!

As a life-long cinephile, at any point when we can learn more about a sub-genre, or subject, that we might not be familiar with, it just opens doors. It opens up more titles that we might not have heard about. It opens up more filmmakers that we might not have known. Or we knew their work, but not who it came from, or who made it. It also opens up, and this is probably the most important part, a new or different way of thinking about and looking at a specific story or subject that might have been lost on us. The beauty of any art form is being able to see something different once we’ve learned more about it. It’s inevitable. And it is one of the things I just love about cinema and more importantly, reading about it.

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