Author Archives: Jon Kitley

Movie Review: Coherence (2013)

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coherenceposterCoherence (2013)
Directed by James Ward Byrkit
Starring Emily Baldoni, Maury Sterling, Nicholas Brendon, Lorene Scafaria, Elizabeth Gracen, Hugo Armstrong, Alex Manugian, Lauren Maher

It doesn’t happen too often these days, when a movie that you know nothing about completely blows you away. A movie that captures your attention, your admiration, and carries you through to the end credits while you anxiously await what happens next. Coherence is one of those films.

Without giving anything away, the movie is simply about a group of friends getting together for a dinner party during an evening when a comet is passing by the Earth rather closely. When the power goes out, they go outside to take a look around the neighborhood and notice one house down the street that still has power. But once a couple of them walk down there to investigate, things get a little strange.

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Drive-In Super Monster-Rama

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Back in 2011, we headed out to Pennsylvania for this drive-in event, making a little vacation of it and just had one hell of a time. If we were only closer to this, we would be there each and every time. But this year, they have one hell of an incredible line up. I mean, where else could you have the chance to see 4 of the Roger Corman Poe films on one night at a drive-in theater? Then the next night, see two classic Hammer Dracula films, along with two other vampire classics? Almost makes me want to move!

If you are in the area, or feel like making one amazing road trip out there, I couldn’t recommend this event enough. DVD Drive-In and the Riverside Drive-In Theatre continue to work their ass off keeping the drive-in experience alive for both the young and old, and always coming up with some great titles. Maybe one of these days we’ll make it out there again.
For all the information, just click HERE.

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Turkey Day in May

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IMG_9413As most of you know, since 2003, I have been holding an annual event on Black Friday in November that I call Turkey Day, where a group of die hard film fans partake in some of the finest in cinematic shipwrecks, all the while being entertained as a bunch of giddie school girls. Well, most of the time. My list of titles that I gather throughout the year keeps getting longer, which is not a bad thing. But a few weeks ago, I was talking to my friend and regular Turkey Day co-pilot, about getting some people together for a movie day. During that conversation that I mentioned about having so many potential titles already on my Turkey Day list. Aaron then threw out, “Why don’t we have another Turkey Day?” The minute that audio hit my brain, the wheels started turning. This was the early part of May when this conversation happened and it hit me that this was six months since our last Turkey Day. So then…Turkey Day in May was born! I quickly sent out a few calls to some friends and set the day for May 16th. My wife wasn’t going to be home most of the day, so the usual feasting on homemade pizzas was going to have to be replaced with some handy delivery pizza. Nowhere near as good as what we usually get, but it was suffice.

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Mystery Photo 5-25

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It seems I completely forgot about getting a new photo up last week. Must have been one muther of a Monday! But today we’re back with a new photo. But first, let’s review our last one. It seems we stumped everyone with that last one, not getting a single correct answer. But it was a tough one. The shot was from the 1986 film The Supernaturals, about some ghosts from the Civil War coming back for blood. Not a great movie, but not terrible either. Plus you get to see a few familiar faces in there too.

But anyway, let’s get to this week’s photo. Though, I have to say, this one might not be any easier. But then again, that is the whole idea, right? I just thought it was a pretty cool looking shot and needed to be shared. So give a peek and see what you can come up with. Just send me an email at jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good luck!

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Little Shoppe of Horrors # 34

by in Misc. Ramblings and tagged , , , | 1 Comment

LSoH34I don’t buy too many magazines these days. They are a bit pricey for the content you actual get, plus they are not the hardest to find these days. Sure, I’ve tried subscribing to a few, but some of them don’t seem to worry about when you get your issue. Since most of them are 1/3 of ads, I feel that you’re better off putting that $10 towards an actual book. But that is just me.

But, one magazine that I think is much different than those, and one that I buy each and every time a new issue comes out, is Richard Klemensen’s Little Shoppe of Horrors. I have been picking up them religiously since issue #8, which came out back in 1984. “The Klem” as he is called, has been putting this magazine out for over 40 years. If there are two things that shows in each and every issue is passion and dedication for Hammer Films, as well as British horror in general. With every issue, information is packed to the gills from the topics they are covering, with some stunning artwork filling out the pages. You’ll find information and interviews that give you a lot of insight of these films. And the “making of” pieces, which are usually written by Bruce G. Hallenbeck, are worth the cost of the issue alone. He never fails to shed new light on whatever film he is writing on.

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I, Madman escapes to Blu-Ray

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imadman blurayIt’s not too often these days that a movie comes out that is quite different and even original compared to most of the films coming out. That really goes for any era of cinema. But in 1989, this film snuck out with not much attention, other than from the likes of Fangoria and a few other horror outlets. And that is a damn shame because I feel that Tibor Takacs’ I, Madman is an exceptional film and still remains one of my favorites today.

The movie does a great job bending reality and fiction together, with our beautiful protagonist Jenny Wright never knowing what is real or from the book she is reading. Or has the story from the very pages come to life? Clayton Rohner stars as the police detective and boyfriend of Wright, trying to uncover the strange murders that have started recently. Wright seems to think she knows who the villain is, but barely believes herself, let alone trying to convince the police. Takacs and screenwriter David Chaskin does an excellent job weaving the two worlds together, and giving us one hell of a movie.

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And the Award for Worst Interview Ever Goes to…

by in Misc. Ramblings and tagged , , | 1 Comment

satansbladeblurayLast weekend, I had the pleasure of viewing the blu-ray release of Satan’s Blade, from producer/co-writer/director/actor L. Scott Castillo Jr. Followers of the Krypt all know about my annual Turkey Day Marathons that I hold every November. Well…I decided to do an impromptu event and hold the First Annual Turkey Day in May event! Yeah, it was kind of last minute, but I already had a plentiful list of titles for the next Turkey Day, I didn’t see a problem with doubling the fun during the year! Some of the usual suspects were there and I’ll have a full report posted at some point this month.

But this rant is really about the 1984 film Satan’s Blade. Actually, not about the movie itself, but one of the extras on this new blu-ray. There is an interview with director Castillo on the disc. Honestly…it is kind of hard to say it is in an interview with the director does 99% of the talking, while the poor woman interview is looking into the camera with the definite “shoot me now” look. Of course, that is when you can SEE her on camera. Let me explain. I’m not sure who they had working the camera, but when compared to the likes of Ed Wood or Ray Dennis Steckler, those guys should have been multiple Oscar winners for cinematography.

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Giant Spider Invades Blu-Ray!

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giantspiderblurayRegulars to the Krypt not only know of my love for Turkey movies, but especially when they come from Wisconsin and involve a giant spider that has been made out of a Volkswagen beetle. It just boggles the mind when a movie like Bill Rebane’s The Giant Spider Invasion not only gets a blu-ray edition, but a 2-disc edition with a ton of extras, including a new documentary by the talented Daniel Griffith. But it is all true.

VCI Entertainment will be unleashing this Rebane’s monstrous arachnid, The Giant Spider Invasion next month on June 6th. It will feature the new documentary Size Does Matter! Making of The Giant Spider Invasion which is probably the thing that I’m looking forward to the most. Below is all the other extras included on this special edition. Some of it looks like it might have been filmed back at the Bill Rebane Film Fest that took place in Madison, WI, back in 2005, which I was honored to be in attendance. So it will great to see that being archived.

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Fantastic Films of the Decades…or Why I Will Need a Part Time Job!

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Fantastic Films of the Decades vol 1The fine folks at Peveril Publishing are about to unleash the first book in their massive 9 volume set called Fantastic Films of the Decades. Volume 1 will be about the Silent Era, written by Wayne Kinsey. If you have any of Kinsey’s Hammer books or magazines, then you know how amazing this book is going to be. And I for one, can’t wait to add this title, as well as the following volumes to my collection. Which is why I’m probably going to need a part-time job!

Peveril Publishing has only been around a relatively short time, but have put out some amazing titles, such as one of their last releases, The Hammer Legacy. Yes, it was a bit pricy, especially getting it shipped from the UK, but well worth every penny/pound! They haven’t posted what the price is going to be on this volume but hope it is reasonable for us in the states, which I’m sure it will be.

Each volume will be a hardcover edition, full color and limited to only 500 signed editions. I’m sure it will sell out rather quickly, just like their Hammer Legacy book, so don’t wait too long. They are not taking pre-orders just yet, but head over to their website and sign up for their newsletter that way you can be notified when they are taking orders. You can get to their website by clicking HERE.

The rest of the 9 volume series will consist of the following:

Fantastic Films of the 30’s
Fantastic Films of the 40’s
Fantastic Films of the 50’s vol 1 (1950-56)
Fantastic Films of the 50’s vol 2 (1957-59)
Fantastic Films of the 60’s vol 1 (1960-64)
Fantastic Films of the 60’s vol 2 (1965-69)
Fantastic Films of the 70’s vol 1 (1970-74)
Fantastic Films of the 70’s vol 2 (1975-79)

Oh yeah…don’t forget…Print is Dead!

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Meet Adam Rockoff – Author of The Horror of It All!

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horrorofitallI know we just posted our review of Mr. Rockoff latest book recently, but he will be doing a few book signings in the next month or so in the Chicagoland and Wisconsin area. If you are nearby one of these bookstores, I would highly recommend stopping by and picking up a copy of it. It is a fun book and Adam is a great guy with plenty of great stories about the genre. Tell him we sent him.

Here’s where he will be appearing:

May 19th at Anderson’s at Two Doors East in Naperville, IL
May 20th at Boswell Books in Milwaukee, WI
May 21st at The Book Cellar in Chicago, IL
July 20th at the Madison Public Library in Madison, WI