Author Archives: Jon Kitley

The Degenerate: The Life and Films of Andy Milligan

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Growing up in the age of video stores, I was aware of some of the films of Andy Milligan, such as The Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here! and Tortue Dungeon, just from seeing them on the shelves. But I never was that familiar with him, other than knowing he made some schlocky low budget films. But thanks to Severin Films, when they released their incredible Milligan box set, The Dungeon of Andy Milligan collection, which featured 14 different film titles and a plethora of extras. This amazing set allowed long-time fans, as well as beginners of Milligan’s work to really dig into his films and have the chance to see them looking better than they probably ever have. I know I have watched about a half dozen of the titles so far and have not been disappointed. Yeah, they are low budget, and often like watching a school play being filmed, but I was always entertained by the passion they had.

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New Invisible Man Book

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I know that collecting books can be a slightly obsessive, especially when you are an equally obsessive horror movie fan. For me, there is always that never-ending quest for knowledge about the films we love. Whether they are the old classics to even newer films. I strongly believe that the more you know about a film, you will see it in a different light, no matter the quality of the actual finished product.

Of course, the Universal horror films of the ’30s that were really the start of the film genre, and while they are all around the hundred-year anniversary mark, we seem to continue to get more books on the subject. And while my wallet and my bookshelves might complain, I do not!

The latest edition that I just saw was the new book by Christopher Lock, called The Invisible Man: The Complete History of the 1933 Horror Classic, which just came out. I had recently read Lock’s book on The Bride of Frankenstein, and thoroughly enjoyed it, finding a lot of interesting information in there. So, when I saw this one, I knew I would be adding it to my library. Plus, this might be the first book to cover James Whale’s 1933 adaption of the H.G. Wells novel. I have several books on the Universal Classics, but not on only this particular film. I know there is one by Philip J. Riley, but that is just on an early version of the script when Boris Karloff was attached to the project. According the blub on this new volume by Lock, it is the “only in-depth book in publication solely dedicated to this iconic film; from conception, to production, and beyond.”

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Columbus Moving Picture Show!

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The next stop on this year’s World Tour is at the Columbus Movie Picture Show. Formally known as Cinevent, which was one of the longest running movie memorabilia show around, it changed ownership and name a few years ago. We started vending at them back in 2016 and have always really enjoyed ourselves there. It’s nice to see a show like the ones I used to attend back in the 90s, when it was more about the memorabilia than overpriced autographs. We couldn’t make it to last year’s show but are back this year to have a blast like we usually do!

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Halfway to Halloween at Sulzers!

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Aaron Christensen and I will be back at the Sulzer Region Library next Tuesday with a one lecture on Family Fun Frights! This is for those family and friends that kind of like horror but might get a little too scared to watch any “serious” frightening flicks? Well, we’re going to cover a bunch of films, in a range of “scariness”, starting with some for all ages and then move up in the fear factor, but never going too extreme. Whether it’s for your own kids, or even yourself, we discuss a wide range of titles that are perfect for all year round, but especially during that Halloween season. While we will be covering some titles for a younger audience in the beginning, it will move into some more scarier titles, so the event is listed as 18 years and over.

The event is located at 4455 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago IL, 60625, going from 6:30pm to 8pm. For all the info, just click HERE to get to the library’s event calendar. Hope to see you there!

DtH Episode 94 – Horror at Home

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As a horror fan, it’s tough enough to try and keep up with all the movies, not to mention all the memorabilia and other collectibles, but just imagine having to live with one! In this episode, we have invited our wives on the show, to give their insights to not just living with a slightly obsessive fan, but how they have embraced the genre as well. You’ll hear how they became fans themselves, to what kind of film gives them the shivers! As you’ll learn, being a horror fan has become a shared experience, a passion and love for all of us. While we might not all love the same titles, we can all agree on the genre as a whole. We welcome Kat AuBuchon, Jenn Glonek, and Dawn Kitley, to what help them Discover the Horror!

Films Mentioned in this episode:

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Mystery Photo 4-14

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Almost halfway through April. Not sure if that’s a good thing or not. But I guess we still need to focus on the good out there, no matter what. It just seems to be getting harder to do that. So hopefully this little pictorial puzzle will give you a few seconds of a break from reality! But first, let’s review last week. It was from the 1981 film Evilspeak, back when you could contact the evil forces from your computer! Boy . . . if they only knew how true that would be. Congrats to the following for sending in the correct answer, and there was a lot of you: Hoby Abernathy, Todd Barwick, Mike Benedict, Chris Dyer, Dave Friedman, Kevin Hart, Bob Hartman, Christopher Highland, Ken Johnson, Steven Kennedy, Joel Kolsrud, Erik Martin, Jeff Owens, Michael Pniewski, and Brandon Trokey. Nice to know that movie still is remembered fondly!

Here’s this week’s photo. Take a look and see if you can pick where this shot is from! Just remember to send you answer to me, at jon@kitleyskrypt.com. And most of all, keep those positive thoughts going and good luck!

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!