Author Archives: Jon Kitley

Mystery Photo 7-15

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We’re not officially halfway through July, which means (hopefully) halfway through summer. I know a lot out there enjoy the sun and heat, but I am not one of those. So, bring on the fall, and of course, Halloween! In the meantime, I’ll do what I can to stay inside, behind closed curtains and doors! But let’s get to the business at hand. Last week’s photo was from Sergio Martino’s 1979 film The Great Alligator, starring the lovely Barbara Bach, Claudio Cassinelli, Mel Ferrer, and the lovely little Silvia Collatina! We only had one correct answer sent in (unless, of course, I missed one) and that was from Erik Martin! Well done, Sir!

Today’s photo might be even more obscure, but at least from this country. Take a look below and see if you recognize it where it is from. Just remember to send your guess to me in an email, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com, or I definitely will forget! And most of all, Good Luck!

Monster Bash Approaches!

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It’s been a very busy last month or so here at the Krypt, which is probably why there hasn’t been a ton of updates lately. But being busy isn’t a bad thing, especially when it is doing stuff you love, and I have definitely had my plate of fun more than filled! From a Godzilla marathon, library lectures (while trying to figure things out on PowerPoint!), writing assignments, our podcast, and more, it has been a whirlwind of chaos. The only downside of this last month was the passing of my cousin Brett. While at random times that still hits me out of nowhere, I know that he was one of my biggest supporters in what I do, which means I need to continue on.

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DtH Episode 74 – Silent German Expressionism Films

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The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), The Golem; How He Came into the World (1920), and Waxworks (1924).

In the very beginning of cinema, it was the German filmmakers who took cinema to the next level, even when it was still in its infancy. Creating strange angles, weird landscapes and buildings, and bizarre stories, these filmmakers gave audiences something completely new and different. It made such an impact, that it would inspire future filmmakers for generations to come.

While being silent, these films still created such haunting images, wild characters, and fantastical designs of the sets, that can still make an impact to today’s modern audiences. When Discovering the Horror, it is always important to know how we got to where we are, and the German expressionist horror films of that era is a great place to start. If you want to scoff at silent cinema, then you are depriving yourself of some truly great pieces of art, and of history.

Films mentioned in this episode:

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Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein Soundtrack

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Are you a fan of the Universal Classic Monsters? Or maybe of comedic actors Bud Abbott and Lou Costello? When you combine these two, you have a film that is what I feel the best of both of those two worlds in Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948). While it is a comedy, there is plenty of monster fun within the running time, with not only Frankenstein’s creature, but we get Dracula, the Wolf Man, and even the Invisible Man is a very small “cameo” at the end. Now, the fine folks at Intrada have started a Kickstarter to help finance the creation of a CD soundtrack release of this score, and we only have a few more days to being to contribute!

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Mystery Photo 7-8

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Our photo from last week was from the 1983 film Of Uknown Origin, starring Peter Weller vs a big rat! It’s actually a really well-done film, plenty of great camera work, and a good cast. Look for Louis Del Grande in the role of a superintendent who tries to help Weller. Last time we saw him, Michael Ironside made his head explode! Kudos to Bryan Senn and William Wilson for sending in the correct answer.

Now on to this week’s photo. Yeah, I know . . . could be one of a hundred movies. That’s the point, isn’t it? Let’s just see how good you are! Just remember to send your answer to me in an email, to jon@kitleyskyrpt.com. And Good Luck!

Music to Our (F)Ears Lecture

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Next Tuesday, July 9th, from 6:30pm to 7:30pm, join two Rondo Award-winning authors, Aaron Christensen and me, at the Sulzer Regional Branch of the Chicago Public Library, for a new lecture on Horror Film soundtracks. From Psycho‘s shrieking strings to Halloween‘s creepy synths to The Omen‘s haunting choral chants, music in fright flicks can arguably be called the most effective special effect of all. We will explore the aural thrills and chills that have etched a permanent place in popular culture… and our nightmares.

For all the information, just click HERE. Hope to see you there.

Brett Baish – Rest in Peace

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Okay cancer … you can just fuck off now. Seriously. Most of you out there have no idea who this person is but he was my wife’s cousin, who I also knew for most of his life. I started dating Dawn a year or two after Brett was born. But Brett left this world today, which was way too fucking early. He put up a good fight, but now can rest pain free and peacefully.

I used to bring Brett (the one on the right) to a bunch of conventions years ago as my helper. He was probably one of the biggest Friday the 13th fans I knew, but also just a simple horror fan. He’d watch anything I suggested or sat him down to watch with me, and always enjoyed them. He didn’t care how cheesy or silly they might be, he still loved them as much as the biggest horror classic out there. He was my helper for quite a few of the early Cinema Wasteland shows, even went out to Baltimore once or twice with me and was always there to help if I asked. I know he was just thrilled to be there and to help out.

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Books, Books and More Books!

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Books are a strange thing. When you dig into the details of the publishing world, for every huge best seller, there are countless other titles that barely sell a couple of hundred copies in their lifetime. And with each one of those, the author spent a lot of time on them, years for some, to have them waste away into obscurity.

Happy Saturday!

Fortunately, for people like me and more of a few out there reading this, we still continue to add more and more of these volumes to our library, even though we know the realistic notion of getting to read each and every one of them gets smaller and smaller with each one we purchase. And yet, we still do it. I know for a fact that I do. For me, being that usually get non-fiction books dealing with the horror genre, I never know when I might need to pull particular title out for a little research. I mean, I do it all the time, depending on what I’m working on.

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DtH Episode 73: Pre-Code Horror Comics

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In the mid 1950’s an overzealous witch hunt took place in the United States focused on the corrupting effects of comic books on young people, which ended in horror comics being banned from the shelves by a draconian comics code.  But why? What did those comics contain that got people so riled up? Well, it depends on who you ask.

WE asked Dr. Dan Yezbick, a comics scholar, and he sparked a lively discussion. If you’re only vaguely aware of this chapter of horror history, strap in, because pre-code horror is one of the more fascinating areas of the history of the genre.

Comics mention in this episode:

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Mystery Photo 6-24

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Last week’s photo was from a film that just watching the trailer on TV scared the crap out of me, the 1974 film Beyond the Door. Not sure why, but something about it just got under my skin. But 50 years later, I still think it is a fun film and is still effective in some parts. Kudos to the following for sending in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Steve Archacki, Chris Dyer, Mike Shields, Michael Fitzneski, and William Wilson. Well done!

Now onto this week’s photo. Might be easy, might not be. I know I say that a lot, but I’m not giving you much here really, but we’ll see how it goes. Just remember to send your guess to me in an email, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. PLEASE do not post your answers here, that way everyone can have a chance to guess. And lastly, Good Luck!