Author Archives: Jon Kitley

Severin Drops Danza Macabra Vol. 3

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Fans of Spanish horror are going to love this latest box set from Severin Films. They still just blow me away with the titles they are releasing. This set has 2 films that I’ve never even heard of, and that is coming from a huge fan of Spanish horror! Not to mention the fact that they’ve never been released over here in the states. In fact, 3 out of the 4 titles have never legitimately been released over here! Plus, as usual with Severin’s releases, these are just packed full of extras, from commentaries to interviews, and much more.

PLUS, 3 of the titles are scanned in 4K from original negatives, while the last one is scanned in 2K from the negative. Keep in mind, the last time I saw Cross of the Devil was from about a 10 generation VHS tape. This was a rare title that was written by Paul Naschy and directed by John Gilling. So going from that to a 4K print!?!?! What a time to be alive!

Here’s a breakdown of the films and what extras each of them has:

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DtH Episode 70 – Universal Creature Series

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Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), Revenge of the Creature (1955), The Creature Walks Among Us (1956).

And now, we come to the end of our Universal Monster episodes, having made our way through all the Dracula films, Frankenstein, Invisible Man, Mummy, and the Wolf Man, we now take a dive into the Black Lagoon! Coming out a little less than a decade after the last Universal Monster film (no, I’m not counting A&B Meet Frankenstein), it gave birth to a whole new generation of monster fans that might not have been around for the first cycle. And it did make quite the splash amongst fans, enough to permanently give its spot in the Universal Monster class. And there is a reason for that.

Join us while we take a deep dive into these films, maybe pushing you into the deep end of some of them, discussing some things you maybe didn’t know about them, and hopefully, if we’re doing our jobs, make you revisit them and think about them a little differently, or at least a little more. That’s the beauty of films, that no matter how many times you may have seen it, you never know what the next viewing experience will bring you.

Films mentioned in this episode:

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Mark Damon – Rest in Peace

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Okay Mr. Reaper, give it a rest, will you? While Mr. Corman just left us a few days ago, now we find out that Mark Damon, who starred in Corman’s first Poe picture, House of Usher (1960), as well as in one of the segments in Mario Bava’s Black Sabbath, passed away on Sunday the 12th, at the ripe age of 91 years old, and who was still working in the industry! Granted, Damon moved into production side years ago, with over 70 titles under his credits, but I’m sure the constant working helped get him going.

As an actor, especially in the ’70s, you’d see his name in a few horror titles, such as Byleth: The Demon of Incest (1972), Crypt of the Living Dead (1973), or my personal favorite, The Devil’s Wedding Night (1973). But like a lot of these actors, directors, and others that worked on the films that we loved when we were younger, are now reaching that age. But as I always say, it is because of their work in films is what will continue to keep their work alive. And this is no different for Mark Damon. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family during this difficult time.

Mystery Photo 5-13

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Halfway through May already. That means we are even closer to Halloween! Always got to look at the positives! Especially when the temps outside start to rise. Oof. But let’s get down to why we are here. Our photo from last week was a tough one, and I knew it wouldn’t get too many. I mainly did it to get a little attention to the film. The title is Empusa (2010), which was the last film directed by Spanish icon Paul Naschy. It’s never got a release here in the states, which I hope it does at some point. Of course, the only one to send in the correct answer was our friend and Naschy scholar, Troy Howarth. So, congrats to you, Troy!

Let’s get on to this week’s photo. This is another obscure one but was released on physical media here in the states, so it is available. Take a peek below and see what you think. Just remember to send me your answer in an email, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. And most importantly, Good Luck!

Susan Blacklinie – Rest in Peace

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Susan’s name might not be as familiar as some that worked in the movie industry, even if only a few titles. But everyone out there has either seen her work, or at least know of it. She played Chrissie, the first victim in Spielberg’s Jaws (1975). So yes, she is part of the reason I won’t go in the water. She also somewhat reprised a similar role in the opening of Spielberg’s 1941 (1979), which I think am one of the few that found it funny.

But she also appeared in William Girdler’s Day of the Animals (1977), not only as an actress but also worked behind-the-scenes because her and her husband at the time were the animal trainers for those used in the film. Seeing her attacked by a bobcat is one hell of a sequence. Blacklinie had been hitting the convention circuit over the last few years, getting to meet her fans. She passed away on May 11th, at the age of 77 years old. At least on every 4th of July, when fans bust out Jaws for their annual viewing (like me), she will at least be remembered for her brief, but powerful performance in the opening. Our thoughts go out to her friends and family at his difficult time.

Roger Corman – Rest in Peace

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I know we like to throw around the word legend when we talk about people in the film industry, but that moniker doesn’t even fit Roger Corman. That title would fit him if only because of the amount of talent that he helped come up through the ranks by giving them a chance. But it goes so far beyond that. The number of movies that he both directed and produced, on the budgets they had, and yet still turned out incredibly entertaining films, is the true testament to this man’s legacy.

While only directing 56 titles, he’s produced almost 500 in his career that has spanned over 7 decades! And no matter how cheesy some of those earlier films he made in the ’50s were, the fact that they are still cherished and remembered today shows us his talent. But then he changed all of that in the ’60s with the Poe films he did with Vincent Price. That changed the genre, once again.

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Satan on Screen!

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Any horror fan knows that good old Lucifer has been showing up in movies since pretty much the beginning of cinema, with Georges Méliès 1896 short film, The House of the Devil. While mainly horror films, there are plenty of other sub-genres, from comedies to even romance, he’s always poking into other’s business. But when it comes to the horror genre, we know Satan is one villain you don’t want to come up against!

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Soavi Double Feature at Hollywood Blvd!

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Midwest Gore Fest have teamed up with Severin Films for a Michele Soavi double feature at the Hollywood Blvd. Theater in Woodridge, IL, on May 25th!

They will be screening Dellamorte Dellamore (1994) and The Church (1989), with the first feature starting at 8pm. Tickets are only $15 so make your plans now! Just click HERE to purchase your tickets.

Severin will also have a pop-up table before the screenings where you can not only pick up the 4K releases of both these incredible films, but many other great titles.

Movie Review: Oddity

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(2024)
Director Damian Mc Carthy
Starring Carolyn Bracken, Gwilym Lee, Tadhg Murphy, Steve Wall, Caroline Menton, Johnny French

I had the wonderful opportunity to recently see this new film by director Mc Carthy, even though at the time, I had no idea it was from the director of Caveat (2020), which I counted as my favorite of the year I saw it, in 2021. During one part of the movie, scrolling past a display case, you can see that scary little rabbit from Caveat and then it all clicked!

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Book Review: New Israeli Horror

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New Israeli Horror
Published by Rutgers University Press, 2024. 220 pages.
By Olga Gersheson

There is nothing I love more than a doorway that opens up a whole new world to me when it comes to horror cinema. Whether it is a documentary or a book, especially one that its main focus is on a subject of the genre that I’m not familiar with, or maybe know a little, but don’t realize just how little I know. So, when I have the opportunity to venture into that unknown territory, I usually come out excited and anxious to dive into some of that subject matter. All of that encompasses what happened upon reading Gersheson’s book New Israeli Horror.

As I started reading it, I recognized a few titles and even seen a couple mentioned, such as Big Bad Wolves (2013). But then it hit me that several of the titles I had no idea where Israeli films! Nor did I realize the number of films that have come out from Israel in the last couple of decades. Boy did my To-Watch list start to grow.

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