Author Archives: Jon Kitley

Must Have Box Sets

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You got to give some major props to these smaller boutique labels like Vinegar Syndrome, Synapse Films, and so many more, that keep putting out some rare titles that are either out-of-print on DVD or maybe never even been released in a digital format before. Today saw the announcement of two different box sets that I’m pretty excited about. One of the sets, I already all the titles, but upgrading to Blu-ray, especially with all the extras, it’s a no-brainer.

But let’s get to the first one that I’m most excited about. Today Severin Films announced Danza Macabra: The Italian Gothic Collection – Volume 1! For someone that is a huge Euro-Horror fan, especially the gothic horror titles, I’m very excited about this one. Coming out at the end of May, this box set will contain 4 features: The Monster of the Opera (1964), The Seventh Grave (1965), Scream of the Demon Lover (1970), and finally, Lady Frankenstein (1971), each one packed with extras.

The Monster of the Opera has a new 2K scan from the original negative, and will include audio commentary by Kat Ellinger, author of Daughters of Darkness. It will also have interviews with screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi, Italian film devotee Mark Thompson-Ashworth, and an archival interview with director Renato Polselli.

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Discover the Horror Podcast – Episode 37: Universal’s Dracula Films

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Dracula (1931), Dracula’s Daughter (1936), and Son of Dracula (1943). This is the series of films that really created and started what is now known as the Universal Classic Monster films. Dracula came out in Feb. in 1931 and did such business, the studio followed suit with another film. And another. And another.

But are these classics remembered just because of nostalgia, or are they really well-made films that are still effective today and rightly deserve the monster of “classic”? In this episode, we delve into the first three Dracula films and take a closer look at these titles to see if they hold up to us, and even more so, maybe getting you, the listener, interested enough to revisit them along with us!

Films mentioned in this episode:

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Soundtrack Review: Symptoms

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Symptoms (1974)
Released by Dragon’s Domain Records
10 Tracks with a Total Running Time of 38:59 min.
Music Composed by John Scott

The violin has always been one of my favorite instruments when it comes to setting an eerie mood, which is the first thing we hear when the score starts. Then composer Scott takes it up a notch, using some wind instruments (maybe a clarinet?) to further add some suspense, before going into some slow and echoing piano notes. All of this in the first track.

This isn’t a score that is going to fill you with a sense of terror or dread. But what it does hit is a lot of different levels of mood. There are several pieces that are very somber and almost peaceful, but then we’ll get a change where it almost tells the listener that something is about to upset that mood. The way the bass tones, sounding like from either a standup bass or maybe a cello, gives that deeper and darker sound to give more depth into what we’re feeling.

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Mystery Photo 2-20

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Here I was trying to be tricky by posting a photo from Hellraiser (1987) but not of the cenobites, thinking I might fool everyone, but apparently that wasn’t the case. Yes, it is from the Barker film, of the wonderfully villainous Julia, right after doing some poor bloke in to help feed Frank. Kudos to the following that sent in the correct photo: Scott Bradley, Dada Debaser, Kevin Hart, Christopher Highland, Kristin Wicks, and William Wilson. Well done.

For this week, this one you might think is easy, but you just never know because there are a lot of films out there with these mean little characters in there. Put that grey matter to work and then send us your answer, in an email to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

April Ghouls Drive-In Monster-Rama

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For those fans of slasher films, this is one weekend you might want to plan on heading out the Riverside Drive-In in Vandergrift, PA. Over Friday and Saturday nights, Aril 28th & 29th, you’ll have the opportunity to see 8 classic slasher films on the big drive-in screen! There are some classic titles in there, as well as some rarities that will probably be the first chance of you seeing them on the big screen! Below are the titles listed for each day, along with all the other details. We’ve been there a couple of times and it is always a blast.

Love Live the Drive-In!

Book Review: Claude Rains: An Actor’s Voice

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Claude Rains: An Actor’s Voice
Published by University Press of Kentucky, 2008. 290 pages.
By David J. Skal with Jessica Rains

Like most horror fans, I knew the name of Claude Rains because of his starring role in The Invisible Man (1933), as well his performances in The Wolf Man (1941), and Phantom of the Opera (1943). Eventually I would learn of his other pictures and that he had come from the world of the stage, starting out at a very young age, and even battling a speech impediment and strong cockney accent. I even wrote a retrospective on The Invisible Man for HorrorHound magazine, doing quite a bit of research, and thinking I had a good insight into the actor himself. But like most things in life, there is always room to learn more. And after reading Skal’s book, I realized how much more.

There are several biographies currently in publication on Rains that I had planned on adding to my library, but it was Skal’s book that I acquired first. While looking for the next book to read, this was still sitting off to the side, not yet put away in the bookshelf, I picked it up and started to read the introduction. The next thing I knew, I was already 50 pages deep into this wonderful story. I think that is where Skal excels here, in telling a very compelling story filling it in with bits of information here and there.

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Mystery Photo 2-13-23

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Greetings, and welcome to another installment of the Mystery Photo Mondays! Now since tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, one would almost think I would use something from My Bloody Valentine, but I’m not that easy. But the I did choose is sort of a love story . . . kind of. Probably going to be pretty easy for the lot of you, so we’ll see how much you’re paying attention. But before we get to that, let’s cover last week’s photo. It was from Luigi Cozzi’s unofficial entry as the Third Mother film, The Black Cat (1989), starring the lovely Caroline Munro. Kudos to Dave Fronto and William Wilson for sending in the correct answer.

Okay, take a peek at the photo below and see what you come up with. Just remember to send your guess to me in an email, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

Robot Monster In 3-D is Almost Here!

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The official 70th Anniversary release of one of the greatest films in movie history (okay . . . stop laughing), the one and only Robot Monster will finally be hitting Blu-ray and DVD this summer. It will be distributed by Bayview Entertainment with this new smashing cover art by Stewart McKissick. All the extras are still being worked out, but they did announce that they have recorded an audio commentary with star Gregory Moffett, as well as a featurette about him. We got to meet him at a Monster Bash conference a few years ago and he had some great stories then. It is so great to see that they will now be documented in this new release.

I know I contributed to the Kickstarter to get this released in its original 3-D format, so I know these guys have been hard at work making this thing happen. Can’t wait to be able to see this in its restored form, as well as in 3-D. But until then, check out the artwork below.

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Movie Review: Attack of the Beast Creatures

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(1985)
Directed by Michael Stanley.
Starring Robert Nolfi, Robert Lengyel, Julia Rust, Lisa Pak

I first came across this title while roaming the video stores back in the day and rented it simply because of the title and the box art. I mean, how could it be bad? It says right on the box that a group of shipwreck survivors end up on a deserted island, and “a living hell breaks loose when the survivors encounter gruesome, flesh-eating Beast Creatures!” I was totally sold. And after watching it, I was amazed that no one else was talking about it. Everybody remembers the little Zuni Fetish doll from Trilogy of Terror, right? Just imagine a whole island filled with them!

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Discover the Horror Podcast – Episode 36: Talking Movies with Jesse Nelson

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Obviously, anybody listening to this podcast is a huge fan of horror movies. There is no better time to be a movie fan because of all the incredible releases that keep coming out, not just here in the states, but around the world. From movies that we grew up loving, to the more obscure and unseen titles, it is a never-ending journey to discover or re-discover these titles. And one of the men responsible for helping us fans is Jesse Nelson from Diabolik DVD, as well as Exhumed Films, and more recently Cauldron Films.

So, sit down and listen to some great stories, and maybe even learn some etiquette when it comes to collecting, customer service, and what fans should expect from shops like Diabolik DVD, and the other boutique labels, and realize the hard work they are all doing to bring us fans some great viewing experiences.

Films mentioned during this episode:

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