Mystery Photo 12-5-22

Welcome to our first Mystery Photo for December! That means we’ll be in 2023 before you know it! Better get those last-minute films in to make it on this year’s list! But let’s get down to business. Last week’s photo was from José Ramón Larraz 1973 film Scream…and Die, also known as The House that Vanished. Which, depending on which version you have, it could be cut quite a bit. I know the Blu-ray release that came out here in the states is definitely cut. The copy I have from an old VHS tape under the Scream…and Die title looks to be the full version, though the print is a little less than stellar. But still worth seeing if you’re a fan of Larraz’s early work. Definitely repeating the sleaze and dark tone that he had been doing so far in his career. Kudos to the following for sending in the correct answer: Kevin Hart, Gary McGuire, and Todd Warren. Well done!

Okay, throwing everyone a bone as an early holiday gift with this week’s photo. Should be pretty easy. Or is it? Maybe I’m trying to make throw you off by making you think it is easy, when in fact, it’s an obscure film only shown in one theater in outer Mongolia back in the ’40s, that reported made people go mad. Or not. Either way, take a look and see what you think. Just send me your guess, in an email, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. As always, Good Luck!

To-See List!

Around this time of year, everyone is making their Best Of lists for the last year, myself included. But here’s an idea . . . how about you make a list of films that you will watch next year. There are more than a few books (some pictured below) that give you a list of films you must see before you die or the Top 100 in whatever genre out there, plus there are plenty of those lists online if you just google it. Or, since everyone will be posting their lists within the next month, you could even go through those and see which ones you haven’t seen. For me, usually when I go through there, I’ve seen quite a few, but there is usually a title or two that I’ve never gotten around to. So, while I’m working on my Best Viewings for this year, I am also compiling a list of films that I plan to knock out in 2023.

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DtH Podcast: Episode 31: Unearthed Zombie Films

Sugar Hill (1974), Wild Zero (1999), Juan of the Dead (2011).

Everyone loves zombie films. Ever since Romero brought them to the screen in 1968 with Night of the Living Dead, they have become one of the horror genre’s favorite and most used monster. With this sub-genre flooding the market over the last 2 decades, there are a lot of good films that get buried or forgotten. Because of that, we decided to dig up three titles that we feel need more time in the spotlight. They are all three uniquely different, with more than a little social commentary in there, but all damn entertaining.

So, sit back, take some notes, and then seek these films out! Even a genre as “dead” as zombies, there are still plenty of them to see that you’ll still find damn entertaining and well worth your time.

Movies mentioned in this episode:

Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), Blacula (1972), Castle of the Living Dead (1964), Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things (1972), Dawn of the Dead (1978), The Dead (2010), Death Line (1972), Juan of the Dead (2011), Night of the Living Dead (1968), Poltergeist (1982), Race with the Devil (1975), Salem’s Lot (1979), Scream Blacula Scream (1973), Serpent and the Rainbow (1988), She-Beast (1966), Six-String Samurai (1998), Sugar Hill (1974), Under the Shadow (2016), White Zombie (1932), Wild Zero (1999)

Mystery Photo 11-28

For those that didn’t send in the correct photo must not have read my Turkey Day report because I unknowingly used the exact same photo of last week’s Mystery Photo, from Bill Rebane’s Rana: The Legend of Shadow Lake (1980). If that is where you got it and sent in your answer, I’ll still count it, so no worries! Yes, that is the gill-man named Rana from Rebane’s take on The Creature from the Black Lagoon, for what it’s worth. I happened to like the film, while admitting it’s not the greatest. But congrats to the following for sending in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Aaron Christensen, Craig Clark, Kevin Hart, Bob Hartman, Tim Palace, Michael Pniewski. Well done!

This week’s photo might be a little tougher and a lot more obscure. Get your thinking caps on because this one will have you thinking. Just remember to send your guess to me in an email (that way I don’t lose your name!) to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

Turkey Day 2022

20 years. Two whole decades of Turkeys. In fact, 174 films during those years. I started doing this little mini marathon back in 2003, on my own, as a way to celebrate the type of films that most critics would scoff at. Two years later, I was joined by my friend Aaron Christensen, who has never missed one since then. While it took a few years of it just being Aaron and I battling through these wonderful cinematic shipwrecks, by the time we got to 2010, the number of people joining us on this mad quest started to grow. We had 6 that year, increasing year by year to around a dozen each time. In 2010, we started our second annual event, Turkey Day in May, because there was just too much Turkey to do it only once a year! We did go online during the pandemic, where during those online adventures, we did get 20 to 25+ people watching online, so that was kind of cool. But it just wasn’t the same as being in the same room with other fans.

Before we get to the films, I wanted to send out a huge thanks to those that have attended my little crazy marathons. I started this because I wanted to give these movies the appreciation that I feel they deserve. As I’ve quoted many times before, the only bad movie is a boring one, and the ones we’ve screened over the last 20 years are far from boring. Well, okay, most of them weren’t. With every person that started attending, they not only understood that statement, but they believed 100% of it, and relished in the outrageous titles, sometimes just plain bat-shit crazy. Never making fun or shitting on these, we treat them with love and respect. My fellow Turkey Day attendees are more dedicated film lovers than any serious critic I know. Because we can see past the flaws of low budget, maybe with not the most talented cast, or a script that doesn’t seem possible that someone would not only want to film, but actually get it done with a straight face! For that, I am forever grateful to consider these fellow demented cinephiles my friends. They really know and understand what true cinema is.

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Book Review: Nightmare Fuel

Nightmare Fuel: The Science of Horror Films
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, 2022. 294 pages
By Nina Nesseth

As in the very subtitle of this book states, the Science of Horror, has always been a fascinating subject for me to tackle because usually it consists of a lot of academics using very big words trying to explain to me why horror films scare me, or why I like them. Even better is when they give plenty of examples from movies, usually getting even the most basic plot point incorrect which then makes you wonder if they had even watched the film they’re referring to.

I’ve also found some of these types that try to explain why you are scared that seem to get lost in the woods somewhere to really have it connect with the reader. Not saying they don’t have good ideas or theories, but they just don’t connect with me personally.

What I found with Nesseth’s book, on the other hand, is just the opposite. There is a lot of science in here, discussing the different parts of the brain, what each one does and how it affects what we feel. There’s a lot of technical terms for these for these locations of the brain, most of which I’ve already forgotten, though I now know where to them up when needed. Honestly though, I was really captivated on learning how the brain works with these different types of responses as we’re experiencing different kinds of fear from watching horror films. Such as the explanation of what fear does to a person, such as the fight-or-flight idea or where you just become frozen on the spot because of the fear, and what your brain is doing to cause these reactions or effects, giving us sort of a “behind-the-scenes”.

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Happy Turkey Day!

While our real Turkey Day is happening tomorrow, for everyone else out there, from everyone here at the Krypt, we wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving. No matter how commercialized the holidays become these days, it doesn’t take long to take a few seconds and realize how thankful one should be. I know it’s hard sometimes, especially when you’re in the thick of it, but there are some bright spots out there that I think a lot of us tend to not notice. I know that is the case for me. So, when I have the chance to stop and look around and see with a little more clarity, things always do look a little better.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Karloff!

As a young horror fan, Boris Karloff was the first of my horror heroes, and all of these years later, remains my all-time favorite. He was the first one that I knew the name of the person who was behind the monsters that he played. That came from probably his most famous role as the creature in James Whale’s Frankenstein (1931), or possibly because he narrated the Grinch, but I would later learn and appreciate more and more of his roles.

One reason for this was due to Richard Bojarski’s book The Films of Boris Karloff, which I checked out so often from my middle school library that I was told I couldn’t check it out any longer, to apparently give others a chance to check it out. I would page through there, looking at all the different roles that he appeared in, especially the horror ones, and dream of the day when I might be able to stumble across it on TV some Saturday afternoon. Oh, how naïve we were back then, huh?

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Mystery Photo 11-21

In honor of the upcoming Turkey Day (and no, I’m not talking about Thanksgiving), we’d thought we’d go in that direction for this week’s photo. But before we get to that, let’s go over last week’s photo. We only got one correct answer sent in. In fact, we only got one answer sent in at all, so it must have stumped most everyone, except for Hoby Abernathy. It might have something to do with the fact that the film in question, The Banishing, just came out in 2020. Directed by Christopher Smith, who has always delivered the goods, and here is no different, other than part of the ending which is a real headscratcher. But still worth seeing.

Okay, on to this week’s photo. This is one that you’ll never read about in one of those “greatest movies of all time” books, unless you’re talking about Turkeys. So, give it a look and see if you can recognize what this shot is from. Just remember to send your guess to me in an email, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

McFarland Book Sale!!!

In our never-ending pursuit of learning more about the horror genre, we have many volumes from McFarland in our library. They have such a wide variety of subjects, from critical essays and academic studies overviews of different sub-genres, and plenty of amazing biographies.

Going on right now, McFarland is not waiting until Black Friday to start their online sales but have started offering 40% off ANY title!!! Just head over to their website (by clicking HERE) and start choosing titles. When you get to the check out, add in HOLIDAY22 for the code and it will take off the 40%. That’s damn near half price folks! I know McFarland can be a bit pricy so now is your chance to save some series dough! The sale goes from now until Monday, November 28th, so don’t wait too long!

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