Author Archives: Jon Kitley

Why We Need to See Films in the Theater

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Last night, I ventured into Chicago to the Music Box Theatre for The Creepshow, a Stephen King film festival, where they had a bunch of King movies being screened over 3 days. Friday night, they were screening the original The Shining (1980) and Doctor Sleep (2019), which I had originally planned to go but didn’t make it. Which kind of worked out for the best, since I heard it sold out early in the day. But I did go last night because they were screening Creepshow (1982), which happens to be one of my favorite films of all time. They were also screening 1408 (2007), and Christine (1983), which we planned on staying for as well.

When we (myself and my partner-in-crime for the evening, Brian Martinez) drove up to the theater, we could already see a huge line outside the theater. I lucked out in finding a parking space right in front of the theater. Any locals know just how lucky you are when that happens. In fact, we were so excited, I completely forgot to pay the parking meter. So, after over 30 years of coming into the city for movies and such, I ended up getting my first parking ticket! But back to the real story.

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Discover the Horror Podcast: Episode 24 – Posters

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The importance of the movie poster is almost lost in this day and age. With the internet flooding social media with trailers, photos, and all sorts of advertisements, the poster art might get lost in the shuffle. But decades ago, it was the first thing used to promote an upcoming feature film. It had to reach out and grab hold of your eyes, telling your brain you need to see this film. Shortly after that, the poster collecting started.

Why do we collect posters? What kinds are there? What is it about it that still holds a spell over movie goers? Join us and our special guest, Alan Tromp, as we try to answer all of those questions and more, as we discuss our own obsessions with movie posters, from one-sheets to British Quads to the French Grande size!

Movie titles mentioned in this episode:

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Mystery Photo 8-29

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A wee bit late today, but that’s because we’re still recovering from our weekend at the drive-in in Shelbyville, IN. Had a great time, hanging out with some good friends and seeing some amazing films on the big screen. It makes a film fan whole again, even if for only a short time. But on to business! Our photo from last week was from Richard Stanley’s 1992 film Dust Devil! Such a great little film, filled with a ton of style and atmosphere, just like Stanley does. Only got one correct answer this time and that was from Kevin Hart! Well done!

On to this week’s photo, one that is a little more off the beaten path. Take a peek and see what you think. Just remember, send your guess to us in an email, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

Movie Review: Frightmare

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(1974)
Directed by Pete Walker
Starring Sheila Keith, Rupert Davies, Deborah Fairfax, Kim Butcher, Paul Greenwood,
Fiona Curzon, John Yule, Andrew Sachs

Pete Walker is a director that more horror fans need to know about. He only made a handful of films in the ‘70s that really could be considered horror, but he made tales that not only didn’t pull any punches, but they also usually made you feel like you just got kicked in nuts. Walker had said that he wanted people leaving theater “thinking, yet frustrated.” And he did just that.

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Mystery Photo 8-22-22

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Here we are, Monday again. We need to stop meeting like this, don’t you think? But since we’re here, we might as well get a little work done, right? Our photo from last week was from Abel Ferrara’s black & white vampire flick The Addiction (1995), which I would recommend seeing. Only got three correct answers sent in, from Hoby Abernathy, Aaron Christensen, and Dada Debaser. Well done.

This week’s photo is a personal favorite of mine, from a director I really admire. Too much information? Maybe. But take a look and see if you recognize it. Just remember to send us your guess in an email, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

Last Voyage of the Demeter

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We all know there has been countless versions of Bram Stoker’s Dracula over the last 100 years, some pretty good and others . . . eh. Some of them try hard to stick to the novel, which is always a difficult task for any fiction adaptation just due to the size of the content, while others take a few liberties with the storyline and leave Stoker’s tale far behind. But I recently came across a new film that is due to come out next year that is based on a single chapter in Stoker’s novel, which is the journey the count takes from his native land in the Carpathia to England, on the Russian ship the Demeter. The film is called Last Voyage of the Demeter.

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Mystery Photo 8-15

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Seems I slept through last Monday and never got around to posting a new photo. For shame, I know. But now this week! But let’s review our photo from two weeks ago. It was from the 1997 film Habitat, starring one of my favorite actresses, Alice Krige. Always enjoyed her work ever since Ghost Story (1981). Kudos to the following who sent in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Kevin Hart, Bob Hartman, Lee Nattrass, and William Wilson. Nice job!

Okay, this week’s photo might be a little tricky so pay close attention to it. Give it a peek and then send me your guess in an email, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

Alive and Kickin’

by in Conventions, Misc. Ramblings and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Sorry for the lack of updates, besides a few RIP notices, which are never fun to post. We were at Flashback convention last weekend, and it honestly took a few days to recover. We’ve been there since the very first show and haven’t missed one yet, and always have a great time and so glad to be there to help celebrate their 20th Anniversary show! Mike and Mia and all the Flashback crew make it look easier than it really is, with the staff being so nice and helpful.

It was great to see so many horror fans coming through the door all three days of the show. There was a time at most conventions when Sundays were just for a few stragglers wandering around, but they were still lining up to come in that last day. Always a good sign for vendors! But it really is the afterhours conversations that is the highlight for me at these conventions. Getting to talk about our favorite genre with other friends is so much fun and always a great time.

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Discover the Horror Podcast: Episode 23 – Val Lewton

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While we all love monsters, there is something about films that can still be creepy in what they don’t show us instead. Producer Val Lewton was a genius at that. In this episode, we delved into the light within the darkness, deep into the shadows, where atmosphere is king. We cover three titles from the talented producer, but Lewton was so much more than just that. While he only produced a handful of films, the ones he did in the early ’40s remain not only classics but set the standard for what a low budget horror film could look like when you had the talent behind it.

Sit back, turn the light down low, and get ready to learn about how you can show very little onscreen, but still make some well-acted, smart, and scary little films.

The films mentioned in this episode are:

The Body Snatcher (1945), The Cat People (1942), Cat People (1982), The Curse of the Cat People (1944), Curse of the Demon (1957), The Haunting (1963), House of Frankenstein (1944), Isle of the Dead (1945), I Walked with a Zombie (1943), King of the Zombies (1941), The Last Patrol (1934), Revenge of the Zombies (1943), Revolt of the Zombies (1936), The Tale of Two Cities (1935), White Zombie (1932), Zombie (1979)

Clu Gulager – Rest in Peace

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There is probably not a horror fan alive that does not know Clu Gulager, and rightfully so. He is probably best known as Burt, in Dan O’Bannon’s 1985 zombie classic The Return of the Living Dead. He appeared in quite a few horror titles in his later years, but started acting back in the ’50s, appearing in quite a few westerns, both on TV and the big screen. He also appeared alongside Lee Marvin as a hitman in Don Siegel’s remake of The Killers (1964). But for me, my first memory of Mr. Gulager, believe it or not, was thanks to Disney, in a two-part movie called Mystery of Dracula’s Castle (1973). Cheesy and from Disney, but as an 8-year-old kid, I loved every minute of it. But he also appeared in horror titles like the infamous A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985), From a Whisper to a Scream (1987), to the incredible entertaining Feast (2005), playing a crusty old bartender.

But as you all probably know, Gulager passed away on Aug. 5th, at the age of 93. No matter you’re a horror fan, a western fan, or just a film fan, we have all lost a great talent. But as I always say, because of their incredible body of work, we can always pop one of their titles in and remember just how good they were. And just why do we need the cinema in our lives? Mr. Gulager gives us a reason here in this quote:

“We need to laugh, we need to be scared, we need to hug our girl in the theater.
It lightens the load of this crummy life.”

Our thoughts go out to his friends and family during this difficult time.