Category Archives: Misc. Ramblings

Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster

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

I will watch any movie that Boris Karloff is in, no questions asked. Even if he in in there in a small role or cameo, I will watch it. He has always been my favorite actor and the movie that made him famous, James Whale’s Frankenstein, remains in my top ten films of all time. I also can never get tired of reading new books on him and his life, or seeing documentaries on this talented man. Now with this new documentary coming out from director Thomas Hamilton, we have the opportunity to maybe learn even more about this unbelievably talented actor.

You will get to hear from a wide range of filmmakers and scholars and why Karloff is important to them and film history. Names such as Guillermo Del Toro, John Landis, Joe Dante, Christopher Plummer, Peter Bogdanovich, Ron Perlman, Leonard Maltin, Christopher Frayling, Sara Karloff, Gregory Mank, Roger Corman, Stephanie Powers, Ian Ogilvy, Norman Jewison, Orson Bean, Caroline Munro, Stephen Jacobs, Dick Miller, Peter Asher, David J. Skal, Donald Glut, Lee Grant, Sharyn Moffett, and more.

Check out the trailer below and make sure to look for it when it does become available.

Weird Wisconsin: The Bill Rebane Collection!

by in Misc. Ramblings and tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

If you would have told me 20 years ago, that filmmakers of the likes of Al Adamson, Andy Milligan, or William Grefé, were going to be getting a special box set of their films, I’d think you’re just plain nuts. But not only do those exist, we now have one coming on Wisconsin’s own Bill Rebane. Probably best known for his epic The Giant Spider Invasion (1975), he was one of these independent filmmakers that stayed away from Hollywood, making his own little version in Gleason, Wisconsin, producing films for over a 20-years. And now, thanks to Arrow Video, you’ll have the chance to witness 6 of these titles on Blu-ray in all new restorations in the Weird Wisconsin: The Bill Rebane Collection!

Now I will say that I have seen most of the films in this collection and while some are fun and entertaining in a low budget sort of way, one of them is barely watchable. In fact, back in the VHS days, I ended up watching it twice, under two different titles before I realized it. That film would be Invasion from Inner Earth, also released under the title simply as They. But you know what? I’ve already pre-ordered my set anyway! Because that is what we do as film fans. It is simply a way to look a little deeper and closer at someone’s work, maybe seeing it a different way. Not to mention there is so much bonus material in this collection that for me, it is simply a must have. Continue reading →

Severin Celebrates Christopher Lee

by in Misc. Ramblings and tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Severin Films has been knocking it out the park these last couple of years. Aside from all the amazing titles they have released on Blu-ray, the box sets they have been putting out have been astonishing. The fact that they put out a collection of Al Adamson features shows that Severin founder David Gregory is not only a true fan, but works on making sure that these filmmakers are not forgotten but also to help fans continue to celebrate their work. The earlier this year, they announce a box set of Andy Milligan films. Who would have ever thought that would happen!?!?

And now, they recently announced a set of films celebrating Christopher Lee work in Europe with 5 films from the ’60s that while are a little lesser known to most fans, they are essentials is understanding the range of work that Lee did. In case you don’t know already, here are the titles the box set comes with this 9 disc set: Continue reading →

Invitation to a Monster Party

by in Misc. Ramblings and tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Podcasts are one thing that I really wish I had more time to listen to. I have several friends that run great and highly rated podcasts, but I just never seem to find the time to queue them up. I think one of the things for 2021 is that I am going to change that. And one of them that I will be listening to is Monster Party.

Monster Party podcast is the wild creation of Matt Weinhold, Larry Strothe, Shawn Sheridan, and James Gonis, that has been going for a few years now. These guys are all die-hard monster fans that not only know their stuff, but they love it. Minutes into any of their podcasts and you can hear their passion for the genre, and that makes it like you’re listening to a bunch of friends chatting about some of our favorite films. They cover a wide variety of topics so whether you’re a seasoned fan or a newbie, you’ll not only be entertained but just may learn something along the way. Continue reading →

Movie Review: The Vigil (2019)

by in Misc. Ramblings, Reviews: Movies and tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Vigil (2019)
Directed by Keith Thomas
Starring Dave Davis, Malky Goldman, Menashe Lustig, Lynn Cohen

When this screener came across our desk and I read what the story was about, I was excited to see a different take or angle on a subject used many times in the horror genre, one taken from a Orthodox Jewish side. A troubled young man agrees to be an overnight “shomer”, someone who watches and prays over a recently deceased member of the church. With such a simple story, I was curious to see what this picture could offer. What I found out was that no matter the background, religious beliefs, or any of that, the feelings of guilt, horror, and creepiness can be found all around us. Continue reading →

Happy Horror-Days and Merry Axe-Mass!

by in Misc. Ramblings | 2 Comments

I know there were some of us wondering if we’d ever make it to the end of 2020. Only another week to go, but looks like we have survived. Or at least most of us. While this pandemic still rages on, we can only hope things will look much brighter going forward, as long as we all play it smart, and take those precautions to keep yourself safe, as well as others.

That “others” part really is the key here, folks. Too many times we care about ourselves and not those “others”. This needs to change and can so easily do so with the simplest of actions.

I know this time of year, everyone puts on their holiday face and tries to be cheery and spread joy to others. But let us see if we can’t continue that once the holiday is over. Give someone a smile. Tell a worker at whatever store you are at that you appreciate what they are doing. If you are being served, in a bar or restaurant and get good service, maybe tip them more than you normally would, with a positive word or two. Maybe they’ve been having a bad day and are really struggling with life. You have the power to maybe change that person’s life at that very moment. Or maybe you just make their day with a nice tip, showing them that not all customers are jerks. And then continue that throughout the year.

Without any conventions for us this year, we have deeply missed our extended family, our friends from our horror community. But like real families, we know we’ll be seeing them again, hopefully sooner than later. We can only hope they are doing well and making sure we try to keep in contact with them as well, even if just to say hello and Happy Holidays. Friendship is one of the best presents one can get and receive, today more than ever. It really is the gift that keeps on giving.

Okay… enough of that sentimental crap. Wishing everyone out there a Very Scary Christmas to everyone out there from us at the Krypt. Try to get a couple of horror movies in while you’re (hopefully) off for the holiday! And if all goes well, maybe we’ll see you on the road again next year. Until then, be good to yourself, and others, and Keep Discovering the Horror!

Movie Review: Barracuda (1978)

by in Misc. Ramblings and tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

(1978)
Directed by Harry Kerwin & Wayne Crawford
Starring Wayne Crawford, Jason Evers, Roberta Leighton, Cliff Emmich, William Kerwin, Bert Freed

Being fans of Jaws, and all of his underwater brethren, I’m always curious, though tread lightly, on movies that deals with a type of killer fish. But if was made in the ’70s, on the box office wave the Spielberg movie made, it is even more appealing, mainly because they never could hold water compared to the original. Granted, no matter how good or bad they might be, it always enforces my fear of what just might be in the water waiting for me. Continue reading →

Soundtrack Review: Dracula A.D. 1972

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

Dracula A.D. 1972
Released by BSX Records
15 Tracks with a Total Running Time of 53 min.
Music Composed by Mike Vickers

Growing up watching a lot of television in the early ’70s, you became pretty accustomed to theme shows from shows. So the first time I remember hearing the score for Dracula A.D. 1972, in my head, I heard “A Quinn Martin Production”. While most of you out there have no clue what I’m referring to, they were a production company that made more than a few shows back then.

Anyhoo… That is the big difference with this score, coming from Hammer that was known for their bold and gothic musical scores, hitting your ears as hard as the bright red blood hit your eyes. Vickers came up with a very modern, almost jazz sounding Main Theme, that while dramatically different from Hammer’s past, it actually works quite well here. The music, as well as the film, are quite dated in their look and feel. But Vickers does a pretty good job blending in the new with the old. Track # 5, Devil’s Circle Music: Excerpt from White Noise, is a wild mixture of percussions, distorted screaming, and other disturbing sounds, blended together like a bad acid trip. But when viewed in the film, it works just right. Continue reading →

Naschy News!

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

When the first couple of Paul Naschy movie titles first hit Blu-ray, even the biggest fan out there couldn’t not have a clue of just how many of those titles were going to continue to come out in that format. Some titles even hitting the digital format for the very first time, while some never even officially released here in the states. So grainy multi-generation bootlegs is all that we had to deal with. But thanks to companies like Shout Factory, Scorpion Releasing, Mondo Macabro, and others, they continue to show the care that these movies deserve, and putting out some amazing releases, helping to save these from moving into obscurity.

Today, Mondo Macabro announced two more Naschy titles they will be releasing some time next year. The first one is El aullido del diablo, better known as Howl of the Devil (1988), co-starring Howard Vernon and Caroline Munro, who told me that Naschy was “a huge favorite of mine to work with.” In the film, Naschy appears as more than a few of the classic monsters, from Frankenstein’s creature to the wolf man, Quasimodo the Hunchback to the Devil himself. This was one that fans have been dealing with shabby looking bootlegs for years. But now, it will get an official release for the first time anywhere in the world, AND a 4K restoration from a recently discovered negative. Continue reading →

Happy Birthday Boris

by in Misc. Ramblings | Leave a comment

I couldn’t let today go by without wishing a Happy Birthday to the one and only Boris Karloff. Out of all the favorites in the movie world, he is at the top for me. Partly because of his portrayal of the creature in Frankenstein (1931), but also the countless other roles he appeared in over the years. Not to mention being one of kindest movie monsters out there. He was gone from this world when I was only 3 1/2 years old, but his work made a huge and lasting impact on my own life.

So for that, I, like plenty of other horror fans, am eternally grateful for the work that he has left us to continue to enjoy, over and over.