Support the Cause!

hammer horror warner bros yearsI know that it seems these days everyone is asking for money for some project they are working on. I’m sure there are more than a few that are just either just schemes to get your money, or by people that might be better off looking into another line of work. But I also would like to think that there are a few that are honest endeavors, just need a little extra cash to help them get it going. So why should we give money to some of these people, when we are working our own butts off in the real world? Why don’t they do the same? Well, maybe because some of these people ARE working their butts off in the real world, but are working EVEN MORE to try and get a passion project created. And not only created, but for other people to enjoy them.

Over the last month, I think I have contributed to four different causes. Which in the last year, I think that would bring the total number for the year to about…four. But why these? The answer is simple and is really the main reason why any of us should support these, or any kind of these projects….because I BELIEVE in them. And showing support by giving a few $$ is not only a way to help these people get their project going, but also showing them that they are a creative force worth investing in, maybe even validating their decisions for what they are doing and why. Having people believe you and your talent is the best fuel and motivation any artist (of any type) could hope for (at least for me it is). And a little financial boost to a project shows that you believe in that person(s) talent for a particular project, or in general.

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Happy Halloween from the Krypt

Today is the day. The last day of the year when all of us horror nerds actually don’t stand out in normal society like we do every other time of the year. Not that any of us really cares to fit in, since we’ve long since gotten used to following our own dark and twisted path. But this is the day to celebrate our love and passion for this unbelievable entertaining genre of films that have kept people like us entertained since the birth of cinema.

But tomorrow, when the rest of the world starts to get prepared for that big commercial holiday and give praise to the fat man in the red suit, we know that we will just continue on with us celebrating our love for horror movies. Okay, maybe taking a little break for a while because of all the movies that we’ve watched in the last 31 days, but you know what I mean!

So from Kitley’s Krypt, we wish everyone out there a safe and Happy Halloween! I know we’ll be trying to get a few movies under our belt today since it has been a pretty light month for me viewing wise. But I hope to make up for some of that today.

See you on the other side…

happyhalloween

Hammer Horror Documentary Needs Your Help

hammer horror warner bros yearsFollowers of this site know my love for Hammer Horror. So when I heard the news that there was a new feature length documentary in process about the work Hammer did with Warner Bros, I immediately got excited. But they need a little help getting the funds to get this made. As of this writing, they are almost half way to their goal and have around 20 days left to meet it. So read on and hopefully you can show your support. Every little bit helps.

Authors and Hammer scholars Marcus Hearn and Jonathon Rigby are the two behind this project, so we know the end result is going to be well worth it. They wanted to explore the work that Hammer did when they had a working relationship with Warner Bros Studios in the late 60s / early 70s, on features like Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed and Taste the Blood of Dracula. They have plenty of great rewards to those that contribute, from copies of the documentary to some incredible newly commissioned artwork designs by Mark Spears. These look amazing. This one here is just one that they have available. Check out the Kickstarter page to see the rest of them, as well as checking out all the different rewards. Again, every little bit helps. If this would be a documentary that  you would buy anyway, then this is just like pre-ordering it!

For all the details, just click HERE. Hopefully we can see this come to life. You can see some of the updates on their Facebook page HERE, such as that they’ve announced they will have interviews with Hammer actress Madeline Smith and actor John Carson. Stay tuned for more details, but please contribute if you can.

Support the Empire!

CELLULOIDWIZARDSEXTRAILFEATNo, this doesn’t have anything to do with the new Star Wars movies. But it is about another Empire. Empire Pictures, a low budget studio back in the 80s that delivered the goods when it came to low budget and damn entertaining films. Many of these were enjoyed by people my age, when video stores were all over the place. Empire Pictures was a name that you could trust to give you something you probably haven’t seen before, with some wild imagination, crazy special effects, and so much more. Titles like Trancers, Re-Animator, Crawlspace, From Beyond, Trolls, Ghoulies, and so man more.

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Come Discover the Horror

During the last week of this month, Dr. Ac (aka Aaron Christensen) and myself, will be hosting a couple of events of horror lectures/discussions, and if you’re in the Chicagoland area, we’d love to have you come out for it.

The first one is on Monday, October 26th, at the new Santori Branch of the Aurora Public Library (101 S. River St.), starting at 6:30pm and goes to 8pm, or until they kick us out! You can get more information by clicking HERE.

Then the following Wednesday, the 28th, we’ll be heading into Chicago to the Sulzer Regional branch of the Chicago Public Library, located at 4455 N. Lincoln Avenue. For more information about this event, just click HERE.

At each event, we’ll give a little historical trip through the years, talking about what each of the decades offered up to horror fans, really showing the scope and size of the genre.

So if you are a fan (which you most likely are if you’re reading this) and are in the area on those nights, stop by and join in on the fun!

Making a Horror Fan Proud

NotLD signAs a life-long horror fan, we all know that Halloween is one of the few times when we seem like normal people. Or maybe it is because the ‘normal’ society is celebrating something that we do every day. But when I heard about this recent event that happened in a small town in Pennsylvania, it brought a smile to my face and a little tear to my eye. Evans City, Pennsylvania is the little place where the movie Night of the Living Dead was filmed, almost 50 years ago. Many horror fans have made the trip out to their, especially the cemetery where the famous opening sequence was filmed, myself included.

Now, most of society, at least in my experience, would want to shy away from the exposure their town might have because of some horror movie that was made there. God forbid that it would draw those crazy fans that would loiter around, and destroy and vandalize the area. But it seems that not only does Evans City not have that attitude, they actually embrace the fact their little town is known for this historical film.

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Monster Squad Soundtrack

monstersquadcdThe fine folks over at La-La Land Records, who have putting out some amazing soundtracks for over 10 years, now have another title that really has ‘nards! That’s right, they have released the score to Fred Dekker’s Monster Squad on CD. This release not only has been remastered from a recently discovered 1/4″ master tape, which not only has the film version of the score, but a ton of extras. Such as additional tracks, alternate cues, source music, as well as the two songs from the film, “Rock Until You Drop” and “Monster Squad Rap”, being released on this edition for the first time.

This also comes with liner notes written by Daniel Schweiger and art designed by Dan Goldwasswer. There is only 3000 units of this release that has a total running time of 78 minutes, for only $19.98.

Head on over to La-La Land Records by clicking HERE to order your copy now.

Tis the Season…

October is a month long celebration for us devoted fans of the horror genre. From conventions, movie marathons, both at home and in the theater, decorating our homes (those some of us keep them up all year round!), and just celebrating this wonderful time of year. I try to partake in the festivities as much as I can, but this year has been tough. From starting a new job recently, two conventions this month, a 24-hour movie marathon that we’re going to be setting up at, all the while trying to battle some sort of cold/sore throat that seems to be draining my motivation, it has been a struggle for me to really enjoy this month.

LiquidCheese40But if there is one thing that makes me rejoice in this dark path that I have chosen is being part of what I consider my horror family and what they are doing to enjoy this holiday season, though some of it makes me jealous as hell! It gives this grumpy old man a warm and fuzzy feeling, almost making my black heart grow three sizes bigger, knowing you people out there are proudly carrying the torch, and celebrating the horror genre that way we do.

Making me even prouder, are those that take that passion a step further and not only embrace the love of the horror genre, but also strive to inject their infection to other people. Those of you that have Halloween parties, hold your own little movie marathons, the monthly October movie challenge, are not only celebrating the movies that we love, but also sharing your passion with others, which in turn re-enforces the fire within them.

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New Gamera Trailer

I have to say, even though I always tend to make fun of Gamera because he is just a big freaking turtle, but that doesn’t I don’t enjoy the hell out of his films. And this new trailer…..Damn. Actually gave me goosebumps and made me feel like a kid again. Looking forward to this and the new Godzilla film….the Japanese one, of course.

Feliz Cumpleaños Paul Naschy!

naschyrememberedbanner“I would write that Paul Naschy had at least done his best and that he cared about what he was doing. I was capable of mistakes – to do it well or to do it poorly – but I assure you is that I did it with feeling and affection. I love the fantastic cinema.”

Pnaschy4aul Naschy on himself

Today would have been Naschy’s 81st birthday, had he not passed away almost six years ago. Kind of hard to believe that we lost him that long ago. But when you think about it, he is still alive and well and continues doing what he strived to do with his career that spanned for more than four decades. Because of his movies that he left us, his memories will not only live on, but he will still be entertaining horror fans for years to come. And to those new to the fantastic cinema of Paul Naschy, they will get to discover him for the first time, and have countless hours of excitement just waiting for them to discover.

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