22 Years of Discovering the Horror!

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Today marks the 22-Year Anniversary when Kitley’s Krypt came online. That’s right, folks, for over 2 decades, I’ve been spreading the gospel to whoever would listen. Or read, technically. I never set out to make this into a job that I could do for a living (though it wouldn’t be a bad thing), nor did I set out to become some famous journalist. My path was simple: I wanted to spread the passion I have for this incredible genre and hope others would walk with me, if even only for a moment, down this long and twisted road, looking and learning about the genre during this wonderful journey. I know some of you out there have been with me down the path for quite a long time, while others have just recently joined. But I hope in that what I’m offering here, is something more than puff journalism, more than quick click bait stories that don’t even qualify as a bit of news, but something a bit more substantial. And that it continues to fan the flames of our shared passion. Continue reading →

Mystery Photo 10-19

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Yes, we’re back with a new photo. We missed last week with too much going on in the real world, not to mention a few updates last week! But we’re hoping to be back on track for the rest of the month. Our last photo was taken in my basement… oh wait… that’s what I’m hoping to have my basement look like at some point. It was actually from The Virgin of Nuremberg (1963), or better known here in the states as Horror Castle. Congrats to the following who sent in the correct answrer: Hoby Abernathy, Vincent Simonelli, and Todd Warren. Well done, indeed.

So without any further delays (or I forget to get it posted), let’s get to this week’s photo. I know this is looks the way I feel going to work each Monday morning! Remember to send your answers through email (better chance of me not forgetting you) to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

 

Taking Shape II – The Lost Halloween Sequels

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Earlier this year, I posted my review of Taking Shape: Developing Halloween from Script to Screen, by Dustin McNeil and Travis Mullins. It was not a book I thought I would be interested in because I thought I knew as much about the early Halloween films that I need to or when it came to the later sequels, as much as I cared to. But I found the book fascinating and ended up loving it. Well now McNeill and Mullins are back for Taking Shape II:  The Lost Sequels.

If you think this covers a couple of films that never got made, think again. This volume covers 24 (!?!?!) lost Halloween sequels that never made it past the script stage and onto the big screen. You’ll get to read about these from the people directly involved, some being heard publicly for the first time. At 600 pages and priced under $30, you can bet that this will have so much trivia and information about these films that never came to be, hearing insights and ideas of what some wanted to do. That alone seems pretty intriguing if you’re a fan of the Halloween series.  

Here is some of the subjects covered in this volume. See if this doesn’t wet your whistle… Continue reading →

Movie Review: The Old Ways (2020)

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The Old Ways (2020)
Directed by Christopher Alender
Starring Brigitte Kali Canales, Sal Lopez, Julia Vera, Andrea Cortés, AJ Bowen

One of the key elements for a good horror film is to really hook the audience in caring about what is going on. To do that, you need good, believable characters that the audience will invest time with them. That way when these characters are in peril, it pulls at the audience’s emotions. Now in the ’80s, we had all those slasher films with cookie cutter characters because we were there to see the all the new and creative ways they would die and the special effects surrounding them. Nothing wrong with any of that, because they were going down a particular path in horror entertainment. Nobody went into Slumber Party Massacre III for a good character study or a memorable storyline.

Even with newer films, they can some times get caught up with the gimmick of the plot or whatever the special hook is. But then there are others that spend time developing characters who are wrapped around a simple but effective story, that grab the audience’s attention each step of the way.

Christopher Alender’s The Old Ways does just that. Continue reading →

Karloff on Stage!

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It’s probably no secret that Boris Karloff is one my idols in the movie world. From the countless entertaining movies he appeared, to all the stories of him just being a great person in real life, he’s definitely my favorite of the horror icons. When the stage play Arsenic and Old Lace started, the role of Jonathan Brewster was played by Karloff. This was the character who stated that he killed someone because he said he looked like Boris Karloff! Karloff toured with that play for many years, but never made it to screen version. Continue reading →

Friday Favorites: Here There Be Monsters!

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This is going to be one to let roll around in your head for a bit before answering. Continuing in our celebration of Halloween and all things horror, we thought it might be fun to hear some of the favorites out there of the good old fashion monsters. You could answer this two different ways. You could point out your favorite monster from the usual suspects, such as vampires, werewolves, science experiment gone wrong, a mummy, or any of that ilk. Or, you could pick a specific monster that just blew you away. Such as the Deadly Spawn, or Pumpkinhead, Critters, or any of the countless other creature terrors that has come our way over the last 100+ years of cinema. Easy enough, right?

So let’s hear it.

Soundtrack Review: Rawhead Rex

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Rawhead Rex
Released by Silva Screen Records, 2020
15 Tracks with a Total Running Time of 52.31 min.
Music by Colin Towns

I remember being so excited upon hearing the news that a movie version of Clive Barker’s terrifying monster tale was going to be made. Yeah… never expected it to be as bad as it was, mainly due to the stiff costume on the title terror. BUT… we’re here to talk about the music itself and how does it hold up on its own. Movie scores are a particular thing because while they are really only there to enhance and help what is on the screen, some composers take it even further, creating beautiful pieces of music. This is one score that went above and beyond what it should have been! Continue reading →

Friday Favorites: Count Dracula

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Count Dracula came to life in 1897, with the publication of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. As horror fans, we know not only are there count…less (pardon the pun) film adaptations of this novel, it would be a never-ending and never-winning argument to even try and say which is the most faithful, mainly because those silly opinions get in the way! But it is those opinions as to why we are here.

For this Friday topic, I would like to hear YOUR favorite adaptation of Dracula. It doesn’t have to be accurate, or even close, as long as the character of the good Count is in there. But let’s try to bite a little deeper than just which version is your favorite, but why is it your favorite? Is it because it was the first version you remember seeing? Was it that the actor playing the most famous vampire in history just put you under a trance? Whatever the reason, lets here it.

Let the bloodletting begin…

Horror Out of Control Book

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A lot of reference books that come out cover the classic films, which I’ve never saw as a problem. But when one considers that the year 2000 was already 20 years ago, it does show us (especially us old timers) that there’s two decades of horror films out there since then, there’s a lot of ground to cover. Fans always know the films that came out in certain decades, like the classic horrors of the ’30s, the giant monsters of the ’50s, the Euro-horrors from the ’60s and so on. But when you ask someone about the films past the 2000 mark, the waters get a little muddled. But now, thanks to this new book coming out, maybe we can change all that!

Written by David Flint and Keri O’Shea, Horror Out of Control is a 440 page book that includes reviews of over 400 film titles, all made between the year 2000 and 2020. Not a “best of” guide but an overview of those two decades and the films that were made, from “major cinema releases and franchises to zero-budget shot-on-video obscurities.”

Pre-orders are being taken now, with a release day of this month. It doesn’t look like it is available anywhere besides the publications website HERE. With a price tag of £25.00 (plus postage), this looks to be a nice edition to a horror film fan’s library. Might be a bit pricy for us here in the states, but maybe it will come stateside at some point to make it a little easier on the pocket book. If/when we get a copy, you know we’ll have a review posted in the future!

Mystery Photo 10-5

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Welcome to our first official Mystery Photo of October! But before we get to this one, let’s go over last week’s photo. It was from Jorge Grau’s Blood Ceremony (1973), also known as The Legend of Blood Castle. Congrats to the following for sending in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Brian Doering, Troy Howarth, & Todd Warren. Well done. Even better, is that this title will soon get a Blu-ray release from the fine folks at Mondo Macabro, which you’ll be able to pre-order at the end of the month. Can’t wait to see this one in a nice beautiful print!

So while sticking with a similar theme, take a peek at this week’s photo and see if you can recognize it. As always, just send us your answer in an email to me (jon@kitleyskrypt.com). Good Luck!