Movie Review: Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein

January 12, 2020 by Jon Kitley in Reviews: Movies and tagged Alberto Dalbés, Dennis Price, Dracula, Dracula: Prisoner of Frankenstein, Frankenstein, Howard Vernon, Jesús Franco, Jess Frano, Luis Barboo, The Screaming Dead, Wolfman | Leave a comment

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Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein (aka Drácula contra Frankenstein, 1972)
Directed by Jesús Franco
Starring Dennis Price, Howard Vernon, Paca Gabaldón, Alberto Dalbés, Britt Nichols, Geneviève Robert, Anne Libert, Luis Barboo, Fernando Bilbao, Josyane Gibert

DPoF poster I know it is hard for some fans to think of Jess Franco as a highly crafted filmmaker, but there are more than a few examples in his filmography to prove that. This, however, is not one of them.

The first time I saw this film was from the Wizard Video VHS tape, under the title The Screaming Dead, which is quite different when comparing it to the DVD of Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein. Right away you’ll notice that it is extremely cropped with most of the opening names in the credits being cut off on the sides. The film is sequenced differently as well, having some parts in there that are not in the DVD version! For the sake of sanity, I’m just going to talk about the DVD version from Image Entertainment back in 2006. Continue reading →

Stop-Animated Filth!

January 11, 2020 by Jon Kitley in Misc. Ramblings and tagged Adam Ciolfi, Broken, Claymation, Filth, Hive, Stop-Animation | Leave a comment

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I’ve always been a sucker for stop-motion clay animation, or claymation, or just the stop-motion process every since the first time I saw Rankin and Bass’ Mad Monster Party? (1967). While all kids grew up watching and enjoy cartoons, myself included, there just seemed to be something special about claymation. Even in the early 90s, there was Will Vinton’s Claymation Comedy of Horrors, with Wilshire Pig and his friends meeting up with a variety of different monsters and creatures. Even the later day Wallace and Gromit shorts and movies, I’ve always loved them. When I realized just went into creating these, I knew it was done by a bunch of mad bastards because I simply couldn’t relate to how much time and patience it took to create them! Continue reading →

More Hammer Horror on Blu-Ray

January 10, 2020 by Jon Kitley in Misc. Ramblings and tagged Captain Kronos, Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter, Curse of the Werewolf, Hammer Films, Hammer Horror, Mark Maddox, Scream Factory, Shout Factory, The Lost Continent | Leave a comment

Curse of Werewolf Blu-ray Trust me, I’m not one for double and triple dipping. But when it comes to Hammer Films, when they are released on Blu-ray, usually looking just freaking stunning in all their glorious color, it really is hard to pass up. Even more so, when they have a special offer to get a limited edition poster print of the cover art by Mark Maddox! Which is exactly what they have announced for their release of The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)! Just look at that amazing artwork, which would look just beautiful hanging on any Hammer fan’s wall. But don’t wait too long because this offer is only until the supply of posters runs out. Just click HERE to pre-order yours now. You may think it is a bit pricy but considering the poster you’re getting, it is one hell of a deal. The Blu-ray is set to be released on April 21st, with no extras announced just yet. But I’m sure Scream Factory will do their usual stellar job. Continue reading →

Horror History: Germán Robles

January 9, 2020 by Jon Kitley in Horror History and tagged Abel Salazar, Braniac, El Vampiro, German Robles, Vampire's Coffin | Leave a comment

robles Germán Robles
Born March 20th, 1929 – Died Nov. 21st, 2015

Robles became a star after appearing as the Count Duval, in his first feature film, El Vampiro, in 1957. And that was even a last minute decision. Back in the ’50s, producer Abel Salazar was all set to start his new vampire film with another actor already cast as the Count, one that had already an established name. But when he thought back to the Universal pictures, like Dracula and Frankenstein, where both featured a monster played by a relatively unknown name, he decided to follow that same route. So he went to see a play and found Robles on stage and thought he would make a great vampire and hired him on the spot. Robles would go on to play Count Duval in the sequel El ataúd del Vampiro, aka The Vampire’s Coffin, in 1958.

While he would appear in a few other Mexican horror films, like the cult classic The Brainiac (1962) and the Nostradamus series, he continued to work in film and on the stage. But it is because of his performance in these early Mexican horror films, that had such amazing atmosphere and style back then, that he needs to be remembered. While we all know Lugosi and Lee, Robles’ name should be up there as well, since he gives us a splendid performance as the Count. Lucky for us, these movies are both available, so do yourself a favor and seek them out.

2019 Year End Review: Part 5 – The Unforgettable of the Decade, 2010-2019

January 7, 2020 by Jon Kitley in Year End Reviews and tagged 100 Bloody Acres, Attack of the Werewolves, Blood Glacier, Cub, Honeymoon, Jug Face, The Canal, The Human Race, The Wind, When Animals Dream | Leave a comment

When I first started to compile a list of my Best of the Decade, I had to narrow the list of well over thirty titles to begin with. As I was narrowing it down to ten, I did notice quite a few that I really enjoyed but just weren’t going to make the cut. Then I also realized that some of these titles don’t seem to be coming up in conversation too often, or at all. It would be a real shame for a great movie to come out and quickly disappear into all those other titles that are constantly coming out through physical media or some streaming service. That is why I decided to make this particular list because I want to make sure that if one or two, or more, of these titles had slipped by you, now would be your chance to seek them out. If you enjoyed them as much as I did, then to pass the recommendations onto other like-minded film fans. The last thing we want is for some entertaining and sometimes original films to get lost in the flood of all these titles. So make a note of these titles, if you haven’t seen them, and give yourself a challenge to find them in 2020. And then help spread the word! Once again, these are in alphabetical order.

So let’s get at it. Continue reading →

Mystery Photo 1-6

January 6, 2020 by Jon Kitley in Mystery Photo and tagged Mystery Photo | Leave a comment

Welcome to 2020, and to a whole new year of Mystery Photos! I really hope everyone enjoys these little pictorial puzzles we bring each Monday, or at least try to! I always say that my devious plan is to put these movie titles in your brain that way if you haven’t seen them, it may get you seek them out. Plus, if you have seen them, sometimes its a nice remembering of some great (and admittedly not so great sometimes) movies out there. So here’s hoping to another year of good suggestions for you.

Our photo from last week came from Finland and is called The White Reindeer. This came out in 1952. So it is pretty obvious from the photo, this fanged vampire film pre-dated both Hammer’s Horror of Dracula (1958) and Mexico’s El Vampiro (1957) by a few years. Don’t feel bad, but I just found that out myself! Just shows you that you can always learn something new about the genre, no matter how long you’ve been a fan. Kudos out to the following for sending in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Aaron Christensen, Bob Hartman, and Vincent Simonelli. Well done, indeed!

So our first photo of the new year hopefully will be a classic as well some day. Take a peek at it and see what you can come up with. As always, please remember not to post your answers here so that others can have a guess. The easiest way to do it (and also the easiest way to make sure I don’t miss your guess), is to send me an email (jon@kitleyskrypt.com) with your guess. Good Luck!

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2019 Year End Review: Part 4 – Best of the Decade, 2010-2019

January 5, 2020 by Jon Kitley in Misc. Ramblings, Year End Reviews and tagged Blacksmith and the Devil, Bone Tomahawk, Coherence, Dream Home, Errementari, Evil Dead, Shrew's Nest, Sleep Tight, The Ritual, The Taking of Deborah Logan, The Void | 4 Comments

Best of the Decade

Since we have completed yet another decade (which I must admit I am surprised we have survived with the current state of affairs) and I have been recently pondering this whole concept of Top Ten lists (thanks Gregg!), I thought it might be interesting challenge to look back over these last ten years and pick my favorite ten horror films… IF… I could narrow it down to just ten film. My initial picks were just under thirty titles. So after some seriously contemplations, I have it narrowed down to a final ten. The funny thing is that the final “ten” has changed twice since I started this process! If this exercise has done anything for me, it has made be bust out a few of these and re-watch them. Not really to remind myself of how much I liked them, but because it had been a while. And going down that journey again gave me almost the same thrills and feelings I had the first time. Continue reading →

2019 Year End Review: Part 3 – Best Viewings

January 4, 2020 by Jon Kitley in Year End Reviews and tagged Border, Cold Skin, Color Out of Space, Marrowbone, Murder Party, RIchard Stanley, Satan's Slaves, Shrew's Nest, The Wind, The Witch in the Window, Tonight She Comes | Leave a comment

As always, keep in mind that my list here are my favorites that I watched for the first time in 2019. You’ll noticed that while most of them are recent films, coming out in the last few years, there are some that are older, one that even came out over a decade ago! But to me, when I’m watching a film for the first time, it is a new movie to me, so that is why I count them. I have them listed in alphabetical order just to make it easier.

Ready? Continue reading →

2019 Year End Review – Part 2: In Rememberence

January 3, 2020 by Jon Kitley in Rest in Peace, Year End Reviews and tagged Albert Finney, Billy Drago, Bruno Ganz, Carol Lynley, David Hedison, Dick Miller, Eddie Garcia, Edith Scob, Freddie Jones, George Hilton, Javier Augirre, Joe Pilato, John Carl Buechler, Julie Adams, Katherine Helmond, Larry Cohen, Michael J. Pollard, Narciso Ibáñez Serrador, Peter Fonda, Ringo Lam, Robert Forster, Rutger Hauer, Sid Haig, Steve Hawkes, Tadao Takashima, Virginia Leith | Leave a comment

Tears in rain

“All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.”

The famous line above is from the ending of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982), from the replicant Roy Batty, played by Rutger Hauer, just moments before he stops functioning, or “dies”. This was a line that Hauer added without Scott’s knowledge and it not only stayed in the film, but has referenced quite a bit since then, as it is now. The reason I bring it up here is twofold. First and most obviously is because Hauer is one of the names listed below that we lost in 2019. But secondly, this line may be about Batty’s memories, but when it comes to movies, and fans like us, they never will be lost, but will live on for decades to come. For each new generation of film lovers, they will discover these “moments”, some becoming etched in their psyche, while some even changing their lives. Continue reading →

2019 Year End Review: Part 1 – A Look Back

January 2, 2020 by Jon Kitley in Year End Reviews and tagged Dario Argento, Dark Delicacies, Discover the Horror, Frankenstein, HorrorHound, HorrorHound magazine, Lookingglass Theatre, Monsterpalooza, Paul Naschy, Rick Baker | Leave a comment

End of another year. Another decade. I know one thing for sure that this last decade will not be remembered as one that didn’t produce any good horror movies! Just look at 2014 and you’ll find a ton of amazing films, from here in the US to around the world. As a horror fan, I feel pretty blessed with these last ten years of terror. Let’s hope the ’20s bring us another long list of great cinema.

I had thought that this would be a personal low when it came to films watched, only because it didn’t feel like I had watched that many. In fact, there were a couple of months were I only got to a handful of films. With my book coming out, doing another retrospective for HorrorHound, and the usual holidays, it takes time away from being able to sit and watch movies. But once the tally was done, it turns out that I had watched more in 2019 than I did since 2013! The final number was 236, with almost half of them, a total of 115, being first time viewings. There were a few trips to the drive-ins, some movie marathons, a couple of Turkey Days, and other mini-marathons with friends or just by myself. And I intend to do it all over this year! Really going to try and hit 250 viewings in 2020. Continue reading →