Feliz cumpleaños Jacinto Molina!

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naschy2Today, Senior Molina, aka Paul Naschy, would have been 84. It’s been almost a decade since we this icon of the horror genre. I am just so grateful that his memory and his work continue to live and breathe, with more and more titles hitting Blu-ray, books written about him, and more collectibles being produced, it shows just how important his work has meant to the fans, and what it will mean to the legion of newer fans that will discover his massive body of work each and every year. Oh, how I am envious of these newer fans that get to watch titles like Horror Rises from the Tomb or Night of the Howling Beast for the very first time.

So while us fans still miss him and continue to mourn the loss of such a talented actor, director, screenwriter, not to mention father and husband to his family, we know that the legend of Paul Naschy, much like his most famous character, Waldemar Daninsky, will never die and will be reborn time and time again.

Thank you, Senior Molina, for all the wonderful memories, both past and future.

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Coscarelli Comes to Music Box

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Don CoscarelliPhans of director Don Coscarelli take note! This true independent filmmaker will be coming to Chicago’s Music Box Theatre to celebrate the release of his autobiography, True Indie: Life and Death in Filmmaking, as well as a screening of his film Bubba Ho-Tep (2002).

His book gives us story after story of working in the filmmaking industry, but still able to remain independent and not be sucked into the evil world of Hollywood, one thing that I’ve always admired about him. He would continue to turn out very unique and unusual films, always creating entertaining pictures, from his Phantasm series, to the dark and strange comedies Bubba Ho-Tep and John Dies at the End, Coscarelli continues to shine as a truly independent and dedicated craftsman to the industry. And we get to read about all those stories in his book, which we can only imagine how many good ones he has to tell. Such as having his own office on Universal Studios’ lot while he was still in his teens, or where he almost drowns actress Catherine Keener, to setting his face on fire during the making of Phantasm, to even meeting and working with heavy metal legend Ronnie James Dio.

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Peveril Goes Inside Bray Studios

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Inside Bray StudiosAny Hammer fan worth their weight in blood knows of the infamous Bray Studios, where the they unleashed countless horrors onto the willing masses. But now with it being gone forever, we can be thankful that Peveril Publishing will be immortalizing it in their new book, Inside Bray Studios, coming early next month.

By Hammer authority Wayne Kinsey, we get a virtual tour of the studio, both inside and out, as well as the history of the place once Hammer took over. We’ll get to see how Hammer used the cramped space in the studio to create some of the most unbelievable movie sets, making these period pictures come to life and jump off the screen.

There is also three separate chapters on the “Bray Days”, back in 1998, 1999, and 2007, where the studio opened its doors to both fans as well as a ton of Hammer alumni, with a ton of photos. I wish I could have made it to even one of those events.

At 344 color pages, this hardcover edition will be another must-have for any fan of this famous British Studio. The price is set at £35 plus postage, but it really is an investment, since most of Peveril’s books go out-of-print quickly and their prices skyrocket shortly there after. So don’t be left out!

Head over to Peveril’s website HERE and sign up for their newsletter so you’ll know when the pre-orders start.

 

Jacqueline Pearce – Rest in Peace

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Jacquline Pearce RIPOne of my favorites from Hammer Studios is one of their 1966 “Cornish Horrors”, Plague of the Zombies, made back to back with The Reptile. From the incredible look of the zombies, to the bad-ass villain played by John Carson, to the straight-laced hero played by André Morell, it always delivers the goods, each and every time I watch it. Another one of the reasons is the rest of the stellar cast, including Jacqueline Peace, who plays the doomed Alice. Pearce’s performance gives the viewer such a feeling of dread because we all know what is going to happen to her and we can’t stop it. And then in The Reptile, she gives another performance to draw the audience in with her pathos.

In both of these films, not only did she have to create these characters and grab hold of the audience, she also had to endure quite some time in Roy Ashton’s makeup chair. But she not only played a couple of iconic Hammer characters, she caught the attention of many fans. So we are very sadden to hear of her recent passing.

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Mystery Photo 9-4

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So…I guess it’s been a little while since we’ve had a new Mystery Photo. And yeah, I know it’s actually Tuesday, since today is the first day of my work week, we’ll pretend it is Monday. But before we get to the new pic, let’s review our last one from a couple of weeks ago. It was from Pupi Avati’s 1976 film La casa dalle finestre che ridono, or as it’s known here in the states, The House of the Laughing Windows. Kudos to the following to sending in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Cate Cameron, Troy Howarth, Gary Laughner, Bryan Martinez, Martin Meeks, Michael Shields. Nicely done!

Now let’s get to this week’s photo. Something a little cheesier, but in the same vein, so to speak. So take a peak and good luck.

But please remember, do not post your answers here so that others can have a chance at guessing it. So don’t leave a comment, but send me an email (at jon@kitleyskrypt.com) and let me know your guess. Good Luck!

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Geretta Geretta at Reel Art on Saturday!

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Geretta at Reel ArtScream Queen Geretta Geretta, known for her role as Rosemary in Lamberto Bava’s Demons (1985), not to mention appearing in other Italian classics like Warrior of the Lost World (1983), Rats: Night of Terror (1984), Murder-Rock: Dancing Death (1984), and Shocking Dark (1989), which was recently released on Blu-ray by Severin Films, will be appearing this Saturday at Reel Art Collectibles in Berwyn, IL!

First of all, just going to Reel Art on its own is a real treat because you can find thousands of amazing movie posters, inserts, half-sheets, as well a ton of other collectibles. But now, you have even more of a reason to go, to meet the lovely and talented Geretta! She will have 8×10 stills, Demon Dolls, and Blu-Rays for purchase for her to sign, including copies of Shocking Dark, which she has an audio commentary on. You can bring your own items for her to sign as well.

They will also be screening Demons around 3:30-4pm, with a Q&A after the film. For all the information, you can check out the event page on Facebook HERE.

Book Review: The Cinematic Art of Fantastic India – Vol. 1 VCDs

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Cinematic Art of Fantastic India Vol 1The Cinematic Art of Fantastic India – Volume 1: VCDs
Published by WK Books, 2018. 138 pages
By Tim Paxton

As a collector of movie posters, lobby cards, and other such types of memorabilia, I was always amazed when I could come across an image on a poster that was blatantly taken from another movie, sometimes not even having the closest thing to the movie it was being used to advertise this. The best example that I can think of is the Pakistani poster for Hammer’s Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter, which used images from Fulci’s City of the Living Dead, including the famous drill-through-the-head scene. Well the Indian film market, especially for the covers of their VCDs. Which is exactly this book is about.

If you have any interests in poster are, especially foreign ones, then you will absolutely love this book. The covers and posters shown here, page after page, are filled with such wild images, some of which have characters or designs that you’ll immediately recognize from another, more familiar poster, or at least make you think you’ve seen it before. Granted, most of the movies here don’t have those creatures and whatnot actually in the film, but we’re talking about the posters and box art for the time being.

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Soundtrack Review: Puppet Master – The Littlest Reich

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puppet master the littlest reichPuppet Master: The Littlest Reich
Released by Lakeshore Records, 2018
13 Tracks with a Total Running Time of 31 min.
Music by Fabio Frizzi

I must admit, seeing the offer to review the soundtrack for the latest Puppet Master movie didn’t fill me with excitement. But when I saw the composer was none other than Fabio Frizzi, the Italian maestro who composed the scores for films like Fulci’s The Psychic (1977), Zombie (1979), City of the Living Dead (1980), The Beyond (1981), not to mention a few other classics, I quickly changed my mind. And I’m glad I did because he once showed me that you can never judge a book by its cover. Or a score by its title., as the case may be.

The score for Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich is a smaller and simple score, much like I expected, but Frizzi is still able to create a great mood here. The opening title track is a beautiful piece of music, simple and elegant, and not what you’d think you’d hear for a Puppet Master film. But right when the second track picks up, Third Floor Hallway, the atmosphere kicks in. We have a slow and low sound of the keyboard, with a low pounding in the background. Then a violin (maybe?) kicks in bringing up the eerie factor slightly higher.  About halfway through this track, we hear some bells, like from a wind chime or doll’s toy, which at first might sound innocent, but the way it is used along with the already existing sounds, it just makes it plain creepy.

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HorrorHound This Weekend!

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HorrorHound 8-18 banner

In just a few days, we’ll have the van loaded up once again ready to make our trip to another convention. This time out, it will be for the HorrorHound Weekend in Indianapolis, where that show started over ten years ago. Except this time out, it will be at a new hotel than the one it has been at since the beginning. Kind of bummed about that since I really liked the hotel and area where it was at. But I understand how you can outgrow a hotel and need to make the move. Just really hoping for no surprises when we get there to set up…fingers crossed.

Once again, we will be set up there peddling our wares, looking for that exclusive bunch of people that still like to read about their favorite movies. So if you’re coming out to the show, make sure you stop by and say hello. We always like meeting our followers and putting faces to the names we see on emails and messages. For all the information about the show, just click HERE.

Also this weekend at the Skyline Drive-In is their Super Monster Movie Fest, which starts on Friday night and then again on Saturday night, with 4 features each night. We are still planning to try to make it there both nights, but with the show going on and all, might make it a little more challenging, but we’ll see. For more info on the lineup and Drive-In, just click HERE.

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Book Review: Terror in the Desert

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Terror in the DesertTerror in the Desert
Published by McFarland, 2018. 312 pages
By Brad Sykes

In an age of internet reviews, when anybody with a computer can be a critic (me being one of them), sometimes we might read a negative review of a movie and brush it off without any inclination to visit it, or in some cases, re-visit it. And I think that is a big mistake on the part of all of us fans.

In his introduction in this book, author Sykes writes, “I honestly believe that most of the films profiled in these pages – flaws and all – have something to offer the viewer.” After reading that, it reminded me once again that even if a movie might only be a 2 or 2 1/2 stars out of 5, that doesn’t mean that it is a total waste of time, but that it still might have some merit and might just be worth watching. Might be a great special effect or stunt in there. Or just a great performance by one particular actor. We just never know. So I just wanted to throw that out there, giving a little credit to Sykes for reminding us fans something that we shouldn’t forget.

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