Hammer’s Plague Hits Blu-Ray

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Plague BlurayYeah, I know this was all over Facebook yesterday, but damn if I’m not going to help spread the word a bit more! While I may be a huge Hammer fan, their 1966 film The Plague of the Zombies is one of my all time favorites of theirs. So I am more than thrilled to see this hit Blu-ray, thanks to Shout Factory!

This was Hammer’s only movie that dealt with zombies, though these are the voodoo type, not the flesh-eating type. Maybe because Romero didn’t unleash his until two years later. But this is a prime example of what Hammer did best. They had an great cast with two powerful leads, André Morell as Sir James Forbes and John Carson as Squire Hamilton. Morell is so much fun to watch, being so proper and the whole stiff upper lip, but yet still has a dark sense of humor. Carson, who plays the villain, was born to play this part. Whether it is his voice, which is very similar sounding to James Mason, or his evil stare, that can easily hide behind a smile. Of course, throw in Michael Ripper in a minor role, and it makes it even better!

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Stelvio Cipriani – Rest in Peace

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Stelvio Cipriani - RIPIf you are a fan of Italian cinema, whether it be westerns, giallo, or horror, then you’ve most likely heard the work of Stelvio Cipriani, who passed away on Monday, October 1st, at the age of 81. With a career that spanned over 50 years, composing scores for over 200 films, he has help make those movies even better with his music.

He started studying music at the age of 14 and composed his first score when he was 29, which was The Ugly Ones (1966). He would contribute scores for such films as A Bay of Blood (1971), The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire (1971), Death Walks on High Heels (1971), Baron Blood (1972), Tragic Ceremony (1972), Rabid Dogs (1974), Tentacles (1977), The Great Alligator (1979), Nightmare City (1980), and so many more.

Thankfully for us film score fans, a lot of his work has been released on CDs, which allows not only us, but newer fans to discover and continue to enjoy years to come. So that his work with always be with us, which means he will always be remembered. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family.

Severin Goes to Blood Island

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Blood Island CollectionI’ve been a huge fan of the horror films made in the Philippines, especially the Blood Island films. So I was thrilled when I first heard mention that Severin was going to be releasing these films on Blu-ray. Even more so when I saw the kind of promo stuff they are making available. Granted, the limited edition Dr. Lorca’s Head Bundle is already sold out (Also note…that’s not Dr. Lorca’s Head…just saying), which was a major bummer. But the stuff in the Blood Oath Bundle is pretty damn cool too. Got to give Severin major props for the stuff they come up with. From the Anthropophagus Plush figure, or the beach ball from The Horror of Party Beach, to even the little rubber ball from The Changeling, they are killing it when it comes to new promo items.

So what is in this box set?

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Mystery Photo 10-1

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YEAH! It’s finally October! That means we only have 31 days to really enjoy the Halloween Season before the biggest commercial holiday hits us! So let us horror fans make sure we do whatever we can to enjoy each and every one of these 31 days! I’m not sure how many updates I’ll have throughout the month, mainly due to all the conventions, marathons, and other events we have planned, but I’ll do my best.

But let us start it off with a new Mystery Photo, shall we? Last week’s photo was from Screamers (1979). Now if you said Island of the Fishmen, I would accept that, though technically this particular shot is from the footage that was added to the American release to the film, to help calm down the crowds at the drive-in who were pissed because the American ad campaign stated that you’d actually get to see a man turned inside out, which wasn’t in the original version. Oh the sordid tales of PR in low budget filmmaking. But kudos to the following that sent in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Angela Hermann, Troy Howarth, Gavin Schmitt, Michael Shields, and William Wilson. Well done!

For our first October photo, we’re going to with something a little traditional. Take a peek and see what you think. As always, please remember not to post your answers here so others can have a chance. Send your guess to me at jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

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Naschy Tribute in Legend of Hombre Lobo

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I’m usually not one for cheap knock-offs or so-called tributes when it really looks like the filmmakers are just ripping off the subject they are supposedly trying to pay homage to. But after viewing the below trailer for The Legend of El Hombre Lobo, I am pretty intrigued about this short film and look forward to seeing it. I mean, when you’re paying tribute to the one and only Paul Naschy, you’re going to get my attention right away. From the look of this trailer below, it looks like they’ve nailed the look and feel of his gothic films. One can only hope!

 

Do You Like Opera?

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Two weeks from today, the Music Box Theatre will once again unleash the terror from their projector, screening 13 features (with 10 of them being from actual 35mm prints!) in this year’s The Music Box of Horrors! Since our last post, they have added one final feature to the lineup, Dario Argento’s Opera (1987), which will be the Italian uncut version, playing in Chicago for the first time! This is actually Argento’s personal 35mm print being screened! How cool is that?

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“One Man Crazy!”

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Colin Clive BiographyIt’s strange how the name of Frankenstein always puts images of the monster that was pieced together by a mad doctor in our heads, when in fact the name is of the creator, not the creature. And the man who is considered to be the first Frankenstein (yes, I know there were others, but I did use the word “considered”), was Henry Frankenstein and played by British actor Colin Clive. He was the one to utter those famous lines “It’s alive! It’s alive!”. But much like the curse his character fell upon, the actor himself seemed to be cursed as well.

Now thanks to Gregory William Mank and Midnight Marquee, you’ll be able to read all the details about his life and death, in “One Man’s Crazy!” The Life and Death of Colin Clive, which should be out anytime now. I’ve read several of Mank’s books and he always fills them with so much information, details, stories, as well as heart and soul, that really shows us his subject for who they were. Mank is top-notch scholar who always delivers with his books. I can’t wait to dig into this one.

This book retails for $30 but if you order it directly from Midnight Marquee, you can get it for only $19! For ordering details, head over to their website HERE, or drop them a line at mmarquee@aol.com.

Ralph Bates Biography

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Ralph Bates BiographyFans of Hammer Horror should be well aware of the name of Ralph Bates. He was one of the next generation stars of Hammer, one to take the lead from the likes of Cushing and Lee and continue the tradition that they started. Unfortunately, Hammer didn’t last that much longer. In that short time though, Bates did appear in a few of their pictures and always turning a memorable performance. He appeared in Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970), The Horror of Frankenstein (1970), Lust for a Vampire (1971), Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971), and Fear in the Night (1972). It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if Hammer would have continued their ran of cinematic terrors.

But now you can learn all about those films, as well as the rest of Bates career and life in this new biography from author Christopher Gullo, entitled simply Ralph Bates: A Biography. Published by Midnight Marquee, it covers the actor’s life from his childhood, where he started to develop an interests in the theater, as well as once he started working with Hammer, and the multiple television appearances that he made.

With 165 family photos, including many never-before-seen ones, as well as getting to hear from over 70 different family, friends, and co-workers that the author sought out for this book, all helps to show the life of this incredibly talented man. Gullo is donating all his personal proceeds from the sale of this book to the Ralph Bates Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund. This was created to honor Bates, who passed away in 1991 from this disease.

To order it from Midnight Marquee, just click HERE.

Mystery Photo 9-24

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A little late today, but still got it posted. Busy weekend at the Drive-in, so it kind of drained me on Sunday. Getting too old to be staying up so late!

Anyway, our photo from last week was of course from Dario Argento’s Tenebre (1982). Kudos to the following for sending in the correct answer: Wendy Bodine, Troy Howarth, Bryan Martinez, Baron Martino, and William Wilson.

Now to this week’s photo, which again, might be a little tougher. Or not. Take a look and see what you can come up with. I will say there is a little trick here, but since it’s almost October, I figured I’d start early. Please remember not to post your answers here, so that others can have a chance. Just send me your guess in an email (jon@kitleyskrypt.com). Good Luck!

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Night of the Living Dead 50th Anniversary Screenings!

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That’s right, folks. It was 50 years ago that George Romero changed the face of horror cinema when he released his zombies onto the world in his little indie film Night of the Living Dead. I’m pretty sure all horror fans out there have seen Night, probably more than a few times. But have you had the chance to see it on the big screen? No? Then now is your chance.

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