Abominable
Released in 2006, by Aleph Records
21 Tracks, with a running time of
Music by Lalo Schifrin
Hammer Films: An Exhaustive Filmography Book Review
Hammer Films: An Exhaustive Filmography
By Tom Johnson & Deborah Del Vecchio
Published by McFarland & Company, Inc., 1996. 410 pages.
Mystery Photo 12-7
If you didn’t get our last photo, or even have a clue, don’t feel bad. It seems we stumped most of you with that one. Which really is a good thing since it means that a lot of you just might have another movie to add to your “must see” list. The film is the 1972 Italian film Night of the Devils (aka La notte dei diavoli). It is a take off of the Wurdulak tale, like in Mario Bava’s Black Sabbath, and is one that I think is worth seeking out. Plus, it has a great score by Giorgio Gaslini!
We only had three correct answers sent in, which I have to give extra kudos to since this was a tough one. So a high praise goes out to Chris Kuchta, Mike Tutino, and Tom White. Well done, indeed!
So here is this week’s photo, which might be a bit more familiar than our last one. But can you remember which title it is from???
Remember, please don’t post your answer here, but send me an email at jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good luck!
Condemned Soundtrack Review
Condemned
Released by Lakeshore Records, 2015
14 Tracks with a total running time of 27 min.
Music by Daniel Davies and Sebastian Robertson
If a computer dreamed, I think this soundtrack would be what it sounded like. Using mainly an electronic based sound for this, Davies and Robertson are still come up with a wide variety of sounds throughout the score. Some of them are dark and creepy, almost like a futuristic film noir feel to it, using what sounds like feedback, or some sort of distortion. While other tracks, like the second half of the 3 track Hub To Dream, has a little keyboard theme in their briefly to give it a little bit of a feeling.
70s Monster Memories
Since references books are apparently on their way out, what better time to pick up this new one that sets out to show the younger audience a much different time of being a horror fan, as well as for us that grew up in that decade, something to spark a lot of amazing memories.
The publishers of the UK’s We Belong Dead has recently put a book entitled 70s Monster Memories. This thing is 400 pages of just what the title says, monster memories from a decade that I remember very well. Since I was born in 1965, the 70s is where my own passion for horror was born. With over 70 essays talking about everything from fanzines, horror vinyl, monster magazines, movie tie-in books and so much more! There is even a few articles on some of the names behind a few of the horror reference books that birthed a generation of monster fans; names like Alan Frank and Denis Gifford. The contributors consist of people like Tim Greaves, Troy Howarth, Dustin Jablonski, Stephen Jacobs, like Hammer scholars Richard Klemensen and Wayne Kinsey, and many others.
This softcover edition will be available on the 20th of this month, but they are taking pre-orders now, even at a discounted price. The cover price is £35 plus £5 postage UK, but the sale price is only £30 + postage. They are taking orders for US delivery, but obviously postage will be a bit higher.
Just head over to their website HERE for all the ordering information.
“The internet has killed reference books.”
Uh….what?
In a recent post on the blog Brutal as Hell, there was a book review for an ebook called Modern Horrors: An A to Z of Horror Movie Reviews 2000-2015 by Scott Weinberg, and that above quote was the opening line. You can see the post HERE. This isn’t meant as a slam towards the author, the site, or the book they’re reviewing. I enjoy BaH’s site and go there often. This really isn’t anything to do with the book review itself, but really just the author’s first paragraph. Right after making the statement about the internet has killed reference books, he justifies that statement by saying that you can get whatever information from the internet, so basically why the need for a book, saying “if you need more detailed information then you might just turn to Wikipedia.”
Jaws Soundtrack Review: 2-Disc Special Edition Release
Jaws
Released by Intrada, 2015
2-Disc Special Edition. Disc 1 features 36 Tracks with a total running time of 69 min. & Disc 2 features 18 tracks with 45 min.
Music Composted and Conducted by John Williams
Jaws is one of the perfect examples when a soundtrack actually is so powerful that it in itself, becomes so recognizable, so commanding and potent, that just hearing the first two notes of the opening theme can send chills up the spine. That, my friends, is an effective soundtrack at its finest. Sure, it might have something to do with the fact that Jaws scared the living crap out of me when I first seen it as a kid, but this score still remains one of those that upon hearing it, immediately puts me back in that theater seat all those years ago, making my stomach tighten with knots, tension rising, and nervousness ready to jump overboard. Even when this score has been parodied over and over again, it still hasn’t lost its impact.
Mystery Photo 11-30
Our photo from last week was from the made-for-TV movie called Gargoyles, which is a great little film that I think still holds up. With some really fun makeup work from Stan Winston, it is a special film from my childhood. We did get a few that sent in the correct answer. They were: Hoby Abernathy, PJ Ames, Scott Bradley, Doug Lamoreux, Gregg Olheiser, Michale Shields, and Mark Turner. Well done.
So this one might be a little tougher. Seems like I always say that, doesn’t it? Well then take a look and see if you recognize this shot. I do think it is a film that more people should seek out. Remember, please don’t post your answer here, but send me an email at jon@kitleyskrypt.com. We wouldn’t want to spoil the game for anyone else. Good Luck!
Give the Gift of Knowledge
With the holiday season approaching, we are always seeking out just the right gift for that special person in our lives. Now this may come as a bit of a surprise, but I’m a pretty big proponent of books. Yeah, I know….shocker, huh? But honestly, why buy something like a movie for this person (when chances are they might already have it!?!?!) that is just going to sit on a shelf until they get around to watching it. Okay…same could be said for a book…especially in my house. But honestly, a book will stay longer with them, by teaching them something they didn’t know before, which will allow a few different things to happen. For instances, if you get them a biography, they will learn about this particular person, be it a director or actor, which will help them appreciate and understand their work each and every time they watch one of their movies. If it is a simple film guide, it could open up a bunch of titles to them that they might not have known about yet. Or even if it is a book about the genre in general, it could open up some understanding as a whole, which always helps you appreciate it even more, getting you to think about these films possibly a little different than you had before.
Goosebumps Soundtrack Review
Goosebumps
Released by Sony Music, 2015.
29 Tracks with a Total Running Time of 64 min.
In the first few seconds of this, you can tell it is Danny Elfman. He seems to have such a full orchestrated sound to his scores these days, full of different sounds and instruments. Some might call them busy. Is that a good or a bad thing? Well, that is up to you to decide. For me, compared to his older scores, they seemed to have lost the deep emotional connection they used to have. The whole goal of a score, for me at least, is to create an audio picture in your head, or emotion in your heart. Or one that just enhances what we’re seeing on the screen. These days, Elfman is always good at the later. They do the job they are suppose to do. But I don’t feel they really can stand on their own, or have those feelings come through the music.
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