Caveat (2020) 24 Tracks with a Total Running Time of 71:10 min. Music by Richard G. Mitchell
I stumbled across this movie in 2021 on Prime one night, not knowing anything about it but since it had a creepy looking stuffed rabbit with human looking eyes in it, I figured it could be interesting. Boy was that an understatement! I counted it as in my Top Ten Viewings for the year. The movie just oozes creepiness. So much strange stuff is going on, but it really gets under your skin. One of the reasons for that, I feel, is because of the score from Richard G. Mitchell.
I keep forgetting to mention that starting with Episode # 70, you can now actually watch our podcast instead of just listening to it! There will also be additional videos and content being added as time goes on. So, if you want to see your hosts in action, just click HERE to get the channel. Then remember to Like and Subscribe so you will be notified every time new content is uploaded! Below is our first video, praising one of the best conventions out there, Cinema Wasteland!
Them! (1954), The Deadly Mantis (1957), and The Black Scorpion (1957)
The decade of the 1950s gave horror fans a ton of different giant monster flicks, but usually taking something seemingly harmless, such as ants or grasshoppers, but somehow, someway, are mutated into growing into gigantic proportions! We had giant spiders, praying mantis, mollusks, and anything these creative filmmakers could come up, just make them bigger and let them loose!
While modern critics, or even those at the time when these titles came out, passed them off as something for the kiddies and not to be taken seriously. And sure, they were definitely made under the term of exploitation, but when you really look at them, there is a lot of talented people behind and in front of the camera, and some really well-made and creative craftsmanship going on as well. Some aspects may seem and are very dated by today’s standards, but there is still a lot there, as well as a lot of entertainment value. So, grab your can of raid, a giant size flyswatter, and maybe even some industrial strength gloves to wear so you don’t have to tough any of these nasty little buggers and listen to us have a little fun discussing some big creepy crawlers!
Going to be a fun week already. Got very little sleep over the weekend due to attending a Godzilla 24-hour marathon and still haven’t recovered! But at least I got this done! Our photo from last week was from Jean Rollin’s Le frisson des vampires aka Shiver of the Vampire (1971). Kudos to those that sent in the correct name: Hoby Abernathy, Steve Archacki, Dada Debaser, Dave Fronto, Kevin Hart, Bob Hartman, and Troy Howarth! Well done!
Now on to this week’s photo, which might be pretty easy, mainly because it’s a little newer than most. Well, sort of. Take a peek and see what you can come up with. Don’t worry, if you don’t send in the correct answer, I won’t make you wear the mask in the photo. But just remember to send your guess to me in an email, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!
Issue # 50 of simply the best magazine devoted to Hammer Studios is about to release their 50th issue. Issue # 1 was published in June of 1972, over 50 years ago. And if you’ve purchased any of their issues, then you know just how packed full of information they are. This one is no different.
With the incredible cover art by Mark Maddox, this issue features in-depth making of The Devil Rides Out by Bruce G. Hallenbeck, called Angel of Death. There are also pieces on Charles Gray, as well as one on special effects artist Michael Stainer-Hutchins, an analysis of Richard Matheson’s screenplay for the film called The Devil in the Details, by Constantine Nasr.
Plus, Mr. Hallenbeck also gives us Fresh Blood, Fresh Brains: The Making of Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell!
Filled out with the other usual content, from book reviews, the Keith Dudley report, and Confessions of a Monster Chick by Pam Murray, this issue will be just as entertaining and engaging as all the rest. I can’t wait! You can order your copy now by clicking HERE.
Director Anthony Waller Starring Marina Zudina, Fay Ripley, Evan Richards, Oleg Yankovskiy, Igor Volkov, Alec Guinness
Not sure why, but I never got around to watching this when it first came out, close to 30 years ago. But now, with the new 4K release coming out, I have fixed that and I’m glad I did.
Mute Witness was director Waller’s first film, which I know would have made me pay attention to his career. Unfortunately, his next feature was American Werewolf in Paris (1997), which probably would have made me stop paying attention! But none the less, we are here to talk about his debut feature, which is about a young woman, named Billy Hughes, who is a special makeup effects artist working on a slasher film in Russia. She also happens to be mute. She can hear, just can’t speak. Her sister is on the crew, as well as dating the director, who helps her with any language barriers or difficulties with the crew or actors.
Welcome to June and our first photo of the month! We went a little old school for last week’s photo, but still sort of an obscure one. The film was The Valley of the Zombies (1946), which is actually a pretty fun flick, especially because of character in the photo, played by Ian Keith. Well worth checking it out. But kudos are in line for the following for sending in the correct answer: Dave Fronto, Kevin Hart, Bob Hartman, Doug Lamoreux, Bryan Senn, Mike Shields, Alan Tromp. Well done!
This week’s photo we’re going back to color! take a look below and see if you recognize where this shot is from. Just remember to send us an email with your name and answer! Most of all, Good Luck!
Starting on our 3rd decade of Turkey Day Marathons, with this one being our 10th Turkey Day in May event, there just seems to be no stopping us. There are several things about these events that continue to amaze me. First and foremost, is the number of my friends that are crazy enough to continue to come out and sit through whatever I throw at them. Keep in mind, the titles are never announced until I hit play on the player. But they still come out. Sure, every once in a while, there might be a film where a mutiny is maybe thought about, but it is soon forgotten, and we move on to the next film. It reminds me that cinephiles are a different breed of people, ones that can look at what most people would scoff at, look down at, or even wonder why we’re wasting our title with that particular title. But the people that continue to come out see the real value and entertainment in these pictures. I am honored and so grateful to call them my friends.
This year’s Music Box of Horrors is taking place on Saturday, October 19th, giving fans another 24 hours of non-stop movies and madness! They have just announced first four titles that will be screening at this year’s marathon, and once again, they are starting out with some great titles.
The biggest title probably is Jaws (1975), which I know everyone has seen and probably multiple times. But how many times have you seen it on the big screen? With a packed audience?
Splinter (2008), Thanatomorphose (2012), and Contracted (2013)
When discussing films that deal with body horror, David Cronenberg and his work usually come up in the conversation. How can he not, when so many of his earlier films all dealt with some sort of body horror, mutations, and transformations? But there are plenty of films that go above and beyond (and even below) Cronenberg’s impressive genre efforts… sometimes even making us wonder why we’re watching them in the first place! Could it be that we just want to see how much grossness we can stomach? Or is there more to it?
Body horror is one of the most horrific of horror’s subgenres, tossing heaping handfuls of disgust into the usual bag of scares. And maybe it’s the hangover from the recent global pandemic, maybe it’s the fact that by a certain age all of us have watched someone close to us fight a serious illness, or maybe it’s just built into us by Mother Nature, but there’s something especially horrific about body horror from infection. But what do we get from watching it? Disgust, discomfort, and maybe a deeper understanding of human experience and anxieties? We can for sure guarantee the first two- so let’s dig in!
Disclaimer: by the end of the episode, you will be forgiven if you catch yourself looking at your body in a full-length mirror thinking “well, at least no maggots fell out of there.”
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