Mystery Photo 1-1

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Welcome to our first Mystery Photo of 2024! Are you ready for another year of pictorial puzzles? Something to make that grey matter between your ears do a little extra thinking? Well, that’s what I’m here for! Before we get to the new photo, let’s do a little recap first, shall we? The photo from last week was from one of the best anthology films ever committed to celluloid, Mario Bava’s Black Sabbath (1963). Between the creepy to terrifying stories, to the amazing colors and cinematography presented there, it never loses its power for the viewer. Kudos to the following for sending in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Aaron Christensen, Dave Friedman, Kevin Hart, Bob Hartman, Troy Howarth, Michael Pniewski, Bryan Senn, and Michael Shields. Well done!

Let’s see how many can get our first photo of the new year. Just take a peek below and see what you can come up with. Just remember to email me your guess, at jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

2023 Year End Review – Part 3: Never to Forget

by in Rest in Peace, Year End Reviews and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

As we start off 2024, always with the intent of making things better, doing more, and enjoying life more, it should always be a time of remembrance, especially of those that have affected your life in some sort of way. These people involved in the movie industry are a huge part of that for me. This is always the sad part of my recap of the year, because I’m reminded of the great talent that we’ve lost over the last 12 months. But then, I do think about them, and that is what is important, isn’t it? Not to just remember them, but the incredible work that they have left us, to forever enjoy, re-watching it over and over again. As film fans, I do feel it is our job to keep their memories alive by honoring them and their work. So, while we are sad that they are no longer with us here in the physical world, their legacy is and as long as we keep watching those films, reading their work, then they are still here.

To those that made a mark on the horror genre, no matter how big or small, Rest in Peace, and know that you will never be forgotten!

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2023 Year End Review – Part 2: Best Viewings!

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As always, it was a struggle getting my list down to ten films. It was even stranger because when I first started going through my list of movies I watched this year, at first, I thought I was going to have trouble even coming up with five titles. But the more I looked into them, the more I realized that not only did I have more than ten, but almost like last year, most of the films I have listed here came out in the last few years. I’ve only got two “old” ones and the rest from 2020 to 2023. I would like to say that it gives me hope for modern films, but really mainly if you look outside the country! Six of my films are from foreign countries, which does give me a LOT of hope of the horror genre as a whole.

Let’s get started, shall we? These are listed in alphabetical order to make it a little easier for me, since narrowing it down to ten was hard enough!

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2023 Year End Review – Part 1: The Highlights

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2023 was one crazy year. A lot of things changed, had some amazing travel adventures, another year on the convention circuit, movie screenings and marathons, and more than a few visits to the drive-ins. Plenty of be grateful for really. That should be the first thing to mention because it is one that we only bring up on certain holidays, when it should be celebrated each and every day. It is a time to not only look at the upcoming year, but also to look back on your accomplishments from 2023. Sometimes, just getting through the year is something to be proud of, because we know that that alone can be difficult. So don’t think you have to list off a dozen or so things that you did. Just be proud of what you did. But we can always make those lists of what we want to do in 2024. I don’t like to use the word resolution because that seems to come and go with the holiday. Write it down. Make a list. Set a goal. And then work your way there. Doesn’t have to be a huge one either. Could be just to watch all the Hammer Frankenstein films. Then on to the next thing. Most importantly, remember why you put it on your list in the first place. Have fun with it.

My website hit the 25 anniversary this year. Still hard to believe, but honestly, when you know how stubborn I can be, it makes perfect sense. The Krypt has helped keep my passion alive and well, as well as thriving. It is the one place I can go and spout my views and opinions to those that are always checking in with what this slightly obsessive horror fan has to say. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate everyone’s continued support. So, thank you!

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Book Review: The Karloff Compendium

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The Karloff Compendium
Published by Unstoppable Cards Limited, 2023. 328 pages.
By Stephen Jacobs

Boris Karloff is my all-time favorite actor, not just because Frankenstein (1931) is one of my all-time favorite films either, but due to his huge work in the genre throughout his career. Because of that fact, I will buy any book that comes out that is on him. Without question. When the news of this new one was going to be released, I immediately ordered it when it was available. It also helped because it was by author Stephen Jacobs, who had previously written probably the best Karloff biography back in 2011 entitled Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster (click HERE to read our review of that title). Honestly, I didn’t even read what the book was about before ordering it, because it didn’t matter. When it arrived, I finally paged through it briefly seeing that it was really a historical look at Karloff’s career, starting at the very beginning when he was a stage actor, going through to the end.

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Facets Demons Double Feature

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For those in the Chicago area, next month you’ll have the opportunity to experience the Super-Horror-Rama at Facets with a Demons Double Feature! They will be screening both films, Demons (1985) at 7pm, and then Demons 2 (1986) at 9pm. This special presentation is sponsored by House of Monsters and programmed by John McDevitt, Facets Community Engagement Manager.

For fans of Italian horror, director Lamberto Bava’s two features has enough blood & gore, music, and plenty of demons running amok to keep everyone in the theater entertained! If you haven’t had the chance to experience them in a theater, now is your chance!

For all the information, just click HERE. And make sure you check back with Facets for other interesting screenings!

DtH Podcast – Episode 60: 2023 Wrap Up

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Another year ending means another Wrap Up episode where we go over our top picks for the year, as well as discussing some other titles we’ve seen in 2023. While most of the films we do cover here as our favorite viewings for this year are from the last few years, they are not all from 2023. But as we’ve pointed out many times before, if you’re watching it for the first time, no matter when it was released, as far as we’re concerned, it still counts as a new movie to you!

2023 has been a great year for the horror genre, especially when you look outside the U.S., which we all hope everyone out there does, because there are some incredible titles coming from Spain, Malaysia, Argentina, Japan, and more. So hopefully our listeners are not restrained by films that are “only in English”, because those folks are sadly missing out on some incredible cinema.

For this episode, we strongly suggest you have a notepad and pen close by to jot down some titles because we think we’re going to give you more than a few that we feel you should be checking out.

And a special HUGE thanks to those that continue to tune in and listen to us ramble on about the genre we love. With this being our 60th episode, it seems our following is growing day by day, so thank you for your continued support and in 2024, we’ll continue to help you Discover the Horror!

Films mentioned in this episode:

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Euro Horror from We Belong Dead

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The fine folks from We Belong Dead magazine have their latest massive book coming out, this time covering Euro Horror! In the ad on the page for the book, it has NASCHY! FRANCO! ARGENTO! BAVA! ROLLIN! Now if that isn’t a good way to make me order the damn thing, I don’t know what would! I have several of these massive books that We Belong Dead have been putting out over the last few years and they are all a work of art. Brimming with exceptional essays on the movies we all love, it is just so much fun to wander through them and read someone else’s thoughts on a variety of films. This one looks to be no different.

Edited by Eric McNaughton & Darrell Buxton, with foreword by Lone Fleming, with “350 pages in glorious full color, large format”, and illustrated with hundreds of stills, lobby cards, and poster art. For the softcover edition, the price is £35 ($44.45), and for the hardcover edition, the price is £45 ($57.15), which is limited. And of course, the postage to ship from the UK isn’t cheap either, with £15 ($19.05) and £20 ($25.40) for the hardcover. So, you’re looking at about $70 for a hardcover edition with shipping. Yes, a bit pricy. But, as I mentioned above, going by their previous books, I do think it is a great investment. And since a lot of them go out-of-print, the value will go up.

And if you need a little more pushing, my Discover the Horror co-host, Aaron AuBuchon has 4 different essays within the covers, from The Devil’s Nightmare, to Fulci’s The Beyond, to Argento’s Inferno. In fact, if memory serves, I even have an essay in there!

If you are interested, they are taking pre-orders now. Just click HERE to get to the page to place your order. I think you’ll thank me.

Mystery Photo 12-25

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Just because it’s Christmas doesn’t mean we’re not going to have a new photo! Probably why it is just getting posted now. But here it is none the less. Before we get to it, let’s back up to our last photo. It was from Amok Train (1989), better known in the here as Beyond the Door III. Why that title? I have no idea and it makes no sense. Then again, wouldn’t be the first time for something like that! Congrats to the following for sending in the correct answer: Nathan Rumler, Mickey Thompson, and William Wilson. Well done!

Now on to our last photo of 2023. Just where did the year go, huh? Take a look below and see what you can come up with. If you recognize it, make sure you send me your guess in an email to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. And Good Luck!

Happy Holidays from Us at the Krypt

by in Misc. Ramblings | 2 Comments

Just wanted to take a second to wish everyone the happiest of holidays. I hope you are enjoying the moment, and feeding those passions that make you happy, no matter what it might be. It is what keeps us young at heart and in mind. I hope that Satan Claws leaves you something nice under the Axemas tree and that you get to spend time with those that are special to you.

And remember, at least we don’t have Big G stomping through our neighborhood . . . so at least we got that going for us . . . which is nice.