Eugenio Martín – Rest in Peace

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Well, we almost made it through the month.

While he might not have directed a lot of films in the horror genre, the ones he did were enough to make his mark in my book. Spanish filmmaker Eugenio Martín has passed away at the age of 97. His 1972 film Pánico en el Transiberiano, or as we know it here in the states, Horror Express, is one of those films that no matter how many times you see it, it still retains the same entertainment level, if not more, than before. Martín led an amazing cast of highly talented actors and actresses to such a strange story of an alien being found in the ice and awakening after centuries of being asleep. The following year, he gave us It Happened at Nightmare Inn aka A Candle for the Devil (1973), which was another highly memorable film, though with a much smaller cast.

I know that because of these two titles along, not to mention the other films he created, working in just about every film genre, he definitely will be remembered and highly regarded. We were very sorry to hear this news and our thoughts go out to his friends and family during this difficult time.

House of Monsters Presents Euro-Horror Shock Show

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Chicago fans are in for a real treat this April. House of Monsters is presenting a night of Euro Horror, some of which has probably never been screened in Chicago! Taking place on Saturday, April 22nd, at The Davis Theatre, they will be screening 4 different titles, two from Italy and two from Spain, but all giving fans a nice taste of Euro-Horror!

You’ll get to see Joe D’Amato’s first official directorial debut, Death Smiles on a Murderer (1973), starring the one and only Klaus Kinski. Then there is Lucio Fulci’s Don’t Torture a Duckling (1972), a dark and sweaty giallo about someone murdering the local children.

For the last two films, we travel over to Spain for a double dose of one of the most iconic figures in the horror genre, Paul Naschy! That comment won’t be a surprise to any regulars to this site. But now is your chance to see two of Naschy’s finest: Hunchback of the Morgue (1973) and then The Mummy’s Revenge (1975).

The doors open at 3pm and the features start at 4pm. There will be vendors, trailers, and free stuff! So, mark your calendars because this is an event that you will not want to miss. Presale tickets are available now and I wouldn’t wait too long because this just might sell out!

For all the latest information, check out the Facebook event page HERE.

Mystery Photo 1-23

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Last week’s photo was from the Oscar winning . . . okay, not exactly. But had director Ray Dennis Steckler had a real budget, you never know what he might have accomplished. The pic was from his 1964 film The Thrill Killers, which I must say, if you haven’t seen it, is actually a pretty decent film. Kudos to the following for sending in the correct answer: Scott Bradley, Michael Shields, and William Wilson. Well done!

Now since we’ve somehow managed to use black and white films for every pictorial puzzle this month, I figured it was about time we went color. So, take a look at this week’s photo and see if you can recognize where this one is from. Just remember to send your guess to me in an email to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

Universal Classic Horrors at the Strand Theatre

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The Strand Theatre in Shelbyville, IN, has announced this year’s Friday Night Frights schedule and once again, makes me wish I lived closer to the theater! We all know and love the Universal Classic Monsters (or at least we should!) but few fans have had the opportunity to see them in a movie theater on the big screen. Well, if you live near the Indianapolis area, now you have your chance.

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Mystery Photo 1-16

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You people surprised me with last week’s photo, and it made me proud! I thought if I posted a shot from the best tree monster movie ever (okay that might be debatable…), and didn’t include the actual monster, there’s no way anybody would get this. So, I posted a shot of a woman sinking to her death in a pit of quicksand from the 1957 film From Hell It Came. And much to my surprise, I was getting messages right away with the right answer. Shows what I know! Kudos out to the following for sending in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Kevin Hart, Bob Hartman, Ken Johnson, Doug Lamoreux, Charles Miller, Lee Nattrass, Bryan Senn, and Alan Tromp. You guys make me proud to be amongst you!

Okay, let’s see if we can continue that trend with this week’s photo, shall we? Take a look below and see what you think. Just remember to email me your guess, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

Book Review: Here There Be Monsters

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Here There Be Monsters
Published by BearManor Media, 2021. 464 pages
By Bryan Senn

Being a lover and collector of horror reference books, it should be no surprise that I’ve been a fan of Senn’s work and have quite a few of his books in my library, even before I met him at a Monster Bash show in 2016. His work is always a joy to dive into because he not only packs it full of information, but you can tell it is coming from a fellow fan. And while we might always agree on some films, I still enjoy reading his take on whichever film he is writing about.

With this book, it is a collection of essays, reviews, and other writings that were either published in magazines or other books but were cut down due to size limitations or just didn’t fit in that particular publication. In this new volume, we get it all. Plus, we get a LOT of it. This volume is huge and is filled to the brim with just about every classic horror subject there is. The films covered go from the early classics of the ‘30s through the ‘60s, as well as a huge section on Mexican monster films, which I particularly enjoyed. There are even a few book reviews and some personal essays included as well.

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Vinegar Syndrome Unleashes Curucu!

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Now what exactly is the big deal that Vinegar Syndrome is releasing a film that is rated at a 3.7 on IMDB? Could it be because that Curucu, Beast of the Amazon, an extremely rare film, had never gotten a release on DVD or even VHS? Or maybe because it was written and directed by Curt Siodmak, who wrote countless classics like The Wolf Man (1941) or Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)? Or maybe because it stars Beverly Garland, a favorite amongst fans of the sci-fi / horror films of the ’50s? Or maybe because the main character’s name is Rock Dean! Or maybe it is simply because VS has found this almost lost film, taken the time to make a newly scanned and restored print in 2K from its 35mm dupe negative and saved this title from becoming another one of those lost films. I say for that alone, VS deserves our gratitude!

Now I had a bootleg copy of this on VHS, that not only was in black and white, but the quality was so bad that I never could get through it! When I saw the trailer and the quality of the print, I was blown away. Sure, this is not supposed to be that great of a movie. Doesn’t matter. With a title like Curucu, Beast of the Amazon, with some freaking amazing poster art, plus with some of the people involved in it, I know there will be a copy in my collection. We all know that a lot of the older movies never lived up to the hype the posters and trailers made it out to be, but we still enjoyed them. I know I can’t wait to finally get to see this, in a print quality that probably looks the best it has since its initial release!

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Discover the Horror Podcast – Episode 34: Makeup Effects

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Throughout movie history, makeup artists have helped create new faces for the silver screen, whether they were just changing their look to creating a new monster never before seen. As the years progressed, what used to only be images we could dream of, these makeup artists help bring them to life, giving generations and generations both a sense of wonder, and nightmares!

We decided to go through the cinematic history and discuss different monsters and makeup creations that have amazed and astonished us. And to help us, we figured why not have a guest that has been in the trenches for over three decades, Mr. Gino Crognale!

So hit play, sit back and enjoy this trip down memory lane.

Movies mentioned in this episode:

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Silver Bullet Soundtrack Arrives!

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Jay Chattaway’s score for the 1985 film Silver Bullet, an adaptation of Stephen King’s 1983 novella Cycle of the Werewolf, is finally coming to CD, in a much longer edition than before. Originally, it was released on LB and CD, but just over 30 minutes of music, just highlights. But now, Intrada has taken the original session masters from the Paramount vaults, reassembled and sequenced them in the order of the film, and now runs close to an hour.

Priced at $21.99, which a bit pricy, but I’ve already ordered mine. Not only am I a sucker for soundtracks, I’m also a big fan of Chattaway’s scores, especially the one he did for Maniac (1980), plus, I do remember this being a fun little flick.

You can order it directly from Intrada HERE, or head over to Screen Archives HERE, which is where I tend to get a LOT of my soundtracks from.

Mystery Photo 1-9

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As I mentioned last week, the photo was I posting was going to be pretty tough, and it seems I was correct. But that didn’t stop Hoby Abernathy and Bob Hartman from figuring out what movie it was from! No easy task, that is for sure, so a major kudos to them! The film is Mexican and from 1953, called El Monstruo Resucitado 1953 aka The Revived Monster. Very unique, especially for that time, and some wonderful creepy images. Check it out when you can.

For our photo this week, we’re still sticking in the black and white era. That’s right, the dreaded quicksand! As a young lad, watching a lot of TV in the early ’70s, there was few things as terrifying as a pit of quicksand. So much so that I thought it was one thing that was going to be difficult to avoid in my adult life. But so far, so good. Give the photo a peek and see if you can recognize it before this poor woman goes under. Remember to email me your guess, at jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!