Keep the Passion Burning…

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…and the Mind on Fire!

One of my favorite things about the conventions that I attend every year is the conversations. Not only am I having the opportunity to talk about the genre I love so much, but it is those conversations that can spark new thoughts, new ideas, or new ways to think about a film that I never had before. Often, it has made me want to bust a movie out and rewatch because of a simple discussion with someone.

The same goes for the variety of riches that we have with DVD and Blu-ray releases of films, usually filled with commentaries, interviews, or features about the making of the film, or maybe those behind the films. The intake of information we receive, some of it we might have known, or maybe knew but had forgotten, or simply had no clue about, it aways gets those gears moving.

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Mystery Photo 11-3

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That’s right, just another 362 days until Halloween! But as we know, that doesn’t mean we can’t stop doing what we do all the time, which is to continue to enjoy the horror genre, watch more movies, learn more about them, and just have fun. Of course, before we get to this week’s photo and theme for the month, let’s talk about last week’s photo. It was from Robert Wise’s 1945 film The Body Snatcher, starring the incredible Boris Karloff, in what many think (me included) was one of his best performances. Not only is it pretty scary, but Karloff proves once again that he was an amazing actor and did not have to be covered in makeup to send chills up your spine. Kudos to the following for sending in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Steve Archacki, Chris Dyer, Dave Fronto, Kevin Hart, Doug Lamoreux, Michael Pniewski, Bryan Senn, and Todd Warren. Well done!

Since now that Halloween just ended, that means November is the month to celebrate the Turkey. Not talking about bad movies, because we all know that the only bad movie is a boring one. And a Turkey is anything but boring. If you want some examples of what I consider a Turkey, head over to the link on the right, to our Turkey Day Marathon writeups and that will give you plenty of examples. So, for this month, each of our photos is going to be a Turkey. Take a peek and then send your guess to me in an email, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

Little Shoppe Unleashes Gorgo!

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While usually Little Shoppe of Horrors covers Hammer films, they occasionally cover films outside of that famous studio. Their newest issue is a prime example of that, yet still staying over in the U.K. With issue # 52, they cover the 1961 film Gorgo, where they give their version of a Kaiju film and do a damn fine job of it too! Directed by Eugène Lourié and produced the famous King Brothers, this new issue is a whopping 270 pages! Pretty damn big for a “magazine” but it shows you the kind of depth and detail that editor Richard Klemensen and LSoH are known for.

You’ll get to read production information, comments and stories from crew members and even from Maury, Frank, & Hymie King. Plus, you’ll also learn more about the King Brothers themselves, from when their last name was Kozinsky, from having some ties to gangsters before moving into being some pretty famous independent film producers.

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Headpress Books Gives Us a Nightmare

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As horror fans, we all know there are certain movies, actors, or anything under that umbrella that we can get a little obsessive over. For better or worse, it’s a little rabbit hole we go down, most of the time for the pure reason of just wanting to know as much as we can about a certain subject. Which is exactly what it seems author Nick Cato has done with his book, Dark Dreams: An Obsessive Look at Romano Scavolini’s Nightmare.

Nightmare (1981), one of the original titles on the Video Nasty lists in the UK, was one of those titles that seemed to be easy to find here in the states. Because of some of the gore, it became known as one of those flicks to watch because of just that. Even though the critics hated it, there were round-the-clock screenings in New York, as well as doing really well in video rentals. Word gets out quick amongst horror fans. But to superfan Cato, this film was much more. He spent the last 4 decades collecting and researching anything and everything he could find about this film, going to plenty of screenings, holding many interviews, and going through a ton of film reviews, most of which didn’t care too much for it, to say the least. The end result is this new book coming out from Headpress Books.

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Happy Halloween from Kitley’s Krypt!

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This month has been a complete whirlwind, from conventions, a 24-hour movie marathon, 4 library lectures, as well as with all the regular real-life BS that everyone has to deal with. Trying to find to time to actually enjoy the month’s festivities can be a bit tough, while also trying to squeeze some movies whenever you can get a free 90-minutes! I always say at the end of each October, as tired and stressed as I might be, I have had an absolute blast and wouldn’t change a thing.

These are the choices we make. The choices may put extra work on our already full plate, but we do it anyway because it feeds our soul. We know we’re doing it for the right reasons and no matter how much work goes into it, when we look back and see all that we’ve done at the end of the month, you do get that sense of accomplishment.

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DtH Podcast Episode 108 – Hammer’s Frankenstein Part 1

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The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958), and The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)

What can you say about the Hammer Frankenstein films that hasn’t been said before?

Well, a lot, actually!

In 1957, a relatively small, mostly unknown studio made a film that would forever change horror and kick off a cycle of sensual, bloody, and atmospheric fright flicks that would dominate the genre for around twenty years. To say that The Curse of Frankenstein is a classic is almost like saying that water is wet, but it is also a film that lives up to its reputation. It and its sequels are films that not only deserve regular revisits, but they also belong in more modern conversations about horror. While nearly all the films shard crewmembers and all but one were directed by Terence Fisher, one constant defined the series: Peter Cushing’s mesmerizing take on Victor Frankenstein, equal parts gentleman and ghoul.

On this episode we look at the first three films in the Cushing Frankenstein cycle, and in a very real way, make a pilgrimage to one of horror’s holy places. We love these films, and we hope that either you do too, or that you will by the time you are done listening.

Films mentioned in this episode:

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Mystery Photo 10-27

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Just a mere week left in our beloved Halloween season. I’m hoping everyone has had fun this month, celebrating all things dark and spooky. Though, for a lot of us, that is every day of the year! So, let’s not waste time here so you can get back to watching those movies and enjoying October. Before we get this week’s photo, let’s send a congrats out to Hoby Abernathy, Dave Fronto, Kevin Hart, Doug Lamoreux, Erik Martin, Bryan Senn, and Vincent Simonelli for correctly identifying Night Monster as last week’s photo. A nice and fun little Universal pic from 1942 featuring Bela Lugosi and Lionel Atwill. Well done!

Now on to this week’s photo, from one of my personal favorites of all time. See if you can identify it from just this shadow… Just remember to send your guess in an email, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. And Good Luck!

Movie Review: In the Mouth of Madness

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Directed by John Carpenter
Starring Sam Neill, Jürgen Prochnow, Julie Carmen, David Warner, John Glover, Charleton Heston, Peter Jason, Frances Bey, Bernie Casey, Wilhelm von Homburg

There have been many, many film adaptations of the works of H.P. Lovecraft, in both short films and feature-length ones. The first one was from Roger Corman, with his 1964 feature The Haunted Palace. It was titled after a poem from Edgar Allan Poe, to keep in line with the rest of the Corman/Poe cycle, but the story itself is entirely based on Lovecraft’s The Strange Case of Charles Dexter Ward, which didn’t get published until after the author’s death. While some films have come sort of close to the original tales, I would say that very few have really captured the essence of Lovecraft’s work. Describing things so terrifying, so strange and weird, that if one was to actually see it, you’d simply go mad. He wrote about things beyond our human comprehension.

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McFarland’s Halloween Sale

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While McFarland does put out some amazing books, we all know they can be a bit pricy. So, when they have these big sales, now is the time to jump on that title or two that you’ve been thinking about. If you use the code: HORROR40 you will get 40% off your total. That’s a pretty good discount. Plus, they already have quite a few titles on sale. I know I will be adding a few titles to my cart before this sale ends, which will be on Halloween. So, you only have 1 week left. Don’t wait!

Need a suggestion? The volume Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff: The Expanded Story of a Haunting Collaboration is an incredible read. This one is a bit pricy, at $59.95, but with the sale it is only about $36. Or the Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing and Horror Cinema by Mark A. Miller & David J. Hogan which is on sale at $29.95, which means your sale price is about $18! Not to mention plenty of other great titles on a variety of subjects, from the Italian giallo film, Jess Franco, Ray Dennis Steckler, and more!

Browse through their listings by clicking HERE and see if you can’t find another interesting title for your own library, or with the holiday coming up in a couple of months, buy a book for a horror-loving friend!