Movie Review: The Dark and the Wicked

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(2020)
Written and directed by Bryan Bertino
Starring Marin Ireland, Michael Abbott Jr., Julie Oliver-Touchstone, Lynn Andrews, Tom Nowicki, and Xander Berkeley

I had put this film in my “honorable mentions” in my Best Viewings writeup at the end of 2020, but I recently rewatched it again and felt I had to write up an actual review to maybe help others seek out this incredible film. But a bit of a warning, as good as this film is, it packs quite the punch, and will make you want to watch videos of cute puppies and such to bring you out from the darkness this film envelopes you with.

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Mystery Photo 10-31

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Happy Halloween!!! I know it’s still a Monday, hence the new Mystery Photo, but hopefully either today, or over this last weekend, everyone was able to enjoy the holiday, get some fright flicks watched, as well as get to hang out with fellow horror fans to just have a good time!

I was pleasantly surprised at the number of correct answers sent in for our last photo. Without having the main star from the film, but just a shot of some tortured women, I didn’t think it was that easy. But I was wrong! The film title is actually Die Schlangengrube und das Pendel (1967), but is one of those that has been retitled more than a few times with names like The Blood Demon, Blood of the Virgins, Castle of the Walking Dead, but most notably as The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism, starring Christopher Lee. So big kudos to the following for sending in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Todd Barwick, Dave Fronto, Bob Hartman, Troy Howarth, Gary McGuire, Bryan Senn, Michael Shields, Vincent Simonelli, Alan Tromp, Todd Warren, Nick Wilson.

Since the last one was a little too easy apparently, we’re going to go with one a little tougher. Well, maybe. But take a peek and see what pops into your head! Just remember to email me your answer (at jon@kitleyskrypt.com) otherwise I might forget! Good Luck!

Sausages: The Making of Dog Soldiers

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One of the best werewolf movies to come out in the new millennium was Neil Marshall’s debut film, Dog Soldiers, which came out in 2002. That’s right, this is the 20-year anniversary and it’s great to see it get some more (much deserved) attention!

With such a great story, incredible cast, and some of the best-looking werewolves on film, it still remains a favorite amongst werewolf movie fans, and for good reason. Now, two decades later, we get a book that details the making of this modern monster classic with Janine Pipe’s book Sausages: The Making of Dog Soldiers!

Within this volume, that runs close to 400 pages, you’ll hear insights about the film from interviews with the cast and crew, never seen before photos, excepts from the script, and plenty more. It will also include a foreword from Joe Dante and afterword from John Landis, two directors that kind of set the standards for modern-day werewolf films.

Published by Encyclopocalypse Publications, and available in both hardcover ($22.99) and softcover ($15.99) editions, I know this title will soon be on the shelves in my own library.

Howarth’s New Book Makes Them Die Slowly!

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Author Troy Howarth has a new book out, this time examining the films of a filmmaker that probably doesn’t get the attention that he should, Umberto Lenzi. While most fans might know him because of his notorious entries in the cannibal sub-genre, like Eaten Alive! (1980) and Cannibal Ferox (1981), Lenzi worked in every film genre there was, from westerns, to comedies, to gialli, to the horror genre. Now Howarth gives readers a chance to learn more about not only about his films, but about the man himself.

Running close to 500 pages, this volume goes through his films, giving us more information about the making of them, as well as biography of the man himself, but also hearing from those that worked with him. There are also some rare behind-the-scenes photos, as well as promotional artwork, posters, and stills from the films.

While Lenzi might not be on the same page as names like Argento or even Bava, he still is an important figure in Italian cinema, and this book sounds like perfect way to dig deep into his films and his history. I know we’ll be adding this to our library!

This book is available in both hardcover and softcover formats, priced accordingly. You can find it on Amazon HERE, or have one of your local bookstores order it for you!

Movie Review: The Bat (1959)

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The Bat (1959)
Directed by Crane Wilbur
Starring Agnes Moorehead, Vincent Price, Gavin Gordon, John Sutton, Lenita Lane, Darla Hood, Elaine Edwards

Let’s be straight right from the start. This is not a horror film. BUT . . . if you’re a fan of the ‘old dark house’ types and dark thrillers, then you are going to want to watch this anyway. It’s got a great cast and not to mention it is a fun little picture.

The Bat stars Agnes Moorehead, not yet famous playing the witchy mother on the TV show Bewitched in 1964, but here she plays Cornelia van Gorder, a mystery writer that has rented an old house that has a past of murder by a masked character named The Bat. Because of its reputation, the staff doesn’t stay long so it is up to her and her secretary to fend for themselves. Bodies start to pile up, plenty of red herrings, hidden passageways, all the while Cornelia tries to figure out how she would have written this mystery in order to discover who the killer is.

While Vincent Price’s name is usually all over the place, he really is a supporting character, but nonetheless, any time he shows up onscreen, it’s always a plus. Also in the cast is Gavin Cordon, who’s voice might be more recognizable than his face. He played Lord Byron in the opening segment of The Bride of Frankenstein (1935). John Sutton, who plays the butler, appeared with Price in The Invisible Man Returns (1940). And Darla Hood, all grown up for her stint with the Little Rascals in the Our Gang shorts, appears as one of the houseguests. This would be her last film appearance.

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The Rebane Exhibit Report

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As I reported a few days ago, on Saturday the 22nd, myself, along with Aaron Christensen, Dave Kosanke, and Gavin Schmitt, made the trip up to Merrill, Wisconsin for the Bill Rebane’s Hollywood Midwest: A Retrospective on Wisconsin’s First Feature Film Studio, an exhibit being held at the Merrill Historical Society, put on by Brandon Johnson. Because it opened at 9am and we wanted to be there right when it opened, it meant that I had to leave at 3am, drive into Chicago to pick up Aaron, then head north to pick up Dave, and then meet Gavin at the Museum as close to 9am as we could. We got there at 8:55am. Pretty good planning if I do say so myself!

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Mystery Photo 10-24

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I was very happy to see so many correct answers on our last photo, mainly because that is a favorite of mine! The funny thing is that for the longest time, I just remembered seeing the trailer and had to wait to finally find a bootleg copy of it to actually see it! And the trailer didn’t let me down! Of course, the film is The Car from 1977. I’m not a car-guy, but one day I’d like to own one like that. Kudos to the following for sending in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Aaron Christensen, Dahlia Daniels, Bob Hartman, Rick Hayden, Ken Johnson, John Meredith, Jeff Owens, James Schmeichel, and Michael Shields. Well done!

Now on to this week’s photo, which might be a little trickier, since there are probably more than a few films with shots like this in it! So, let’s see how well you know them! Just remember to send your guess to me by email, at jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

I Do NOT Collect Toys! Well . . .

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I made a choice years ago, right before Sideshow decided to make the horror toy market explode. I realized that if they started to bust out a ton of different figures, if I started collecting them, I’d have to get them all. I decided that, for the most part, I was not going to collect horror toys. They are cool and would be great to have, but that is not where I want to put my money. No judging, just a personal choice.

Granted, I have taken the plunge every now and then and picked up one or two, such as the Waldemar Daninsky figure from Night of the Werewolf from Distinctive Dummies, since, I mean, it is Paul Naschy, after all. And then there is the Emily & Dickie figure from The Beyond that Pallbearer Press & Distinctive Dummies put out, and then all those Hammer Horror figures from Mego, and a few Funko Pop figures, but that’s it!

What amazes me is the custom figure market that has developed over the last few years and has seemed to explode. These amazing and creative creations, as well as the obscure characters they decide to produce is just stunning. Which brings me to one figure I recently came across that almost had me busting into my wallet.

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Discover the Horror Episode 28: Ghost Stories

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Ghost stories have been around since the very beginning of the art of storytelling itself. When done well, it can be simple and still send chills up your spine. When it comes to ghost stories in film, we can still keep it simple, have an effective story, and still give the audience the creeps enough to make them wonder what that noise you just heard. And here we have three perfect examples in this episode: The Changeling (1980), The Woman in Black (1989), and Fragile (2005).

These kinds of films are especially perfect for the Halloween season, sitting down with some friends and/or family to enjoy this time of year. So if you’re looking for particular one, look no further.

Movies mentioned in this episode:

The Changeling (1980), Fragile (2005), Hereditary (2018), Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973), Poltergeist (1982), Witchfinder General (1968), The Woman in Black (1989)

A Pilgrimage to Merrill WI, and then Insanity

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This weekend, a few friends and I will be making a trip up to Merrill, Wisconsin, which is about a 5–6 hour drive for us. Why, may you ask? Because the Merrill Historical Society there is having a special Bill Rebane exhibit, which Mr. Rebane himself will be attending, possibly along with some other cast and crew from his films.

Bill Rebane, to those that don’t know, is probably most known for his film The Giant Spider Invasion (1975), but he had made quite a few other titles, such as The Alpha Incident, The Demons of Ludlow, Rana: The Legend of Shadow Lake, and Blood Harvest, which even starred Tiny Tim. One of the things that set Rebane apart from most directors is that he made most of these films without leaving Wisconsin. In fact, in the town of Gleason, he created his own little film studio, called The Shooting Ranch, where he could film, edit, looping, everything else needed to make a film start to finish. Sure, some of his budgets were pretty low, but that doesn’t mean they are not entertaining.

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