Tag Archives: Al Adamson

Sam Sherman – Rest in Peace

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This is definitely an end of an era, with the news of the passing of Sam Sherman. He was mainly known as a producer, one half of Independent International, working with Al Adamson, but his contributions to the horror genre is just massive. From his work with Jim Warren and Famous Monsters of Filmland, to working with Hemisphere Pictures, especially in their promotion department, then moving on to work with Adamson. While he was a very multi-talented man, it is his work in PR is what I loved about him. He knew how to sell a film and came up with some of the most beautiful and crazy advertising. Of course, Sherman was the man responsible for bringing Paul Naschy to the states, picking up the rights and releasing Naschy’s first picture, Mark of the Wolfman, though changing it to Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror, yet again with some really great ad campaign for it! Sure, there’s no Dr. Frankenstein or Frankenstein creature in the film, but we do get a WOLF-STEIN!!!

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DtH Episode 91: Author Bryan Senn

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In our search for more knowledge about the horror genre, the films we love, and the people behind them, a lot of started out with the reference books to take those first steps. Years before the internet, these books were stepping stones for fans to learn about films they’ve never heard about and the people behind the films we knew and loved. It was like opening doors for the first time, or ones that were slightly open before, but now are wide open for us to learn so much more. 

In this episode, we invited author Bryan Senn on the show to talk about these reference books, especially since he’s been writing about the sci-fi and horror genre for over three decades, in a variety of magazines and even writing his own books on a few different subjects. So, sit back and enjoy, but you still may need that notepad just to write down some book titles you may want to seek out!

Films mentioned in this episode:

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The Blood is the Life Book

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Since it is Black Friday and all . . .

The latest volume from the creators of We Belong Dead magazine, this time covering one of the oldest monsters around, the vampire! The Blood is the Life covers “a century of filmic bloodsuckers”, starting with the one and only Nosferatu (1922), which is only fitting since next month we will be getting a new version of this tale with the release of Robert Eggers new film. This book covers a wide range of films from the classic Universal titles like Dracula (1931), Dracula’s Daughter (1936), to a slew of Hammer titles with Christopher Lee as the Count, to their other efforts like Kiss of the Vampire (1963) to Twins of Evil (1971). I was honored to be part of this tome, having essays on Al Adamson’s Dracula vs Frankenstein (1971) and José Ramón Larraz Vampyres (1974).

While these books are a bit pricy with the currency exchange and the overseas postage, because I have several of their books, I will say they are luxurious looking volumes of well written essays on the genre. With full color pages, filled with plenty of poster art, stills, lobby cards, and even some behind-the-scenes shots, it’s one of those volumes that just paging through it can be a little time machine, helping you escape into many different worlds! So yes, an investment, but I feel a worthy one.

Hardcovers are £45.00 or $57.02 US, and softcovers are £35.00 or $44.35 US. Shipping to here in the US will cost another $25. So again, it’s a bit of cash, but a beautiful investment in knowledge, and for your library. Just click HERE to see more information about the book!

New Issue of Midnight Magazine

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Need some more reading material for the end of the year? Then click HERE and order the new issue of Midnight Magazine. Issue #12 has another amazing cover from artist Alberto Ugarte covering Al Adamson’s Dracula vs Frankenstein. Inside these devilish pages you’ll find articles by yours truly, along with pieces by Aaron Aubuchon, Mike Howlett, Scott Bradley, Brad Sykes, Terry Alexander, Sean Simonson, Kris Gilpin, and James Turner, and more, with editor in chief Eric Wright holding the chains!

To order your copy, just click HERE!

Mystery Photo 11-4

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Okay, so only another 361 days until Halloween! I hope everyone had a fangtastic month and was able to enjoy the season, with plenty of films and horror-themed events. I know I did! Well, maybe not the movies, but definitely events. But to start off this month right, let’s get to our weekly pictorial puzzle, shall we? But first, let’s review last week. It was from the lesser-known Halloween film called Trick or Treats (1982), starring David Carradine, Carrie Snodgress, Steve Railsback, Peter Jason, and written and directed by Gary Graver, who worked as a cinematographer for Al Adamson in the late ’60s and early ’70s. This is not a great movie by any means, but an interesting entry in the Halloween themed movies. Congrats to the following for recognizing this one: Hoby Abernathy, Peggie Christie, Steven Kennedy, Erik Martin, and William Wilson. Well done!

Now on to this week’s photo. Give it a good look, through the goo and ooze and see if you recognize where this is from. Just remember to send your guess to me in an email, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

DtH Episode 76: Al Adamson and Sam Sherman

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Films discussed: Satan’s Sadists (1969), Brain of Blood (1970), Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971)

From the mid-60’s until the late 70’s director Al Adamson and producer Sam Sherman made some of the most memorable low-budget horror and exploitation pictures to slide across American drive-in and grindhouse screens.  Together they made films that not only exemplified genre, they also often transcend and blended genres, creating something that has stuck in the filmgoing collective consciousness for over half a century.  And when Severin Films released The Al Adamson Masterpiece Collection boxed set in 2020, whole new generations were introduced to Al and Sam’s work, and those of us who were already familiar learned a thing or two (or twenty) and got to see them look better than they have since they sat on a double bill in a 70s sleaze palace.  

All hail Al and Sam! 

Movies mention in this episode:

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DtH Episode 75 – Special Guest Zandor Vorkov

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In the realm of low budget filmmakers, Al Adamson, along with his partner, producer Sam Sherman, are gods among men. They created a wide variety of pictures, in just about every sub-genre out there, and made with more love than money. But they were entertaining, and always memorable. Perhaps their most memorable (and successful) film was 1971’s Dracula vs. Frankenstein, in no small part thanks to the casting of a young, unknown actor in the iconic role of Dracula. Raphael Engel, rechristened Zandor Vorkov was a whole new kind of creature of the night- longhaired, goateed, and able to shoot fire out of his ring, this was a brand-new Dracula for a brand-new age. Zandor’s Dracula stalked across the screen of virtually every grindhouse and drive-in screen in America in the early 70s and then across every television screen in America for a couple of decades after that. While his Dracula was being elevated to pop culture celebrity, Zandor himself left the movie business and fell out of the public eye for decades. Go to a convention, and bring up Al Adamson, and someone would eventually say “I wonder what ever happened to Zandor Vorkov?”

Like any good vampire, he was just lying in the shadows, waiting to emerge anew!

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Gary Kent – Rest in Peace

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We were out of town at a convention when we saw the news that Mr. Kent had passed away and it just put a huge cloud over the rest of the day. I met him at a Cinema Wasteland show way back in 2005, where he was there with Bud Cardos, William Smith, and Greydon Clark, where they talked about the old days doing stunts, and all sorts of crazy stuff in the low budget and independent filmmaking world, as well as with working with Al Adamson. Kent had such great stories, as they all did. A few years later, I learned that Kent had written an autobiography called Shadows & Light: Journeys with Outlaws in Revolutionary Hollywood, that came out in 2009. I immediately ordered it and started reading it when it arrived. I have read a lot of autobiographies before, but never one as entertaining, and definitely not as funny as this one. Kent’s style and use of metaphors made it such an enjoyable experience, plus, hearing all the crazy stories of what they used to do in the stunt world.

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2021 Year End Review: Best Viewings

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Compared to my movie-watching totals from last year, I really was slacking off! In 2020, I clocked in 422 titles! Not sure how I did that, but that really set the bar high for me from then on. But in 2021, I only got through 278 titles, but at least 160 of those were new viewings. My goal for this year is to hit at least 300, but we’ll see how that goes!

Below are the 10 films that I thought stood out amongst the rest and are definitely worth seeking out. These are listed in alphabetical order, and as always, these are all new viewings to me, so it doesn’t matter what year they actually came out. Enjoy!

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Book Review: When Dracula Met Frankenstein

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When Dracula Met Frankenstein: My Years Making Drive-In Movies with Al Adamson
Published by Murania Press, 2021. 377 pages
By Sam Sherman

You can’t be a fan of exploitation cinema of the ‘60s and ‘70s and not know of Sam Sherman, either by name or the multitude of film titles that he had his fingers in. Sherman only has 28 credits as a producer, many of them for films directed by his good friend Al Adamson, but his mark on the film world is so much greater. He was an ad man who could come up with some of the best titles, promotional ideas, gimmicks, and all the other ballyhoo so memorable, sometimes more than the films themselves!

He is also the man that was responsible for introducing Paul Naschy to the states, when his company, Independent International, picked up Naschy’s Mark of the Wolfman when they were looking for a Frankenstein picture that they had already promised distributors. It featured two wolfmen and two vampires, but definitely no Frankenstein or his creature. But somehow, due to the creative genius of Sherman, Mark of the Wolfman now became Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror. If you don’t know the whole story already, then you’ll have to buy the book to find out!

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