World Tour Continues in August

July 9, 2026 by Jon Kitley in Conventions and tagged Alan Howarth, Ali Marie Matheson, An American Werewolf in London, Ana Alicia, Celeste O'Connor, Chris Alexander, Clayton Landey, Daniel Griffith, Dark Shadows, David Arquette, David Naughton, Dermot Mulroney, Dick Warlock, Flashback Weekend, Gloria Gifford, Griffin Dunne, Halloween 2, Jason Lively, Jeff Thompson, Jill Whitlow, Jim Storm, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Lloyd Kaufman, Mark Maddox, Marley Shelton, Mathesontennial, Monsterama, Night of the Creeps, Richard Christian Matheson, Richard Matheson, Roger L. Jackson, Roger Mitchell, Sam Irvin, Scream, Sharon Smyth-Lenz, Silent Night Deadly Night, Susan Shoop, Tim Bradsheet, Tom Atkins | Leave a comment

While we have a bit of a break here in July, we are definitely going to be busy next month. Actually, on July 31st, we head to our only local convention, Flashback Weekend, which Chicago’s biggest and longest running area horror convention. We’ve been to everyone of their shows since they started back in 2002 and always have a fun time.

Once again, they have a huge guest lineup, from a bunch of guests from the Scream series (David Arquette, Marley Shelton, Dermot Mulroney, Roger L. Jackson, Celeste O’Connor, Joseph Whipp, Jeremy Conner, Kraig Dane, Noah Garrett), to David Naughton and Griffin Dunne from An American Werewolf in London, Tom Atkins, Jason Lively and Jill Whitlow from Night of the Creeps, and Dick Warlock, Susan Shoop, Ana Alicia, Gloria Gifford and Alan Howarth from Halloween 2, and from the first two Silent Night Deadly Night films, Robert Brian Wilson and Eric Freeman, to Jane Levy from Evil Dead (2013), Quinn Lord from Trick ‘r Treat and Spencer Charnas from Ice Nine Kills.

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Flashback Weekend Approaches!!!

July 31, 2024 by Jon Kitley in Conventions and tagged Adrienne Barbeau, Alan Howarth, Brett Wagner, Brian Tyler, Cerina Vincent, Charles Band, David Clennon, David Harris, Discover the Horror Podcast, Don Coscarelli, Dorsey Wright, Eli Roth, Flashback Weekend, Halloween, Halloween III Season of the Witch, Ivan Raimi, James Debello, James Jude Courtney, James Remar, Joel Polis, Joey Kern, Jordan Ladd, Keith David, Michael Beck, Michael Gross, Nancy Stephens, Nick Castle, Peter Maloney, Phantasm, Quinn Lord, Richard Masur, Robin Sydney, Rohan Campbell, Sam Raimi, Stacey Nelkin, Ted Raimi, Terry Michos, The Thing, Thomas G. Waites, Tom Atkins, Tremors, Trick 'r Treat, Warriors | Leave a comment

In just a few days, we’ll be heading into Rosemont, IL for this year’s Flashback Weekend. Out of all the conventions we attend each year, Flashback in the only one in our backyard. We’ve been at every single one since they started in August of 2002, and they have remained the best horror convention in the Chicagoland area. And this year is going to be even bigger with a massive guest list they have lined up.

With reunions for 3 different films (Cabin Fever, The Thing, and The Warriors), plus more than a few people connected with the Halloween series, and so many more, this is going to be epic. Plus, you also have directors like Sam Raimi, Eli Roth, Charles Band, and especially Don Coscarelli from the Phantasm series. Then there is Michael Gross from the Tremors series, Quinn Lord from Trick ‘r Treat, and many, many more.

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Reunions Galore at Flashback Weekend!

June 21, 2024 by Jon Kitley in Conventions and tagged Alan Howarth, Brian Tyler, Cabin Fever, Candyman, Cerina Vincent, David Clennon, David Harris, Devon Sawa, Dorsey Wright, Eli Roth, Evil Dead, Flashback Weekend, Halloween, Ivan Raimi, James Debello, James Jude Courtney, James Remar, Joel Polis, Joey Kern, John Carpenter, Jordan Ladd, Keith David, Michael Beck, Nancy Stevens, Nick Castle, Peter Maloney, Quinn Lord, Richard Masur, Sam Raimi, Stacey Nelkin, Svengoolie, Ted Raimi, Terry Michos, The Thing, The Warrors, Thomas G. Waites, Tom Atkins, Tony Todd | Leave a comment

I know I posted something earlier in the year about Chicago’s Flashback Weekend, taking place Aug. 2nd-4th in Rosemont, IL, where they’re having a reunion for John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982), with almost all the remaining cast attending. They had announced 6 of the cast, Keith David, Richard Masur, David Clennon, Thomas G. Waites, Joel Polis, and Peter Maloney, but now have recently announced Adrienne Barbeau. Sure, she may not physically appear in the film, remember that she did provide the voice for the computer chess game!

They had also announced a huge reunion for the cult film The Warriors (1979), with Michael Beck, James Remar, Dorsey Wright, Brian Tyler, David Harris, Terry Michos, and Thomas G. Waites doing double duty.

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Scored to Death – The Documentary!

September 16, 2022 by Jon Kitley in Movie Events, Reviews: Soundtrack and tagged Alan Howarth, Charles Bernstein, Charlie Clouser, Christopher Young, Harry Manfredini, J. Blake Fichera, Richard Band, Scored to Death, Scored to Death: The Dark Art of Scary Movie Music | Leave a comment

Back in 2016, a book came out called Scored to Death: Conversations with Some of Horror’s Greatest Composers, which I finally got around to reviewing in 2018. And then two years after that, in 2020, author J. Blake Fichera released a second volume, continuing his goal of bringing attention to these talented musicians who help enhance the scares and atmosphere in the movies we love. But now, Fichera is taking this one step further, by making a feature length documentary on these composers.

Scored to Death: The Dark Art of Scary Movie Music will be the first feature-length documentary that “explores the fascinating relationship between music and horror cinema.” Starting today, they have launched a Kickstarter campaign that will run through Halloween, hoping to raise the funds to make this project a reality. Production has already started, so fans of movie music need to make sure that it is able to continue.

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Soundtrack Review: Prince of Darkness

June 28, 2020 by Jon Kitley in Reviews: Soundtrack and tagged Alan Howarth, John Carpenter, Prince of Darkness | Leave a comment

Prince of Darkness
Released by Alan Howarth Incorporated, 2008
28 Tracks with a Total Running Time of 134:50 min.
Music Composed by John Carpenter, in association with Alan Howarth

Back in 1988 when this movie first came out, I saw it opening weekend. I mean, it was a new John Carpenter movie after all. But upon that first viewing, I actually didn’t care for it that much. I did love the music, though, right from the opening queue. So while I didn’t care for the movie itself, I immediately started looking for the soundtrack, only to find it impossible to find. Supposedly, Varèse Sarabande released it in 1987, but I could not find it. Years later, I was able to finally score a copy of it from a German release. And after all those years, the score still kicked ass. I also finally came around to really liking the film. I still have a few issues with it, but it is still a damn good movie. Continue reading →

Book News!

January 5, 2019 by Jon Kitley in Book News, Misc. Ramblings and tagged Alan Howarth, Anatomy of the Slasher Film, BearManor Media, Christine, Dario Argento, Dario Argento's Fear, FAB Press, Hammer Complete, Hammer's Grand Design, Hell Hath No Fury Like Her, Howard Maxford, Italian Gothic Horror Films 1980-1989, Jeffrey A. Sartain, John Carpenter, Lee Gambin, Making of Christine, Murder by Design, Murder by Design: The Unsane Cinema of Dario Argento, Roberto Curti, Ron Riekki, Sotiris Petridis, The Hammer Vampire Scrapbook, The Many Lives of The Evil Dead, Troy Howarth | Leave a comment

O argento ne more thing we can look forward to in 2019 is the continuing proof that print is definitely not dead. Sorry folks, but not even close. Granted, my bank account very well could be, but there are more than a few books coming out this year that I know will be must additions to my library. Not sure where I’m going to be putting them when they do arrive, or when I’ll get around to reading them…

FAB Press announced that they will be publishing the English language edition of Dario Argento’s autobiography, simply called Fear. That is the only details FAB released but since I hadn’t even heard that he was even writing an autobiography (that was actually published in 2014…thanks Troy!), I am more than a little excited about hearing his stories, right from him. I can only imagine the insights and stories we’re going to hear right from the man responsible for so many incredible pieces of cinema.

Add this to the fact that Troy Howarth’s new book, Murder By Design: The Unsane Cinema of Dario Argento, will be out in 2020, that means we’ll have a few more Argento books for the library shelves. Maybe we’ll even get to see Volume 3 in Howarth’s So Deadly, So Perverse giallo series. Positive thoughts, my fellow book fiends.

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Book Review: Scored to Death

December 26, 2018 by Jon Kitley in Reviews: Horror Reference Book and tagged Alan Howarth, Charles Bernstein, Christopher Young, Claudio Simonetti, Fabio Frizzi, Harry Manfredini, J. Blake Fichera, Jay Chattaway, Jeff Grace, John Carpenter, Joseph Bishara, Maurizio Guarini, Nathan Barr, Scored to Death, Silman-James Press, Simon Boswell, Tom Hajdu | Leave a comment

Scored to Death: Conversations with some of Horror’s Greatest Composers
Published by Silman-James Press, 2016. 356 pages.
By J. Blake Fichera

There is something to be said about film scores, something that I think most don’t know, don’t recognize, or even worse, don’t even think about. And that is the effect they have on the viewer. Sometimes a very powerful effect. The first time I can remember a film score having an effect on me was John Williams’ score for Jaws (1975), which I’m sure I wasn’t the only one. While it did bring up the tension and scare factor, I don’t think I made the full connection between the music and emotion it caused. That changed when Star Wars (1977) came out. Then it hit me how powerful of an impact a score can make. Star Wars was the first soundtrack I every purchased and I listened to it over and over. Each time, I could visualize the different parts of the film in my head and it would give me the same emotional reaction as if I was watching the film. It was at that point, I started to become more aware of a film score.

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Soundtrack Review: Christine

September 27, 2017 by Jon Kitley in Reviews: Soundtrack and tagged Alan Howarth, Christine, John Carpenter, Stephen King, Varese Sarabande | Leave a comment

christine

Christine
Released by Varèse Sarabande
18 Tracks with a Total Running Time of 34 min.
Original Music by John Carpenter in Association with Alan Howarth

Another classic soundtrack from Carpenter and Howarth. I don’t know how Carpenter continued to do it all those years ago, coming up with a score that was so simple and never over-the-top or intricate, but almost made them damn effective. And the score for Christine is no different.

Using just a keyboard, they once again create such an eerie score, building tension and atmosphere that some couldn’t do with a full orchestra. Even on a track like #5 Discovery, it is slow with on a few notes but is still able to make in impact, not to mention what it adds to the actual film. When you get to tracks like Moochie’s Death, we get a lot of suspense through the beating pulse along with a little melody in the background, with a few stingers here and there. Highly effective.

At the end of this month, Varèse Sarabande is releasing this on vinyl, with brand new art from Gary Pullin.