Tag Archives: Boris Karloff

Movie Review: The Lost Patrol

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(1934)
Directed by John Ford
Starring Victor McLaglen, Boris Karloff, Wallace Ford, Reginald Denny, J.M. Kerrigan, Billy Bevan, Alan Hale

Here we go again. Another seemingly non-horror title, directed by none other than John Ford. So why are we reviewing this? Simple. Because it stars Boris Karloff, only a year before he appears in The Bride of Frankenstein. And the fact that not only is Karloff exceptional here, but it is also a really good and intense movie. It’s a simple story about an army patrol lost in the Mesopotamian desert during World War I, after their young commanding officer is shot by an unseen sniper, taking their orders and directions with him. Now the Sargeant, played by Victor McLaglen, is in charge, with no clue as to where they are or where they were going. They keep marching and come across an oasis, where there is a watering hole and plenty of dates to eat. Before the next morning, their sentry is killed and their horses stolen. As they wait, trying to decide what to do, they are slowly picked off by their unseen assailants.

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Wasteland Approaches… Need to be Well Rested!

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Yeah, I know…. didn’t get to the Mystery Photo this week. Next week, I promise! Just gives another week for those that haven’t figured it out yet!

I spent a good portion of the weekend at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago for the Beyond Chicago film fest. Got to see Udo Keir in Flesh for Frankenstein in 3D, which was amazing. Yeah, it is campy as hell but seeing the way it was meant to be seen, with a good crowd, it was a lot of fun. Glad I could check that off my bucket list!

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Super Monster Movie Fest 2026

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Once again, the genius behind the Skyline Drive-In have come up with a different and unique theme for this year’s Super Monster Movie Fest, and it’s called You’ll Die Laughing! When I first saw that, I have to admit I was a little disappointed because I wanted to see some classic horror titles. And then I started to look at the movies playing and they made me smile. Sure, they are comedies, but they are still damn entertaining and can even be considered scary too! You’ll have the comedic wonders of Bob Hope, Abbott & Costello, Alan Tudyk, Bruce Campbell, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost! But you’ll also get to see horror icons like Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and even Boris Karloff show just how funny they can be!

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Columbus Moving Picture Show

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While this isn’t a new show for us, last year the Columbus Moving Picture Show moved from downtown Columbus to the northside of the city, which I have to say was a huge improvement, if just on the cost alone! Downtown was really nice but just a bit too pricy. I do miss our regular visits to Dirty Franks, but we’ve found a new great place. But more on that in a bit!

The main reason for this post is to remind some movie collectors about this show. It is old-fashioned memorabilia show, with tons of posters, lobby cards, half-sheets, 8×10 stills, and so much more. What it doesn’t have is a ton of celebrities with overpriced photo-ops and autographs. That is what sets this apart from most conventions these days and is one of the reasons why we love setting up there. And even though it’s not just horror, there is still a lot of cool stuff to find, though you may have to do some searching. Then again, that is part of the fun.

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Movie Review: Hollywood Legends of Horror

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While it might have something to do with the fact that I’m an older horror fan, but there is something special about going back and watching the classic films from the beginning of the golden age of the horror film. And we’re all familiar with the Universal classics that really helped create that first big impact, but they weren’t the only studio trying to make their own footprint in that horror heritage. While they might not have made as big of a footprint, studios like Warner Bros. and MGM were making some serious efforts at the same time. And some of these definitely should be held up in the same respect as some of those Universal entries.

Thanks to Warner Archives you can add 6 of these titles to your collection, all in one set! They have released the Hollywood Legends of Horror Collection that features Blu-ray releases of the following films: Doctor X (1932), The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932), Mad Love (1935), Mark of the Vampire (1935), The Devil Doll (1936), and The Return of Doctor X (1939). The set retails for only $59.99, so that really is about $10 a title. But honestly, the films alone are must for any horror fans movie library.

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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!

New Jack Hill Book

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Fans of exploitation films, especially in blacksploitation sub-genre definitely know the work of Jack Hill. The man has worked in many sub-genres, from the above mentioned, to horror, gothic, racing, sexploitation, and so many more. In the early days of his career, he was often called in to “fix” or “finish” a film that had issues, such as The Terror (1963) or Blood Bath (1966). He also worked with Karloff on his last four films, or at least the parts with aged actor that were filmed in the states. Afterwards, the rest of the film was finished in Mexico.

The shame is that unless you’re a real fan of the genre, most people don’t realize the impact Hill had on the films we love. Thanks to editor Anthony Taylor, Headpress Books, and a great selection of authors, they are putting together a collection of essays on the works of this unheralded master of cinema.

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Book Review: Bride of Frankenstein: The Definitive History

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Bride of Frankenstein: The Definitive History of the Horror Classic
Published by CenterLine Publishing & Consulting LLC, 2024. 422 pages
By Christopher Lock

For a film that is making its 90th Anniversary this year, there is a lot that has been written about Bride of Frankenstein (1935) over those nine decades. In fact, I have a couple of books solely dedicated to this title, not to mention more than a few that cover the Universal classic horror titles of the ’30s in general. Of course, when you see one with the subtitle “The Definitive History of the Horror Classic” it does grab one’s attention.

Who am I kidding? It’s a book on one of the most famous horror films ever made. Of course I’m going to add it to my library! So, the real question is . . . is it the “definitive history”? And is it worth adding to your own library?

The author has a lot of information in here, not just on Bride, but the original film as well, and even including some info on Mary Shelley and her original novel. There could be an argument on why it covers that stuff when the book is about Bride, but I do agree that you need to cover those first before you get to the famous sequel. Though I did find it a little strange that while going over the beginning, when the original Frankenstein was in the early stages, the author mentions the early scripts by Balderston and Webling, but nothing is mentioned about Robert Florey, who was the one that brought the original idea to Universal, with the intent of directing it. A minor quibble.

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DtH Podcast Episode 88: Val Lewton Part 2

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The Leopard Man (1943), The Seventh Victim (1943), Isle of the Dead (1945)

Back in episode 23, we covered producer Val Lewton and three of his films. While Lewton only produced about a dozen film, and a really only a handful of them being horror, what he did give us made a huge impact on the genre. That is why we have decided to cover three more of his films, in hopes that other fans will seek out not only the ones that we’ve covered, but the other titles as well.

With the help of a group very talented craftsmen, such as directors Jacques Tourneur and Mark Robson, screenwriter Ardel Wray, and a wide and talented cast of actors that he used more than once, Lewton was able to produce films that were very different than not only what he was hired to do, but ones that were different than what most horror fans would have expected at the time. They had style, they had interesting stories, and very unique and well-developed characters. His films are ones that show how effective just a walk down the street can be, when executed by the right people.

Films mentioned in this episode:

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Mystery Photo 1-20

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Yes, we are back with another pictorial puzzle. Last Monday just slipped by and didn’t even realize until Tuesday that I had forgotten to post one! I’ll try to do better this year! Nonetheless, we have a new one now. But first, let’s see if we remember what the last one was! It was from the 1957 film Voodoo Island, starring the one and only Boris Karloff. While the movie isn’t the greatest movie, it is pretty fun, and Karloff is entertaining to watch as always. Kudos to the following for sending in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Chris Dyer, Dave Fronto, Kevin Hart, Bob Hartman, Erik Martin, and Bryan Senn.

Okay, on to today’s photo. Not much to go on in this picture, but we’ll see if you can recognize where this damsel in distress is from. Just remember to send me your guess in an email, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!