Tag Archives: Cinema Wasteland

Happy Halloween!

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It has been one hell of a month, one filled with movie screenings, conventions, lectures, and so much more. I know I am sheer exhausted by the time the month is over, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Wait… actually, I’d like to have even more time to see more movies, go to more different spooky and Halloween themed events, as well as spending more time with my other horror friends and family. With all the crap going on in the world, these are the things where you can sit back and still see the beauty in the world, even when it’s covered in spiderwebs and has fog encircling it! There are times when I start to lose hope for humanity, but then I have a passionate conversation about an old black and white movie that they have just seen. Or even just two complete strangers talking about movies together as they wait in line for a film. It not only still shows me the power of film, but it seems that more and more people are “getting it”.

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Jim Krut – Rest in Peace

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We have lost another character that is forever immortalized because of playing not just a zombie in George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead (1978). Jim Krut was known as the “helicopter zombie”, the one that stands up and has the top of his head chopped off from the helicopter blades. It’s a scene everyone remembers once they’ve seen it.

But it was all over the internet that Krut has recently passed away. He was a guest at the very first Cinema Wasteland show back in Sept. of 2000 and was such a friendly guy. He will be forever remembered to so many horror fans, both old and newer ones because of this one character. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family during this difficult time.

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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2025 Year End Review – Part 1

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This has been one hell of a year. On my write up for 2024, I made a point to remind us of all that with all the crap going on in the world, we need to look for the positives out there, because they are there and we need not lose sight of that. But I have to say, it wasn’t the easiest to do that in 2025. When I first started to review the past year from the posts here in the Krypt, I couldn’t find much that I thought were highlights. At least not more than a couple of things. But then I went back a couple of weeks later, with a more thorough set of eyes, and low and behold, there were plenty. Once again, it just shows that sometimes the positives are hard to see and remember. They might even seem pretty trivial, but they are there. So, amidst all the chaos and tragedy that is going on, that doesn’t mean there isn’t something to make us sit back and think “yeah…that was pretty cool.” They might not be huge events or something, but that made you glad you were there and part of it. And we need to be focused on and remembering those moments, now more than ever, to help us get through this dark time we’re going through.

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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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Cinema Wasteland – 25 Years Later

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“After several days of rest, we have finally recuperated from the Cinema Wasteland convention. Those of you who didn’t make it, you simply missed one hell of a show. As I’m sure everybody knew, the show was put on and run by Ken & Pam of Video Wasteland. These two have been dealers since the beginning of time, and have seen all the mistakes, screw-ups, and everything that can go wrong at a convention (and that was just at one Fangoria show). So, when doing this show, they wanted to make sure that it would be great for the dealers as well as the people spending their hard-earned cash at the show. And they did just that and more.”

That was the first paragraph of my review I posted on my website of the very first Cinema Wasteland show, back in September of 2000. The funny thing is that I could use that exact same quote for the show that I was just at over the weekend. And the one before that. And before that one. I don’t know of another show that has remained true to way they started from the very beginning. Ken Kish wanted to put on a show that wasn’t like the rest of the shows going on, and he has kept it that way. It’s small, especially compared to these huge shows where it takes hours just to get in the door, not to mention having to mortgage your house to meet a few celebrities. That is the charm to Wasteland. At Wasteland, you have a roomful of dedicated cinephiles that are more interested in the films themselves, and who made them, rather than the latest Funko Pop figure. I know that sounds a little mean-spirited, but it is the truth.

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Discover the Horror YouTube Channel

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I keep forgetting to mention that starting with Episode # 70, you can now actually watch our podcast instead of just listening to it! There will also be additional videos and content being added as time goes on. So, if you want to see your hosts in action, just click HERE to get the channel. Then remember to Like and Subscribe so you will be notified every time new content is uploaded! Below is our first video, praising one of the best conventions out there, Cinema Wasteland!

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DtH Goes to Cinema Wasteland!

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Earlier this month, Damien and Aaron, and I, your wonderful hosts of Discover the Horror Podcast, all met up at the spring show of Cinema Wasteland. Not only did we have the usual great time, but we also took some time to record some of other’s thoughts on why they like coming to Cinema Wasteland, and what is it about it that sets it apart. Below is the result! Make sure you like and subscribe (and share) the Discover the Horror YouTube channel, where we will have more stuff coming!

Curators . . . Not Collectors

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I’ve been a movie poster collector for over 30 years. The cost of what I will spend has gone up a bit over those three decades. In the past, the thought of spending $50 on a single poster was way too much for me to even consider. Then I saw an American 1-sheet for The Green Slime for $50. I bought it instantly. Now, I’m still not one of these big-time collectors, spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars on them, mainly just because of my budget. But what I will spend has increased to even dropping $175 for an Astro Zombies 1-sheet. I mean, it’s Ted V. Mikels!

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World Tour 2024!

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In two weeks, we’ll be heading to Cincinnati for the HorrorHound Weekend, our first convention of 2024! From the look of the guest list they have posted, this should be one of epic proportions! Plus, the fact that we haven’t had a show since last fall, we’re chomping at the bit to get back at it. We have quite a few book titles in our inventory since last year, so you’ll have plenty to choose from to keep working on Discovering the Horror!

And speaking of which, we have a new supply of Discover the Horror T-Shirts that we’ll have available at the show as well. And Damien will be set up at the show, at the Living Dead Dolls booth. As a matter of fact, Damien will be at the Monster Mania show this very weekend!

Then in two weeks, all the unholy three of us, Damien, Aaron, and myself, will be attending Cinema Wasteland in Strongsville, OH! While we won’t have a table there, we will have T-shirts on us for purchase. If you want to get one, you can always email me ahead of time and we’ll make sure we have it set aside for you. I’ll also have copies of my book as well! 

Feel free to stop by one of our tables at Monster Mania or HorrorHound if you want to talk about horror movies! Or we’ll all be wandering around the halls of Wasteland the whole weekend, and we definitely love shooting the shit about movies there!