In Search of Darkness: The Authors!

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Monsters, Makeup & Effects!

With a heading like that, I knew it would get you in here! Back in November of 2018, author Heather Wixson published her book Monster Squad: Celebrating the Artists Behind Cinema’s Most Memorable Creatures, which featured interviews with 20 different makeup and special effects people in the industry. You can read our review of it HERE, but now she is back with a new book, covering more artists, creators, and technicians that have help entertain us over the years.

The new book is called Monsters, Makeup & Effects: Conversations with Cinema’s Greatest Artists – Vol. 1 is a “celebration of the creative spirit and artistic endeavors of those who have worked tirelessly for decades to create the memorable monsters, creatures and onscreen personas that have terrified us, made us laugh and filled us with a sense of wonder.” Published by Dark Ink, this 500 page book runs only $25.99 on Amazon, but they will be having a special book signing and Dark Delicacies in Burbank, CA, that you can either attend, or order your copy to be shipped to you. They have both hardcovers ($30) and softcover ($19.99) versions available. They haven’t listed any other guests besides Wixson to be there, but I have a feeling they will be adding a few more names that were covered in the book. I got my copy of Monster Squad this way, so it is well worth the extra month. Plus it supports a great independent book store at the same time!

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2019 Year End Review: Part 1 – A Look Back

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End of another year. Another decade. I know one thing for sure that this last decade will not be remembered as one that didn’t produce any good horror movies! Just look at 2014 and you’ll find a ton of amazing films, from here in the US to around the world. As a horror fan, I feel pretty blessed with these last ten years of terror. Let’s hope the ’20s bring us another long list of great cinema.

I had thought that this would be a personal low when it came to films watched, only because it didn’t feel like I had watched that many. In fact, there were a couple of months were I only got to a handful of films. With my book coming out, doing another retrospective for HorrorHound, and the usual holidays, it takes time away from being able to sit and watch movies. But once the tally was done, it turns out that I had watched more in 2019 than I did since 2013! The final number was 236, with almost half of them, a total of 115, being first time viewings. There were a few trips to the drive-ins, some movie marathons, a couple of Turkey Days, and other mini-marathons with friends or just by myself. And I intend to do it all over this year! Really going to try and hit 250 viewings in 2020. Continue reading

Monsterpalooza – Part 1: Screaming at Dark Delicacies

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The last time I was in California was in 2003, for a Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors, so it was about time I made a return. Our friends Don England and Chris Kuchta have been setting up at Monsterpalooza for a few years and I was always hearing great stories about the show, from celebrity sightings to just seeing some amazing makeup jobs, props, artworks, and other interesting things on display. So my wife Dawn and I decided to take a little mini-vacation and head out to our first Monsterpalooza. On the Thursday before the show, we were on a plane heading to the West Coast.

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Busy, Busy, Busy

 

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I know the updates here have been getting farther and farther apart it seems but have no fear. The Krypt is not close to shutting its doors anytime in the near future. I have just been crazy busy. My work in the real world has been utter chaos which has me questioning my career choice every single day. Plus, I’ve got some big writing deadlines I’m working on, not to mention trying to get the book to the final stages before going to the design and layout stage. So while the updates aren’t as regular right now, they will be back. I promise.

Adding to the things taking me away from the site is a couple of cons. Last weekend, for the very first time, the wife and I attended Cinema Wasteland not as dealers, but as regular fans. I gotta admit, it was pretty strange. There were several times during the weekend that I had a momentary thought that I needed to get back to my table. But it was fun hanging out with our friends, spending way too much money, and still getting very little sleep over the three days. And can’t wait to do it again.

But this weekend, we’re off for another first. We’re heading to the West Coast for our very first Monsterpalooza! I’ve been hearing about this show for years, so this time we decided to make it happen, and I’m really excited about it. So I would expect plenty of photos to be posted on our Facebook page over those three days. And we’ll get to actually visit Dark Delicacies as well!

So if you’re coming out to the show this weekend, maybe we’ll see you! Just look for the guy in the Kitley’s Krypt shirt with his eyes bulging out of his head at all the amazing displays!

Screaming for Pleasure Live!

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Our good friend Scott Bradley, author of Screaming for Pleasure and the podcast Hellbent for Horror (both of which have received a Rondo nomination!) will be appearing at Dark Delicacies in Burbank, California, on April 11th, at 7pm for a book signing and live podcast! Joining him for the podcast will be special guest Heidi Honeycutt!

If you haven’t picked up your copy yet and are in the area, now is your chance to stop by and meet Scott, get your book signed, and chat with him about horror. Be careful though, he will talk your ear off! Head over to Dark Delicacies website HERE for more details.

Remember… Stay Hellbent!

Dark Delicacies Fundraiser!

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For those not in the know, Dark Delicacies is a book store in Burbank, CA, that has been open for over 20 years. But due to the raising rent, they are being forced to relocate. While I have never been (YET!) to this magical store, I have bought many items from them online over the years. The fact that not only is it a bookstore, but one that specializes in horror, fantasy, and sci-fi makes it even better. They are always having signings and other special events.

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That Guy Dick Miller DVD Signing

Dick Miller DVDI’m really hoping that eveyone reading this knows not only who Dick Miller is, but how much this man has contributed to movies over the years. Well thanks to director Elijah Drenner, he has created a documentary about this famous character actor, simply called That Guy Dick Miller.

On Sept. 12th, at the Dark Delicacies in California, they will be hosting a DVD signing with the one and only Dick Miller in person! But not only will he be the guest, but also his wife Laninie Miller, regular director Joe Dante, and the director of the documentary, Elijah Drenner will be there as well.

Even if you can’t make it out to the store, you can order a copy of the DVD online to get it signed for only $20 (while supplies last, and you’ll have to pay shipping). We all know what the going rate for autographs are these days, so for those signatures alone is quite a steal, not to mention that you’ll get this DVD as well.

For more information, just click HERE.