DtH Episode 99 – Jaws 50th Anniversary

June 25, 2025 by Jon Kitley in Discover the Horror Podcast and tagged Great White, Grizzly, Jaws, Jaws 2, Jaws 3D, Jaws: The Revenge, Last Shark, Orca, Peter Benchley, Piranha, Steven Spielberg, Tentacles | Leave a comment

Fifty years ago, a film was released that literally changed the world. Jaws transformed the way people think about going into the water and revolutionized how studios make movies, effectively creating what we now call the “summer blockbuster.” Its influence is still felt five decades later, by both fans and filmmakers alike.

And there’s a reason for that: Jaws is just that good.

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the film and explore the impact it’s had on us (especially a couple of us who were profoundly shaped by it) as well as on the movie industry at large. People often talk about the idea of a “perfect movie,” one that couldn’t be improved. And while Jaws faced plenty of production problems (like the famously uncooperative mechanical shark), the creative solutions to those problems ended up making the film even stronger.

Films mentioned in this episode:

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Animals Attacks!

June 8, 2025 by Jon Kitley in Book News and tagged Animals Attack!, Bug, Darrell Buxton, Deadly Mantis, Eric McNaughton, Grizzly, Jaws, Tarantula, The Birds, We Belong Dead, Willard | Leave a comment

The fine folks at We Belong Dead have a brand-new book out covering all those pesky and nasty animals, insects, and all those other beasties that revolt against us humans in Animals Attacks! now available through their website that you can get to by clicking HERE. Like all of their titles, these are beautiful volumes, filled with amazing images from stills to movie posters and so much more. Not to mention a wide array of talented writers giving us their thoughts on these movies. Yes, for full disclosure, I have 3 essays in this volume myself. But I know I would have been buying this latest volume even if I didn’t. Yes, they are also a bit pricy, especially when you get them shipped over here to the states. But because of their quality, and that you can just order them through Amazon, they are well worth the investment, both to your library, as well as your continued learning about the different films in the genre.

This book covers everything from the fun ’50s era of the big bug films, such as Tarantula (1955) to the major blockbusters like Jaws (1975), to even the modern-day cheesy CGI titles flooding the market. A lot to be covered here, and a lot to learn about, as well as maybe adding a few movies to your “need-to-watch” list.

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Drive-In Super Monster Rama

July 5, 2023 by Jon Kitley in Movie Events and tagged Blood Feast, Day of the Animals, Drive-In Super Monster-Rama, Grizzly, Humanoids from the Deep, Impulse, Piranha, Riverside Drive-In, Shriek of the Mutilated, Two Thousand Maniacs | Leave a comment

They have released the lineup for this fall’s Drive-In Super Monster Rama at the Riverside Drive-in in Vandergrift, PA, taking place Sept. 22nd and 23rd. If this wasn’t so damn far away, I would be there. Such an amazing lineup both night, getting to see some classic titles that were meant for the drive-in! For more details, head over to the Riverside Drive-in website HERE.

Severin Kills with Promo Items!

July 2, 2023 by Jon Kitley in Misc. Ramblings and tagged Anthropophagus, David Gregory, Grizzly, Joe Spinell, Last Horror Film, Lucio Fulci, Night of the Demon, Severin Films, The Changeling, The Psychic | 2 Comments

Back in the ’80s, in the midst of the video boom, there would be these awesome promo items the video companies would release. There was the Re-Animator (1985) paperweight, or the pack of matches promoting The Burning (1981), a Vamp (1986) credit card, and even a real box cutter for Blood Cult (1985). These of course, are highly collectible now and are a great reminder that those video companies understood the ballyhoo and doing little things to help promote the films they were releasing.

In today’s world of DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4K releases, Severin Films are taking promo items to the next level.

Who could ever imagine that someone would create a plush toy for the notorious Italian gore film’s main character from Anthropophagus while he is eating his own intestines? Severin did. Why? Because they are as big of fans of these films as those who are buying their releases. Severin head guy, David Gregory is one of us. So, he makes these amazing items because he knows how damn cool they are! But they haven’t stopped there.

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Andrew Prine – Rest in Peace

November 3, 2022 by Jon Kitley in Rest in Peace and tagged Amityville II: The Possession, Andrew Prine, Barn of the Naked Dead, Centerfold Girls, Crypt of the Living Dead, Grizzly, The Evil | Leave a comment

This one just plain sucks! I saw it posted earlier this morning, but couldn’t find any confirmation, so I was hoping it wasn’t real, but unfortunately, it has now been reported by the Hollywood Reporter. Actor Andrew Prine passed away on Monday the 31st, at the age of 86. Prine had close to 200 film and TV credits over his career, appearing in westerns, war films, and more than a few titles in the cult and horror genre. I got to meet Mr. Prine a few times over the years at different shows, and even had the honor to interview him way back in April of 2005. Such a kind and funny man, with a ton of great stories. He had recently been a guest at the Monster Bash show in PA and his Q&A was just so funny and entertaining.

His portray of the title character in Simon, King of the Witches (1971), while it may not be a true horror film, is an incredible tale of someone that may or may not be a real warlock. Of course, there’s ways William Girdler’s Grizzly (1976), where Prine was the only actor to get inside the caged area where the very real and very huge bear was in! But so many other great titles, like Crypt of the Living Dead (1973), The Centerfold Girls (1974), or The Evil (1978). Hell, even Barn of the Naked Dead (1973), which was made under the title Terror Circus, is pretty fun to watch. Again, that comes down to Prine and his performance.

Thankfully, all of those films mentioned, plus plenty more, are readily available for fans to enjoy over and over again. And thanks to Rob Zombie, who cast Prine in a small role in his 2012 film The Lords of Salem, maybe that will bring in some newer fans to might want to look into his long and entertaining career. So, while we might have lost him from this realm of existence, he will continue to not only be alive to us fans, but he will continue to entertain us with his performances. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family during this difficult time.

Book Review: Jaws Unmade

November 21, 2020 by Jon Kitley in Reviews: Horror Reference Book and tagged Barracuda, Bicep Books, Crocodile, Cruel Jaws, Devil Fish, Grizzly, Jaws, Jaws 2, Jaws 3, Jaws 4: The Revenge, Jaws Unmade, John LeMay, Killer Crocodile, Last Shark, Monster Shark, Steven Spielberg, Up from the Depths | Leave a comment

Jaws Unmade
Published by Bicep Books, 2020. 341 pages
By John LeMay

One only needs to look at all the rip-offs and inspired titles from a particular film to really know how successful it was. Granted, for Steven Spielberg’s 1975 film Jaws, it might have some to do with the box office profits as well. As we all know, movie monsters only die at the box office, which means if it made money, there will be a sequel. Or two. Or more, until the cash cow, or shark as the case may be, is completely dead and resting at the bottom of the ocean. Now we have to remember that in the mid ’70s, sequel-itis hadn’t really spread in Hollywood, but the money Jaws made was just too much to leave well enough alone, so we got Jaws 2 in 1978. Now the story of that production is enough for a book on its own. In fact, there is! Jaws 2: The Making of the Hollywood Sequel, by Louis R. Pisano & Michael A. Smith, is essential for any fan of the Jaws series, not only because it’s on the sequel, but you get a real insight of how much the producers have control of what the final movie is going to be. And Pisano and Smith books gives plenty of info. Continue reading →

Horror History: Andrew Prine

November 10, 2019 by Jon Kitley in Horror History and tagged Andrew Prine, Barn of the Naked Dead, Centerfold Girls, Crypt of the Living Dead, Grizzly, The Evil | 1 Comment

Andrew Prine
Born Feb. 14th, 1936

You could say I grew up with Andrew Prine. When I started watching TV back in the late ’60s, I was seeing Prine on there. Not that I remembered him, but he made appearances on the shows I was watching, such as One Step Beyond, Thriller, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and even Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Once I started to really get into movies, then I really became aware of this amazing actor, in such films as Simon, King of the Witches (1971), Crypt of the Living Dead (1973), The Centerfold Girls (1974), Grizzly (1976), The Evil (1978), and so many more. In the ’80s, he seemed to relish playing one of the bad lizards in the TV series V (1983) and the follow up V: The Final Battle (1984).

He was always so good and so much fun to watch on screen. He always seemed to make his characters come to life. While we celebrate him for his work in the genre, Prine played in just about every genre, making more than a few westerns, working with names like Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, and Dean Martin.

I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to meet Prine a few times at shows over the years, even interviewing him way back in 2005, and he’s always been such a great guy to chat with, not to mention giving me hours and hours of entertainment.