HorrorHound This Weekend!

September 8, 2026 by Jon Kitley in Conventions and tagged Barbara Steele, Black Sunday, Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni, Damien Glonek, Demons, Demons 2, Discover the Horror Podcast, Geretta Geretta, Lamberto Bava, Living Dead Dolls | Leave a comment

Our next stop on the 2026 Kryptic World Tour is back in Cincinnati for HorrorHound Weekend! Not only do they have a hell of a lineup, but for fans of Euro-Horror, they have some real royalty appear at this show. First and foremost, we have Barbara Steele, who appeared in so many incredible films in the ’60s, working with some amazing directors, such as Mario Bava and Antonio Margheriti, amongst others. But we also have Lamberto Bava appearing as well, director of both Demons (1985) and Demons 2 (1986), just to name a few. And to make the Demons connection even better, we have Geretta Geretta, who played Rosemary in Demons, and Coralina Cataldie-Tassoni who played Sally in Demons 2, as well as her co-star David Edwin Knight! So, it will be a nice little Demons reunion! I couldn’t recommend taking the opportunity to meet Bava and Steele at the show. Who knows now many more shows they will be attending, so make sure you don’t regret it later!

Continue reading →

DtH Episode 122 – Dario Argento’s Three Mothers Trilogy

May 13, 2026 by Jon Kitley in Discover the Horror Podcast and tagged Alida Valli, Barbara Magnolfi, Claudio Simonetti, Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni, Daria Nicolodi, Dario Argento, Giuseppe Bassan, Goblin, Inferno, Jessica Parker, Joan Bennett, Keith Emerson, Lamberto Bava, Luciano Tovoli, Mario Bava, Mother of Tears, Rudolf Schundler, Suspiria, Udo Kier | Leave a comment

Suspiria (1977), Inferno (1980), and Mother of Tears (2007)

There are very few horror fans out there that do not know about Dario Argento’s work, and maybe mainly for the giallo-style films he’s known for. He never wandered into supernatural horror too often in his filmography, but when he did, like all of his films, he made it his own. After helping define what a giallo is with Deep Red (1975), he switched gears and gave us Suspiria, showing us violence through a blinding use of color and surrounded by an intense soundtrack that is pounding through the speakers. It looked like no film we’d really seen before. Then he continued this storyline of the dreaded Three Mothers with his film Inferno three years later, which gave us even more info on these wicked witches. We’d have to wait another 27 years before we got the final entry, Mother of Tears. Say what you will about any or all of these features, but they are all Dario Argento.

In this episode, we’re going to take a look at each of the three films, and Three Mothers, as well as the differences between the three films. We all have our favorite of the trilogy, but hopefully you’ll be able to see something in all three that maybe you missed out in previous viewings. So, join us in our little study group, as we learn more about Mater Suspiriorum, Mater Tenebrarum, and Mater Lachrymarum. But a word of caution… they don’t like people knowing about them, so be warned.

Films mentioned in this episode:

Continue reading →

DtH: Episode 120 – Michele Soavi

April 15, 2026 by Jon Kitley in Discover the Horror Podcast and tagged Dario Argento, Dellamorte Dellamore, Joe D'Amato, Lamberto Bava, Lucio Fulci, Mario Bava, Michele Soavi, Severin Films, StageFright, The Church, The Sect | 2 Comments

StageFright (1987), The Church (1989), and Dellamorte Dellamore (1994)

Most horror fans know of the Italian horror genre, if not being huge fans of it in general. From Bava, Fulci, Argento, D’Amato, and the rest, they have helped the Italian horror genre be one of the biggest output of classic films for over three decades. And then in the mid ’90s, it bottomed out. But thankfully for us fans, at the end at that “era of terror”, we got four horror films from a young director named Michele Soavi. From starting his career as an actor, helping him getting on set and moving his way up to assistant director to finally calling “action” himself. He’s worked under the tutelage of directors like Joe D’Amato, Lucio Fulci, Lamberto Bava, and Dario Argento, all working to form his own identity as a director.

In this episode, we’re covering 3 out of the 4 of his titles, which should give you reason to seek them out if you’ve never seen them before or maybe bust them out once again for a revisit. Because sometimes we can forget just how damn good they are.

Films mentioned in this episode:

Continue reading →

Facets Demons Double Feature

December 28, 2023 by Jon Kitley in Movie Events and tagged Demons, Demons 2, Facets, House of Monsters, Italian horror, John McDevitt, Lamberto Bava | Leave a comment

For those in the Chicago area, next month you’ll have the opportunity to experience the Super-Horror-Rama at Facets with a Demons Double Feature! They will be screening both films, Demons (1985) at 7pm, and then Demons 2 (1986) at 9pm. This special presentation is sponsored by House of Monsters and programmed by John McDevitt, Facets Community Engagement Manager.

For fans of Italian horror, director Lamberto Bava’s two features has enough blood & gore, music, and plenty of demons running amok to keep everyone in the theater entertained! If you haven’t had the chance to experience them in a theater, now is your chance!

For all the information, just click HERE. And make sure you check back with Facets for other interesting screenings!

Euro Horror from We Belong Dead

December 26, 2023 by Jon Kitley in Book News and tagged Barbara Steele, Black Sunday, Dario Argento, Demons 2, Euro Horror, Inferno, Jean Rollin, Lamberto Bava, Mario Bava, Opera, Paul Naschy, The Golem, We Belong Dead | Leave a comment

The fine folks from We Belong Dead magazine have their latest massive book coming out, this time covering Euro Horror! In the ad on the page for the book, it has NASCHY! FRANCO! ARGENTO! BAVA! ROLLIN! Now if that isn’t a good way to make me order the damn thing, I don’t know what would! I have several of these massive books that We Belong Dead have been putting out over the last few years and they are all a work of art. Brimming with exceptional essays on the movies we all love, it is just so much fun to wander through them and read someone else’s thoughts on a variety of films. This one looks to be no different.

Edited by Eric McNaughton & Darrell Buxton, with foreword by Lone Fleming, with “350 pages in glorious full color, large format”, and illustrated with hundreds of stills, lobby cards, and poster art. For the softcover edition, the price is £35 ($44.45), and for the hardcover edition, the price is £45 ($57.15), which is limited. And of course, the postage to ship from the UK isn’t cheap either, with £15 ($19.05) and £20 ($25.40) for the hardcover. So, you’re looking at about $70 for a hardcover edition with shipping. Yes, a bit pricy. But, as I mentioned above, going by their previous books, I do think it is a great investment. And since a lot of them go out-of-print, the value will go up.

And if you need a little more pushing, my Discover the Horror co-host, Aaron AuBuchon has 4 different essays within the covers, from The Devil’s Nightmare, to Fulci’s The Beyond, to Argento’s Inferno. In fact, if memory serves, I even have an essay in there!

If you are interested, they are taking pre-orders now. Just click HERE to get to the page to place your order. I think you’ll thank me.

Nightmare Industry – Italian Horror Documentary

January 20, 2022 by Jon Kitley in Movie Events and tagged Bruno Mattei, Dario Argento, Eugenio Ercolani, Joe D'Amato, Lamberto Bava, Lucio Fulci, Mario Bava, Michele Soavi, Nightmare Industry, Phillip Escott, Robin Block, Ruggero Deodato, Sergio Martino, Umberto Lenzi | Leave a comment

From the producers of the In Search of Darkness documentaries comes a new one that looks to be just amazing! Nightmare Industry is a new documentary coming out soon that is going to cover the Italian horror film industry. With Phillip Escott and Eugenio Ercolani as the co-directors and producers, I have a great feeling that this is going to be essential viewing. According to Escott, they want to “tell the ultimate story about Italian horror cinema.” He also states that their goal for this project is for fans to learn something, which has my support right there! Escott said “I want them to be entertained. I want them to have fun, because that’s what Italian horror cinema is all about. But I also want them to walk away enlightened. I want them to learn. A lot about what went into making these incredible movies.”

Continue reading →

Giallo Canvas: Art, Excess and Horror Cinema

July 29, 2020 by Jon Kitley in Book News, Misc. Ramblings and tagged Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Dario Argento, Giallo, Lamberto Bava, Mario Bava, McFarland, Michele Soavi, Sergio Martino, The Giallo Canvas, Umberto Lenzi | Leave a comment

Here’s another volume for the library of giallo fans. Alexandra Heller-Nicholas has just released the cover of her newest book, The Giallo Canvas: Art Excess and Horror Cinema, which sounds to be much different look at this popular sub-genre of films. While most books on this sub-genre covers everything from the production and making of, sexual subtexts, and a huge focus on style, this title “explores an overlooked yet prevalent element in some of the best known gialli – an obsession with art and artists in creative production, with a particular focus on painting.” Sounds like a very interesting read, that is for sure. Plus, I love that this is something new to consider about these films, focusing on the art used in these movies. The author will be exploring art that is used by some of the masters of Italian giallo cinema, such as Mario and Lamberto Bava, Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, Sergio Martino, Umberto Lenzi, and Michele Soavi.

This will be publised by McFarland, but there is no release date as of yet. Stay tuned and we’ll keep you posted.

Book Review: Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1980-1989

June 19, 2019 by Jon Kitley in Reviews: Horror Reference Book and tagged City of the Living Dead, Dario Argento, Demons, House by the Cemetery, Inferno, Italian Gothic Horror Films, Lamberto Bava, Lucio Fulci, Michele Soavi, Roberto Curti, The Beyond, The Church | 1 Comment

Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1980-1989
Published by McFarland, 2019. 232 pages.
By Roberto Curti

Being that this is the 3rd book in the series by Curti involving the gothic horror films of Italy, this latest one, covering the ’80s, it’s sort of a nice little walk down memory lane for me. The ’80s is when I started to become aware of these films. With the boom of VHS tapes, the horror section was filled with these flicks from Italy, promising (and usually delivering) the bloody and gory goods to us eager viewers. So getting to read several pages on some of my favorites, namely the ones from Argento, Bava, Fulci, and Soavi, there is plenty to be learned here.

Not only will you get to read about some of your favorite classic Italian horror flicks like Argento’s Inferno (1980) or Fulci’s City of the Living Dead (1980), The Beyond and House by the Cemetery (both 1981), as well as Claudio Fragasso’s Monster Dog (1985) and Luigi Cozzi’s Paganini Horror (1989), you will get so much insight and information that I bet you’re going to want to re-watch some of these if you haven’t seen them in a while. You’ll learn maybe why Monster Dog turned out like it did, which could make you give it (and Fragasso) a little more credit. Maybe. Continue reading →

End of an Era

December 6, 2018 by Jon Kitley in Conventions, Misc. Ramblings and tagged Cinema Wasteland, Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni, Dave Kosanke, Don England, Evilspeak Magazine, Lamberto Bava, Leon Marcelo, Lix, Mariano Baino, Putrid, Richard Johnson, Scott Bradley, The Haunting | Leave a comment

cw_show_logo

No…the show is not stopping. Let’s get that straight right off the top. I don’t want Ken to be emailing me about misleading people! The show will go on, just not with Kitley’s Krypt there vending.

Back in September of 2000, we set up at the very first Cinema Wasteland Movie and Memorabilia Expo, in Strongsville, Ohio. 19 years later, after 34 shows, it is still going strong. We were a dealer at that very first show and have continued to set up there since, never once missing one. In my years of going to shows, both as a fan and as a dealer, which is three decades worth, I’ve never known a show like Cinema Wasteland.

Continue reading →

Geretta Geretta at Reel Art on Saturday!

August 30, 2018 by Jon Kitley in Movie Events and tagged Bruno Mattei, Demons, Geretta Geretta, Lamberto Bava, Lucio Fulci, Murder-Rock, Rats: Night of Terror, Reel Art, Severin, Shocking Dark | Leave a comment

Geretta at Reel Art Scream Queen Geretta Geretta, known for her role as Rosemary in Lamberto Bava’s Demons (1985), not to mention appearing in other Italian classics like Warrior of the Lost World (1983), Rats: Night of Terror (1984), Murder-Rock: Dancing Death (1984), and Shocking Dark (1989), which was recently released on Blu-ray by Severin Films, will be appearing this Saturday at Reel Art Collectibles in Berwyn, IL!

First of all, just going to Reel Art on its own is a real treat because you can find thousands of amazing movie posters, inserts, half-sheets, as well a ton of other collectibles. But now, you have even more of a reason to go, to meet the lovely and talented Geretta! She will have 8×10 stills, Demon Dolls, and Blu-Rays for purchase for her to sign, including copies of Shocking Dark, which she has an audio commentary on. You can bring your own items for her to sign as well.

They will also be screening Demons around 3:30-4pm, with a Q&A after the film. For all the information, you can check out the event page on Facebook HERE.