Never Stop Digging

February 12, 2025 by Jon Kitley in Misc. Ramblings and tagged Bride from Hades, Christopher Lee, Daiei Gothic, Four Sided Triangle, Hammer Films, Hammer Studios, Peter Cushing, Terence Fisher, The Ghost of Yotsuya, The Snow Woman | Leave a comment

I know I may sound like a broken record here, but you never know when something you write hits the right person at the right time. Plus, when it is something you really believe in, you want to keep saying it! Hammer recently announced they will be releasing a 4K release of their 1953 film Four-Sided Triangle, which is a science fiction tale, but has strong shades of the Frankenstein message, of just because we can do this . . . should we? Directed by Terence Fisher, the film is about two scientists develop a machine that can duplicate anything. Including a person. This was released on DVD age ago by Anchor Bay but now will be coming to us with a nice new 4K release.

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Unlocking Dracula A.D. 1972

January 25, 2025 by Jon Kitley in Book News and tagged Alan Gibson, Christopher Lee, David Huckvale, Dracula, Dracula A.D. 1972, Hammer Films, Hammer Horror, Hammer Studios, McFarland, Mike Vickers, Peter Cushing, Unlocking Dracula A.D. 1972 | Leave a comment

This is something that I just love about not just the horror genre, but of its fans. Hammer’s film Dracula A.D. 1972 isn’t one of their titles considered to be an ultimate classic, especially when you compare it to some of the studios more well-known titles throughout their reign of terror at the box office. I know myself that it took a while for me to really come around to see this Dracula tale in a modern setting (for the time it was made) for what it is and finally be entertained by it. But even though it has developed into more of a cult classic over the last 50+ years, it’s never referred to on the same level as say, Horror of Dracula.

So, when I see this new book coming out by author David Huckvale, all dedicated to this one single movie, I applauded it! Anytime that someone takes the time to do the work, meaning the research, the digging deep into the film, from the production to the locations to where it was filmed, and those involved, is a great way for fans of the film to not only learn more about it, but maybe see it in different way. Or even if you’re not a huge fan of the film, the more you understand, it could change your mind, or at least maybe have a better understanding of the final product and how it came to be.

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The Drive-In That Dripped Blood

February 20, 2022 by Jon Kitley in Movie Events and tagged Amicus Films, Asylum, Christopher Lee, Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, From Beyond the Grave, Peter Cushing, Skyline Drive-in, The House That Dripped Blood, Torture Garden, Vault of Horror | 2 Comments

The Skyline Drive-In, located in Shelbyville, Indiana, has announced a weekend celebrating the British films studio Amicus, which specialized in making horror anthology films. Over two days, Friday March 25th and Saturday, March 26th, they will be screening 6 titles from Amicus, and all of them anthologies! In fact, some of these are some of the best that studio put out! Here’s the lineup:

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Little Shoppe of Horrors Salutes The Gorgon

October 12, 2021 by Jon Kitley in Misc. Ramblings and tagged Barbara Shelley, Bruce G. Hallenbeck, Christopher Lee, Hammer Films, Joshua Kennedy, Little Shoppe of Horrors, Peter Cushing, Richard Klemensen, The Gorgon, The Witches | 2 Comments

The latest issue of the long running (and best magazine devoted to all things Hammer) is now out and available to order. This issue tackles Hammer’s 1964 film The Gorgon, starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and Barbara Shelley, with the article Reflections of Fear: The Making of The Gorgon by Joshua Kennedy.

Within the pages, you’ll also find the article Cut Me a Robe from Toe to Lobe … Give Me a Skin for Dancing In: The Making of The Witches by Bruce G. Hallenbeck, as well as an article on the star of that film, Joan Fontaine. There is also an article on Don Houghton, the screenwriter of the modern day Dracula films Hammer made in the early to mid ’70s, by David Gee.

Like with any issue of Little Shoppe of Horrors, every page is a delight and filled with great stuff. Head over to their website HERE to order your copy now. And if you want to know more about Hammer, just pick up some of their back issues that are readily available.

Sideshow Hammer Figures

August 10, 2021 by Jon Kitley in Misc. Ramblings and tagged Christopher Lee, Dracula, Hammer Films, Peter Cushing, Van Helsing | 1 Comment

I have quite a few famous horror figures in my collection that I’ve picked up over the years. Some are model kits, many of which I actually painted myself. Others are statues I’ve purchased that came painted already. Granted some of these were a bit pricy, but never more than a 2-3 hundred at the most. Granted, the full size bust of the poster zombie from Zombie or Dr. Hill’s decapitated head in a pan were a bit higher than that, but for a figure, I try to shy away from the real expensive stuff, mainly because I personally just can’t invest that much money into something like that.

But now Sideshow Toys has announced a couple figures that are $530 EACH and I’m trying to convince my brain that I DO need to invest in these!

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Friday Favorites: Trilogy of Terror

May 28, 2021 by Jon Kitley in Friday Favorites and tagged Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Vincent Price | 12 Comments

As most of us know, the 26^th & 27^th of this month was the birth date of three of the biggest icons in the horror genre (though one is probably still not happy about that!). Of course, it would be Peter Cushing (born May 26, 1913), Vincent Price (born May 27^th, 1911), and Christopher Lee (born May 27^th, 1922). Whether it is because of the multiple titles from Hammer Studio, the work with AIP, or William Castle, these three actors have given us horror fans countless hours of chills, shivers, and entertainment. I couldn’t let these two days go by without posting something in honor of these iconic actors.

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Little Shoppe of Horrors Takes on Dracula

May 5, 2021 by Jon Kitley in Misc. Ramblings and tagged Barbara Shelley, Christopher Lee, Dick Klemensen, Hammer, Hammer Films, Hammer Studios, Horror of Dracula, Little Shoppe of Horrors, Peter Cushing | 2 Comments

Orders are now being taken for the latest issue of the magazine that has been running to close to half a century! Issue # 46 will be covering Hammer’s Dracula (1958), or as known in the states here, The Horror of Dracula, with the making of article by Bruce G. Hallenbeck. There will also be a tribute to Barbara Shelley, the Making of the Men Who Made Hammer series for Shout Factory, and so much more.

If you’re not familiar with this amazing magazine, I couldn’t urge you enough to look into it. If you love Hammer and British horror in general, there is no better magazine than this one. Always filled with amazing articles, incredible artwork, and so much information. Once you start, you’ll be like me and be hooked!

For all the ordering information, just head over to their website HERE.

Book Review: Horror Express

December 20, 2020 by Jon Kitley in Reviews: Horror Reference Book and tagged Christopher Lee, Electric Dreamhouse, Eugene Martin, Horror Express, John Connolly, Midnight Movie Monographs, Peter Cushing, Telly Savalas | 5 Comments

Midnight Movie Monographs: Horror Express
Published by Electric Dreamhouse, 2018. 137 pages
By John Connolly

This is another one that I just don’t know where to start. I came across this publisher about a month ago when they were having a Black Friday sale. I thought about ordering a few of their titles but being from the UK, it would have been a bit pricy. Out of all the titles, this is the one that had my interests the most, so I just ordered it from Amazon. Now, at a book that is only 6″ x 8″, and priced at $29, AND is only 137 pages, makes you wonder if it would be worth it. In this particular case, I would have to say no.

This is a strange one, since being so short, you’d think the author would dive right into the thick of it, but we go 30 pages before the author even starts to write about the movie! That’s almost a quarter of the book?!?! We read about traveling on trains, about the Spanish film market, the British film market, with some details that really have no bearing on the subject at hand. Now maybe if this volume was several hundred pages long, this information would fit in, but it’s not. So why waste precious pages on subjects that have only a distant connection with the movie? There is even a paragraph where the author states that at this point in his writing, he hasn’t seen the movie since he first saw it as a kid! Again, why waste space for that? Continue reading →

Movie Review: The Brides of Dracula

November 14, 2020 by Jon Kitley in Reviews: Movies and tagged Andrée Melly, Anthony Hinds, Brides of Dracula, Constantine Nasr, David Peel, Don Mingaye, Freda Jackson, Hammer Films, Hammer Studios, Hugh Harlow, Jack Asher, Jimmy Sangster, Malcom Williamson, Margaret Robinson, Marie Devereux, Martita Hunt, Michael Ripper, Miles Malleson, Peter Cushing, Richard Klemensen, Scream Factory, Shout Factory, Steve Haberman, Terence Fisher, Yvonne Monlaur | Leave a comment

(1960)
Director Terence Fisher
Starring Peter Cushing, Yvonne Monlaur, David Peel, Martita Hunt, Freda Jackson, Miles Malleson, Andree Melly, Marie Devereux, Michael Ripper

While most “normal” critics would look down on a horror film, yes… even ones from Hammer Studios, this is a perfect example of how well made these pictures really were, from the acting, the production design, to the look and lighting of the entire running time. If you ever doubted that, just watch this 2K scan of The Brides of Dracula recently released by Shout Factory on Blu-Ray. Continue reading →

Curse of Frankenstein 2-Disc Blu-Ray!

November 7, 2020 by Jon Kitley in Misc. Ramblings and tagged Christopher Drake, Christopher Frayling, Christopher Lee, Constantine Nasr, David J. Miller, Hammer, Hammer Films, Hammer Studios, Hazel Court, Jack Asher, Little Shoppe of Horrors, Peter Cushing, Richard Klemensen, Steve Haberman, Terence Fisher, Warner Archives | Leave a comment

Coming to Blu-ray for the first time in the U.S., Warner Archives has announced a new 2-disc special edition of Hammer’s The Curse of Frankenstein, the movie that really put the Studio that Dripped Blood on the map. This new release will contain 75 minutes of new documentary work, audio commentary by Screenwriter/Film Historian Steve Haberman and Filmmaker/Film Historian Constantine Nasr. You’ll get to hear from some of Hammer’s best scholars, such as Richard Klemensen discussing the history of the film, cinematographer and producer David J. Miller discussing Hammer’s underrated cameraman Jack Asher, as well as hearing from Christopher Frayling, Christopher Drake, and so much more.

The disc will contain a 1080p HD Restoration Masters from 4K scans of Preservation Separation Elements, but also a newly re-mastered 1.37:1 open-matte version as well. Continue reading →