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FAMOUS QUOTES

"I have found it! What terrified me will terrify others; and I need only describe the specter which had haunted my midnight pillow."

- Mary Shelly, Preface to Frankenstein -

1-22-12 NEW LSoH COMING
The best magazine out there on the British Horror genre, Little Shoppe of Horrors, will be unleashing their newest issue next month, which will be on the latest release from the new Hammer film, WOMAN IN BLACK. This issue with not only feature articles and interviews (including one with star Daniel Radcliffe) on the new films, but also with Susan Hill (author of the original novel), and the original 1989 version, including an interview with Adrian Rawlins who starred in that version.
LSoH is truly always a great read, filling your head with tons of information about the British film industry and the people involved with it. You will get information here that you won't find anywhere else. We can't recommend this magazine enough. For information about it as well as how you can order it, just click HERE and make sure you tell them we sent you!

HAMMER HORROR RESTORED?
    While on the subject of Hammer Horror, there is a lot of buzz over the net about some of the classic Hammer horror films getting 'restored' for Blu-ray releases. While we are just as excited about this as everyone else is, we just wanted to point out something that I think some people are getting confused over this. These films are being restored, as in re-mastered. Unless I'm missing something, this does not mean there all of these films are going to have extra footage in there. The only title where they have announced lost footage that was recently discovered was for HORROR OF DRACULA, where some footage was discovered in Japan. That title will have this new footage incorporated back in the film.
    Now don't get me wrong, since I'm thrilled at the idea of being able to see these classic Hammer films in all their glorious colors and high definition. It just seems that people are thinking that they are going to seeing uncut versions of these films, when I don't think that is the case. They have announced 30+ titles that are in process of being 'restored'. We've seen reports that DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS will be the first title, but have also seen ones that say that QUATERMASS AND THE PIT, which is already available is the first one. But according to Hammer, PRINCE OF DARKNESS is being restored from a "two-perf original cut negative" and will have the original title card. But other than that, it is the same version. It will feature a new documentary produced by Hammer historian Marcus Hearn that will feature stars Barbara Shelley, Francis Matthews and others. The next two films on their list will be the "Cornwall Horrors", PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES and THE REPTILE. You can keep updated on the status of these restorations over here at this Hammer Blog.
    If there was one Hammer title that I wish would finally get a uncut release, it would be Terence Fisher's last film, FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL. The only version I've ever seen of this film that is completely uncut was the Japanese version, which featured plenty more gore than the others. The DVD release of this here in the states was the edited version. I know there was an import release that did feature some of the extra footage, but not all of it. So it would be great to finally see a nice re-mastered print, in all its bloody glory, of their last Frankenstein film.

WILDCLAW WANTS TO KILL ME
    Chicago's own WildClaw Theatre has a new play opening up next month. Starting on the 13th and running through March 18th will be Scott T. Barsotti's Kill Me. Barsotti gave us the 2009 play The Revenants which we really enjoyed. We also just loved WildClaws adaptation of Carmilla last year. So we are looking forward to once again delve into the world of horror theater that WildClaw has done so well so far.
    In his latest play, Barsotti gives us a tale of a woman who has recently awakened from a post-traumatic coma who comes to think that she can not die. So as her mind starts to crumble, she attempts to kill herself, over and over and over again.
    For all the details about this show, just head over to WildClaw's website by clicking HERE.

SAVING THE 35mm FILM MEDIUM?
Another thing that we've seen going around on the internet are these petitions to save the 35mm format. Original, I would have joined that cause in a heartbeat. When going to film fest, there is something charming about seeing a film screen from a 35mm print, as opposed to a DVD projection. In the last few years, things have happened to change my mind. It really has nothing to do with the medium as much as the people running the projectors at the theaters. Too many times I have been at film fests where the person up there with the projector just can not keep the film in frame, or the right aspect ratio, or something screwing it up. Here's the deal...back in the day, we use to have people that were actually trained how to use these machines. There was a union and everything. They knew these machines inside and out and took their job very seriously. But today, that is much different. I recently came across this rant by director Stuart Gordon saying the same thing, except giving examples on what this can do to the filmmaker, let alone the audience. Just click HERE to read it.
But lets also look at the difference between 35mm and what the studios are moving towards with a digital format. When screening the films, you won't have any of those above issues. You won't have films stopping and burning through. You won't have deterioration of the movie or of the quality of the print. It really is the same argument that we've been having when CDs came out and started to replace vinyl. And we all seen how that worked out. Besides the fact that the studios would be saving SO much money going the digital route and all of that savings would go right into their pockets. And THAT is the main reason it is going to happen.

HORROR HISTORY
In class this week, we're going to discuss someone's who job started sometimes even before the word of the script was written. And that because some people would come to the theater on their work alone. Head over to the classroom to find out who were talking about.

MYSTERY PHOTO
Our last photo was the poor Florinda Bolkan from Lucio Fulci's DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING. Everyone knows Fulci for his gore, but this is one of his truly great films that shows that he was again a great filmmaker. Sure this film does have a moment or two of gore, but that really is a small part of the film. If you haven't seen it yet, please seek it out. Kudos to the following for naming the correct film: Hoby Abernathy, Aaron Christensen, Steve Sapsford, Mike Shields, and Will Wilson.
Now on to this week's photo. See if you can't name that where that little creature to the right is from. Just click HERE to send in your answer. And as always, good luck!

1-15-12 ZAAT RISES TO DVD
A few issues back in my column in HorrorHound, I covered two fish-monster movies, one of them being ZAAT (aka THE BLOOD WATERS OF DR. Z aka HYDRA aka ATTACK OF THE SWAMP CREATURE). This Florida made cheese-fest was made back in 1971 about a mad scientist who turns himself into a half man/half catfish monster. Tons of fun to be had there. There were rumors a few years ago that a special edition DVD was going to be coming out but it never seemed to happen. But now, it seems that ZAAT may just rise to the surface for real this time. HD Cinema Classics is releasing this film in a DVD/Blu-Ray combo pack next month on the 21st, for only $20. The film has been digitally restored from the original 35mm elements and will include extras such as audio commentary by the cast and crew, out takes, trailers, radio interviews, and an original movie art postcard! How cool is that!
The fact that there are people out there that are taking the time to restore films is great. But when it comes to films like ZAAT, which would never be considered a classic of any sorts, it makes me even more proud that some would take the time to do that to these types of films. It shows that films don't have to be Oscar winning films to be entertaining. And it is important for these films, no matter how cheesy they are, that they are preserved for monster movie fans now and for future generations.

UNIVERSAL RESTORES CLASSIC HORROR FILMS
    In a very similar story, Universal Pictures is celebrating their 100th anniversary this year. And one of the things that they are doing to mark this epic occasion is to re-release some of the films that they have been working very hard to restore. Granted a lot of these are mainstream films, but there are a few horror titles in there that will make our readers a little happy. Now let me say that I hate having to re-buy titles every time a new release comes out. And usually....I don't. There has to be a very good reason for it. But I think for some of these titles, there is enough reason here. They are going through these films and taking out every scratch or imperfection on the film, as well as cleaning up the sound as well. One case in point is the hissing sound on some of these older movies, such as DRACULA (1931). Since there are many scenes with little dialog and no music, there are times when we are hearing nothing but a hissing sound. This has all been corrected and taken out, letting you hear what really is going on in the film. Sure, there are those out there that say that want to remember the films the way they remember them when they first seen them, with all the imperfections in there. And I am one of them for the most part. But if a film can be cleaned up, not altered since that is something completely different, but made to look like the filmmakers would have done had the technology been there at the time, then I don't have a problem as much.
    I do admire the fact that there are people out there in the industry that have made it their career to make sure that these films are not forgotten and that they will be here for many generations to enjoy, just as we have. They see the importance of these films, something that only real movie fans can see. So I really do appreciate all of their hard work.
    The horror films that they will be re-releasing in restored prints are FRANKENSTEIN (1931), BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935), both versions of DRACULA (1931), the one with Lugosi and the Spanish version, Hitchcock's THE BIRDS (1963), and Spielberg's JAWS (1975).
    We'll have more details on release dates when they become available.

WOMAN IN BLACK POSTER ART
Being a collector of movie posters, I've come to realize that for the time being at least, it really is a lost art form. Today's movie posters are generally filled with the faces of the stars or just completely lack any sense of style or art. Just a bunch of photo shop work. I miss the days of the painted posters, with images from the movie. Hell, I wouldn't even care if those images were not in the picture! Back in the day, before all the instant media access, the only way to let people know about a new movie was the poster. That was the really the main element to make people want to come to see the movie. It had to have an impact. But because of internet how everything happens at such a fast pace, the movie poster has almost become a forgotten piece of promotional material.
So when we came across the new British quad artwork for THE WOMAN IN BLACK, it brought a tear to my ear. Maybe because it is a film from the newly restarted Hammer Films, but it seems they went back to their roots when it came to this poster. As you can see on the right, it is amazing. And I know this is one that we will definitely be adding to our collection. So kudos to whoever was behind this concept and hopefully it might just start to catch on. One can hope, right?

BOOK REVIEW - HAMMER FILMS: THE UNSUNG HEROES
We've posted our review of this incredible book on the people that made Hammer Films what they were and what they looked like. Head over to our Hammer Section in our Book Review Page for more details.

DAVID WHITAKER - REST IN PEACE
    I know that most everyone out there doesn't recognize this name. In fact, when I first read this news, I didn't know who it was either. But after reading that he was a composer that had worked on a couple of Hammer films, I felt that I needed to pass this info along. Mainly since this is what we should be doing, as horror fans: Keeping the names of people who worked in this genre and the films they created that we have been enjoying for years.
    Whitaker was a composer that didn't score countless films like some other famous ones. But he did work for Hammer films on some of their later films, as well as a few other genre titles. He did the scores for SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN (1970), DR. JEKYLL & SISTER HYDE (1971), VAMPIRE CIRCUS (1972), OLD DRACULA (1975), DOMINIQUE (1989), and the gory sword and sandal flick THE SWORD AND THE SORCERER (1982).
    He passed away last Tuesday. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family.

HORROR HISTORY
This week you will learn about one of the founding fathers of stop motion animation. You might have heard his name mentioned a time or two, but he is responsible for one of the greatest monster movies of all time. The bell has rung....so let's get to the classroom.

MYSTERY PHOTO
I have to admit I thought our last photo was pretty tough. There must be a few of you out there that really remembers decapitated heads. So kudos out to Hoby Abernathy, Steve Sapsford, and Will Wilson for identifying our last photo from being from the 1981 film HELL NIGHT. Nicely done.
Well our photo this month is another close up of a head, but one that is still attached. So take a peek and see if this person and this film doesn't ring a bell with you. Just click HERE to send in your answer. And as always, good luck!

1-8-12 KRYPTIC ARMY WINNERS
    Fall in Soldiers. It is time to award those who have participated in this year's Army Challenge. Before we get to those selected few, I wanted to thank everyone who has joined the army and has joined in on any of the missions. Even if you are not one of the winners, I hope that you had fun and that you continue to keep up with the challenges. It is getting to be a challenge for me to come up with new themes for the missions each month, but it is a lot of fun seeing what everyone comes up with. I hope everyone is having as much fun as I am.
    Also, if you haven't already and are in the army, hopefully you've been to the Army Message board. Every time you send in your mission, I post it here, as well as posting my thoughts on your choices. You are more than welcome, and even encouraged to reply on the other member's movie choices as well. As fans of these movies, we all know that most of the time it isn't the easiest to find someone that you can talk to about these kind of movies. So here is your chance. You can get to the Message Board by clicking HERE.
    Also, if you are in the Army and have not done this, please go to the Role Call post and put your little two cents in. We always like to know a little more about who is in the trenches with us.
    Once again, I have pulled out 12 names out of the pile of each and everyone one of you who participated. And remember, the more missions you complete, the more times your name goes in the hopper! Below are the selected Army members, along with what they have won. The prizes will be mailed out at some point during the month. The winners need to send me their mailing address.
    BUT...we do have a new request this year. When you receive your prize, I ask that you take a photo of yourself holding said prize and emailing it to me. I plan on posting them on the Army page, that way the other members (and non-members that hopefully will sign up shortly after) can see not only their fellow soldiers but also what you can win by fighting the good fight each and every month. So...here they are, the 2011 Kryptic Army Winners and what they've won:

Anna McKibben - PAN'S LABYRINTH mini-poster signed by actor Doug Jones
Craig J. Clark - Post Mortem mini poster signed by Mick Garris
Scott Finnegan - NIGHT OF THE CREEPS 8x10 still signed by director Fred Dekker
Lance Ford - HARDWARE DVD
Damien Glonek - NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS Mexican Lobby Card signed by director Chuck Russell
Erik Martin - TWO THOUSAND MANIACS mini-poster signed by H.G. Lewis
Lee Marohn - BOOK OF BLOOD mini poster signed by director John Harrison
Patrick McCarter - HATCHET mini-poster signed by director Adam Green and star Joleigh Fioreavanti
John Pata - BRAIN DAMAGE 8x10 still signed by director Frank Henenlotter
Erich C. Polnow - RE-ANIMATOR Mexican Lobby Card signed by director Stuart Gordon
Kristin Wicks - HORROR EXPRESS DVD
Stephen Weakley - SLEEPAWAY CAMP mini-poster signed by director Robert Hiltzik

HORROR HISTORY
This week's lesson is about a person who's job is to make what we see on the screen look as good as they can. Some may think the director is in charge of that, but without this person, they might have a lot harder of a time. So we look at one of these guys who made the famous Hammer Films look as good as they did. Head over to the classroom to Discover more.

MYSTERY PHOTO
Fans of Italian horror should have recognized our last photo. It was from Michele Soavi's directorial debut, STAGEFRIGHT. You could tell right away that his man knew how to set up a camera shot. And his films just got better. Hopefully one day we'll see him back in the genre again. Kudos to the following that were able to identify this shot: Hoby Abernathy, Aaron Christensen, Dave Friedman, Chris Kinniery, Erik Martin, Lisa Stewart, Wayne Teeter, Tom White and Will Wilson. Job well done.
So let's take a peek at this week's photo and see if this one brings any title to mind. Good luck. Just click HERE to send in your answer.

1-1-12 WELCOME TO 2012!
I know it has been a couple of weeks since our last update, but with the holidays, we were taking a much needed break. But as you can see, we haven't been relaxing too much and have one hell of an update for you this time out. What a great way to start the new year, huh? Well, let us not waste any more time since you have a lot of reading to do!

ROBERT EASTON - REST IN PEACE
    Easton started his career as an actor, playing bit parts in tons of TV shows and quite a few movies. For the horror fans, you've seen him in A TOUCH OF SATAN, PET SEMETARY II, NEEDFUL THINGS and even in an episode of THE NIGHT STALKER. But for me, he will always be remembered for his role in Bill Rebane's THE GIANT SPIDER INVASION. Playing the not-so-nice Kester, who meets a grisly end, he seemed and especially sounded like he was born for that role.
    So how surprised was I to find out that though he did still act, he really came to be known as the "Henry Higgins of Hollywood", teaching actors all sorts of different dialects and accents. He was worked with huge names like Forest Whitaker, Robert Duvall, Charlton Heston, John Travolta, and even Arnold Schwarzenegger. Growing up with a stutter, he learned to control it by training himself to talk slower. This started his passion and love for the language. And when he was fearful being typecast as a hillbilly, he used this passion to be able to pick up accents and dialects so he could sound like anybody the casting agent was looking for. But then he discovered that he could also teach other people this as well, which lead to a very successful career.
    Plus, to make this guy even cooler, he collected books. Granted they were on language and cultures from around the world, but had an estimated 1/2 million books! In doing a little research on Easton, I came across this great quote from him that I just loved and really shows how cool this guy was. "I'm a great believer in the principle that there's no wastage in the universe. So when I work with somebody who is foreign who's trying to lose their accent, I can always give their old dialect to somebody else."
    Easton passed away from natural causes at his home last Friday. He will be missed, but not forgotten.

LARRAZ DOCUMENTARY
José Ramón Larraz is a Spanish filmmaker that not too many people know who he is. If anything, they remember his 1974 film VAMPYRES, and maybe even his film BLACK CANDLES. But sadly, that is about it. But thanks to filmmaker Celia Novis maybe more people can discover more about this talented man. She has made a documentary on Larraz called ON VAMPYRES AND OTHER SYMPTONS. It has only been screened mainly at film festivals in Spain, but hopefully it will be available on DVD or at least make its way over here in the States at some point. The documentary is narrated by the Vampyres themselves, Marianne Morrie and Anukla. You can get to the official website HERE where you can see the trailer for the documentary.
But until we have the opportunity to see this documentary, you can see do your homework and look into the films of Larraz. I think you might some thing good out there.

NEW REVIEWS
We've got FOUR (!!!) brand new reviews posted for this update. Told you we've been busy. First up is APOLLO 18 which shows us why we've never been back to the moon. The second one is a Hong Kong film entitled DREAM HOME, which we think is a must see. Next is a low budget film called RAGE, which is kind of a modern take off of DUEL. And lastly D4, a film that is giving me hope for low budget filmmakers. Head over to our Reviews Section to check them out.

CHICAGO FEAR FEST
Chicagoland has always had a strong horror community and over the last 5 to 10 years, it has been growing immensely, and each year seems to be getting better and better. And now, next April, we will have another huge event to put on our calendar.
Chicago Fear Fest will be a 2-day independent horror film festival that will take place at the Muvico Theaters in Rosemont, Illinois. The 2-day fest will feature short films, feature films, celebrity guests, panel discussions, and Q&A's. They are taking submissions for films now so head over to the official site for all the details and information. This will be taking place on April 13th and 14th, so mark you calendars. You can check out the official website HERE. So great to see Chicago making its name with all the horror events we have going on.

KRYPTIC ARMY - SEND MORE SOLDIERS!
    Well Troops, here we are starting our Tour of Duty for the 3rd year now. Hopefully you have signed up for another year and are ready to take the challenges that lie ahead of you. I know 2011 threw you some tough battles, but you should be happy and proud that you were able to survive them. You should have already gotten your mission for this month, so hopefully you're already starting to think of some movies.
    We are working on compiling the list of all the soldiers and the missions that they completed and will be drawing our winners and what they have won very soon.
    And don't forget, we can always use more numbers in our ranks. I'm sure you know someone out there that might be interested in joining our little cause. So send them over to the recruitment center so they can start to join in all the fun. If you're reading this and want more information, just click on the Army link on the left (or just click HERE). You can always check out our Army "Debriefing" Message board to see what everyone has been watching and their thoughts. You can get there by clicking HERE. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions about it.

SPADES & DR. SPINE CHICAGO SCREENING
While on the subject of Chicago film events, you don't have to wait until next April for double feature of films from Boomstick Films. On January 14th, at the Portage Theater in Chicago, they will be having a holiday party and screening 2 of their films: SPADES and DOCTOR SPINE. In attendance for this party will be the following special guests: Reggie Bannister (of PHANTASM fame), Larry Thomas, Alex Skuby, Mo Collins, Joe Estevez, Judy Tenuta, Tiffany Shepis, Juan Riedinger, Agam Darshi, Kathy Garver, Robert Z'Dar, Lisa Loring, Xango Henry, Gigi Bannister, Michael Wexler, James Vallo, and Bill Reinhold.
Tickets are $18 but that does include the party and both featuures. The party starts at 4pm and the films begin at 7pm. For more info, head over to Boomstick Films by clicking HERE

BURNING MOON DVD RELEASE
Back in the early days of VHS, when I was doing a lot of tape trading with quite a few different people around the states, there was one title that when it hit the underground market, everyone was looking to get a copy of it. And if you had it, you made sure all your other gorehound friends knew about it. It was German film called BURNING MOON, by director Olaf Ittenbach, that was filled with so much over the top gore that even the most seasoned veteran of gore films would sit up and take notice. Hell, I don't even think I ever had a copy that wasn't in German with no subtitles. But because of the carnage that was on screen, words would mean very little at that point.
Well now, thanks to Intervision Picture Corp, this flashback to the late '90s will be coming out on DVD. Not only will this film be hitting DVD for the first time, but it will also come with a 'rare, recently unearthed' 45 minute making-of documentary. Sure, the effects might seem a little cheesy these days, in a age of CGI, but this was the good old fashion days when beginner make up artists were trying anything and everything to make their gore effects shine. So what be lacking in quality, you'll be amazed in the amount and creativity Ittenbach showed.

CINEMA WASTELAND REPORT - FINALLY!
Yes, it has only been 3 months, but we finally got our review posted for last October's Cinema Wasteland. Head over to our Convention Reports to get the full detail.

HORROR HISTORY
Brand new year and a brand new entry in our History lesson. This time, if you're into Italian films then you've heard this man's work, even if you don't know his name. But hopefully after this week's lesson, we'll change that. Head over to the classroom to find out who we are talking about.

MYSTERY PHOTO
Our last photo was another tough one. But that didn't stop a few of the die hard Hammer fans out there to recognize that famous shot. That scene is from opening sequence of Don Sharp's KISS OF THE VAMPIRE (1963). A shovel is shoved through top of a coffin, killing vampire beneath, as blood pools out of the hole. Effective stuff, folks. But I'm sure a lot of you out there remembered that scene, but just couldn't place it. Now worries...all those hours of scratching your head is now over. Until you look at our latest photo! But first, let's give some credit to those that did remember where that shot is from. And they are: Hoby Abernathy, Todd Barwick, and Steve Sapsford and Mike Shields.
So let's get to our first photo of 2012. We were thinking...should we go with a real hard one? An easy one? Take a look and decide for yourself! Just click HERE to send in your answer. Good luck!

Where to start? This has been one challenging year for us here at the Krypt, both on a professional level, as well on a personal one. So many times it is so easy to forget and/or look past all the great things we have in our lives, sometimes right in front of us. If you only make one New Year's resolution, make it to appreciate what you have and the people around you, and make sure you let them know just that. But we have made it through and are looking forward to 2012 and to more than make up for this last year. We are not hoping for great things to happen, but are going to make them happen. One of the reasons that we survived this year was due to the strong support of my close friends and especially my wife of 23 years, Dawn. I wouldn’t have made it though it had it not been for them. So thank you for being there.

One of the most important things we do in our Year End Review is mention all the great talent that we lost over the year. As horror fans, it is our job and our duty to make sure that these people and their work are never forgotten. It is our job to try and enlighten a new fan of their work that they might not have known about. Thus, not only continuing that person's horror education, but it also keeps the memory of these people alive, so them and their work will always be remembered. Here are the great ones that we lost in 2011. They will be missed, but never forgotten.

Roberts Blossom, Robert Easton, Annne Francis, David Friedman, Dolores Fuller, Richard Gordon, Susan Gordon, Michael Gough, Farley Granger, Jill Haworth,
David Hess, Alberto de Mendoza, Pete Postlethwaite, Ken Russell, Jimmy Sangster, Michael Sarrazin, Tura Satana, Don Sharp, Juan Piquer Simon, Yvette Vickers

2011 was our 13^th year running Kitley’s Krypt. Which I believe makes it one of the oldest running horror websites out there. Not to mention one that isn’t littered with ads everywhere. When I started the site all those years ago, my main goal was to connect with other horror fans and help them learn more about the genre, to seek out new doorways and paths in this huge and never ending genre. I think in the last 5 years or so, I’ve really strived to push that goal. Really hard to think that I have been doing this for this long, but if it wasn’t for my love of the genre and connecting with all of you out there, I would have quit years ago. The positive responses that I get from you, through emails or at the conventions we are at, you make all this work well worth the effort. So thank you for your support. You have no idea how much it means to me. Here's to another 13 years!

While on the subject of the Krypt, 2011 was our 2^nd year for the Kryptic Army. I have to say that coming up with new theme ideas each month is getting a little tougher, but it is making me be a little more creative. And I have to say I am enjoying it when I do stumble upon a unique idea, just wishing I could see the army's faces when they read what their new mission is. We seemed to have lost a few faces over the course of the year, but have plenty of new faces in the ranks as well. Hopefully we will all see you re-enlisting for 2012. Maybe we’ll even be able to increase our numbers to better help fighting the cause. If you are in the army and know someone who might be willing to put themselves through the month challenges, then please send them to the recruitment center (uh…here.) If you’re NOT in the army, then what are you waiting for? Not sure what it is, then just click HERE to read more about it.

Our movie count for this year wasn’t nearly as impressive (for us at least) as last year. Last year, we hit 277 titles. We were hoping to get at least 250 in this year, but didn’t come close. Our final total was a mere 209. While I would love to spend more time in front of the TV watching more movies, this year had too much other stuff going on that was more important. But maybe in 2012 we can work on getting a few more movies in.

2011 also was the year that the Kitley family did something for really the first time in over a decade. And that was to take a family vacation. Of course, being my family, this wasn’t one that most families would call a normal vacation. We headed into Pennsylvania for a 2-night drive-in event, stopping by the Monroeville mall from DAWN OF THE DEAD and the original cemetery from NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. During the trip, stopping at some amazing restaurants, book stores, and just having an amazing time. We’re hoping to do plan something very similar again this year as well. You can still read our full vacation report by clicking HERE.

One of the biggest highlights of this last year happened at the Flashback Weekend in August. Meeting AJ & Amy Wagar from Meatspider Studios lead to him creating a 3-D sculpture of my logo, which to this day just amazes me every single time I look at it. Plus, since we bring this to the conventions we attend, its great seeing the faces of our followers when they see it as well. Its one thing to see a photo of it here on the site, but seeing it in actual 3-D is pretty damn cool. So thank you once again AJ for bringing this logo to life. Can’t thank you enough.

Seeing makeup maestro Dick Smith receive an honorary Oscar for his work in the film industry was simply awe-inspiring. For a man who cared more about advancing the industry and other artists than he did about his own career and trade secrets that he discovered, he truly is an icon. While he only made a few horror films, the ones that he did were exceptional. But even the films that weren’t necessarily horror, his creations were impeccable. So while it would have been nice to see him get this award at the actual Oscars, I guess we should be happy that he did get one. He is one makeup artist that anybody interested in the horror genre, or in just that field, you better know who this guy is. You can see his acceptance speech on youtube (just click HERE) which almost brought me to tears. Such a great man.

And speaking of conventions, this was another year of great shows, getting to meet some icons of the genre as well as other celebrities that we’ve admired over the years. Last March at the Indianapolis HorrorHound Weekend, we got to meet one of the few remaining true icons of the genre: Barbara Steele. There really isn’t too many of this stature left, which is so unfortunate. But Barbara Steele appeared in so many classic films of the genre, especially all the incredible films she made in Italy in the ‘60s. So being able to meet her was one of those that last few living icons that I could check off my list.

Another great thrill for me was at that same convention, where they were hosting 30^th Anniversary reunion of Lucio Fulci’s HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY. This has been one of my favorites of Fulci’s, since it really is a great example of Italian horror: Lots of gore and lots of things that make no sense! Plus, for HorrorHound’s special convention issue, I had written the retrospective for HOUSE. So going up the meet the cast and hearing the praise from them about my article, just made my weekend. Once again, it is so strange getting to meet the stars from a movie made 30 years ago, that I grew up watching, that are now standing in front of me at a convention. Great times indeed.

But out of all the conventions and events that we attended in 2011, there was one celebrity that stands above all the rest. Literally. And that would be actor extraordinaire Doug Jones. Back in October, we had the chance to see Mr. Jones in Chicago at a screening of some short films that he did, along with a feature length one. There was a great Q&A afterwards where he also signed some stuff. In all my years of meeting celebrities, I have never met someone quite like Mr. Jones. He redefines the word friendly.

He had plenty of great stories and was just so personable. My wife and son where there as well, so they also had the chance to meet him. Well, a few weeks later, he was appearing at the HorrorHound Weekend in Columbus. When we go up to his table, he recognizes my wife but can’t place from where. When we told him about Chicago, he then remembered and gave us both a big hug. Later on, Dawn and Nick went over to get another autograph from him and to get their picture taken with him. And once again, he goes out of his way to make sure his fans know how much he appreciate that we love and support his work.

Before we get to our movie highlights for the year, I wanted to do something a little new and mention some of the soundtracks that have come out this year. Being a huge fan of movie soundtracks, I think this is just as important as the movies. This year has given us some great scores that finally got a release. Most of these are from older movies, but the fact that these are getting actual releases shows that I am definitely not the only crazy soundtrack enthusiast out there. So here we go:

CASTLE OF THE LIVING DEAD (IL CASTELLO DEI MORTI VIVI) - Composer Angelo F. Lavagnino created great score for this lesser known horror movie starring Christopher Lee. Mainly quiet background sounds, the soundtrack does have a few of melodies and themes that are very memorable.
CHILLERAMA – Here’s something different…praise for a film score for a film that I really hated. I had heard the score before seeing the movie and just loved it. But unfortunately, I can’t say the same about the film. But the score is a lot of fun, taking cues from many different film styles. Besides, just love the work of composer Bear McCreary.
CRYPT OF THE VAMPIRE (LA CRIPTA E L'INCUBO) – Another great gothic score by Carlo Savina for another Christopher Lee movie. Some wonderful organ here, again creating that great European sound and style.
DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW – The score for this eerie made-for-TV score may be very simple, but it is very effective in creating an eeriness around you when listening to it. Composer did a great job of enhancing what was going on the screen with his music. And after seeing the movie so many times, just hearing this music brings back those goosebumps.
IT! TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE – A famous early sci-fi monster movie that set the standards for movies to come. Paul Sawtell and Bert Shefter came up with a complete monster score here, giving us tension, action, and just out-worldly eeriness. They also came up with piece of music using only an electronic violin that will sound so familiar to you, mainly because it has been used over and over again over the years.
MALENKA / FEAST OF SATAN - Okay, I’m really a sucker for those European scores from the ‘60s and ‘70s. A lot of these I buy without even remembering or knowing the music. And most of the time I am not disappointed. Such as this one. Using plenty of organ music to create a beautifully haunting soundtrack, composer Carlo Savina once again gives us something well worth listening to over and over again.
THE MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD – Getting back to the 50’s monster move music, this year also seen the release of Heinz Roemheld’s score for one of my favorite of those types of movies. Just like the European style of film music, American monster movies from this era also have a very unique style to them that just brings back that feeling of being a kid and catching these movies on TV. Just love them.
STAKE LAND – One of the most recent film scores, Jeff Grace is one composer that really came to my attention his year and that was mainly due to this soundtrack. I remember first seeing this film in the theater and being impressed with the music. It has been one score that I’ve listened to over and over again this year.
THE STRANGE CASE OF MRS. WARDH (LO STRANO VIZIO DELLA SIGNORA WARDH) – Part of the melody of this score actually was written for an earlier Richardo Freda film. So composer Nora Orlandi used it here (and Taratino later used it in KILL BILL) and does a wonderful job combining several musical styles here for an incredible film score.
THE THING – Granted this score was released on CD years ago and has become long out of print, but now it has been reissued but with much more meat in there. The original score actually had music that was never used in the film. Plus, there were music cues and whatnot that Carpenter added in when he didn’t have enough of a score from Morricone. This new release has the tracks in order they appear in the film, as well as other pieces that were never used in the film.

Now on to our Highlights and Lowlights of the movies that we seen over this last year. Remember, these are movies that we had seen for the first time this year, so these are not necessarily movies that came out in 2011. But I will say that most of these films listed are relatively new, coming out in the last year or so. So let’s get to them:

BLACK SWAN (2010) – Almost didn’t put this on my list, since it was probably on most of people’s list last year. And while it is borderline horror, I think it is a great tale of showing the inner workings of someone who is losing their grasp of their sanity and reality. Portman’s performance surely deserved the Oscar.
THE DEAD (2010) – The buzz has been going around for some time on this new zombie film shot in Africa. And I have to say, and pardon the pun, but for someone to take a sub-genre as dead as zombie films have gotten, they really delivered a high quality film. Very simple story, but with believable characters, and some high quality moments of gore, not to mention being downright scary in several sequences, this is one not to miss.
DREAM HOME (2010) – You can read our full review in our Reviews section about this Hong Kong gorefest, but the bottom line is that this film pulls no punches and delivers some of the most original quality kills that I’ve seen in quite some time. Again, a very simple story, but made with some very talented people.
HARPOON: WHALE WATCHING MASSACRE (2009) – This one really threw us for a loop since the very premise is so strange. But it worked. Never falling into the same old worn out Hollywood footsteps that so many films try to do, but giving us a simple slasher film….except set on a whaling ship off the coast of Iceland! Click HERE to read our full review.
MACHETE MAIDENS UNLEASHED (2010) – Now this is a slight change since this is a documentary, not a feature. But it is so damn entertaining and highlights so many great horror and exploitation films that it is one that needs to be seen, with a notepad to write down all the movies you are going to want to see out. Plus, you will be amazed at how these films got made and that the actors survived!
RAZORBACK (1984) – Our oldest movie on our list is one from Australia about a giant killer boar. Once again we have a very simple story, but one that is well shot with a great cast. Basically a JAWS on land….in the outback.
SKIN AND BONES (2008) – Here is another one that isn’t a feature length movie, but an hour long episode from the failed TV series FEAR ITSELF. But this particular episode, directed by one of our favorite directors, Larry Fessenden, and starring one of our favorite actors, Doug Jones, is one not to be missed. Jones is so damn scary here that it is hard to realize that this is the same uber-friendly person you’ll meet at a convention.
STAKE LAND (2011) – Speaking of Mr. Fessenden, he continues to produce not only amazing films, but helps get other great filmmakers their work out there. And STAKE LAND shows just that, between the co-writer/director Jim Mickle and co-writer/actor Nick Damici, they created a dark and gloomy future world where vampires having spread across the country like a plague and humanity fights to stay alive. Click HERE to read our full review.
TUCKER AND DALE VS EVIL (2010) – I remember hearing the basic plot of this movie and just shrugged it off as another one of those attempts at a silly horror film. But once we were sitting down watching it, all of that fell away and I was laughing my butt off. This script is so smart that by taking a plot that would see so easy to screw up, they are able to make it funny as well as actually telling a good story without just trying to be a funny movie. Plus, the acting is top-notch, especially the two title characters, played by Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk.
WAKE WOOD (2011) – And lastly, we finish our Top Ten list with the return of Hammer Films. Sure, we had a couple of films come out under the new banner (THE RESIDENT and LET ME IN), WAKE WOOD really gives us the feeling of a true Hammer horror film of yesteryear. This film could have been made back in the ‘70s and we’d never know. This is the kind of film that epitomizes that old school British horror style that is sadly missed. If you’re expecting a straight out horror movie, then you might be disappointed. But if you’re looking for a great and dale morality play, then take the journey to WAKE WOOD. Click HERE to read our full review.

Now, we only came up with 5 titles (well actually 6 but we’ll explain) of films that we just thought were terrible or just a huge disappointment. We try to avoid being completely negative on movies because we know that any movie being made is made with a lot of passion by a lot of people. But…there are some that we just feel the need to express our opinion on these to hopefully warn others of wasting their time and money. So here we go.

BLOOD NIGHT: THE LEGEND OF MARY HATCHET (2009) – This was one movie that was tough to get a hold of at first. With the only way to get it was buying it directly from the makers, it made it hard to take that chance. Though with all the praise I was hearing, I almost took the plunge. Lucky for me I didn’t. Terrible acting, even worse story, and just a waste of time. Might have been due to my expectations being so high, but what a let down.
CHILLERAMA (2011) – This one really divided the fans it seems. At first, I heard nothing but terrible things about this anthology film. But then after a few good comments, I figured I’d give it a try. Well, maybe if I was back in the 8^th grade I might have found the crude toilet humor funny. But in reality, I just found it stupid, silly, and nowhere near funny. Love the soundtrack though!
HATCHET 2 (2010) – While I wasn’t a huge fan of the first film, I did enjoy it for what it was. Green didn’t make any excuses for what he was trying to make there, and I think he did an admirable job. But this sequel was just god-awful. The acting was terrible. It wasn’t funny, but just damn stupid. The gore was so over-the-top that it because ridiculous and no effect other than wondering when the director was going to call “cut”. Total waste of time.
VELVET VAMPIRE (1971) – Seeing this cult film for the first time was inspired by two things. The first was that it finally got a DVD release, so that made it much easier. But also I had just acquired a theatrical poster for this movie, which is a great piece of cinematic artwork. Unfortunately, looking at the poster is much more entertaining than this movie. Sure, there is some nudity in there. But there is also some of the worse acting I’ve seen, some that makes a H.G. Lewis casting look like Oscar winners. And did I mention that nothing really happens?
VANISHING ON 7^th STREET (2010) and TRANSSIBERIAN (2008) – Now the reason I have two films here are because they are both made by Brad Anderson. After seeing his two films, SESSION 9 (2001) and THE MACHINEST (2004), I would have followed this man into any theater to see what he wanted to show me. But these last two films of his were such a disappointment. TRANSSIBERIAN was okay, but just expected more after his first two films. As for VANISHING, have no idea what the point of that movie was. Great concept, but again, completely lost on me. So while these films weren’t terrible or no where near close in the same caliper as the previous 4 titles, I just expected so much more from Anderson. Sorry guy, but when you make a couple of masterpieces like you did, you automatically raise the bar.

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