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HORRORHOUND #33

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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 13th
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 2nd 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 30th
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 8th 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 7th 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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