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HORROR 101: THE A-LIST OF HORROR FILMS AND MONSTER MOVIES  VOL 1


5-4-08  WHAT HAPPENED TO LAST WEEK???
    Not really sure what happened last weekend that we didn't get an update done for the site.  I guess I got to start putting my foot down with these bunch of slackers here at the Krypt and put my size 10 motivation to work.  As I wish that was the case, I have no one to blame except me.
    I guess I could blame it on being so tired from having such a great time Saturday night at the Midway Drive-In for their Zombiefest.  Sure, it was a little windy and a bit cold, but the sky was bright and clear and the true die-hard fans came out to show their support and love of the genre.  We had a lot of fun there, seeing some great movies (well, one at least great movie and a cool Romero tribute), eating some tasty treats from the concession area, and talking horror with quite a few other like minded horror fans.  What more could one ask for?

MYSTERY PHOTO
    The last photo was from Abel Ferrara's Driller Killer.  I figured with a photo of a guy getting a drill bit put to the head, that would make it pretty simple.  So I wasn't surprised to get a few more responses this time out.  Or maybe because it was up for 2 weeks.  Those with the correct answers, of course, Mr. Hoby Abernathy leads the way, along with Mike Shields, Chester Lyons, David Theste, Jerry Bayloe, Clyde Rustin, William Thorpe, and Keith Whittiker.
    Thanks again for all who take the time to send in their guesses.  We do appreciate it, as well as letting us know that someone out there is enjoying what we're doing.  To send in your guess for our latest photo, click HERE.

NEW REVIEWS
    We have posted a couple of new reviews this time out.  The first one is for the film Teeth, which has been getting a lot of buzz in the independent market.  This comes out on DVD this Tuesday, so check out our review for it.
    Our second review is for another independent film, entitled Squeal.  If you're in the Chicagoland area, you have the chance to check this film out on the big screen.  Next Friday at the Music Box Theatre, they are having a midnight screening of Squeal, with the director and producer in attendance.  This film was produced locally, so come on out and support Chicago based filmmakers.  Not to mention the fact that you can see a movie about a killer mutated Pig-Man!  Bring on the BBQ sauce!

GRIMM TALES REVIEW
    The ever-busy Nox Arcana have unleashed their latest release, Grimm Tales, which is inspired by fables and dark fairy tales.  This is the quickest that we've ever gotten a review posted, but I guess you could say that we were enchanted.  Our review is posted in our Soundtrack Review section.

HORRORABLE SCREENING & SCI-FI SPECTACULAR
    For even more Chicagoland horror film fun, next weekend is going to be a busy one.  Also on Friday night, we will finally be making it to one of the Horrorable Double Features at the Portage Theater in Chicago.  On Friday, May 9th, they are screening two classic films that make one of the best double features:  I Was A Teenage Werewolf (starting at 8:00pm) and I Was A Teenage Frankenstein (starting at 9:30pm).  We're really looking forward to finally making it out to one of these events.  We've been hearing nothing but great things about it.
    Then on Saturday the 10th, we will be back at the Music Box for their 2nd Annual Sci-Fi Spectacular!  Now, as we've said before, if you really look at these titles, there's plenty of titles in there to keep us horror fans happy.  I mean, where else are you going to have the chance to see the uber-classic Island of Lost Souls on the big screen.  And then you have Earth Vs the Flying Saucers (classic Harryhausen), the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Road Warrior, Death Race 2000, Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan, and Robocop.  Not a bad lineup, huh?  And all are screened from 35mm prints.  And the bonus is that cult star Mary Woronov, star of Death Race 2000, will be there in attendance.
    So if you're looking for some great movies to see on the big screen, now is your chance.  We will have a table out in the lobby of the Music Box for the Sci-Fi Spectacular, so stop by and say hello.

REGGIE BANNISTER AT FLASHBACK
    Joining the Phantasm reunion at this year's Flashback Weekend, will be the coolest quad-barrell shotgun carrying Ice Cream Man ever known, Reggie Bannister.  He will be there, along with Angus Scrimm, Bill Thornbury, Kathy Lester, and director Don Coscarelli, to meet their many fans from this iconic series.  Many thanks to Fear Werx for help making this happen.  Make sure you stop over at their booth and pick up some of their awesome shirts.
    And of course, there's  plenty of other great guests already lined up for the show as well, including a reunion of some little independent film called Night of the Living Dead, include director George Romero.  With plenty of other guests, like Elvira herself, and more to be announced, this is looking to be a great show, once again.  It's only a couple of months away, so start making your plans now, and hope to see you there.

MORE ITALIAN MADNESS AT THE WASTELAND
    I know that we had already mentioned about the Italian love-fest that will be happening at the October Cinema Wasteland show, but they have recently added another guest that we wanted to mention.  Mr. Brett Halsey is now scheduled to be attending the show, making (I believe) his first convention appearance.  Fans of Italian horror will recognize his face, being in films like Fulci's Demonia, Cat in the Brain (Nightmare Concert), Touch of Death, and the twisted The Devil's Honey.  He also starred along side Vincent Price in Return of the Fly, and countless of other films, in many different genres.
    So along with Lamberto Bava, Coralina Cataldi Tassoni, Cinzia Monreale, John Saxon, Michael Berryman, Marilyn Chambers, Allan Kolman Migicovsky, Jeff Lieberman, and many others, this is going to be a great time.

JACK PIERCE NEEDS A STAR
    Hopefully everyone out there knows who Jack Pierce was.  If you don't know, Pierce was the makeup man at Universal Studios back in the 30's who basically created what we know today as the Universal Monsters.  It was his designs and his work that gave us Frankenstein, the Wolfman, the Mummy, and countless other great works of art, that not only enabled these talented actors to really bring these characters to life, but give them immorality.
    But sadly, Jack Pierce has never really been given his recognition for his work.  But now we have a chance to change that.  There is an online petition to get Jack Pierce a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  So please take a minute to click on the link below, and sign your name on this petition.  Everyone needs to know this great man's contribution to not only the horror genre, but to filmmaking as well.  To sign up, click HERE.

4-20-08  CONVENTION REPORTS
    We finally got our show reports done for the March Horror Hound Weekend and the April Cinema Wasteland.  Head on over to our Features section and click under Convention Reports.  Then just scroll down and look for the that particular show's banner.  We took plenty of photos this time, so check them out.  And hopefully we'll see you at the next one.

MYSTERY PHOTO
    Last week's photo was of the sadistic killer from Dario Argento's Stendhal Syndrome.  As usual, kudos goes out to Hoby Abernathy for sending in the correct answer.  And I thought there were more Argento fans out there.
    Now this one is pretty easy.  So if we don't get a lot of responses, that either means nobody is even reading this (Hello?  Anybody out there?), or you must be too busy to send us a little email.  In either case, we still enjoy doing it, and I get a lot of responses at the conventions about them.  Of course, they don't explain why they never send in their answers.....
    Anyway, if you do know this week's photo (and you should...since the title is right there in front of you), just click HERE to send in your answer.

SHUTTER SCORE REVIEW
    We have posted our review of the musical score for the American remake of Shutter.  The music was composed by Nathan Barr, who's past work included Cabin Fever and the Hostel movies.  Check out our Review section for more details.

ZOMBIEFEST AT THE MIDWAY DRIVE-IN
    Just wanted to send out another little reminder about the ZombieFest coming up next weekend at the Midway Drive-In Theater.  We have found out that the 2nd feature to be played after Romero's Diary of the Dead, is going to be the uber-cult classic, Dan O'Bannon's Return of the Living Dead.  What a great movie to begin with, but to see it on the big screen at a drive-in is even better.  So hopefully we'll be seeing a lot of Chicago area fans out there to not only have a great time, but also to support this Drive-in in their dedication to keep this type of fun alive.

INSIDE OF BLOCKBUSTER
    So once again, if you were looking for a reason not to go to the bastards who put all the Mom & Pop video stores out of business, then read on.  Since we hate and despise Blockbuster Video, we can't help but pass on this bit of news that we read on Fangoria's site.  This last Tuesday, the French film Inside was released, which we recently reviewed.  Dimension released it in an uncut and unrated version, but you won't find that version at Blockbuster.  They are carrying the R-rated version which is cut by 7 minutes.  And apparently it's not labeled easy enough for you to see you're not getting the full uncut version.  And trust me, in this film, 7 minutes is a lot to miss.  So do yourself a favor, and get a hold of this movie (and all your movies) from somebody other than these corporate idiots.

4-17-08  ANOTHER GREAT LOSS
    The horror genre has lost yet another great face.  Hazel Court has starred with just about all the horror icons of yesteryear.  She starred opposite Peter Cushing in Hammer's Curse of Frankenstein.  She co-starred with Christopher Lee in The Man Who Could Cheat Death, another Hammer production.  And in Roger Corman's The Raven, her co-stars with Peter Lorre, Vincent Price, and Boris Karloff.  She was one of the original Hammer Scream Queens, and she loved it.
    So it is with great sadness that we read today of her passing.  She passed away last Tuesday from a heart attack.  She was 82.  Not only was Court known for her acting, but also had become a successful painter and sculptor.  She had recently finished writing her autobiography, entitled Hazel Court - Horror Queen, with is being published by Tomahawk Press.  You can pre-ordered the book now through Amazon.
    As we always say, even though she has passed away, she will forever be remembered by us horror fans for the great contributions she gave us.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to her friends and family.

THEM REVIEW
    We have also just posted our review of another French film, Them, which was recently released by Dark Sky Films.  Check out our Reviews section to find out more.

4-13-08  WE'RE BACK!
    After two weekend conventions back to back, with tons of other activities going on to keep up more than busy, we are finally back with an update.  And it's a real doozy!  But even after two shows in two weeks, we still have plenty of stuff going on this month to keep up busy.  So read on to get the full details.

MYSTERY PHOTO
    Even with the longer time between updates, we still didn't get that many responses from our last photo.  Not to many classic Al Adamson fans out there, huh?  Well that is a shame.  The photo was from Al Adamson's Horror of the Blood Monsters, one of Al's earlier works.  But we did get the correct answers from Mike Shields and Hoby Abernathy.  Our latest one might be a little easier....might be.  Now come on.....if you know it, just click HERE and let us know.

CONVENTION REPORTS COMING SOON!
    We still haven't finished writing up our convention reports from both Horror Hound and Cinema Wasteland, but hope to have those done by our next update, if not sooner.  We're still recovering from those two shows, so it was all we could do just to get this update finished!  Needless to say, we had a blast at both of those shows, as always.  We got plenty of photos that we'll be posting, along with our usual rhetoric about the shows.
    Speaking of Wasteland, it looks like this October, they will be continuing the Italian Horror Love-Fest that they started at their last show.  They had already had their fliers out at the show that listed our favorite Italian horror star Coralina Cataldi Tassoni making her return to the Wasteland.  As well as making her first US convention appearance, Cinzia Monreale.  You might not know the name, but you know her face.  Especially when she has blind contacts in.  Cinzia is best known for playing teh blind Emily in Lucio Fulci's The Beyond.  But she was also in Fulci's Silver Saddle, New Gladiators, and Sweet House of Horrors.  She also worked with Argento in Stendhal Syndrome, and Joe D'Amato in Beyond the Darkness (playing the dead girl & her twin sister)!
    Of course, the Italian love doesn't stop there.  Also making his first US convention appearance is Lamberto Bava!  Sure, he's the son of the great Mario, but he has also made some great films on his own like Demons 1 & 2, Blade in the Dark, Ghost Son, and many more.
    Other guests they have listed so far is John Saxon, Michael Berryman, Marilyn Chambers, Allan Kolman Migicovsky (from David Cronenberg's Shivers), and a Friday the 13th lineup which includes Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, and Kane Hodder.
    Check out the website HERE for more information and tart making those plans, people.  And we'll see you there!

ZOMBIE DRIVE-IN FEST
    On April  26th, Chicago area zombie fans will have the opportunity to experience a night of zombie fun at a real life Drive-In Theater.  The Flashback Weekend is presenting ZombieFest at the Midway Drive-in.  The Midway Drive-In Theater is located in Sterling, Illinois, and is bringing back the fun and unique experience of going to the drive-in theater.  If you've never been to one, you don't know what you're missing.  And what better way to experience it than watching some great zombie movies!
    They will be screening George Romero's latest entry in his zombie series with Diary of the Dead.  There will also be at least two other zombie classics that will also be screened.  So you will be getting at least three zombie films for the $6.50 a ticket!  For more information about the drive-in itself, directions, and other info, please check out their website HERE.  We will be there and hope to see another big crowd out there supporting this great American past time.

NEW REVIEWS
     We have posted our review for a new French horror film called Inside.  You might have heard about this in the recent pages of Fangoria or Rue Morgue.  But no matter where you read about it, if you're looking for a horror movie that you won't soon forget, then check out this one.
     We have also posted our review of a DVD that no fan of Lucio Fulci or Italian horror should be without.  We've mentioned it here before in our news section and just loved it.  It's entitled Paura: Lucio Fulci Remembered - Vol. 1.  Check out our Reviews for this one as well.

DOUGLAS BUCK INTERVIEW
    Earlier this year, at the Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors, we were able to spend a few minutes chatting with up and coming director Douglas Buck and his writing partner John Freitas.  Buck was the writer / director of the very powerful Family Portraits: An American Trilogy, and more recently the remake of Sisters.  We were completely blown away by Portraits, which is a series of three short films.  It is simply a must see.  Check out our review archives for our review of it.
    But back to the point.  We have finally gotten the interview posted in our Interview section.  And just to warn you, it's a long one, so be prepared.  But Buck and Freitas really know their stuff and very interesting to hear them talk about how they got started and where they are going.  So click on our Features section to find our Interviews page.   Hopefully you will enjoy reading it as much as we did doing it.

3-23-08  CONVENTION NEWS
    Next weekend, we will be heading off to Indianapolis for the HorrorHound Weekend.  And then the following week, we're off to Ohio for Cinema Wasteland.  So with two shows in two weekends, we not sure just how much of an update we're going to have over the next few weeks.  We'll try and post something after each of the shows, just to let you know that we survived them.  But no promises.
    But I do know that we are planning to have a great time at both of these shows, as always.  Nothing beats getting together with like minded fans and geeking out about movies!  And as always, if you're planning on coming out to either of these shows, please stop by our table to say hello.
    In other show updates, the Flashback Weekend has added even more guests for their upcoming Phantasm reunion.  Joining Angus Scrimm and Don Coscarelli will be Bill Thornbury, who played Jody, and Kathy Lester, who played the mysterious Lady in Lavender.  All they need now to complete the reunion is Reggie Bannister.  Let's keep our fingers crossed.

NEW WOLFMAN
    Just in case you didn't see these photos that have been popping up on just about every horror site out there, here's a couple of pics from the upcoming Wolf Man movie, starring Bernico Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins.  I'm really trying to keep an open mind about this.  I like the cast so far, and you have Rick Baker doing the makeup effects.  So we know there's a lot of talent on the screen.  It's really going to come down to the director, the script, and the style used for the picture.  The film isn't set to be released for quite some time, so we'll just have to wait and see.

    

DVD NEWS
    Once again, how great is it to be a horror fan these days.  Every month is seems that we hear about some more great titles that will be soon hitting DVD.  Legend Films has picked up a few titles from Paramount to release on DVD sometime this spring.  For fans of British horror, Amicus' The Skull will be coming out, along with Hammer's The Man Who Could Cheat Death, which had never gotten a video release here in the states.  Other titles include Phave IV, The Deadly Bees, and the much underrated film The Sender.
    In other DVD news, BCI will also be releasing Paul Naschy's Werewolf Shadow and Curse of the Devil from an HD source.  The release for Werewolf Shadow will also have the American edit under the title The Werewolf vs. the Vampire Women as a bonus..  These titles had been released before by Anchor Bay, but have gone long out of print.  The release date is set for June 10th.

MYSTERY PHOTO
    Figured that photo was sort of a touch one.  But the funny thing was the person in the photo was posted on this very page, just a few lines down.  The pic was from Robert Kurtzman's Wishmaster, and that poor soul was none other than Reggie Bannister.
    We had few people send in the correct answers for last week's photo.  Job well done to Hoby Abernathy, Jerry Bayloe, John Singer, and David Theste.  Also thanks to those out there that keeping trying and send in your guesses, even if you're not sure.  At least your trying, which is what counts.
    So take a look at the newest photo and see what you can come up with.  Click HERE to send in your guess.

MIST REVIEW
    We've posted our review for Frank Darabont's The Mist.  If you never checked this movie out when it was in the theater, make sure you pick up the DVD when it comes out on Tuesday.  Great movie.  Check out our review for more details.

3-16-08  A BIG WEEKEND
    Yesterday, we headed off to the Ray Courts Hollywood Collectors & Celebrity show.  As we mentioned earlier, there were a few people that we wanted to see, not to mention seeing how the turnout was.  Years ago, Ray Courts use to have these shows in the Chicagoland area a couple of times a year.  This show was the first one that we began our transition into a dealer, and would set up there every year.  We had a blast.  But when it turned into more of an autograph show than a memorabilia show, we stopped doing them, since it was too hard to compete with all the celebrities that would have.  After a while, they would only have one show a year.  And then they stopped all together.  That was about 2 1/2 years ago.
    But now they seemed to be back, and had some cool genre guest names listed, so we figured we'd head out on Saturday to check it out.  There was two main reasons that we were going.  The first one, was to see everyone's favorite dwarf-killing Ice Cream Man, Reggie Bannister.  Reggie was there promoting one of his latest of many projects, the film Working Title.  But he also had copies of his newest music CD, Naked Truth.  As we've said many times before, Reggie is one of the nicest and down to earth kind of guys you could meet.  His genuine sincerity to his fans is amazing.  It's too bad that we not only have more celebrities like him, but also just people in general.  The world would be a better place.  Hopefully Reggie will be coming back this summer for the Flashback Weekend, joining Angus Scrimm and Don Coscarelli for a nice Phantasm reunion.  We got our fingers crossed.
    But the other reason for going to this show was to see Mr. B.I.G. himself, Bert I. Gordon (pictured here with your gracious host).  We talked to Mr. BIG for quite a few minutes about his many, many different films in his long career.  From the early sci-fi giant monster films like The Amazing Colossal Man and The Beginning of the End, to the 70's take on that same subject with Empire of the Ants and Food of the Gods, Gordon always made entertaining films.  He told us that he is working on his autobiography that should be published by McFarland later on this year.  We are looking forward to that, since I'm sure he has some great stories.
    We also had a chance to talk to the ever-so lovely Caroline Munro.  We had interviewed her last year at the Wasteland show, and just wanted to stop by and say hello.  Like Mr. Bannister, Munro is so gracious to her fans, with every one of them walking away with a big smile on their face.
    But the biggest surprise that I had was not only the number dealer tables that were there, but the number of those dealers selling horror merchandise.  From toys, to posters, to books, there was plenty of stuff to tempt my money from my pocket.  It was so great to see our favorite genre making a comeback to those shows.  The last few that I had gone to, I knew I didn't have to worry about spending money, since there was always nothing for me to even look at, let alone buy.  So that was a nice surprise.  Who knows....maybe I'll just have to go back setting up at these shows....They're next show will be in September.  Click HERE to go to their website for more info.

MYSTERY PHOTO
    Thought maybe we could have stumped our resident Mystery Photo expert, Mr. Abernathy this time out, but it seems that last time was just a fluke.  The pic from last week was from the great 70's TV movie called The Norliss Tapes.  It's out on DVD now, so if you haven't seen it, I would highly recommend you picking it up.  Good stuff there.  But contrats goes out to not only Mr. Abernathy, but also to the good Dr. AC himself, Aaron Christensen.
    So take a look at this latest one and see what you can do.

HORROR 101 GETS MORE HIGH PRAISE!
    Sure, this could be taken as a bit of self promotion.  But first of all, it is my website after all....but also there were so many more people involved in this book project that should get the praise and kudos as well.  But there are reviews of Horror 101  in the upcoming issues of both Fangoria and Rue Morgue.  We personally haven't see the Rue Morgue one, but hear it's very positive review.  If you want to read the Fangoria one, you can click on our Horror 101 link at the top of this page, where we have posted the entire review.  We will do the same when the Rue Morgue one becomes available to us.
    So while we're not trying to sound like a broken record, if you haven't picked up your copy of this book, you really need to.  If you are a horror fan, whether a beginner to a seasoned pro, you find some enjoyment here.
    So if you're interested, you can pick up a copy many different ways.  You can order one from Amazon (by clicking HERE), you can also order it through the Horror 101 website HERE, or you can also get a copy from us, either at one of the conventions we attend, or just email us for details.

GOOEY DOUBLE FEATURE
    For Chicago area fans, don't forget that next weekend at the Portage Theater they will be screening a great double feature of The Stuff and The Incredible Melting Man.  The first show starts at 8:00pm, and the second feature starts at 9:45pm.  For more information about the theater, click HERE.  Otherwise, we are planning on going, and hope to see you there.

DVD NEWS
    One of my favorite taglines is from the 1983 film Pieces.  It states "You don't have to go to Texas for a chainsaw massacre."  What a great bit of good old fashion ballyhoo!  Okay, so the movie might not be the best made film, it's still an entertaining one.  The film stars Christopher George, Linda Day George, and Jack Taylor who are dealing with a chainsaw serial killer running amuck on a college campus.
    Why are we mentioning this?  Because it now looks like the new DVD from Grindhouse Releasing is finally going to be coming out.  I haven't seen a release date yet, but this will be the first legitimate DVD release that is taken from a total uncensored film elements.  And since it's coming from Grindhouse Releasing, you know the quality is going to be great.
    Another title that Grindhouse is working on is Lucio Fulci's Cat in the Brain.  No real details yet on this disc, other than they are working on it.  Of course, they've been working on Pieces for a few years now, so who knows when Cat will be coming out.  But at least we know that when it does, it will be worth picking up for the collection.
    In other DVD news, Mondo Macabro have announced that they will be releasing The Queen of Black Magic on May 27.  This DVD will be from a brand new anamorphic transfer from the original negative.  Plus, it will have a few cool extras, like an interview with FX creator El Badrun, trailer, and tons of background information about the film, like only Mondo Macabro can do.

CASTLE DOCUMENTARY
    I know we've reported before about this documentary from director/producer Jeffrey Schwarz, but now we have some dates and film festivals where you can have a chance to actually see it.  From what I'm hearing, it's a must for any and all Castle fans, not to mention being a great way to learn more about this master showman.  Below are the dates where you can see it, and click HERE to check out the official website, or HERE for the MySpace page.

  • Washington, DC International Film Festival, March 14

  • Tiburon International Film Festival, Tiburon, CA, March 18

  • Boston Underground Film Festival, Boston, MA, March 22-23

  • Best of Fest, Los Angeles, CA, March 26

  • Florida Film Festival, Orlando, FL, March 29 and April 3

  • Philadephia Film Festival, Philadelphia, PA, April 3-15

  • Atlanta Film Festival, Atlanta, GA, dates TBA

DOOMSDAY IS HERE!
    Neil Marshall's latest film Doomsday opened this weekend, taking in close to $5 million.  We totally spaced this out, otherwise they would have had a few more dollars of mine in that total.  But I definitely want to check this film out in the theater, and strongly suggest everyone else does as well.  Marshall is a great filmmaker and we need to let those boys in Hollywood know that he can make not only an entertaining film, but a profitable one as well.  So if you haven't seen it, please try to make it out this next week.

3-9-08  VACATION IS OVER
    Well, the two months I've had off really was a mixed bag.  On one hand it was nice to have the time off.  But the whole unemployed thing can get kind of scary, which didn't let me truly enjoy my time off.  But that all comes to an end tomorrow anyway, since I start my new job then.  And I must say that I'm pretty excited to get back to the work force.  But I'm pretty sure the hours are going to be a lot less than what I was doing before, and a lot less stress.
    So since we've been pretty busy with trying to really enjoy this last free week, and deciding that it was time to make sure I get done all the stuff I said I was going to do during my time off, I don't have much of an update this week.  Plus, we have a lot of shows coming up in the next 4 weeks, so there's plenty of stuff to get prepared for.  So just as a reminder, here's what we got coming up:
    Hollywood Collectors & Celebrity show - March  15th-16th at the Chicago Marriot O'Hare.
    HorrorHound Weekend - March 28th-30th at the Marriot Indianapolis East.
    Cinema Wasteland - April 4th-6th at the Holiday Inn Select in Strongsville, Oh.
    We are planning to be at all three of these events in some aspect, so hopefully we'll see you there.

MYSTERY PHOTO
    Well, it looks like this time I was able to stump everyone, including the ever persistent Mr. Abernathy.  That lovely face belonged to none other than Camille Keaton, future star of I Spit On Your Grave.   But this was from a film she made in Italy a few years earlier, called Tragic Ceremony, which was directed by Riccardo Freda.
    So let's check out something that might be a little easier....maybe.

ELVIRA COMES TO FLASHBACK
    The Flashback Weekend has added the lovely Mistress of the Dark to their lineup for this year's show.  Elvira will be there on the Saturday, while her alter ego Cassandra Peterson will be appearing on Sunday. 

3-5-08  THE ICE CREAM MAN COMES TO TOWN
    Okay, while we're all hoping that Reggie Bannister is added to the guest lineup for the Flashback Weekend, Chicago fans don't have to wait to see him.  On March 15th-16th, Reggie will be attending the Hollywood Collectors & Celebrity show, at the Chicago Marriot O'Hare.  So make sure all you Phantasm Phans head out there and meet one the nicest guys out there.
    But also attending the show that might interests horror fans is the legendary Mr. BIG...aka Bert I. Gordon.  Gordon was the man responsible for movies like The Amazing Colossal Man, The Beginning of the End, Empire of the Ants, Food of the Gods, and many other great classics.  Also attending is Margot Kidder.  Sure, most might know her from the Superman movies, but what about Black Christmas or the original Amityville Horror?  Or, for you Hammer fans out there, the every lovely Caroline Munro will also be there.  Munro was in Hammer's Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter and Dracula 72 A.D., not to mention being in the James Bond film A Spy Who Loved Me.
    For more information about the show, click HERE for their website.  We won't be set up there, but we will be there to hang out for a while.  Hope to see you there.

3-3-08  COSCARELLI JOINS FLASHBACK
    The Flashback gang have just added Phantasm creator Don Coscarelli to their lineup for this summer's show.  Coscarelli will be there, joining Angus Scrimm.  Who knows, maybe we'll get Reggie Bannister and even some more Phantasm people.  We can hope, can't we?
    For more information about the show, click HERE.

HAMMER ADVENTURE DVDs
    Okay, sure these titles aren't really horror, though one is close.  But they are Hammer Films, so we feel that it's important enough to mention.  And plus the fact that it's my website.  So there.
    But this Summer, Sony will be releasing a box set that will contain the following films: Stranglers of Bombay, Terror of the Tongs, Pirates of Blood River, and Devil Ship Pirates.  Some of the films will have commentary by Hammer screenwriter/producer/director Jimmy Sangster.  Just remember, if it came from Hammer, you can usually get your fill of entertainment.

MORE HORROR COMING TO TV
    Now that Masters of Horror won't be coming back, hopefully we'll have something decent to replace it.  Coming this summer, NBC will air a 13-episode series called Fear Itself.  The series will features driectors like John Landis, Stuart Gordon, Darren Bousman, Ronny Yu, Brad Anderson, Breck Eisner, Mary Harron, Ernest Dickerson, and more.
    According to the vp of NBC Entertainment Teri Weinberg, "We've teamed up with some of the most illustrious writers, actors and directors to create a distinctive, scare-filled series that will push the boundries of this classic genre."  The show is being produced by Lionsgate and Industry Entertainment, who were behind the Showtime Masters series.
    Now while this is great news, since it's going to be on regular TV, they are not going to be able to go to the extremes that Masters of Horror was allowed to.  But...as far as I'm concerned, now maybe they'll be able to concentrate on good scary stories instead of gore.  God...never thought I'd be saying that.  I must be getting old.

3-01-08  ONE MUTHA OF AN UPDATE!
    We've had pretty busy time this last week.  We got plenty of good stuff this time out though.  Some great news bites, a new convention report, reviews, and more.  So sit back and enjoy!
    And on a slight personal note, some crazy place out there had the even crazier idea to hire me!  So after my short-lived forced vacation, it seems that I'll be back again, joining the ranks of the working force.  And I can't tell you how great a feeling that is.  Thanks to my friends out there for all the support giving over the last month and half.  It meant a lot.
    Of course, now you'll just hear me that I don't have any time to watch movies and get stuff done again, but you knew that was going to happen. 

CHICAGO FANGORIA REPORT
    First off, last weekend was the kick off of our 2008 Kryptic World Domination Tour, at the Chicago Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors.  Which is why we didn't have an update last week.  But not only did we have a great time at the convention, but it was even better because of the late night screenings at the Music Box Theatre, where they had special guests with Q&A's.  A big hand going out to Rusty Nails for throwing it all together.  It was a fun time.
    We have our review now posted in our Convention Reports, which is located in our Features section.  Check it out, since we got plenty of great photos of most of the guests there.

UPCOMING INTERVIEW
    While at the Fangoria show, we were able to sit down with director Douglas Buck and writing partner John Freitas, to talk to them about their recent remake of Sisters, as well as their unforgettable collection of short films, Family Portraits: A Trilogy of America.  We are working on getting the interview written up, and hope to have it posted in the next week or so.  Stay tuned.

FLASHBACK WEEKEND ADDS TALL MAN
    Angus Scrimm, the Tall Man from the Phantasm series, will be stalking the Flashback Weekend show, this June.  I believe this will be his first appearance in Chicago in over 15 years.  Scrimm will be there, along with the 40th Anniversary union of Night of the Living Dead, including  eight of the original cast and crew, including director George Romero.  Hard to believe that Night is that old of a movie.  But it still holds up today, showing it to be the masterpiece that it is.
    Other guest include the three babysitters from Rob Zombie's Halloween: Scout Taylor-Compton, Danielle Harris, and Kristina Klebe.  And from the original Halloween, Tony Moran, who played the unmasked Michael Myers, will be there as well.  And of course, Chicago's own horror host, Svengoolie will also be there in attendance.
    So make you're plans to come to the show and have a great time.  I know we always do.

MACHETE COMES TO HORRORHOUND
    And while on the subject to shows, HorrorHound has added Danny Trejo to their show in March, in Indianapolis.  Don't forget to make your plans, since that is only a few weeks away.

MYSTERY PHOTO
    We only had one correct answer for our last Mystery Photo, though we did get a few good guesses.  At least there's some effort there from some of you.  I knew it was a tough one, and really didn't expect anybody to come up with the correct answer.  So that means even a bigger congrats go out to Hoby Abernathy.  The film in question was Paul Naschy's Night of the Werewolf (aka The Craving).  If you don't know the film, I would highly recommend checking it out, especially if you like werewolf movies.  It is available on DVD from Deimos/BCI.
    Now check out our latest photo and see what you can come up with.  It's a nice pic of someone desperately in need of a facelift....Just click HERE to send us an email with your guess.

NEW REVIEWS
    We have a couple of new reviews posted.  Unfortunately, nothing that we would really recommend.  But maybe if you're in the right mode for some cheesy no-brainer fun, then you might enjoy them.  But you can read our full details about Robert Kurtzman's The Rage, and the new low budget zombie flick Automaton Transfusion in our usual Review section.

BEN CHAPMAN - RIP
    Classic horror fans have had another great loss recently.  Ben Chapman, who played the the title character in The Creature From The Black Lagoon, passed away on Feb. 21st.  Chapman had spent the last few years of his life making the rounds at the horror conventions meeting his fans.  He really loved the fact that he had a part in the Universal classic monsters.  He played all the scenes where the creature was on land, while Ricco Browning did all the underwater scenes.  We had the chance to meet him a couple of times over the years, and was always great to talk to.
    Our thoughts and prayers go out to him, and his family and friends.

MUSIC BOX THEATRE SPRING SCHEDULE
    Anybody who comes here often has heard be rant and rave about Chicago's Music Box Theatre.  It's a beautiful old theater that shows great movies.  They have just posted their spring schedule on their website, which does have some interesting titles.  Such as Army of Darkenss, Teeth, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Big Trouble in Little China, Troll 2 (with cast present), Blade, and many more.  For all the dates and more details, go to their website HERE.
    And then on May 10th, they will be holding the 2nd Annual Sci-Fi Spectacular, with over 12 hours of sci-fi madness.  But don't just blow it off because it's sci-fi, because there's plenty of horror to be found in their lineup.  Here's what they have listed to play:  Island of Lost Souls, Earth vs. The Flying Saucers, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Road Warriors, Death Race 2000, Star Trek 2, and Robocop.
    Plus, Mary Woronov, star of Death Race 2000, will be there in person.

DARK SKY UNLEASHES SIMON
    Back in December, we posted a little note about Dark Sky Films releasing the cult film SIMON: KING OF THE WITCHES.  But on recently on Fangoria's website, we learned of some more news on this release.  It seems that Michael Felsher of Red Shirt Pictures is going to be working on the supplements for this release.  This is great news, since we've always been impressed with Felsher's supplementary work.  The disc not only will have a new widescreen transfer, but Felsher also got interviews with not only Andrew Prine, but also the director Bruce Kessler.
    We've been dying to see a DVD release for this film, since even the original VHS release was terribly dark and grainy.  We can't wait to see what this disc is going to look like.  Put this title on your want list, people.  Andrew Prine is awesome about this modern day (for the time) tale of a warlock.
    And while on the subject of Dark Sky Films, don't forget that on March 25th, they release THEM on DVD.  And if you pre-order it from Dark Sky before the 14th, you'll get a free THEM t-shirt.  For more information, click HERE.


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