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

2004

12-21-04  HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
    Sorry for the lack of updates lately, folks.  Between our real job and getting ready for the holidays, it's been pretty hectic here at the Krypt.  But we're looking forward to having a couple of downtime days this weekend, relaxing with the family, and maybe even watching some movies.
    Another year gone.  I want to thank everyone for their support and emails.  We had a great year and looking forward to an even better one next year.  So thanks again, and wishing you and your families a happy and safe holiday.

IN REMEMBRANCE OF THOSE WHO HAVE PASSED...
    Once again, we have lost some great people this last year who contributed much to the horror genre, whether they were in front of the camera or behind it.  These people will always be remembered by us horror fans for their work and will live on.  You are missed: Larry Buchanan, Sheila Keith, Janet Leigh, Fay Wray, George "Buck" Flowers, Max J. Rosenberg, and Robert A. Burns.

MYSTERY PHOTO
    It's really been awhile since we've updated this.  The last pic was from Hammer's PARANOIAC, starring Oliver Reed.  Unfortunately, we received no correct answers.
    We have a new photo up, one with a considerable less budget....Give it a try and let us know. 

SHAUN OF THE DEAD CONTEST!
    We will be giving away a free copy one this great movie.  This is probably the best zombie comedy that I have seen since RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD.
    So how do you get your chance at this packed DVD?  This is going to be a tough one.  All you need to do is click HERE and tell us your name (real names please) and your favorite zombie movie.  Your name will then be entered into our drawing.  If your name is pulled, then you win.  It's that simple.  Good Luck!

12-9-04  DOCUMENTARY FROM THE CRYPT
    For fans of the Tales From The Crypt comic books, movie, or HBO series, here is one DVD really needs to be in your collection.  Check out our review section for our take on this must have DVD.

LARRY BUCHANAN - R.I.P.
    One of the true kings of low budget filmmaking, Larry Buchanan passed away last Thursday, December 2nd.  He was 81.  Stories of Buchanan and his guerrilla filmmaking ways are amazing.  While his films may not be top notch, we have always found entertainment in there.  And isn't that what counts after all?
    Buchanan gave us classics like MARS NEEDS WOMEN, THE EYE CREATURES, ZONTAR THE THING FROM VENUS, CREATURE OF DESTRUCTION, and many more.
    He will be missed, but the legacy of his movies will always be a part of my collection.  Here's what Roger Corman had to say about Mr. Buchanan.

"I have known Larry Buchanan and his work for over 30 years. He is one of the most inventive directors I have ever known. He is a maverick filmmaker who uses any guerrilla tactic in his arsenal to get his pictures to the screen. He is a quintessential survivor in independent cinema, while never compromising his reputation as a gentleman. In short, Larry cares for films, for his players, and for his craftspeople."

FAVORITE MOMENTS OF HORROR - R.I.P.
    My little section called Famous Moments, a place where you can input your own little anecdotes of movie memories that left an impact on you, has been taken down.  The reason is simple.  Somebody liked to use it for an advertising link, posting new entries almost everyday with advertising and links.  With that format, it's really hard for me to edit them out.
    So until I change it over to a message board type, where they can be easily deleted, that section has been taken down.

11-27-04  ANOTHER TURKEY DAY MARATHON DONE 'N' GONE!
    Another day of high-class entertainment...well, kind of.  Once again, we didn't get to as many movies as we'd hope.  But this was for a good reason this time.  We kind of went off the track a bit and threw in a movie that didn't fit the "Turkey" title that we had going.  And that was THE DEADLY SPAWN.  It's been years since seeing this early 80's classic, and now that it's come out on a beautiful looking DVD, we decided to throw that in to break some of the turkey overload we were doing.  And of course, we were so impressed with the movie and DVD, that we basically re-watched the movie again with one of the audio commentaries, which was also extremely entertaining.
    But we did get through the uber-turkey film of them all, THE GIANT CLAW.  It amazes me that the cast could even keep a straight face during filming.  Unless maybe the shots of the giant bird wasn't shown to them until after their filming was done.  Then we watched NIGHT OF THE LEPUS, staying in the animal theme.  Once again, kudos to Janet Leigh, Stuart Whitman, and Rory Calhoun for being able to keep a straight face while giant rabbits rampaged through the towns.  Then we fought like hell to stay awake for Ray Dennis Steckler's INCREDIBLE STRANGE CREATURES WHO STOPPED LIVING AND BECAME MIXED UP ZOMBIES.  Man, is that a tough one to sit through.  Then we finished up with another turkey classic, BLOOD FREAK.  I'd love to have known what those religious producers were thinking when they came up with that idea.
    So, that's it for another year of turkeys.  Not to say you can't enjoy these any time during the year.  Though I'm starting to think that watching all these turkeys back to back might be doing something detrimental to my health.

NEW REVIEWS
    Since we were so blown away from watching DEADLY SPAWN after all these years, we quickly had to add it to our Reviews page.  We also have our review of the real special edition DVD of Peter Jackson's BAD TASTE.  Once you read this review, you're definitely going to want to pick this title up.

BOOK REVIEW
    We have also added a review up for Leslie Halliwell's THE DEAD THAT WALK in our Reference Review Section, under General Reference Books.  Don't worry, this won't be a book you'll need to run out and find.

TALES FROM THE CRYPT - AN IMPORTANT HISTORY LESSON
    We all know the Tales From The Crypt moniker, whether it's from the comics, the movies, or the HBO series.  But if you want to learn the history behind these groundbreaking comics and their creators, who were quickly silenced for 'corrupting the children' for the 50's.  But their work lives on, even today.
    Now there is a documentary that gives all the details of these great comics and the men behind them.  It's simply called TALES FROM THE CRYPT - FROM COMIC BOOKS TO TELEVISION.  It has the full length documentary, showing stuff that wasn't on the broadcast version, interviews with EC artists, director George Romero, and much more, giving you 4 hours of horror history of a very important part of the horror genre.  Check out their website HERE for more information.

CINEMA WASTELAND - GUEST UPDATE
    The Wasteland crew have added some more great additions to their guest list for their April show.  They've added the one and only Count Yorga, Robert Quarry!  But not only did Quarry star in the YORGA films, but also worked with Vincent Price on DR. PHIBES RETURNS and MADHOUSE, as well as being in SUGAR HILL and the great DEATHMASTER.
    And then there's Sybil Danning.  I think all Wasteland fans are familiar with Danning from her many, many genre roles.  Whether it's in the horror genre, action, sci-fi, sword & sandal, she's made quite a few classic films.
    And rounding out the rest of the guest list are John "Bud" Cardos, Greydon Clark, Gary Kent, Marilyn Eastman, Karl Hardman, Kyra Schon, Bill Hinzman, Reggie Bannister & Gigi Porter, Eileen Dietz, William Smith, and of course Tom Sullivan.
    For more information about the one convention that you should never miss, click HERE!  Come on out and join the fun, and see how a show should be done!

11-20-04  HORROR FOR THE HOLIDAYS
    Any Chicago area horror fans looking for something to give your holidays more of a gruesome spin?  Well the fine folks at the Gene Siskel Film Center are having a Occult Cult Films series, and will be playing some awesome titles.  Want to see the British film BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW on the big screen?  How about rare film BURN, WITCH, BURN?  Or maybe even Jacques Tourneur's I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE?  Well, below is a listing of all the films and the times that they are playing.  Not sure how many of the titles were going to catch, but we're going to hit as many as we can.  It's not often one can see THE CONQUEROR WORM from a 35mm print.

BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW
Dec. 3rd at 6:15pm
Dec. 7th at 8pm

THE CONQUEROR WORM
Dec. 3rd at 8:15pm
Dec. 6th at 6pm

BURN, WITCH, BURN
Dec. 11th at 5:15pm
Dec. 13th at 8:15

THE COMPANY OF WOLVES
Dec. 17th at 8:30pm
Dec. 21st at 8:15pm

MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH
Dec. 27th at 8:15pm
Dec. 29th at 6pm

I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE
Jan. 3rd at 8pm
Jan. 5th at 6:30pm

THE SEVENTH VICTIM
Jan. 3rd at 6:30pm
Jan. 4th at 8:15pm

EVIL DEAD REMAKE....YEA, YEA, I KNOW
    As I'm sure a lot of you have heard that there are plans to remake EVIL DEAD, with Sam Raimi producing through his Ghost House company.  I've been reading a lot of message board comments about fans wanting to string Raimi up for this.  I'm kind of surprised that he would still be held in such high regard when he hasn't done anything in the horror genre (not counting their remake of JU-ON) since ARMY OF DARKNESS (and was that really horror?)  Raimi has never been a big horror fan, and has said on many occasions that they only reason they started out with a horror movie was they thought it would be easier to get their foot in the door by doing that.  So why the big deal?  So, yea he has made some good movies, by why the dedication to a guy that hasn't directed a horror movie in over 10 years?
    In Variety, Rob Tapert recently stated, "For ones that work, or for quality product, it has a very long life. Where most films need to be blockbusters to have a 10-20 year life span on video and DVD, a good horror film can generate a steady stream of video revenue even with very little theatrical gross."
    That is why they are doing these remakes.  Producers are the ones that make money off the movies.  By producing the films, they can have the long term returns.  And let's not forget people, Hollywood is a business.  Always has been, always will be.  Maybe years ago, they allowed some talents in there, and still do today to a smaller degree.  But mostly, it all comes down to the $$$.

MYSTERY PHOTO
    Okay, we've updated to a new photo.  Hoby Abernathy correctly guessed the last photo, which was from Richard Stanley's DUST DEVIL.  Check out the new one and see what you think.

WANT TO FEEL OLD?
    This week in 1984, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET opened in the US....that was 20 years ago!

NEW TITLES FROM MIDNIGHT MARQUEE PRESS
    Midnight Marquee Press has been publishing great books for years.  And now they've recently added some other great titles.  We have several of their books in our collection and plan on adding quite a few more, especially the new on on Michael Reeves and ITALIAN HORROR title.  How can you go wrong there?  Click HERE to get to their website to place your orders.  Trust me, these would make great presents for any horror fan.

11-14-04  JU-ON REVIEW
    We have a review of the original Japanese version that just came out on DVD.  Check out our Review section to read all about it.

GREASEPAINT AND GORE - DOUBLE FEATURE OFFER!
    You've read (hopefully) about the book and the DVD GREASEPAINT AND GORE here on our site.  If you haven't gotten both of them, now is your chance to save a little money.  Tomahawk is having a sale if you buy both the book and DVD together.  Yes the postage is going to cost you a bit, but these are well worth it to have in your collection if you are a fan of Hammer and British horror.  You can check out Tomahawk's website HERE.
    With new books coming out next year on the film NIGHT OF THE DEMON, as well as on Hazel Court, makeup artist Bob Keen, and THE WICKER MAN, they are something to be on the lookout for.

MYSTERY PHOTO MISTAKE
    We do want to apologize for leaving out someone who did send in the correct answer for our last Photo.  Apparently there was some sort of mix-up and we lost the email.  So we send out a belated congrats to Rick Hayden for getting the LOST CONTINENT photo.  Not only did Rick know the photo, he actually loves the movie as well.  Nice to know there's more of us out there.

FAMOUS MOMENTS
    For those who haven't discovered it yet, we have a section called FAVORITE MOMENTS.  This is a forum where you the viewer can submit your own memories of what scared you.  Feel free to head on over there (the link is on the left under Features) and let us know what scared you.
    But also, the main reason for this note is to please ask people not to use this section or our Guest Book as a place to advertise your own site.  I don't mind leaving an email or website address, as long as your adding something to it, and not just doing a blatant self plug.  If you do, these will be deleted.

11-06-04  SURVIVE ANOTHER HALLOWEEN?
    Well, we made it through another Halloween season.  Our weekend marathon last week wasn't as extensive as I'd hope, mainly since we spent most of the day Sunday watching Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments.  With all those commercials, I should have just taped it and came back to watch it afterwards.  But no, I just sat there for the whole 5 hours, watching them back to back.
    While there were a few titles that I didn't necessarily agree with, like having the remake of THE RING in there instead of the original RINGU, for the most part is was okay.  Since they had JAWS as number 1, I couldn't really complain about that.  Though they did have SCREAM higher than HALLOWEEN???  How can that be?  I'm guessing the audience they were polling was a little younger than I expected.  And I was really surprised to see AUDITION at #11.  I guess that some of these cult foreign movies are not only just hip with the kiddies.  I have the whole list posted on our Message Board.  Feel free to add in your own comments, what they missed, what you think shouldn't have been in there, or just your comments.
    And now that Halloween is over, we are now working on our schedule for our 2nd Annual Turkey Day Marathon.  We started this last year, and decided to make it an annual event.  With a slight nod to MST3K who used to have their marathons on Comedy Central over the Thanksgiving weekend, we spend the Friday after Thanksgiving watching some of the bad movies in our collection.  So far on this year's schedule is THE GIANT CLAW, NIGHT OF THE LEPUS, and Ray Dennis Steckler's INCREDIBLE STRANGE CREATURES WHO HAVE STOPPED LIVING AND BECAME MIXED-UP ZOMBIES.
    If you want, go over to our Message Board and give us some suggestions, or maybe what you might be watching in your own Turkey-Day Marathon.

NEW REVIEWS
    We've got reviews up of KILLER CROCODILE (with part 2 coming soon) and the import release of DERANGED.  Check them out HERE!

MYSTERY PHOTO
    Sorry folks, but didn't realize that it's been over a month since out last Mystery Photo update.  No winning entries this time, except for Mr. Ken Kish of Cinema Wasteland.  It was the Hammer film THE LOST CONTINENT, which is a very bizarre and strange film for them, but one that I highly recommend.
    Check out the newest pic and give it a guess.

NEW ENTRY IN THE S.M.S.
    We have inducted a new member to the Society of Mad Scientists: Dr. Herbert West.  We hope to have more inductees coming soon.  Check our newest member HERE.

RED RIDING HOOD...ITALIAN STYLE
    Check out this official site for this new Italian horror film called RED RIDING HOOD, which has recently been picked up by MTI Home Video for release.  It was written by Ovidio Assonitis, who brought us the awesome...well, entertaining...uhh....the movie TENTACLES (come on, what's more scarier than Shelly Winters?!?!), and with Sergio Salvati as the DP.  Fulci fans know that name from his work with him on films like HOUSE BY THE CEMETARY.
    Click HERE for the official site.  The trailer looks pretty interesting.  Maybe the Italian film market is making a comeback???

10-26-04  ANOTHER GREAT LOSS FOR THE HORROR GENRE
    The horror genre has lost another great actor.  Sheila Keith might not have been world famous with the movies that she made, but to fans of British horror films of the 70's, she was one not easily forgotten.  She first really came to light as the sadistic warden in Peter Walker's HOUSE OF WHIPCORD (1974).  She would go on to make a total of 5 films with Walker.  Later that same year came Walker's FRIGHTMARE (released on video here in the States as FRIGHT MARE 2).  This is probably her most known work, and her best, where she plays the cannibalistic mother who just can't get enough of those brains.  She also was in Walker's THE CONFESSIONAL (a very underrated, and very twisted film), COMEBACK, and HOUSE OF THE LONG SHADOWS, where she acted along with Peter Cushing, Vincent Price, Chirstopher Lee and John Carradine.
    In his book Making Mischief: The Cult Films of Peter Walker, author Steve Chibnall said this about Keith, "Sheila Keith gives (writer) McGillivray's most inspired creation a terrifying life with a performance of demonic intensity."  While she hadn't worked in few years, her short career still had quite an impact on the genre, and will definitely be missed.
    If you haven't experienced any of Keith's work, you should definitely seek out FRIGHTMARE and / or HOUSE OF WHIPCORD, which are currently available on DVD.

2-HEADED HORROR MOVIE MARATHON SURVIVAL
    We did journey through the land of Ohio to experience our first all-night movie marathon.  And I must say we did have a great time.  We didn't stay for all the screenings, but hit the ones that we wanted to see the most.  And that was for SAW and THE MACHINIST.  Without going overboard, let's just say that I thought SAW was great.  You need to see it.  As for THE MACHINIST, actor Christian Bale should get some sort of an award for what he put himself through for that movie.  The man lost around 60 pounds for the role.   There are some scenes of him standing in his underwear which is extremely disturbing.  But that is just a small part of what makes this movie exceptional.  The storyline is great, and once again, director Brad Anderson shows that he can make one hell of an atmospheric film.
    We did all we could to try and sleep through GOZU, Takashi Miike's lastest film to hit the States, but just couldn't drop off.  From the parts of it that I did see, it looks pretty silly.  We did stay awake for Argento's DEEP RED.  The print wasn't the greatest, with the second reel really being deep red, but it was still cool watching that one the big screen.
    Since they were running behind, they canned the screening of THE INCREDIBLE 2-HEADED TRANSPLANT, which we really wanted to see.  We also wanted to stay for RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, but since they just started CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, which we had no desire to see, and it was already daylight, we decided to call it a night...or morning, and head back home.  With a 7-hour drive ahead of us, without having any sleep over the past 24 hours, we knew it was going to be a tough drive...and it was.
    I'm sure we'll be planning on making that same trip out next year and do it all over again.  Maybe this time we'll stay for the whole thing....

10-21-04  WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES
    Well, it seems that you need to update your domain register every year.  Apparently, since changing over to comcast, we forgot to update our email contact address.  So when they sent us the email to update it, we never got it.  This cause our site to go down for a couple of days earlier this week.  Sorry for that, but everything is back under our control...for what that's worth.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!
    Yes, believe it or not, but it's been 6 whole years since we started this little piece of the web for our little ramblings.  We appreciate the support everyone has given us over the years.  A little while back, we mentioned a big trivia contest for our anniversary.  While I was hoping to have it ready for the exact date, with all the other Halloween season stuff going on, I've been too busy to have it done.  But it still is coming.  I'm hoping to have it done by Halloween.  But since this weekend is going to be spent watching a bunch of movies (see below), I'm not sure how much I'll get done.  But none the less, it's coming sooner or later.  Stay tuned.

BAD TASTE FANS!
    If you were like me and were very disappointed in what Anchor Bay called their release of Peter Jackson's amazing debut a 'special edition', then your prayers have been answered as well.  Now before you get too excited, this is an import release, a region 4 PAL release.  But if you have a multi-region player, then just check out the extras on this recent release of BAD TASTE:

• Anamorphic Widescreen version (1.66:1)

• Audio commentary by actors Craig Smith, Mike Minett, Pete O'Herne, and Terry Potter

• "Good Taste Made Bad Taste" Featurette

• "Behind the scenes" slideshow presented by Peter Jackson

• Interviews with Pete O'Herne, Terry Potter, Mike Minett, and Craig Smith

• Audio interview with composer Michelle Scullion

• TV news clip

• Photo Gallery

• Trailer

    Now that is what I call a special edition.  Interested?  Then send your order to our buddy Tony at Xploited Cinema (Tell him we sent you!) and sit back and enjoy.  Our copy is already on it's way here, and we can't wait to hear the audio commentary with the Boys.

NOX ARCANA'S NEWEST RELEASE
    Are you fans of stylish and atmospheric mood music?  Need some background for your gothic castle or dungeon?  Then you need to check out the latest release from Nox Arcana.  If you've heard of and enjoy Midnight Syndicate, then this is right up your alley.
    Their newest release is called NECRONOMICON, which is the title of the book that H.P. Lovecraft wrote about, being the book of rituals and lost knowledge.  This cd has music based on Lovecraft's work.
    We have their first release and really enjoyed it.  So if this is anything like the first one, it's well worth it.  You can order it from their website.

ANY MOVIE PLANS FOR HALLOWEEN?
    I've posted a little note in our Message Board about what you are planning to watch during the Halloween weekend.  Our final titles are still being discussed amongst here at the Krypt.  Go to our Message Board and let us know what's on your plate for next weekend.

REVENGE OF THE CLUELESS
    Well, it seems that Universal hires some of the same clueless people to work on their dvd releases as 20th Century Fox does.  On the liner notes for the recently released CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON Legacy collection release, they give a brief overview of each of the three films.  In REVENGE OF THE CREATURE, they say that John Agar plays the creature. Actually Agar plays Professor Ferguson, while the creature was played by Tom Hennesy and Ricou Browning.  And in CREATURE WALKS AMONG US, it states that the creature was played by Jeff Morrow. Once again, they're wrong. Morrow plays Dr. Barton, while the creature is played by Ricou Browning and Don Megowan.
    So once again, what is it?  It is that they have someone who just doesn't know what they're writing about?  Or is it that they just don't care?  For us fans, these films really are the classics.  And I think they should be treated a little bit better, other than just some cash cow for these studios.  But then, as we all know, it's all about how many they sell, not whether it's accurate or not.
    A special thanks to Stephen Weakley for letting us know about this.  It's nice to know there's more of us out there.

SALE AT LA-LA LAND RECORDS!
    For fans of awesome soundtracks, the folks at La-La Records are having a sale on some great titles at some great prices.  They are featuring their releases of RE-ANIMATOR and FROM BEYOND for $15.98 each, while CREEPSHOW, THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT, TERROR TRACT, TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, CABIN FEVER, SAINT SINNER, and THEY are only $9.98 each!  You can read our reviews for most of these releases if you're not sure, but I can tell you that the CREEPSHOW soundtrack is a must for everyone.  But don't wait too long since the sale ends November 1st.  You can order them from their website HERE.

THE INCREDIBLE 2-HEADED HORROR MARATHON THIS WEEKEND!!!
    In case you're going, we will be heading out to Columbus Ohio to witness this awesome lineup of films at this year's movie marathon.  We are very excited to see not only SAW and THE MACHINIST, but also to see DEEP RED on the big screen, as well as RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD once again.  They are also screening THE INCREDIBLE 2-HEADED TRANSPLANT, CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (nap time for me!), GOZU (Takashe Miike's newest), and THE LAST HORROR MOVIE.
    So there will be plenty of enough entertainment to go around.  If you're going, just look for the long haired man they call Stone, and I'll be the one next to him...with no hair....
    For more info about the show, click HERE.

NEED SOME MORE SHIRTS???
    Check out Lions Gate's official horror site, which now features some cool shirts from their movie SAW.  I may just have to pick up one of those with the severed foot....what a nice shirt to wear to work...safety first!

10-17-04  H.H. HOLMES REVIEW
    Just a little bit of an update for now.  We've added a review to a great documentary on the serial killer from the late 1800's, H. H. Holmes.  Check it out in our review section.  We should have a bigger update in a couple of days.

TALES FROM THE CRYPT DOCUMENTARY
    And while on the subject of documentaries, at the end of this month, there is a new documentary coming out that covers the history of Tales From The Crypt.  From the comics, to the movies and television.  The website will officially open this Wednesday.  So save this site, and check it out then.  These magazines were a very important part in our horror history.

10-10-04  THE FUNNIEST DAMN THING I HAVE EVER HEARD....
    While browsing some news sites, I came across this interview with Jeff Katz, an executive at New Line Cinema, at the Creature-Corner website.  Katz was talking about the sequel to FREDDY VS JASON, and the possibility of Ash from the EVIL DEAD series being introduced.  Creature-Corner asked if New Line was worried that bringing in the Ash character from a series that wasn't that successful at the box office might too obscure for mainstream audiences.  He replied:

Katz: It’s not about box office and what would make for the most commercial sequel. It’s about delivering a story that will be better than the first and a story that makes sense given the continuity of the franchises.

It's not about box office???  Not about the money???  How stupid do they think we are?  Movies have always been about making money.  Do you think someone would want to invest $10 million on something that they 'may' make their money back?  It's all about the money.  Always has been, always will be.  Hollywood is a business, plain and simple.  Let's not forget that.  So when some executive says they're more worried about giving a good story then making money, that is your first clue that it's a line of bullshit.   

CINEMA WASTELAND REPORT
    We have finished out little review of the latest show from the Wasteland crew.  Check it out in our Convention section.

MYSTERY PHOTO
    This last one was another tough one, though Mr. Terry Luster did let me know at the Wasteland show that he recognized the eye-shot from Jess Franco's FACELESS.
    We are going with another tough one this time out.  Come on, we have to keep you thinking, right?  Give it a look and see what you think, or if you are...lost?

THE INCREDIBLE 2-HEADED HORROR MARATHON
    In two weeks, we will be heading to Ohio to witness the all-night horror movie marathon held at the Drexel Theatre in Columbus.  In the last week, they have confirmed a couple of premieres that will add very nicely to the already great lineup.  Here's what they have confirmed:

THE INCREDIBLE 2-HEADED TRANSPLANT
DEEP RED
RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD
CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST
GOZU
SAW
THE MACHINIST
THE LAST HORROR MOVIE

    We were almost not going to make it with the recent auto repairs that I've had, but when they added SAW and THE MACHINIST, I knew we had to make it out there for the trip.  For more information, check out their website HERE.  Hope to see you there!

10-5-04  JANET LEIGH - R.I.P.
    Janet Leigh pass away yesterday.  Obviously best known for her role in Alfred Hitchcock's PSYCHO, but she was also in John Carpenter's very underrated THE FOG.  And of course there's always NIGHT OF THE LEPUS, but for some reason I don't see that being mentioned in her obits.  Leigh had been suffering from an inflammation of the blood vessels, according to the Daily News.
    But none the less, she was great in the movies, and it's a shame to see the horror genre lose another one of it's most memorable scream queens.  She was 77 years old.

CINEMA WASTELAND 5th YEAR ANNIVERSARY!
    It still amazes me that it has been 5 years since Ken & Pam started their little show.  And each year, it's better and better.  And as always, we had a great time with the guests, the great flicks, seeing old friends and meeting new ones.  Thanks for everyone stopping by and saying hi.  We'll see you there next April.  Our official report will be up very soon.
    Speaking of which, you might want to mark your calendars now for the show.  The Wasteland crew is pulling out some more great guests.  Are you fans of Al Adamson's SATAN'S SADIST?  Well John "Bud" Cardos and Greydon Clark will be there.  Fans of the low budget films will know these names.  Not only did they work on SATAN'S SADIST, but they have done tons of other stuff in the genre.  Just check out their credits on the Internet Movie Database.  Whether they were acting, directing, doing stunts or production work, they have been involved in a great number of classics.
    And speaking of classics, the one and only Reggie Bannister will be attending the April show.  We all know him from the PHANTASM series, but he was also in the recent BUBBA HO-TEP.
    And how about William Smith?  If you don't know the name, you'll know the face.  The guy was the father of Conan for Christ's sakes!  Not to mention being in the classic GRAVE OF THE VAMPIRE, and tons of other great cult classics.
    Other guests so far are Elieen Dietz, Marilyn Eastman, Karl Hardman, and Tom Sullivan.

SCARY CAMP 2005?
    And while we're pimping conventions, we figured we'd give a plug to our buddy Ghastlee who is holding another Scary Camp show next May.  We had a fun time last year, and are planning to return again to Dayton to do it again next year.  So far, Ghastlee has these guests lined up:  Dee Wallace Stone, Ted V. Mikels, Tom Savini, Sid Haig, Kyra Schon, Bill Hinzman, Reggie Bannister, Irwin Keyes, Sharon Ceccatti-Hill and Clayton Hill, and more to come.  Check out there website HERE for updates.

9-26-04  LAST CONVENTION ON THE LEFT...
    Just as a reminder for those who have forgotten, but next weekend is the Cinema Wasteland Show.  Yea, it may seem like I'm always pimping this show, but if you've been there before, then you know why I do.  It is simply the show that we have the most fun at.  We've been there since the beginning, all those 5 years ago when Ken & Pam started it, and have never had a show where we didn't have a great time.  From seeing our old friends, making new ones, watching great movies until the wee hours of the morning, doing the meet-and-greet with the guests, and of course browsing the dealer room, it is always a great time.  If you've never experienced it, then you are missing out.  Give it a try...you won't be disappointed.
    For more information about the fall show, click on the banner below.  Hope to see you there!

UPCOMING ANNIVERSARY
    Believe it or not, but next month will be our 6th year here at the Krypt.  Yea, it's hard for us to even believe that we've been at this since 1998.  A lot of great websites have come and gone since we've started this, and to be honest, I never thought that I would still be running this for this long.  But running this site has always been what I started it out to be, and that is fun.  There's nothing more enjoyable then hearing some of the feedback I get from people reading through my ramblings on these pages.  Plus it gives me a chance to meet other fans throughout the world, whether it's at conventions or just thorugh email.
    So to mark this milestone, we are working on a huge contest that will start on our anniversary date, which is October 19th.  We're not really sure exactly what we are going to be doing, but we will be pulling some cool things out of our prize coffin.  Stay tuned!

HORROR MOVIE MARATHONS IN OHIO!
    Next month, Ohio fans will have three different Horror Movie Marathons happening, though two of them are on the same night...in the same town...But hey, there's not such thing as too much of a good time, right?
    The first one is the Incredible 2-Headed Horror Marathon at the Drexel Grandview Theater in Columbus.  It starts on Saturday night, October 23rd at 10pm, and runs until noon the next morning.  The final film is hasn't been finalized yet, but they have confirmed the titles THE INCREDIBLE 2-HEADED TRANSPLANT, Dan O'Bannon's RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, either DEEP RED or SUSPIRIA, and Takashi Miike's GOZU.  There are also working on getting other titles like UNDEAD, HAUTE TENSION, THE LAST HORROR MOVIE, and a few others.  Check out their website HERE for more details and updates.
    The next one is Nightmare at Studio 35, also in Columbus, and also the same night.  They are featuring the films THE EXORCIST, SHAUN OF THE DEAD, CREEPSHOW, RINGU, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, BLACULA, and others.  Check out their website HERE for more info.
    And then the last one, which takes place in Delaware, Ohio, is the Strand Theatre's All-Night Shriek-O-Rama.  That starts on October 30th, and runs until noon the next day.  Their lineup includes LASERBLAST, OCTOMAN, HORROR EXPRESS, JENNIFER, UNDERTAKER AND HIS PALS, and more.  While they don't have anything up on their website yet about this, keep checking HERE for updates.
    Remember folks, if we don't help support things like this, they will go away.  We will making the trip out to Ohio for the Incredible 2-Headed Horror Marathon this year to give it a try.  Seeing that many movies in one night, you really can't go wrong with any of these.

9-19-04  NOT TO BEAT  DEAD ALLIGATOR...
    I just wanted to make one more little comment about this whole thing.  I did pick up the DVD for ALLIGATOR PEOPLE when it came out.  And much to my surprise and disgust, when I read the synopsis on the back of the DVD, I just shook my head.  It says:
    "A young wife (Beverly Garland) is abandoned by her husband (Lon Chaney) on their wedding day."
    So I suppose I shouldn't be that upset since they at least mentioned Lon Chaney's name.  Granted it was the wrong character they were talking about, but its something, huh?
    Apparently the people working at 20th Century didn't watch the movie, or maybe just didn't care that much to make sure everything was correct.  So should I be that upset?  I guess not really.  I just get more depressed that there's probably quite a few of us fans out there that would dive at the chance to work on DVDs like this.  But instead, they get someone who hasn't see the movie, let alone like it, and the real fans like us just sit at our computers and complain...ahhh, what a wonderful life.  I guess we should be grateful that they released in 2.35:1 ratio.  Okay, I'll shut up now about the whole thing....

ATTENTION CHICAGO HORROR FANS!
    Hate to exclude the rest of the world, but I guess you're still welcome to come out if you want to!  But the Music Box Theatre has got some great midnight shows coming up that I wanted to mention.  The first 2 weekends in October (1st & 2nd and the 8th & 9th), they will be screening Dario Argento's SUSPIRIA.  On October 15th & 16th and 22nd & 23rd, they will be playing the original TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE.  On November 5th & 6th and 12th & 13th, they will be showing EVIL DEAD 2.
    For those of you haven't seen these films on the big screen, especially something like SUSPIRIA or TCM, you really want to experience this.  Seeing them on the big screen is nothing like seeing them on your TV.
    For more information about the Music Box Theatre, check out there website HERE.

MYSTERY PHOTO
    We forgot to update this last time.  This last one seemed to be a tough one, since no one sent in a correct answer.  That bloody face in this last photo was that of the late, great Oliver Reed, after taking a header into the car windshield.  Pretty nasty, huh?  It was the from the film BURNT OFFERINGS, which also starred Karen Black, Bette Davis, and Bergess Meredith.
    Well, this new one is another nice head shot...sorry, I must be reading too many old Famous Monsters...Enjoy!

FANGORIA TO RELEASE NASCHY FILM!
    Spanish horror icon Paul Naschy will see his film ROJO SANGRE released here in the states by Fangoria International.  The film is about a old actor who is down and out, who goes a little crazy, impersonating some famous butchers, such as Jack the Ripper and Ivan the Terrible, to torture people who are out to get him.  Fangoria is partnered with Media Blasters, and they plan to put out a DVD loaded with extras.  Fango editor Tony Timpone says, "After Christopher Lee, Paul Naschy is the last classic international horror star.  Like THEATER OF BLOOD did for Vincent Price, ROJO SANGRE serves as the ultimate expression of Naschy’s nearly 40-year career in fear. Naschy’s films have been butchered in the U.S. in the past, with bad dubbing, senseless editing and unnecessary censoring. Thanks to our partnership with Media Blasters, we will finally do Naschy justice."
    Not only starring in the movie, but like a lot of his films, Naschy also wrote this one as well.  Naschy told Fango, "I wanted ROJO SANGRE to be a very interesting movie, with a hard mix between the reality of life and fantastic elements—the devil’s world.  I also wanted to represent contemporary Spain and the big lies that plague show business. Horror fans will find in ROJO SANGRE a new vision in a complex genre."
    For a review of the movie, along with just about everything else you'd want to know about Paul Naschy, you can find at Mark of Naschy website.
    After the seeing the results of Naschy's involvement in an American film, the terrible TOMBS OF THE WEREWOLF, it will great to see something that sounds like it will be another Naschy classic.  We are looking forward for this release.

9-5-04  A SLIGHT VACATION???
    I'd like to say that after those last two conventions, we had to take a little break from this and rest up a bit, therefore no updates in two weeks.  But that's not really the case.  When I got this newest computer, it came with a DVD burner, so I've been playing around with that for the last week or so, trying to get some of these laserdiscs I have archived on DVD.  It's a little bit of work, but actually kind of fun, and well worth any of the hassels.  But now on to the update...

AND FURTHERMORE....
    Not to continue on my recent Ramblings about these newer horror fans that don’t seemed to know their history, but I recently read a review on one of these bigger horror sites that had me shaking my head.
    There was a review of ALLIGATOR PEOPLE, which is coming out on DVD next week.  The reviewer enjoyed the film, even in its cheesiness, so that’s always a good thing.  But no where in the review does he mention Lon Chaney Jr.  He does mention his character, saying “there’s this crazy guy who lives in the swamp”, but never says it was Chaney Jr.
    I’m not trying to sound anal about the whole thing, or criticize the reviewer, but how could they not mention the fact that Lon Chaney Jr. was in the movie, especially when they mention the character?  I don't think it was a case of just forgetting, since they mentioned the character twice in the review.  Plus, Chaney’s name is on the DVD cover.  It’s not like this is some no-name actor who was in the background of some of these low-budget features, but the guy who played the Wolf Man, not to mention Dracula, the Mummy, and Frankenstein!  It made me think that the reviewer really didn't know who Chaney Jr. was, which is really the shame of the whole thing.
    This is what I meant about fans not knowing their horror history.  Need some help, or want to know what to do, just ask.  Classes are starting soon!

NEW REVIEWS
    In our 2-week downtime, we've actually not only watched some movies, but also got some reviews written as well!  Imagine that!  This time out, we review the much talked about HAUTE TENSION and a great documentary on the men behind the Hammer monsters called GREASEPAINT AND GORE.  Check them out HERE.

HAMMER'S FLESH & BLOOD DOCUMENTARY COMING TO DVD!
    And here would be a great addition to the above Hammer documentary.  Next month (on the 5th), Image will be releasing FLESH & BLOOD: HAMMER HERITAGE OF HORROR.  This was released on video by Anchor Bay years ago, and is a great look at the studio that dripped blood.  It features interviews with the likes of Ray Harryhausen, Raquel Welch, Veronica Carlson, Jimmy Sangster, Caroline Munro, Ingrid Pitt, Val Guest, and more.  This documentary is narrated by Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, and is the last thing they worked on together.
    Once again, if you are a fan of Hammer Films, this is definitely a must for your collection.

AND SPEAKING OF HAMMER...
    Issue #16 of the great Hammer magazine, Little Shoppe of Horrors, is now available.  They have also started their own website.  For ordering information, check out their website HERE.  Mr. Klemensen always puts out great magazines with tons of information for us Hammer fans.  Worth every penny.

RARE LOOK AT PAUL BLAISDELL
    One of the double feature releases that MGM put out on their Midnight Movies series is the rare film THE GHOST OF DRAGSTRIP HALLOW.  While this film is one of those 'wacky' teen movies from the late 50's, it does feature a rare appearance of Paul Blaisdell, the man responsible for creating such monsters as the SHE-CREATURE and the aliens from INVASION OF THE SAUCER-MEN.  In this film, he was called upon once again from AIP for him to revamp his SHE-CREATURE costume to use for this film.  AIP did this before, mainly so they wouldn't have to spend the money to pay for a new costume.  But not only is the SHE-CREATURE back, but Blaisdell  basically plays the title character, trying to scare away the local kids.  It's probably the first 'Scooby-Doo Ending' ever done...even before Scooby Doo came out!
    So while it's only a brief glimpse, it's cool to add to the collection another film of this very underrated monster maker.

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS!
    Hopefully, during this 3-day weekend (for most of us), everyone is taking the time to enjoy some movies.  And if you are, you may want to throw in a couple of these two in honor of their birthdays.  Tomorrow, the 6th, is Paul Naschy's birthday.  And then on the 7th, Dario Argento is celebrating his birthday.  So we are wishing them well on their birthdays, and hope to sneak in a one of two of their movies this weekend!

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT?
    If you are getting tired of the same ol' straight-to-video releases from Hollywood Video, then do yourself a favor and order up a copy of LADY TERMINATOR.  Consider it an early Christmas present to yourself.  This is one wacky ride of horror and action from this bizarre film from Indonesia, made back in 1989.  It's got it all...sex, horror, gore, and plenty of violence.
    Mondo Macabro USA is putting this out, so you know it'll be just like their other releases and look incredible.  They are releasing it in it's uncut & widescreen version, for the first time ever!  It will also contain a 30 minute documentary on Indonesia exploitation movies, trailers, alternate scenes, background information & still galleries.  This is a must for any collection of the unusual type of film.

JUST A REMINDER...CINEMA WASTELAND IS AROUND THE CORNER!
    In case you  didn't notice, but October 1st is right around the corner.  And you haven't made your plans yet, now is the time to do it.  The Cinema Wasteland staff will put (once again) putting on one hell of a show in less than a month.  With guests like the four 'baddies' from LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, RABID start Marilyn Chambers (though I think she made some other movies too), David Durston & Lynn Lowry (director and star of I DRINK YOUR BLOOD), Don Edmond (director of a couple of those ILSA movies, among many others), Jeff Lieberman (director of BLUE SUNSHINE and the best killer worm movie out there...SQUIRM!), and many more, you don't want to miss out, do you?  Click HERE for more information about the show.  See you there!

8-21-04  HORRORFIND WEEKEND REPORT
    We have our pics up from the show last weekend.  Didn't get as many photos as we'd hope, but there's still some good ones in there.  Check them out in Convention Photos Section.

KRYPTIC RAMBLING
    We have also put up a new rambling, and no, it's not about autographs...really!  Check it out HERE.

GODZILLA SOUNDTRACK REVIEW
    La-La Land Records have put out another great release.  This time, it's the 50th Anniversary edition from the original 1954 movie, and not that one with Raymond Burr running around either.  Check it out HERE.

KILLER KLOWNS COMING TO CD!
    If you are a fan of the Kult Klassic film KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE, then Percepto Records is going to make your day.  Next month, Percepto will be releasing a deluxe edition CD that will have the entire score by John Massari, as well as the theme song from The Dickies.  The CD will also include a 24-page full color booklet covering the film, with interviews, rare photos.
    You can check out Percepto's website HERE.

POSTERS ADDITIONS
    We have some entries in our Poster Gallery, both in Italian Gallery and the Misc. Gallery, that have some great artwork.  Check out the one for THE CHANGELING...boy, do I wish we have posters like that here!
    And speaking of posters, we have added quite a few more Turkish posters that we are selling.  Check them out HERE.  Remember, these go fast, so if you are interested, please email us right away.

ANY ABEL FERRARA FANS???
    We have some copies of this great book on this interesting director.  ABEL FERRARA: THE MORAL VISION by Brad Stevens.  We have the hardcover version from FAB Press that retails at $40.  We are offering them for $30.  We only have a couple copies, so if you are interested, act fast.

MYSTERY PHOTO
    The last Photo showed Donald Pleasence getting munched by a mutant plant, from the film MUTATIONS.  When is that going to be hitting DVD???  Congrats to Terry Luster and Will Wilson for sending in the correct answers.
    Try your heads out on the newest pic HERE.

8-9-04  MONSTER LEGACY TRIVIA CONTEST
    Shortly before our little computer crash last month, we had sent the emails out to the winners of our Monster Legacy Trivia contests.  Also, thankfully we sent out the prizes before the crash, which had all the info as far as who won and their info.
    But in any case, we wanted to thank everyone who participated, and hope to have another contest up soon.  The answers for this one are below.

What Director Was Original Hired To Direct FRANKENSTEIN? - Robert Florey

What Is The Only Other Movie Where Bela Lugosi Played Count Dracula? - ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN

Who Was The Actor Who Kills Larry Talbot At The End Of The Movie? - Claude Raines

THE PASSING OF THE ORIGINAL SCREAM QUEEN
    Actress Fay Wray passed away over the weekend at the age of 96.  Of course, she is most known for her role in the original KING KONG.  But she also played in a few straight horror movies before KONG, such as DOCTOR X, THE VAMPIRE BAT, and MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM (all starring the great Lional Atwill), and even the best version of THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME, which some could consider horror.

DID YOU HOLD OFF FROM GETTING HELLBOY???
    Well, if you did, here's the reasons why it was a good idea to do just that.  This October (19th), the Director's Cut DVD release will feature a 3-disc set as reported.  The film will be 20 minutes longer than the previous version, and will even feature a new audio commentary from del Toro.  But not only will it have all the features from the first 2-disc release, but also another 3+ hours of NEW STUFF!!!  Talk about a fan-boy's wet dream.  But as del Toro has said in many interviews, that is just what he is, a geeky fan boy, and wants put out something that he himself would love to get.  Got to give him credit for that...course he's a hell of a director to boot as well!
    The retail will be about $35, or you can the special gift set that comes with a bust of Hellboy from Sideshow, which will retail for around $60.
    I am so glad I didn't get that first release.  But could someone please tell me what they even bothered with releasing it like that in the first place?  Kind of like the UNDERWORLD double release, but at least with HELLBOY, the announcement of the second release was out there BEFORE the first release came out.  Where for UNDERWORLD, they announced it two weeks after the first release.  Don't they realize they are really pissing off their customers?  Or do they just care about making money...sorry, stupid question.

I, MONSTER FINALLY TO HIT STATES
    This rare version of the Jekyll/Hyde story, starring Christopher Lee (in the lead role) and Peter Cushing was never released in the states here on video or laserdisc.  And now, with a release date of January of next year, Retromedia and Image Entertainment will be releasing it DVD.  It will have a digital letterbox transfer, original trailer and still gallery, along with a reproduction of the British pressbook that will come inside the package.
    This is actually a pretty good version of the Jekyll/Hyde story, even though the names have been changed (to protect the innocent).  Lee does a great job with this role, coming from the very prim & proper English gentleman, then going to his lab and shooting up!  And of course you have Peter Cushing in there as well...how could you go wrong.  I would highly recommend adding this to any collection.
    Shame we couldn't get any commentary.  Maybe a British edition???

AND SPEAKING OF BRITISH RELEASES...
    I, for one, was excited to see Freddie Frances' THE CREEPING FLESH hit DVD over here.  It's always been a favorite of mine.  But since it has a $20 price tag (even at Best Buy), I've been putting off on adding to my collection...and now I know why.
    There seems to be a lot of British editions coming out over there with commentaries, but are missing that when the get over here.  And this one seems to be no difference.  There is a Region 0 PAL disc that contains audio commentary with Christopher Lee and Hammer historian Marcus Hearn.  The disc also contains the trailer for the film, along with trailers for some Hammer films as well.  In an anamorphic widescreen version, the disc will also have a 24 page booklet with rare stills and info about the whole story.
    Our buddies at Xploited Cinema has it listed for only $25.95, which is just a tad bit more than the American release that doesn't have the extras.  We're not sure of the picture quality comparison, but will probably be getting this from them for ourselves anyway, and will let you know.

    And while on the subject of British releases of British horror films, NIGHT OF THE BIG HEAT, which also stars Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee and directed by Terry Fisher, has also been released on a PAL Region 2 DVD.  I don't believe this has a release coming up here in the states, but am not sure.  I don't even think this has ever even hit video over here?  I remember getting my copy from AMC (back in the B.C. days).  But the release also contains commentary by Lee and Hearn, as well as screenwriter Pip and Jane Baker.  Once again, it has Hammer trailers along with it's own.  It also has a 4-page booklet with info about the movie.
    Xploited Cinema has a price of $25.95.

DOHLER'S NIGHTBEAST COMING TO DVD!
    Probably one of this best films, Balitmore Movie Mogul Don Dohler's classic tale of alien invasion arrives to DVD at the end of next month from Troma.  The disc will have audio commentary by Dohler, along with behind-the-scenes footage, outtakes and bloopers (these are always entertaining).  It will also have the original trailer from 1980.  I'm sure it will have a lot of other Troma related extras.  But who cares about that, as long as we get to see this long awaited title hit DVD!
    If you are not familiar with Dohler's work, I would highly suggest this film, or ALIEN FACTOR, which is also out on DVD.  You really can't go wrong with these home-grown low budget horrors.

LAST UPDATE BEFORE HORRORFIND!!!
    We wanted to get this little update done, or what started as little, before we left for Baltimore in a few days.  But with all this DVD news, we figured we put in our little two cents in like we always do.
    Anyway, as always, if you are going to Horrorfind, stop by and say hello!

8-06-04  FLASHBACK REVIEW
    Sorry for the delay, but we finally got our review of the great time we had last weekend at the Flashback Weekend Convention.  Click HERE to get to our review or the Convention Photos link to the left.

MYSTERY PHOTO
    No correct answers were sent in for this last Mystery Photo.  What's up with that?  It was from Peter Walker's mucho underrated FRIGHTMARE (known as FRIGHTMARE II on video).  It's probably one of the better Walker films and should be in everyone's collection (This means you Hoby).  The film stars Walker regular Sheila Keith in one of her best roles.  Not to be missed.  We've put up a new one, so check it out HERE.

POSTERS FOR SALE
    We have a few Turkish posters that we are selling.  Check out the artwork on these on the link to the left.  Some of them are incredible.  We have more coming in soon and will update the pics when we get them.  Most of these are in mint condition.  Any questions, just drop us an email.

TRAILER TRASH?
    We have a review up on the new DVD of trailers from Ban 1 Productions, entitled HORROR ON 42nd STREET.  Check it out in our Reviews Section.

DEADLY SPAWN FINALLY ARRIVES
    For any of you out there who, like me, use to spend many hours going through the horror section at the local video store (before BB), then you will remember the video in the big box of THE DEADLY SPAWN (aka THE RETURN OF THE DEADLY SPAWN).  While made on a very low budget, it was one bloody movie.
    And now it seems that it's finally going to see the light of day on DVD from Synapse Films this October (26th).  The film has been digitally remastered from the original 16mm camera negative.  It will also feature two different audio commentaries.  The first one is with producer / writer Ted Bohus.  The second one is with director / writer Douglas McKeown, producer / artist Tim Hilderbrant, actor Charles Hildebrandt, and FX artists John Dods and Tim Sullivan.  There will also be outtakes, an alternate opening sequence, theatrical trailer, and still galleries of the behind-the-scenes photos, makeup FX, and the premiere in New York City.
    We had recently picked up Synapse's release of LEMORA: A CHILD'S TALE OF THE SUPERNATURAL and were blown away by the quality.  We hadn't watched our old video tape of it in a long time, but just couldn't believe how great the print looks.  So we are very anxious to see this release coming from them.

HORRORFIND NEXT WEEKEND
    Yea, just after recovering from last weekend's show, next weekend we'll be loading up the Kyrpt-mobile and heading off to Baltimore for the Horrorfind Convention.  So once again, if you're out there, stop by and say hello....buying something would be nice too, but not necessary.

7-29-04  FLASHBACK TIME AGAIN...
    Yea, even though we are back online, we have been busy getting ready for the 3rd annual Flashback Weekend / Horro'Rama Drive-In Convention tomorrow.  In case you hadn't heard, headlining the show is the Father of the Dead, Mr. George Romero!  He will be there, as well as four stars from DAY OF THE DEAD.  Not to mention many more guests like Sid Haig and Bill Moseley (fresh from their filming Rob Zombie's DEVIL'S REJECTS), EVIL DEAD Makeup Genius Tom Sullivan, Joe Bob Briggs, Angela Bettis, Dee Wallace Stone, and many more.
    Not to mention that they will be having the Chicago premiere of Dario Argento's latest film THE CARD PLAYER and Tobe Hooper's TOOLBOX MURDERS!
    If you are planning on attending the show, as always, stop by our table and say hello.  You can check out more details on their website HERE.

GOT HORROR...CHANNEL?
    No?  Then what are you waiting for?  After many years of getting this started up, the Horror Channel now needs your help in telling your local cable, satellite providers, and whoever else, that you want the Horror Channel.  Click HERE to be taken to their petition page and do your part for the horror genre.
    And after you are done with that, check out their main site HERE.

MYSTERY PHOTO
    Well, not sure if anybody had the right answers sent in or not, since we might have lost any of those emails sent while we have having technical difficulties.  But none the less, it was a promo shot from THE FOUR SKULLS OF JONATHON DRAKE.  If you have seen this rare little gem, it's worth seeking out.
    For our new one, keeping with the skull theme (enough of a hint), check it out and see what you think.  Click HERE to see the new Photo.

NEW HAMMER DOCUMENTARY DVD
    For Hammer fans, the names of Roy Ashton and Phil Leakey are very familiar names.  These are the two makeup genius that came up with some of the memorable monsters in our favorite Hammer films.  This DVD, entitled GREASEPAINT AND GORE: THE HAMMER MONSTERS OF PHIL LEAKEY AND ROY ASHTON, is a companion piece to the book of the same title by Bruce Sachs and Russell Wall (See our Review of this book in our Hammer Studios section in our Reference Library).  The DVD contains two different documentaries, one on each of these so underrated artists.  The one on Phil Leakey runs 80 minutes, while the one Ashton is 72 minutes.  There are interviews with tons of people from Hammer, such as Hazel Court, Barbara Shelley, Janette Scott, Eddie Powell, Christopher Lee, Freddie Francis, Jimmy Sangster and Val Guest.
    Unfortunately, this is only available in the UK and only from Tomahawk Media, and runs close to $40 in American currency, and is only Region 0 NTSC disc.  But none the less, I think I'll be ordering a copy for myself.  That just sounds too cool to pass up.
    Check out some of the other cool stuff this place is offering, like books on the making of THE WICKER MAN and CURSE OF THE DEMON, not to mention Hazel Court's autobiography.
   

7-21-04  TERROR TRACT SOUNDTRACK REVIEW
    We have recently added a review for the made-for-TV movie TERROR TRACK in our Soundtrack Review section.  This release was put out by the fine people at La-La Land Records, who have consistently put out some great quality products...'nuff brown-nosing, there?  But serious, being a huge fan and collector of soundtracks, it's great to see some small outfit do such a great job all the time on their releases.  Keep up the good work fellas!
    And speaking of which, next month, they will be releasing the soundtrack for the original mother-of-all-monsters, GODZILLA.  This is the 50th Anniversary release of the original motion picture soundtrack that has been newly remastered.  This will feature the complete score, along with 4 extra bonus tracks.
    For more information, go to the La-La Land Records website.  They are taking pre-orders, and will be shipping the orders out August 4th.  With a great price of $13.98, you really can't go wrong if you're a fan of the Big G.

MISSING EMAILS???
    I also wanted to mention that while we were without a computer for that last month, it didn't take long for our email box to get filled up (mainly with spam crap).  So if you had sent us an email about anything, most likely it got bounced back to you.  Well, now that things are back to normal, if you had sent us one and never got a reply, please send it again and we'll take care of it this time.

HELLBOY DVD...CAN YOU WAIT???
    Yea, I'm sure everybody knows that del Toro's HELLBOY hits DVD next week.  And I was very excited about picking it up.  Until I remembered that their is another special edition version coming out in November, with 3 dics this time.  Plus this also might be the uncut version, that has supposedly an extra 15 minutes of footage.
    With the studios putting out those multiple releases, it's really jerking the consumers around.  But since we buy all the different releases, do you think they're going to stop?  As much as I liked the film, I can wait until November.

THE CURSE IS COMING TO A TOWN NEAR YOU???
    For those fans of Dee Snider's awesome horror musical CD VAN HELSING'S CURSE, you might have a chance to see this as a live performance.  Snider and company plan to take their CURSE on tour in October.  Sinder will be hosting each of the performances, providing the narration, as he did on the CD.  According to Snider, "Van Helsing's Curse will embark on a theater tour in October. Snider will host each date of the tour, providing narration and setting the tone for the performances. He offers insight to what music fans can expect this fall:
"Our staging is very old world versus new world with regards to the music. The new world rips out a guitar break, the old world counters with a searing violin solo. We worked throughout the record with that kind of tension, where both schools of music are working together but competing at the same time. And visually, on stage, we want to present that as well.
    This is a very visual entity. The string section is going to be old school Goths, made-up and dressed accordingly, with flowing dresses, velvet jackets and ruffled shirts -- a very Anne Rice look. The electric section is very new-school, Hellraiser meets Marilyn Manson, from the hair to the makeup and attire. Our choir will be a group of druids with hooded robes and skewed faces."
    They are also possibly working on a DVD production of the show, that will not only feature the music being performed but also dramatic footage as well.  Since we love this album, we are looking forward to this very much, and hope they bring it to the Chicagoland area.
    We have just added a review of the VAN HELSING'S CURSE CD in our Soundtrack Review section.  Check it out HERE.  Or you can check out the website for Van Helsing's Curse HERE.

SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE INTERNET ACCESS???
    Apparently during my downtime from the internet, we lost two greats from the horror genre.  The first was George "Buck" Flowers, who had passed away on back on June 18th.  Fans of John Carpenter's films would surely know his face, since he was in quite a few of his movies, including THE FOG and ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK.  He was also in a lot of early cult movies from the 70's like a couple of the ILSA movies.  He was a familiar face that was always nice to see turn up in any movie.
    The other passing was that of Max J. Rosenberg.  You might not know the name, but you knew his work if you were a fan of British horror movies, especially from the 70's.  Rosenberg was 1/2 of the British company Amicus Films, which made quite a few great films, such as TALES FROM THE CRYPT.  He passed away on June 14th at the age of 89.

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF HIGH-SPEED INTERNET...
    Up until last week, we have always had a dial-up service.  Yea, I know...let's stop with the giggling, okay.  Now that we have a mucho-faster service, we are able to actually watch some of these trailers that are available.  Trust me, I have really been enjoying that.
    One of the movies that I had been hearing mentioned a lot but had never seen any clips or any coverage, was the movie SAW.  So once I was able to see the trailer, now I am very interested in seeing this little film.  It kind of reminds me of SE7EN.  Below are some posters from the movie.  The one in the middle is the official poster, while the two on the outside were possible options?  Not sure, but even the the MPAA would never let that poster art to be used, I think it's much better than the middle one.  Looks too much like something from CLOCKWORK ORANGE or something.
    But the movie opens up September 17th, and stars Danny Glover & Cary Elwes.  For the official site (where you can see two different trailers) click HERE.

7-15-04  WE'RE BACK ONLINE!!!
    After well over a month, we've seemed to overcome yet another computer tragedy.  We had finally gotten around to switching from the antiquated dial-up to cable internet.  But while trying to get that working, we somehow fried our computer...stupid computers....
    We have ordered a new computer (screw Gateway!) from Dell and hopefully will have it by the end of the month (unless they discontinue the model I ordered again).  But we were able to get this piece of junk running (knock on wood) for the time being while we wait for the new one to arrive.
    We have had a few changes though.  Since we have changed our internet provider, some of the email links on this site may not work, until we go through and correct them.  And since we haven't had access to our emails for over a month, I'm sure any emails that were sent had gotten bounced back to you.  We apologize for any inconveniencies.  For the present time, use this email address: jon@kitleyskrypt.com
    It's going to take a few days to get back into the swing of things, but hopefully will have a regular update some time this weekend.  There's been a bunch of stuff that has gone on since our last update, so we have a lot to comment on.

FLASHBACK WEEKEND - WORLD PREMIER
    In just a couple of weeks, Chicagoland will be invaded by horror fans once again.  On July 31st to August 2nd, at the Holiday Inn Ohare in Rosemont Illinois.  They have quite a lineup of guests this year, including the father of the dead, George Romero.  Joining Romero will be four stars from DAY OF THE DEAD, along with Sid Haig and Bill Moseley, fresh from their filming the sequel to Rob Zombie's HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES.  Other stars scheduled to be there are Joe Bob Briggs, Dee Wallace Stone, Angela Bettis, Tom Sullivan, and more.  For a complete list, check out their website here.
    But one of the real highlights of the convention will be the screenings of Dario Argento's newest film THE CARD PLAYER and Tobe Hooper's THE TOOLBOX MURDERS.

NO ZOMBIE AT HORRORFIND...
    This is sad news, but it looks like Rob Zombie had to cancel out of his appearance at this year's Horrorfind Weekend Convention.  Maybe next time.  Brad Dourif has also been taken off the guest list.
    But in some good news, they have added Gaylen Ross to their DAWN OF THE DEAD cast reunion.  Don't forget fans, she was also in CREEPSHOW...though she was buried up to her neck in the sand most of the time....

ALLIGATOR PEOPLE COMING TO DVD
    While I know there has been a bunch of announcements and releases since my last update, one of the first DVD announcements that I seen when I got back on the web that really got me excited was the release of 1959 classic movie THE ALLIGATOR PEOPLE, featuring one of Lon Chaney Jr.'s best performances...kind of...
    Anyway, the film will be released in beautiful 2.35:1, along with the trailer, and a SRP of around $15, how could you not be happy???

BLOOD FREAK STAR LOSES TIGER
    You might have heard in the news about a tiger that had gotten loose from it's owner down in Florida.  The owner is Steve Sipek, who not only starred in a few Tarzan movies (under the name Steve Hawkes), but also was the man responsible for the cult classic BLOOD FREAK.  For more details, check out the link here.

6-06-04  ONE MUTHER OF AN UPDATE...
    Yes, it's been bit since out last update.  But this one should make up for it.  We got a bunch of new stuff, such as new additions to our Poster Gallery, new Mystery Photo, our Scary Camp report, and even a new section to our site, giving honors to those wacky Mad Scientists that we love.  Read on for more details.

NEW NAVIGATIONAL BAR
    In case you hadn't notice, but we have changed out Navigational bar around a bit.  When sort of condensed it to hopefully make it a little easier to move around the site.  By placing your cursor over the link, it should pop up explaining what that link is.  Any questions about it, any of the links, or anything else about our site,  feel free to email me.

MYSTERY PHOTO
    Congrats to Terry Luster on getting the last Mystery Photo, which was from Eddie Romero's TWILIGHT PEOPLE.  Never heard of it?  Well, if you enjoy those movies like MAD DOCTOR OF BLOOD ISLAND, then you'll want to check that one out.  It's on DVD, so look for it.
    This next one is not a screen shot from the movie, but a promotional still from it.  Good luck.

ANOTHER GREAT LOSS
    At then Cinema Wasteland show back in October of 2003, Robert A. Burns was making I believe his first convention appearance.  I knew that he was the set designer for the original TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE movie, among a few other classic films.  But I wasn’t overly excited to meet a simple ‘set designer’.  That all changed when I went in to here him during his Q&A session.  He said something to the fact that a set designer has done an excellent job when nobody watching the movie realizes that there was set designer.  That is so true.
    Burns’ work on TCM probably added so much to the haunting images that film gave off.  Yes, you did have a guy running around with a chainsaw and a mask made from human skin (which Burns made as well), but then there was the furniture throughout the house, the little knick-knacks that were scattered about.  Those images made as much of an impact on me as did the characters.
    Burns went on to work on other great films like HILLS HAVE EYES, TOURIST TRAP, THE HOWLING, RE-ANIMATOR, and many more, including getting in front of the camera for PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER.  Did you know the autopsy room / morgue in RE-ANIMATOR was a set, and not a real place?  Not me.  That is the true talent of a great set designer.  And Burns was just that.
    Burns was also at the April 2004 Cinema Wasteland show for the TCM celebration.  He was extremely friendly to anybody and everybody who went up to talk to him.  He would have plenty of great stories for anybody who would listen.  His Q&A session that first year had me laughing, and in amazement when I learned about some of his work.  And when he came back this last April for the Chainsaw show, it was still as entertaining and very informative.
    So it was very sad news when we heard of his passing over the Memorial weekend.  It seems that he had developed cancer, which was too far gone to be able to treat.  I guess it does make me feel a little better knowing that at the last two Wasteland shows, he was able to meet his many fans, and to realize that the work he did on those films some 30 years ago, are still being watched and admired today.
    He will be surely missed.

SCARY CAMP 2004
    If you’ve been to the Cinema Wasteland show, then you know who A. Ghastlee Ghoul is.  Well this past Memorial Day weekend, we journeyed over to Dayton, Ohio for Ghastlee’s first annual (?) Scary Camp show.  When didn't end up with as many pictures as we normally do, but you can still check out our review of the show HERE.

POSTERS ANYONE?
    We have added a few more acquisitions to our Poster Gallery, some new Hammer ones, as well as a couple of entries in the Spanish and Italian wings.
    And speaking of posters, we have come across some Turkish posters that we currently have for sale.  Click HERE to see what we have.  Keep in mind, these are all we have, so if you're interested, I'd act fast.

KARLOFF FANS?
    And while we're on the subject of buying stuff...we also happened to of just acquired a extra copy of Scott Allen Nollen's book Boris Karloff: A Critical Account of His Screen, Stage, Radio, Television, and Recording Work.  Published by McFarland, Nollen had also written Boris Karloff: A Gentleman's Life, which is one of the best books on Karloff that I have read.  This title was published by in 1991, and has a retail price of $48.50.  But we are offering it for only $35.  This 473-page hardcover book is in mint shape and would be a nice addition to any horror fan / Karloff fan's collection.  Interested?  Email us.

TROMA FANS?  IN CHICAGO?  MOVIESIDE FILMFEST STRIKES AGAIN!
    Rusty Nails and company again are putting on another great little film fest for fans of Troma films and Lloyd Kaufman.  On June 18th-19th, they will be screening several Troma films, and Mr. Kaufman will be there for the screenings.  For more informationi, check out the Movieside website.

NEW QUIZLET POLL
    In case you didn't notice, we have finally gotten around to updating our little poll at the top of this page.  This has probably been our most popular poll, and it was great to seeing all the votes coming in.  Below are the final results.

Which Frankenstein theory do you feel is correct?
40% - It is man's attempt to become god-like.
19% - Frankenstein's monster is symbolizing an outsider, someone not of the normality of society...an outcast.
11% - It's just a movie...leave it at that.
9% - It's about making a person deal with the consequences of his actions.
8% - All of the above.
6% - A mad scientist creates a creature from dead body parts...end of story.
2% - It is man's attempt to eliminate the use or need of women.
2% - It is suppose to teach you not to judge people on their appearance.
2% - None of the above.

    And now are latest is kind of a continuation on that subject, but not where you actually have to do much thinking.  To break in our latest section to the Krypt, we want to know who your favorite Mad Scientist is?  We know that there are way more choices than the 10 that we have listed, but we are limited to the number of choices, not to mention the fact that the list would be pretty long.  So check out the quizlet above if you haven't already, and cast your vote.

THE SOCIETY OF MAD SCIENTISTS
    The 1931 version of FRANKENSTEIN has always been one of my favorite movies.  And one of the reasons for that is the character of Dr. Frankenstein.  Always looking to push the boundaries, or even break through the barriers, these mad scientists are always running forward into their experiments without thinking and / or caring about the after effects.
    So we wanted to give these characters a place to be honored.  So we invite you do take a look into the Society of Mad Scientist.  Right not, at this unveiling, we only have a couple entries, but there will be many, many more.  If you have any suggestions, please feel free to email us and we'll take a close look at it.

5-21-04  ROB ZOMBIE TO BE AT HORRORFIND!
    Mr. Zombie himself is now scheduled to be appearing on Saturday at this year's Horrorfind Weekend this August.  If you're planning on attending this year, I'd start making your plans now.  It's going to be very crowded there I think...
    Also recently added to the guest list is Ashley Lawrence, star of HELLRAISER 1 & 2, and also Greg Nicotero is joining the DAY OF THE DEAD lineup.  Don't forget that not only did Greg work on the effects, but was also an actor in the film as well.

LONG LIVE THE NEWER FLESH!
    For all you other Cronenberg fans that were always disappointed with the bare-bones release of his film VIDEODROME, you day has come!  Criterion will be releasing a 2-disc special edition of this awesome movie in August.  Cronenberg has approved the transfer of the unrated version of the film.  That is making me wonder if there is more footage than the R-rated release?  Or will this contain footage that was used for the TV prints that was never used in the regular release?
    But besides that, just check out all the extras that this edition will contain:  It will have two different audio commentaries.  The first one with Cronenberg and cinematographer Mark Irwin, and the second with actors James Woods and Deborah Harry.  Both of these should be great.  It'll be interesting to hear what Woods and Harry have to say about this film after 20+ years.
    The edition will also contain Cronenberg's short film CAMERA, which was created for the Toronto Film Festival in 2000, and starring Les Carlson, who was in VIDEODROME (as well as DEAD ZONE & THE FLY).
    A 30-minute documentary by VIDEODROME video FX artist Michael Lennick about the films makeup and special effects.
    Fear on Film, which is a 1/2 hour discussion between John Carpenter, John Landis, and Cronenberg, hosted by Mick Garris.  This took place back in 1982.  I'm really looking forward to seeing this.
    It was also have a short promotional featurette from 1982 that was also created by Mick Garris.
    It was also feature the entire movie Samurai Dreams, which was the Japanese soft-core porn that James Woods character was buying in VIDEODROME.
    Then there will be the trailers, galleries, publicity stills, marketing, and much more.
    We can't tell you how excited we are about this release.  It's so nice to see someone finally give this film a nice special edition release.  Now how about doing the same thing for Cronenberg's THE FLY?  I had heard reports that whoever owned the rights to it wanted to release it, but just using the same transfer from video.  Cronenberg refused to have anything to do with it, unless he had approval of the transfer.  Kudos to him.  Let's just hope that someone, like Criterion does just that!   

CELEBRATE THE UNHOLY THREE NEXT WEEKEND!
    In case you didn't know, but coming up next week are three birthdays for three horror icons...well, two horror icons, and one who's only made a few horror films.  But on the 26th, it is Peter Cushing's birthday.  And on the 27th, both Vincent Price and Christopher Lee share a birthday.  So what I always try and do is spend some point during the Memorial weekend  watching some of their films to celebrate and honor them.
    Of course, this year will be a little difficult for us, since we will be going to camp that weekend....Scary Camp, that is.

SCARY CAMP IN ONE WEEK!
    For fans in the Dayton, Ohio area (or Chicago that don't mind a drive), next weekend is the first annual(?) Scary Camp convention, hosted by A. Ghastlee Ghoul.  If you've been to one of the Cinema Wasteland shows, then you know who Ghastlee is.  He's trying his hand out on this convention thing, and from the looks of it, it looks like he's got a decent show lineup.
    Guests include the one and only Sid Haig, along with Tom Sullivan, Conrad Brooks, Alex Vincent (from CHILD'S PLAY 1&2), Kyra Schon, Bill Hinzman, James O'Barr, and many more.  Check out their site HERE for all the details.  Hope to see you there!

ROMAN POLANSKI FILMFEST
    Starting next month, in Chicago, the Gene Siskel Film Center will be showing a series of Polanski's films, including many of his classic titles, such as ROSEMARY'S BABY and FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS.  We couldn't find any details on their website, but am going from the information in their newsletter.  Here are the dates / times for the films they are playing:
    CHINATOWN - June 11th at 8pm, June 16th at 6pm
    CUL-DE-SAC - June 12th at 7:45pm, June 14th at 6pm
    THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS - June 19th at 6pm, June 24th at 6pm
    FRANTIC - June 26th at 6pm, June 29th at 8:15pm
    KNIFE IN THE WATER - June 5th at 3:15pm, June 7th at 8:5pm
    MACBETH - June 5 at 5:15pm, June 8th at 6pm
    THE PIANIST - June 25th at 7pm, June 28 at 6:30pm
    REPULSION - June 26th at 8:30pm, July 1st at 6pm
    ROSEMARY'S BABY - June 19th at 3:30pm, June 23rd at 6:30pm
    THE TENANT - June 20th at 3pm, June 22nd at 8:15pm

5-18-04  WHAT A WEEKEND...
    We are finally recovering from the extra long and busy weekend.  We took Friday off from our real world so we could make it to the famous Biograph Theater for the Movieside Filmfest for a screening of SPIDER BABY, SWITCHBLADE SISTERS, and COFFY.  Not to mention an appearance by the man who gave us those great movies, Mr. Jack Hill.  It was great to see all of those films on the big screen, especially SPIDER BABY which is a personal favorite of mine....just love that movie.  It was also great to see that the theater was pretty well packed for the screenings.  There were a couple of Q&A's with Hill where he answered plenty of questions, and told some great stories.

    On Saturday, we headed over to the Buffy Show to see Charles Cyphers.  The name might not be familiar but if you are a fan of John Carpenter's films, you'll know the face.  Cyphers played the sheriff in HALLOWEEN 1&2, as well as having roles in THE FOG, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, and more.  We had a nice chat about Carpenter and these conventions.  Very down-to-earth guy.
    Plus, I didn't realize there was that much merchandising behind the Buffy series...But it looked like Mike and Co. once again put on another great show for the Buffy fans.  Looking forward to the Flashback show in a couple of months.

    Then on Sunday, we headed back to the Biograph to finish out the Movieside Filmfest.  That night, they were screening George Romero's DAY OF THE DEAD, THE CRAZIES, and CREEPSHOW...and of course, Mr. Romero was there.  Once again, seeing these films again (first time for THE CRAZIES) on the big screen is awesome.  For those who never had the chance to see these films, or others like it, on the big screen, it really is a different experience than watching them on your TV at home.  It's a whole new experience, and one that I would recommend to everyone who is a fan of these movies.  You need to help promote these types of screenings to keep them going!
    Romero also did a couple of Q&A's.  I've had the chance to see him on a few occasions, and have always found him to be very fan-friendly and really seems to enjoy being there talking to his fans.  He talked about his latest projects that are 'very close, but nothing definite', such as the fourth DEAD movie.  We can only hope.

    This was the third year for Movieside's Filmfest, but the first time we had heard about it.  I must say that it was one of the best film fests that I have been to.  They came up with a great selection of films to screen, had some great guests, and all of this in a great old-time theater.  Kudos to them and we are looking forward to their next one.

TRAILERS-R-US
    If you are like me and love trailers, you will want to be watching for this new DVD coming from Ban 1 Productions.  42nd STREET FOREVER! VOL. 1 will be released on June 29th, and features trailers from 40 different films from the 60's, 70's, & 80's.  Titles like MUTATIONS, THE DEVIL'S RAIN, CHATTERBOX, VIRGIN WITCH, FREAKS, and many more.  All the trailers have been re-mastered from prints, so the quality is going to be awesome.
    For more information about this DVD, check out them HERE.

ZOMBI 2 DVD DETAILS
    Thanks to DavisDVD, we found out what some of the extras are going to be for Shriek Show's upcoming release of Lucio Fulci's ZOMBI 2.  It will be a new 2-disc edition, with the movie in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio.
    But the bonus material (originally reported as being over 4 hours) is an audio commentary (but no word on if it's the original commentary that was on the laserdisc with Ian McCulloch).  But there is suppose to be over 2 hours of interviews with the cast and crew, including makeup effects artist Gianetto De Rossi.  Add that with a huge still photo gallery, poster reproductions inserts and trailers, it seems that this is going to be one to add to the collection (along with the original DVD release and the laserdisc that I still have!).
    The SRP is $29.95.  But Blue Underground is suppose to be putting out a single disc edition with the movie along with trailers, TV & radio spots, poster and still galleries, and having a SPR of $19.95.  I'd be more than happy to pay the extra $10 for 2 hours of interviews...hope it's worth it!

5-09-04  NEXT FRIGHTVISION TO BE HELD IN OHIO STATE PENITENTIARY
    It seems that the guy who runs Frightvision conventions, who has been screwing dealers, fans, celebrities, and whoever else he can, is finally getting his due.  Carl Thompson was arrested earlier this month on felony theft charges in Westlake, Ohio, after running out on his last convention stiffing several people quite a bit of money.
    This just makes me appreciate even more people like Ken Kish at Cinema Wasteland, Mike Kerz at Flashback Weekend, and Dave Hagen at Monster-Mania.  These guys are putting on shows for all the right reasons.

SPEAKING OF SHOWS....
    For Chicagoland fans, don't forget about some cool stuff coming up next weekend.  First of all, if you are a fan of Buffy and Angel, then make sure you check out the Buffy / Angel show put on by the folks at Flashback Weekend.  Guests include David Boreanaz, Christian Kane, Stephanie Romanov, Elizabeth Ann Allen, Camden Toy, Charles Cyphers.  Fans of John Carpenter should recognize Cyphers since he was in a lot of Carpenter's earlier work like HALLOWEEN 1 & 2, THE FOG, and ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK.  For more info about the show, click HERE.
    Also running next weekend is the Movieside Film Festival mentioned below in our last update.  So for us Chicagoland horror fans, we are going to have a busy weekend.

BLOOD DIRECTOR AT OCTOBER CINEMA WASTELAND SHOW
    David Durston, director of the classic I DRINK YOUR BLOOD, will be appearing at the Cinema Wasteland show this fall.  Along with him, will be Lynn Lowry, starred now only in BLOOD, but also worked with Romero on THE CRAZIES and David Cronenberg in SHIVERS.
    Once again, it looks like Ken and Pam are setting up for another great show.  For more guests and updates, check out their site HERE.

ROMERO COMES ONLINE...AGAIN
    It seems that George Romero has once again come online.  While many parts are still in development, it's nice to see him still trying to have a way to communicate with his fans.  Check it out HERE.  Don't forget, Romero will be in town next weekend for the Movieside Film Festival.  See below for more details.

ZOMBIE PICKS GENRE FAVES FOR REJECTS
    I've got to give Mr. Zombie a lot of credit.  Early this month, he had added P.J. Soles to the cast of his DEVIL'S REJECTS.  Soles is no stranger to genre pics with HALLOWEEN and CARRIE under her belt.  And now Zombie has added Steve Railsback to the cast.  Some of the newer fans may recognize him from ED GEIN, but veteran fans know him from HELTER SKELTER, ESCAPE 2000, LIFEFORCE, and many others.
    So the credit to Zombie is for the fact that he's casting people that he likes for his movie.  Instead of casting the newest celeb-of-the-day like Jessica Biel or Jennifer Garner which would make the film more marketable, Zombie is sticking to his guns and is going for people that he grew up watching.  So many filmmakers would be tempted by getting who the studios would want, in hopes to make it a bigger sell.  Kudos to you Mr. Zombie.  And thanks for putting some of our genre faves in front of the camera again.

DVD NEWS
    EVILSPEAK is finally hitting DVD this July, in it's uncut form, which was only released on video in a very edited version.  This classic tale of the little kid that is always getting picked on at school gets his revenge...after contacting Satan on his computer...Like we haven't all thought of doing that at one point....
    The disc will be in widescreen (1.77:1) and come with an audio commentary with star Clint Howard and Eric Weston, along with poster and still gallery, theatrical trailer, and a 'collectors booklet'.
    Though, according to the press release on Fangoria's site, it states that this version has never been seen before in the states, since a lot of the gore was cut out to get an R rating.  Well, we had this movie when I worked at the theater (years and  years ago), and I remember quite a bit of the gore that was cut out of the video release.  Are they saying that there's footage that wasn't it the theatrical release?  We'll try to get some more info about this.
    But in any case, as much as I love this movie, and am so happy that it's coming out finally, do you think they could have come up with worse cover art???

    On August 10th, Warner Bros. will be releasing their new special 2-disc edition of THE LOST BOYS.  It will feature a newly remastered anamorphic transfer, with a 5.1 mix.  But the real bonus is over two hours of extras.
    First there is THE LOST BOYS: A RETROSPECTIVE documentary that has interviews with director Schumacher, Keifer Sutherland, Corey Feldman and Corey Haim, and more.  There will also be at least 6 different featurettes on the movie, from covering the makeup with Greg Cannon, the director, the vampire's lair and many more.  Add that will the usual trailers, music videos and the like, this looks like to be a nice edition to the collection.

    Also coming from Warner Bros. on the same day, is a film that was banned in England for many years (not that is something new).  Tod Browning's haunting tale FREAKS will be hitting DVD, with audio commentary (not sure by who, but maybe David Skal???), a documentary called "Freaks: Sideshow Cinema", a prologue that was shown for the theatrical release and three endings.  This is the film that basically ruined Browning's career.

    Next up is a great little double feature disc of the original VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED and it's sequel CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED.  Both films will have commentary, but no details by who.
    They will also be releasing THE BAD SEED, which will feature commentary by Patty McCormack and Charles Busch, a new documentary about the making of the movie, and more.

NEW REVIEWS
    We have posted our reviews for two of the latest Hammer DVD releases, FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED and DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE.  Check them out HERE.

MYSTERY PHOTO
    We also updated this as well.  And before I forget again, the last clip was from Jean Rollin's FASCINATION, starring the one and only Brigitte Lahaie.  Congrats to Terry Luster and Stacey Earley for the correct answers.
    Also, we forgot to announce what the pic was from last time...it was from Jack Hill's awesome classic SPIDER BABY!  Anyway, check out the new one and see what you can come up with.  Just a hint, I may have used movie before, but not sure....think I'm going to have to start keeping track of what movies I'm using....

5-05-04  JACK HILL & GEORGE ROMERO IN CHICAGO!
    Can you believe it?  3 updates in the same week?!?!  Could it be the end of the world?  But once I heard about this film festival, I had to make sure more people knew about it.
    Movieside Film Festival is on May 14th-16th, and have special guests Jack Hill and George Romero.  On Friday, they were be having a Q&A with Hill, along with screenings of SPIDER BABY, COFFEY and SWITCHBLADE SISTERS.  Romero will be there Saturday and Sunday, with a Q&A and screenings of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, DAY OF THE DEAD, CREEPSHOW, and THE CRAZIES.  For more info, click on the link above.  For area horror / cult fans, this is not to be missed.  See you there!

5-03-04  CAN WE GET ANY MORE OBSCURE???
    You know, first they released a die-cast replica of the cuda from PHANTASM.  While I thought that pretty damn obscure, I knew there were several people who loved that car in those films.  But now, they have come out with a replica of the demonic vehicle from the 1977 film THE CAR.  After a buddy called me to tell me the news, I was off to the local Toys R Us, and low and behold, sitting there was this shiny black death car that I remembered so well from my childhood.
    Kudos to RC2 for putting this out.  Check out their site HERE, along with some of the other movie car replicas that they are offering.

AND SPEAKING OF COLLECTIBLES...
    It seems that monster toys and collectibles are flooding the shelves these days.  While this isn't a bad thing (unless you're a collector), I have a suggestion for those toy companies out there.  While Majestic Studios are putting out the much sought after Zuni Fetish doll from TRILOGY OF TERROR (which was at the top of my list), how about somebody putting out a replica of those little brain creatures from FIEND WITHOUT A FACE?  Would that not be the coolest thing to have one of those sitting atop your computer???
    Come on people...let's get to work on this!

5-2-04  VAL KILMER ON WELFARE???
    While this really has nothing to do with horror...unless you where to pronounce it "horr...or whore...Anyway, on Saturday, I took my son to the Court's Hollywood Memoribilia & Autograph show.  We were looking for Godzilla stuff since he's now officially jumped on the team.  The main headliner at this show was none other than Mr. Val Kilmer.  He was there to meet and greet all of his many fans....and charge them $30 for an autograph.  I guess Hollywood is no longer knocking down his door.  I'm sure he'll fit in nicely at these shows next to Adam West, the Soup Nazi from Senfield, and one of Munckins from WIZARD OF OZ.
    Of course, that doesn't top that last week at a Star Trek show in Chicago, William Shatner was charging $60 an autograph!  And I'm sure those Trekkies were just lining up for it too.  I'm not sure which is more pathetic...Though I do have to give Creation a nice little nod of admiration of their genius.  Besides Shatner, Lenord Nimoy was also at the show.  But...and here's the awesome part...Shatner was there only on Saturday, and Nimoy was there only on Sunday.  So if you wanted to see both of them, you'd have to pay for both days!  I hope to be as smart and shrewd as those Creation people.  Of course, I'm sure it was just due to their hectic schedules...you know, making all those commercials for Priceline and all.

ROMERO COMING TO CHICAGO!
    The legendary George Romero is signed on to be this years Flashback Weekend.  There's plenty of others scheduled to be there to make it another great show.  Check out their website to find out all the details.  Don't wait too long to make your plans....July isn't that far away!

4-23-04  MONSTER LEGACY TRIVIA CONTEST
    We have a new Trivia Contest starting today.  We will be giving away one set each of the three different Legacy Collections that Universal is putting out on April 27th.  Click HERE to go to our Trivia Page.  Good Luck.
    We also have the answers for our Ten Evil Eyes Trivia contest.  This one didn't seemed to go over too well.  But if you want to see the answers, click HERE.

DVD NEWS
    The details of Blue Undergrounds' release of the much underrated DEATH DREAM have been announced.  It will have a brand new transfer, with two commentaries (one with director Bob Clark, and the other with screenwriter Alan Ormsby).  There is also a featurette about Tom Savini and his work on the film, as well as an interview with the star of the movie Richard Backus.  Plus, there is suppose to be an alternate opening and ending (which should be really interesting, since I've never heard of these).  Add a trailer and a still gallery, and you have another title that needs to be in your collection.
    Also, PREDATOR will be hitting DVD again, except this time in a 2-disc special edition.  While I really only enjoy the second half of this movie, I will probably have to add this to the collection.  It will be in widescreen (1.85:1), have audio commentary with the director John Mc