Kelly Curtis – Rest in Peace

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Back in November of 2012, HorrorHound Weekend had the honor of having Jamie Lee Curtis as a guest, where fans were going nuts to have the chance to see and meet her. But when I heard her sister was also at the show taking photos and documenting the event, that got me a little more excited. Kelly Curtis had starred in Michele Soavi’s 1991 film The Sect, aka The Devil’s Daughter, appearing alongside the great Herbert Lom. Nothing against her younger sister Jamie but wanted to at least meet her and tell her how much I enjoyed her only entry in the horror genre. I think she was a bit surprised when someone came up to her to ask her if she was Jamie’s sister but then asked her about The Sect! We only chatted for a few minutes about her working on the film, about Soavi, and of course, Herbert Lom, but she was super nice and even took a photo with me.

It was in the news yesterday, announced by her sister, that she had passed away, I know she appeared in more than a few productions both in film and TV, but because us horror fans are a dedicated lot, because of this single title in the genre, she will be remembered by a lot of us fans. Our thoughts go out to her and her family during this difficult time. Rest in Peace, Kelly.

Horror of Dracula in 4K and UNCUT!

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We kind of figured that a 4K release of Hammer’s Horror of Dracula (1958) would be coming out at some point, after the huge release of The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), not to mention several other titles. But what most fans didn’t expect was that it would contain footage never seen before, thought to lost for over six decades! I know when the Blu-ray came out a few years ago, which had a few seconds of long thought lost footage, of the Count’s demise, everyone was pretty excited about that. Those were some extra seconds, but now they are talking about 3 minutes of footage that is being restored into the film.

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Music Box of Horrors 2026!

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Okay Music Box fans… pay attention to this! The Music Box has announced the date for this year’s Music Box of Horrors, which will be on Saturday, October 24th, from noon to noon on Sunday. Tickets for this event will go on sale at noon on Thursday, June 11th. Now last year, the whole marathon sold out in a little over 24 hours! So, if you have any inkling to make it to this year’s marathon, I would set your clocks, alarms, computers, or whatever else you need to remind you to order your tickets once they do go on sale. Otherwise, when you see all the amazing titles they are going to be screening this year, you might be a little bummed.

Speaking of titles, they have announced 3 of them so far. They are Amityville II: The Possession (1982), Black Magic with Buddha (1983), and The German Chainsaw Massacre!

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DtH Episode 123 – Jean Rollin

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The Shiver of the Vampire (1972), Lips of Blood (1975), and The Living Dead Girl (1982)

The films created by director Jean Rollin are unlike anything else in the history of cinema. If you make your way into his incredible filmic world, you will be entranced by its beauty, cinematic landscapes, and unique horrors. And the more you venture down this path, the more you’ll start to pick up on repeating themes and motifs. Like Rollin, liminality, memory and nostalgia, families, surrealism and expressionism, might become your obsessions- they were certainly his.

If it is carefully constructed plots, realistic storylines, and deeply developed characters that you are searching for, then Rollin probably isn’t for you. But if you want the unique, the obsessive, the utterly gorgeous? Then you must dive into Rollin’s work if you’ve never stepped into that sea. And if you’ve been here before? Well, then there is no time like the present to walk slowly through the surf, exploring the past and finding landmarks jutting up just past the beach like forlorn teeth in a skull being beaten by the waves of memory.

Films mentioned in this episode:

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George Eastman – Rest in Peace

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While his real name was Luigi Montefiori, most everyone knew him as George Eastman. Or maybe his huge screen presence, no matter if it was a horror film, action, western, or even post-apocalyptic film, when he came onscreen, you recognized him. Eastman started in the film industry as an actor in the mid ’60s, appearing in 60 productions, in about every genre from westerns including a few Django films, the giallo, post-apocalyptic features, and of course, horror. It wasn’t too long in his career before he added screenwriter to his list of credits, writing over 50 features, including The Great Alligator (1979), Antrophophagus (1980), and Michele Soavi’s StageFright (1987). He worked a lot with cult director Joe D’Amato aka Aristide Massaccesi, writing for him, as well as acting in a bunch of his titles. He would even step behind the camera to director 2 features, Metamorphosis (1980) & 2020 Texas Gladiators (1983).

But it came out a few days ago that we had lost this massive talent, who passed away back in March, at the age of 83. And when I say “massive”, I mean the fact that he was 6′ 9″ feet tall! But his contribution to the horror / cult / western genre is just as massive. While nobody is going to claim his work was Oscar worthy, most of what he was involved with was entertaining, and memorable. And at the end of the day, that is what it is all about, isn’t it?

Our thoughts go out to his friends and family. Rest in peace, Luigi. You will always be remembered.

Mystery Photo 5-25

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Today is a day of remembrance of those that gave up their lives protecting our country and should never be forgotten. To honor our movies that show this, we thought we’d go that route as well. But first, let’s get to last week’s photo. It was from Doctor Blood’s Coffin (1961), which has been a favorite of mine since I finally got a chance to see it when I got a bootleg VHS years ago. I had seen photos of this film through the years in reference books, which made the movie look damn cool, not to mention always in black and white, so I had no idea it was actually in color! When I finally got to see it, it didn’t disappoint. Granted, with Hazel Court in there, I’m sure that helped a bit! Kudos to the following for sending in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Dave Fronto, Kevin Hart, Bob Hartman, Doug Lamoreux, Erik Martin, Charles Miller, Lee Nattrass, Bryan Senn, and Todd Warren. Well done, fellas!

Take a look at this week’s photo to see if you can recognize this shot from a movie dealing with the horrors of war, both real and fantastic. Just remember to send your guess to me in an email, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. And Good Luck!

New Books from McFarland

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Even though money is tighter and tighter these days, it doesn’t stop me from adding more books to my want list for the Kryptic Library. Browsing through McFarland’s website, I found 4 titles that I will need to add at some point.

I’ve been a fan of director Jim Mickle ever since I saw his first feature film, Mulberry St. (2006), but then even more so with his follow up, Stake Land (2010). He’s only worked on 5 feature films and a couple of series, but I’ve really enjoyed everything I’ve seen. Now coming later this year, is Jim Mickle’s World: Critical Commentary and Interviews on the Films and Television Series by Ernie Rockelman, priced at $39.95. I know Ernie from his Rondo Award winning work in HorrorHound Magazine so it’s great to see friends continuing to contribute to everyone’s horror education! I can’t wait add this to my library, dig into the book, which I know in turn will want me to revisit Mickel’s films.

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Mystery Photo 5-18

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Is it fall yet? I know some out there wait for the summer, but I am not one of those. Spending most of the day yesterday standing out in bright and sunny 85-degree weather is not my favorite thing to do. So yes, I am anxiously waiting for September / October to get here. But that’s not why we’re here, to hear my bitch about the heat, is it? Our photo from last week was from the Polish film Demon, a unique take on the legend of the dybbuk, from director Marcin Wrona. Sad to say he committed suicide while this film was in competition in the Gdynia Polish Film Festival. A great lost to the world of filmmaking. The following sent in the correct answer: Aaron AuBuchon, Chris Dyer, Henry Lester, Erik Martin, Chris Richmond, and Rich Sweet. Well done.

Our next photo might be a little easier, but it has always been a favorite of mine, always remember seeing a great photo from the film, and for years thinking it was actually a black and white film! But take a look and see if you can recognize this little classic. Just remember to send in your guess to me via email, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

Ann Robinson – Rest in Peace

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It has just come out that actress Ann Robinson, most known for her role in The War of the Worlds (1953) had passed away last September, which has been recently announced by her granddaughter. As a child, that movie was one of high fascination and terror. I just loved the look of the spaceships (mainly because they were different than the typical ‘flying saucers’) and the sounds they made. But the scene where we scene the Martian creature duck behind some bushes terrifying me. No idea why because we get a much better look at the creature a few minutes later, but it still did some major damage to my brain!

But as I always say, because of this wonderful picture she worked on over 70 years ago, she will always be remembered. Our thoughts go out to her friends and family.

Carpenter Fest 2 at the Midway Drive-In

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While last night / this morning is still a bit of a blur, we were at the Midway Drive-In yesterday for their From Dusk to Dawn Carpenter Fest 2, where they screened They Live (1988), The Fog (1980), Escape from New York (1981), and In the Mouth of Madness (1994). And what a night it was.

Setting up there as a vendor is not an easy task, especially for some that don’t particularly like being outside in the sun. The things we do for our passions, huh? The temps were in the mid ‘80s with a lot of sun, and you could feel it. Being there around noon to start getting set up, right in the middle of the heat index, it takes its toll on your body. But for events like this, I will be more than welcome to go out of my comfort zone, and I’ll gladly continue to do it.

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