DtH: Episode 120 – Michele Soavi

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StageFright (1987), The Church (1989), and Dellamorte Dellamore (1994)

Most horror fans know of the Italian horror genre, if not being huge fans of it in general. From Bava, Fulci, Argento, D’Amato, and the rest, they have helped the Italian horror genre be one of the biggest output of classic films for over three decades. And then in the mid ’90s, it bottomed out. But thankfully for us fans, at the end at that “era of terror”, we got four horror films from a young director named Michele Soavi. From starting his career as an actor, helping him getting on set and moving his way up to assistant director to finally calling “action” himself. He’s worked under the tutelage of directors like Joe D’Amato, Lucio Fulci, Lamberto Bava, and Dario Argento, all working to form his own identity as a director.

In this episode, we’re covering 3 out of the 4 of his titles, which should give you reason to seek them out if you’ve never seen them before or maybe bust them out once again for a revisit. Because sometimes we can forget just how damn good they are.

Films mentioned in this episode:

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Mystery Photo 4-13

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I wasn’t going to let two Mondays go by and miss another Mystery Photo, even in the condition I’m in! I’ve been wearing contact lenses for over 40 years. And after being told today that every contact wearer does this at least once, I’m not sure if I’m glad I waited this long or not. But I finally used the wrong solution in putting one of my contacts in. A solution used for deep cleaning, not to directly then put in your eye. Contains Hydrogen Peroxide… you know, the stuff used to bleach your hair? No worries, I’m not blind and will be back to seeing out of both eyes in the next couple days. But let’s just say I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. But on to the fun! Our last photo was from Hammer’s Vampire Circus (1972), one that I think doesn’t get enough love. That wasn’t an easy shot to recognize so major kudos to these guys: Steve Archacki, Chris Dyer, Dave Fronto, Kevin Hart, Erik Martin, and Bryan Senn.

Now on to these week’s photo, which may be easy, but I think after reading my above confession, will make a lot of sense! Take a good look with that one eye and see if you can recognize the film. And then send me your guess in an email, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. And most of all, Good Luck!

Wasteland Approaches… Need to be Well Rested!

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Yeah, I know…. didn’t get to the Mystery Photo this week. Next week, I promise! Just gives another week for those that haven’t figured it out yet!

I spent a good portion of the weekend at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago for the Beyond Chicago film fest. Got to see Udo Keir in Flesh for Frankenstein in 3D, which was amazing. Yeah, it is campy as hell but seeing the way it was meant to be seen, with a good crowd, it was a lot of fun. Glad I could check that off my bucket list!

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Monster Mayhem Collection

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When I saw this Monster Mayhem Collection announced, I was pretty excited. Then when I saw it was coming from Film Masters, it made it even better. Releasing 4 great titles from the 1950s, one of my favorite eras, means it’s always going to be a fun time. In this set, you get Kenneth G. Crane’s Monster from Green Hell and Nathan Juran’s The Brain from Planet Arous, both from 1957, and then two features from director Richard E. Cunha, Frankenstein’s Daughter and Giant from the Unknown, both from 1958. Each of the titles have 4K scans from archival prints in their original theatrical aspect ratios. While Brain looks a little bright, it still looks good, while the other ones all look crisp and clean, the usual high-quality standard we’ve seen from previous Film Masters’ releases.

But let’s dig a little into the films in this collection.

For years, Kenneth G. Crane’s Monster from Green Hell was one of those long-thought lost titles, though some may argue that it should have stayed that way. But if that was true, we’d never get to see these amazing giant wasps created by legendary Wah Chang. Now, there is a lot of walking during the films 71-minute running time. And then some more walking. And then some more.

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Severin Celebrates Sangster!

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Jimmy Sangster is one name that is partially responsible for what Hammer Films is known for. While he may not think that what he did was all that special, he was an essential part of the mechanism that help give birth to a new generation of gothic horror films, resurrecting famous monsters that were not only long-thought passé, but giving them to fans like we’d never seen before.

Sangster had started in the industry, like most, at the bottom, as a third assistant director on the film Third Time Lucky (1949) for producer Mario Zampi. That same year, when Zampi was asked to produce the film Dick Barton Strikes Back for Hammer, he brought a lot of his crew to work on the film, including Sangster, who would now make his Hammer debut as Second Assistant director! At the age of 21, he became Britain’s youngest Assistant Director!

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DtH Episode 119: Carlos Enrique Taboada

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Even the Wind is Afraid (1968), Darker Than Night (1975), and Poison for the Fairies (1986)

Director Carlos Enrique Taboada is a Mexican director that is not a name too well known in the horror genre. While his films might not be 5-star classics, his work is worthy of your time. Which is why we decided to tackle 3 of his films in this episode. They are all modern stories but wrapped in a gothic blanket.

When on your path of Discovering the Horror, you might stumble across a new name or film that you’ve never heard of. And even though the films might not be amazing and a 5-star rating, usually there is something in there worthy of your attention. That is the fun part on that journey, to always be seeking out new things. Because you never know, that next one just might be one that changes your life!

But join us as we discuss 3 titles that we feel are worth your attention, not to mention seeing some films from a different country, typically not known for their horror pictures from the ’70s and ’80s.

Films mentioned in this episode:

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Mystery Photo 3-30

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And here’s our last photo for March… boy how time flies, huh? But before we jump ahead, let’s talk about last week’s photo. It was from Island of the Doomed (1967), also known as Maneater of Hydra, which I personally think is a better title. But I will watch anything with Cameron Mitchell since he is always a joy to watch, and no matter the budget, he’s worth your time. This title was pretty obscure for the longest time, mainly because I don’t believe it ever even got a VHS release! But now, thanks to Mondo Macabro, you can see it on gorgeous Blu-ray! Kudos to the following for sending in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Kevin Hart, Bob Hartman, and Erik Martin. Well done!

Now this photo is from a pretty well-known film, but maybe not from this shot. I didn’t want to make it TOO easy for you. What fun is that? Take a look and see what you can come up with. Just remember to send your guess to me in an email, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. Good Luck!

Movie Review: The Eye

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(2002)
Directed by Pang Brothers
Starring Angelica Lee, Lawrence Chou, Candy Lo, Yin Ping Ko

Let me say this right off the bat to avoid confusion. Granted, this is my opinion, so take it for that. This is not a horror film. It is though, a ghost story, and while creepy and having a few jumps in there, I don’t feel the intention of these filmmakers is meant to scare you. Sometimes, depending on your belief, dying is just part of life. Then there are those that get lost in between, that are around us all the time. That could be frightening in itself!

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Hammer is Killing My Wallet!

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After years of complaining about Hammer Films getting a new owner and a promised reboot that never happens, I would almost say that I’m regretting that it is actually happening now. But I won’t. Because even though it’s costing me more and more money, I’m loving every minute of it! We all know the incredible special edition box sets they have put out on the first two Quatermass films, as well as The Curse of Frankenstein, as well as some other more rare non-horror titles, but now even releasing some non-Hammer but still British horror titles, such as Doctor Blood’s Coffin and Cry of the Banshee. Then there is their new documentary Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters documentary that his coming out. What more could we ask for? How about The House of Hammer: Volume 1?

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Super Monster Movie Fest 2026

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Once again, the genius behind the Skyline Drive-In have come up with a different and unique theme for this year’s Super Monster Movie Fest, and it’s called You’ll Die Laughing! When I first saw that, I have to admit I was a little disappointed because I wanted to see some classic horror titles. And then I started to look at the movies playing and they made me smile. Sure, they are comedies, but they are still damn entertaining and can even be considered scary too! You’ll have the comedic wonders of Bob Hope, Abbott & Costello, Alan Tudyk, Bruce Campbell, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost! But you’ll also get to see horror icons like Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and even Boris Karloff show just how funny they can be!

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