Monster Mayhew 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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Natural Thorn Killers Book

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There are a lot of different books out there covering a wide variety of sub-genres, and sub-sub-genres. Trust me, I know, because I have quite a few of them! And when I come across one that covers something completely new and different, I’m even more excited to add it to my library. That is exactly how I felt when I stumbled upon this recently published volume on plant horror! The more I read about the book, the more I realized there are quite a few titles that would fall under this bizarre sub-genre and then realizing that I find most of them pretty entertaining!

Authors Lauren Jane Barnett and Tony Mardon tackle “flora from outer space, man-made monsters, mushrooms and fungi, killer trees, naturally evolved threats, grasslands and cornfields, and a cornucopia of other films related to the genre.” Within the pages, they will cover titles like Creepshow, Godzilla vs. Biollante, Splinter, The Navy vs. The Night Monsters, Die Monster Die, Maneater of Hydra, In the Tall Grass, and many more.

The 253-page book is from Telos Publishing and should be out this month. Priced at £16.99, which is about $22 US, but not sure if it will be available here in the states through Amazon. But you can check out more on the book by going to Telos Publishing’s site HERE, as well as seeing some of the other cool titles they have.

Double Dose of Frankenstein Soundtrack?

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Even before the movie came out, because I was so excited about it, when Alexadra Desplat’s soundtrack became available on Amazon in a digital format, I bought it. It had 37 tracks with a running time of about 105 minutes. Granted, for a movie almost 2 1/2 hours long, and being del Toro, you know it’s going to have a big score. That is the artwork on the left below.

But about a week ago, I saw they were releasing the actual CD soundtrack, put out by AEC, (pictured on the right below) but even though it is a 2-disc release, it does not have the whole score that I originally purchased on Amazon. This version only has 29 tracks, but it doesn’t list the complete running time, but it looks like it’s about 15 minutes shorter. Not sure why they would do that, but there you have it. If you want the longer score, the digital format might be the only way. They are both showing available on Amazon.

Mystery Photo 3-23

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Another late posting, but since I’m half-awake right now, I’d still say that’s a positive! From getting home late last night from HorrorHound weekend, to then getting called into work really early, I’m amazed I’m standing! But we’re not going to let a lack of sleep stop us from getting this posted. Granted, might be some typos, but we’ll do our best! Our last photo was from the one and only Xtro (1982). We had this one at the theater when I worked there and it has never lost its charm! Congrats to the following for sending in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Erik Martin, Michael Pniewski, Alan Tromp, and William Wilson. Well done!

Okay, this week’s photo is appropriate for an obvious reason, if you know the film. If not, then take a stab at it and see if you can recognize what it is from. Just remember to send your guess to me in an email, to jon@kitleyskrypt.com. And Good Luck!