I started Kitley's Krypt back in October of 1998, using Microsoft Front Page. Over the years, that program had been updated until 2003. But now, with Windows 8, it no longer works and I've been force to change this website into a blog. I'm hoping to give the same info and spirit here as I did there.
I'm a life long horror fan that hopes to spread my passion to others, in hope that they Discover the Horror of the genre, as I still do.
I also write for HorrorHound Magazine (where my column won a Rondo Award in 2013 for Best Column) and Evilspeak magazine.
You can also see me at about a half dozen conventions throughout the year.
Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors (1965), The House that Dripped Blood (1971) and Tales from the Crypt (1972)
Amicus Productions was most known for their anthology films, even though that was a small percentage of the types of films they did make in over the years. But because of the quality of the films, the power of the stories they were based on, and the incredible cast of actors they would hire, they always made an impact on fans. In this episode, not only do we cover three of our favorite Amicus’ anthology titles, but we’re joined by producer/director Lawrie Brewster, the man behind the resurrection of Amicus Productions, that is currently working on a new anthology film to be released under the Amicus name!
Bigfoot (1970), Creature from Black Lake (1976), and Abominable (2006).
Tales of a mysterious, giant beast that wanders the wooded areas of the U.S., has never really proven to exist, but even to this day, is believed by many to really be out there, still hidden from mankind. Starting with Bigfoot in 1970, our furry giant became the subject of many movies and documentaries, and even on TV shows, such as The Six Million Dollar Man and even his own Saturday morning series, Bigfoot and Wildboy (1977). All this did was increase the interests in the subject matter, even if it didn’t make any new believers. It’s a subject that is still being used today with more modern-day films taking on this sub-genre, in many different variations and strange interpretations. So, join us as we discuss three different styles of the Bigfoot genre and see if you believe in Sasquatch!
Satan’s Slave (1976), Prey (1977), and Terror (1978)
There are a lot of directors out there that might not have a huge filmography, or even be that well known to the general population of film fans, even in the horror genre. So, there is always room to discover them! In this episode, we take a look at three films by British independent director Norman J. Warren, who didn’t make a lot of films, but we feel the ones he did make, make him a worthy subject for us to discuss. Honestly, it might make sense to read a little about him before diving into the films, or at least, do it afterwards but I think he is a good example of knowing what he had to make what he did, for us, makes them a little more impressive. You’ll get blood, you’ll get nudity, and a lot more than you’d expect in these three very British tales of horror.
Another year ending means another Wrap Up episode where we go over our top picks for the year, as well as discussing some other titles we’ve seen in 2023. While most of the films we do cover here as our favorite viewings for this year are from the last few years, they are not all from 2023. But as we’ve pointed out many times before, if you’re watching it for the first time, no matter when it was released, as far as we’re concerned, it still counts as a new movie to you!
2023 has been a great year for the horror genre, especially when you look outside the U.S., which we all hope everyone out there does, because there are some incredible titles coming from Spain, Malaysia, Argentina, Japan, and more. So hopefully our listeners are not restrained by films that are “only in English”, because those folks are sadly missing out on some incredible cinema.
For this episode, we strongly suggest you have a notepad and pen close by to jot down some titles because we think we’re going to give you more than a few that we feel you should be checking out.
And a special HUGE thanks to those that continue to tune in and listen to us ramble on about the genre we love. With this being our 60th episode, it seems our following is growing day by day, so thank you for your continued support and in 2024, we’ll continue to help you Discover the Horror!
Tower of London (1962), Ghost Nursing (1982), and Stir of Echoes (1999).
Believe it or not, but it’s a tradition to tell spooky stories around Christmas time. Just think of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol! While some tales might be told to give one pause about how they are acting towards others, to maybe change your ways, or some told to pass on a message of hope, while others are there just to scare the crap out of you!
In this episode, we’re going to cover three completely different films that all deal with ghosts, in a variety of settings, times, and even countries! This just shows how international the ghost story is, though maybe changed around a bit depending on your beliefs, there is always a reason for these spirts to appear.
The Werewolf of London (1935), The Wolf Man (1941), and She-Wolf of London (1946)
When the night falls and the full moon rises, it is time to talk about werewolves. But not just any werewolves, but the ones that came from Universal Studios. While still riding the wave of their horror title success of Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, and The Invisible Man, Universal office continued to look for their next big monster, which spawned The Werewolf of London. While it wasn’t the success they’d hoped, they would try it again in 1941 on the second wave of monster films, which was a big hit. And like the curse of lycanthropy, things always weren’t good with this particular sub-genre.
We cover the three official titles from Universal that have the werewolf (one in title alone!) is by themselves, and not any of the monster-rallys that we’ll cover in the future. Will they still hold up to modern audiences? Are they worthy of their “classic monster” title? Listen and find out.
There are few events in horrordom quite as joyfully gluttonous as the Black Friday sales put on by our favorite boutique film labels. As the season approaches, speculation on social media and in rapid-fire in-person conversations reaches a fever pitch. What new films? What new merch? What great deals? We dream of horrors we might own someday like we’re kids again hunched over a wish book or staring at a toy display from outside a shop window. Black Friday has become a defining annual event in our annual calendar of events and involves so many people in the fandom, and yet very few of us have any idea what goes into making one of these sales happen.
Because it’s our mission to give you new ways to see and think about all things horror, we wanted to give you a peek inside one of those boutique labels and have a look at the Black Friday sale. So, our guest on this episode is Justin Tsantsa, Director of Publishing for Vinegar Syndrome, and we are also joined by Jennie Osterman, Lead Shipping Specialist for Vinegar Syndrome. They guide us through exactly what goes into the whole process and talk a bit about their astonishing new venture, Vinegar Syndrome Publishing, which will be bringing some new horror to all our bookshelves in the near future.
Movies mention during this episode:
Abomination (1986), Beyond the Darkness (1979), A Blade in the Dark (1983), Blood Sucking Freaks (1976), A Cold Night’s Death (1973), The Corruption of Chris Miller (1973), D.A.R.Y.L. (1985), Deep Inside (1968), Emanuelle in Bangkok (1976), The Exorcist (1973), Fortress (1985), Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981), Friday the 13th Part 3 (1982), Fright Night (1985), The Funhouse (1981), Halloween (1978), Halloween II (1981), The House that Dreaded Sundown (1976), Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS (1975), The Legend of Boggy Creek (1972), Madman (1981), Maniac (1980), Mother’s Day (1980), New York Ninja (2021), Phantasm (1978), The Prophecy (1995), The Prophecy II (1998), The Prophecy 3: The Ascent (2000), Red Spirit Lake (1993), Sweet Sugar (1972), Trapped (1977), What’s Up, Tiger Lily (1966), Zombie (1979)
The Sting of Death (1966), APE (1976), and Brutal Sorcery (1983)
It’s November, so that must mean its Turkey Time! Yes, that’s right, for the last 20 years, Jon has been holding his Turkey Day Marathon Event, where we spent Black Friday delving into some of the strangest, weirdest, cheesiest, but always entertaining films. The ones most would call bad, we call them Turkeys! Damien started holding his own Turkey Day events 12 years ago, and this year, Aaron is starting his own! So why don’t you?!?!
What we call a Turkey is just a film that doesn’t play by conventional standards. It may not have a budget, any real talent behind or in front of the camera, but they have passion, and are doing their best to make a good film. They just missed the mark here and there. But they are always entertaining and fun to watch. Especially if you are with other crazy, like-minded cinephiles!
Take a listen to this episode to learn more about what Turkey Day is, as well as hearing our thoughts on three new titles we’re covering this time around. Each one would be perfect for your own Turkey Day Marathon!
The Invisible Man (1933), The Invisible Man Returns (1940), and The Invisible Man’s Revenge (1944).
In the pantheon of Universal Classic Monsters, some might say the Invisible Man is the least terrifying in the monster heritage, or maybe even bordering on if they even belong in the horror genre. In this episode, we’re going to delve into three of the films in Universal’s Invisible series, for the most part, stay within the horror genre, though, that argument will be addressed as well! We’re leaving out The Invisible Woman and Invisible Agent, since they are pretty much either a comedy or a war time action film.
Join us as we try to “see” more into these films that maybe aren’t as “transparent” to the casual viewer who might have missed something. Or maybe we’re seeing too much and not finding them too entertaining. Want to know? You’ll have to listen and find out!
Let’s face it: horror fans are, as a group, a little bit obsessive. When we sink our teeth into something we do not do it barely or easily, we take a big, honkin’ bite. If we become infatuated with a director, we want to see every film they’ve made, read a book about them, hear people talk about them, watch documentaries about them, and so on. And the same is true for national horror cinemas, regional American horror cinemas, important eras, actors, subgenres, and the like. And in recent years, a handful of visionary producers of physical media have recognized an opportunity in our longing and have invented and are currently inundating us with boxed sets. These comprehensive, exhaustive, wonderful monsters have become a gravitational center point for our genre. But just a handful of years ago they mostly didn’t exist or were announced only every few years. Nowadays, we get several per year from companies like Severin, Vinegar Syndrome, Indicator, Arrow, and Scream! Factory, just to name a few. So, we figured it was time for Discover the Horror to take a long look at the history and impact of these monolithic pieces of film history.
discoverthehorror.com 