Tuesday, June 30, 2009

RoboGeisha

Daybreakers - Willem Dafoe



Coming in 2010, a new vampire movie, Daybreakers, with Willem Dafoe, Ethan Hawke, and Sam Neil.

Kitley's Krypt - MYSTERY PHOTO #9

Another week, another MYSTERY PHOTO!

Jon Kitley, pillar of the Chicago Horror Community and head honcho over at KITLEY'S KRYPT, wants to challenge your horror knowledge. Week in, week out, he posts a Mystery Photo - sometimes from an obscure horror title, sometimes just an unusual shot from a well-known classic. We figured our faithful Claw readers would enjoy the challenge!

Last week's MP was from the Got a few responses this time out for our last photo. Even though it was easier than the last one, it was still a tough one since there a few movies that have similar shots of people being burned to death....usually witches. The shot is from Michael Reeves' unforgettable WITCHFINDER GENERAL (1968) , starring Vincent Price in one of his most memorable roles.


Let's see how well you fare with this week's offering (Be careful - it's a bit of a trick question - i.e., don't go for the obvious answer, because it ain't that particular Stephen King flick):


Send your guesses to: jon@kitleyskrypt.com

If you provide the correct answer, your name will be announced next week on the Kitley's Krypt website (http://www.kitleyskrypt.com), along with a new photo. Even if you don't know the answer, we welcome any sorta-kinda educated guess! So, send in your emails today and good luck!

Sunday, June 28, 2009

The Horror Writers Association


In existence since the mid 1980's, here is the mission statement from the website of The Horror Writers Asscociation:
"The Horror Writers Association exists to promote and protect the careers of professional horror writers and those seeking to enter their ranks, while at the same time using its best endeavors to raise the profile of the horror genre in the publishing industry and among readers in general."
They've published some great books on horror, including "On Writing Horror", edited by WildClaw Theatre's friend Mort Castle.






Friday, June 26, 2009

Chicago Zombie Con This Saturday!


ZOMBIE-CON this Saturday!

Here are the event details:

We are making people up as Zombies for $5.
All proceeds will be donated to Arts of Life.
Here is the Art’s of Life page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chicago-IL/The-Arts-of-Life/50852176070?ref=ts

Here is the run down of events:

12pm - 1pm: General Zombie Survival
1pm - 2pm: Zombie Make-up
2pm - 3pm: Zombie Chef
3pm - 4pm: Escape from Chicago
4pm - 5pm : Zombie readings
5pm - 6pm: Contest (best zombie, zombie cat walk)
6pm - 8pm: Social Hour (Adult and kid beverages)

Signings:
11am - 2pm Jeff Balke (will have limited sketch colorings)
12pm - 2pm Tim Seely (Hack/Slash)
2pm - 4pm Shaun Lapcek (Lillim)

There will be a hourly RAFFLE so make sure that you sign up. DC donated some cool prizes.

I know it will be very hot that day, I will have lots of water on hand. I don’t want dead zombies.

This should be lots of fun and we should have tons of people. I want to thank everyone that has and will be helping out!

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the shower...



Insert screeching violins here...

You are sound asleep when suddenly a piercing noise jolts you out of bed. You slowly slink to the bathroom and flip on the lights. Your eyes are assaulted with the goriest of sights - a shower curtain smeared with bloody hand prints and a bath mat stained with bloody footprints. Your heart is now racing; there's no way you're going back to sleep now. Which is perfect because the piercing noise was your alarm clock, the gory sight was your new Horror Movie Shower Curtain & Bath Mat, you're now fully awake, and it's time to get ready for work.

Of course the Horror Movie Shower Curtain & Bath Mat are completely practical - you can use them to keep the water in your shower and rub your toesies on when you are done. But that's not why you want them. You want them for the thrill, for the little jolt down your spine every time you turn on the lights. But even that's not the real reason you want them. You want a Horror Movie Shower Curtain & Bath Mat so that your mom will just shake her head and wonder what she did wrong when she sees them on her next visit. And if she doesn't - if she doesn't think anything is wrong and just goes to clean up the "blood" on your Horror Movie Shower Curtain & Bath Mat as if she's done it before - well then that's really scary.

Available now at THINK GEEK

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Dark Scribe Magazine

Dark Scribe Magazine is a free web-based publication that focuses exclusively on the creative forces behind horror, suspense, thrillers, and other dark fiction and non-fiction works. While the thrust of the magazine is on writers, they maintain a strong secondary focus on the editors, artists, retailers, short story fiction markets, and Internet sites that support all aspects of dark genre literature. Their target audience includes readers of horror, suspense, thrillers and other dark genre fiction, genre authors, publishers, retailers, and webmasters, aspiring writers, and bibliophiles. Check 'em out!

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Cthulhu Magnets from Polpette Clay

In keeping with our love of all things tentacled...



This was a custom made magnet by the good folks at Polpette Clay. They seemed surprised that anyone would be interested in such a creation, but I'm sure if enough people dropped them a line, they'd put it on their catalog!

WildClaw Theatre’s “Deathscribe” Submission Deadline Extended!

WildClaw Theatre’s “Deathscribe” Submission Deadline Extended!



Chicago – June 24th – Due to popular demand, WildClaw Theatre is proud to announce that we will be accepting submission for Deathscribe 2009, Ten Minutes of Terror Horror Radio Play Festival through July 30th.

We are looking for 10 minute radio scripts, ready to produce. Genuinely scary, chilling, intelligent, suspenseful, horrific, imaginative or downright grotesque ten minute radio scripts. We put no restrictions on contestants as to content or tone, but keep in mind that we are a Horror Theatre. We take our horror seriously, and so should you.

For more details, check out the rules at our website www.wildclawtheatre.com.

Send us your most terrifying, horrific, disgustingly fearful radio plays. We will choose five, to be performed in October.

Submission deadline is now July 30th.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Kitley's Krypt - MYSTERY PHOTO #8

Another week, another MYSTERY PHOTO!

Jon Kitley, pillar of the Chicago Horror Community and head honcho over at KITLEY'S KRYPT, wants to challenge your horror knowledge. Week in, week out, he posts a Mystery Photo - sometimes from an obscure horror title, sometimes just an unusual shot from a well-known classic. We figured our faithful Claw readers would enjoy the challenge!

Last week's MP was from the 1978 Spanish film Escalofrío aka Satan's Blood, released last year to DVD by Mondo Macabre. Didn't get it? Never heard of it? Don't feel bad - Kitley stumped the lot of us, with not a single correct answer. Big show off.


Let's see how well you fare with this week's offering:


Send your guesses to: jon@kitleyskrypt.com

If you provide the correct answer, your name will be announced next week on the Kitley's Krypt website (http://www.kitleyskrypt.com), along with a new photo. Even if you don't know the answer, we welcome any sorta-kinda educated guess! So, send in your emails today and good luck!

Monday, June 22, 2009

Classic Horror Actress Carla Laemmle publishes memior...



Carla Laemmle, the 16 year old prima ballerina in The Phantom of the Opera (1925), and the first woman who speaks in Dracula (1931), has recently been the subject of two books.

The first, Among the Rugged Peaks: An Intimate Biography of Carla Laemmle, was written by Rick Atkins.

The second, Growing Up With Monsters: My Times at Universal Studios in Rhymes, written by the 99 year old actress herself, details her experience working on two of the most iconic horror films of all time. In rhyme. With an introduction by Ray Bradbury and illustrations by MAD magazine's Jack Davis and Hermann Mejia.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Childhood Fears...

This stuff is so very cool. Joshua Hoffine's specialty appears to be Horror Photography. So, yeah, we like it.





There are more amazing images at his website.

Soothbrush.com was where I first found his work.

Friday, June 19, 2009

and you thought the flying monkeys were scary?

just when I feel the whole "zombie zeitgeist" thing is about to flame out or implode under its own weight, I see something just clever enough to work on an extra half-level or two:



see, it's literary, like Seth Grahame-Smith's PP&Z. and it's a t-shirt. cuz that's how we express ourselves these days. we've come a long way since "I'm with stupid -->".

oh, and submit to Deathscribe. Seriously. Do it.

oh, and doubly seriously, come to Horror Society's Zombie Disco party this Saturday night at the Viaduct Theatre. love them Horror Society peoples.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Kitley's Krypt - MYSTERY PHOTO #7

Another week, another MYSTERY PHOTO!

Jon Kitley, pillar of the Chicago Horror Community and head honcho over at KITLEY'S KRYPT, wants to challenge your horror knowledge. Week in, week out, he posts a Mystery Photo - sometimes from an obscure horror title, sometimes just an unusual shot from a well-known classic. We figured our faithful Claw readers would enjoy the challenge!

Last week's MP was from the 1945 film The Picture of Dorian Gray, a must-see for all horror fans and film fans in general and recently released to DVD. A great adaptation of Oscar Wilde's novel, starring Hurd Hatfield, George Sanders, Donna Reed, and Angela Landsbury - seek it out!


Let's see how well you fare with this week's offering:



Send your guesses to: jon@kitleyskrypt.com

If you provide the correct answer, your name will be announced next week on the Kitley's Krypt website (http://www.kitleyskrypt.com), along with a new photo. Even if you don't know the answer, we welcome any sorta-kinda educated guess! So, send in your emails today and good luck!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Summer Slaughter at the Portage


It is time once again for another round of blood curdling, gut wrenching Independent Horror on the big screen. This time around it's Summer Slaughter! Slashers, Psychos, and Serial Killers!

Our good friends over at the Horror Society are showcasing some of the best indie slashers out there. It's Summer Slaughter, featuring the best slashers, psychos, sickos, and serial killer filled movies that you will ever see! This summer you will witness some of the best special effects in the indie horror world.

Horror Society brings you film festivals throughout the year Chicago, and in July they will be bringing you blood filled hours of Independent Underground Horror.

More info check the website:
http://www.horrorsociety.com/festivals
Buy Your Tickets Online Now and Save!
http://horrorsociety.com/tickets.html

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Shriekfest Film Festival 09 accepting submissions.




The 9th annual Shriekfest, the Los Angeles International Horror/Thriller/SciFi/Fantasy Film Festival is accepting submissions through June 30th.

The main goal of www.shriekfest.com is to help support independent film, independent filmmakers, and screenwriters in the horror/thriller/scifi/fantasy genres

WORLD HORROR CONVENTION RETURNS TO THE US!

WORLD HORROR CONVENTION 2011 IN AUSTIN, TX

Austin – June 15 The World Horror Society has named Austin, Texas as the location for the 2011 World Horror Convention (WHC). The international gathering of horror’s brightest talents and their fans will take place from April 28th through May 1st, 2011.

Austin, Texas was chosen for its unique style and rich genre history. The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre was filmed near the city, and the remakes of both Chainsaw Massacre and Friday the 13th were filmed in town. Austin also serves as home to the largest urban bat colony in North America, and at sunset 1.5 million bats fly over the city, truly marking it as a horror locale. (There’s a reason the city’s motto is “Keep Austin Weird.”)

“Texas has a long history of strange fiction, serving as home to such luminaries as Robert E. Howard, Michael Moorcock, and Joe R. Lansdale,” says Convention Co-Chair, Nate Southard. “Bringing the World Horror Convention to Austin is a natural. It’s a vibrant city with a taste for the eccentric and a love of the arts. Further, its central, southern location makes it convenient for travelers throughout the US, and visitors from abroad will have no trouble reaching us either.”

Known as both the Capital of Texas and the Live Music Capital of the World, Austin provides the entertainment and cultural draws of a large city with the intimacy of a small town. This smaller size translates to ease of transportation in and around the city with many opportunities for convention attendees to absorb what Austin has to offer.

Convention Chairs, Southard and Lee Thomas, promise to bring the convention back to the US in style. Focusing on literary horror’s newest stars, WHC 2011 has already confirmed author Sarah Langan as its first Guest of Honor.



“We couldn’t be more pleased,” Lee Thomas, Co-Chair of the event, said. “Sarah was at the top of our list, and her enthusiastic agreement to attend really set the tone for what we hope to achieve with this convention. We’ll be inviting additional industry luminaries, and we’ll make announcements when those folks are confirmed.”

Ms. Langan’s first novel, The Keeper, was named a New York Times editor’s choice. Her second novel, The Missing, won the Bram Stoker Award for outstanding novel and earned an American Library Association Award. Her third novel, Audrey’s Door, will be released in late 2009 and has already been optioned by the Weinstein Company for film.

Additional Guests of Honor, registration information, and hotel information will be forthcoming. A website featuring convention information is currently in development.

The World Horror Convention is an annual gathering of professionals in the horror industry; publishers, authors, artists, musicians, filmmakers, dealers and, of course, horror fans. WHC serves as both an industry insider's networking event and a chance for fans of the genre to get together, meet some of the creative talents in the field, and generally spend a weekend celebrating All Things Scary.

For more information please contact Nate Southard (natesouthard@gmail.com) or Lee Thomas (leethomas1@aol.com).

Monday, June 15, 2009

One month left for submissions to DEATHSCRIBE 2009


We are still accepting submissions, till July 15th.

One month left.

For more info, click here.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Doghouse


Doghouse is a comedy horror film about a bunch of blokes meeting pissed off cannibal zombie women. Just opened in England. Here are a few reviews: Time Out, The Guardian and Total Film

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Arise, Sir Dracula! Queen knights Christopher Lee


Jun 12th, 2009 | LONDON -- The Lord of the Undead is now a knight of the British Empire.

Christopher Lee, whose sonorous voice and burning black eyes made him a memorable arch-villain in films from "Dracula" to "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith," was given one of Britain's highest honors Saturday by Queen Elizabeth II.

Lee, 87, who made his name in Britain's low-budget Hammer Studios horror films, is one of cinema's consummate bad-guys, appearing as everything from Bond villain Scaramanga in "The Man With the Golden Gun" to the disreputable Russian mystic in "Rasputin, the Mad Monk." More recent turns include the evil wizard Saruman in "The Lord of the Rings" movies and fallen Jedi Count Dooku in two of George Lucas' "Star Wars" prequels.

Friday, June 12, 2009

3/50 Project...Saving Your Neighborhood from the Apocalypse

Okay...so my post will be short and sweet. Wildclaw challenges you to pick three local stores and spend $50 between them every month. I have picked my local knitting store Knit 1, the Chicago Comic Vault, and Shake Rattle and Read-they have a great selection of horror books. Hard Boiled Records is another option. Other stores of choice: Horrorbles in Berwyn, Quake Collectibles in Lincoln Square, and the Gaymart in Lakeview (tons of awesome action figures/mini-busts...seriously!).

Thursday, June 11, 2009

[REC] to (finally) receive DVD release July 14!

From our good friends at FATALLY-YOURS:

With the new [REC] 2 trailer (see below) floating around, it's good time to alert everyone that [REC] will soon be available on DVD! The good folks over at Sony Pictures Home Entertainment have decided to release the international smash hit that (remade Stateside as the shot-for-shot Quarantine ) on July 14th, 2009!

An overseas sensation, [REC] is a thrilling, frightening film that will have you on the edge of your seat. Winner of multiple awards including two Goya Awards (Spain’s Oscars) including Best New Actress for Manuela Velasco (Law of Desire), [REC] includes “REC: Making-Of” Featurette and both English and original Spanish language versions of the film.

Synopsis: A beautiful TV reporter and her cameraman are doing a routine interview at a local fire station when an emergency call comes in. Accompanying the firefighters to a nearby apartment, the news team begins recording the bloodcurdling screams coming from inside an elderly woman’s unit. After authorities seal off the building to contain the threat, the news crew, firefighters and residents are trapped to face a lethal terror inside. With the camera running, nothing may survive but the film itself.

Check out the [REC] trailer:



And here's the [REC] 2 trailer:

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Oh, Vampires. What Have they Done To You?

Tim Burton Retrospective at MoMA

Head to New York this winter to see a major career retrospective for Tim Burton at the Museum of Modern Art.


© 2009 Tim Burton

Festo = SkyNet?

A tip of the hat to author, William Gibson*, for pointing out the videos of Festo. While seemingly mundane in the first couple of minutes, these videos become pretty damn cool, pretty damn quick. SkyNet, indeed. And William Gibson's claim to fame? Well, he coined the term "cyberspace" and wrote the groundbreaking novel, Neuromancer.



*In the small world category, you can read about William Gibson's connection to WildClaw members in the Exhibitions, Poetry, and Performance Art section of Gibson's Wikipedia entry.

Kitley's Krypt - MYSTERY PHOTO #6

Another week, another MYSTERY PHOTO!

Jon Kitley, pillar of the Chicago Horror Community and head honcho over at KITLEY'S KRYPT, wants to challenge your horror knowledge. Week in, week out, he posts a Mystery Photo - sometimes from an obscure horror title, sometimes just an unusual shot from a well-known classic. We figured our faithful Claw readers would enjoy the challenge!

Last week's MP was from the brilliant and hilarious 1985 flick RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, which showed us not only that zombies could be really, really funny, but also that they could move really, really fast. (Take that, RESIDENT EVIL!) It also showcased us the undeniable, ahem, charms of 80s scream queen Linnea Quigley as "Trash." Any young red-blooded male who has witnessed her cemetery striptease knows what we're talking about...


Let's see how well you fare with this week's offering. (Hint: it's a bona-fida classic film, based on a bona-fida classic novel):


Send your guesses to: jon@kitleyskrypt.com

If you provide the correct answer, your name will be announced next week on the Kitley's Krypt website (http://www.kitleyskrypt.com), along with a new photo. Even if you don't know the answer, we welcome any sorta-kinda educated guess! So, send in your emails today and good luck!

Monday, June 8, 2009

If You Kill Me, Bury Me Deep

'Cause I will haunt her...' Oh. My. Goodness, this rocks.

This from Friend of WildClaw, Mort Castle (recently returned from conquering Poland and teaching at Columbia in his spare time.)



It takes a couple of seconds to get into it, but please, trust Mr. Morlock. You will fall madly in love with each one of these women, and if you don't shout "Hell Yeah!" at least once during the six-string electric slide banjo solo (I know, six-string electric slide banjo?!?!?) then your blood has congealed and it's time to lay down and die.

Oh, and submit your ten-minute nightmares to DeathScribe 2009 by the end of July. Seriously, do it.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Drag Me to Hell - Don't lose your head


The Independent newspaper from the U.K. says a big thank you to Sam Raimi while attacking the recent spate of what is termed "torture porn" films.

It's byline reads: "Sam Raimi's 'Drag Me to Hell' is leading a renaissance in the horror genre. Jaded by torture porn, Kaleem Aftab celebrates a return to more cerebral films that reveal the inner demons:"

It states that "Hostel" was part of "an evil host of movies" and that "From Dusk Till Dawn" was a big budget travesty. Click here to read the full article and to see if you share the writer's opinion.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Sigh...True Blood...

True Blood is starting up again and I am woefully lacking in HBO. I really enjoyed season one, which is now out on dvd and way more affordable than previous HBO series. The show is based on the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris. I have read them all and love them. They are great fun reads filled with just the right amount of humor, sex, suspense, and blood to make for a decadent beach book. The show is a wonderful adaptation of the stories. A few characters and plot points are incredibly different but the essentials are there and nothing that the show has changed has turned me off. Beware that this is HBO at it's bare-assed raunchiest ...don't watch it with your kids in the room unless you want to encourage a preference for S&M werewolf sex. I'm just saying...this stuff would make Al Swearingen blush.

Charlaine Harris will be signing her newest book at the local Borders in Oakbrook Terrace as well on July 13: Reading and Signing 7PM CDT - Oak Brook, IL
Borders Book and Music, 1500 16th St., Suite D, 60523!

So If ya have HBO...watch it, and invite me over too...

WildClaw Theatre Company Proudly Announces New Company Members


WildClaw Theatre Company is very proud to announce new additions to our horrific family. Danielle McKenzie and Scott T. Barsotti have been welcomed onboard as Company Members, and Karen Tarjan has been brought on as Artistic Associate.

Scott T. Barsotti (WildClaw Company Member) last worked with WildClaw Theatre as the playwright of The Revenants. His other original plays include Brewed and McMeekin Finds Out, and have been seen in Chicago, New York, New Orleans, and this coming fall in his hometown, Pittsburgh. In Chicago, Scott’s work has been produced and/or developed by WildClaw, Curious Theatre Branch, Collaboraction, Collision Theatre Company, Chicago Dramatists, and Dramatis Personae among others. Scott is a member of the Curious Theatre Branch ensemble, as well as an Artistic Associate of Illegal Drama and Collaboraction.

Danielle McKenzie (WildClaw Company Member) Danielle McKenzie (WildClaw Company Member) last worked with WildClaw as ASM for Dreams in the Witch House, and before that was the Stage Manager for The Great God Pan. She has also worked with the College of Lake County doing many productions such as “West Side Story,” Jesus Christ Superstar, American Buffalo, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She also works for the James Lumber Center of the Performing Arts as a technical assistant and has worked on shows such as Momix and The Golden Dragon Acrobats. She is currently the resident stage manager for the Valerie Alpert Dance Company based in Chicago.

Karen Tarjan (WildClaw Artistic Associate) has worked as a movement designer on WildClaw’s productions of The Great God Pan and Dreams on the Witch House. She is a founding member of Chicago’s Seanachai Theatre Company and Boston’s Beau Jest Moving Theatre (which just celebrated its 25th anniversary). Her adaptations of The Overcoat, The Two Towers, The Return of the King, and The Killer Angels were all produced at Lifeline in Chicago. The Killer Angels has also been produced at other theatres throughout the country from Virginia to Alaska.

Welcome all!!!

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Would you buy a Directors Cut of Clive Barker's Nightbreed?

According to sources at Clive Barker's website, the lost footage of NIGHTBREED has been located, and the studio execs could care less. In fact, this source says that the thickheads in charge over there say that not only is there not going to be a directors cut, but that it's "not even worth the cost to upgrade to Blu-ray."

But all hope is not lost. Also from Clive's sight-

If there's a demonstrable audience for an extended Nightbreed then that could well influence a release as a pure commercial decision, but we need to figure out just how large that audience really is. A small but noisy group will not make a difference here - we need to see just how many people would actually put down their hard-earned money for this...

Remember, there isn't a Region 2 DVD release at all and the Region 1 release is a bare bones version missing the 25 minutes of footage that Clive would love to get back into the movie - a song, some violence, some structure... There's also the prospect of a commentary and hours of potential bonus content...

So, we are asking ALL loyal readers of Blood Radio to go to Clive's website, and follow the instructions, or simply send an email saying your would love to see a directors cut to philandsarah@clivebarker.info. You can tweet them to, at @philandsarah. Do this now, and pass it along. We, the horror community, can make this happen.

The reality of a Zombie apocalypse...

My dear friend Annie, currently residing down in Florida, turned me on to this. It is a couple years old, but it was new to me, and I found it very entertaining...and frightening...
5 Scientific Reasons a Zombie Apocalypse Could Actually Happen

We found out recently that if you try to leave a little kid in a graveyard late at night, he'll freak out. Even if you offer to leave him a gun to protect himself. Why? It's because on some instinctual level, all humans know it's just a matter of time until the zombies show up.

Our culture is full of tales of the undead walking the Earth, from our religions to our comic books. But, some sort of zombie apocalypse isn't actually possible, right?

Right?

Guys?

Actually, yes. It's quite possible. Here's five ways it could happen, according to science.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Our friends at Strawdog Theatre are throwing a party.


STRAWDOG THEATRE'S CASINO NIGHT!
SATURDAY JUNE 6, 2009 8pm - 2am,
Tickets $15.
CASINO NIGHT Black Tie / Blue Collar

Dress up. Dress down. Our friends over at Strawdog Theatre are throwing their biggest party of the year, and all you have to do is show up. Win cash playing blackjack, poker, roulette, craps or by entering their 50/50 raffle. Music will play, bartenders will pour, lovely servers will serve and be lovely. And if you buy 2 tickets online now, they're just $20! That's $10 a ticket!

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Horror At E3

Horror news from E3: Left For Dead II will be out in November. See the trailer here.

Guillermo del Toro on Craig Ferguson

This is from last night's Late Late Show. Finally an interview for me. Nerdy funny guys I like talking about stuff I like. Stuff you usually don't hear on network TV. Craig and Guillermo managed to talk about vampires, Hobbits, douchebags, horror literature, H. P. Lovecraft, Tentacles, Transylvania, nightmares...and so much more.

"The fat man is a geek!"

I was a fan of both of these guys before, but now, straight to the top of the list.

Kitley's Krypt - MYSTERY PHOTO #5

Another week, another MYSTERY PHOTO!

Jon Kitley, pillar of the Chicago Horror Community and head honcho over at KITLEY'S KRYPT, wants to challenge your horror knowledge. Week in, week out, he posts a Mystery Photo - sometimes from an obscure horror title, sometimes just an unusual shot from a well-known classic. We figured our faithful Claw readers would enjoy the challenge!

Last week's MP was from the French cult film BABY BLOOD (1990), released on video here in the States (in a cut/dubbed version) as The Evil Within). The plot centers on an alien fetus who forces its female host to kill for the blood it needs to grow, all the while carrying on a chatty telepathic dialogue with her! It's one that you won't soon forget. Even better, there is a sequel coming out, called Lady Blood, with returning star Emmanuelle Escourrou, who also co-wrote the script. From what we've seen of the previews, it looks worth the watch. Stay tuned...


Let's see how well you fare with this week's offering (should be a relatively easy one for you zombie fans out there):


Send your guesses to: jon@kitleyskrypt.com

If you provide the correct answer, your name will be announced next week on the Kitley's Krypt website (http://www.kitleyskrypt.com), along with a new photo. Even if you don't know the answer, we welcome any sorta-kinda educated guess! So, send in your emails today and good luck!

Kim Harrison book signing


Kim Harrison , author of The Hollows Series, will be in Naperville this evening as part of a Supernatural Summer Tour for teen fantasy books. She will be at Anderson's Bookshop, 123 West Jefferson, Naperville, at 7pm, together with Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong. Kim is promoting her first Young Adult novel called Once Dead, Twice Shy.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Because Guillermo del Toro doesn't have enough to do...


Because Guillermo del Toro does not have enough to do (he is directing 2 Hobbit films currently, has 7 films in production, plus 8 more in development, including Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein, and Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, one of my childhood favorites), he decided to write a book.

A vampire book.

The Strain

The visionary creator of the Academy Award-winning Pan's Labyrinth and a Hammett Award-winning author bring their imaginations to this bold, epic novel about a horrifying battle between man and vampire that threatens all humanity. It is the first installment in a thrilling trilogy and an extraordinary international publishing event.

The Strain
They have always been here. Vampires. In secret and in darkness. Waiting. Now their time has come.
In one week, Manhattan will be gone. In one month, the country.
In two months—the world.


Sounds good to me. I have another book to bring up to Michigan with me this year.