Kitley's Krypt MYSTERY PHOTO #65

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!

Our last photo was from idiosyncratic Polish director Andrzej Zulawski’s deliberately abrasive and queasy film POSSESSION (1981), which assails its audience from the opening scenes and never lets up for a second, leaving the viewer exhausted, exasperated and exhilarated. Returning home from a vaguely defined military mission, Sam Neill is alarmed to find that his relationship with wife Isabelle Adjani has disintegrated into complete hostility and disgust. He soon discovers that she has taken up with several lovers, one of which might not be entirely…human. A technically astounding film, with Bruno Nyutten’s cinematography swirling about the locations and characters with orgiastic glee and Neill and Adjani unleashing extraordinary high-wire performances that rival anything these admittedly fine artists have done before or since. (Adjani would win Best Actress Awards from both Cannes and the Cesars, and after witnessing her wrenching, utterly selfless showstopping aria of suffering in the train tunnel, who could deny her?) F/x wizard Carlo Rambaldi designed the memorable creature effects.



Let's see how you fare with this week's selection:



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!

DEATHSCRIBE 2010 Final Lineup

After months of reading, we have made our final decisions for DEATHSCRIBE 2010. Before going any further, we at WildClaw want to sincerely thank EACH AND EVERY author who submitted a script for this years festival. We are humbled and honored that so many talented, passionate people were willing to share their talent with us. This was the most competitive crop of scripts we've received to date, and we were very excited by the quantity and quality of horror plays we had the pleasure of reading. We had some very hard decisions to make, and we thank everyone who submitted for your contribution. Radio horror is alive and well!

That said, we are very pleased to announce our lineup for

DEATHSCRIBE 2010, The Third Annual International Festival of Radio Horror Plays

Featuring:

CHATTER, by Newt Calkins, directed by Greg Kolack

TAPE DECK, by Liz Siedt, directed by Bob Fisher

MONITOR SPECTARE, by Jude Mire, directed by Lance Baker

THE D'ARQUE HOUSE, by Christopher Hainsworth, directed by Nic Dimond

THE CHANGE IN BUCKETT COUNTY, by David Schmidt, directed by Carolyn Klein.

We hope to see you at the Mayne Stage, on Monday, December 6th, 8pm. Tickets on sale now.

Happy Birthday Mrs. Frankenstien

Today is the birthday of Elsa Lanchester, star of the stage, film, and TV. Married to actor Charles Laughton, she had roles in over 60 films from the 1920's through the 1970's, including Willard, Mary Poppins, Bell Book and Candle, and Terror in the Wax Museum. However, there is one role which vaulted her into the realm of horror immortality. In 1935, she starred in The Bride of Frankenstein, playing the dual role of The Bride, and Mary Shelley. The Monster demanded a mate, and the rest, as they say, is history.

On this day in horror history...

On this day in 1979, When A Stranger Calls, starring Charles Durning and Carol Kane was released.

I did not see this until it came on cable the next year. While the whole movie may not hold up so well after 31 years, the first half hour remains a watermark in creepy, in my opinion.

Sears Zombie Marketing Campaign=Genius!

This is extremely clever. Sears is working hard to change it's image and the entire website has been given an extremely funny zombie makeover.  The Zombie Gift Giving guide is my personal favorite.  I am also fond of the fridges with brains in them.  Te he.

Kitley's Krypt MYSTERY PHOTO #64

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!

Our last photo was from PHENOMENA (1985), probably the only “insect detective” movie out there on the shelves. A very young Jennifer Connelly appears as the daughter of a famous American movie star sent away to study at an exclusive Swiss girl’s academy, whose students just happen to be falling victim to a homicidal killer. But as this is a Dario Argento movie, things are hardly what they seem. The film opens at a full gallop, with an extremely stylish sequence of a young woman in peril, then slows down to introduce Connelly’s character and her uncanny relationship with insects. Those familiar with Donald Pleasance primarily for his increasingly loony portrayals of Dr. Loomis in the Halloween series should check out his fine, subdued work here as a wheelchair-bound entomologist. The strong opening first act is followed by a middle section riddled with kinetic fits and starts, and the bizarre, gory ending has “kitchen sink” written all over it. While it may be a bit much for the uninitiated, those accustomed to Argento’s lack of narrative logic and flair for the unexpected will certainly enjoy the ride.



Let's see how you fare with this week's selection:



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!

WildClaw's First Halloween Party

This Friday, join us at Lucky Number Grill for our first Halloween Party. FREE! no cover!

Try out your costumes, try your hand at horror movieoke, take the Horror Trivia Contest and WIN!

Come on up to the second floor at 1931 N. Milwaukee.

Mutants, Androids, and Cyborgs: The Science of Pop Culture Films

Interesting. Tonight at Northwestern.

Mutants, Androids, and Cyborgs: The Science of Pop Culture Films

Ever wonder about the line between science and science fiction? Could we ever selectively erase experiences from our memories? Upload information to our brains like a hard drive? Control robotic limbs with our minds?

Throughout history, fiction has made some bold predictions about future technology. In 1870, Jules Verne imagined the now-commonplace fax machine, but H. G. Wells’ 1895 visions of time travel have yet to pan out. What science of tomorrow can we look forward to by viewing the films of today?

Join WBEZ's Gabriel Spitzer on stage with four of Northwestern's leading scientists to discuss their fields as seen on the big screen and learn how closely futuristic depictions of science match what's really possible.

Netflix Roulette: New Year's Evil

"It's the end , the end of the 70's.
It's the end , the end of the century."

--The Ramones

It's time for another edition of Netflix Roulette. Today's randomly generated horror movie is 1980's New Year's Evil (directed by Emmett Alston), a crappy slasher film built around a Midnight Special-style rock show whose host is being tormented during her New Year's broadcast by a nut who kills people at the stroke of midnight (one for each time zone). The broadcast itself is allegedly a "New Wave" broadcast, but this movie's vision of punk/new wave is seriously influenced by disco (which, though waning at the time, still had a grip on the styles of the day). The cops put words to the disdain that films had for punk and New Wave at the time, which makes the ultimate conquest of the culture all the funnier. The movie does bring in a ringer in way third rate New Wave band Made in Japan to no good effect. It's a pretty sorry excuse for a soundtrack, and it makes Allan Arkush and Joe Dante seem all the more brilliant for hiring the Ramones for Rock and Roll High School.

Only slightly more problematic is lead actress Roz Kelly (who will forever be linked to Happy Days and Pinky Tuscadero). More than one review has suggested that the role would have been perfect for Leather Tuscadero, Suzie Quatro, but that's just wishful thinking.

The combination of "look" and actors fixes this film at a specific place in time, when punk was still dangerous and when slashers still ruled the cinema. There are still relics of the 1970s throughout, including nods to biker films and urban decay thrillers and teen sexploitation films. All of this would soon be washed away, except for slasher films, though even those are placed in the soon to be extinct drive-in. The movie name checks the Zodiac killer and Son of Sam, too, putting this in the traditions of the 70s-era psycho killer rather than the 80s conception of a serial killer. In some ways, this film can almost be seen as an epitaph for the decade. Except it's not really good enough for that...

As for the plot: well, it's not much. There are some interesting characters, none of whom are explored. The twist at the end has been used before, and better. So watching it for the plot is kind of pointless. The filmmaking? There are continuity errors. Lots of of them. Watching the killer flash a switchblade at his next victim in one shot, for instance, then a reverse to show her reaction, and then cutting to him opening the switchblade to terrorize her is the sort of thing that takes a viewer out of the movie. I'm on record as not much liking slasher movies, but it's not the content of the movies that I don't like, so much as it's the incompetence of them. Hell, this one isn't even particularly gory, so what's the point? I mean, murder scenes are to the slasher film what musical numbers are to musicals. Without them, this is just a bunch of dumb show.

Crap for the most part, but it reminded me of a Blondie bootleg I bought in the 1990s from their London New Year's Eve show at the end of the 1970s. All I could think was, "I think I'd rather be at that Blondie show than watch this garbage." Alas.

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Part 2 - Mask of Sanity (a film review)

I am a little surprised by my feelings for Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer II: Mask of Sanity (written and directed by Chuck Parello, who also directed the serial killer docudramas 2000’s Ed Gein and 2004’s The Hillside Stranglers) because I actually love, love, love this movie. Not to say that the movie is great; it is far from it. “It’s so bad, it’s good” applies here. Not in the sequel-tard-tastic level of something like Exorcist II: The Heretic, but yeah… purdy bad.

Next to Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974 original – forget the remake), one of my favorite “horror” films is John McNaughton’s masterpiece Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. I even wrote about it in the book "Horror 101: The A-List of Horror Films and Monster Movies". [available at http://www.horror101withdrac.com/horror101book.html] And because of my loyal lust for the original, I should be wagging my finger at this 10 year follow up. There is something about this movie, though, that fascinates me.

Everybody’s favorite stick and bindle serial killer Henry decides to gets a j-o-b cleaning and distributing portable potties, after witnessing a male rape at a homeless shelter. He ends up staying with his married co-workers Kai (Rich Komenich) and Cricket (Kate Walsh from Grey’s Anatomy) until he can get back on his feet. It’s really a portrait of a struggling lower class family for the first half of the film, complete with jean jackets and relentless drinking/smoking coping mechanisms. Kai is later revealed to be a “firebug” in that he is contracted out to set businesses on fire for the insurance money. Henry soon gets involved in the arson side project, and a “folie a deux” relationship is formed, much like Henry and Otis Toole in the original. One feeds off the other, and the other fuels the fire of murder and mayhem. Soon, Henry and Kai are murdering innocents in order to feel alive and relieve stress after a shitty day at the port-o-john business.

The quirkiest part of the plot involves Cricket’s niece Louisa (played by Kari Levinson, who after this role, didn’t returned to film until 11 years later. I like to think of this as a career-ending performance.) Louisa is a clinically depressed, suicidal, and emo - but without the cool outfits and bangs. She recognizes and appreciates the outsider in Henry and starts getting clingy, but Henry doesn’t like the baggage. In fact, he usually chops up interested women and discards them in baggage on the side of the road (see: the original).

The best exchange of the film is when Louisa is showing Henry her art (which all looks like the disturbed sketches from a bored and doodling Clive Barker), and she hands him a blank canvas and a pencil in order to draw. After 1 minute, he hands her back his completed drawing, and we get the only explanation from his childhood that may explain his serial killerness.

Louisa - “Hey this is good, I like it!”

Henry - “Really?”

“Yeah!”

“It’s a mule I had when I was a kid. I called him Rocks. On account of he used to eat rocks. He wasn’t right in the head, but he was still my favorite animal.”

LOL. This, along with super-fake fight and kill scenes, and the steely deadpan delivery of Henry’s lines, just seal the deal for me.

DEATHSCRIBE 2010 Directors

We are very excited to announce our lineup of guest directors for the 3rd Annual DEATHSCRIBE Radio Horror Festival.

These talented men and women have taken on the creepy task of crafting the eerie and spooky stories that will make up DEATHSCRIBE 2010, on Monday December 5th, at the historic Mayne Stage.

The directors for DEATHSCRIBE 2010 are:

Nic Dimond - Artistic Director of Strawdog Theatre & director of DEATHSCRIBE 2009's winning piece.

Carolyn Klein – Actor and director, ensemble member of Seanachai Theatre and an artistic associate with Strange Tree.

Bob Fisher – Artistic Director of The Mammals.

Lance Baker - Actor and director, ensemble member of A Red Orchid Theatre.

Greg Kolack – Jeff Award winning director, with a long list of Chicago and Midwest productions to his credit.

There you have it. Watch this blog for the announcement of the five final DEATHSCRIBE 2010 submissions, coming soon!

DEATHSCRIBE 2010 Submissions close at Midnight tonight!

Yup, tweak that script. Polish that metaphor. Add that scream and clanking chains. Then wrap it up in a neat bow and entrails and send it in. Check the rules to make sure you did it correctly.

Blood Radio Episode 18, DEATHSCRIBE 2009 part 4

Blood Radio Episode #18, DEATHSCRIBE part 4.

Click to listen

In episode #18, we proudly present part 4 of DEATHSCRIBE 2009, featuring ‘The Skinny Man,' written by Scott T. Barsotti and directed by Katie McLean Hainsworth, a reading from Edgar Allen Poe by our own Charley Sherman, and the announcement of the winner of the Bloody Axe.

We remind everyone DEATHSCRIBE 2010 will be held at the Mayne Stage Theatre, Monday, December 6th. Submission deadline is October 15th. Check out http://www.wildclawtheatre.com/wc_html/deathscribe10.html for more details.

DEATHSCRIBE 2010 Submissions Due Friday!

Cross those T's. Dot those I's. Smoke those entrails. DEATHSCRIBE 2010 submissions are due tomorrow!

The Department of Cultural Affairs announces CARMILLA

CHICAGO DCA THEATER ANNOUNCES WINTER/SPRING 2011 SEASON

The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs announces its 2011 winter/spring season of events at the Chicago DCA Theaters—the Storefront Theater, located at 66 E. Randolph Street, and the Studio Theater in the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington Street.

Chicago DCA Theater offers downtown audiences an off-Loop theater experience with an exciting look at the vibrant theater companies that call Chicago home. As an anchor of the downtown theater district, the DCA Storefront Theater schedule will feature four world premier productions by WildClaw Theatre, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Theater Oobleck, and New Leaf Theatre. ShawChicago will also present a staged reading in the DCA Studio Theater.

Continuing the Studio Theater Incubator Program, Chicago DCA Theater will host two theater companies – Tympanic Theatre Company and the State Theatre Company of Chicago. Additionally, DCA Theater will present several special theater events including the AFTRA/SAG Senior Radio Players, the Teen Comedy Festival, and the SKALD 12 Storytelling Festival.

All tickets are available by calling 312.742.TIXS (8497), visiting www.dcatheater.org, or stopping by the DCA Box Office in the Chicago Cultural Center at 78 E. Washington Street, open Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 6 pm and Sundays, noon to 4 pm. When available, tickets go on sale one hour before each performance at the Storefront Theater. Discounts are available for Chicago Cultural Center Mosaic Members, theater industry affiliates, military personnel, ADA companions, and large groups. Discounted parking is once again available at Wabash Randolph Self Park at 20 E. Randolph. Patrons can receive the $10 rate by validating their ticket at the Storefront Theater box office.

CHICAGO DCA THEATER WINTER/SPRING 2011 SEASON

Carmilla adapted by Aly Renee Greaves
World Premiere Production Presented by WildClaw Theatre
Directed by Scott Cummins
Media Opening: Friday, January 14, at 7:30 pm
January 13 – February 20, 2011
Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm
No performance on Friday, February 11, due to the holiday
Additional performance on Monday, February 14, at 7:30 pm
Storefront Theater, 66 E. Randolph Street
Tickets: $20 for general admission; $10 for seniors and students; $10 for preview (1/13)
www.dcatheater.org or (312) 742-TIXS (8497)

Female vampires unleash upon the stage in this premiere of a new adaptation of J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s Victorian horror story. A young English woman living in a remote castle in Eastern Europe becomes intrigued by a mysterious house guest, the enigmatic Carmilla. As the neighboring countryside and villages fall victim to a series of unexplained grisly murders, young Laura finds herself swept up in a whirlwind of forbidden desire quite extraordinary for a 19th- century woman.
Related Programs
Wednesday, January 19, at 6:30 pm: Film Screening of Let’s Scare Jessica to Death with introduction and Q & A with film director John D. Hancock
Thursday, February 3: Post-show discussion following the performance
Monday, February 7, at 7 pm: Women in Horror Panel Discussion

Precious Little by Madeline George
World Premiere Production Presented by Rivendell Theatre Ensemble
Directed by Julieanne Ehre
Media Opening: Thursday, March 3, at 7:30 pm
March 1– April 2, 2011
Thursdays – Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 3 pm and 7:30 pm
Storefront Theater, 66 E. Randolph Street
Tickets: $25 for general admission; $15 for seniors and students; $15 for previews (3/1& 3/2)
www.dcatheater.org or (312) 742-TIXS (8497)

When Brodie, a professor of linguistics, learns her unborn child may have a genetic abnormality that would prevent the child from ever learning language, she finds comfort and the power of communication with an extraordinary companion. This is a play that looks at the limits of language—and what lies beneath its surface.
Related Programs
Tuesday, March 8, at 12:15 pm: Two Mommies, One Mommy, Two Daddies, One Daddy…the Rapidly Changing Face(s) of the American Family Panel Discussion
Thursday, March 10: Post-show discussion following the performance

There Is a Happiness That Morning Is by Mickle Maher
World Premiere Production Presented by Theater Oobleck
Media Opening: Thursday, April 14, at 7:30 pm
April 14 – May 22, 2011
Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm
The Thursday, May 19, performance will start at 8 pm; No performance on Sunday, April 24, due to Easter holiday
Storefront Theater, 66 E. Randolph Street
Tickets: Pay-what-you-can, $15 suggested donation
www.dcatheater.org or (312) 742-TIXS (8497)

Playwright Mickle Maher debuts this comedy in rhymed verse told via two lectures on the poetry of William Blake: one given in the morning by Bernard, a middle-aged, barely published poet of scant scholarship, on the Songs of Innocence, and the other in the afternoon by his lover, Ellen, a reputable Ph.D., on the Songs of Experience. Having engaged the evening before in a highly inappropriate display of public affection on the main lawn of their rural New England campus, the two undergraduate lecturers must now, in class, either apologize for their
behavior or effectively justify it if they want to keep their jobs.
Related Programs
Thursday, April 21: Post-show discussion following the performance
Thursday, May 18: Post-show discussion following the performance

Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw
Presented by ShawChicago
Directed by Robert Scogin
Media Opening: Sunday, April 17, at 2 pm
April 16 – May 15, 2011
Saturdays and Sundays at 2 pm; Mondays at 7 pm
Studio Theater in the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington Street
Tickets: $22 general admission; $20 for seniors; $10 for students
www.shawchicago.org or (312) 587-7390

ShawChicago returns to the Studio Theater with a staged reading of Bernard Shaw’s play about the ridiculous shams mythologized in romance and battle. Bluntschli, the pragmatic outsider, educates the accidental hero, Sergius, and the operatically inclined heroine, Raina, in the ways of the real world, and changes their Bulgarian social landscape at the same time. Life is not as it's portrayed in romantic novels. It's more serious, and also a lot funnier.
Related Programs
Saturday, April 23: Post-show discussion following the performance
Saturday, April 30: Post-show discussion following the performance

Lighthousekeeping adapted by Georgette Kelly
World Premiere Production Presented by New Leaf Theatre
Directed by Jessica Hutchinson
Media Opening: Thursday, June 9, at 7:30 pm
June 8 – July 17, 2011
Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm
Storefront Theater, 66 E. Randolph Street
Tickets: $25 for general admission; $18 for seniors and students; $15 for preview (6/8)
www.dcatheater.org or (312) 742-TIXS (8497)

Silver, a young woman twice flung from her home, learns to tell herself like a story, piecing together the disparate people and events that make up her life. This epic journey of love, longing, and light explores the gambles and gifts of choosing to change from one life to the next. This adaptation of Jeanette Winterson's beloved novel was featured last season in New Leaf's Treehouse Readings series.
Related Programs
Thursday, June 15: Post-show discussion following the performance
Friday, June 17, at 12:15 pm: Lighthouses of Chicago Harbor Lecture by Donald J. Terras

CHICAGO DCA’S STUDIO THEATER INCUBATOR WINTER 2011 SEASON

The Studio Theater Incubator Series supports the creation of new work by emerging Chicago theater companies. Utilizing Chicago DCA Theater resources and rehearsal space in the Chicago Cultural Center, participants explore new projects, develop and refine styles, and share their process with the public during a special showcase event.

The evening showcase events offer a glimpse into the companies’ projects through readings, performances, or works-in-process. The events are pay-what-you-can, but reservations are encouraged by calling 312.742.TIXS (8497) or by visiting www.dcatheater.org.

Tympanic Theatre Company
Incubator Showcase
Monday, January 31, at 7:30 pm
Studio Theater in the Chicago Cultural Center, entrance at 77 E. Randolph Street
Pay-what-you-can: $5 suggested donation at the door
Reservations encouraged at www.dcatheater.org or (312) 742-TIXS (8497)
The Tympanic Theatre Company produces new work with fantastical, frightening, or absurd subject matter that
provokes, inspires, and entertains. The company is developing Verse Chorus Verse by Randy Colburn, a
metaphysical thriller about drugs, reincarnation, and Kurt Cobain.

The State Theatre of Chicago
Incubator Showcase for The Blood Sun
Monday, February 28, at 7:30 pm
Studio Theater in the Chicago Cultural Center, entrance at 77 E. Randolph Street
Pay-what-you-can: $5 suggested donation at the door
Reservations encouraged at www.dcatheater.org or (312) 742-TIXS (8497)
The State Theatre explores the state of theater, cultivates a state of defiance against the norm, and celebrates
the state of the human condition. The company is developing The Blood Sun, the true story of Nongqawuse, an
orphan girl, whose prophecies bring hope and destruction to the South African Xhosa nation.

CHICAGO DCA THEATER SPECIAL EVENTS WINTER/SPRING 2011 SEASON
AFTRA/SAG Senior Radio Players

Audiences are invited to witness the performance of classic radio scripts by voice actors, sound effects artists and, often, live musicians. The AFTRA/SAG Players stay faithful to the original model by having to get it right the first time – no retakes permitted. Admission is Free
The War of the Worlds Wednesday, February 23, at 7 pm Claudia Cassidy Theater in the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington Street
Fibber Writes a Movie and Let Me Tell You About My Operation
Wednesday, April 27, at 7 pm Claudia Cassidy Theater in the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington Street
Around the World in Eighty Days
Tuesday, August 2, at 7 pm
Claudia Cassidy Theater in the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington Street

Teen Comedy Festival 2011
Presented with the Chicago Improv Festival
May 7, 2011

Chicago Cultural Center, entrance at 77 E. Randolph Street
Chicago Improv Festival Productions presents the 5th Annual Teen Comedy Fest, featuring over 150 teen improvisors, sketch comedians, and stand-up comics from across the country. The day of activities includes performances as well as educational workshops.

SKALD 12 Storytelling Festival
Presented by WNEP Theater
May 16 – May 21, 2011

Studio Theater in the Chicago Cultural Center, entrance at 77 E. Randolph Street
This week-long event celebrating the art of storytelling includes workshops and competitions for children (KIDSKALD), adults (MAELSTROM), and professionals (SKALD 12).
Kid Workshop Monday, May 16, time to be determined
Admission is free, but reservations required by calling 312.742.TIXS (8497)
Adult Workshop Tuesday, May 17, 6-10 pm
Admission is free, but reservations required by calling 312.742.TIXS (8497)
MAELSTROM Friday, May 20, at 7:30 pm
Tickets are $15 at www.dcatheater.org or (312) 742-TIXS (8497)
KIDSKALD Saturday, May 21, at 3 pm
Free, but reservations are encouraged at www.dcatheater.org or (312) 742-TIXS (8497)
SKALD 12 Saturday, May 21, at 7:30 pm
Tickets are $20 at www.dcatheater.org or (312) 742-TIXS (8497)

-###-

Singapore Sling (a film review)

This movie is not for everyone.

And for some of us, it becomes something more than a movie. I first saw this film about five years ago when I was exploring the world of extreme horror and gore. I’m sure I saw this film in the same week I viewed Nekromantik, Assault! Jack the Ripper and Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom. One thing separates Singapore Sling from the previous group and that is the fact that I keep coming back to watch it. This movie holds something for me that transcends the visceral knee-jerkiness for which all exxxtreme movies strive.

A wounded detective (Panagiotis Thanasoulis) stumbles upon two women in lingerie, digging a hole in the mud and rain late at night in the garden of their villa. The beginning has this sense of futility and purpose – throwing a shovel’s worth of mud over the hole just to have the rain and gravity undo it. But the women keep truckin’ on because there’s a body to bury – the chauffer, to be exact. And the women, a mother (Michele Valley) and daughter (Meredyth Herold) team, killed him. How do we know these things so quickly in the first minutes of the film? Because there is no fourth wall – the women speak directly to the camera and let us in on the secret. We are more than just the audience being titillated now. These characters, who wear bloomers & lace gloves, and perform the ancient art of Chinese cupping after a hard day’s burial, are captivating, and they demand our attention.




The breaking of this boundary in film is rare – and usually, when it happens, it’s in the comedy genre for what I’ve seen and somewhat ineffective. The way that writer and director Nikos Nikolaidis handles this, however, is nothing short of brilliant. The film is made up mostly of talking to the camera and voiceovers, and it’s delivered either by the milfy mother (who speaks in English, then repeats most of what she says in French for accentuation) or from the spastic daughter (who talks with hard-to-swallow orgasmic outbursts, though it becomes easier with multiple viewings). It’s one of the elements that make this more than just a film with incest, sadism, ball-gag and electroconvulsive torture, rape, watersports, vomit and one lucky kiwi.

I'm not going to make any assumptions about Greeks here, but this is the second Greek film I've seen that centers around a dysfunctional family unit. And when I say dysfunctional, I'm not talking about arguing at the dinner table. The other film (which I recently viewed and also adore) is Dogtooth - still letting that one settle in my mindgrapes.

Singapore Sling unfolds with the detective looking for Laura, a woman in trouble who may or may not already be dead – and may or may not have been murdered by ‘mother’ and ‘daughter.’ The detective, who speaks only with internal monologues in Greek, is given the moniker ‘Singapore Sling’ because they find a recipe for the drink in his investigations notebook, along with the questions “where’s Laura?” and “who killed Laura?”. He is promptly taken as a sex prisoner by the women.




Like the 1944 film noir Laura by Otto Preminger, the detective falls for Laura after tirelessly searching for her or her corpse. Though I haven’t seen the Preminger film, I understand there are similarities between the two films in what is a neo noir nod from Nikolaidis. When the detective comes upon the sex mansion where the psychotic women take him prisoner, however, I gather this is where the film comparisons end. The matriarch is kind enough to only rape and pee on the prisoner, whereas the daughter takes it one step further and plays headgames with him, dehydrating him to the point of hallucination, dressing up as Laura and trying to convince him that she is the one he's been looking for all along.

My favorite scenes are the playing of the song ‘Laura’ (composed for the 1944 film), sung by Julie London. The airy, echoey way the song drifts through the rich, open villa – there is a certain nostalgia attached to it. The look of the film is the other piece that distinguishes it from run-of-the mill exploitation stock. The shock of a golden shower, or the disgusting gluttony of eating and regurgitating crawfish is muted by the sheer beauty of the setting and classic black & white celluloid. Utterly beautiful to watch, and mind-numbingly depraved/perverted/shocking at the same time.

Kitley's Krypt MYSTERY PHOTO #63

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!

Our last photo was from writer/director Dan O'Bannon's 1992 film, THE RESURRECTED, based on the H.P. Lovecraft story, "The Strange Case of Charles Dexter Ward," starring Chris (Fright Night) Sarandon. Granted, probably a little more graphic than what Lovecraft was thinking, though not nearly at the level of, say, Re-Animator. Well worth checking out.



Let's see how you fare with this week's selection:



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!

Music Box Massacre this Saturday - 24 hours of HORROR!

Courtesy of our friend Larry Sternshein at the Chicago Horror Examiner :


It's time again for the annual Music Box Massacre that takes place at the famous Music Box Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. The Music Box Massacre was created by Movieside head honcho Rusty Nails in 2005, and has continued to grow every year.

Advance tickets are $28.00, and as the event often sells out, buying them ahead is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Tickets can be purchased through Brown Paper Tickets or at various locations throughout the Chicagoland area, including:

Laurie's Planet of Sound (4639 N. Lincoln Ave.)
After Hours Movies (915 Foster, Evanston)
Music Box Theatre Box Office (3733 N. Southport Ave.)

Day of the show tickets are $33.

Arrive early to get the best seats! Doors open at 11:00am. There will be 30 minutes of shorts and various trailers at 11:30am. The films start at noon and continue until noon Sunday. The complete lineup of films and times are as follows:

Noon - The Phantom of the Opera (starring Lon Chaney, with live organ by Dennis Scott)

1:30pm - The Raven (with Boris Karloff & Bela Lugosi) (1935)

2:45pm - The Wolf Man (starring Lon Chaney Jr.)

4:15pm - Season of the Witch (d. George A. Romero, w/ star Jan White IN PERSON)

6:15pm - Killer Klowns From Outer Space (f/x gurus The Chiodo Brothers IN PERSON)

8pm - Rabid (d. David Cronenberg)

10:15pm - Basket Case (d. Frank Henenlotter, w/ star Kevin Van Hentenryck IN PERSON)

12:30am - Stephen King's Pet Sematary

2:30pm - The Funhouse (d. Tobe Hooper)

4:15pm - House By The Cemetery (d. Lucio Fulci)

5:45am - Theater of Blood (starring Vincent Price)

7:45am - Psycho (d. Alfred Hitchcock - 50th Anniversary)

10am - Fright Night (d. Tom Holland - 25th Anniversary)

In addition to the great films, there will be vendor tables to peruse in the lobby. Not to mention other horror fans ready to talk about all things scary in film, theater, and print. Don't miss out on the most fun you'll have in the theaters all year!

Psycho Anniversaries

Not only does this year mark the 50th anniversary of Alfred Hitchcock's classic horror shocker Psycho, but it also marks the sixth anniversary of the passing of Janet Leigh, the film's star who never survived the final reel.


She was a lovely lady who starred in so many wonderful films, including horror classics Night of the Lepus and The Fog with her daughter Jamie Lee Curtis. But Psycho is the film most horror fans remember Leigh for. Here is the single most memorable scene in horror history, featuring one of the most intrusive and vulnerable ways to die - naked and in the shower:

The October Horror Challenge Begins Today!

Once again, it's time to unleash the October Horror Challenge! Thirty-one days, thirty-one films, sixteen of which must be first time views. How better to celebrate Shocktober than to watch as many horror programs as you can get your flithy little claws on?

And to start the countdown to the greatest holiday of all, here's a little ditty to get caught in the cobwebs of your mind:



Good luck ever purging that from your brainmeats!

Devil....meatlocker stories are the best...

Brian and I saw Devil...and we can officially say that it did not suck!  In fact, we enjoyed it!  Yes it did have a twist...but not a supremely annoying one a la most M Night movies...plus it does the 'scary in enclosed spaces' thing that I love so much...  It also has some amazing cinematography starting with the title sequence that is totally unnerving.