Kitley's Krypt MYSTERY PHOTO #72

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 the 1971 occult thriller, BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW. When an inhuman skull is unearthed by a workman’s plow, strange events begin to occur in a quiet 17th-century English village. A young fiancee goes insane. Her betrothed cuts off his own hand. His aunt dies of a mysterious illness. Most horrifyingly, the village children form a fiendish cult, worshiping a strange creature in the woods and sacrificing their friends and family to appease it. Director Piers Haggard does a masterful job of cultivating a realistic feel to the events, painting an atmosphere of sinister menace with drab palettes and bold camerawork. Among the most haunting moments are those involving the coven’s sensuous young leader (Linda Hayden, with a pair of strangely evolving eyebrows) seducing her victims with an angelic smile and wicked body. Unusually solid acting, with Barry Andrews superb as the noble workman and Patrick Wymark, in his final role, turning in a remarkable multifaceted portrait of the local magistrate battling to save his town. The script is not without its flaws, but overall this effective low-budget film from Tigon is a fine companion piece to their Witchfinder General, in spirit as well as subject matter.




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!

Star of The Descent Leaves Spiderman Musical

Natalie Mendoza, one of the stars of the movie, The Descent, has left the Broadway musical, Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark. Mendoza has a long history in theater and was set to play one of the show's leading characters, Arachne, in her Broadway debut. She has been recovering from a concussion after being hit by a rope holding some equipment while standing offstage.

The website, Bloody Disgusting, has an interesting 2008 interview with the actress.

Dracula the Musical

Dracula the Musical now has the music available on CD.

Kitley's Krypt MYSTERY PHOTO #71

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 featured the familiar mug of genre stalwart John Carradine, "the Bard of the Boardwalk," so dubbed for his habit of reciting Shakespeare on the unlikeliest of sets. Mr. Carradine was never noted for his selectivity when it came to projects, the man just wanted to work. And work he did, with over 300 film and television credits to his name. Pictured here is 1957's THE UNEARTHLY, perhaps one of his lesser efforts, co-starring opposite Allison (Attack of the 50 Foot Woman) Hayes and Tor (Plan 9 from Outer Space) Johnson. But Carradine gives it his all as a mad doctor who uses patients at his isolated psychiatric institute as subjects in an attempts to create longevity by surgically installing an artificial gland in their skulls.




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!

19th Century Vampire Killing Kit

Over at BuzzFeed, Gavon Laessig has posted some great pics and info about an actual 19th century vampire killing kit that is up for auction.

Christmas Horror...Scary Gifting

What to get the zombie who has everything?  Check out Etsy for some clever handmade creepy crafts...I like the battle damaged gingerbread men....

Thora Birch Fired from Dracula due to Porno Star Dad....

See what happens...Carmilla is way better.

Final Weekend for Alien Queen

As any careful reader of this blog will know, Mr. Morlock's esthetic tastes are pretty... questionable. Any one with dietary restrictions on salt shouldn't take his recommendations, as several large grains are usually necessary.

That said: GO SEE ALIEN QUEEN!!



Seriously. The second best horror movie and the second best action movie of all time, set to the music of the second best rock band ever?!? (If you really care what the first best in each of those categories are, shame on you -- have your own damn opinions!) Mr. Morlock saw it last weekend with Lady Trelbee and several friends and let me tell you people... IT ROCKS!!!

If you saw their Carpenter's Halloween, if you didn't and you're tired of people telling you what you missed, if you have a freaking pulse... GO SEE ALIEN QUEEN!!

It closes this weekend. I wouldn't be surprised if it reopens next year in Vegas. Or in Xanadu. Or Oz. It's huge, it's hilarious, it's awesome.

Do it.

Winter Horror Movies - AMC Movie Database - Movie Guide

Winter Horror Movies - AMC Movie Database - Movie Guide

Many of my favorites are on this list...anything involving Kurt Russell is a winner.

Clever photo stolen from the very nice horror blog:
http://deadlymovies.wordpress.com/

Casting Call
Afraid of Sunrise

Casting Call Details

The vampire film, Afraid of Sunrise, is still looking for one final actor! They need someone interested in playing a father character. You'll be dead (yay!), but getting nice and bloody is always fun and this would be a great opportunity to work with some wonderful people. Contact Deneen Melody via FaceBook if you are interested! (Chicago and surrounding area!)

Synopsis

After years of fighting, vampires and humans come to a truce-with the vamps getting the short end of the stick. Relegated to second class citizens, they are forced to live in ghettos and microchipped to track their movements. Adding insult to injury, they also must get their blood from specially sanctioned government blood banks.

Although the Hunters have officially disbanded, Jonathan Sloan and his small crew of ex-Hunters track down "illegals" trying to uncover a conspiracy of a vampire cabal that plans on overthrowing the government and returning the vampires back to their former glory.

Jonathan must also come to grips with his past and decide where his loyalties lie in dealing with his feelings for Perrey, the love of his life.. a vampire.

When nature takes over love may not be enough...

More Information

For more information visit: www.facebook.com/pages/Afraid-of-Sunrise/164280730268391

Suvudu interviews WildClaw Managing Director Brian Amidei

Kitley's Krypt MYSTERY PHOTO #70

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 BLUE EYES OF THE BROKEN DOLL (aka House of Psychotic Women) (1973) , one of Paul Naschy's rare entries in the giallo subgenre, which he pulled off quite well. Since last week was the Naschy Blogothan, we figured it would only be fitting to put up a shot from the horror icon's films. While some fans may not know the movie specifically, this particular shot has also been immortalized on the cover of John McCarty's Splatter Movies book, a must-have for any self-respecting gorehound.



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!

The Dance of the Demented Benefit Auction is coming!

When we held our Dance of the Demented Benefit at the Viaduct Theatre in February, 2010, we featured several artists sketching beautiful horror models as the party shimmied around them. Some of these artists have completed those sketches and have kindly donated them to WildClaw Theatre to auction off as a fundraiser for future productions. We are currently scanning. photographing and preparing these artworks for an auction to take place very soon. Check back this week for more news as we get our act together.

Artists that will be featured in this auction are:

• Dave Dorman
• Tony Akins
• Ray Frenden
* plus special guests

DSIII rokks

Thanks to everyone who made DEATHSCRIBE happen (and happening as in cool... and A Happening as in a big hippie love-fest...) : the writers, the directors, the actors, the musicians, the Mayne Stage crew, the friends and families. And the audience!! Good heavens what a lovely vibe. Thank you. You bring a tear to Mr. Morlock's crinkly, blood-shot eye and sniffle to his whiskered, pig-like snout.

Tattoos and Tentacles (NSFW)

Tattoos and tentacles is exactly what you think it is. Possibly. (NSFW)

We hope you join us on Monday for DEATHSCRIBE 2010. With the help of our wonderful friends Seeking Wonderland, Krista Soli, John Wilson, Sarah Gorsky, Matt Klingler, Steve Ratcliffe, Gene Cordon, Mike Peters, Ann Followill, Devon Candura, Julie Hurt, Mary O'Dowd, Carolyn Klein, Anderson Lawfer, John Ferrick, Michele Courvais, Michaela Petro, Steve Herson, Joe Foust, Molly Glynn, Deb Baker, Pat Smillie, Loretta Rezos, and Tom Hickey, WildClaw will present to you five original Horror Radio Dramas, with live sound effects, written by Chris Hainsworth, Jude Mire, Liz Siedt, David Schmidt, and Newt Calkins.

More "Mockumentary" Horror Coming...Grave Encounters

This one has me vaguely interested as I consider those ghost hunting reality shows one of my (many) guilty pleasures.



-Aly...posting under Brian's login because she is lazy.

DEATHSCRIBE 2010 Author - Chris Hainsworth interview

We thought you would like to hear from our DEATHSCRIBE 2010 Festival selections authors. Let's talk to Chris Hainsworth, whose piece in the show will be The D'Arque House, directed by Nic Dimond.

CHRIS HAINSWORTH

1) Where horror is concerned, what does radio give us that visual media cannot?

I think it invites itself into your brain because it stimulates the imagination more.  Seeing something can actually make it less frightening.  Jaws comes to mind.  But I think 9 out of 10 times, what you envision is far more terrifying than anything that can be shown to you.

I think seeing something allows you to create a distance from the experience.  Because you can rationalize it.  "Oh that looks fake."  "I can see the wires."  But just listening to something - it causes you to fill in a lot of information - and no one can scare you like yourself.

2) "The D'Arque House" creeped us out. What is it about "The D'Arque House" that creeps you out?

Losing someone you love is the most terrifying thing I can think of.  The overwhelming grief and the feeling of powerlessness can paralyze you.  That was the jumping off point for the D'Arque house.  From there it was a matter of thinking "how can this possibly get worse?"

To me it would be having to stay in that place.  Unable to move on.  And forced to have to deal with that loss on a daily basis.  And worse - having something so horrific become mundane.  The fact that the capacity for human suffering can be boundless.

3) What's the sound cue in your piece that you're excited to hear in foley?

I am excited to hear what the sound of the universe ripping open is like.  You know.  Just for future safety knowledge.

4) What actor, from any time, has the best voice for horror?

I watched a lot of the old American International films this Halloween which may be impacting my decision, but for me it's a toss up between Vincent Price and Boris Karloff.

5) What difficulties does a 10-minute constraint present when writing, especially where horror and/or radio are concerned?

For my tastes, I have to be able to care about the characters in order to be frightened for them.  So developing empathy for folks in ten minutes is tricky.  Also - having time to establish a beginning a middle and an end in ten minutes can de very difficult.

The upside is - it really makes you get down to it.  It makes you evaluate what is really necessary to tell the story.  The first draft of Remembrance from last year was 30 minutes long.  So I cut twenty minutes out of it.  I missed those twenty minutes but I doubt anyone else did.

***


The DEATHSCRIBE 2010 Jury will be dining at the Morseland.

Kitley's Krypt MYSTERY PHOTO #69

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 the extraordinarily creepy TV-movie DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW (1981), featuring Charles Durning as a vengeful postman in a small farming town, out to rid the burg of the “blight” of its resident village idiot Bubba (a pre-L.A. Law and Dr. Giggles Larry Drake). When a child is mauled by a neighbor’s dog and turns up unconscious and bloodied, Durning gathers a lynch mob of his toadies to ruthlessly shoot Bubba down, firing-squad style. However, when the men go free in a miscarriage of legal justice, the same scarecrow the simpleton made his final hiding place begins to turn up in the fields of the killers, with bloody vengeance following soon after. Helmed with panache by Frank De Felitta from J.D. Feigelson's sharp script, the performances are strong throughout and the whole she-bang is capped by a memorable ending you’ll never see coming. ( Now *finally* available on DVD )



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!

Edward's ancestors: the greatest pre-Twilight vampires [part 4]

Here's a nice article on Carmilla and her impact on modern vampires!

Edward’s ancestors: the greatest pre-Twilight vampires [part 4]