Nothing beats some good old fashion Italian gore flicks from the ’80s. Back when plot, storyline, or even anything remotely coherent didn’t matter as long as we got plenty of gore. Sometimes even topping the gore was the complete insanity of the story themselves! Two names that you could always depend on for delivering the goods in those categories was Bruno Mattei and Claudio Fragasso. And now thanks to Severin, they’ve got a triple terror treat from these two guys.
Horror! The Definitive Companion to the Most Terrifying Movies Ever Made
Published by Carton Books, 2013. 360 pages.
By Kim Newman & James Marriot
Let’s start with the good stuff, shall we? With an original retail price of only $24.95, this book covers some of the best the genre has to offer. Starting at the very beginning of horror movies and moving its way through the more recent films in the early 2000’s, covering 340 different titles. The reviews give a very brief synopsis without giving too much details away, concentrating more on the facts and thoughts about the title, which we really enjoyed. Newman and Marriot really know their stuff.
This is the kind of book that is great for a newer fan that is just getting into the genre since it is a perfect place to start, using it as a checklist to slowly go through. Even a seasoned fan might want to double check to see if they’ve missed any of the classics covered here, or maybe some they might want to go back and re-visit. Not to mention possibly learning a bit more about the genre and the films.
This Sunday is the last day to get your votes in for this year’s Rondo Awards, so don’t forget! Yes, we are nominated in a couple of categories (and you could even write in Kitley’s Krypt for Best Website/Blog…just a thought…), but there are plenty of extremely talented people nominated throughout all the categories that deserves your vote. From the authors and artists, bloggers, podcasters, writers, and filmmakers, most of these people are doing it for the sheer passion and pleasure, so to receive recognition for their work is always a good thing.
So take a few minutes, head over to the Rondo site (HERE), and vote from your heart for those that you feel deserve it. Every vote counts and always shows support.
Always a big thanks to David Colton for all the hard work he puts in every year for this too!
Last night, for the first time in the Academy Awards 90-year history*, a creature feature won Best Picture. Now we know that all the normal critics keep trying to rename and redefine what it is, but us monster kids know that it is a monster movie. Sure, it’s not the first horror movie to win, which would be Silence of the Lambs, but that movie featured human monsters. Yes, there is a monster in The Shape of Water, but he’s the one wearing the tailored suit, not the fish suit. Never in a million years would I ever think that a film like this could even have a chance to win Best Picture. And the creator of this “fairy tale for trouble times”, Guillermo del Toro, also took home the Oscar for Best Director. I am speechless.
Well…almost.
Welcome to the first Monday in March! Yeah…pretty much the same as any other Monday. Except it’s one more closer to convention season! Okay, okay…back to the post at hand. Our last photo was from a disturbing film from Hammer that it still amazes me that they not only got it made, but that they would even tackle such a forbidden subject, but yet it was done so well. The film is Never Take Sweets from a Stranger (1960) and is about a old man that is doing harm to some local little girls. But because he is one of the upper families, no one believes the claims. Great film about a very dark subject. But kudos to the following for sending in the correct answer: Hoby Abernathy, Troy Howarth, and Michael Shields.
Now on to this week’s little photo. It’s from one of my favorites so let’s see what you can come up with. As always, PLEASE remember not to post your answers here so others can have a chance at it. Good luck!
That’s right folks, it’s that time of year again, when we get to show support to those out there in the genre that are doing what they can do produce, create, write, paint, and all those other little outlets that we do to show our love and passion for the horror genre. Quite a few of these people nominated are doing it for the sheer pleasure of it. Yes, some of them are professionals, but there are more than a few that do what they do on their own time, all stemming from the fact that they love the genre. I know that is the case for myself.
There is no horror fan older that “grew up” in the genre in the ’80s and wasn’t thankful for Fangoria magazine. Since they were one of the few around that really covered all aspects of the genre and did it so well, we fans learned a lot. Granted, the last few years of their existence was pretty shaky and downright depressing. I had my subscription for close to 30 years, maybe longer, before I finally stopped since they just stopped delivering, not just the quality, but the issues themselves.
But now, all that has changed and a new owner and Editor-in-Chief gives horror fans and Fango fans hope for a new start and a new regime. I, for one, wish them all the best and hope they can return it to its former glory. Because it is important to have a place for fans to be able to read about their favorite movies and the people behind them. Bringing back Michael Gingold to produce his own column is a great idea too. I hope them all the best.
Though…one little concern. Since it is now owned by Cinestate, which produces their own movies, I can only hope that there is not a conflict of interests. What I mean is, like some of these big horror news sites that are owned by a studio, you don’t think they can be totally honest about what they are reviewing or promoting, do you? So when a magazine is owned by a studio, does that mean we’re going to get a little less journalistic integrity, meaning they won’t cover certain movies, or at least not give their movies bad reviews but plenty of coverage instead?
I think a news site, magazine, or whatever, should have the freedom to be able to cover any subject of the genre and not be afraid that it’s going to upset their boss because they just gave a bad review of one of their movies. And if you tell me that they have that freedom, then I’d like to see a negative feature they posted about a product their owners invested in. Sure, I may sound a little cynical, but I’m sorry…just can’t help it. Journalistic integrity seems like a lost virtue these days, much like the truth in general. Plus, with the way the world is now anyway, it’s hard for me to put trust in anything or anyone.
But seriously…Good Luck to Fangoria and their staff. I look forward to what you can do.
