Super Monster Movie Fest Next Weekend!

Just in case you might be late to the party, next weekend, Aug. 27th & 28th, at the Skyline Drive-in, they are holding their 10th annual Super Monster Movie Fest, with the theme this year of The Devil Made Us Do It, featuring 10 films dealing all things with the devil! We’ve been coming out to this event pretty much every year since 2012, and once again, we’re excited as hell to head out there next weekend as well!

Here is the final lineup and times for this year’s features:

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Monsterpalooza – Part 1: Screaming at Dark Delicacies

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The last time I was in California was in 2003, for a Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors, so it was about time I made a return. Our friends Don England and Chris Kuchta have been setting up at Monsterpalooza for a few years and I was always hearing great stories about the show, from celebrity sightings to just seeing some amazing makeup jobs, props, artworks, and other interesting things on display. So my wife Dawn and I decided to take a little mini-vacation and head out to our first Monsterpalooza. On the Thursday before the show, we were on a plane heading to the West Coast.

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Screaming for Pleasure Live!

Bradley book signing

Our good friend Scott Bradley, author of Screaming for Pleasure and the podcast Hellbent for Horror (both of which have received a Rondo nomination!) will be appearing at Dark Delicacies in Burbank, California, on April 11th, at 7pm for a book signing and live podcast! Joining him for the podcast will be special guest Heidi Honeycutt!

If you haven’t picked up your copy yet and are in the area, now is your chance to stop by and meet Scott, get your book signed, and chat with him about horror. Be careful though, he will talk your ear off! Head over to Dark Delicacies website HERE for more details.

Remember… Stay Hellbent!

Book Review: Screaming for Pleasure

Screaming for PleasureScreaming for Pleasure
Published by Coal Cracker Press, 2018. 290 pages.
By S.A. Bradley

Full disclosure here, folks. I’ve known Mr. Bradley for three years now, ever since he happened upon of few friends doing our usual after-hours get-together at conventions to talk about horror movies. At the Flashback Weekend in Chicago in 2015, a group of friends were gathered in the lobby like we usually do and talk shop. Usually it is about what we’ve seen lately, though we do venture off on other topics. All of a sudden, here comes this guy, wearing a kilt no less, and stops and asks if we’re talking about horror movies and can he join in? No problem! Now, I’ll admit right off the bat that I tend to throw some comments/questions out there to see just how much this newbie might know. Needless to say, I was blown away at not just how much Scott knew about the genre, such as the movies that he’s seen, but even more so the way he could intelligently explain his opinions and thoughts, enough to make the toughest of critics step back and think “Damn…he’s got something there!”. Now three years later, after already creating and amazing podcast, Hellbent for Horror, Scott has taken this same approach and created a must-read book for any and all horror fans.

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End of an Era

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No…the show is not stopping. Let’s get that straight right off the top. I don’t want Ken to be emailing me about misleading people! The show will go on, just not with Kitley’s Krypt there vending.

Back in September of 2000, we set up at the very first Cinema Wasteland Movie and Memorabilia Expo, in Strongsville, Ohio. 19 years later, after 34 shows, it is still going strong. We were a dealer at that very first show and have continued to set up there since, never once missing one. In my years of going to shows, both as a fan and as a dealer, which is three decades worth, I’ve never known a show like Cinema Wasteland.

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Pre-Order for Screaming for Pleasure!

Screaming for PleasureOur good friend and fellow horror fiend, Scott Bradley, is already to unleash his id onto the world, in his book Screaming for Pleasure: How Horror Makes You Happy and Healthy. How does that title not make you want to dig into this book? But why do you need to add this volume to your library? Simple. Because Scott has a strong voice and message about the genre and the things that lurk and linger around it.

Sure, my opinion might be a little bias because I’ve known Scott for a few years. It takes a lot to impress me, and within the first few minutes to chatting with Scott, I was more than impressed. And each time I listen to one of his podcasts on Hellbent for Horror (click HERE to get to the podcast page), I realize how much more I have to step up my own game!

Scott gives his listeners a very interesting take on different subjects. And now with this book, you’ll get the same in depth and interesting view on the many different elements and subjects of the genre.

So do yourself a favor, and pre-order your copy today. It is only $19.99, which is really less than the cost of a couple of magazines! Just click HERE to get to find out more information about where and how you can order it.

Do You Like Screaming for Pleasure?

Screaming for PleasureI believe it was back in back in 2015 at a Flashback Weekend, when during one of our usual late night gathering to discuss the fate of the free world…and horror movies, when this guy in a kilt comes over and asks if he could join us. As we horror fans all know, we’re all one big family, so he was more than invited. His name was Scott Bradley and it didn’t take us long to realize this guy knew his stuff. We convinced him that he needs to come out to more of these shows that we hit in the Midwest, like Cinema Wasteland, which he did, and has now become a regular at that show.

A short time later, Scott started his own podcast called Hellbent for Horror and is a brilliant and fascinating show, that delves a little deeper in the dark recesses of the horror genre and its effect on fans and society. Seriously, great stuff. I mean, when Guillermo del Toro comments on his page about it, I think that’s saying a little something.

Now Scott has transferred his thoughts on the genre to paper now and has a book coming out later this fall, gloriously entitled Screaming for Pleasure: How Horror Makes you Happy and Healthy. We don’t have much details about the book but know that it will be out in a few months, and I’m sure we’ll have the details on where and how to get it when it does become available, so stay tuned.

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Wasteland Survivor

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For the last 18 years, we’ve been heading to Strongsville, OH for the Cinema Wasteland convention. And this last weekend was no different. Each and every time we set up there, we have a blast. Picked up more than a few Blu-rays from Diabolik DVD (which I think a lot of people coming through the door were), but came home with some great titles that I can’t wait to pop in and watch! There was a real nice crowd this year, and even though they just weren’t the book-buying crowd, we still had a blast. And that is because of these people below, plus plenty more that I didn’t get photos of.

I’ve mentioned before of our convention family and these people are part of that. They truly are one of the best part of these little gatherings. We get to talk about the recent films we’ve seen, older ones we’ve discovered, and all eager to hear other’s opinions on them. Sure there is always a little ribbing going on, but when done amongst great friends, it’s taken for what it is. And having the difference of opinions makes the conversations even more interesting. I’m sure most of us go away with a few new titles on their Need-to-Watch list each and every time.

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Texas Frightmare Part 3: Meeting the Maestro!

argentomanmythAs I mentioned in my earlier report, I had already met Argento years before and gotten a couple of items signed for free. So kept pondering why did I need to do it again, especially since I’d be paying $60g $60 this time? I had brought along my copy of Alan Jones’ book Dario Argento: The Man, The Myths, & the Magic to get signed if I decided to, but was really struggling with it. Lucky for me, that debate was easily decided when a dealer friend of ours graciously offered some extra dealer badges since we hadn’t purchased our tickets yet, which saved us exactly the same amount needed for the Argento signature. So…it was really hard to pass up then since we had just saved that much, right? Funny how fate works out that way.

Granted, the real reason we were here was for our buddy Bryan Martinez to meet the Maestro, since he is not only a fan of Argento’s work, but because this director was a huge influence on him, which would later come out creatively with Bryan’s show The Giallo Room. To say that he was a little excited is a slight understatement. We decided that getting in line right away Friday would be the best bet, since it was early, the line wasn’t that big with maybe a dozen people already in line. Plus, you want to get to Argento early before he gets worn out by all the people coming to see him. I mean, the guy is in his mid-70s after all. Once Argento came down and started, it went pretty quick. I went first and held out my book to him. He paged through it a bit, signed it, then looked up and said “Very good book!” I then sat down next to him for the photo. The guy handling the camera shots was very nice about the whole thing, taking several shots to make sure he got a good one in there. Very different than some of the cattle drives that I’ve seen/heard of before. Argento seemed to be full of spirits and really happy to be there.

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Texas Frightmare Weekend – Part 1: A Trip to Meet the Maestro

Back in the mid to late ’90s, I did something almost on a yearly basis that was one of those stupid things you do when you’re younger…driving from Chicago to New York for a convention, usually in the wintery month of January. I mean, when you have the opportunity to meet genre icons like Lucio Fulci or Paul Naschy, sensibilities tend not to come to the forefront of your thought process. Why pay $200 to $400 for a single plane ticket when I could get a bunch of like-minded horror fans in the car and make the 800+ mile drive there, stay a couple of days, and then make that same trip back. Granted, I was never dumb enough to do it alone, but the first few times we did this, it was in one straight shot. On the way there, we were so pumped full of excitement that the trip didn’t seem that bad. But for some reason the trip back seems sooo much longer. Sure, those long hours in the van were long, tedious, and sometime downright nerve racking. But it was an adventure, to say the least. Now I look back on those days with such fondness. Sure, maybe because I’m not behind the wheel at that moment, but those are still great memories.

Argento and Me

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