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December 2010
Celebrate Vampira's Birthday On Dread Central
Premiere of new music video featuring Bill Moseley and Ashlynn Yennie
That's right, kids! On December 11th Dread Central has a ghoulish birthday treat planned for fans of the first horror host -- the one and only Vampira.
Update: it's here! Enjoy!
This year Vampira, aka actress Maila Nurmi, would have been 87 years old. Nurmi is best known as the corset-waisted host named Vampira that had its beginnings on a popular West Coast TV show which aired on April 30, 1954 on KABC-TV and lasted for only a year. "The Vampira Show" was covered in LIFE Magazine, and the show got fan mail from around the world although no one was able to view it outside the Los Angeles area. Nurmi was the Godmother of Goth before it existed, which was a wake-up call to the button-down suburbia of the Eisenhower decade. In 1956 Nurmi met movie director Ed Wood, Jr., and she appeared as Béla Lugosi's wife in what's now referred to in pop culture as the "worst movie ever made"-- Plan 9 from Outer Space.
Forty years later Vampira was resurrected by director Tim Burton and brought to a new audience in the movie Ed Wood with Johnny Depp in the titular role and Lisa Marie as the glamour ghoul herself. The real Vampira, Maila Nurmi, passed away in January, 2008.
Bill Moseley on the set of the new video
Documentarian Kevin Sean Michaels began a collaboration with Nurmi on Vampira: The Movie (Alpha Video) in 2004, which won the 2007 Rondo Award for Best Independent Feature. The documentary featured many interviews including Forrest J Ackerman, Sid Haig, Lloyd Kaufman and Vampira-phile Bill Moseley (The Devil's Rejects, Repo: The Genetic Opera), who attended her funeral.
Shortly after the movie's completion in 2008, Michaels penned some songs and went into the recording studio with new material for the Vampira: The Movie Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. On hand for the music was Ari Lehman, the first Jason Voorhees in the original Friday The 13th. The song's lyrics are based around the characters of Plan 9 from Outer Space.
"Vampira Chant" is a 10-minute music video and is the first video off the Vampira: The Movie Original Motion Picture Soundtrack CD (order yours below), featuring songs by Ari Lehman, Bill Moseley, Curse, Mustang Lightning and others.
The video is a tribute to Nurmi's creative spirit and based on a story told by Maila to director Kevin Sean Michaels. It is presented by VAMP Productions and stars Bill Moseley and Ashlynn Yennie (The Human Centipede) and will premiere exclusively on Dread Central on December 11th.
Stay tuned!
November 2010
Soundtrack CD now on sale!
Have you purchased the soundtrack CD for Vampira: The Movie yet? If you were waiting for a sale, it's here! And if you were waiting for online samples, you can now hear clips at Oldies.com and Amazon.com
CD's are available from Collectables at Oldies.com, from Amazon.com
The Wild World of Ted V. Mikels DVD now available
You may have noticed that our webminion seems a bit distracted lately. This is only partly due to her recent obsession with hammer horror (we don't mean the film production studio, we mean just causing horror with hammers), but mostly because she's been busy with the more recent VAMP Productions project, The Wild World of Ted V. Mikels. Produced by Kevin Sean Michaels and narrated by John Waters, "This documentary manages to squeeze sixty years of cinematic innovation into one informative and entertaining film," says Jason Buchanan of All Movie Guide.
We hope you'll pick up a copy and let the world know what you think with a blog post or review on Amazon.com
Vampira: The Movie to screen at ScareFest
ScareFest is the "largest horror and paranormal convention in the USA" where you will be able to experience three horror-filled days on November 5th, 6th, and 7th. It's held at the Lexington Center in Lexington, Kentucky, one of the largest convention centers in the state with an abundance of parking on site. Come and meet your favorite celebrities in the horror and paranormal community.
This year's guests include George Romero, Tom Atkins, Adrienne Barbeau, Howard Sherman, and many more.
Vampira: The Movie is an official film selection of ScareFest, so check the official ScareFest site for screening schedules.
October 2010
Meet Kevin Sean Michaels at Chiller Theatre Expo on Halloween weekend
Please forgive our late notice, but our webminion was readying her Halloween tricks, the details of which are best left to the imagination. Director Kevin Sean Michaels will be at the Chiller Theatre Expo convention in Parsippany, New Jersey this weekend, October 29 through 31. Please stop by the Hollywood Book and Poster table for plenty of Halloween-appropriate merchandise.
The Chiller guestlist this year is so long and eclectic we hardly know who to single out for mention here. But among many others, they include Zacherley, Bill Moseley, Debbie D (all seen in Vampira: The Movie!), Barbara Eden, Cheryl Tiegs, Peter Criss, LeVar Burton, Tom Sizemore, Leif Garrett, Patricia Quinn . . . heck, you'd better go look for yourself and marvel at the multeity. The guest list, schedules and all other info. are on the official site.
Have a fabulously frightening Halloween!
Meet Kevin Sean Michaels at Rock And Shock
Director Kevin Sean Michaels will be at the Rock And Shock convention, so stop by the Hollywood Book & Poster table and say hello! The convention takes place Friday, October 15 through Sunday, October 17 (that's this weekend!) at the DCU Center, DCU Convention Center and The Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Guests this year include Danny Trejo (Machete, Predators, The Devil's Rejects), George Romero (Night Of The Living Dead), Adrienne Barbeau (The Fog, Escape From New York, Swamp Thing), Bill Moseley (The Devil's Rejects, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Vampira: The Movie), and many more. Check out the official site for all the details that make Rock and Shock one of the most exciting shows in the northeastern United States.
September 2010
Meet director Kevin Sean Michaels at Monster-Mania
VAMP Productions will have a booth at Monster-Mania, so be sure to stop by and meet Kevin Sean Michaels in person. The convention takes place September 17 - 19 in Hunt Valley, Maryland (near Baltimore). If you don't have fun at this convention, you're already dead! Monster-Mania provides horror film fans an opportunity to meet the biggest names in horror history, get autographs, participate in Q&A sessions with the stars, shop their large dealers' area and watch films until 2AM.
Convention guests this year include Robert Englund, Linda Blair, Kane Hodder, and too many others to list here. Be sure to check out the official website for the full guest and events lists.
August 2010
Kevin Sean Michaels interviewed in Cinemassacres
Fans of Forrest J Ackerman, the late sci-fi expert, promoter and number one fan, have a new source of information. In David Byron's fifth non-fiction book, Cinemassacres: A Tribute to Forrest J Ackerman and 1980s Horror Films, he has assembled a vast array of special guests from the TV, film, and fiction industries, some who knew Forrest J Ackerman personally, some who just wish to pay homage to the man fondly known as "Uncle Forry," and some who had never met Forry but had always been fans of his work. Also known as "Mr. SciFi," Forrest J Ackerman made a literary, historical breakthrough for fans of scifi and horror when he released the first issue of Famous Monsters of Filmland in February of 1958.
Vampira: The Movie director Kevin Sean Michaels is interviewed in the book about Vampira: The Movie and his friendship with Forry himself.
You can read the full table of contents on the official site from publisher BearManor Media.
The book is available for purchase directly from BearManor Media or from Amazon.com
Vampira: The Movie cast and crew in Rue Morgue Magazine
Rue Morgue Magazine is always worth reading, but they've outdone themselves this time with coverage of a host of horror hosts including Vampira: The Movie cast members Penny Dreadful XIII and Svengoolie. There's also an interview with director Kevin Sean Michaels regarding his latest DVD, The Wild World of Ted V. Mikels, and an interview with Ted himself. And is that composer Ari Lehman as the number one "Resurrected Water Rotters"?
See our Ted V. Mikels press page for more images and excerpts, but with everything this issue has to offer, no doubt you'll want your own copy. See the official Rue Morgue site for where to buy.
Comic-Con was a blast -- see you next year!
Here's Kevin Sean Michaels with Vampira: The Movie soundtrack collaborator Bill Moseley at Comic-Con (click to embiggen). (And if you haven't heard the soundtrack yet, you don't know what you're missing! It's available from Oldies.com and Amazon.com
As always, Comic-Con was full of surprises, not least of which the announcement that Kevin Sean Michaels will be Associate Producer of Adventures in Plymptoons. Watch this space for more information about this exciting project.
Apr. - July 2010
Kevin Sean Michaels at Comic-Con
Kevin Sean Michaels, director of Vampira: The Movie, will be at Comic-Con, the unbelievably massive pop-culture convention taking place at the San Diego Convention Center from July 22 through 25, 2010. I hope you already have your tickets, because they sold out in record time this year!
Look for Kevin at the Hollywood Book and Poster booths (#5611 - 5612) and Bill Plympton's booth (#5552). He will also be on a great panel with Bill on Thursday; here's the description from the Comic-Con site:
Thursday, July 22, 2010
1:30-2:30 Bill Plympton's Hair High and Adventures in Plymptoons -- Meet "King of the Indie Animators" Bill Plympton (Idiots & Angels) and celebrate the release of his classic hand-drawn animated feature Hair High on DVD. This award-winning film features the voice talents of Sarah Silverman, Dermot Mulroney, David Carradine, Martha Plimpton, and Justin Long in an outrageous romantic zombie comedy that tells the story of a teenage couple murdered on prom night, who return for revenge. This is one "rom-zom-prom-com" you don't want to miss! Also, see clips from Adventures in Plymptoons, a documentary being made about the life and works of this Oscar-nominated animator, featuring interviews with Tom Kenny, Matthew Modine, Michael Showalter, and many more! Kevin Sean Michaels (Vampira: The Movie) will be on hand to discuss the film. Everyone who attends will receive a free Bill Plympton drawing! Room 8
Categories: Animation | Art and Illustration | Humor & Satire | Movies
Actually Bill will be discussing a number of different projects, not only Hair High and Adventures in Plymptoons. Kevin is working with Bill on an animated short narrated by Ingrid Pitt regarding her experience in a concentration camp as a child.
We hope to see you at Comic-Con!
Jan. - Mar. 2010
Join Us at HorrorHound Weekend in March
The Biggest Horror Event to Invade the Mid-West!
Meet Sid Haig, Ari Lehman, Elvira, and More
With the Ultimate Horror Host Vampira Tribute Event!
The Dark Carnival Film Festival and Horrorhound Weekend present for your approval the most hosts outside of an epidemic! This March 26, 27, and 28, horror hosts from all over the world will converge upon Indianapolis, Indiana to pay homage to the first of their kind, Vampira! Special guests include Elvira, Penny Dreadful, Ms. Monster, Ghouligans, Miss Misery, Spooky Brucey, and more. And if you find yourself inside of an epidemic, you'll no doubt receive excellent care from Doktor Goulfinger, Dr. Calamari, Dr. Destruction, Dr. Shocker, Dr. Sigmund Zoid, Dr. Ivan Cryptosis, Dr. Tarr, and Dr. Creep. Or if (in a best-case scenario) you can't be saved by an advanced degree and a negative surname, perhaps Reverend Polypus or Rev. Billy Zebubba will administer last rites.
After that, of course, we leave you to Midnight Mausoleum, Undead Johnny, The Bone Jangler, and Ivonna Cadaver. For in that sleep of death, what nightmares may come?
In addition to the host of hosts, special guests include horror luminaries George A. Romero, Clive Barker, (Vampira: The Movie cast member) Sid Haig, and many more.
Horror actor and Vampira: The Movie score composer Ari Lehman will be manning the Vampira: The Movie table, so be sure to stop by and say hello to First Jason!
Best of all, this Horrorhound Weekend will feature a one-of-a-kind memorial tribute created by horror hosts in honor of Vampira! This event promises to be
one Mad Monster Party, celebrating the life and work of Maila Nurmi and the legacy she leaves behind. In attendance will be horror hosts from all over the globe, paying their respects, talking about their experiences and the ways in which Vampira altered the course of television history. Don't miss your opportunity to be a part of this once in a lifetime event. Click here to buy your tickets now!
| Mar. 26 - 28 | HorrorHound Weekend and Vampira Tribute |
|---|---|
| What: | The biggest horror convention to invade the mid-west, presented by HorrorHound Magazine |
| When: | Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 26 - 28. See official website for exact event times. |
| Where: | Marriott Indianapolis East, 7202 East 21st Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46219 |
| More info. | Official HorrorHound Weekend website. HorrorHound Weekend MySpace. Vampira Tribute event website. |
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