Issue 7 web

ISSUE #7

Female Horror Pioneers Guest Artist

y l m i r G s i r G

Featuring Interviews with

Elvira Adrienne King Brinke Stevens The Soska Sisters Teri McMinn and More •

ISSUE #7

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Editor-in-Chief Deanna Uutela Sales & Marketing Director James R. Beach Creative Director Miss Mandible Assistant to the Editor Lisa Burchell Columnists Gary Castleberry Jeff Dean Jesus Figueroa Michael “Dedman” Jones Matt Majeski Robert Poole Nowal Massari (ZeeGee) Queenie Thayer Melissa Thomas Amanda Rebholz Jonathan Reitan Copy Editor Ashley Rask Contributors James R. Beach Erika Instead Chazlyn Lovely Eddie Spughetti Cover Art: “Elvira” by featured artist Gris Grimly

DEADITORIAL “I knew I would grow up and wear a costume one day, and that’s exactly what happened.”

–– Cassandra Peterson (AKA Elvira) If you follow us regularly, one, you and my mom have something in common, and two, you should recognize the name Gary Castleberry. Our “Monster Man” through-and-through, Gary started our popular Monster Maker column, as well as securing interviews each issue with the greats such as Julie Adams, Sara Karloff, and Bela Lugosi, Jr. Despite being horribly sick, Gary would turn out two or three articles each issue and had a wealth of knowledge about Universal Monsters and all films from that era. His interviews in particular are awardwinning material in my opinion and some of the best we have featured.

Gary passed away suddenly on us while I was busy working on this issue. He had been fighting some serious health problems for years, not that it showed in his writing or deadlines in the slightest. Every time he would warn me he was going into the hospital I wished him well and always told him to not worry because he always comes back, but this time he didn’t and it broke my heart into pieces.

Living Dead Magazine Issue #7 would not have been possible without the generous contributions and support from our fans; the design and promotional assistance of Lisa Burchell; all of the amazing photographers and models who sent us their work; and our dead sexy models, The Living Dead Girls.

Before Gary’s death he had been working on interviews with Debi Rochon, Teri McMinn, and other talented, well-known actresses. Gary always strived to promote horror’s Scream Queens that he so greatly adored. After his passing, you should have seen the outpour of condolences from celebrities and fans alike! Everyone loved Gary, and for good reason!

Gary was the type of journalist who was an educated fan first and a “businessman” second; meaning, rather than ask the questions he thought would sell more copies or attract attention, he (as a die-hard old school horror fan) asked the questions he would want to have answered.

Living Dead Magazine is published 5 times a year with schedule available on our website and accepts no responsibilities for unsolicited manuscripts, photos, art or other materials. Freelance submissions accompanied by S.A.S.E. will be seriously considered, and, if necessary, returned.

It’s really hard for me to talk about Gary because he was more than a colleague, and more than a friend--he was a father figure for me, praising me on every issue, giving me guidance when I needed it, comforting me when I was ridiculed by haters, and believing in me whole-heartedly when many people didn’t. I miss Gary every single day and somehow I feel this issue is the perfect tribute to his memory. When I met Gary, he fought hard to help me gain the respect of others as a boss, as I had been facing a great deal of bigotry, so you can imagine the pain of losing him while working on an issue that focuses on females in horror and respecting their roles in this genre and lifestyle.

For Ad Info, Contact James R. Beach: jamesrbeach03@gmail.com

Gary has contributed to a few different magazines in his life, but he had always told me that Living Dead had meant the most to him because of our variety, commitment, respect, and the style we put into honoring horror culture. He believed so greatly in the magazine, the brand, and the convention. After days of crying, I decided to do as he did: I sucked it up and continued on with the dream, the passion, the drive, and fulfillment of everything that myself and my colleagues aim to achieve. Now, we do it for an even better cause, we move forward to continue Gary’s desires and legacy to keep horror alive and thriving.

Entire contents copyright Living Dead Magazine 2015.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Printed In The United States By: Keness - Homestead, PA USA Send Letters To Living Dead Magazine PO Box 20022 Portland, OR 97230

Deanna Uutela Deanna Uutela Editor-in-Chief

issue #7

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spring 2015

columns 5 Horror Merch review

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www.livingdeadmagazine.com

GhostTours Take Us to Frankenstein Castle

6 news of the dead

11 Debby Dodds Reviews The Lazarus Effect

9 stalker’s corner

18 The Soska Sisters

10 staff movie picks 12 gospel of gore 14 Monster Makers 32 Living Dead Bitchin’ Babe of the Month 38 Featured Artist Gris Grimly

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www.livingdeadcon.com

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20 Journal of a Chronic Werewolf 23 Guest Writer Eddie Spuhghetti Surprise Prom Date

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26 Brinke Stevens 34 Adrienne KinG

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44 Elvira

62 Book Reviews

52 Award-winning writer debbie rochon

66 Music Review

56 Teri McMinn

67 Galleria Macabre

60 Penny Dreadful

70 Talent on the Rise

64 Hatbox Ghost

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We started Living Dead Magazine not only to showcase all of the amazing horror work and businesses being created every day, but because we are huge fan boys and girls who worship and respect horror actors and directors who have perfected their craft. So when these same celebs respond back with the same respect and love that we shower upon them, it is something to be proud of that we just have to share! And we want to hear from you too, got a fan photo of yourself with our merch or magazine? Please don’t be shy to send it our way and we will share the pic in our next issue:

l i v i n g d ea dm a g azine@gmail.com

Actress Erin R. Ryan was thrilled to be featured in Living Dead’s Issue #3: Supernatural/Paranormal

Derek Mears (Friday the 13th Reboot, Hatchet III) towered over our columnist Melissa Thomas at Horror Realm.

The gorgeous Felicia Rose of Sleepaway Camp just gets better with age--just like the magazine!

Guest Contributor Eddie Spuhghetti cozies up to Issue 6 of Living Dead. Get a room already!

T-Shirt T-Shirt Reviews Reviews with with Melissa Melissa Thomas Thomas

We’ve all seen the Camp Crystal Lake counselor T-shirts floating around since novelty tourist T-shirts became a thing, but now BigtimeTeez is offering an even better faux tourist shirt with their Crystal Lake Boat Tours T-shirt. Come along on a boat ride around Crystal Lake with this Friday the 13th inspired T-shirt review.

What’s not to love about this design? It’s quite simplistic yet eye-catching at the same time. The design is large, covering pretty much the entire front of the T-shirt, and the color choices really make the design come to life—the white and red contrast nicely with the black T-shirt. The screen printing is absolutely flawless too—there are no signs of cracking or peeling. I have washed and dried this shirt several times now, and there are still no signs of fading or sloughing off of the design.

The Crystal Lake Boat Tours design is available in men’s, women’s and children’s sizes. It is also available in a wide array of shirt styles: women’s form fit T-shirt, men’s T-shirt, kid’s T-shirt, V-neck, adult tank top, adult long sleeve and adult pullover and zipper hoodies. BigtimeTeez also has the largest span of sizes, including women’s small–2XL, men’s small– 5XL and kid’s small–XL. The T-shirt itself is already preshrunk, which is so refreshing. Who wants to pay money for a shirt that will shrink the first time you wash it? The material is breathable and comfortable enough to wear any season.

What makes the Crystal Lake Boat Tours T-shirt even better?

Instead of the $20 or more you would pay for a similar T-shirt, this one starts at only $14.95. This price is more than fair, and in this instance you don’t have to sacrifice quality for a low price.

This is a must own for any fan of Jason Voorhees and the Friday the 13th franchise. Pick up this shirt and many other funny, zombie, horror and pop culture inspired T-shirts at BigtimeTeez.com.

The discount code MISSTEN (in all caps) will get you 10 percent off at checkout. This code does not expire.

BigtimeTeez is also offering a matching Crystal Lake Boat Tours snap-on shell phone case for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5. It features the same picture as the T-shirt with a high gloss finish.

It is available with a choice of a white or black background.

LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM 5

Spring 2015

By Chazlyn Lovely

Issue No. 7

Robert Kirkman has spilled the beans! The comic writer and future Hollywood film producer confirmed on Twitter that The Walking Dead companion series previously being produced under the code name “Cobalt,” is officially named “Fear the Walking Dead.” While it’s not the most creative title out there, AMC has enough faith in it to pick up the show for two seasons even before its premiere. The usual suspects – Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Greg Nicotero and David Alpert – are set to return as executive producers for the show, while on-screen viewers will become acquainted with Cliff Curtis (“Missing”, “Gang Related”), Kim Dickens (“Gone Girl”, “Sons of Anarchy”), Frank Dillane (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), and Alycia Debnam Carey (Into the Storm). The show will be set in Los Angeles, and Charles Collier (president of the AMC network) has teased that the companion series will explore “what was going on in other parts of the zombie apocalypse, and what it looked like as the world really did ‘turn.’” Six one-hour episodes comprise the first season, which makes its debut in 2016, but you can catch the first sneak peek during the Chris Hardwick hosted “Talking Dead” segment that will air after the season 5 finale of the original show on March 29th.

Yes it’s about teens, Yes they are probably having sex, & No MTV still doesn’t play music videos

Speaking of TV shows undergoing production under a different name, MTV has been holding casting calls in New Orleans for a project so far only known as “Hush.” Whether this title will remain is to be seen, but the new show based upon the series of Scream films that began in the ‘90s, is actively searching for actors, models and other talent to portray students, teachers, and police officers. Filming is scheduled to take place in April and wrap in July. The show focuses on a YouTube video gone viral and a murder that re-opens old wounds for the young inhabitants of Lakewood. It’ll star Willa Fitzgerald, Taylor-Klaus, Bobby Campo, Connor Weil and Joel Gretsch, and while several other social-media based horror films are set to be released in the near future, this show promises to be a #slasher.

Emerald City Comic Con is a blessing to us all. Its latest gift? The announcement of The Steam Man

by Dark Horse Comics. Created by Joe Landsdale (Batman: The Animated Series) and written by Mark Miller (Clive Barker’s Next Testament), The Steam Man will be released in October and will basically be everything we’ve ever dreamed a Steampunk Old Wild West comic could be. The story is a fusion of influences that includes old dime novel drawings that Lansdale has encountered, sci-fi covers by Frank R. Paul, and despite not claiming them as an influence, manga featuring giant fighting robots.

From the art released so far, this comic will be brutal and gorgeously detailed. Based upon an original short story that Lansdale wrote called “The Steam Man of the Prairie and the Dark Rider Get Down.”

Miller notes that the narrative will echo classic literature and will be full of references without overshadowing the originality of the characters.

First Twin Peaks, then some weird announcement about Coach coming back, and now The X-Files?

We’re in 90s sci-fi/horror TV show heaven (well minus Coach that’s horrifying in a much different way)! The dynamic duo David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson return as Mulder and Scully alongside creator/executive producer Chris Carter for the six episode return of the show. While very little else has been finalized or even announced, don’t be surprised to hear mentions of the Colonization Date despite the fact that December 22nd 2012 has come and gone, and expect sightings of The Smoking Man to be widely reported.

For the first time in haunted tour planning, a tour group will spend their Halloween night in Frankenstein Castle. The same organizers who present “Dracula Tour,” which hosts travelers inside Transylvania’s Dracula’s Castle every year, have officially announced that the 2016 “GHOSTour” theme travel adventure, taking place October 2-November 1, 2016, will find guests celebrating Halloween night inside Frankenstein Castle in Germany.

“GHOSTour” takes travelers to supernatural cities with histories rich in magic, murder and the mysterious, and Frankenstein Castle is just one of the amazing places to be visited in Germany. The tour also goes to the mystical walled city of Rothenburg, a preserved medieval town not unlike Vlad’s birthplace, Sighisoara. It is home to the Medieval Crime Museum, filled with diabolical instruments of pain, punishment & torture, and also the Doll and Toy Museum, with two floors of historic playthings (and if you saw the film “Annabelle” you can guess how creepy this place could be). The visit to Rothenberg will feature both the “Night Watchman” tour and the “Executioner Tour,” and a journey to Heidelburg will include Heidelburg Castle, Funicular Railway and Witches Tower.

This theme tour splits the week in both Germany and the Czech Republic, with much of the highlights taking place in Prague.

En route between Germany and Prague, travelers will also get to see possibly the scariest place on Earth - Houska Castle. Hidden in the forests in Northern Czech, this fortress was not built to repel attacks or keep invaders out; it was built to keep something in! It was erected to close the gateway to hell. It was built upon a fabled bottomless pit to lock out (or in) winged creatures and demonic beasts from entering our world. The recurring ghosts at Houska are plentiful, including a headless black horse, giant human/frog/bulldog and a woman in an old dress who is frequently seen peeking out of top floor windows.

Prague is considered the most haunted city in central Europe, where ghost-hunters, paranormal investigators and monster mavens continue to visit and explore. Travelers will experience everything Prague has to offer including the ancient Castles, the haunted neighborhoods and dark alleyways of the Old Town, the Underground City, the Astronomical Clock, the Alchemy Museum, the Old Jewish Quarter, Charles Bridge and the Golem-Monster to name a few.

In additional to Prague, “GHOSTour 2016” will also be venturing into the darkest regions of other parts of the Czech Republic including the Klatovy Catacombs, Svihov Castle and Zvikov Castle.

Combine all this with independent late-night séances, visits to graveyards, on-board classic ghost & genre films, time allotted for shopping, a mad monster-mash masquerade ball/farewell party and other surprises, and travelers will enjoy one of the most memorable macabre tours in haunted history.

For further information, email ToursofTerror@aol.com, phone (203) 795-4737 or visit www.GHOSTour.com, where travelers’ reports of past tours can also be found.

Other upcoming Tours of Terror include the Summer Vampire Vacation July 13-20, 2015, the 2015 Halloween Dracula Tour October 27-November 3, 2015 and GHOSTour to England May, 2016.

GHOSTours Spend Your Halloween Inside Frankenstein Castle

STALKER'S CORNER

Creepy Clowns

by Chazlyn Lovely

Welcome back to the Stalker’s Corner, where we openly creep out and obsess about what’s new with celebrities, artists, shows, body parts and anything else that makes our pants tight and our hearts stop. This issue we creep ourselves out with some serious clownage, and these red noses aren’t raising money for any kids and they sure as hell aren’t funny. costume; Dad goes fuckin’ crazy.

Welcome to Murder World, Meet the Contestants!

Reviews on the film are trickling in, and the reaction is somewhat mixed.

One reviewer on Bloody Disgusting notes that the film feels like it was a short film stretched into a feature-length run time. Several reviewers spread throughout the web felt a bit cheated to find that most of the murders occur off screen. Most find the narrative to be entertaining, and while it’s a different take on the horror movie clown trope, it ends up being too predictable.

Step right up folks, get your "murderbilia!”

Who better to purchase a painting of a clown from than “Killer Clown” John Wayne Gacy?

It’s no secret that we here at Living Dead Magazine love Rob Zombie, so it’s no surprise that we are anticipating his latest project, 31, with about the same amount of patience Otis Firefly has with his sister Baby as she begs for Tutti-FuckinFruity ice cream. For those unfortunate souls who haven’t been keeping up with Zombie’s latest masterpiece (and really, what is wrong with you?), 31 is a horror flick about a deadly game (I know, hang in with me here) where five contestants are kidnapped one at a time in the five days leading up to Halloween, and taken to a place called Murder World. Once in Murder World, they have 12 hours to kill their opponents, a group of clowns called “The Heads.”

The project was funded in a Fanbacked campaign this past summer, and as a reward for supporting the project, “backers” have been treated to all kinds of information and goodies. Still, slowly but surely, more Information about the film has become available to the general public, and among the tantalizing tid-bits the cast of the film has been revealed.

One of the many things fans of Zombie’s films appreciate is the stellar casting, which is usually made up of a core group of regulars. 31 is no different in this regard, although there are a few new additions to the Zombie family.

Basically, when it shows up on Netflix, give it a spin if you’ve seen everything else too many times.

“Pogo the Clown” and “Skull Clown” are just two of the pieces of “murderabilia” available from the convicted killer of 33 teen boys in the ‘70s on the website Serial Killers Ink. Gacy’s art and other collectible items are just some of the ones being offered from the world’s most notorious murderers.

Since the ban of serial killer-related items on eBay, websites such as Serial Killers Ink, Murder Auction, Darkvomit, and Supernaught have risen to fill the niche-market demand.

With artwork prices reaching thousands of dollars, and with the steady interest Americans have with “celebrity” killers, this is a booming business that doesn’t look to be going anywhere despite anti- “Notoriety-for-Profit” laws in several states prohibiting convicted criminals from profiting from the acts that landed them in jail.

While “Skull Clown” is on the creepier end of the art spectrum, most pieces by famed serial killers tend to be more tame than expected, with frequent subjects such as landscape and still life paintings, and string art. Some of the above websites have outlined particular rules as to what kind of trinkets and art can be sold in their respective online stores – Murder Auction, for instance, prohibits the sale of items that are related to children of either the offending party or the victim, items of 9/11 victims, or “historical events related to dark points in history.”

Eli Roth’s Clown

As usual, it’s not a Zombie film unless wife Sheri Moon has a role to play, although I find it interesting that, out of the entire cast, hers is the only character that is as-of-yet unnamed. Joining her are the usual suspects: The Devil’s Rejects’ E.G. Daily as “Sex-Head” and Lew Temple as “Psycho-Head,” Rejects and Halloween 1 & 2 veterans Daniel Roebuck as “Pastor Victor” and Malcolm McDowell as “Father Murder,” Halloween 2’s Richard Brake as “Doom-Head,” and The Lords of Salem stars Judy Geeson as “Sister Dragon” and Torsten Voges as “Death-Head.”

Apparently, Eli totally agrees. Five years ago, a fake movie trailer called “Clown” hit the web, claiming that producer Eli Roth was attached to the project. Fast forward to the present day to find fiction-turned-reality. Clown has been released in both Italy and the UK, and while it’s not yet hit the US circuit one assumes that it must sometime soon, since a DVD release has already occurred in both of the aforementioned countries.

Rounding out the cast are newbies David Ury (Shoot ‘Em Up) as “Schizo-Head” and Lawrence Hilton (Welcome Back Kotter) as “Panda.”

The film, directed by Jon Watts, is basically every child’s (and many adult’s) worst fear: Clown doesn’t show up for the birthday party; Dad takes over the role of Clown; Dad becomes physically fused to the

So let’s take the already freaky appearance of a clown and go ahead and make it permanent by fusing it to the human body. That sounds great, doesn’t it Eli Roth?

Harley Quinn Comic Book News Did you know that Harley Quinn wasn’t originally introduced in the Batman comic series? I didn’t. Apparently, she was introduced in 1992 – the same year that Barney & Friends began terrifying children everywhere – in cartoon form in Batman: The Animated Series. Today, Harley has a comic of her own, which continues to sell pretty well, thank you very much.

The Harley we know and love isn’t the Harley we’ll be seeing when writer Steve Pugh takes on her story in Convergence: Harley Quinn.

Convergence, for those who don’t know, is an upcoming DC Comics event taking place throughout April and May of this year wherein a comic will be released every week that ties up storylines from Earth 2: World’s End and The New 52: Future’s End, and will feature Brainiac. During Convergence, all regular DC comics will be placed in a state of hiatus while two-part miniseries tie-ins will be released in their place. For Harley, Convergence picks up where Gotham City Sirens left off, with our charismatic lead in the role of responsible caregiver for someone, Pugh teases, she may have “damaged” herself. Things change for her however as Captain Carrot makes a return and Catwoman and Poison Ivy spur Ms. Quinn into action once more.

To make things more complicated for Harley, Captain Carrot doesn’t return alone – he’s joined by the rest of the “Amazing Zoo Crew”.

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staff flick picks

Most Memorable scene with a horror actress

Gary Castleberry

Deanna Uutela

James R.Beach

Jeff Dean

The Bride of Frankenstein

Carrie (1976)

Friday the 13th (1980)

Texas Chainsaw Massacre

After being unveiled, the Bride jerks her head hissing at poor ol’ Frankie who in turns blows them all up.

The unforgettable rage and pain that comes over Carrie’s face, body and even hands when she is doused in pig’s blood.

When Alice is in a boat and Jason comes out of the water to pull her in.

Sally Hardesty having supper with Leatherface, Grandpa and the rest of the family.

Amanda Rebholz

Miss Mandible

Matt Majeski

Nowal Massari

Sleepaway Camp (1983)

Aliens (1986)

Hellraiser (1987)

The final shot where we get to find out what little Angela’s secret is.

Ellen Ripley protecting Newt & screaming “Get away from her, you bitch!” to the Alien Queen.

Kirsty Cotton’s first encounter with the cenobites in the hospital.

A basic but spellbinding scene.

Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Tim Attuquaffeyio

Michael Jones

Queenie Thayer

Melissa Thomas

Halloween (1978)

Dead Alive (1993)

Ginger Snaps (2000)

Halloween 4 (1988)

When Laurie is in the closet, because seriously, no one puts Jamie in a closet!

When Lionel’s mother devours Paquita’s dog and Paquita says “Your mother ate my dog!” and he replies, “Not all of it...” while holding its spinal cord.

The delicate balance of viciousness and vulnerability as Ginger cries, “I killed a dog, B! That’s fucked up!” as she describes her transformation from woman into wolf.

Jamie Lloyd standing at the top of the stairs in a clown costume after stabbing her aunt with a pair of scissors as Dr. Loomis screams at her with a gun pointed at her.

Actress : Elsa Lanchester (1935)

Actress : Felissa Rose

Actress : Jamie Lee Curtis

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Actress : Sissy Spacek

Actress : Sigourney Weaver

Actress : Diana Peñalver

Actress : Adrienne King

Actress : Ashley Laurence

Actress : Katherine Isabelle

Actress : Marilyn Burns (1974)

Actress : Heather Langenkamp

When Nancy tells Glenn, “Whatever you do... DON’T fall asleep.”

Actress : Danielle Harris

review by debby dodds

The Lazarus Effect, a new film by Director David Gelb (Jiro Dreams of Sushi), presents horror fans with an interesting mashup of some of horror’s greatest hits. If I hadn’t liked it as much as I did, I might have called it derivative, but because I found the psychological suspense pretty riveting, I’ll call it an homage. Inevitable comparisons to both the cheesy Flatliners and Frankenstein will be rife, but arguably Lazarus has a more believable premise for both the initial experiments with reanimation and the (unwise) escalation to a human subject.

As a diehard horror fan, I couldn’t help but relate some of the moral quandaries being raised in Lazarus with what they explore in many of my favorite television series and films. I couldn’t help but think of Dark Willow from the Buffy series when evil consumes the protagonist in Lazarus, and the power of dreams becoming more than just dreams reminded me, naturally, of A Nightmare on Elm Street (particularly Dream Warriors). And there was even a bit of a Carrie feel when the leading lady begins to realize her burgeoning telekinetic power.

It might sound like this film is just a rip-off of every other horror film that has come before it, but the storyline and acting—particularly that of both Mark Duplass and Sarah Bolger—is solid. The supporting characters seem a bit stereotypical. Olivia Wilde does an impressive amount of jaw muscle acting.

Lest you think the film has no fresh surprises, it was the first one I’ve ever seen that portrays the potential doucheyness of vaping and dire repercussions, horror film style. And while the film has a sly sense of humor, it never crosses the border into cheesiness.

The gore is surprisingly minimal and the endings that turn out not to be endings are pretty lame, but in the end, the final scene provides a satisfying conclusion.

LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM

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GOSPEL OF GORE WITH THE REVEREND JEFF JUGULAR Join Reverend Jeff Jugular as he praises the virtues of living a life filled with subversive cinema. He will help cleanse your soul of the boring megaplex madness by suggesting the very best and worst in horror/ cult cinema.

Have you ever liked something you felt guilty about? Have you ever loved something only to have everyone tell you that what you love is bad for you? I’m sure you have. Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s OK. Don’t be ashamed. Love what you love. I’ve heard the saying, “If you love someone, set them free.” Well, I prefer my grandpappy’s old adage: “If you love someone, clock them over the head and lock them in your basement.” You see, I love bad girls—wicked women, horrid honeys. I’m not ashamed to admit it. Some dudes are attracted to hair or eyes or legs or whatever—I’m drawn to females whose attributes are mean, rotten, nasty, and deranged. There are all kinds of bad and a whole lot of different flavors of crazy, but I don’t discriminate. They all fall in the same deep fried bucket of fun. The world of cinema is filled with demented dames. Here are a few of my personal favorites.

I Like them Mean with a side of CRAZY

Baby Jane Hudson • Actress: Bette Davis • (1962) Baby Jane Hudson is an ex-vaudeville child star whose youth and fame are now but a faded memory. She now resides in an old Hollywood mansion caring for her crippled sister, Blanche, who was once a popular teen idol movie actress. When the public starts showing an interest in Blanche’s old films, Baby Jane’s jealousy is unleashed. Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, whose disdain for each other was well-documented, are perfectly cast as the aging sisters. Davis gives one of terror cinema’s greatest performances as Baby Jane, filling the role with sorrow, fury, madness and sadistic glee. It’s a bombastic, brave and unhinged portrayal. The scene of Baby Jane singing her long forgotten hit while dressed as a little girl is divinely disturbing. Featuring superb black and white cinematography and grand performances from two iconic actresses from Hollywood’s golden age, this '60s shocker is not to be missed.

Stirba • Actress: Sybil Danning • Howling II: Your Sister Is a Werewolf (1985) This is not a good movie. It’s not a bad movie either. It’s a movie that exists in its own mind-numbing realm—so awful and awesome at the same time, it is basically ripping at the fabric of reality. Let’s focus on the awesome, Sybil Danning as Stirba, queen of the werewolves.

Watch Sybil Danning as Stirba parade around in a black leather outfit left over from a Judas Priest music video while chanting lycanthrope incantations. Watch Sybil Danning as Stirba use her werewolf magic to overheat a poor chap’s head until his eyes explode. Watch Sybil Danning as Stirba have a were-threesome.

Watch Sybil Danning as Stirba command a vampire bat to rape a priest’s mouth. Watch Sybil Danning as Stirba engage in a laser light battle with Christopher Lee. All of those reasons are great, but the real reason to watch is Sybil Danning and her glorious knockers. golden age, this '80s shocker is not to be missed.

Ilsa • Actress: Dyanne Thome • Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS (1975) I love a woman in uniform, and if said woman is a busty, oversexed Nazi into severe S&M, well, sign me up.

Ubersultry Dyanne Thorne is Ilsa, the top commander at a Nazi death camp. Her mission is to prove that women can withstand more pain than men, thus making better soldiers. The poor prisoners at the camp are her unfortunate test subjects. Ilsa also has a voracious sexual appetite and works her way through various prisoners, trying to find someone who can satisfy her desires. Those who are not up to the task are quickly sent off to have their balls lopped off. However, she meets her match in a strapping blond American prisoner. Ilsa subjects her victims to flogging, castration and some sort of electrified dildo torture device. It’s Naziploitation cinema at its finest. Even though Ilsa appears to perish at the end of the film, fear not, she returns for two sequels. Sieg Heil!

Asami Yamazaki • Actress: Eihi Shiina • (1999) You know what they say about those shy, quiet types. They may appear all demur and innocent, but let me tell you, they usually have some pretty big skeletons in their closets. In the case of Asami Yamazaki from Takashi Miike’s Audition, it’s more like a goddamn graveyard. I would really hate to summarize the plot of this picture, for I believe this is one of those films where viewers should go in as fresh as possible—the less you know about the film the better. Just let Miike take you on a beautiful ride through twists and turns, dark tunnels and finally over the edge. All I will say is that Asami, played wonderfully by Eihi Shiina, is one of the most beautiful, captivating, fucked up bitches ever committed to celluloid.

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Top 10 Favorite Exploitation Actresses

By Lady Terminator / Erika Instead

Do you know what I love in a movie? A badass broad. Nothing makes me happier than seeing a beautiful woman take a stance, discover her strength, wield a weapon and/or blatantly defy expectations. I adore femme fatales, angels of vengeance, bad girls and chicks who refuse to be controlled by anyone. One of the best places to find these dauntless babes is in an exploitation film. Here are 10 of my favorite actresses who didn’t shy away from sex and violence.

Laura Gemser

Known as Emanuelle for her role in the Black Emanuelle series of softcore films, the gorgeous Gemser portrays a woman who is curious, independent and intelligent. Her character’s lust for knowledge often equals her lust for physical pleasure. Though Emanuelle’s hedonistic attitude is a convenient excuse to display Gemser in a variety of titillating situations, it is also empowering to see her character unabashedly own her sexuality.

Sybil Danning

This golden-haired goddess found screen time in several B movies, but she specifically made her mark in the world of exploitation films with two women in prison flicks, Chained Heat and Reform School Girls. Whether she’s playing the warden or the inmate, Danning is always a pleasure to watch.

Christina Lindberg

This voluptuous Swedish beauty starred in many softcore erotic films, but it is her role as the mute Frigga in the rape/revenge flick Thriller: A Cruel Picture where she really shines.

With her big brown eyes and an air of innocence about her, Lindberg creates a sympathetic character, making the viewer root for her all the more as we witness her degradation, manipulation and ultimate transformation into a deadly force.

Pam Grier

One of the queens of blaxploitation, Grier always exudes confidence whether she’s playing a bad girl in prison (The Big Doll House) or a valiant vigilante righteously taking down drug dealers (Coffy). Her characters are always the perfect blend of strength, attitude and sex appeal.

Zoë Lund

In Abel Ferrara’s Ms. 45, Lund’s performance as the mute Thana is nothing short of mesmerizing.

Without any spoken lines of dialogue, she conveys Thana’s mental and emotional journey as she strives to cope with the ever increasing violence in the city around her. As her strength and confidence grows, she simultaneously spirals out of control finding herself a spree killer rather than the vessel of vengeance she had intended.

Meiko Kaji

This Japanese singer and actress made her mark on exploitation cinema playing outlaws and vigilantes. She starred in several series including Stray Cat Rock and the Female Convict Scorpion flicks. As Yuki in Lady Snowblood, this raven-haired beauty could just as easily tear a foe apart with her piercing gaze as she could with a blade.

Camille Keaton

Keaton’s claim to cult fame came in the role of Jennifer Hills from Day of the Woman, also known as I Spit on Your Grave. After the graphic and lengthy gang rape scenes, there’s something incredibly satisfying about seeing Jennifer charge forward wielding an axe.

Lina Romay

This pouty brunette frequently appeared in the violent and erotic films of smut master Jess Franco, a man she would eventually marry. With credits in over 100 films, Romay is no stranger to the world of exploitation and cult cinema. A personal favorite of mine is her role as Maria in the women in prison flick Barbed Wire Dolls.

Reiko Ike

The exquisite Ike became known for her roles in the pinky violence films of the ‘70s, especially the beautifully shot classic Sex and Fury. As Ocho, she is a skilled swordswoman who wreaks vengeance with a coolness and grace.

Dyanne Thorne

While most of the women I chose are included for their protagonist roles, Thorne stands out on this list as an actress I adore for her portrayal of the villainess in Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS and its sequels. Sadistic and terrifying, Ilsa ruthlessly dishes out pain to both men and women alike. The icy and buxom blonde ruled with an iron fist, having no regard for the well-being of anyone but herself. She’s exactly the kind of character I love to hate.

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MONSTER MAKERS The Monster Makers column for Living Dead Magazine was the brainchild of our staff writer and amazing friend Gary Castleberry. When Gary and our editor-in-chief were discussing who to feature for this issue, Gary was incredibly excited about and impressed with the multi-artist Nicci Fett. He couldn’t wait to speak with her and delve more into her world. Sadly, Gary passed away suddenly before he was able to do the interview with Nicci. We all had a long mourning period, and we weren’t sure if we could even continue the Monster Makers column without our beloved Gary, but in the end we decided this column was the perfect way to honor our Gary every issue and the artists he was so impressed with.

So please honor Gary’s memory and welcome our new Monster Makers columnist Matt Majeski, who we know without a doubt will do this column justice.

With NIcci Fett

A True Renaissance Artist

By Matt Majeski In Memory of Gary Castleberry

It truly amazes me how certain people can be a total threat in not just one or two fields of artistry, but multiple fields. Their creative minds essentially know no boundaries, and they are forces to be reckoned with. One said artist thriving in today’s horror community is the extremely talented Nicci Fett. You may not know her by name yet, but there is a good possibility you have seen her work being shared all over Facebook and Instagram.

Either way, we assure you that you’ll be amazed by her twisted, imaginative talent.

Sketch artist, makeup artist, sculptor, prop maker and cosplayer, she has so many titles under her belt that you start to ask yourself, “What can’t she do?” We here at Living Dead Magazine got the fortunate opportunity to talk to Ms. Fett on being a renaissance artist and having all of these different outlets to channel her warped (in the absolute best way possible way) sensibilities.

Living Dead Magazine: First of all, thank you Nicci for taking the time to talk to us about your work.

Nicci Fett: Oh, of course. It’s an absolute pleasure. Thanks for reaching out and taking a peek into my odd life.

LDM: It’s my pleasure. Just out of curiosity, you aren’t related to the Mandalorian Fetts by chance, are you?

NF: Well, that is confidential.

LDM: Alright, we’ll let that one pass. What drew you in to the macabre and horror genre? What films sparked your fascination with makeup, costume design, etc.?

NF: Well, I grew up in a home full of teenage uncles and a teenage brother. I really didn’t stand a fighting chance sprouting into a normal lady. What drew me into horror as a child was Alien. I watched those three movies more than I would like to admit. I even collected all of those strange, awful Xenomorph toys that seemed to make no sense. I believe only the queen alien resembled an actual Xenomorph. I was certainly an odd little wildling, but that’s where the crazy seed was planted. My abilities started with drawing and branched from there, growing into what I do now.

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LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM 15

LDM: How did you go about chasing after this fantastic passion? Were you involved in any stage productions during your school years, short films with your friends, etc.?

NF: I wish I had some big elaborate story of how I got into this, but the truth is, makeup transformation was just a strange hobby of mine. One day I started getting a title as a cosplayer (for years I had no idea what cosplay was.) Before cosplay, I started joining FX makeup forums, prop making forums and fabrication forums. It was great reading about all of these different techniques people were using. I would try some techniques and apply them to my own. Makeup and prop making is cool in a sense that you observe, borrow and evolve your talent. You never stop evolving as long as you are creating.

LDM: Speaking of your school years, if I may, were you ever considered an outsider by others? If so, did that encourage you to go even further with your artistic

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tastes, as far as creating stuff that was more abnormal and more bizarre?

NF: The whole “I never fit in and they bullied me” conversation I get a huge kick out of. A lot of people in the costuming circuit tend to fill their panel time with sob stories about childhood bullying. I guess it goes back to self-evolution. Everyone was picked on, spoken ill of or just plain did not fit in. Growing up is weird and awkward. Kids can be cruel little trolling monsters, and school was a strange, confusing social experiment.

I did my own thing to the point where I was supremely an outcast, but I feel like it built my character. By the time I was in high school, I was a monster. Spending my childhood doing my own thing only made my sense of who I was even stronger. I never had to go through the “trying to be an individual” phase. I knew what I wanted out of life and what made me happy. I knew I was meant to create. It was what I was good at, so I had to run with it.

LDM: It was something you needed to do. That makes total sense. Did you gravitate towards makeup and costume design in particular for the satisfaction of seeing a character on the page made flesh right in front of you, or were there other equal types of gratification that came from them as well?

NF: That’s very accurate, honestly. There’s nothing more satisfying than to be able to bring things you love so much to life. I would spend a lot of time reading graphic novels or just poking around in local comic book shops. I would get caught up in these stories and beautiful illustrations. I start looking at characters and their garb and think to myself, “God, I want that. I want to wear that. It’s so cool.” It was not too long after this that I would start trying to mash things together and become these characters myself.

LDM: On top of makeup and costume design, another one of your many passions is cosplaying at conventions.

To someone who doesn’t comprehend the concept that well, what joys do you find in cosplaying? Does it go back to that childhood like trickor-treat mentality, putting on another character’s skin and transforming into someone different?

NF: Here is the thing: I love building, fabricating, sculpting, and I love getting all this stuff on intricately, hopping into my photo room and getting some shots of my work. When it comes to conventions, I get really nervous, especially the big ones. If you are in the car with me, you will hear me repeat, “I cannot do this.

I might vomit on the floor [Oh my god], I am not even wearing clothes today. I am pretty sure I am having a stroke because I smell nachos for no reason. Let’s go home.”

I really don’t do well in crowds, so conventions are not on my passion list. I do tend to calm down after being on the floor for half an hour, but the first 20 minutes I am often mistaken [for] an ill-placed mannequin, standing in an obscure corner of the venue.

LDM: An ill-placed mannequin that moves. I noticed that you do a lot of makeup and costume tutorials and such on YouTube, which are very detailed and quite informative.

Do you do those out of some sort of obligation for other budding artists to have the type of advice that you didn’t have in your youth? Also, in today’s day and age, where there is so much information out there to aid artists of various mediums, do you think that that encourages them to go after their dreams with full force? Or does that spoil them in a way, discouraging them from finding out the information for themselves, if that makes any sense?

NF: Well, I am not one to ever keep secrets when it comes to creativity. I started making tutorials here and there because I am terrible at properly explaining without just showing people what I do. I also get a ton of costume [and] makeup help requests.

I enjoy helping people and being engaged with my followers. It goes back to my observe, borrow and evolve your talent theory. There are limited unique things when it comes to art. Everything is borrowed from somewhere, so it’s only right to help others by continuing passage of information. I too still have a ton more to learn, and this shows with each new project.

LDM: That’s a great theory, to be honest. I noticed in your videos a lot of your own horror, sci-fi and comic book collection, like a Batman action figure and a life-sized sculpt of the head spider from John Carpenter’s The Thing. It kind of reminds me of being in my own room. Do you think that being around that kind of environment— with those collectibles and such—somehow boosts your creative energy to a new level, getting the juices flowing, so to speak?

NF: Oh, you mean my friends.

The funny thing is, the more

you collect and decorate your home, or create and place oddities around as if they were a photo frame or a flower vase, you tend to forget how odd it actually is until company comes over and is afraid to go near the walls. I think it’s wonderful to surround yourself [with] things that inspire you or moved you so much growing up.

Adulthood does not mean you have to hide these things.

No one should have to wait for Halloween to take their monsters out of the attic. I really should consider taking down this damn Christmas tree though since it is spring.

I am an adult, I swear.

[Instagram and] Twitter. I am Nicci Fett all over the place. I also have an Etsy—search for “ButtGod.”

LDM: Thank you again, Nicci.

NF: Thank you. I hope I was not too much of a bore. The pet parrot does not let me do much at the computer these days and grappled off my eyelids throughout this entire interview.

LDM: Not in the slightest. It

was very enlightening, and I do hope you can get those eyelids reattached.

LDM: One of the coolest adults ever, in my opinion.

Have you ever contemplated going into acting, writing or directing in the future?

NF: As far as acting, I have been approached on numerous occasions. I just tend to shy away from it. I know if it had anything to do with being creepy, animal like or undead, I got that. That is easy stuff. Me as a human—a human woman—oh god, I could not even fathom what that would be like. And as far as writing or directing, that is a whole different ball game. I’ll stick to hands-on creativity, where I can hide in my cave and make something grotesque.

LDM: What new projects are you working on at the moment that you can talk about?

For more information on Nicci Fett, be sure to visit her Facebook page at facebook.com/ErrorFett, where you can find the links to her other pages.

Be sure to check out her Etsy shop as well where she has a lot of monstrous artistry [pun intended].

NF: It’s a secret. I want everyone to throw up, but continue staring and throw up again.

LDM: Where can fans follow you for more information on your work? Do you have a website?

NF: I am most active on

Facebook. It might get way less circulation, but it’s just so organized. Other places you can find me are YouTube,

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The Canadian writer/director duo known as The Soska Twins are far from conventional. These talented sisters have fought their way to the top with their inventive storylines, undeniable charm and a unique ability to work seamlessly together as one cohesive unit, both while writing and on set directing. This isn’t a case of knowing the right person or being in the right place at the right time—these women became two of horror’s hottest filmmakers by doing things their way.

With their breakout hit Dead Hooker in a Trunk, Jen and Sylvia Soska gained prominence in the horror genre, which they have adored since they were young.

"Jen and I are big horror fans, so we kind of always made stuff that we knew we wanted to see, but the reception has been much warmer and gracious than [we] could [have] ever imagined," Sylvia Soska said.

"It's very uncommon for a $2,500 film about a dead hooker [to] launch careers like in our situation, but I know it's because of the outpour of support that we've gotten from the horror community. It's the best feeling in the world."

Their passion for making horror films comes from having a long history with the genre.

"Horror has had a special place in my heart since I was little and saw my first horror film, Poltergeist. I love the genre and I love filmmaking," Jen Soska explained. "I try to push myself with each project to become better and better. I watch films every day. It's important to always be learning and evolving as an artist."

With each film they improve their style, they gain more skills and they tell the stories that matter to them. And each story comes with the chance to learn. No two projects look the same, nor do they have the same style.

For Jen Soska, making sure the work they do affects people is an important part of her process. "Films have been something that I've always loved ever since I was little, so to be able to make films myself and give that escapism and fantasy and happiness to others through our work is just the greatest feeling in the world."

The characters these filmmakers create don’t hide behind any horror movie mask, and they certainly don’t have any superhero powers; these are deep characters with real flaws and problems that make them relatable while still maintaining a mystery and allure about them that keeps you wanting more.

"We try to make all of our characters, men and women, unique and memorable. I really like flaws in people—everyone can get behind a good quality, but give me an interesting flaw any day. That's where you really get to see what makes someone tick," Sylvia Soska said.

"Jen and I are very visual filmmakers, so you will see that trickle into every aspect of our 18

films from the wardrobe to the creatures to the sets. I think there is a beauty in the world, even in the macabre, and I like highlighting that."

The women in their movies, such as Mary Mason played by Katharine Isabelle in American Mary, are strong, complex and most definitely flawed.

"Women are very complex creatures. As a former actress, proudly failed—though I do act for my friends all the time—I feel female roles are very limited. That goes double for identical twins," Jen Soska said.

"I hated the roles I was chasing after. Men get so many fascinating, layered roles with diverse and challenging characters. Women always get stuck being the girlfriend. I hate that. We're so much more than just a conquest, reward or accessory for a man. I write the kind of women I want to watch—strong, fearless and unapologetic."

Much like the characters they create, Jen and Sylvia have had to be strong, fearless and unapologetic in their careers.

"The reason why people don't see more women directors isn't because we don't exist, it's because we rarely get the same opportunities that many of our male counterparts get. Hiring a female director is still seen as a novelty," Sylvia Soska said. "There's a long history of sexism and uphill battles for equality that we are still facing. The good news is that men and women are both tiring of the lack of equal opportunities in the industry and people are using their platforms to speak out on these issues. It's incredibly inspiring. Great films and great filmmakers really inspire me, and we're very lucky because there is an insane amount of talent out there."

The sisters said they “encourage women to follow their dreams and never let anyone tell them they can't do it.” And fans most definitely support the sisters pursuing their dreams. The twins have become one of the most asked for horror guests at conventions all over the world.

"I am so fucking honored. Jen and I live for that. We started in theater where the audience is right in front of you. You are there to experience their reactions firsthand. The world of film doesn't always give you that connection, so it's a treat to go to conventions and meet people and hear their stories," Sylvia Soska said. "The films would be nothing without the support of the people who embrace them. We try to stay very connected online to people who support us, and conventions are where we get to meet a lot of them. We kind of freak out when that happens because we already feel like we know them. Sincerely, people who watch and love our work are the best human beings to ever grace the planet."

It's hard work. The Soska sisters are willing to put effort into being the best they can be and showing the appreciation that they feel their fans deserve.

"We're very high energy. We've always been self-starters and very motivated people. Every minute I don't spend doing something productive feels wasted," Sylvia Soska said. "The business has changed, so you have to be able to get yourself going and put yourself and your work out there.

Part of it is promoting yourself, and I truly feel we're just getting started."

“

Jen Soska said there's one thing that makes it easier to do all they do. "There's two of us. Without another me, I think I'd be dead.

Honestly, we are having the time of our lives with these opportunities. We love making films and meeting people. It's been wonderful."

—everyone can get behind a good quality, but give me an interesting flaw any day.”

LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM 19

Journal of a chronic werewolf

By Queenie Thayer

Some people have a charmed life. I do not. I have a semi-charmed kind of life. When the universe decides to bestow gifts upon me, they usually come wrapped in barbed wire and have “DO NOT ENTER” signs all over them. I don't trust cookies from the universe. So when I decided two years ago that I was going to make a movie, I thought I had all the time in the world—all the "spoons" in the world, as we call it in the chronic pain community.

metaphors I have ever loved, horror metaphors. I adore horror. I love other things too, but horror is my one true love. I have been wooing her since I was a child, trying desperately to be her muse. Horror is my lover.

It's why I want to make creepy bones, write fiction, magazine articles, etc., and it’s why I adore filmmaking. All the wonderful, complicated bits in filmmaking keep me endlessly curious. It's given me a new perspective when I do movie reviews. I am a lot kinder now than when I first started blogging.

I just thought I had time to do it all, that I could be and do anything, that the sky was the limit like they tell you in all that self-help crap. But I have found that the sky has a ceiling folks, and if you hit that ceiling, it will attempt to destroy you.

I never have enough spoons anymore, but I have dreams still. I want to do things, to make things. I was compelled to express what was going on inside of me with the only

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I have hit it quite a few times in the last while, and it is because my chronic pain is getting worse. I have acute, chronic pain. If I didn't have to spend so much money on prescriptions and doctor visits, I'd probably have funded the film on my own already. Hell, if I didn't have to struggle to live in a whole

new country—in America with my husband instead of Canada where I am from—I would have made several movies by now.

My short little film is called Red Handed. It's an exploration of what it means to be a monster displayed through the lens of traditional fairy tales. Red Handed is a short film that takes the traditional fairy tale of Red Riding Hood and turns it on its head. A young girl watches as a woman is being torn to pieces by a werewolf. When the wolf notices her, the two share a moment that reveals things are more than what they seem. It's a very personal story for me, and all the characters in it, you could say, are parts of me.

The film is currently in preproduction and has been for a while, two years in fact. With my financial issues and health issues, it's had to be pushed to the back burner of my life. I fear asking for help—it's one of my biggest fears.

My life isn't simple. It never has been.

I have both chronic pain and chronic mental illness. I have fibromyalgia, Raynaud's syndrome, posttraumatic stress disorder, bipolar and multiple personality disorder.

Yeah, MPD is still a thing, and it's a

real thing I deal with. It's nothing like TV portrays it, and the show that does the best job trying to portray the condition is United States of Tara. I prefer to call myself a "multiple" because I don't think I have an illness or disorder when it comes to the multiplicity, it's just how my brain works. I have alters, I juggle multiple masks—my masks are just more pronounced and are f leshed out people, but I am still me. I had to leave Canada to get help, even though Canada has better healthcare.

I pulled myself out of a drug dealer’s house as a teenager and fucked my life up trying to heal from all of it.

But for me, the war was never over.

I wear armor thicker than any real steel known to man and I look put together on the surface. I thought I had convinced everyone I was OK, but that was a lie. I wasn't OK, and everyone close to me knew it.

I had to be a caretaker as a child to a woman who was in chronic pain, and she used it to abuse the people around her. She could only

be friends with you if you wanted the drugs she had access to. I wasn't very good at taking even prescribed medication, and now I am on an army of drugs myself.

I don't get up like a normal person— normal people can sit up in their beds when they open their eyes without pain. They don't sigh at the throbbing in their back or the soreness in their toes and feet, which are swollen like balloons. I am not normal. I don warrior armor just to get up. Every day I dress in my metaphorical armor just to be present because the physical and mental pain is that bad. But I try to keep my cool—I'm not as cool as I once thought. Everyone I know is aware just how much I am hurting, but I am trying not to make the people around me miserable because I am in pain. I try to make them smile and laugh, and I create art to express what is happening inside me. That's how I cope. I am a fucking werewolf and my moods are as erratic as the moon phases.

But despite everything, I am destined to make my film—a film about werewolves—just to say I fucking did

it. When all the demons in my past said I couldn't, I laughed and said, “watch me.” When even my doctor tells me I am not well, I still write budgets, contact artists for concept art and work on a Kickstarter to raise money. I can't afford to do this movie otherwise, so I promised myself by my birthday next month that I would have a new fundraiser up for Red Handed. When my abusive past tries to destroy me, I draw pictures and paint. I survived so many terrible tragedies, but that isn't going to be the final say in my story. Isn't the whole reason of survival to get up?

Wouldn't it be worth all the pain to try to be the professional weirdo I've always wanted to be just for one moment? I just want to try to show myself I am better than anything anyone has ever said about me, even if I am a chronically afflicted werewolf.

If you are interested in updates on the film (we are going to have an Indiegogo page soon), please find us on Facebook at facebook.com/RedHandedMovie.

LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM 21

Jamie Lee Curtis

Will You Go To The Prom With Me? by

Eddie Spuhghetti

Dear Jamie, What can I say about prom? Well, not much because I didn’t go to mine. I wasn’t formally educated, but instead I let life be my teacher and took my studies on the road. While I educated myself by day, I wrestled by night and ventured off into the sunset towards a distant land that lay yonder south called Mexico. It was there that I wrestled nightly as El Espuhguetis, a masked marvel from the maple syrup soaked streets of Canada. After the referee would raise my muscledefined arm in victory, I’d head to the locker room,

Photos by Matt Maxwell

cut a promo and sit in the moonlight, staring out the window and wondering just what could have been.

OK, OK, most of that was exaggerated just to impress you, but I legitimately didn’t go to my prom—I went home and watched horror flicks like Prom Night instead. Halfway through the film and two burritos later, I realized I was at the prom and you were my date that night. Nine years have since passed and I’ve finally built up the courage to say what’s been on my mind this entire time: I think you’re rad and I dig your style. Will you go to the prom with me?

It was through a dense, thick fog that I first caught glimpse of your aura of awesomeness. The Fog was my introduction to your slate of ‘80s horror films and, coincidentally, your first of the decade.

Coming hot off the heels of Halloween, both you and director John Carpenter made your big screen follow-up in 1980 with this spooky tale of a Northern California fishing town concealing a dark past wrapped in a vengeful mist. As it approaches its 100th anniversary, Antonio Bay is falling apart—car alarms are going off in the middle of the night, clocks are breaking and store clerks are drinking straight from the orange juice stock then putting it back on the shelf.

Unbeknownst to the townsfolk, it’s a greeting from the restless souls of leper colony buccaneers who were sent to a watery grave just a century ago by some dingus priest and the greedy town council. In the midst of all this chaos, a cute yet street smart hitchhiker named Liz is passing through in an effort to venture into Canada. Liz gets picked up by Tom Atkins who portrays Nick (aka Tom Atkins sans mustache). That’s OK though because he’s not some swashbuckling hunk, but rather a guy who’s not afraid to speak his mind or take on Cap’n Crunch’s ghost pals (a quality him and I share, of course). Shit hits the fan though and the hooks come out to greet some of the townspeople, causing Liz, Nick and a few others to band together and stay the heck out of the fog.

With an impressive cast comprised of Carpenter regulars like Nancy Loomis, Charles Cyphers and Adrienne Barbeau, and well-established actors like Hal Holbrook and Janet Leigh, The Fog ranks as one of my personal favorites, not just for being such a great contemporary ghost story, but also for representing the benchmark that brought you to my attention (Seriously, I’m not trying to make you blush, but if your cheeks are red, then mission accomplished.

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that at least one of us can dance, but I am studying under Swayze right now, so I’ll be ready). Amidst the platforms, perms and pumps lies a personal vendetta against some of Kim’s classmates who were secretly involved in the death of her sister just six years prior.

Playing a morbid version of hide-and-seek in an abandoned building. Kelly (Mary Beth Rubens), Jude (Joy Thompson), Wendy (Eddie Benton) and Nick (Casey Stevens) all swear to an oath of silence over the matter of manslaughter and the blame shifts to a convicted sex offender who suffers horribly for it.

Fast forward back to preparing for prom, where cryptic phone calls offer warnings but are dismissed as just pranks until people start to get their throats sliced like hot dogs for Kraft Dinner (not my idea of an after prom meal, but trust me, I got something better up my sleeve). Canadian hero and comedy legend Leslie Nielsen trades in his lieutenant’s badge for a principal license and a serious role as the protective father of Kim and her brother Alex (Michael Tough).

Though some people wonder where your brother is whenever the killer strikes, I’m more in the mindset of what tune our first dance will be set to. How does “The Loco-Motion” sound?

Wrapping up your three picture year, Terror Train takes the action from “737-11-11” Toronto to “Land De La Poutine” Montréal (We’ll go grab one after the dance, I know the best place.) All aboard the party train for New Year’s Eve with rowdy, horny pre-med students in various costumes. Amongst Groucho Marx, a giant lizard dude and Uncle Sam is Alana, a down-to-earth gal with the skills to keep people alive and a smile that you’ll fall dead in love with. Along for the ride are her fraternity friends, magician David Copperfield, The Wild Bunch’s Ben Johnson as the train conductor and a disguised killer bent on revenge against the group.

Let’s throw our cards down here. We both know that I have to bring up your prior experience with proms.

Leaving that fog bank behind and heading straight for Toronto, Prom Night would be your second horror picture of the ‘80s, but also the second of the very same year (There’s a reason 1980 was a great year for horror, and I’m looking at it.)

Just a few years prior, at a much lamer party, a prank involving Alana goes wrong and horribly screws up fellow student Kenny (played quite creepily by Derek MacKinnon) who has since disappeared. The head of the frat, Doc (Hart Bochner), would rather dismiss the incident and party like it’s 1981, but Alana’s not exactly all for that, causing some tension between her and her boyfriend Mo (Timothy Webber), who’s like “I want to be a bro, but I’m also sensitive.”

The graduates of Hamilton High School are preparing for prom and their queen-elect Kim is practicing her dance moves for the big coronation (it’s good

She heads off to check out a magic show, complete with disco music and a performance that only David Copperfield could do. OK, seriously, it’s pretty damn

impressive, and while I’m no pro at magic (I can’t even play that Cars song right on a record player), the way you smile at this guy makes me want to go take a course in Copperfield 101.

Drunkard medical students get bumped off and their identities are taken over by the killer dressing up in their costumes (He must have had one of those Tide To Go sticks to clean off the blood stains.) I caught glimmers of Laurie Strode in your character Alana that I’ll start to gush over right about now.

After a much deserved break and wrapping up production on Road Games in Australia, you stepped back onto familiar ground: Haddonfield, the setting for the story of Laurie Strode’s encounter with slasher icon Michael Myers.

The Night That He Came Home wasn’t over just yet as Halloween was about to become a pretty damn long evening with the release of Halloween II in 1981.

Things pick up shortly after the first film ends with Laurie being taken to a local hospital and Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) continuing his hunt for escaped killer Michael Myers. Learning of her whereabouts starts The Shape on a new quest of making his way across town to Haddonfield Memorial where the staff tend to Laurie’s needs, while being completely unaware of who’s about to make a visit.

Ambulance driver Jimmy (Lance Guest from The Last Starfighter), your love interest in the film, is way too enamored with you (can’t blame the guy) to even

notice the dangers ahead. Meanwhile, Loomis works with local police to uncover more details regarding Michael’s mission and later is informed by familiar face nurse Marion Chambers (Nancy Stephens) that there’s a bigger connection between Laurie and Michael than they could have ever guessed.

Throw me in the fan group for Halloween II over the first, as it all around feels more beefed up—the music is amped with intensity thanks to additional synth, the kills are a lot bloodier and a quiet hospital on Halloween night is not somewhere I’d want to be (unless it were with you, so in that case, I’d be down).

Laurie yet again holds her own against The Shape, and while you may have shot his eyes out, you sure as hell opened up mine.

A superb job was done in maintaining the same look of the first film, and I don’t even care if you’re wearing a wig in this one—your prom queen tiara will look good on you no matter what hairstyle you’re rocking. Halloween II would be your last horror flick for awhile, but what a way to finish off a great run for the ‘80s, even if it were only for the first few years.

I think from all that you got the cut of my jib, and no doubt you’re already reaching for the phone. I could seriously go on about the rest of your horror career and perhaps explain how you make Perfect simply perfect, but it’s getting a tad late now. So, what time do you want me to pick you up?

LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM 25

The Ultimate Scream Queen

Brinke Stevens by gary castleberry

In the world of horror films, female stars come and go. Their movies make a theater run, they scream, they get killed and then, more often than not, they are forgotten. It takes a very special leading lady to make sure that whether they are the victim or not, they stand out and leave a memorable impression. Actress Brinke Stevens is not only unforgettable in every film she has been in, but she has been crowned with the honor of being an original scream queen (something only a handful of actresses have been titled).

She is also a prime example of how females in horror can command the stage as both the killer and the screamer. With over 150 movies to her credit, and many achievements to her name, modern day horror actresses could learn a million things from this lovely, intelligent woman, so read on for Brinke’s guide to being an original scream queen.

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Living Dead Magazine: Brinke, welcome to Living Dead Magazine. It is such a pleasure to have you.

Brinke Stevens: Thank you. It’s a screamingly good publication and I’m excited to be part of it.

LDM: Besides being a horror pioneer, you are a proclaimed science nerd and have a masters degree in marine biology. You also co-wrote a sexy science fiction anthology called Dangerous Toys. Can you tell us about the anthology, the writing process and your passion for science and biology?

BS: I’ve always been far more interested in science fiction than horror. I remember my teachers being very concerned when I was 8 years old and reading mature books by Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein. In high school I yearned to be an astrobiologist and explore alien worlds. It soon became clear that our space program wasn’t keeping up with my ambitions.

Instead, I became an oceanographer because it was still a relatively unknown frontier.

At first I specialized in dolphin communication experiments—sort of dealing with an alien species. Well, that got me kicked out of grad school. I immediately landed a job as an environmental consultant for a nuclear power plant. A decade later, I was the executive editor of Weird Tales magazine. While there, I wrote a serial with acclaimed sci-fi author A.E. van Vogt called The Pandora Principle. I segued into journalism, doing dozens of articles for Femme Fatales magazine. I wrote and sold several screenplays, such as Teenage Exorcist, which I also starred in. Meanwhile, I contributed novellas, short stories, forewords and chapters for books like Dangerous Toys, Hot Blood, Attack of the B Queens, Assault of the Killer B’s and so on.

LDM: You are credited as a director of Terror Toons 3 and 4. Can you tell us about these films and what it’s like working behind the camera?

Brinke & Linnea

BS: Two years ago, filmmaker Joe Castro invited me to pitch an idea for his new Terror Toons 3 anthology. I gave him a brief synopsis for Personal Demons, which he really liked and [he] told me to go ahead and write the screenplay. Then, he liked the finished script so much that he asked me to direct it myself to stay true to my vision.

For years I’d been slated to direct one project or another, but they all fell through, so I was thrilled by his offer.

Last year, when we shot Personal Demons, I hired my pals Linnea Quigley and Debbie Rochon to co-star with me.

It was fun and reassuring to work with my good friends on my very first director job. We shot the whole film against a green screen, which made it easier at times, yet more confusing at others. Like asking yourself, “Does the invisible door swing open this way or that way?’

I think Personal Demons will be released as Terror Toons 4. I also shot a new sequence in character for the tail end of Terror Toons 3 to lead into it.

LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM 27

During her Comic Circuit days promoting Brinke of Destruction John Dennett’s statue of Brinke

Her custom Superhero Costume for Brinke of Destruction 28

LDM: You were the subject of a three-part comic series called Brinke of Destruction. You were also immortalized by having a model kit made in your likeness, which is impossible to find because those who already have one are true collectors and will never let them go. No other scream queen has this high honor. Can you tell us more about this?

time. Our stellar debut as locker room extras was for The Man Who Wasn’t There. We did a couple films as a trio—Sorority Babes and Nightmare Sisters. Later, Michelle and I did Scream Queen Hot Tub Party. Linnea and I went on to do Corpses Are Forever, Disciples and Personal Demons/TT4. Recently, our trio reunited for Something to Scream About, Cougar Cult, Trophy Heads and 3 Scream Queens.

BS: I’ve long been an avid reader of comic books like Wonder Woman, Modesty Blaise and Vampirella. I always wanted to create my own comic story. When I interviewed comic book publisher Brian Pulido (Lady Death) for Femme Fatales magazine, I mentioned my dream and Brian simply said, “Let’s do it!” Together we wrote the first book called Brinke of Eternity, published by Chaos! Comics. Later I took the reins myself to write and self-publish three more issues titled Brinke of Destruction. I hired a costumer at Walt Disney to make my skimpy superhero outfit, and for a couple of years I did many public appearances at comic shops across the country.

Given all these recent films, we gratefully joke that we’re more popular now than ever. It’s wonderful to enjoy this rare 1980s scream queen revival in 2015. I know we all appreciate it a lot more deeply now than when we were in our 20s. Maybe there was a little more competition at the beginning, but that’s all gone now, replaced with an enduring bond of friendship. We always get terribly excited to hear we’ll be teamed up again for something new.

Since B movies alone aren’t enough to pay the rent, that comic book series was part of my lateral expansion into Brinke merchandising. I also produced my own posters, T-shirts, trading cards and a set of compilation DVDs. Two model kits exist: one called “Brinke of Eternity” by sculptor John Dennett, which wasn’t related to the comic book—I was a vampire in a graveyard—and there was also a comic-based kit called “Brinke of Destruction” from the U.K., which had a very small run and is almost impossible to find now.

LDM: It’s so good to see you and your fellow scream queen Linnea Quigley collaborating on so many new films and projects again. Is that chemistry and fun still there when you work with Linnea? Can you tell our readers some fun or funny moments you had with Linnea in the past?

BS: In the 1980s, I often crossed paths with Linnea Quigley and Michelle Bauer. We were all young girls conquering Hollywood at the same

LDM: You have played a vampire many times on film and do one of the best Vampirella cosplays we have ever seen. What has been your favorite vampire role?

BS: It began when I appeared as Vampirella in 1973 at a San Diego Comic-Con masquerade contest. I was still a teenager living in San Diego, and as yet had no thoughts of ever becoming an actress. That night I won first place and met Vampi’s creator, Forrest J Ackerman. We became good friends and [Forrest] was the link to my very first [acting] role in a student short film called Zyzak is King.

In the mid-1980s, I portrayed the vampiric mascot Evila for Monsterland magazine.

Later on I really liked playing Aunt Julia in Creepy [Six Films’] version of Carmilla [2004]. We shot it in Vancouver and utilized many interesting locations. I also relished playing a vamp in Transylvania Twist [1989] because it was such a fun, wacky, delightful movie.

LDM: As a female horror pioneer, can you share your wisdom and any advice you might have for actresses getting into the horror genre today?

BS: I doubt it’s possible to follow exactly in my footsteps. Back in the heyday, there were many independent studios producing a constant stream of low-budget horror films. Today those studios no longer exist, and even B movies themselves are experiencing a major slump. TV is where it’s at right now, and there are so many excellent horror series. I’d suggest to any future horror queen that as soon as you arrive in Hollywood, find a talent agent and get sent out on TV auditions. I also suggest that you learn a useful technical skill (from website design to bartending) so that you can work at a reliable day job until you make it.

LDM: Brinke, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy life to speak with Living Dead Magazine. We are honored and wish you all the best.

BS: Thanks so much. Please check out my website at

www.brinke.com

LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM 29

bitchin'’babe of the month

32

Location

I've been living in Austin, TX for the last 10 years (before the secret got out that Austin was such a cool place to be!); originally from the SF bay area though. I also lived in LA for 5 years before coming to Austin.

Occupation

Custom Purr-fumer (aka the "Mixtress of the Dark") for my own line "Kitty Korvette Presents Purr-fume" available at

www.kittykorvette.net

Also, bass player for Austin-based band, Midwest Monster.

Can you tell us a little about your obvious love for Elvira and her one of a kind look?

I've always been a fan of horror ever since the youngest days of my kittenhood. As I got a little older, I started to love dressing up uniquely, wearing eye-catching make-up and sporting outlandish hairstyles (some things never change!). All this combined with my corny quick-wit, made for an instant understanding and love for Elvira's character when I first stumbled upon her. She made purr-fect sense to me: sexy, intelligent, and funny as hell. The ultimate triplethreat, combined with a heaping-helping of good looks and just the right touch of naivety that can win anyone over.

You appeared on the TV series "The Search for the Next Elvira."

What was that experience like and how far did you get in the competition?

OH BOY! Where to start? First off, I gotta admit that I was saying NO when asked by Cassandra, her personal assistant, and the casting director. We all know what reality shows are like, and I was not about to take any part in a very likely train wreck. I ended up caving in because of the pressure I got from my friends and bandmates. After all, they sold me on the point that Elvira herself was asking me to take part in this, and I had known her for 10 years before this show even came about. So, in that sense, I was honored. But let's just say that should you ever be tempted to say yes to a reality show, feel free to hit me up for advice before signing that contract in blood! Ha! The producers (not Elvira) certainly have an agenda and will edit accordingly. Unfortunately, my cool and clever footage only made it to the cutting room floor. Ha! Everyone has a role that the producers want the viewers to believe, and you likely will cringe just as I did when you see what they turn you into. People who know KK know that was not really her on the show. LOL! It is scripted (sorry if I'm bursting any bubbles out there!). Just know that "reality" TV is anything but reality. I had honestly hoped to "die" off the show in the first episode (like a "now you see me, now you don't" magic trick). I nearly died when I made it to the very end. I knew all along that no one could ever be "the Next Elvira'... That's a very big bra to fill!! LOL! However, I did make a lot of awesome friends with the other contestants and crew, and I am thankful for our lasting friendships. Cassandra rocks so hard, and we continue to stay in touch. She still apologizes for the show and we crack up laughing!

Besides Elvira, who are some of your other all-time favorite female horror pioneers?

I know this is predictable, but—VAMPIRA! (Yes, I know about the ongoing controversy between her and Elvira, but that was between them and no one else.) I also love Elsa Lanchester in her role as The Bride in The Bride of Frankenstein. She made a beautiful monster, didn't she? And one more female that cannot be forgotten is 1931 cinema actress-turned-"Queen of the B's" filmmaker Ida Lupino.

She became the first female noir filmmaker in 1953 with the film The Hitch-Hiker. And later she became the only woman to ever direct an episode of The Twilight Zone and episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Where do you get your inspiration for the large array of perfumes that you sell under your brand Kitty Korvette? Which ones are your favorites?

My inspiration is to help the world smell better, one victim at a time!

HA! My inspiration for the names comes from the things I love most: typically anything horror, feline or fetish-inspired. I have fun naming each scent that I create. I have even had online contests to help name new concoctions. I have nearly 300 custom blends available for men, women, fiends, ghouls, and everything in-between. I only use the highest quality oils in my blends, so you can be sure it is longlasting and will smell great on you (and the one you love). As far as my favorites, that's kind of not fair to ask. I created them all! They all mean something to me! Ha! I guess if I had to name my Top 13 purr-sonal favorite potions, I would say "KITTY KORVETTE" (yes, my namesake is made of aphrodisiacs. Gee, I wonder why....?). Also, "Sleepy Hollow", "White Witch", "Amityville", "Bride of Frankenstein", "Killer Wolf", "Love Me To Death", "Love Potion #138", "Sachet Noir", "Sugar Pill", "Sweet Revenge", "Vamp Tramp", and "To Die For!" Samples are available on my site, so you can always try-before-you-die.

Fans can find you at different conventions around the country. What are some of the upcoming shows you will be attending?

I'm already busy getting myself ready for Texas Frightmare Weekend, May 1-3 in Dallas. TFW was just named Best Horror Convention 2015!

Every year it grows faster than The Blob! This will be my 6th time as a guest, and I have a table full of great KK photos, merch, and many of my Purr-fumes available. If you haven't gone yet, you absolutely should experience it, and don't forget to come say hi!

Last question, if you were a horror villain, what would be your weapon of choice?

WOW, this is a big one to contemplate. If I was a horror villain, I would say my weapon of choice would be the LOOKS THAT KILL! ~Kind of a combination homage to the Motley Crue song, and my favorite line in "Bruiser" by the Misfits: "If looks could kill, then Death would be my name!" I know I would be afraid to approach any villain with that weapon!

LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM 33

34

Hanging with

Adrienne King

on Friday the 13th

By James R. Beach

I've had the good fortune of interviewing Adrienne King a couple of times over the recent years. Adrienne is a wonderfully kind person and so much fun to hang out with and talk to. With the continued popularity of the Friday the 13th series, her icon status is fully locked in for her portrayal of Alice in the first and second films. Adrienne has spent many years behind the scenes doing voiceover work, and in the last few years she's made a comeback acting in a number of independent films such as The Innocent, The Butterfly Room and Tales of Poe, as well as making appearances at various horror conventions. I had a chance to interview her recently for a showing of the original Friday the 13th at a retro film series I host in Kelso/Longview, Wash.

Living Dead Magazine: I'm here with Adrienne King, star of the original Friday the 13th, to commemorate the film on Friday the 13th at the Kelso Theater Pub. Adrienne King: Happy Friday the 13th, everybody.

LDM: I have some of your wines here as well. Thank you very much for signing and personalizing them for me and sending the photos too. People will really enjoy them, I’m sure.

AK: I hope so. I love the fact that Crystal Lake now has its own wine. It's been a lot of fun working with the winery. And the fact that you, the Kelso Theater owner, Mike and the rest of the campers will be simultaneously enjoying them while watching a movie we made over 30 years ago is pretty incredible.

LDM: It's amazing that it’s been that long.

Makes me feel old too.

AK: Tell me about it.

LDM: I saw Friday the 13th first, not when it came out in the theater in 1980 (I was still a bit young for that), but on HBO the following year. In those days you just had a converter box for the pay-per-view channel itself, and I would spend the

night at my friend's house who had it and watch horror movies all weekend.

AK: And you were never the same again, right?

LDM: Nope, but the love for horror movies was already there, and those years in the early ‘80s dented my psyche with all of the Friday the 13th, Halloween, My Bloody Valentine, The Thing, Cat People, Alien, The Shining and so on. So, a question that I have for you is, do you have a fear of camping or of lakes after doing Friday the 13th, much like Janet Leigh did with showers after filming Psycho?

AK: Well, as you can see behind me, my home is not on a lake, but a river, so definitely no fear of water there. The only thing I’m afraid of are partially frozen lakes, because when I was pulled into that lake for that scene in the boat, it was morning and it was 28 degrees when the sun was rising. That I had a fear of for a long time. But I do love the nature and surroundings in the Northwest.

LDM: Why did your character get killed off in the second Friday film?

AK: Well, she didn't. It doesn't make any sense, does it? Could Jason actually look

her up in the phone book? The way I look at it, and the way it was originally approached, was that it was a dream within a nightmare, which makes much more sense since Alice would never be caught dead in that green thing they put her in... The second movie needed to move quickly and they needed Jason to be the killer. Alice obviously wasn't going to turn into a killer. Well, I guess she could have been—nah. So, that's my story and I’m sticking to it.

LDM: It's a common thing in sequels now that someone survives in one film and then is killed off in the next one. Sorry!

AK: Part of it also stemmed around the stalker I had between the first and second Friday films in real life. And because of that, I ended up retiring from acting completely. So, it was a lot like, let's get this over and done and then move on to the next one. We'll do it this way in case you want to come back to acting and be in the films again down the road.

LDM: They left it open-ended. It makes more sense that way to me too.

After everything, I am curious, do you consider yourself a scream queen?

AK: Well, yeah...I definitely scream, I'm a queen—a queen of the river here

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bit more about the film. I know it stars you, Amy Steel from Friday the 13th Part 2, Debbie Rochon, Lesleh Donaldson— it's all '80s people. I even heard that one of the guys from the Village People is in it.

at least. Definitely. I’ve been dubbed a scream queen and a final girl. And as far as rating my scream, I’d say it's probably up there in the top 10. For the top ten scream queens overall, I don't know. James, I’ll have to defer to you on that.

LDM: I'd agree. You're up there with the best. Lastly, what are you working on lately? I know you've made the move back into acting in the last few years after doing voiceover work for many years.

AK: I play the Queen of Dreams in a new film by Bart Mastronardi called Tales of Poe, a film which I believe you are planning on showing yourself up in Kelso.

LDM: I am planning on showing it up here and also at our Living Dead Horror Convention that you will be attending this November in Portland. Tell us a

AK: Yes, it's fabulous.

Talk about scream queen heaven. The actual dreams—all that we see is what we see within but a dream. We have three stories featured within it: "The Tell Tale Heart," "The Cask of Amontillado" and "[Dreams]" (which Amy and I are in), and a wraparound that ties it all together.

LDM: I am also friends with Jason Hawkins who did The Innocent with you not too long ago.

AK: Yes, that was a lot of fun and Jason is very talented, and so is the cast of The Innocent. Maybe he can bring the film up with some of the cast in tow for you.

LDM: Yes, I'm working on that as well.

AK: That would be bloody brilliant.

LDM: Well, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me and answer a few questions.

AK: You're in my heart and here's to you [raises wine glass]. Thanks James.

38

The Monster You Made: The work of Featured Artist

Gris Grimly By editor-in-chief, Deanna Uutela Horror fans typically discover their love of the genre at a young age—be it through films, or in my case, since I was not allowed to watch much television, through Stephen King books. You are attracted to horror as a child because it is a forbidden fruit that taps into an emotion that happy loved children rarely feel—fear. Then, as you grow older into your teenage years, your love of horror deepens into something more—you still love the fear, but you also come to almost identify with and root for the villain who once gave you nightmares. As an adult, that love of horror might even turn into a relationship. You become married to it—it’s a part of you, a lifestyle, a community, a family, and it is much more than a film genre.

For artist, director, writer and producer Gris Grimly, it was the classic horror monsters that he related to the most growing up and that he would one day as an adult reimagine in his films and illustrations. He had those same feelings of not being accepted and trying to find your place in a world that doesn’t understand you that characters like Frankenstein so eloquently conveyed in classic horror films and novels.

It was perhaps this kinship with monsters that led Gris to portray the darker side of every character, be it pop culture related or a Disney character. He brings a Victorian Gothic eloquence that is perfectly complemented by a rockabilly horror edge to every illustration. It is no wonder that his work has attracted fellow artists and actors alike. Elvira is such a huge fan of his work that she has collaborated with him in both film and print, and with Elvira being such a big part of this issue, we just had to find out more about this Gris Grimly character that she raves on about.

LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM 39

Living Dead Magazine: So we know that Elvira is most definitely a fan of yours, and we know you are obviously a fan of hers as well. Were you a fan of shows like Movie Macabre, Up All Night with Rhonda Shear and MonsterVision like many of the horror fans who grew up in the '80s?

Gris Grimly: I was an Elvira fan.

Other than that, I don't recall watching any other horror host shows. I do remember watching this sci-fi block hosted by a creepy guy floating in front of a green screen.

By creepy I mean Isaac Asimov creepy, not Zacherley creepy. Those shows were usually Doctor Who and [The] Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and later on Red Dwarf.

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GG: Slasher films. I, like most kids growing up in the ‘80s, was a fan of the Friday the 13th, [A] Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween films. I remember seeing Hellraiser for the first time. It was lumped in with all the other slasher films, but it was different. It was darker and mythical. I soon found myself a fan of Clive Barker.

GG: I'm a new father working at Disney on a Haunted Mansion animated cartoon, so my inspirational film watching has completely changed right now.

I've been watching a lot of classic Disney films like Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Dumbo. I honestly don't have time to watch movies and haven't seen a horror film in months. But I have hundreds of horror titles on VHS and DVD waiting to be introduced to my son when he gets old enough.

LDM: In an interview a few years ago, you said that you watched a lot of Italian cannibal films and Asian snuff for inspiration. What films are you watching for inspiration these days?

LDM: How much fun was it to work on artwork for Cassandra Peterson (Elvira), and then to be able to direct her in the Ghoultown music video? Any plans for more future collaborations?

LDM: What were your favorite types of horror films when you were a teen?

GG: I love working with Cassandra, but nothing compares to the time we spent making the Ghoultown music video. The Texas-based band was in town for two days, so we got down and dirty, slapping that video into existence. We shot fast and guerrilla style. Having Cassandra on set made the experience loads of fun.

LDM: Here at Living Dead we believe that horror isn't a genre, it's a lifestyle—something that you and your wife seem to understand and embody as well with the music you listen to, your home decor, your work, etc. Have you always been drawn to horror beyond just watching horror films? What exactly does living a horror lifestyle mean to you personally?

GG: I've been drawn to monsters since I was 5, but living a horror lifestyle to me exists more in the heart than on the sleeve. I look up to Charles Addams in this regard.

To this day, no mind has surpassed Chas with its macabre twist on normalcy. And yet on the outside he was a pleasant gentleman.

LDM: As a director and scriptwriter, your style is much darker and more messed up than what we are used to with your books. Can you talk a bit about the difference between doing film versus illustrations?

GG: No matter what I work on, I skew it towards the audience it is intended for—maybe a little more twisted for children and a little more whimsical for adults. But no matter what story I try to tell, it tends to have some dark corners to it.

LDM: Because this is the Female Horror Pioneers issue, featuring interviews with Elvira, Adrienne King, the Soska twins, Brinke Stevens, etc., we have to ask: who is your favorite female horror pioneer in film or beyond?

GG: Barbara Steele!

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Epic Ink: Poppin’

Elvira’s Tattoo Cherry by editor-in-chief

deanna uutela

Last summer I was contacted by a PR agency for a new tattoo show that was filming around my old stomping grounds in Eugene, Oregon. The tattoo shop apparently specialized in realistic “geek” tattoos and they were bringing in some of the best artists from around the world to be a part of the show. They were interested in a group of gals who would all want to get horror or sci-fi tattoos together, and we definitely fit that bill.

What??!! We get dream tattoos by dream artists, get to promote the magazine to a worldwide audience and have a ton of fun? Hells yes we would do it!

So I dragged along my Creative Director Mandy and Staff Writer ZeeGee with me for three days of shooting and our episode ended up being one of the most popular of the season.

I wish we could take all the credit for our episode’s popularity, but I am sure the surprise appearance of The Mistress of the Dark, Elvira, had a lot to do with it, along with the fact that Cassandra Peterson the actress behind the Elvira persona got her very first tattoo ever on our episode. Tattoos have a way of bringing people together, and for myself it got me some amazing one-on-one time with Elvira and the opportunity to do the following interview.

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Living Dead Magazine: So for those who might not know, when I went on the Epic Ink show on A&E I asked to get a portrait of you (Elvira) on my arm. Like most horror fans who have the ability to see, I have always been a huge fan of Elvira’s Movie Macabre and all of your “talents.” But even more than that, it was seeing strong, sexy females like you commanding the horror stage, not as a victim, but as a leader that really pushed me to follow my own dreams to work in the horror field and not let anyone or anything stand in my way. How were you approached to be on the Epic Ink show? Were you told anything about me?

Elvira: Basically the guys at Epic Ink contacted my manager and told him there was someone getting an Elvira tattoo on the show and they wanted to fly me out to surprise her after they got the tattoo. I was happy to do it and I thought it would be a lot

of fun. I have been to plenty of conventions where people will be getting a tattoo of me done at the convention, and the tattoo artists have a couple times come over to my booth and let me know and I have snuck over and surprised the person getting it done. So I thought it would be so funny to do the same thing but on television, where the person has no idea I am coming. You were actually relatively calm compared to most people when you saw me.

LDM: Honestly it’s embarrassing, but I had told the film crew and all of the shop that I own a life size cut out of you that I take to conventions and that it was in my car, so when I opened up my eyes for the surprise they were talking about I honestly thought for a few seconds it was my cut out and so I didn’t react as strongly as I should have until I realized it was actually the real you.

LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM 45

Photo courtesy of Epic Ink.

Crypticon Ad

“I honestly thought for a few seconds it was my cut out and so I didn’t react as strongly as I should have until I realized it was actually the real you.”

Elvira: That’s so funny, I love it. The other day Jack White came to see my show at Knott’s Berry Farm, which was awesome, I love Jack so much, and he came with Josh Homme. They are two of my favorite performers, they are just fantastic. So to have them there made it an awesome night, but anyways, Jack and I were standing around and we were up on this platform, and someone said that we looked so perfect that we were straight out of Madame Tussauds. So Jack and I decided to just pose like we were wax figures, and we just stood there all glassy eyed and posed all still. A bunch of people couldn’t tell if we were real or not after that.

It was so funny.

LDM: Doesn’t Jack look all dapper now with his new haircut and suits?

Elvira: Oh my gosh, yes he is so cute. When he walked in I was like, “Where is Jack?” He reminds me of Gris Grimly now, there, the talented artist who is a great friend of mine. He has done some

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artwork for me and directed some of the videos I have been in.

LDM: And speaking of Jack White, you worked with his all-female group The Black Belles, who clearly have some Elvira inspiration of their own going on.

Elvira: Yeah, Jack put that group of gals together right about when I was doing my show, and I asked him if he had anything I could use for my opening and he said he had a great song he was doing with The Black Belles and he totally hooked me up. And now he just collaborated with me as well on my new 7-inch vinyl. You can download it on iTunes or buy the vinyl and it’s called “2 Big Pumpkins” and Jack’s company also did the music video for it.

LDM: That is fantastic, such a great pairing! And I have to ask how your new tattoo is healing and if you are happy you got it done?

Elvira: Yes, it’s doing great and people freaking

love it. It looks awesome and I am able to show it off on my show, which is fantastic. I actually got a tweet a few days ago from Sharon Needles, the winner of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, she had gotten the identical tattoo so we are like blood sisters now.

LDM: Do you think you are going to get anymore now?

Elvira: I don’t know, it’ll depend on how much I drink (wink, wink).

LDM: You did a great job for your first tattoo—it seemed to not hurt you at all when I watched you get it done.

Elvira: I couldn’t even feel it I swear to God. I must have something wrong with me.

LDM: No, it just means you need to get a bunch now, because if you can’t feel it you can get whatever you want done!

Elvira: Right! It would be pretty awesome. I got this great tattoo artist to draw me up this amazing design a long time ago who specializes in tattooing over scars. Not sure if you know, but my entire back and part of my shoulder is skin grafted due to a bad burn I got as a child. I figured I should get a big tattoo that covers the whole thing, so this artist worked out a design that goes with the scars. But after finding out I would have to do a bunch of sessions and travel back and forth a bunch I decided not to do it. But the groovy thing

is that if I ever decide to get it done I don’t have any feeling in my back, so I don’t think it would have hurt at all. If I ever get more than 10 minutes in my schedule at one time, I might be able to get it done.

LDM: I know right? You are so incredibly crazy go-go busy. I feel bad sometimes for celebrities like you that don’t get a moments peace ever.

Elvira: Jack [White] and I were actually talking about that, and we agreed that we must be workaholics and when we aren’t working we don’t really know what to do with ourselves. But I enjoy what I do so much that that is the key to keeping it going. Of course, it can get exhausting for me around Halloween though.

LDM: Yeah, with the Knott’s Scary Farm shows and the “13 Nights of Elvira” that you did for Hulu during this last Halloween you definitely were jam-packed (no pun intended). I am so glad you did the show on Hulu this past year it was just fantastic to see you every night for thirteen nights.

Elvira: Shooting the entire show was super fast and super low budget, but I think it made it almost better.

I really enjoyed doing it and showing films I had never shown before while hosting.

LDM: Well, I know that is all of time you have for now Elvira, but we just couldn’t be more thrilled to have you in the magazine , and we love absolutely everything you do.

Elvira: Of course! And definitely check out that video for “2 Big Pumpkins” and get the vinyl, it has writing from Fred Schneider from the B-52s on it and it’s so good. Good luck on the magazine and everything you have going on, it’s fantastic.

Elvira signs autographs with her minions at Knotts Scary Farm

Make sure to follow Elvira at www.elvira.com and on Twitter @therealelvira to stay up-to-date on horror’s hottest tattooed beauty.

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Burn Witch Burn

Photography by Cloud City Photography Featuring Living Dead Girls: Kyla Olga, Vanity Sin Claire, Lisa LeStrange, and Lillie Monster

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LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM 51

10 questions with the

queen of scream

debbie rochon

by michael ‘dedman’ jones

While women of great beauty and talent have always been a staple of the horror genre, there have been very few women who have the pedigree and resume that Debbie Rochon has. With a resume that spans 30 years and over 200 film credits (the vast majority in horror), Debbie is not only one of the most accomplished women in the genre as an actress, writer , producer and director, but also in the realm of magazines and radio/podcasts. As time goes on, her roles not only get better, but she continues to raise the bar of what a true Scream Queen is. If there was ever to be a Mount Rushmore of Scream Queens, Debbie would have to be considered a lock as one of the true faces of fear!

Living Dead Magazine: With over 240 credits to your name and widely considered to be the THE definition of what a Scream Queen is, you have made an impression on all of us that follow the genre. As one of the longest reigning Scream Queens out there that consistently continues to work at a high level, how much has the genre changed since you broke in with your first (genre) film Lurkers (1988) and have you seen an evolution in the way that female roles (both in front of and behind the camera) are portrayed?

Debbie Rochon: Yes, the evolution has been incredible. I had only

worked with one female director, Roberta Findlay (Lurkers, Banned), until the 2000s. There was a lot less films being made then so you had to work very hard to get involved with any film production. I was studying and doing a lot of stage work in the ‘80s to early ‘90s so I had a solid background. Even if I played a bimbo character early on in my career I had fun with it and tried to do something unique with it if possible.

Now the female roles are a lot better for a number of reasons. Viewers have become much more interested in seeing a woman kick ass than previously. Women can put together projects easier that they were able to before because of the affordability of making a movie as opposed to having to shoot on actual film. The material has improved for the most part. I think by the 2000s female roles really started to evolve drastically.

Now it's not nearly as common to see women victims in films that don't get their revenge by the end credits!

LDM: Most people do not realize it, but you studied for almost

10 years at acting studios like Lee Stasberg, H.B. Studios and The

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Michael Chekov Studio and then went on to work with four NYC theatre companies. What do you think you learned that helped you the most from your professional training, how did that contrast with what you learned on the fly while being on set and do you feel that one method or style of acting is better than another?

DR: My favorite style by far was the Michael Chekhov technique. It spoke to me the most. It really freed up my emotions and was able to allow me to go deep with my characters and feelings. That was the best thing I could have done for myself was studying. Not as common nowadays in the indie world but coming from NYC it was what you did. I loved working in the theatre because you really learn how to work as an ensemble. You learn the important stuff. Not how many lines do I have but how do I affect the story and push the play or film forward with my character's presence. It is less ego driven. I know there are exceptions to every rule, but if you are a good actor and interested in being a good actor you have to look at a script differently than just 'how big is my role'. You are not living on an island. You are in an ensemble and if the play or movie works it's because everyone was on their game. It's not great for the project for just one person to be good, everyone needs to be as good as they can be.

LDM: In 1993 you started to do work with Lloyd Kaufman and Troma Entertainment. With such Troma titles on your resume as Tromeo and Juliet (1996), Terror Firmer (1999), Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger 4 (2000), Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (2006), and Return To Nuke 'Em High Vols. 1 and 2, can you tell us how you

first became involved with Troma and what has Troma meant to your career and independent film in general?

DR: I had already been working with Troma on cable TV skits before

Tromeo and Juliet was shot but I think that movie not only helped reinvigorate Troma's fan base at that time but definitely was a cult classic for me. I love the movie Terror Firmer too it's just so outrageous. Troma fans are amazing and dedicated like no other so I am very grateful that I was seriously involved with Troma all through the ‘90s. I have always enjoyed working with Lloyd. I think Troma has a huge effect on everyone who gets deeply involved with the company. You will always be associated with them whether it's because people love the puck rock non PC attitude that their movies have or whether someone wants to try and belittle you for being involved with them. I have received as many job offers from my involvement as I have lost film offers because of my involvement, but I have absolutely no regrets I love the movies I have made with them.

LDM: Not only have you been a successful actress and

director, but you have had an awesome run in radio as well. You co-hosted and co-produced Oblique Strategies with Peter Schmedig on WBAI (1994-1996), co-hosted and co-produced the Internet radio show Illumination Gallery with Peter Schmedig for Pseudo Radio (1996-1998), co-hosted and co-produced The Tim Reid and Debbie Rochon Movie Show and co-hosted and co-produced the Fangoria Radio show with Dee Snider (20062010). How did you first get into radio, what led to you and Dee Snider getting together with Fangoria Radio and are we ever going to see you do another show like that again?

DR: Well, the first radio show I was involved with was with Peter Schmedig oan terrestrial radio in NYC. WBAI radio. We had an overnight slot and we incorporated pop culture, cult culture and obscure art culture in the show. Taxi drivers were our biggest audience! I have always loved working and producing radio. It's a huge passion of mine. I was already working for Fangoria before the radio show on Sirius came about.

I had helped them with their original programming when they wanted to get a TV station rolling, which didn't happen, and I shot a pilot of five episodes for a show I hosted called Trailer Park, which was great fun. Once they got involved with putting the radio show together it was a natural that I was involved, seeing that I had quite a bit of experience at that point. Dee Snider was someone that Tom DeFeo brought in. We hit it off terrifically. Tony Timpone was also great fun as our 'horror news' anchor. It was really an incredible experience.

With all the podcasts going on today it's hard to say if I will work

again in the medium. There are more than

enough to listen to already. A part of me loves it but I also am deeply aware of the amount of work that goes into a properly done show and to be honest I would need to be paid for that kind of time. The future is hard to say, but like acting and everything else, I have put in a lot of years and to do it for free, even though I love it, is not possible for me. Because I am an independent artist, I don't have the million in the bank to float me.

LDM: Another fascinating aspect of your work is your journalism.

You have written for a wealth of magazines, including Chiller Theatre Magazine, Femme Fatales Magazine, The Phantom of the Movies' Videoscope Magazine, Scars Magazine, Gore Zone Magazine and of course,

of fact, your column Diary of the Deb has been nominated for a Rondo Hatton Award. Having been successful as an actress and a radio personality, what led to you moving into journalism and how do you find ways to incorporate your unique insight into your articles?

DR: I couldn't be more honored than to be nominated for the award!

That in itself is really amazing. I have always loved writing and my style has changed drastically since I began. I can't BS anyone. I never did but I pretty much wrote nice fan friendly missives on people in the LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM 53

Like I said I never aspired to be one it was a label that was slapped on me. It was a negative label for a long time but now much less so. I think the future of Scream Queens is deeply connected to social media. How many likes or followers you can get with sexy pics. I really believe if you can continue to learn and grow and reinvent yourself with whatever age bracket you are in that's the true definition of a 'lifer'. You may or may not get as many 'fans' if you are not just posting sexy pics but I have a deeper interest in the work, the crazy characters that independent films offer. Time always weeds out the real from the not real. Horror has become so mainstream now compared to what it used to be the volume of women getting involved is off the charts.

LDM: I recently viewed Matt Zettell's Axe To Grind (2015), where you co-

industry and that was great. Now what I have to say is very different. My experiences have been all over the charts and that is what I like to share with people now. I don't have a mission to be sickly kind nor mean and nasty, I just think people want to hear real experiences now. Writing is something I will always do.

LDM: With all of the time and effort that you put into your work, the fruits of your success have come to bear. Over the years you have won numerous awards, including the 1997 Barbarella Award for best actress in "Broadcast Bombshells" (1995) , 'Scream Queen of the Decade Award' from Draculina Magazine (2003 Reader's Poll) and you were honored with the inaugural Ingrid Pitt Award for Excellence and Perseverance in Horror (2013). When you first started receiving awards in 1995, what were your thoughts then on receiving them and has that emotion changed over the years as you have continued to win?

DR: Like everything, even awards can be political. Seeing I don't play

the game of kissing ass I really feel sincerely honored when I do receive any kind of acknowledgment for my work. It still is very exciting and means a lot to me. I see all kinds of strange things going on with film fests and conventions and how things have changed and there are many things to complain about. I think the fact that anybody enjoys your work is the bottom line and I will always be grateful to those that do as I change and evolve.

LDM: According to Wikipedia, the definition of a Scream Queen is “an actress who has become associated with horror films, either through an appearance in a notable entry in the genre as a frequent victim or through constant appearances as the female protagonist.” You are on a short list of women that are considered true Scream Queens. You even wrote an article that was published in GC Magazine where you said "a true Scream Queen isn't The Perfect Woman. She's sexy, seductive, but most importantly 'attainable' to the average guy. Or so it would seem." With times changing the way that they have and social media being such a huge thing, has your definition of what a Scream Queen is changed and where do you see the evolution of the next wave of Scream Queens?

DR: The evolution has had everything to do with the internet. If

someone wants quick notoriety, then they will jump on the bandwagon and call themselves one. On my url site and my social media sites I don't ever call myself one. When I started it wasn't easy to even be a 'Scream Queen' and in all reality not something that a lot of people aspired to if they were serious actresses. That stigma has mostly disappeared at this point after the VH1 competition show Scream Queens, which I was honored to be a guest judge on, and now we have a TV series of the same name. If you read interviews with the actresses who were working in horror movies in the ‘80s and even ‘90s, for example in the original Halloween films or Nightmare on Elm Street films, they never looked at themselves as Scream Queens. They just happened to land a great role in a horror movie. So now it's just pretty much any woman who wants to be involved can certainly call herself one. That's fine by me.

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star with Michelle Tomlinson, Paula Labaredas, Dani Thompson, Rachael Robins, Kelsey Zukowski and Tawny Amber Young. The thing that really drove the movie home was the emotional performance you put into it and the character interaction between you and the other girls was amazing.

How was it working with such a talented group of female performers and where did you draw the energy and emotion for your character?

DR: I loved working with them because everyone was deeply connected

to what their character was like and what they wanted. It was easy for me to be the way my character was because I really felt it. I worked off of all the things I don't like about the business and the emotional ramifications the film business can have on you. My character was the reflection of the business that is rejection. Everyone feels it at various points and experiences it in different ways. If you can be really honest in your work, expressing your true feelings, I think people will relate to it.

It's a very hard road as the years go on to be in a business that glorifies the young, sexy and people pleasing women you see. But how do they react to someone who is saying "I have had enough of being treated negatively for being human, aging, not being a sex pot etc."? Rage is a powerful emotion and it was very therapeutic to be able to express it in that film.

LDM: You continue to put out quality entertainment and performances, and this year alone you have so many amazing upcoming projects.

What can you tell us about Michael Flores' 3 Solitude, Jon Keeyes' The Harrowing, Lawrence W. Nelson II's The Mangled and Jimmyo Burril's Chainsaw Sally: The Animated Series?

DR: None of these titles have been shot as of yet they are all in development stages. They are all top quality projects that I hope happen in the near future. Good material is something that any actress is excited to be able to work with, and is so rare, that I look forward to each of these because they are all written so well.

LDM: Everyone knows the Scream Queen Debbie Rochon of Stage, Film, Radio, Magazines and everything else, but you are so much more than that. When you are not working on a project, what do you do to unwind and relax? Are there any charities or causes that you believe and participate in?

DR: Well I have spent the last three years of my life deeply involved with my directorial debut Model Hunger. So that has been the bulk of my life outside of the other projects. This year it will be screening at a number of film festivals and we are working on a few interesting offers for distribution, which I hope wraps up this year as well. This is the year of Model Hunger for me, so I am completely dedicated to that. I have to birth my first child and see her out into the world which is an allconsuming task. I have always given money, when I am able, to animal organizations as I feel deeply about that cause. One day when the time is right I want to get involved with an organization helping young kids get off the streets. That was where I started, a homeless runaway, and I feel that would be very rewarding work. My book is something I want to see finished and out there as well. All my pet projects will come after Model Hunger. She is relying on me to see the light of day and find her audience and that is exactly what I plan on dedicating myself to!

Off the hook:

A talk with 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’s' Teri McMinn When I hear someone rev up a chainsaw, my mind instantly goes back to 1974 to the groundbreaking film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

A groundbreaking film that has withstood the test of time, TCSM introduced us to a tight-knit family of killers and their “good son”—a masked giant wielding a chainsaw. TCSM wasn’t the first horror film to use a chainsaw as a weapon, but it sure as hell was the one that made it famous and paved the way for many slashers to follow. Unlike many of the films from its era that were also done on a very low budget, TCSM’s director, Tobe Hooper, made the smart choice to rely on his fantastic actors and storyline to sell his film, instead of cheap over-the-top special effects and gratuitous full-frontal nudity.

One kill scene in particular was so different from anything ever shown in a film that to this day it still brings a shiver of excitement and appreciation to horror fans—the meat hook scene. Poor little Pam, played by the fantastic Teri McMinn, comes so close to making an escape from the house of hell when our favorite masked man, Leatherface, comes running out waving around his “large member,” drags her back in the house and impales her on a meat hook like the piece of meat he sees her as—simply breathtaking!

That scene never would have been as believable or as perfect if it weren’t for the absolutely brilliant job that actress Teri McMinn did portraying fear, panic, pain and loss throughout her entire body. A true horror pioneer, we are thrilled to have Teri McMinn in this issue to talk about the legendary film, her role and to set the record straight on some rumors.

By Gary Castleberry Living Dead Magazine: First of all, let’s settle some rumors about this film. Many people still believe TCSM was based on a true story that happened in Texas. I personally heard it happened in Childress, Texas. Can you tell us once and all what really inspired this film?

Teri McMinn: Director Tobe Hooper got the initial idea from Ed Gein and the murders he committed in Plainfield, Wis. in the ‘50s.

However, the story of Leatherface only has a few certain similarities to the Gein story, mainly the use of masks and a torso used from the bodies of the women Gein took from graves.

Gein was a grave robber and a cannibal—a really sick puppy, sadly. Gein was a small and very shy man, not a large lumbering man, and very unlike the Leatherface character, Gein used no chainsaw at all.

We filmed all but the gas station scene in Round Rock, Texas on what is today called Quick Hill Road. The two houses were located across a dirt road from one another. They are no longer there. The big white house is a restaurant called Grand Central Cafe. They’re on Facebook and a lot of fans have made the trip to visit and all have loved it. The house was moved to Kingsland, Texas about 10 years ago. The restaurant has great food and the house looks fantastic. When we had our recent cast reunion in Austin at Housecore [Horror Film Festival], Phil Anselmo had his staff set up a lunch there and drove a group of fans and the cast out for a great time.

LDM: Teri, making this movie in Round Rock, Texas, I heard the conditions were horrible.

Everyone worked 16 hours a day in the relentless Texas heat to stay under budget.

How did you and all the others survive these less than desirable conditions?

TM: It was extremely hot and we had no A/C or trailers, but we normally filmed from 8 [or] 9 a.m. and stopped around 6 p.m. I never shot at night, only Marilyn, Paul, Jim, Ed Neal and Gunnar did, but never for more than 8–10 hours. During the last weeks of my filming, I was in a stage show, on stage for three full hours a night, playing the lead, Lizzie Curry, in “The Rainmaker,” starring Peter Breck. I had to leave the set to be at the theater, and they got me there for rehearsals and then for the shows whenever I needed to be there.

The only really long shoot was the dinner scene, which you should check out Gunnar’s book and many of Ed Neal’s interviews

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because they cover in detail that scene. They had little time left to complete filming and they were using food—meat—so it had to be filmed all at once. It went on for 16 to 20 hours because of this. I’m sure it was intense and awful for everyone. I’m very happy to say I didn’t have to be there.

LDM: It has always amazed me that you actors can pull off such intense, spine-tingling moments and make it look so authentic with crew, cameras and directors right there in your face. How do you prepare yourself for a role like this and make things look so real?

TM: I trained for years as an actress starting in high school, competing in state and national [University Interscholastic League] tournaments and plays. Right out of high school I got a scholarship to study at the Dallas Theater Center, affiliated with Trinity’s drama program in San Antonio. Then at St. Edward’s University, working and studying with amazing people, established actors, seasoned pros, I honed my talent and persevered. We were all serious local actors and worked well as a team. I was very fortunate to work with a strong cast in TCSM. LDM: Teri, this was a very controversial film when it was released and wasn’t received well and was even banned in several countries. What was this like to deal with for the cast and crew?

TM: It was all a disappointment and unfortunately did zero for any of the actors.

For the time, it was way too controversial.

Bill, Marilyn, all of us had to take it off our resumes for years. TCSM never did much until the early ‘80s when it finally started to get recognition and became the most rented video of that time and the cult classic it is today. The famous shot of me sitting on the steps that is on Wikipedia—I turned 22 on the day Sallye took that shot. It took years for the success of the film to happen. By the time it did, I was almost 30, no longer an ingénue, and in those days for a woman, reaching 30 was deadly for an acting career. That’s why so many actors, especially women, shaved years off their ages back in those days. Also, there was a very small following for horror films back then in comparison to what it has become.

Horror conventions didn’t get going until the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. The genre began to grow and things began to loosen up because the audience would pay to see horror films, so it began to blossom.

The release of The Exorcist and TCSM were groundbreaking movies, changing the landscape of horror forever. Them, along with others like Suspiria, Halloween and Dawn of the Dead really gathered a huge audience over

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the years and started the huge success of the horror genre. The horror genre had been very small, and for actors it was almost like doing porn in 1973. No studios would touch something with meat hooks and chainsaws—too controversial. It was a catch-22—you wanted to work, but you didn’t want to work outside SAG and the studios in those days—not if you were a serious actor. Non-union films were called "scab" films. The arrival of cable and independent films changed the entire landscape of film.

LDM: Considering a real chainsaw was used in the movie, I am sure there are some fun stories to go along with that.

TM: I was only in one scene with the chainsaw. The only problem I know about was when Bill was on the table and I was on the meat hook. Gunnar said they came very close to Bill’s leg and one slip could have led to disastrous consequences. Not one of them, cast or crew, had ever handled a chainsaw before this. Think about that for a moment.

LDM: Teri, how do you feel about the slasher and horror films of today, many inspired by TCSM? TM: Overall, they’re way too graphic for my taste and overloaded with the emphasis on sexploitation and graphic violence with little story or plot development. Unfortunately, audiences settle for this and don’t demand a great story or interesting characters, but will pay to see any old schlock the industry puts out. Producers don’t care anymore, because they make the money upfront, before shooting even starts. As with all the sequels that come out and whether they have a good story, script or characters—why should they care? The main focus is money, so because audiences demand nothing and will flock to the sequels, they don’t worry and the films suffer.

LDM: When you were cast as Pam, you were involved in theater. After TCSM, did you return to the theater or get into other projects? Tell our readers and your fans what Teri McMinn is up to these days.

TM: After TCSM, I went back to stage and did dinner theater and local commercials before moving to [Los Angeles] in 1977. In 2008 after the Blu-ray release of TCSM, I came out and did my first interview since filming in 1973. I began attending conventions and film festivals.

I generally do two to three a year if I can. This is something I wrote when I first came out of anonymity, when everyone wanted to know where I’d been for the past 35 years. I think this answers that question best: “From 1985 until 2008, on, I had remained anonymous, never mentioned much about ever playing "Pam." I liked living in obscurity. If you'd met me in that time you probably wouldn't have known I was in it, not from me. In that time, I did several other things, restaurant management, event catering director, owned a flower business, and managed two boutique beach hotels. Life marches on.

In 2008, I was at a turning point in my life and ripe for a change. What it would be, I had no idea, but I was wide open. Truth be told, I had never been a fan of my performance in TCSM. I had always looked at what I could have done better. I cringed when I heard myself speaking. This is not atypical of an actor, in fact, I think its more common than not. Anyway, so I came "out"- and it's mostly all been a blast and a half!!”[sic] And you can find some of my other stories, like about “What Really Happened to Pam?” in my "Notes" on Pam’s page, facebook.com/PamTheOriginalChainsawGal I’m reading a script right now that’s supposed to be shot in Ireland in the spring. It’s a supporting role of a nosy neighbor, and a nice script, juicy. There have been some changes and I’m reading the latest script now. If they get the rest of the funding, I hope to do that, so we’ll see what happens. It’s called Awakening and was written by a good friend of mine, Nathaniel Morin.

LDM: Teri, we at Living Dead Magazine applaud your role as Pam that has inspired other actresses to follow in your footsteps—perhaps not on a meat hook, but acting in horror films.

We wish you all the best in the future and thank you for gracing our pages—maybe with a little blood, but that’s OK by us.

TM: Thanks so much for your kind words, Gary. I really appreciate your interest and your questions.

The one thing I can tell you is that Pam never died. As you and your readers may remember, the last time you saw Pam was when she popped out of that freezer like a jack-in-the-box, and she was very much alive, so be sure to read all her stories. My readers have loved them, so stay tuned.

Who knows, I may write more!

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Vanessa Ives

Champion of the Underdogs

By Queenie Thayer

I relate a lot to Vanessa Ives from Penny Dreadful, and I know I am not the only one in the horror fandom who feels this way.

Ever since this show first came out, one by one horror fans have flocked to it. It’s just a damn good show—it’s well written, brilliantly acted, the cast is superb and the setting is a Goth kid’s wet dream. I mean, who doesn’t want to see their favorite classic monster stories retold in the dark and gritty world of Victorian London? It’s all just too perfect.

Vanessa Ives (played by the very talented Eva Green) is the lead character of the show. All the other characters are connected through her. The show isn’t just a great take on classic Victorian Gothic horror, it’s also a really good story about a woman struggling with her demons. Women are very intimately connected to horror.

Even though I am totally in love with every character in the show, especially Victor Frankenstein—I have to admit a fondness for his story—I know that I have my own version of Vanessa Ives deep down inside my secret places where my demons wrestle for control of my soul. Mine came in different forms than hers, but they wear the same face. They might as well be twins.

Even from the very start when she first came on screen, I knew she was an archetype I could relate to. I could see myself in Victorian times, walking around in beautiful corsets and petticoats, smoking from little metal tongs and even talking in tongues at parties. I could see myself terrifying the whole gathering, including the lady who was paid to perform a séance that night.

We, the broken, fucked up creatures of the night need champions like Vanessa Ives to admire in film. We need this because it’s cathartic. It feels so good to know there is a character out there who you can relate to. As a fan of such shows, that is important. Every fandom does it.

Think of the Firefly fandom, and how many Firefly fans can point out which character in the show they relate to most. They will tell you, and they’ve put a lot of thought into it. Everyone has an archetype they connect to when they watch shows like Penny Dreadful. These shows are made for fans and made for a subgroup of a larger whole. They are wonderful because it means something to the fans to have these shows—something personal and sacred. We come to genres that draw us in because of this feeling. It’s a sense of being understood, even if it’s just by a concept. Sometimes we need concepts to help make sense of our lives. Vanessa Ives fucks the devil, wants to put mirrors behind everyone’s eyes, is possessed and can channel. The bitch needs to do drugs because otherwise she’d

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probably have killed someone or herself by now. She’s got issues a lot of them—so many beautiful, painful little issues—and I love watching her endure every single, terrible one.

She goes through some horrific things and it’s brilliant.

She understands what it’s like to be drawn to the deep ocean, to the dark whisper, the mirror behind the glass eyes, to live life to the fullest—she knows this intimately. A demon rides her into this, but she also rides herself into it. She is both in love with the darkness and repelled by it. This makes her an outcast from society, an outlier, a freak and an underdog. She can never live a normal life with something so horrible inside her, something that controls her as it romances her. She could never have a better lover than her demon, but it is also the thing that will destroy her in the end.

This show is bittersweet to watch because seeing this tragically beautiful character on screen is so comforting and exciting, but she is also a constant reminder of my own demons.

My demon isn’t a monster from a storybook though. No, my monster is much worse—it is my chronic illness, and it tries to stop me from living my life. Because my chronic condition is invisible, they want to lock me up or make me get to a point where I puke blood into a Kleenex before they believe it’s not just in my head, before they realize that like Vanessa, I am being destroyed inside out by it. I hope for both myself and Vanessa that we find a way to defeat our demons because it’s a long hard road out of hell and I’m not going down without a fight. I know Vanessa won’t either.

Vanessa is a champion for more than the underdog though.

That’s why this show is so great, because everyone from the werewolves with hearts of gold, to the Victor Frankensteins creating monsters, to the Dorian Greys who are lost to their lusts, to even the father who is looking for his Mina play a part in Penny Dreadful. This show is for all of us who love Gothic horror and who feel a little fucked up by life and all its hardships. This is our show and it tells our kind of stories.

Now, if you excuse me, I am going to watch Vanessa Ives become possessed again.

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Darker Edge of Desire: Gothic Tales of Romance

by Mitzi Szereto; Tempted Romance, 2014; 235 pages

In author Kate Douglas’ foreword to Darker Edge of Desire, she discusses our need as horror fans to balance the good with the evil—or the yin with the yang—in order to have a proper horror story. In the case of Darker Edge of Desire, it’s the pain with the pleasure, the fright with the romance.

Darker Edge of Desire is a horror anthology that mixes both the horror and romance genres together for some interesting reads. The anthology starts off with T.C. Mill’s “The Wicked Wife,” a story where a new bride discovers the meaning behind her wealthy husband’s scars as she traces them in their moment of intimacy.

The anthology continues with some clear standouts like Gary Earl Ross’ “Sister Bessie’s Boys,” which is a sweet and romantic story with a surprise twist ending that leaves one wondering what might be buried under old houses.

Other highlights include ”Reynold’s Tale” by Adrian Ludens, which will please fans of Edgar Allan Poe; “Moonfall” by Rose de Fer, which is a passionate werewolf story; and “Blood Soup”

by Benji Bright, a homoerotic horror story that mixes food and moments of passion, leading to a shocking ending.

The illustrious editor Mitzi Szereto offers up her own yarn, “The Dracula Club,” in which a young American is driven to the mountains and villages of Transylvania—the story offers eroticism and vampire lore aplenty.

I imagine that it isn’t easy for a writer to effectively structure a short story and mix in the emotions of two separate genres, horror and romance. How does one build terror and offer frights while also focusing on building a character’s romantic relationship or a sexual escapade?

It’s evident that it must be difficult, as several of the stories in the collection really do fall short.

While this may not be my favorite anthology of the year, I still had fun with Darker Edge of Desire. There were many moments of erotic bliss that required a cold shower to cool down.

There was a good amount of horror too—vampires, werewolves, murder and a lot more from several writers you’ll want to keep on your radar.

The Manufacturer of sorrow

by Michelle Scalise; Eldritch Press, 2014; 82 pages Not all writers of fiction are able to effectively write poetry, and not all poets are able to effectively chill a reader to the bone with a one-page poem. But Michelle Scalise can, and she’s been doing it with ease for nearly 20 years.

The Manufacturer of Sorrow is Scalise’s latest release—her first full poetry collection—and it contains 41 new and previously released works of dark poetry.

Scalise touches on family and madness, asylums and insanity, a soul eating cat, creepy swamp people, eroticism, mermaids, religion, sorrow and death, graveyard shadows, revenge and murder, and a sinister carnival. She taps into even more emotions, fears and feelings of dread than you could possibly imagine.

Intervals of Horrible Sanity is not only the title of Scalise’s first short fiction collection, it’s also the title of one of the most beautifully written poems in this volume. It’s one of the many poems I read and then re-read immediately, not for a want of better understanding, but to savor the dark words of art she laid before me.

We are also gifted with a nice surprise in “November” and “Badges of Either’s Woe,” where Scalise teams up with her multi-genre writing husband Tom Piccirilli. They are chilling and beautiful all at the same time.

One doesn’t need to be a poetry connoisseur in order to fully appreciate with dark delight the words on the pages of this slim volume. Whether you read them aloud to a dully lit room full of friends, or whisper quietly to yourself as you enjoy a candlelit bath, do yourself a favor and discover what you might be missing in the field of dark poetry.

Michelle Scalise proves herself as a true artisan of the macabre and the written word as she is able to fright, delight, romance, disturb and titillate with a few clever words on the page.

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The Evolutionist

by Rena mason; nightscape press, 2013; 266 pages

Las Vegas socialite Stacy Troy’s life of soccer games, book clubs, lunch dates and gala fundraisers is suddenly halted by her first glimpse of a bloody shopping cart in a grocery store full of mutilated body parts.

What starts as an unexplainable hallucination of a horrific incident quickly turns into a life tormented by bloody noses, alarms only Stacy can hear and graphic nightmares where she lives in a post-apocalyptic Las Vegas. In her nightmares, Stacy has dismembered the bodies of her well-to-do husband and son as well as her neighbors—and it only gets worse.

Stacy seeks help from psychiatrist Dr. Light who leads her to believe that her visions, nightmares and the lights and sounds in her head might be the key to an upcoming apocalypse that’s been plaguing her dreams.

What starts out as a chick lit story in a Desperate Housewives world quickly turns into an all-out dark fantasy romp through the mind of an upper class housewife. The nightmare sequences are intertwined with real-life drama, making it seem as if two parallel worlds are about to collide, and only Stacy Troy can stop that from happening.

The Evolutionist is writer Rena Mason’s first novel of which she won a Bram Stoker Award for. If this gem of horror fiction is an example of what we have in store from such a talented beginning writer, then I’m certain we are in for a treat with what will come next from her. The pages move fast and Mason writes like a seasoned veteran. Grab this title off the shelf now—you’ll want to be able to say that you were at the beginning of what I’m sure will be a long and acclaimed career in horror fiction.

WITHIN THESE WALLS

by Ania ahlborn; gallery books, 2015; 464 pages It’s really hard not to start out a review by saying “buy this book,” but that’s just what I think you should do.

Within These Walls introduces us to down-and-out onetime bestselling true crime writer Lucas Graham, who is fighting professional hardships while seeing his marriage collapse and trying to connect with his preteen daughter.

Things start looking up for him when he receives a letter in the mail from once charismatic cult leader and now death row inmate Jeffrey Halcomb. Many years ago, Halcomb led a group of 10 young people to Washington state and convinced them to brutally kill the daughter of a state senator and her unborn child and then turn around and take their own lives. Halcomb has kept silent for 30 years but is now breaking his silence and inviting Lucas to Washington to interview him for a possible future book on the cult and the brutal killings.

Lucas decides to not only take Halcomb up on this once in a lifetime invitation, but also move across country, taking residence in the very house the cult called home and where young Audra Snow and her unborn child were murdered.

The moment that Lucas and his daughter enter the house, an immediate feeling of dread consumes you, the reader. The walls of this house leave the same feeling of discomfort one would feel in the historic Winchester mansion or the infamous Tate house where the Manson murders took place.

The narrative of the novel is split between two time periods: the present, in which Lucas and his daughter fight their own demons while digging through the history of the house and the cult leader, and the past, where we are told the story of 1982 when young Audra Snow is lured into Jeffrey Halcomb’s colorful “family” and the events that lead to her brutal end.

Within These Walls is The Amityville Horror meets Charles Manson. There are scenes so vivid and downright frightening in this novel that nightmares will plague even the strongest of horror fans. Portland writer Ania Ahlborn has produced one of the best books you will read in 2015. I said it once and I’ll say it again, “buy this book.”

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We’ve Died & Gone to Horror Heaven Handmade Horror Accessories by Niki Gallo Review by Melissa Thomas We at Living Dead Magazine avidly support not just indie films, but indie art as well. Anyone can walk into a mall and buy a mass produced piece, but to us, it is more fulfilling to buy something that was handcrafted by someone with a genuine love of the horror genre and anything creepy. Niki Giallo is one of those artists with a passion for the creepy, and her Etsy shop, Hatbox Ghost, is the perfect place to pick up all of your ghoulish jewelry, accessories and adorable cocktail hats.

Giallo has been making her own jewelry and accessories since she was a teenager, but it has just been in the past year that she has been able to find the time and acquire enough supplies to actually start making and selling them for other people. Boy, are we glad she did because her work is well made, perfectly priced and so much fun. Warning: be prepared for constant questions and compliments when wearing her line of jewelry.

Hatbox Ghost, named after the famous Hatbox Ghost character who was removed from Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion attraction due to technical difficulties, has something for all horror fans. Giallo even does custom pieces, and being a huge fan of horror and the macabre herself, she is spot on with what her demographic is looking for and makes the type of thing that she herself would want to wear.

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“I have always created weird things. In middle school, I recall cutting up Barbie faces and parts and turning them into jewelry, then being made fun of," Giallo said. "I recently came across people sharing an article about someone who does this same thing and sells the jewelry. Boy, have times changed. [I'm] glad being weird and spooky is starting to be more acceptable.

"I started making things for myself to wear since growing up it was really hard to find places that had things I liked, especially for girls. Hot Topic was just not cutting it and this was before the world of Etsy or even social media to find unique stuff. If you wanted something horror clothing related, you had to buy a T-shirt, but that was about it. So that's when I took it into my own hands to make other things that fit my interests.”

Giallo has a lengthy list of products available through her Etsy shop from sweater clips and pendants to adjustable rings, bracelets and monster themed cocktail hats. Every shop has their best sellers of course, and for Hatbox Ghost it's their stretch bracelets, particularly The Addams Family ones, and her freak show themed sweater clips.

For the moment, Hatbox Ghost is mainly for creepy ghouls, but Giallo is working on something special for you boils out there too.

“I am always looking for new items to add," Giallo said. "I did a test run on cufflinks and they did really well, so I am thinking about adding them to the shop. I also take custom requests for any of my items.”

To purchase Giallo’s ghoulish goodies, visit her Etsy shop, etsy.com/shop/thehatboxghost, and keep up with current and new products by following Hatbox Ghost’s Facebook page at facebook.com/hatboxghostdesigns.

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Scripture and Screams

Entrails, ‘Raging Death’ CD review

by Michael ‘Dedman’ Jones

Track Listing: 1. In Pieces 2. Carved to the Bone 3. Bloodhammer 4. Headless Dawn 5. Cadaverous Stench 6. Descend to the Beyond 7. Death League 8. Chained & Dragged 9. Defleshed

Death metal has many forms and comes from a plethora of different countries, but there is always something to be said for the sound and tenacity of Swedish death metal. Having gotten its start way back in 1990/1991, and with numerous starts and restarts, the Swedish death metal band Entrails has hit the nail on the head with the release of “Raging Death,” their third studio album and their first with Metal Blade Records. In comparison to other bands like Dismember, Entombed and Grave (all great bands), I feel like Entrail’s sound is more reminiscent of the legendary Obituary. Continuing to refine their sound, the technical proficiency of the band progresses even further with this album with such bone-crunching tracks as “In Pieces,” “Cadaverous Stench,” “Descend to the Beyond” and “The Cemetery Horrors.” Every track on the CD would be great to play for someone who is looking to get into death metal, and it would not surprise me if any of the tracks from this CD made their way onto a horror film soundtrack. In a statement from the band about the release, they state: “This is the perfect next step for ENTRAILS. A massive stench of death, right in your face! ‘Raging Death’ as a title suited the album as a whole, since it’s pure death metal without mercy!” The future is bright for death metal, and with bands like Entrails leading the way, it will be a messy delight the whole way down to hell.

For the CD’s release, Metal Blade released a limited edition package that included: CD “Raging Death,” a bonus CD featuring the entire show Entrails played at Party San Open Air 2012, the European vinyl version and the limited digi-CD includes the Marduk cover, Dark Endless, as a bonus track.

10. The Cemetery Horrors

Metal Blade is still selling this set and you can purchase the CD and LP at the Entrails Media Blade store.

11. Dark Endless

The Dedman’s verdict: 8 out of 10

It Consumes Model: Scully Sins Photographer: Amanda Rebholz

Galleria Macabre LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM 67

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Talent on the Rise

thirteen questions with

Danielle Lozeau

by Michael 'dedman' jones

There is a segment within the horror genre that draws more attention than the stories and the gore. The scream queen has, is and always will be the staple that holds the genre together. With this series, we will be interviewing some of the most iconic women in the genre as well as exploring and discovering the new faces of fear.

Danielle Lozeau is an actress located in Los Angeles who started out in the public eye as a classically trained ballerina at the age of 9. With a diverse resume that includes several genres (including television), she has slowly but surely started to become one of horror’s leading ladies. So far she has six films set to premiere in 2015 alone. We can’t wait to see what this rising talent has in store—we are sure the best is yet to come.

Living Dead Magazine: Danielle, it is a pleasure to speak with you about your career. When you first began acting, the first couple of films on your resume were not horror films, like Extra Credit (2003), A House Divided (2004), What I Want (2004) and Red Doors (2004). When you look back on your earlier work, what stands out to you about those performances, and how did those roles fuel your desire to get into horror films?

Danielle Lozeau: Those for me were the first chances I had to work in film and experience what the film process was like. Those experiences are very dear to me, being my first steps into the business, and from then on I became very invested to have acting as a career path. Every time I have done a film, I immediately look out for more work that dips into different genres or stories.

LDM: Your first taste of the horror genre was in Joe Patnaud and Timothy Whitfield’s Detour Into Madness Vol. 1 (2005), playing the roles of Raylin Brenner and Jenni. What peaked your interest and drew you into your first horror film?

DL: Detour Into Madness was the first horror film for me where I actually got to work with fake blood. Before that, I had worked on mostly dramas or thrillers, so it was a nice change of pace to try something new. At the time I was very young, so anything horror-related had to get approved by my parents, seeing as some horror movies require little to no clothing.

The characters Jenni and Raylin were of young high school-aged girls, so it was something that I was allowed to do, and it was great being able to stretch myself and try something that I hadn’t done before.

LDM: One of my favorite films on your resume is Richard Griffin’s Pretty Dead Things (2006). I really loved the tongue-in-cheek nature of it having that old ‘70s style sexploitation look and feel while maintaining the bloody horror we all love. What was it about this film that drew you to it? Was there ever any concern about the nudity and sexual overtones of the film, and what did you take away (experience wise) from this film that helped you in later projects?

DL: Pretty Dead Things was actually my first lead role in a feature film.

After meeting with Richard and going over the role and the script, I felt very comfortable with the film’s direction. I enjoyed the ‘70s style feel—it

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was very original from most vampire stories, and I fell in love with that.

Not every day do you read a vampire script that has a deeper side to just hunting for the kill. Even with the sexual overtones of the film, my character was very far from all of that, and was more the conservative type of the group trying to figure her life out. After Pretty Dead Things, I noticed I gravitated more towards films that had a grittier side and raw characters. I wasn’t a Disney kid and I knew that from the beginning, so films like Pretty Dead Things were films that I really wanted to continue working on.

LDM: In 2008, we saw you return to television in the uncredited role of the “Hero Student” on Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles (the Gnothi Seauton episode). The Terminator series is one of the biggest sci-fi franchises of all time, so what went through your mind when you got the part to be on the show, and how does it feel to be a part of a franchise that is so universally loved?

DL: I was beyond excited to work on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, as well as being able to work closely with David Nutter—[I’m] such a fan. I really didn’t know what I was going to expect when I began shooting the pilot. I had seen the Terminator movies previously, but I wasn’t prepared for buses flipping, desks blowing up and a gun fight on school grounds. The entire process was so rewarding and working with David Nutter was so educational as an actor.

LDM: In your next two horror films, The Eye (2008) and Legion (2010), you tapped into your inner youth and played teenagers in both. What can you tell us about your experiences on these large budget films? Do you find that you prepare differently for larger studio films, and were you nervous about working on a remake of such a popular Japanese horror film like The Eye?

DL: The [days] that I got the [calls] from my agent for The Eye and Legion are still two of the best experiences of my life. For a while I didn’t think I could book bigger films, because I felt more of an indie film actress, so being able to break that wall down with a great first role in a large budget film was amazing. The directors were both French and I am French, so we ended up bonding quickly during filming. For Legion, just being able to create a character that is so far from who I am was so rewarding as an actor. The director ended up having lunch with me the day we were filming my big scene to make sure I was comfortable with some of the stunt work and to make sure I knew what he was looking for. I was extremely nervous filming such a huge scene for the movie, but once you’re in place and the cameras start rolling, it becomes an out-of-body experience. Once my week was over, I wanted to go back into the desert and do it all over again.

LDM: The next film you worked on is again one of my favorites on your resume, and that is Demon of Castlebury (2011) from Moongoyle Entertainment, a smaller budget film that had amazing production qualities, quality acting and a good script. The film had quite the underground following until recently when the filmmakers and Moongoyle came under attack from the media when it was found out that two of the men involved worked as administrators in a public school when they made it. Both were heavily scrutinized and basically hounded from their professions. Can you tell us about how you got involved with the film, your thoughts on how these men were demonized in the media, and do things like this give you pause before you work on a film?

DL: This came [as] an utter shock to me when hearing this on the news.

I have known these guys for years and we have all worked closely

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Danielle in The Eye

on four film projects, starting in 2005. One of their first films was a short called Waiting, and it had such an incredible story about first impression judgments about people at a bus stop—clearly nothing to do with horror. Most of their first work that I was involved in had nothing to do with the genre of horror. They didn’t start making horror films until Demon of Castlebury. Their outside lives should never be in question. What they do on their own time is their own thing, whether it be a horror film or something else. I have never felt uneasy or scared working with them; instead I have come to know them as some of my greatest friends. Ultimately, it’s just sad to see people come to quick judgments about such good people for no reason at all.

LDM: In 2014, you worked on two genre films with the incredibly talented Bill Oberst Jr. (The Black Water Vampire and Werewolf Rising).

With werewolves and vampires being such popular monsters in the genre (with various degrees of success), what were your thoughts on adding your name to those subgenres? What were your thoughts on working with Bill on these projects?

DL: Getting to work on The Black Water Vampire was such a thrill.

When Jesse Baget sent me the treatment of the film, I hadn’t ever delved into a found footage type film, so I didn’t really know what to expect. With the script, Jesse made a woman at the focal point of the film and had her trying to figure out a murder in some of the worst circumstances. Jesse was all about collaborating and always wanted to hear what you wanted to bring to the table. I ended up doing a great deal of research for the role since Danielle was a documentarian and I had such little knowledge on that. My character had so much guts and passion that playing her made me feel empowered. She is the type of person that doesn’t take no for an answer. I didn’t know what to expect in the long run doing a film based on such a popular topic, but knowing Jesse Baget was behind it all really made me feel comfortable. If you’re familiar with his work, everything he has done has come out amazingly well. He is such a well-thought-out director and really brings you into his vision and wants to collaborate with you.

Bill is amazing to work with. He is so great to feed off of and really gives you a performance to make you feel more secure as an actor. It was a nice surprise after doing Black Water Vampire that we would be working alongside each other in Werewolf Rising. We got to share a lot of great acting stories between each other on each set, and I do hope to work with him again soon.

LDM: You have two more films lined up for this year, Twinge and Tales of the Wicked Unseen. One thing both films have in common

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is that you will be working with the legendary Kane Hodder on both, and with Tales of the Wicked Unseen you will also be working with legends Roddy Piper, Bill Moseley and Michael Berryman. With such little information out there about these two films, what can you tell us about each of them? Do you get starstruck at all when working with such legendary talents?

DL: Right now these two films are in pre-production, mostly since they are still acquiring funding. Tales of the Wicked Unseen comes from the director I worked with on The Murders of Brandywine Theater.

Larry Longstreth is just a fantastic writer [and] director, so I am always on board with anything he has cooking. He has brought some really awesome actors on board for this film, and I am excited to work with Bill and Kane the most. I have been a huge fan of Bill Moseley for some time and would love to share a scene with him. Twinge is going to be filmed in Atlanta, and it’s a very bloody movie. I am excited to hopefully have the opportunity to work with Kane on both, seeing two different characters come to life. I don’t necessarily feel starstruck when I meet larger actors, but I do find it to be a great opportunity for me to be able to work alongside and see what makes them tick.

LDM: You have had an awesome career so far, both in and out of the genre. Looking back at all of it to this point, did you ever think that you would become such an up-and-coming name in film (and horror in particular)? Is there a dream genre project that you would want to be a part of, and what advice would you give to anyone who wanted to follow your path?

DL: Thank you. In the beginning, I honestly didn’t know where I was going to end up in this business or what projects were going to pick me. It was just a leap of faith that I am still taking every single day.

I am open to any genre at this point, drama being my favorite, but anything that makes me feel that passion for a character, I am down.

One of my dream roles would [be] to play Judy Garland in a biopic or a true story on someone’s life. I love being able to play someone that is real and adapting to their mannerisms or their speech. It would probably be the most challenging thing to do that hopefully one day I will have the chance to see myself in. Anyone who wants to get into this business, just know it doesn’t happen overnight. Nothing comes easily and you don’t become famous from just saying you’re an actor.

It takes hard work, endless nights of studying, a lot of money to invest and patience.

All of our staff would like to dedicate this issue of Living Dead to our founding father, Monster Man Gary Castleberry, who passed away in February. Instead of taking a moment of silence in his honor, we ask that you put on a Universal Monster film and enjoy, for Gary, the monsters that led to his love affair with horror. It is going to be impossible to replace all of the amazing things that Gary did for this magazine and for the horror community, but we hope that we can keep Gary’s spirit and legacy alive each issue by representing the people and films that he loved so dearly. We love you Gary and hope you are having a blast in horror heaven hanging out with the horror greats; maybe now you can get some of those unanswered questions finally answered!

The following is a eulogy written by staff writer Matt Majeski our “Monster Kid”.

“To many of us horror fans, whose days consist of watching films with death and violence galore, we still are unprepared for when it strikes in real life, especially when it claims those that are closest to us. In film, there's that comprehension that we're watching a manipulated reality, so it's fun and safe. However, outside of fiction, reality is not manipulated, and therefore that shattering effect of pain is all the more intensified when someone passes away. This is, unfortunately, one of those times for me and the entire LDM staff. On February 16th, 2015, my dear friend and fellow Living Dead Magazine writer, Gary Castleberry, passed away at the age of 64.

After I had heard of this incredibly depressing news, I was beyond speechless, and overcome with this persistent sadness. For the last year and a half, I had the privilege of talking to Gary several times on Facebook. He was probably one of the most laid back, friendliest, and most awesome guys I had ever had the privilege of knowing!

Both of us were fans of classic horror films, and films in general. But he was in a sense taken aback at my knowledge of such films, considering my age, and was impressed to say the least. It was through this friendship that was my way into writing for Living Dead Magazine. He told me about it after the first issue came out, and he said he put in a good word for me to our editor in chief, Deanna Uutela. Sure enough, I showed Deanna some writing samples of mine, and I became a contributing writer with Issue 2, interviewing Linnea Quigley, and then eventually bumped up to columnist from Issue 3 onwards. But I would've never achieved that if it hadn't been for Gary, something I'll be forever grateful for. In fact, our last conversation we had was about this very issue.

Whenever he read any of my stuff for the magazine, he was always so encouraging.

I really admired his supportiveness of others and their talent, even if the person didn't realize it themselves. That's one thing I'm so happy to have been given by him: a true belief in myself, and the drive to achieve your dreams no matter what. Always kind, always funny, always encouraging, Gary Castleberry was a fine example of a human being, and I'm so happy that I could call him my friend/a father figure. So, I say goodbye to my friend, and will always try to preserve his wonderful memory in my heart. RIP Gary! You more than deserve it!”

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Keep an Eye out for issue 8 this summer featuring the best in horror rock & Metal