I know something is out there. They have contacted me. Bill collectors, student loan officers…b-r-r-r, scary!
Similarly, in 1975 television film The UFO Incident, respected thespians Estelle Parsons and James Earl Jones dove into the story of Betty and Barney Hill, a couple who, also, was touched by the beyond. With the help of a kindly analyst (played with understated commitment by Barnard Hughes) the duo eventually recalls their kidnapping at the hands of some Roswell style aliens.
While the light bulb white space creatures almost add an air of comedy when revealed, director Richard A. Colla and writer Hesper Anderson nicely concentrate mainly on the emotional implications of the abduction. This allows Parsons and Jones to revel in their arsenal of acting skills. While Jones/Barney commiserates, deeply, about the physical torments (including a herpes like outbreak on the character’s genitals) endured, Parsons/Betty finally relates some moments of light hearted bantering with the otherworldly creatures.
Based on a real life situation, the piece’s most effective moment occurs, though, when Betty recalls the love and puzzled affection that she feels for Barney. Noting that she is not a pretty woman, she wonders at his devotion to her. Parsons fills her character with such honest questioning, here, that outsiders everywhere can relate to her plight and love her all the more for it.
Until the next time – SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan
Having been brought up by a coven of lesbian prostitute nuns, I know there is nothing more evil than a creative goddess in her prime.
Amazing horror site Horror Addicts must agree with me – hence their awesome Wicked Women contest for 2014.
Below, are the details, lifted straight from their site.
“2014 Theme: Beauty & the Beast
Premise: There is something both fearsome and attractive in a wild thing, be it man or beast. From creature legends told around ancient campfires, to modern tales of King Kong and crypto zoology, critters have always captured our darkest imagination. Get your Beast on.
Challenge: Create a 10 minute horror podcast that contains four story elements, plus your written story. Registration closes 4-13-14. Audio and text are due on 5-13-14.
Story Elements: Each of our Wicked Belles will be assigned a location, a blessing, a curse … and a Beast. Your story must include a lady in peril and these four elements:
Location: Anywhere in the world is fair game. A private zoo? A Japanese Nightclub? Kindergarten Show ‘N’ Tell? You are the game. We’ll give you the board.
Blessing: A helpful item to tame the danger in your tale. We couldn’t have you stalked by a Werewolf without at least giving you a silver locket to melt down. Use your item wisely, Wicked. Even a trivial thing can save your life.
Curse: An untimely disability. You can’t skip through this one without feeling a bite of a fang on your ass. The Norns can be quite evil with this element.
Beast: Beasts will be drawn from the 12 animal signs of the Chinese zodiac: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, or Pig. The Beast may be a main character in your story, or may be represented in other creative ways… a tattoo? An advertising logo? A supernatural brute? Freak of nature? You name it, as long as you include it. Any genre of horror is welcome, but this ain’t Lassie, my Wickeds. Not unless she rips out your throat!
Dates to Remember:
Contest Opens – March 4, 2014
Registration Closes – April 13, 2014
Audio & Text Due – May 13, 2014
Elimination Round to 5 Wickeds – May 24, 2014
Voting Begins June 13, 2014
Voting Ends July 28, 2014
2014 Winner Announced August 23, 2014
WARNING: The Norns are majorly p.m.s.ing this year. This challenge involves shotgun-quick writing & recording skills. The squeamish need not apply!
If you would like to compete, send an e-mail to: Horroraddicts@gmail.com –We’ll send you the complete set of rules and assign your story elements. Remember, the sooner you respond, the more time you’ll have to write and produce your podcast.”
Now, get cracking all my lovely (and amazingly talented) femmes of fear!
Until the next time – SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan
What a conundrum! Good guys may never get the girls, but in horror flicks the bad guys usually get dead.
Personable actor Michael Welch knows this first hand. As Mike Newton in the Twilight series, he pined, unsuccessfully, for the supernaturally obsessed Bella. In 2013’s The Demented, Welch seems to be having a much better time playing the smarmily rich Howard. It is soon revealed that Howard, who puts the move on the entire female cast of this (weakly CGI ridden) flick, has cheated on his loving girlfriend. Which means Welch is the first to buy it, here. This is sad for two reasons: it is so obviously expected and Welch adds much of this zombie-style flick’s initial energy!
Still, as a mild time waster, The Demented isn’t half bad. In a nice move, we actually witness the missile blast that lets loose the infective contagion and the young cast, including The Vampire Diaries‘ Kayla Ewell, does pretty well with the film’s emotional Night of the Living Dead elements. The effects including a rabidly attacking dog and the mind altering explosion are so cheaply rendered, that those who tap dance to cheesy cinematography may have a field day, as well.
It does seem time to alter certain tropes in our low budget exploitation fare, though. Severe righteousness seems equal to promiscuity in filmic sinfulness…so here’s to our uptight virgins crashing and burning with the (far more entertaining) bad boys (and girls) surviving to the final frame!
Until the next time – SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!
Tina-Desiree Berg is a delightful breath of fresh air. Honest, loyal and true, Berg came to prominence in the (highly delightful) Golden Age of Femme Fatales magazine, often being associated with such video screen beauties as Julie Strain, JJ North and many others of that era. Perhaps best known for her effervescent work in the cult classic Bikini Hotel, her credits include such exploitation wonders as Merchant of Evil (with William Smith), Run Like Hell (starring Robert Z’Dar) and Reptilicant (with famed martial artist Gary Daniel). Daytime television lovers may, also, recognize her from a two year stint, partying with the younger set at the Bikini Bar, on The Bold and the Beautiful. Still busy as ever, this glorious lady has, also, honed her skills as a devoted humanitarian. Despite her bevy of hectic activities, Berg recently took a moment to chat with Big Gay Horror Fan about the glorious days of the video boom and her exciting upcoming ventures, all while sharing her overall charming worldview.
BGHF: Hey, Tina! So, what first got you interested in performing… a tuba playing, tap dancing aunt…that English teacher with the flair for the dramatic? Tell all!
Tina: I guess I was born with it! When I was in first grade I got my first real taste though. My class was on the local news singing “I’m a little tea pot” during the closing credits. I kept trying to step out in front of the rest of the class. I sang the loudest because I thought that was best. After that it was all over. It was in my blood.
BGHF: I love that! Show business is such a treacherous (occasionally back-stabbing) business. What has been the most valuable lesson that you have learned throughout your journey down its (sometimes) crooked, yellow brick roads?
Tina: (laughing) Isn’t that the truth! I have certainly come across my fair share of treachery in this industry- its actually pretty amazing what some people are willing to do in the pursuit of fame. But if you are of the non-treacherous variety, like I am, you can certainly find some good souls out there as well. In addition to the back stabbing types- the arts also attracts a fair amount of humanitarians. So- I have found that the best thing to do is insulate yourself from the narcissists while surrounding yourself with like-minded artists who possess some empathy. Avoid the nut jobs- no matter how well connected- they will only sap your strength. Instead- build a network of people whom with support is reciprocated.
BGHF: Perfect! You came into prominence during the tail-end of the high powered video age. This period of Femme Fatales glory was recently documented in Jason Paul Collum’s fine documentary Screaming in High Heels. Do you have a favorite remembrance (or overall feeling) from that period of time?
Tina in “Bikini Hotel”
Tina: Such a great time period in my life with so many amazing memories and experiences! One of the highlights was definitely sitting down with Roger Corman in his office for an interview. Another was being the centerfold in the Pam Anderson issue of Femme Fatales. Then there was interviewing the MST3K guys at NAPTE- who were really quite funny and had me in stitches. And since this was the high-powered video age- the VSDA convention never disappointed. The year I was there promoting Bikini Hotel was particularly crazy. I will never forget looking down the long line of guys waiting to get the one sheet autographed and seeing a woman. It was very curious. When she got to the front of the table she presented me with her business card. She worked for Pay Per View and she wanted to know if we were making Bikini Hotel 2. I said that I was unaware- then inquired as to why she was asking. She replied that it was her highest grossing film the previous quarter. I was stunned. STUNNED! Really? Bikini Hotel?? Who knew?!
BGHF: Bikini Hotel is just one of the cult classics that dot your resume, but it seems to be a fan favorite. Do you have any fun, specific memories about working on that set?
Tina: Ha! Several! We had a lot of fun shooting that film. Julie Strain and JJ North were great. Stella Stevens was excellent to work with. She was someone I looked up to as an actress. The guys were all quite funny. So, the long hours on the set seemed shorter because it was a solid group of fun individuals. Having said that – this film was made long before the digital age. So it was shot entirely on short ends. Meaning, you had only one take to get it right! So, not only did it have to be timed perfectly to fit the length of the short end- it also had to be your best performance. You didn’t have the luxury of multiple takes back then. You were shooting film and it was simply too expensive. At the same time, I think that is also what has given us some of the best comedic moments in a lot of these low budget cult classics. Anyway, on Bikini Hotel we ended up improvising a lot of the filler shots in the miniature gulf sequences. JJ had just done Attack of the 60 Ft Centerfold– so we did a parody of that with a section of the golf course that was houses. They used force perspective to make it look like she was trampling them. And then there was the infamous cat fight, which was not in the original script, but was really funny. JJ and I had some fun with the utter ridiculousness of it. It remains one of my favorite bits. Another fun fact: The montage sequences of the women in the Hotel Lingerie hotel rooms were all me wearing different wigs and costumes.
BGHF: Fun! You bring a nice natural quality to such fun yet outlandish projects like Magma: Earth’s Molten Core and Reptilicant. Do you find it difficult have to react to special effects that (seemingly) aren’t in place yet – or is that just part of the joy of it for you?
Tina: Interestingly enough- no! I don’t find the internal emotional work to be that much different. You just have to keep focused on the internal. It’s about transferring the emotions from a real life experience into whatever it is you are doing in the film. Of course that can get tough on a low budget film when you are shooting 15 hour days. I can always see the difference in the scenes shot late into the night.
Tina in “Reptilicant”
There was one scene in Reptilicant like this. It had to have been 2 in the morning and it was the last shot for that day. I had a line that was supposed to be “armor piercing bullets” but I kept saying “body piercing bullets”. I was so tired that I didn’t even realize I was saying that until the other actor, on the 5th take, responded “Danny, I believe that all bullets are body piercing”. (Laughing) It was quite funny. Gary Daniels is an amazing martial artist and it was great to do a film with him.
Magma was unique for me because it was a family film. I played a mother who was a scientist. In fact, it is the one film I have done in which I am more “homely” looking and never wearing a sexy outfit. So I appreciated the opportunity of that. The green screen sequences in this film mainly involved the volcano erupting. We had several young teens in the cast so I really enjoyed mentoring them on the set.
Tina and Gary Daniels
BGHF: Speaking of mentoring, let’s slip into our Deborah Kerr shoes and play a bit of “Getting to Know You”! Is there an activity that you love to do that may surprise or delight your fans. (Like, say, gardening in green shorts to Pavarotti videos or the like!)
Tina: I love slipping into my Deborah Kerr shoes! Dance was one of my first loves, actually. My BA is in drama and dance. As an aside- I actually do love gardening- although I prefer Prince to Pavarotti while doing it. My big hobby the last few years has been restoring my 1920’s Spanish Casita. I have refinished all the plaster, floors and frescoes. In particular I have really gotten into working on the mosaic tile. It appeals to the artist in me. I think I’ve covered almost all of outside surfaces with mosaics!
BGHF: That sounds simply beautiful. Now, we connected on Twitter over your passion for Gay Rights issues. Have you always been a humanitarian or was there an incident that stands out in your mind as a turning point for you?
On the set of “Deer Crossing”
Tina: My second love has always been humanitarian issues. I have done a lot of volunteer work, served on non-profit boards and have also worked as an unpaid public policy director. I have never been afraid to speak my mind on these issues and I was born with a particular passion for justness. I think that the turning point for me was witnessing a gay high school friend being bullied. It just didn’t feel right to me or make any sense. My parents were quite open-minded- I even had lesbian babysitters when I was young- so I had not been exposed to any set of prejudicial notions. I had never been in an environment where it was OK to dislike someone simply because of their sexual orientation or skin color. So, I was puzzled by this unfounded hatred and it made me emboldened to join the fight for equality. All men are created equal should mean ALL men.
I am also pretty outspoken on racism. Hate it. In fact, I wrote my MA thesis paper on race eliminativsm. I have also done advocacy for Microbicides and worked on human trafficking legislation.
BGHF: Wonderful! Two fisted question time!!! Is there a past project that you feel hasn’t gotten enough attention or something that you are especially proud of that you would like to talk about? And – are there any future projects that you would like to push or words of wisdom (IE: Never film a scene in a swimsuit when it’s only 30 degrees out) that you would like to leave us with?
Tina: Yes- I am just starting a short film titled The Long and Short Of Ringo Speck that I’m pretty excited about. It should be out by the end of the year. It is a well-written dramatic piece.
I also started a genre movie streaming website 2 years ago and I have been working on expanding it: http://www.bcinema.tv ! We have a lot of the horror and SCI FI classics on there, coupled with some fun new stuff. One of the coolest collections we stream is Fangovision. These are the 3D film version of various genre classics. My partner -Jason Liquori of Hocus Focus Prods- has developed a great analogue 3D treatment. I invite everyone to check them out as the site is free.
I will leave you with my words of wisdom: If you embrace the skeletons in your closet, they are no longer skeletons. They are only skeletons if you let others embrace them for you. I say this because everyone in a creative industry will at some point in time be associated with a project that ends up being not so good. I have done some good films- and I have done a lot of bad ones. But I regret none. I see some of my fellow thespians cower from films they are in that turn out to be not so good and I never quite understood this. You can’t erase your image or association. You can’t, especially now with the internet. It is what it is. Moreover, we- as humans- will all at some point make bad decisions. This is inevitable. It is also inevitable that many people are judgmental and will want to judge you. But, if you embrace these things instead of allowing others too, it will take the wind out of their sails, so to speak.
BGHF: Thanks, Tina!!! This has been better than riding in a helicopter with a shirtless hunk while the earth explodes below – any day of the week!!!
Tina: (laughing) You are SOOOO funny!!
BGHF: Only because I am trying match your awesomeness with humor, my friend! Only because of that!
Growing up in Amish country in the hills of Western New York, I witnessed visual miracles. Why, I will never forget the day I stumbled over a snake…draped in a suit or sang a duet with a dewy eyed cow…that just happened to be wearing a pink thong.
But I have never felt such life changing brilliance as I have watching the totally talented; truly divine Tonjia Atomic sing about a gorilla in a bikini! With dusky soulfulness (and a sense of true fun), Atomic (fronting her band Filthy Issue) delivers the goods on this title track to (the awesome) Andrew Shearer’s upcoming film.
Get ready to discover your new goddesses, here!
Until the next time – SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!
Let’s face it, half the fun of horror and exploitation is seeing some hot bodies frolicking around in the buff. And while I worship the female form, I believe exploitation definitely veers into the exploitive when only gorgeous women are on display while their male counterparts remain chastely buttoned up. Therefore, The Backside of Horror salutes the filmmakers and actors whom even up the score a bit by gracing us with instances of hot and juicy male flesh in their bloody celluloid fantasies.
Things I’ve done in barns: Read a stolen Playboy in a hayloft with my preteen companions, got kicked by finicky horse (or two) and…I once used one to escape from an unstoppable serial killer (or three). (Although, that last one may be just another one of my compulsive Dana Kimmell flashbacks. H-m-m-m…) But, I have never ever gotten a straw strewn lay!
Of course, in Dario Argento’s critically unsung Dracula (2012), first victim Tanja (Miriam Giovanelli) outdoes me almost immediately. Her frantic meeting with the married Milos (Christian Burruano) soon gets more than just the rooster crowing. And while Argento has traditionally filled his filmic coffers with tons of skin baring femmes (including daughter Asia, who bares all here, as well), he finally offers up a little eye candy for the feisty gals and appreciative gay dudes in the audience with this one. For, while the glorious Giovanelli definitely displays all, the handsome Burruano also shows off his well toned ham hocks, virtually guaranteeing a moment of fast forward action for (any sensitive) relatives who may being viewing this frisky lad’s Euro horror debut.
Of course, Giovanelli and Burruano soon discover terror’s traditional message that sex equals death (or undeath, as the case may be), but a fine, smooth and fleshy time is had until then!
Until the next time – SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan
What’s better than a lime green Barbie van and a stack of Girl Scout cookies?
Why the latest episode of Film Jerks!, of course. Here, we (which includes host Derrick Carey, myself, Scott Davis, Mark Krawczyk and Ramona Lowry) discuss Jean Rollin’s bizarrely vengeful Killing Car.
So, grab your hottest Australian (via Parisian bistro) lass and check it out, here:
“Don’t panic. Contrary to popular report, I don’t mix modeling and big game hunting.” – Model Kate Bedford to a female colleague, She’s Dressed to Kill
Recognizable as the bloodied hero of the original Children of the Corn, actor-director Peter Horton truly showed his subtle performing powers as Tony Smith in 1979 television terror flick, She’s Dressed to Kill.
A Viet Nam deserter, Horton’s Tony has been taken in by manipulative fashion designer Regine Danton (the late, truly magnificent Eleanor Parker) at her mountainside retreat. As models and deluxe buyers gather for Danton’s latest show, it is revealed that the young and talented Smith has actually created the entire collection. With his promised credit for the gowns denied by Danton, Smith recoils with anger. Soon, attendees mysteriously begin to be murdered and he becomes a prime suspect. But, Smith soon finds a very willing supporter.
Victor DeSalle, a catty columnist ably played by the distinguished Clive Revill (The Legend of Hell House, C.H.U.D. II, Dracula: Dead and Loving It), agrees to sponsor Smith, if he can steal back his original designs. As the two characters chat, they acknowledge their mutual attraction to men with a bittersweet dialogue that is both guarded yet skillfully apparent. Despite his character’s devious plot, Revill does eventually show some tenderness toward the younger man in his portrayal while Horton supplies some softer touches to his characterization, as well. Director Gus Trikonis (The Evil, The Dark Side of Terror) allows for these nice emotional qualities to emerge, here, in a sharp contrast to the playful quality of the rest of the film.
George Leffert, who also wrote 1977’s similarly themed The Night They Took Miss Beautiful, makes room for a take charge lesbian in his script, as well. While Kate Bedford, a safari jaunting model, is occasionally played for laughs, gorgeous Cathee Shirriff inhabits her with enough likeable pride to make her a positive role model, as well.
Considering the time period in which this was filmed, the overwhelming sensitivity and various shades of personalities given these characters should be thought of as quite an achievement, especially in a network based thriller. But, it is also interesting to note that, even in the late 70’s, it was much easier to sell an attractive female queer as opposed to a male one. Bedford is decidedly out and accepted by her peers while the characters of Smith and DeSalle are cloaked in secrecy.
My hypnotic stare has always read as catatonic. Just ask the neighbors who consistently try to call emergency services on me.
Thankfully, graceful beauty Elizabeth Russell (1916-2012) was much better at magnetism than me. Enacting a series of emotionally troubled, occasionally murderous dames in low budget genre films in the 40s, Russell often brought haughty imperviousness to mystical heights. Historically, her work at RKO, Universal and Monogram brought her into performance-contact with the monstrously popular Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney, Jr., as well.
The Corpse Vanishes
One of Russell’s biggest roles was in 1942’s The Corpse Vanishes. Portraying Lugosi’s evilly aging wife, Russell radiates with poisonous intentions. When she isn’t busy slapping heroine Luana Walters in the face, she spends her time encouraging Lugosi to drain young brides of their blood for their rejuvenating effects.
Curse of the Cat People
Weird Woman and Curse of the Cat People (both 1944) showed her off to vengeful effect, as well. But in each of these roles, Russell provides moments of true heart, bringing out these characters’ inherent emotional agony.
The 7th Victim
1943’s The 7th Victim, meanwhile, allowed her to show off a broad variety of her skills. As Mimi, a victim of agoraphobia, she withers with cautious fear. But as another character chooses to end her life, Mimi emerges from her shell. With quiet optimism, Russell grandly provides this spooky tale with its haunting denouement.
Bedlam
Nicely, as Karloff’s gin loving niece, Mistress Sims, in 1946’s Bedlam, Russell was able to prove her comic worth, too. With arch sauciness, she provides a number of comic interludes, easing the gravity of the film’s asylum based horror and proving, beyond a doubt, that she is one of classic horror’s unsung femmes.
Until the next time – SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!
Sometimes, there is nothing that makes me happier than a bag of red licorice, the company of my vintage Suzanne Somers action figure and the soundtrack of Love At First Bite on my stereo!
But usually I am most pleased when I get to talk cheesy horror flicks with upstanding terror stalkers like Derrick Carey (Swamphead, Hole in the Wall), Cory J. Udler (Incest Death Squad series, Mediatrix) and acclaimed genre journalist Seth Poulin.
Here, we four talk, on the Carrey hosted podcast Astro Radio Z, about Dario Argento’s wildly dismissed Dracula and about the current state of this master of horror and his ilk.
Not surprisingly, perhaps, we all kind of dug this one. Find out why at:
Based on a real life situation, the piece’s most effective moment occurs, though, when Betty recalls the love and puzzled affection that she feels for Barney. Noting that she is not a pretty woman, she wonders at his devotion to her. Parsons fills her character with such honest questioning, here, that outsiders everywhere can relate to her plight and love her all the more for it.
Big Gay Horror Fan 