Killer School Girls from Outer Space

It is pretty well known by those who know me that if a movie has the words "From Outer Space" in it's title, then I'm all over it.  Killer Klowns from Outer Space, It Came from Outer Space...and now Killer School Girls!

When I first popped KSGfOS into my DVD player, I was expecting some school girls running around, with a UFO and some cheesy deaths.   Man, I was not prepared for the ride I got!  The first scene takes place on a distant planet, where a Killer School Girl lays waste to about 25 soldiers.  Her laser gun doesn't just kill people....it makes them EXPLODE in a shower of blood and gore, with squishy sound effects that really hit the spot.

Even better, we then find out that Ron Jeremy is their Commander (who the girls call "Father").  So for those of you keeping track, that's 25 bloody deaths and Ron Jeremy in the first five minutes.    I can't see how you could NOT love this movie!  

The human characters follow the cookie cutter molds of the B-Movies the KSG riffs off of.  Ben and Allie are high school sweethearts.  Ben is thinking of quitting the football team because he feels that he is meant for something more.  Hhhhhmmmm....forshadowing much?  Could Ben be our hero?  I think so!

KSG hits all the important notes that a drive-in classic needs.  There's a game of chicken, the token sheriff who doesn't believe the kids who are trying to warn them about the oncoming invasion.  As a matter of fact, I quite enjoyed the scenes in the police station as Ben and Allie try to convince the Sheriff of the danger.  Deputy Moore is a little more open minded and agrees to go with them and check out their story.  The whole thing is pretty much lifted from Killer Klowns....but it brought a smile to my face.  Of course The Sheriff, Deputy, Ben and Allie form a formidable foursome that stands between the Killer School Girls and the annihilation of planet Earth.  

Killer School Girls is pure B-Movie fun from start to finish.  It's got everything:  Humor, girls in short skirts, car racing, blood, spaceships, doomsday bombs, and a pervasive sense of fun.  If you are a drive-in buff, you owe it to yourself to watch Killer School Girls.

If you read MC even every now and then, you know that I love B-Movies.  If I could find a way to either snort them in powder form or inject them into my bloodstream, I would.  So when I come across a film maker who shares my passion for B-Movie goodness, I shine a spotlight on them.  Henceforth, I give you Mr. Alexander Shumake, writer and director of Killer School Girls.

I was able to catch up with Mr Shumake and chat about KSG, Angry Nun Productions and a variety of other topics:

Tell us about the genesis of Angry Nun Productions?

I’m not quite sure how we came up with the name, haha. My father and Angry Nun business partner, Bill Shumake, and I wanted to come up with a name that did two things: 1. Accurately represented the type of movies we enjoyed and planned on making, 2. Rolled off the tongue.

All I can really remember of the genesis is my father coming home one day saying, “I’ve got it, I have the name!” and when he said, “Angry Nun Productions,” Immediately we knew that was it.

How did you come up with the idea for Killer School Girls?

Killer School Girls from Outer Space evolved from a number of situations.

At the time, I was going to college and during one of my classes I sketched a fake movie poster for a film titled Attack of the Killer Bunnies from Outer Space- this was to be a movie about a group of Giant Alien Bunnies that terrorized a city (think Godzilla but with cute, fluffy rabbits that have laser eyes).

As time went on, this concept of “Killer Bunnies” eventually developed into the idea of—“What if instead of having the bunnies being rabbits, bunnies were Playboy Bunnies?” We liked the idea of this and still do to be honest, but somewhere between then and whenever we decided to write the screenplay it changed to Killer School Girls from Outer Space.

Whatever the beginning of the movie title ended up being, we knew from years of watching old school sci-fi movies that it had to end with- from Outer Space.

How did Ron Jeremy become involved?

Bill, initially meet Ron Jeremy at his 49^th Birthday Party being held at, the now out of business, KATZ’S DELI during the 2001 SXSW Film Festival where “The Hedgehog” was promoting a documentary about himself, called The Legend of Ron Jeremy.

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A few years later, Ron Jeremy was back in Austin, TX promoting his new autobiography when my father approached him with the idea of playing The Sheriff in our film. Ron was instantly thrilled by the offer and passed along his agents contact information.

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Two years later, we had a finished script for Killer School Girls from Outer Space; we e-mailed Ron’s agent the script and made a deal for Ron Jeremy to play “The Father”!

How long did the film take from start to finish?

From concept to DVD in hand, the film took roughly 2 years to complete. Production lasted 15 days.

I know that Roger Corman is a huge influence on you, What is your favorite Corman flick?

Roger Corman is one of my all-time favorite filmmakersJ I can only dream of having the impressive career that he has churned out.

Picking one flick of Corman’s is too difficult of a decision, Haha. My favorite film of his wide-collection usually changes from one day to the next but some that constantly stay in my DVD player’s rotation are: The Wild Angels, Not of This Earth, Grand Theft Auto, Sharktopus, and Rock ‘N’ Roll High School

Do you prefer horror/sci-fi or would you like to branch out to other genres as well?

I will direct anything. I probably do have a preference towards making B-movies but only because they are personally more fun to make. I’ve directed a few dramatic pieces in the past where actors/actresses had to cry for the duration of a scene and while they turned out wonderfully, it’s SO draining. The whole crew drags and the environment is not as fun. 

I’m a huge fan of B-movies, especially old school sci-fi of the 1950-60’s. If I never made anything outside of the sci-fi genre, that would be fine with me.

What’s lined up next for you?

We have a number of exciting and rather diverse projects on the horizon:

We’re working on several commercials for various locally-owned companies in the Austin, TX area, a PSA campaign for NO TEXTING while driving, a documentary spotlighting the head football coach of  a top ranked university, and a slew of multi-genre screenplays with the intention to, both, produce or sell.  

In addition, we are focusing a considerable amount of attention on Angry Nun Productions’ Indie Movie Making, www.indiemoviemaking.com – an in-depth filmmaking blog that provides movie makers, and aspiring movie makers, with the necessary tools and information that they will need in order to see their movie thru to completion and getting them distribution. We typically pitch it as, learn how-to-make a movie from start to finish and avoid the mistakes we so blindly made.

If you had unlimited funds and access to absolutely any actor/writer/director/producer/etc in the world and you had the rights to use any IP, what would your dream project be?

Damn, this is a massive question. There are so many geek thoughts swimming thru my brain right now, Haha. I’m going to answer this question in bullet points, highlighting specifics that I would like to include:

*The movie would have to be one of two ways: Epic- spanning many years, like The Shawshank Redemption or Contained- taking place in one day, like Dazed and Confused.

*It would be a period piece set in the 1960’s (preferably the earlier years, 1962-65)

*Music would be a main driving force of the narrative, much like American Graffiti and would feature pop songs of the early ‘60’s.

*The Cast would include an All-Star Roster (Including the entire cast of That 70’s Show).

In addition to a star-studded cast, I would hire the Killer School Girl family, positioning them in many, if not all, of the lead roles.

I strongly believe there are just as many non-named actors/actresses that are every bit as good as any big name in Hollywood; all they need to out-shine the big stars is a chance, or opportunity.

*Other “Dream Projects” include: Re-making Teen Wolf (1985) or Beware! The Blob (1972), Adapting I Dream of Jeanie for the silver screen, and/or Re-booting Batman – making it much like the 1960’s Television Show staring Adam West, I would cast Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as Batman & Robin.    

What are your interests outside of film?

Wasting Time, Reading, Watching Re-Runs of That 70s Show, Family Guy, I Dream of Jeanie, and a few Hana-Barbara Cartoons of the late 60’s-early 70’s, Writing, Going for Walks (not runs)J

What’s your favorite movie snack?

Well, I have a rule if I decide to go see a movie in the theater, and that is, I’ll only go if I can watch it at the Alamo Drafthouse- the amazing Austin, TX based movie theater that caters to film fans, and is owned/operated by film fans, and typically when I go I’ll order a Basket of French Fries.

(*If you visit Austin, TX, I highly recommend visiting the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. In addition to creating a pleasant film viewing atmosphere, they have an awesome menu)    

Do you believe in the paranormal/ufos/cryptids/etc? Have you ever had an experience in said topics?

I definitely believe in UFOs and The Extraterrestrial. I’m skeptic when it comes to the paranormal but I am still open to the notion.

Do you remember your first horror movie?

Honestly, I don’t. I grew up watching all sorts of movies when I was child, I was very fortunate to have parents who didn’t censor my viewing habits. I can remember when I was 5 years old my favorite movie in the whole world was PREDATOR, haha, it’s still pretty damn cool.

With that being said, I can recall the first, and I believe only, movie that ever gave me nightmares as a child which was the 1940 Disney Classic Pinocchio. The thought of turning into a donkey terrified me. Every 10 minutes or so I would wake-up my mother, and we would both go into the bathroom, checking the mirror to make sure my ears weren’t changing.

What are you going to be for Halloween?

Good question. I don’t know. I’m actually going to the costume store next week to look. I’ve toyed with the idea of going as Teen Wolf (1985, Michael J. Fox, not the crappy MTV show)

Anything that you’d like to add that the denizens of Midnight Cinephile might like to know?

Thanks for conducting this interview; it was a lot of fun. I would like to urge filmmakers to check-out our blog, www.indiemoviemaking.com, and of course if you enjoy watching beautiful girls shoot lasers in short skirt, check-out Killer School Girls from Outer Space. You can purchase the amazing two-disc DVD at www.killerschoolgirls.com, and if you dig the movie, please share it with your friends and spread the good word. Thanks! 

A huge THANK YOU to Alexander for spending some time with us.  No matter what comes next for him, you can be sure that MC will be eagerly awaiting the next Angry Nun film!

Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space (A Monsters vs Aliens short)

When it comes to Halloween specials, I'm usually of the classic persuasion.  I love the ones from my childhood and though I will watch the newer ones, they usually don't do that much for me.  I still appreciate the fact that they are putting out Halloween specials, but most seem to fall a bit short in the Halloween Spirit department.  Well, Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space is hands down the BEST Halloween special to come down the pike in well over a decade.

MPfOS is a TV special that first aired on October 28th, 2009.  I loved Monsters vs Aliens, so I was quite interested to see what they'd whip up for a Halloween Special.  I was not disappointed.  The ambiance is absolutely fantastic.  The special starts with a UFO sludging out some goop over a pumpkin patch, which brings all the pumpkins to life, turning them into anthropomorphic pumpkin monsters with glowing eyes and mouths.  

Meanwhile, Susan and the rest of the monsters are gearing up for Halloween.  BOB is trying to decide what to be.  Link is excited about the chance to go out and do some scaring.  Insectasaurus wants to dress as Elvis and Dr. Cochroach tells his tale of woe and the reason he dislikes Halloween.  Basically some bullies took his candy (a really nice swirly lollipop) and toss him in a trashcan.  

General Monger then comes and tells them that they must cancel their Halloween plans because there is an alien invasion on the rise in (where else?) Susan's hometown of Modesto, California.  Susan visits her parents (without telling them the real reason that she is there) and the monsters partake in some trick or treating, while scanning the locals to see if they are alien.

There are some truly funny scenes here, such as when BOB forgets what to say when he goes to his first house for trick or treat.  Link becomes upset that no one is scared of him and Dr. Cockroach receives a swirly lollipop just like the one he lost when he was little and his love of the holiday returns. 

And of course, that's exactly when the mutant pumpkins attack!  As it turns out they grow bigger with every piece of candy they eat.  They start to grow bigger and bigger until finally combining and former a super pumpkin monster!  Just like Voltron.....or a transformers combiner!  In a word.....AWESOME!

I won't ruin the end of the special for you, but I will say that it is definitely worth a watch.  It has a fun storyline, with the characters you already love from the MvA universe.  It also brings a certain je ne sais quoi that only certain Halloween specials have.  A certain fun, spooky vibe that cannot be forced.

MPfOS is available on DVD and hopefully they will show it again on TV this month (though a quick glance showed no listings).  This is absolutely a recommended viewing for this Halloween for the whole family!

Garfield's Halloween Adventure

You know, they say never lead off with the best material, because you would have no where to go from there.  You know what though?  I don't care.  I've waited all year for this.  Garfield's Halloween Adventure is my all time favorite Halloween Special.  If I was only able to watch one special and one special only, it would be this one.  I will watch it absolutely every single day between now and Halloween night.  I love it THAT much.  This is my childhood wrapped into 24 minutes of animated bliss and I want to share it with EVERYONE.  You can keep your Great Pumpkin, because I know that the true spirit of Halloween lies with some dead pirates in a house on a lonely river island.  Don't get me wrong, I love me some Charlie Brown, but this is the penultimate in Retro Halloween Specials as far as I'm concerned.

I used to think that everyone had seen this special, but it's come to my attention in my adult (read man-child) years that not as many people remember this special as I would have thought.  This thoroughly shocks me as Holly and I are constantly quoting the special and singing it's songs all year long.  I wish I was making that up, but if I had a nickle for every time we started to sing an impromptu round of "What Should I Be?"  I probably wouldn't need a day job.  A few years ago, when I was still working in sales, I sent out an email to all my co-workers with a poll asking which they preferred -  Garfield or Charlie Brown.  We were a productive bunch, weren't we?  Any way, I found that nearly half of my co-workers had never even SEEN the Garfield special, while a good part of the rest of them preferred It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.  That's pretty much when I lost my faith in humanity.

Okay, okay, so what is so great about this special, you ask?  Well, first of all, it has quite possibly one of the most endearing Halloween stories I've ever seen.  Garfield is woken up early one morning by the Binky The Clown Show.  Now first off, I'd like to point out that Binky has always creeped me out.  He's like an angry cross between Bozo and Pennywise!  Makes me shiver just thinking about it.  Anyway, he wakes up to Binky telling all the kids ("Heeeeeey Kiiiiiiiiiiids!") that it's Halloween and that night they could get lots of candy.  This of course catches Garfield's attention and brings us too one of my most quoted lines "Candy, candy, candy!"  Which brings me to another side story.  I'm not much of a candy person most of the year and I could go January to September without so much as a piece of chocolate.....and I would be fine with that.  But when Halloween rolls around, I can't help myself.  I can't go to the store without buying bags of candy.  Holly could send me to the store to buy toilet paper and swiss cheese, but you can be sure that I will come back with three bags of various Halloween candy and HOPEFULLY I remember to pick up what I was sent out to get.  Same thing happens to me with Egg Nog and Christmas Cookies and candies.  I am truly a diseased individual.

So Garfield has brilliant idea to bring Odie along with him, effectively netting himself two bags of candy.  They head up to the attic to search for costumes.  Here is where the incredibly infectious song "What Should I Be?" plays out.  I dare you to listen to it and NOT get it stuck in your head.  After searching through boxes and trunks they find the perfect costumes:  Pirates!  They are now Orangebeard and Odie the Stupid!  John laughs at their costumes and Garfield threatens him with his wooden sword but decides to let him live "being that yer the only one who be changing me kitty litter!"  Classic line.  The boys head out to Trick or Treat and as they walk down the street, Odie starts to whimper.  Garfield tells him not to be afraid, because they are all just kids, like them, in costume.  Garfield sings my second favorite song in the show, "Scaredy Cat" as he attempts to show Odie that they are all costumes, but each appears to be a real supernatural creature or ghost.

After their sacks are full, the boys are about to head home when Garfield notices all the houses across the river.  Being the greedy kitty that he is, they find a row boat and start to head to the other side to get more candy ("Candy, candy, candy!"),  Unfortunately when Garfield tells Odie to put out the oars, Odie does just that.  Literally.  As the oars float away, Garfield realizes that they might be in trouble.  However, the wash up on an island in the river.  The house appears to be inhabited, with light coming from the windows, but when they peer in, they see no one.  They decide to warm themselves by the fire.  It's then that they are surprised by an old man sitting in a chair, who tells them a tale of a pirate blood pact.  100 years ago, these pirates left their treasure here and all vowed to come back 100 years later for it, even if it meant returning from the grave!  Which, of course it would....because who the hell lives that long anyway?  But that's besides the point.  The old man steals their rowboat and leaves them to face the phantom pirates.

When I was a kid, these ghost pirates really freaked me out!  I can very distinctly remember holding my plastic pumpkin full of candy tightly as I watched Garfield and Odie hide from them.
Of course as a young child I was afraid of pretty much everything.  It's actually quite amazing that I turned into a horror hound, because I remember staying up under my covers freaked out over a Halloween episode of The Facts of Life.  So there you go.  Take of that what you will.

GHA was originally called Garfield in Disguise, which I'm guessing they changed because it wasn't Halloweeney enough.  That sounds more like some kinda espionage thing.  Halloween Adventure has a much better ring to it.  Garfield, as always, was voice by Lorenzo Music....who also performed the musical numbers.  This was unavailable for a number of years, having only been distrubted on VHS by Fox Home Entertainment in 1992.  It was then released on DVD as part of the Garfield Holiday Celebrations disc in 2004, released by 20th Century Fox.  This is how I got my hands on it.......as a wonderful gift from my loving wife, Holly.  Love that woman.  Anyway, it's still available if you look for it.  Amazon has got more than a few copies of it.....and you also get Garfield's Thanksgiving and A Garfield Christmas....also both essentials!  If you want a real treat this Halloween, do yourself a favor and watch this!

Midnight Cinephile's Halloween Extravaganza

Ah, October.  That most awesome of months.  By now, many food and drinks have a pumpkin spice flavor variant to them, the weather is cooling off, the air is becoming crisp, the leaves are starting to change and there is lots of candy, candy, candy on the store shelves!  October 1st marks the beginning for me of the glorious triplex of holidays that bring me pure unadulterated and unmitigated joy.   We'll talk more about Thanksgiving and Christmas later.  For now, it's all about Halloween.

Your friendly Midnight Cinephile!

What can be expected of Midnight Cinephile for the next 31 days?  Well I don't know for certain, there are definitely certain films and Halloween specials that I want to hit upon, but I find that sometimes it's best to let inspiration come to you.  You can absolutely expect to see reviews of all the Halloween films.  Yes, even including Rob Zombie's takes on the franchise.  I liked 'em.  Plus, I'm a completest and I wouldn't feel right if I didn't cover absolutely every single film.  You can absolutely bet that I will be doing pieces on Halloween specials old and new, as well as review Halloween episodes of sitcoms and perhaps other TV shows. This our first Halloween Extravaganza here at MC, so we'll just have to see where things take us!

So sit back and relax, grab a handful of caramel popcorn and candy corn and enjoy Midnight Cinephile's Halloween Extravaganza!  Next post is going to be a review of the 1985 TV Special - Garfield's Halloween Adventure!

Midnight Cinephile's Halloween Movie Primer - Syfy Channel's 31 Days of Halloween

If you have been following Midnight Cinephile for a while, you may know that I have a deep nostalgic love for the Sci-Fi Channel of yesteryear, especially The Super Nova Movie Explosion!  Now I've ripped on Syfy a few times for the name change and I stand by that.  I still thing Syfy is dopey looking.  However, every year they do put on their 31 Days of Halloween and it makes me forgive the goofy name change a little.

It's far from perfect.  They still waste a ton of time with all day marathons of current Syfy shows.  I would love to see them run marathons of older shows that aren't in regular rotation.  Or at least shows that aren't on pretty much every time you turn on the TV.  I love the Fourth of July Twilight Zone Marathon.....they only show TZ on off hours and it's a kind fun tradition.  I'm getting off track though.  As I was saying, I would love to see them run marathons of shows that the used to show, like V, The Prisoner, Manimal, Dark Shadows and Automan.  Hell, they could fit the entire Automan series into a one day marathon, since it only lasted 13 episodes (which is a crime unto itself).  I love Face Off and Warehouse 13, but I've already seen most episodes multiple times.  Let's bring back some good old fashioned Sci-Fi fare!

Okay, so wasted Marathon Days aside Syfy does a pretty good job of rounding up some decent Halloweentime films.  Even on the Marathon Days though, they usually manage to squeak through a movie in the wee hours of the morning.  Much like AMC, there is still a lot of missed opportunity for diversity here and there are an overabundance of repeated movies, but there is still some spooky goodness to be had.  Movies run the gamut of the usual Syfy original movies to heavily rotated flicks such as Thirteen Ghosts and 100 Feet to a few more surprising selections such as A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2:  Freddy's Revenge and the original Amityville Horror.  You can see the entire schedule HERE.

Syfy's 31 Days of Halloween kicks off with a day full of Alphas and Warehouse 13 episodes.  Thursday the 4th brings a Strek Trek movie marathon day.  Not exactly Halloween, but I do enjoy most of the Star Trek flicks so it's okay in my book.....sadly no Wrath of Kahn though.  Saturday, the 27th, we get a zombie movie marathon, which is awesome and of course on the 31st, we have the obligatory Ghost Hunters marathon, which to be honest has worn out it's novelty with me.  I assume they will have the live investigation as usual because from 7pm (EST) to 10pm (EST) the three hour block simply reads as TBD (To Be Decided).  However, at 10pm, we get the live Face Off finale, which will be open to viewer voting.  That is pretty cool and I will most likely be watching that.  You can see the entire schedule HERE.

In addition to the 31 Days programming, Syfy also has a series of live events planned for the NYC area.  They've even released a handy PDF booklet to help you sort out what events you would like to attend throughout the five Burroughs.  Everything from Haunted Houses and Haunted Walks to Pumpkin Festivals and the Pooch Parade Howl-o-ween.

So there you have it!  Between AMC, TCM and Syfy you should have your hands more than full with Halloween films and shows to keep you occupied this Samhain season!
  

Midnight Cinephile's Halloween Movie Primer - Turner Classic Movies

Here's a little something you may not know about the ol' Midnight Cinephile.  Though I spend hours upon hours of the wee hours watching B - Z grade celluloid madness, I have another passion that almost rivals that of my horror love:  Classic film.   I am absolutely head over heels in love with the golden age of Hollywood.  If it's a classic film then I'll watch it.  I don't care what genre it is.  Horror, Film Noir, Drama, Comedy, Western, Musicals....hell I'll even watch a good classic romance!  I can't get enough.  Turner Classic Movies is one of my all time favorite cable stations and they keep the good stuff coming in October.

There isn't a movie fest per se.  There's no fanfare, no special hosts or gimmicks.  It's simply added right into the programming.....and there's something that I love about that.  Don't get me wrong....I love my FearFest and 31 Days of Halloween.  I love the hype and excitement of big spooky celebrations.  But I also love the quiet dignity in which TCM presents their Samhain offerings.  TCM first gives us a full day of spooky classics on Saturday, October 27th.  

Starting with The Devil Doll (1936) at 6:00am and ending 24 hours later with Witness To Murder (1954), TCM gives us 14 films running the gamut from 1946 Karloff classic Bedlam to the sublime 1955 chiller, Diabolique.  At 2:00pm(EST) they also show the original documentary A Night of the Movies: The Horrors of Stephen King.  It's going to be a fantastic day of classic movie mayhem!  You can see the full day's schedule here.

Sunday, October 28th, we are treated to a nice run of films starting at 8:00pm (EST)  We're treated to a trilogy of Ray Harryhausen films!  First up is the classic 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957).  This is one of my favorite Harryhausen films and features a fantastic battle sequence between an elephant and the films monster, called the Ymir.  Not to be missed!  At 9:30 comes Earth vs The Flying Saucers (1956).  Tim Burton payed homage to Harryhausen's stop motion saucers in his 1996 film, Mars Attacks.  The final Harryhausen film is First Men in the Moon (1964) which is of course based off the story by H.G. Wells.   As if this isn't enough, we're then treated to the 1925 silent Lon Chaney classic The Phantom of the Opera and the extremely chilling M (1931) which is quite possible Peter Lorre's greatest performance.  An absolutely fantastic line-up that is most worth of your DVR's space!

On Tuesday, October 30th, we get another 6 films!  Starting with the 1927 silent film The Unknown (another great Lon Chaney film!  Don't miss this one!) at 8:00pm (EST) and finishing up with Suddenly Last Summer (1959) a film about a wealthy widow trying to silence a girl with by means of a lobotomy!  You can check out the rest of Tuesday night here.

And finally on October 31st, we get the greatest line up of films this Halloween season!  We start with another Lon Chaney film, London After Midnight (1927) and ends on a high note with Universal's The Invisible Man.  You can also see House of Dark Shadows (1970) as well as the Roger Corman shocker Dementia 13 (1963).  You can see the whole day of programming for Halloween HERE.

This is a great opportunity to watch lots of great films that don't get played very often on TV, so fire up them DVR's and plan your schedules!  There's nothing better than any one of these old classics and a bottle of wine!  Red, naturally.  Unless you're Dracula, because obviously you never drink........wine.

Midnight Cinephile's Halloween Movie Primer - AMC's FearFest 2012

It's almost time kiddies.  Almost time for all that candy, candy, candy.....steady old boy!  I am a complete Halloween Junkie and fanboy.  I love everything about it.  I love the kiddie stuff and I love the more adult themed stuff.  You'll find a certain twinkle in my eye this time of year. Everything is pumpkin flavored.  The leaves are starting to turn brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow.  It's finally starting to cool off and soon it will be crisp and wonderful with the smell of autumn.  I wait all year for this.

One of the things I love most is the almost non-stop Halloween and horror related programming that will be stalking the airways.  Halloween themed episodes of all the sitcoms will run in heavy rotation, including my beloved Simpson Treehouse of Horror episodes, even cooking shows and reality shows put a spooky spin on things.  And of course there is the movie fests that air throughout October.

First up, we'll take a look at AMC's FearFest, which used to be called MonsterFest (which I liked better.....but hey, who am I?).  This used to be my favorite of the Halloween-time movie fests.  They would show awesome films like Island of the Burning Damned, Curse of the Werewolf and The Brain That Wouldn't Die.  I would tune in and see these and other great classic horror movies....some that were pretty obscure (such as Island of the Burning Damned) and some that I had never even heard of before.  You could always count on a good mix of films.  These days, it's become more of the same movies repeated over and over again.  Let's break it down:   FearFest is showing 57 different films over the course of 19 days.  I can hear what you're saying now "Hold on there, Mr. Man.  That's alot of films!  You should be happy with that!"  Yes, 57 is a good number of films.  However, while some films get shown only once or twice, other films get shown four or five times!  For instance Corridors of Blood gets shown twice.  The House on Haunted Hill 1999 remake gets four showings.  Bride of Frankenstein gets ONE measly showing (and NO other Universal classic monsters films are shown!  WTF!) yet Pet Sematary II nets FIVE showings?  Now come on....there has got to be something wrong here.  I KNOW that there are far more films in AMC's arsenal that this.  Why can't they show more Universal classics?  Where the hell are the Hammer films?   Where's the oldies but goodies like The Beast With Five Fingers?  I don't want to sound like an ingrate, but where are all the really cool films you used to show, AMC?  I love you AMC and of course I'm going to tune in and watch, but throw a cinephile a bone here and toss me a little more variety!

Okay, now that I got that bit off my chest, we can continue!  This year, all ten of the original Friday the 13th movies will play, which is very cool.  Apparently no love for Freddy vs. Jason though.  Funny thing about the F13 movies.  I have them on VHS, Betamax, DVD, BluRay, Netflixed, Viewmaster, etc, etc.....I've seen them all approximately eight gazillion times.  Still have to tune and and watch them whenever they're on TV though.  It's a disease....I can't help myself.  I love that hockey mask wearing, machete wielding maniac!   He just tugs at my black little heartstrings.

Of course there will also be the prerequisite Halloween films as well.  Oddly the schedule only shows up to October 29th on AMC's official site, but I'm fairly certain that October 31st will yield most of the series shown throughout the day.  So if you are a slasher fan, you are gonna be in gorehound heaven.  Okay.....well.....basic cable gorehound heaven......AMC actually shows a fair amount of the red stuff though, so you'll be all set!

Also let's not forget that The Walking Dead Season 3 premiers on Sunday, October 14th @ 9pm(EST) following a Season 2 marathon to get you pumped up and ready for more zombie action!  This is followed by the obligatory encore episode and then Talking Dead (which I love as much as the main show!) hosted by The Nerdist himself, Chris Hardwick.  THEN at 11:30, it's the return of Comic Book Men!  Coincidentally, Kevin Smith is hosting FearFest this year as well!  So that is definitely a good reason to tune in too!

So what's the line-up look like this year you ask?   Check out the FearFest Schedule and plan accordingly.....or set your DVR's accordingly.  Then make sure you've got a sack full of sweets, some candy apples, candy corn and popcorn (gotta have the popcorn!) and hunker down for some spooky goodness.

Well kiddies there you have it.  AMC offers up some solid programming (if a bit overkill on some of the films) this season.  Next up we'll take a look at what Turner Classic Movies has to offer us!

 

Halloween Re-Release 2012

John Carpenter's revolutionary slasher classic is being re-released this October in a limited nationwide run in select theaters courtesy of Screenvision, Compass International Pictures and Trancas International Films.  According to HalloweenMovies.com, this will be the widest distribution of the film since 1978.  The film will be b presented in a full HD transfer and 5.1 audio track  Also screening with the movie will be the exclusive documentary You Can't Kill The Boogeyman:  35 Years of Halloween" by filmmaker Justin Beahm.  

There is s growing list of theaters that are hosting the film starting October 25th and running through the 31st.  You can see the full list HERE.  You can bet that the Mrs. and I will be in attendance and enjoying every second of it!

If you (like me) have always wanted to see the original Samhain slasher classic on the big screen, don't miss this event!  I can't wait to hear Carpenter's score booming through the theater and revel in the HD goodness.  If you haven't seen Halloween before....well....SHAME ON YOU....and go to this event to rectify that immediately!

They've even released a re-release trailer:

Get ready because 35 years later, it's time to experience The Night HE Came Home all over again!

Mija Lou - The Interview and new Halloween Pics!

You have been a patient lot.  I know that you've been chomping at the bit to see more of the lovely Mija Lou.  Well, your wait is over.  Midnight Cinephile is not only proud, but extremely privileged to bring you an exclusive interview with the Danish beauty.  And of course as promised, there are some of Mija's latest from her Halloween Photoshoot.  Let's not delay any longer.....

The Interview

How long have you been modeling?

- I have been modeling since the start of this year (2012).

How did you get into modeling?

- I've always loved to be in front of a camera and I started in my early teen years to have my friends photograph me, just for fun.

At that time I didn't think I could be a model because of my alternative style and my confidence wasn't great either. So I had to work some years on feeling better about myself.

Then last year a new friend and I talked about taking some cool photos of me in her new photo studio in her garage, and this year I had my first shoot at her studio. It was so much fun! Without her I would not have been where I am today. 

(Berglind H. Ketilsdóttir aka BHK DESIGN.)

What would your ultimate dream gig be as a model?

- Tough question! I think, to shoot with my favorite models, Lily Black, Lauren Beth, Naomi VonKreeps, Goldy Loxx and the one and only Dita Von Teese and let's not forget the incredible Mosh.

I would love to attend Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend as a model for a clothing/accessories firm, and also to one day be the cover girl of a magazine.

Who are your inspirations?

- My main model inspirations are Bettie Page, Dita Von Teese, Mosh. Then there is all the old era pinups like Betty Brosmer, Mae West, Ava Gardner, Veronica Lake and so on.

To inspire my darker sides are Vampira, Wednesday Addams, The Bride Of Frankenstein and Patricia Day from HorrorPops.

What got you interested in horror?

- I've always when I was younger and had movie nights wanted to see horror movies, and when I got in my teens I found out I could just see them for my self. I began watching horror movies in the dark because I wanted the "effect" and I really had a good time just me and the movie. Haha. I played a lot of theater back then as well, and my dream was to be a zombie in a horror movie.

Then I started to have my friends photograph me and I had most fun when I could dress up like a zombie or something other scary.

I began buying a lot more horror movies, and got more and more interested in this world.

+ I've always loved myths and ghost stories. I love to read stories on the internet and share them with my friends.

I know that your favorite horror flick is the original Night Of The Living Dead. How well do you think you would do in a real zombie apocalypse?

- After seeing a lot of zombie movies I think I would kick ass! Hmm or would I... Haha seeing how stupid I would look in my head right now! I probably would hide and paranoia would drive me crazy..

What can you tell us about your Zombmija collaberation with Piers Hazell?

- Piers Hazell is an artist I've met on Twitter. He has become a friend of mine. He started offering me to draw a zombified Mija Lou and of course I wouldn't miss that opportunity. The first one he did of me turned out to be very popular, and because we talked a lot he offered to draw a second one. Then we began talking about doing something more and maybe collaberate on something. I told him about my Halloween alter ego persona Zombmija and then we agreed to make an Zombmija comic strip. We collaberate on the story and the whole look of the comic strip.

I feel very lucky to do this collaberation with Piers Hazell, because he's a true artist and can't wait to have this done someday to show you all. I promise, with his talent and with both our zombie thinking cool minds it'll turn out awesome!!

What can you tell us about The Alternative Model Directory and The Poetic Pinup Revue?

- TAMD is a directory of alternative models on facebook run by the lovely Ashley Schandelmeier. I've got huge respect for her and think it's really admirable what she's doing for the page and models! She's helping all alternative models, aspiring as well as established. The page is always up to date and running. I'm listed there under "European Models: Northern Europe" and very happy to be a part of it with all the other gorgeous models. It's a great way to meet new friends as well, and Ashley makes sure that everyone feels welcome and takes care of all the models. You go Ashley!!

The Poetic Pinup Revue is an magazine run by another lovely lady named Harlean Carpenter. The magazine pages shows poetry, photography, artwork and flash fiction. You can say it's an artistic magazine, which is my kind of thing. I really like this magazine because it's all about art and again, I have huge respect for Harlean and owe her a big thank you for giving me this oppurtunity.

I'm very proud to have my first magazine publication in The Poetic Pinup Revue and I'm really excited about it! Look out for me in the October Special issue with the theme "Contumulation & Carrying On" and even better, the November issue "Food For Thought" as well! YAY!

Sounds like you're a pretty busy girl! What do you do to unwind?

- I like to lie in my bed with my Mac and listen to music and drinking coffee. I spend a lot of time discovering new music, old & new. I'm always looking to learn new things and expand my knowledge. I already know a lot despite my young age and people tend to be shocked when they find out.

Also I like to watch horror movies by my self in the dark and to be with my family and friends.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

- I'm still young in 5 years, 26 that is. If all should go according to my plan, I will be living in London with my boyfriend and my dog. Working in the music industry or having my own coffee house with live music.

I will still model in my spare time and hopefully at that time, I'm more known in the industry.

What's your favorite movie snack?

- POPCORN! And lots of it!

What's the scariest thing that's ever happened to you?

- Some of you may think I'm crazy and some of you may believe me. The scariest thing that's happened to me is when I saw a ghost. And yes, I'm pretty sure it was a ghost!

Some years ago my friend and I where at a forrest waiting for our friend to come (He lived in the forrest). All the time my friend was on the phone with him and first she was like "Oh come on! Hurry up! We are here waiting for you" and then he must have said he was close or something because my friend told me he was really close and then I looked at the entrance to the forrest and saw a white blurry silhouette and quickly I thought it was him and started to wave.

Then my friend shouted in the phone "You're not here yet?! You said you were close!?" I quickly looked at the silhuette and it slowly faded, quickly tried to find possibilities to what I had seen, and realized there was no answers.

It took about 10 seconds from when it faded 'till I realized this was scary, then I told my friend about it and 3 seconds after she RAN LIKE HELL and poor slow me RAN LIKE HELL after her and we were both screaming!! Haha!

The day after, my friend were overhearing her parents talking with some of their friends about a man who had committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree... In that forrest!!! Creepy, huh ;)

So it would be safe to say you believe in the paranormal?

- After the story above, I could just leave you all to guess ;) But yes I do. Have always been very interested in the paranormal.

What are you going to be for Halloween this year?

- Having a little trouble right now deciding. At my Halloween photoshoot I'll be a Devil, Black Cat and something more casual like a pumpkin/witch/skeleton thing. So I'm thinking it'll be one of those three.

First year I'm not going as my Halloween alter ego Zombmija by the way.

Is there anything you want to tell the readers of Midnight Cinephile?

- Yes. Thank you all for having the interest in reading my interview. I'm very honored that Matthew have done this for me. Midnight Cinephile is my favorite horror blog and I recommend everyone that's loves horror to follow this blog!

The dedication Matthew put into this is admirable. His knowledge and interest really shows.

If you would like to see more of me please visit my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MijaLouPage and you are always welcome to say hi!

THANK YOU MATTHEW, MIDNIGHT CINEPHILE!

Thank YOU Mija!  

And now, without further adieu, I present you with Mija's Halloween Photos!   Enjoy!

Well, there you have it!  I hope that you enjoyed the in depth interview and the new photos as well!  Yearning for more Mija?  You can always follow her on Twitter, Facebook or even check out her Blog (it's in Danish, but that's nothing a little Google Translate can't help with!)

I'm sure that you will be seeing more of Mija in the pages of Midnight Cinephile as well!  So stay tuned and stay spooky!