Hello dahlings! As every blog-goblin knows, there are two possible reasons for not updating a website: either there's nothing new to report, or there's so much going on that there's no time for posting. We're exhaustedly happy to report that our recent lack of updates is explained by the latter. Why, our webminion's been so busy that she seems to have stopped washing her clothes (though she says "that's not dirt, it's just bloodstains"). We had a great time in California and would love to describe that trip at length, but time presses, so we'd better start by plugging some upcoming events (and our noses -- our webminion is really starting to stink):

Vampira: The Movie at
Rue Morgue Festival of Fear

Vampira: The Movie will have a table at Toronto's largest horror convention, Rue Morgue Festival of Fear, August 22 through 24. How could we not, after Rue Morgue Magazine did that brilliant Vampira tribute issue in April? It's clear that Toronto horror fans know their stuff.

And check out the convention's amazing guest lineup -- the legendary Wes Craven, our friends Sid Haig and Tura Satana, the brilliant Brad Dourif (even our webminion finds him creepy), and plenty more. We hope to see you there! And remember, to keep from fainting, just keep repeating "It's only a festival . . . it's only a festival . . . it's only a festival . . ."

Update: Be sure to catch these two special events on Sunday, August 24th:
At 1 PM in room #715A, there's a celebrity Q&A with Tura Satana.
At 2 PM in room #707, there's a screening of The Wild World of Ted V. Mikels starring Tura Satana. Director Kevin Sean Michaels will be there.

Meet Kevin Sean Michaels at Dragon*Con

Vampira: The Movie director Kevin Sean Michaels will once again be speaking at the Independent Film Track of Dragon*Con in Atlanta, on Friday, August 29th. The talk is called "The Wild World of Ted V. Mikels," which, not coincidentally, is also the title of Kevin's new movie! You can read more about the talk and the rest of the Film Festival at the official Dragon*Con Independent Film Festival website. And of course, there are a gazillion other things going on at Dragon*Con overall -- hey, there's Brad Dourif again! -- so it looks like we'll be keeping busy for a while longer.

Ari Lehman accepts Rondo Hatton award for Vampira: The Movie

You may recall that Vampira: The Movie won a Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award for Best Independent Production. The award ceremony was at WonderFest in Louisville, KY on July 19. Kevin wasn't able to attend, but our friend/composer Ari Lehman jumped at the chance to accept the award on our behalf, and thereby get to see Nurse Moan-Eek's Transylvanian Twist in person. Much spooky fun was had by all, as can be seen in the large collection of photos and video at the Classic Horror Film Board.

We especially like this video of Penny Dreadful accepting the award for Favorite Horror Host:

T-shirts now available

Those who've been clamoring for Vampira: The Movie T-shirts will be able to find them more easily, as they're now being printed and distributed by Impact Merchandising. There are men's and women's styles (seen at right), and they'll be available wherever ghoulish clothes are sold. Just remember to wash the bloodstains out of them once in a while. But you'll still find the widest selection, and an always-changing stock of limited-edition T-shirts and sweatshirts, at our convention appearances. Be sure to check our website for upcoming events.

Brief report on Comic-Con, Grindhouse Film Festival, Oddball Films, Ripe Art Gallery . . .

So what have we been up to? We're thrilled to report that Comic-Con was a complete sellout -- not only did the convention sell, in advance, every ticket for every day, but we sold every Vampira: The Movie DVD we'd brought. We had to send an urgent message to our webminion by carrier-bat, asking her to drop everything and overnight us some more. (Note to self: Don't ask webminion to "drop everything"; the crashing and screaming sounds traumatized the poor bat.)

Update: The Last Doorway Show has posted a special Comic-Con episode with lots of great interviews, including one of Tura Satana discussing The Wild World of Ted V. Mikels (starting at about 5:40):

Then it was on to the Grindhouse Film Festival, where Kevin Sean Michaels and Francine York discussed The Doll Squad in front of a live audience, which made for a very educational and entertaining evening. The Grindhouse Film Festival is presented by Eric Caidin and Brian Quinn, which name-dropping allows us to recommend another YouTube video: Eric Caidin's gripping "official, last, final statement" about the recent attempt on his life.

Next there was a screening of Salome, a short produced by Kevin Sean Michaels and Alexia Anastasio, with music by Ari Lehman, presented by Oddball Films in San Francisco.

We'll post more about the California trip once we've recovered, as the trip did shake us up a bit! Literally.

Back on home turf, Vampira: The Movie screened at the first annual Homegrown Film Festival in Greenlawn, NY, at the Ripe Art Gallery. We started with a walk on the green carpet, and . . . are those paparazzi? What fun! Thanks to everyone who came out. If you're in the area, be sure to head over for Lost Suburbia on August 15 and The Deed To Hell on August 22, not to mention tasty refreshments courtesy of Cherie and the sponsors.

And now, we'd better go see what our webminion's been up to while we were away. There's probably the plot for a horror movie in there somewhere . . .

Upcoming Events

Aug. 22 - 24	Rue Morgue Festival of Fear
What:	Stop by the Vampira: The Movie table at Toronto's largest horror convention
When:	Aug. 22 - 24
Where:	Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 222 Bremner Blvd. (South Building), Toronto, Canada.
More info.	Official website, View poster

Aug. 24	Celebrity Q & A with Tura Satana at Rue Morgue
What:	Get up close and personal with the legendary star of Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
When:	1:00 PM
Where:	Room #715A, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 222 Bremner Blvd. (South Building), Toronto, Canada.
More info.	Official Rue Morgue website

Aug. 24	The Wild World of Ted V. Mikels at Rue Morgue
What:	The Wild World of Ted V. Mikels by Kevin Sean Michaels, featuring Tura Satana
When:	2:00 PM
Where:	Room #707, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 222 Bremner Blvd. (South Building), Toronto, Canada.
More info.	Official Rue Morgue website

Aug. 29	Kevin Sean Michaels at Dragon*Con Independent Film Festival
What:	Documentary filmmaker Kevin Sean Michaels takes us into The Wild World of Ted V. Mikels, the grindhouse director behind Blood Orgy of the She Devils, The Corpse Grinders, and The Astro-Zombies, who lived in a castle surrounded by women. Clips.
When:	10:00 PM
Where:	Hyatt Regency Atlanta or Atlanta Marriott Marquis in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Exact room TBA.
More info.	Dragon*Con main site, Dragon*Con Independent Film Festival site, Ted V. Mikels on IMDB

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