LETTERS  PCR #230     (August 16--22, 2004)

•  Andy Lalino on ED Tucker's Ted Mikels Interview (and ED Tucker's response)
•  Reader Feeds Back on Dr. Paul Bearer's Hearse (And ED Tucker's response)



Letters to the EditorWe welcome your feedback.

ANDY LALINO ON ED TUCKER'S TED MIKELS INTERVIEW

ED,
Congrats on the long-awaited TVM interview! It was well worth the wait! I think I was most surprised by Mikel's involvement in one of my faves, "Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things". He really made the right move supporting up-and-coming filmmakers Bob Clark and Alan Ormsby (although I think Seth "Orville" Sklarey would take issue with Ormsby...).

I think you really hit on the topics B-movie fans really wanted to hear about: John Carradine, the "cardboard box" that was the Corpse-Grinding machine, the triple-features, and his new work. Were you telling me "The Doll Squad" influenced the "Charlie's Angels" TV series?

I've seen only a few of Mikel's films. I have "The Corpse Grinders" on VHS (in a gorgeous, early '80s plastic case). I have both "Undertaker..." (although not a TVM film) and "Astro-Zombies" on DVD, but haven't watched them yet. I'd love to see "The Doll Squad" and "Blood-Orgy of the She-Devils" too, but haven't picked up those yet.

A note from Lonnie Dohlen: "Gamera vs. Monster X" is available on DVD by Retromedia.

- Andy Lalino
Director / Producer / Screenwriter "Filthy"
President, Metropol Productions, Inc.
www.filthythemovie.com

ED TUCKER RESPONDS:
Hi Andy,
Glad you like the TVM piece. The Ray Steckler piece is pretty cool, too. If I can just get him to approve it, I will get it up, too. Well according to TVM, Doll Squad was the inspiration for Charlie's Angels and there are a lot of coincidences (all female team, lead character named Sabrina, boss named Charlie, etc.). I love "Children...", too, and up until recently I had no idea Ted was involved, either. "Corpse Grinders" and "Astro Zombies" are probably Ted's best films. I have the Retromedia Gamera DVDs except for the new "Return of the Giant Monsters". I own the 16mm print that they mastered "Attack of the Giant Monsters" from. A company called Alpha Video also puts out DVDs of these films for $5.

- ED -


READER FEEDS BACK ON DR. PAUL BEARER'S HEARSE

Dear Ed,
As I stated before, my memory really does BLOW CHUNKS!!! (Re: Lettercol, PCR #227 and the confusing history of Dr. Paul Bearer's hearse. --N)

I recently spoke with Scott @ BG, (who is in charge of the [Busch Gardens] Howl-O-Scream event), and much to his regret, they had indeed covered over the “Dr. Paul Bearer” logos while he was away. I spoke with him face-2-face and he really did seem regretful about it. So what I was thinking, is that if you can find enough loyal fans to complain or create a petition, and direct it to him. Then that may give him a bargaining chip to take to his higher-ups and they may actually restore it! I apologize if I got your hopes up!!!!! I guess that in my heart it was kind of wishful thinking.

Good luck, and again I’m sorry for the mix-up.

Yours truly,
Jason Good

ED TUCKER RESPONDS:
Jason,
Thank you very much for the information and for doing the follow-up. I sincerely doubt that Busch Gardens is going to do anything to change Dr. Paul Bearer's hearse back after painting over it. The only logical explanation I think of, which BG will obviously not admit to, is that they spent a bunch of money restoring the car and then didn't get the draw they expected from it. If this were not the case, they could have easily found a junker hearse for $500, put a $200 paint job on it and be right where they are now without touching the original. I will be happy to give the petition a shot, though, because I think I know where I can find some loyal Dr. Paul Bearer fans!

- ED -


To send an email to Letters to the Editor write to: Crazedfanboy1@aol.com.  Any emails sent to this address will be assumed intended for publication unless you specifically instruct me not to. I can and do respond privately, if that is your preference. Frequently, it's both ways.---Nolan

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