Cat Tanchanco

I've done a few articles on Youtube makeup "gurus" in the past, but Cat Tanchanco's skills set her apart from many of the rest, as do her finished products. Cat, who's better known by her Youtube subscribers and Twitter followers as "Audfaced," believes that makeup is a "creative outlet to express different personalities, moods and features already within yourself." It's something she makes clearly evident, whether transforming herself into a well-know character from film or stage, or one of her original creations.

Currently a film student at CalArts, near Los Angeles, Cat has a very popular Youtube channel (with over 41,000 subscribers to date), where she does her best to honor her viewer's requests and give step-by-step instructions as she becomes something that would rival any Hollywood professional's creation. However, what's all the more impressive is that she works within a limited budget, using modest equipment and her bathroom for a studio. Despite that, she even incorporates some pretty impressive theatrics into her video tutorials, all of which she produces solely herself. Also a skilled photographer, nearly all of the photos you see of her in character, such as the above Bellatrix Lestrange-inspired look, were taken by Cat, herself.

Teresa Hui - Jingle Bell Rock

To get you into the Christmas spirit, here's comedienne/singer Teresa Hui performing the Yuletide classic "Jingle Bell Rock," accompanying herself on the ukulele. I could do without her vocal embellishments at about 3/4 of the way through the song, but aside from that, she's not bad at all. Check out her Youtube channel and official website to see and hear more of her.

USA Up All Night with Rhonda Shear

I fondly remember watching Rhonda Shear host USA Up All Night on Friday nights during the early-90s. (Since I was rarely home on those pre-TiVo nights, I learned how to program my VCR to record the show so I could view it after I got home.) Rhonda took over from original Friday night hostess Caroline Schlitt (whatever happened to her, huh?) in 1990, a year after the show's debut, and remained until USA Up All Night ended its run in 1998.

Comedian Gilbert Gottfried hosted the Saturday night show and I mention this here only because he sent me a free t-shirt during that time.The above is from 1992 and features Rhonda with guests Linnea Quigley, Jayne Hamil, and Jewel Shepard. The films shown that night were the B classics Vice Academy and Vice Academy 2, both of which starred Linnea and Jayne (and unfortunately, both of which USA Network edited for television). Oh, and in 2013, you can hopefully look forward to an exclusive interview right here with at least one of the aforementioned ladies.

Little Red Riding Hood, Erin Tjoe

I don’t know why the ad department at Motorola cast an Asian girl as Little Red Riding Hood for their new Droid RAZR M commercial, but Erin Tjoe makes a great one as she shows how she uses hers to avoid the Big Bad Wolf. See more of Erin (who posted this video at her Youtube channel) at her Facebook and on Twitter.

Kristina Michelle

Although Kristina Michelle considers herself an actress first and foremost, she does many jobs behind the camera, as well. The Ohio native is the producer and host of The Reel Show on the Reel TV Network, as well as producer and host of the Indie Gathering International Film Festival, which she has organized herself since last year.

After taking up martial arts a few years ago and earning a first degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, she's well-qualified to do her own stunts and action scenes in all her films. Since adding stuntwoman to her resume, she was presented with the top honor at the 2011 Indie Gathering Stunt Competition.

In addition to the positive things I read and heard about Kristina before doing this interview with her, I can add that she's very punctual, gives good, detailed answers, and gets an "A" for spelling and grammar. Oh, and she's definitely not afraid of snakes.

Jessica Cameron at Screamfest

Jessica Cameron (whom I had the pleasure of interviewing last year) gave this brief interview to Mayopr.com at the premiere of The Collection at Screamfest in Los Angeles last month. The Golden Cob award-winning actress will be appearing in many upcoming films scheduled to come out over the next couple of years. The next to be released will be the thriller she co-wrote with her fellow Scream Queen Devanny Pinn, American Girls, which she mentions here.

Emily Chang for Ruffles Ultimate

This 30-second spot featuring actress Emily Chang (not to be confused with the journalist or web designer of the same name) as a quick-to-catch-on poker player, has been running on network TV in the US for the last several months. Emily is no newcomer to acting with many credits and a New York regional Emmy Award under her belt, but this commercial seems to be on its way to achieving a sort of cult status and becoming what she's best-known for. So far, anyway. Catch Emily on Twitter.

Sadako Yamamura Emerges

This scene from end of the 1998 Japanese horror film Ring (aka Ringu, the Japanese romanization of "Ring"), has been edited to show only Sadako Yamamura emerging from the well and right through the television screen. The odd shots of the male viewer watching it and dying of cardiac arrest have been cut out. If you want to see the face that he saw hidden behind that long, black hair, and feel you can handle it, see it after the jump ....but brace yourself.

Debra Lamb Revisited

I recently caught up with actress Debra Lamb for a follow-up interview for this Halloween season. I was fortunate to catch her when I did because, as this goes to press, Debra will be preparing to get on a plane to the East Coast for her appearance this weekend at Chiller Theater in Parsippany, New Jersey.

Since my last interview with Debra, she's been pretty busy. Last November, she and three of her fellow Scream Queen icons (Brinke Stevens, Linnea Quigley, and Debbie Rochon) shot the soon-to-be-released Disciples, directed by Joe Hollow. She also shot commentary scenes (a still at left) for the recently-released Celluloid Bloodbath: Previews from Hell and has a still-under-wraps project in the works with her good friend and fellow psychic, Liane Langford, that you'll be reading about here first.

Hello Franceska

If the Korean sitcom Hello Franceska could be considered Korea's belated answer to The Addams Family, then I suppose Franceska (played by one of the Korean screen's great beauties, Shim Hye-jin) would be comparable to Morticia. The show ran on Seoul's MBC network from 2005-2006 and co-starred Jung Ryeo-won as Franceska's "daughter," Elizabeth. The story centered around a group of vampires, headed by Franceska, who boarded the wrong ship and accidentally ended up in South Korea, where they attempted to pose as a normal family and adapt to normal lives in modern-day Seoul until their vampire leader found them and returned them to Romania, or so they hoped.

This is Halloween with Lily Stitches

In keeping with the spirit of the Halloween season, here's New Jersey-based burlesque dancer Lily Stitches performing to Marilyn Manson's "This is Halloween" at The Slipper Room in New York's Lower East Side. She also does a pretty hot routine to "Science Fiction Double Feature," as well as many other numbers that you can catch at her Youtube Channel.

See more of Lily at:

Her Facebook

Her Myspace

Model Mayhem

Liane Langford Revisited

After my first interview with Liane Langford, I knew that I'd just scratched the surface and she had a lot more tales to tell. I also knew the best time to for a follow-up interview with her would be during the Halloween season. Her blog post "It Only Comes Once a Year," and video of her shopping for caskets at Costco (yes, Costco) should save me from having to explain why.

The first thing Liane told me during our most recent conversation, was that she has an upcoming project in the works with our mutual friend and her fellow psychic, Scream Queen Debra Lamb (whom I've also had the pleasure of interviewing for this site). Going from what preliminary info Liane was willing to give me on that, it should be hilariously awesome that fans of dark humor should love.

Focusing on Halloween-related topics, we talked about such things as the old ladies who gave walnuts and pennies instead of candy when you'd come trick-or-treating, those cheap-o costumes they sold at department stores that tied in the back and had those PVC masks that made you sweat profusely, and her favorite graveyards. Speaking of which, Liane gives this site a shout-out in the above photo taken at the El Carmelo Cemetery in Pacific Grove, California ....one of her favorite resting grounds. After the jump are excerpts from my conversation with Liane.

Margaret Ann Garza

May 31, 2017 Author's Addendum: It is with much sadness I write this, as I learned today of the sudden and untimely passing of Margaret on May 30th, 2017. I didn’t know Margaret personally, but my interactions with her for this interview left no doubt that she was a joyful human being, who was a pleasure to know on a professional and personal level, in addition to being a talented actress and singer. Needless to say, she will be deeply missed and never forgotten by her family, friends, colleagues, and fans. The Texas indie film community lost a very bright star.

 - Chris Charles

Margaret Ann Garza began her show biz career competing in pageants in her native Texas, where she earned the crown as Miss Texas Latina. She subsequently caught the eye of a marketing director and was soon appearing on billboards and in print ads in and around her hometown of Laredo. She's since branched out to acting, where she's currently among the several talented ladies appearing in Twitchy Dolphin Productions.

Bright, outgoing, and personable, Margaret would get very nervous when she first started doing interviews but now says she loves being interviewed, thanks to all her pageant experience. It was no surprise to hear that she also loves horror movies, as most of Twitchy Dolphin films are of that genre, but it was a big surprise to hear that she doesn't even like shopping and malls. Read more about Margaret in my interview with her after the jump.

Sexy Vampire Andrea Brooks

It's already the Halloween season for many and to get this site into the spirit of the season, I decided to browse some vampire makeup tutorials posted by some of Youtube's top makeup gurus, and feature the one I found to be the most striking, in terms of the tutor and the end result of the tutorial. There were many videos to choose from, presented by some very talented ladies, but the one I kept coming back to was this one by Andrea Danielle Brooks.

Made two years ago, the video's title, "Sexy Vampire KILLER," is somewhat misleading. It implies that Andrea has transformed herself into a killer of vampires, rather than a vampire herself, which she obviously appears to be. I mean, a killer of vampires is a mortal who hunts them down armed with an arsenal consisting of (but not limited to) wooden stakes, crucifixes, rosaries, and holy water. I've never know a vampire killer to be one herself but there may be instances of such. I'll definitely ask her about her inspiration for this video if I get her for an interview. Whether or not that happens, you can see more of Andrea at:

Her Youtube Channel
Her Facebook Fan Page
Andrea on Twitter

Yna Alba

If having perseverance and a positive attitude are key to success, 21 year-old model Yna Alba, is definitely on the right path. Speaking four languages and possessing a great sense of humor doesn't hurt, either.

Yna (her professional name) writes some pretty clever captions to the array of photos in her modeling portfolio. Speaking of which, Yna considers her look very "metamorphic," which enables her to take on a wide range of looks, suitable to the themes of her photo shoots. Besides the more standard glamour, import, and fashion modeling, she's done photo sessions that involve her putting on full body paint, climbing trees, and even being made to look like a man, which was one of her own concepts. I'm not sure what else she'll come up with, but I'd assume, since she's an avid Miami Heat fan, a shoot as a Heat Dancer will be on the horizon ...probably just as soon as she can get ahold of an official Heat Dancers' outfit.

Terissa Kelton

If you've seen any Twitchy Dolphin Flix production since 2009, you've seen actress Terissa Kelton. She began with them as an extra and had her first starring role as Becca in 2010's Snatch N Grab, which earned her a best supporting actress award.

The native Texan began her acting career while a student at Texas State University, which she entered at age 16, as being home-schooled put her a couple of grades ahead of her peers. She entered her sophomore year of high school at 14 and despite feeling "socially inept," fell in love with the theater during that time. While in college, Terissa studied in Stratford-upon-Avon, England with the Royal Shakespeare Company. A time she considers to be one of the best times of her life.

Terissa's recent work has been a far cry from Shakespeare, but it's impressive nonetheless. Being recognized by fans and peers as a top actress in indie movies has put a lot on her plate these days, such as her appearance at Twitchypalooza 2012 (which the above photo is from), so I was especially glad to get the opportunity to talk to Terissa for this exclusive interview.

Harisu for Dodo Cosmetics

As a filler piece, here's the 2001 Dodo cosmetics TV commercial that gave Korean transgender model, singer, and actress Harisu her big break. Her name was taken from the English words "hot issue" and she sure was after this 30-second spot cast her in the Korean public eye. She went on to become, and still remains, a household name in Korea and even a few other parts of Asia. The Korean text that appears on the screen at 0:25 reads "downright lie."

Miss Misery Revisited

Since my last visit with San Francisco horror hostess Reyna Young, aka Miss Misery, she's earned an even higher profile among Bay Area horror aficionados. Her weekly TV show, Miss Misery's Movie Massacre (viewable throughout California on AT&T U-Verse) has quickly gained over 10,000 viewers, so far. Besides the classic horror and sci-fi movies she features on the show, her guests include some of the top names in the independent horror film industry, comic book authorities, as well as segments with fellow horror personalities and local celebs.

I recently caught up with Reyna for an update (and a little exclusive info) on her upcoming convention, "Miss Misery's Days of Terror" which is being held next month in Sacramento.

Dayna Fuller

East Bay Area fitness model Dayna Fuller first caught my attention after I saw a photo of her in the gym, next to her workout partner, KPIX's Roberta Gonzales. I had the pleasure of interviewing Roberta for this site in January of this year and considering her achievements, I knew Dayna couldn't be any slouch to keep up with her in the gym.

I figured Dayna was a lady who was serious about her workouts and after contacting her about being featured here, I saw I was right. Despite having a fun and goofy side to her, Dayna doesn't take fitness lightly. Even though she's not currently competing (but is considering getting back into it), she spends five days a week in the gym and out on the running trails ....and the photo at left shows that's definitely no exaggeration.

Also an avid sports fan, Dayna's done promotional modeling for the Oakland Raiders and is a season ticket holder. She also frequents A's games to cheer on the green and gold. Her "lighter" activities include river rafting, compound bow shooting, and of course, collecting photos of five-star hotel restroom toilets.

Felissa Rose

Felissa Rose played young camper Angela Baker, the silent girl with a mysterious secret, in the 1983 cult horror film Sleepaway Camp. It's probably the role she will always be best-know for. Assuming she constantly gets questions about that film and her character, I suspected she may be sick and tired of answering them. However, after contacting Felissa through Facebook, I was surprised and pleased to find out that she is very proud to have been a part of what is now a must-have for any horror fan's collection and has no problem talking about her role in it.

Of course, Felissa's acting career is not limited to playing Angela, which was just her first film role. During the 10 year gap between Sleepaway Camp and her next film, she attended New York University, where she majored in drama and honed her acting skills on the stage, taking on such challenging roles as Desdemona in Shakespeare's Othello. Since returning to the screen in 1983, Felissa has over 35 titles to her credit and is now considered one of horror's iconic actresses. Above photo of Felissa exiting the "Barbie Dream Hearse" courtesy of Felissa and gAk Photography.

Friday the 13th Victim, Nikki

Another Friday is upon us and in recognition of that, here's Nikki (played by Darcy DeMoss) leaving a lasting impression in the wall of an RV, courtesy of Camp Crystal Lake's own Jason Voorhees in 1986's Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI.

Unlike most of the actresses who've been victims of Jason, Darcy hasn't faded away into obscurity, which a look at her IMDb listing will reveal. When she was younger, she looked a bit like Jennifer Love Hewitt (who never was in a Friday the 13th flick, but was great in I Know What You Did Last Summer and its sequel).

Science Fiction Double Feature - Maria Franzén

Since its 1973 debut at London's Royal Court Theater, The Rocky Horror Show has played on stages in over 20 countries and has been translated to more than 10 languages (sometimes pretty loosely). Here is Swedish actress Maria Franzén as the Usherette, singing the opening number on stage in Frankfurt, Germany in April of 2009. Another awesome performance of this number by Park Eun-sook from the 2001 Korean production, can be seen here.

Ginny You

A girl of many voices and a love for anime, manga, and black cats, actress Ginny You has done primarily voiceover work so far and considers herself a voiceover actress first and foremost. Her most recent voiceover role was that of Maid Marian in Robin Hood: Ghosts of Sherwood 3D. However, the Purdue alumna has proven she can be more than just a voice behind a character.

Ginny has also been chalking up on-screen acting credits since 2008, beginning with the piranha-owning lead in the short film Abby (one she'd rather forget because her acting skills have come a long way since) to the more notable roles in the web series Candy Girls, Lewis Schoenbrun's sci-fi adventure Aliens vs. Avatars, and David S. Sterling's 3D Bikini Beach Babes Issue #2.

1993 Lakeport Revival Bikini Contestants

Back in 1993, the band I was in at the time, was booked to play a weekend at a club in Lakeport, California, which is about a two hour drive north of San Francisco. While I was up there, I caught a poster advertising the Lakeport Revival Classic Car Show (now defunct), which included a bikini contest, at the Lake County Fairgrounds. Me, being a fan of classic cars and an even bigger fan of bikini contests, decided to go check it out and I made sure to bring my camera along. (35mm, this was the pre-digital age.)

Most of the contestants were from  Northern California (Santa Rosa, Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area, etc.) and were obviously professional or semi-professional models, with one notable exception, who gave away her amateur status with her less-than-perfect posture. I don't remember who won, or even the names of any contestants, but "Stars and Stripes Girl" here, was the show-stealer who got the biggest response from the crowd once she dropped her white blazer to show her patriotism.

As I look at these photos now, I notice there doesn't seem to be any real differences between the hair and fashion styles of these ladies vs. those whom would be competing in such contests today. However, I can point out the absence of tattoos and piercings (visible ones, anyway) on these ladies vs. the inked and body jewelry-laden bodies you'd be likely to see in bikini contests these days.

Japanese Female Celebs' Final Acts

There have been many comparisons made between Japanese and Korean cultures. One such comparison is the how changes, pressures, and social stigmas of modern life has effected the two, and who are more prone to commit suicide due to the aforementioned factors. In recent years, several top Korean entertainers have committed suicide when it seemed like they had everything to live for. Money, fame, family, friends. Yet, they still felt like they needed to end it all and checked out at young ages. I wrote this piece on that Korean "cultural phenomenon" back in October of 2008 and have updated it several times since, every time another Korean female celeb has taken her own life.

In the almost four years since I wrote that entry, I've been asked how the celebrity (more specifically female celebrity) suicide rate in Japan compares with that of Korea. I'm, in no way, going to present any analogies or official statistics of this, but since it's news whenever a famous person dies (by whatever means), all it took for me to find out how female celeb suicide rates compare between Korea and Japan, was some Internet research. In short, Korean female celebs have been more prone to take their own lives in recent years (the "trend" beginning in February, 2005 with actress Lee Eun-joo's death) but the suicides of Japanese female celebs started two decades earlier. Also, the Japanese ladies seem to be a bit more creative than their Korean counterparts when it comes to the method to end it all, sometimes employing the use of toxic chemicals while the Koreans overwhelmingly favor hanging as the preferred means.

In my initial search for Japanese female celeb suicides in recent decades, I came up with six names. However, I later found out that one lady, whose cause of death was reported by most sources as heart attack, was actually a suicide, so that made the count seven. Of those names, the suicide of the one who was best-known occurred 26 years ago and the ones since weren't all exactly household names in Japan (as Choi Jin-sil was in Korea). The most recent being gravure idol Miyu Uehara (above), who was found hanged in her apartment on May 12, 2011. She left no note but was apparently unhappy with her chosen career, despite becoming quite popular in her field, and with over 400 television appearances to her credit.

Annie Cruz

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Lacey Hernandez

Actress and model Lacey Hernandez is another beautiful and talented lady who was brought to my attention by my friend and master of indie film promotion, Carlo Rodriguez. Carlo also seems to have the same keen eye for beauty and talent as I do. (Well ....the proof's right here.)

A native Texan, Lacey's background in front of the camera has mainly been in modeling, thus far. ("I've done some great gigs!" she proudly told me.) She focused on her college education before transitioning over to acting. Now, with degrees in psychology and nuclear medicine under her belt, even though she hasn't been in the acting biz long, she's managed to get some great parts in a short time. Namely, Terissa Kelton's Dear Boss Ripper and Bug Davidson's The Beauty Memory Project, both soon to be released. One of the films she's currently working on is the Doggett Brothers' Horror, a project she's grown particularly fond of. She's also picking up some good experience working behind the camera, as well. Most recently on Twitchy Dolphin's Daughter of Werebitch Meets Skankenstein (my favorite B-horror title since the classic Frankenhooker).

Lacey's eagerness to do this interview with me was very flattering and I'm happy to present one of the first of what will surely be many interviews in her career.

Inkerbella

Since she started modeling in 2006, Inkerbella has been featured in some of the most popular pin-up and tattoo magazines in the US. She firmly believes that "you gotta love the skin that you were born in" and the skin she was born in is adorned with many colorful designs, reminiscent of the traditional American tattoo artwork of the 1940s and 50s. Speaking of that time, many of Inkerbella's photo shoots bring to mind the World War II-era pin-up models that graced the noses of fighter planes and GI footlockers, in addition to being tattooed on the arms of US servicemen.

Also an actress, Inkerbella's credits include appearances in such TV shows as 1000 Ways to Die and 8.13. One of her most recent film roles is in Jun-seong Kim's upcoming thriller Innocent Blood, where she's cast against type as a conservative-looking university student. She also has her own signature perfume line from Black Corset Scents, that come in bottles with mini handcuffs attached.

Bella (as her friends call her) was very happy to take some time to answer my questions that included the "regular" jobs she's held, who the best Phantom of the Opera was, and of course, her tattoos. I didn't ask about her piercings during the interview but found out about them later.

Asian Cheerleaders of the NBA

If you've seen an NBA game at any arena, then you know the high energy routines of the cheerleaders (who are more often called dancers, these days), keep the crowd pumped-up during halftimes and breaks in the action. With the current NBA season now down to the playoffs, some of these ladies may not be returning to the court until later this year but many of them stay busy during the off-season by appearing at promotions, special events, and touring as ambassadors of the cities and teams they represent. One dancer whose season is not yet over is Chicago Luvabulls co-captain Erika, whose team, the Chicago Bulls, are still in the running as of this writing. Erika is a University of Illinois alumna who's in her ninth year with the Luvabulls.

Liane Langford

My first telephone conversation with Liane Langford lasted well over an hour, but it seemed like only about 10 minutes. I had my list of questions ready for a straightforward Q&A session, but we quickly fell into a conversation like two old friends catching up. The former centerfold model and current interior designer and art dealer has a very colorful background. With anecdotes that include names like Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), Roger Taylor (of Queen), Alice Cooper, Rosanna Arquette, and Peter Frampton (who taught her how to properly make tea), I'll definitely buy her tell-all autobiography, if and when she writes it.

When Liane mentioned the titles and issues of some of the magazines she's appeared in, I knew I'd seen her before. The titles and dates coincided with the collection of men's magazines I compiled as a teenager. (If the clerk wouldn't sell a copy to me, I'd hang out outside the store and ask a clearly-over-21 male to do me the favor of purchasing it for me.) I did some checking and I was right. It's not every guy who gets to meet one of the ladies he ogled on the pages of his favorite girly mag as a teen, so talking with Liane was quite a fulfillment for me. What follows are the extracted and condensed Q&A from my conversations with Liane. It had to be condensed because her tales of Toby alone could fill a whole book ....and may someday.

Tara Cardinal

Actress Tara Cardinal grew up on a small farm in Indiana but struck out on her own at 16. A self-admitted class clown, she says she frequently acted up during school but fortunately, was so funny that she rarely got in trouble for it. Only returning to her hometown once since she left, she's now giving thought to buying her childhood home after the sale of her creation and best-known character, "Aella the Red Reaper." Speaking of which, the soon-to-be released movie The Legend of the Red Reaper has already spawned a comic book that's almost completed (with the stylings of Michael Champion and colorist William Anderson).

Looking like a young Annette O'Toole (to this writer's eyes, anyway), Tara has built up some impressive acting credits over the last few years, alongside some notable names. Three of which are Song of the Shattered (which also stars Devanny Pinn), Ripped Memories (with Debbie Rochon), and Spreading Darkness with Rena Riffel (Showgirls). Her character's name in the upcoming movie Zombie Massacre is "Eden Shizuka," a part that was originally written for a stoic Japanese man. Despite being far from passing as Japanese and further from passing as a man, she not only got the role, but was actually the very first person to be cast for the film. The character was re-written as a White female who was adopted and trained by monks.

Billie Sherman

I've spoken with many ladies who've taken detours from show biz-related careers to pursue fields that offer more job security. Although the career path Billie Sherman has chosen, may not be a popular one, it's definitely a secure one because it involves one of the two things in life that are certain (the other being taxes).

When I found out that Billie is studying to be a mortician, I was immediately intrigued. Usually funeral homes are family-owned and staffed businesses but that didn't seem to be the case with Billie, as she has no relatives in the field of mortuary sciences. So, curious to know why she entered a field where she'll have to deal with death and grieving on a daily basis, I contacted her and asked if she's be interesting in being interviewed for a feature here, to which she replied ....

Friday the 13th Victim, Annie

Even though many of the actresses I feature and interview here have done primarily horror films, this is not to be considered a horror film blog. However, in honor of Friday the 13th, I've decided to ask you, dear readers, if you know the full name of Jason's first female victim in the original 1980 horror classic Friday the 13th. See the answer after the jump.

Korean Female Celebs' "Lasts"

As sort of a long belated follow-up to this piece, here are a selection of "lasts" from a few of the Korean female entertainers who took their own lives within the last several years. The above ad for Enprani cosmetics, was the late Lee Eun-ju's last ever TV commercial. Upon news of her suicide, the company immediately stopped running this and print ads featuring her. Enprani cited it was out of respect for her family, but I'm sure it was also because having an actress who committed suicide while she was still under contract with them, as the face of their company, would have been terrible for their public image. The following month, Enprani signed then-little-known actress Park Si-yeon as their new spokesmodel.

What would have been Julie Anne's interview

Sometimes, despite efforts, some of the interviews lined up for this site, just never pan out. Such is the case with the one slated with actress Julie Anne Prescott (who goes professionally by just "Julie Anne"), whom I contacted through Facebook about an interview way back in August of last year. Even though she enthusiastically agreed, it just never happened. I'll leave it at that and not go into details regarding the subsequent (and yes, polite) back and forth messages that were exchanged.

Anyway, it's a shame to let good questions go unanswered (especially since research was done to come up with them) but they don't have to go unappreciated. So, rather than let my part of what would have been another great feature, go to waste, I decided to post my half of what would have been a complete interview with Julie. Of course, the blank space above is where a photo of her would have been, had this interview actually occurred and a full feature been published.

Lily Ann Lam

Hair stylist and makeup artist Lily Ann Lam first caught my eye earlier this month, while I was composing an entry for this site. I was tuned in to the reality courtroom show Judge Judy (I'm a fan) where Lily was the plaintiff in a case that involved her former employee/tenant. Lily didn't have to do too much talking to win the judgement, as the evidence was pretty well stacked against the defendant, but when she did present her case, I could tell she had her act together. I also couldn't help but notice that she wore a off-the-shoulder top that exposed some very exotic-looking tattoos (which was a little risky to wear before Judge Sheindlin, and those of you who are familiar with her, know what I mean).

Intrigued and wanting to find out some more on Lily for a possible interview, I started at my computer keyboard. Armed with her name, occupation and city, I soon found out that Lilly owned and operated the Hanami Salon in Sacramento, CA until last year. (Even though her Judge Judy appearance aired recently, it was taped in November of 2010, when the salon was still open.) She's currently working out of her home, but with her good reputation and ambition (not to mention her recent exposure from her appearance on Judge Judy), it won't be long before a even larger Hanami salon opens in a new location. The above photo by JL Image, was taken before her shoulder artwork but you'll see her current designs after the jump.

Hana Hong

Racing and car show model Hana Hong is among the top ladies in her field in Korea. Her popularity as a model has even helped land her some parts in TV shows. However, since her exposure is pretty much limited to Korea, she's received practically no press outside of her homeland. Of course, models like Hana often have their photos posted all over the net by Korean and non-Korean bloggers alike, but it's very rare you'll see an article or blog post where the author has actually contacted and received a reply from her worthy of publication.

I sent Hana a message through Facebook and asked if she'd like to be featured here and if she'd mind answering a few questions. She gave me a positive response and asked me to e-mail her about it. Knowing it could have been a brush-off, I sent Hana some questions anyway, thinking there's always a chance of getting a reply. As it turned out, I was pleasantly surprised when Hana replied the next day with answers to some of my questions.

Sasa Leung

Sooner or later, I was going to interview the other Cave Girl from Creepy KOFY Movie Time, so I decided to make it sooner. The very next interview, in fact. Winnie Leung, known professionally and henceforth here as Sasa Leung, is the other half of the foxy duo of horror host supporters that San Francisco viewers can enjoy seeing Saturday nights at 11:00 PM on KOFY Channel 20 (and I hope you guys at KOFY are appreciating all the plugs!)

I first met Sasa the same time I met her co-Cave Girl Scarlet, which was last year at Reyna Young's Nightmare to Remember film festival. Despite her outward appearance, she seemed a little shy, which was something I was also told by a few of her friends, and that may have been the reason she didn't reply to my first request for an interview. However, seeing her colleague featured here seemed to be what it took to prompt Sasa to spend some time with me and talk about her travels, the history of the Cave Girls, and the upcoming launch of their new business venture.

Scarlet von Harlet

Scarlet von Harlet is best known as one half of the "Cave Girls," who appear on the Saturday late night horror flick show Creepy KOFY Movie Time on KOFY TV, San Francisco. She and her fellow Cave Girl, Sasa Leung, are sort of the cheering section for the show's hosts (Balrok and No Name), and much more. In addition to lending the show some eye candy and showing off her go-go moves to some great retro surf and rockabilly music (provided by house band, The Deadlies), during intermissions, Scarlet gets involved with such things as answering viewer questions, demonstration how to use Shake Weights as a distraction, and sampling unique cuisine.

After briefly meeting Scarlet last year at Miss Misery's Nightmare to Remember film festival, I made a note to later contact her about a feature here. I did, she graciously accepted and this is it. However, I actually didn't interview Scarlet, per se, but rather the lovely young lady behind the Scarlet persona, who willingly stepped out of character for our chat. (Sort of like Batgirl agreeing to talk to me as Barbara Gordon.) Still, out of respect for her privacy, I'm using her stage name here. Oh, and I give Scarlet very high marks for her punctuality.

Amanda Abrahamson

20 year-old university student and model Amanda Abrahamson was brought to my attention by Ryan Hurd, who sent me a compliment on the feature I did on his friend, actress Nicole Kruex. Ryan is the driving force behind the Minnesota-based clothing company "Bōbiam Artistic Streetwear." The company designs clothing that features the works of young artists. For every item Bōbiam sells, the artist gets $1 and the company donates $1 to a local charity called "Free Arts of Minnesota," a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing healing through artistic expression into the lives of abused, neglected and at-risk children and their families.

Since Ryan told me what a great job I did on Nicole's article, and flattery often works with me (and of course, because it's a great cause), I wanted to do something to help promote his company. I suggested I do a feature on one of the adult ladies that models the clothing on Bōbiam's website and in turn, give the company a nice plug. Knowing a great idea when he hears one, Ryan said he had one particular girl in mind who'd be interested in my offer, which brings me to Amanda.

After receiving a message from Amanda stating she'd love to be interviewed for a feature here, I checked out her Facebook page to learn a little more about her, in order to come up with some relevant questions to ask. (I don't have a list of "generic" questions that I use for interviews, like some do.) When I noticed under "employers" at Amanda's Facebook profile, she listed she was a "Princess at All About Fun," I was put off because writing about a spoiled rich girl who lives to party, was something I didn't care to do. However, I mistakenly jumped to conclusions there. After delving a little further into Amanda's profile page, I learned that wasn't a flippant comment at all. You see; Amanda portrays a Disney princess for a company she works for called "All About Fun," who cater children's birthday parties! So, after having a laugh over that, I came up with some questions that would give a little insight into the Bōbiam clothing model. I just wish I could have asked Amanda them in person so that I could have found out if she was as verbally enthusiastic as she was in her e-mails, where she ended almost all of her answers with an exclamation mark.

April Syrup

I recently caught up with April Syrup while she was visiting her hometown of San Francisco. However, as this posts, the graphic artist, fashion designer, and model is currently back in Tokyo, the city she's called home for the last few years. A Temple University of Japan alumna, April chose to remain in Japan for a few years after graduating in 2010, to begin her art and design career. She often holds her own events in and around Tokyo, where she (who better?) models many of her own creations, a sample of which is at left.

After catching the Facebook wall post of April's that revealed she was back in the States, I decided to shoot her a message to ask if she'd like to be featured here. She said she would just to see if her entry would get more hits than her twin (yes, twin) sister Aby's did when I featured her here last year. Just kidding about that last part. The girls are very supportive of each other and April was happy to answer a few questions for me, including why she chose the moniker "Syrup." Assuming that's not her real name is just as much of a no-brainer as figuring out what her real name is, since her sister goes by her real surname.

Whatever Happened to Morning?

Korean girl group Morning was a unique foursome of very beautiful ladies who, in 2003, scored a hit single with a dynamic ballad entitled "I'll Make You Happy," off of their one and only album; Return to the Innocence. Above is the official music video for the song. Exemplifying the group's uniqueness here is violinist Jang Min-kyung, whose solo adds an excellent embellishment to a part that would ordinarily feature a guitar or keyboard.

The other members of the group were Shim Seong-hee (Lead vocal), Kim Bu-yeon (Second vocal), and Baek Bo-ram (Rap, narration, and vocals). They couldn't be considered a band since only Min-kyung played an instrument besides sang, but they definitely weren't the typical K-pop female vocal group, either. Perhaps that's why they didn't seem to find their niche and disbanded after just the one album.

Kate Cloutier

A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, Kate Cloutier studied drama at the University of Minnesota but didn't start acting full-time until last year, when she decided to leave her career as an emergency medical technician. Besides knowing how to save lives, she also sings, plays guitar, substitute teaches, is a trained firefighter, and as you can see at left, is very serious about her workouts.

Kate jokingly said giving very detailed answers was part of her obsessive-compulsive disorder, but for anyone wanting to know what it takes to get in the shape you see she's in, you'll definitely appreciate the detailed rundown she gives on her workout routine. Oh, I should add the photo at left is from 2009 and Kate's appearance has changed since. Her hair's longer now.

Photographer Amanda Hu

Even though she takes great golf action shots, photographer Amanda Hu told me her favorite subjects to photograph are landscapes. She does have some fantastic examples of those in her portfolio, as well as some outdoor shots that are worthy to be made into jigsaw puzzles. I know that may not sound like it, but that's a sincere compliment. Just take a look at the high quality of the photos that are used for jigsaw puzzles.

Impressed with her work, I recently chatted with Amanda about a feature here. Since she doesn't step in front of the camera very often (and is a little shy), I suggested I feature her as a photographer with photos she's taken, rather than posed for. Landscapes weren't really what I had in mind but Amanda, being an amateur golfer herself, has also taken great action shots of some of the top talent in the LPGA who've played in tournaments she's covered. Of course, I still wanted to include some background info on Amanda herself, without it sounding like a formal interview. So, the following are excerpts from my conversation with Amanda while we were discussing her possible inclusion here. Above is Amanda outside the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei.

Melanie Robel

Born at Fort Riley, Kansas, actress Melanie Robel spent her childhood moving from place to place, always having to deal with new surroundings. Such is the life of an Army brat. In her late teens, she settled in Florida and (after some ugly incidents regarding punching a redhead and making a band director cry) set her sights on a dance career. After an injury sidelined that, she decided to go to an open casting call and ended up being signed by a management agency, which led her to to Los Angeles. When that didn't lead anywhere after a few months, she moved back to Florida and decided to try a "normal" life as a college student. She graduated from Paul Mitchell School (of cosmetology) but realized that acting was still in her blood. So, after doing a couple of short films, Melanie enrolled in acting classes and decided to once again pursue her passion. She's since been in such works as the horror film Post Mortem, America 2021, three episodes of Stories of the Paranormal and the TV series La Fleur De Mai. One of her latest projects is the upcoming movie Disciples, in which she will be among a very impressive cast of horror alumnae.

Among Melanie's list of people who inspire her are, Tom Waits, Clint Eastwood, and Jessica Lange, whom she bears a striking resemblance to. It was no surprised to learn I wasn't the first to notice that. It was a surprised to learn she prefers Hello Kitty to Moonie. Well ....maybe more of a disappointment than a surprise. (Above photo by ES Remy Da 'neil)

Friday the 13th Victim, Claudette

For this entry into the Friday the 13th special features, we go all the way back in the storyline to the summer of 1958, when the vengeful Pamela Voorhees, claimed her first two victims.

Mrs. Voorhees blamed the inattentive and concupiscent Camp Crystal Lake counselors for her son Jason's drowning, a year earlier, believing if they had been watching him, instead of groping each other, they would have seen Jason needed help. Above we see the nubile Claudette, played by Debra S. Hayes, being targeted by Mrs Voorhees, after she made quick work of the male half of the couple.

Roberta Gonzales

If you live in a metro area where there are several local news stations to choose watching, you might gravitate toward a particular one, for one reason or another. In my case, it's KPIX Channel 5 in San Francisco, whose chief meteorologist is Roberta Gonzales. Besides having never been wrong about the weather, Roberta's bio reads like that of the main female character in an action movie.

To say Roberta has a busy schedule is an understatement. Besides being in the studio Monday through Friday to deliver the weather report four times a night on live TV, she also delivers it every half hour from 3:00PM to 9:00PM on KCBS radio. Her days "off" are usually spent training for whatever the next marathon or triathlon she'll be competing in and attending events for charities she actively supports. At one such event, she rappelled down a 38-story building. Oh, and if the San Jose Sharks are playing at home, the avid hockey fan can often be found in "The Tank," cheering them on.

Just last evening, Roberta found time in between news broadcasts at KPIX studios, to personally answer my e-mail questions and send me the online hello you see above. Even though our correspondence was through e-mail, Roberta, obviously not one to put things off until later, replied to me so quickly, it was practically a real-time interview.

The ADAs of Law & Order

(Note: The information given on the ladies in this article is on the characters, not the actresses portraying them. Also and obviously; I'm only including the ADAs of the original Law & Order series here, not the ones from the subsequent Law & Order: SVU or Law & Order: Criminal Intent.)

Law & Order was a popular crime drama based in New York City, that ran from 1990-2010. For the first three seasons, the assistant district attorney was a man, but by the end of the third season, the producers decided the show didn't have enough female characters (and I don't know why the hell it took them three full seasons to realize that), so at the beginning of the fourth season, the male ADA was replaced with a female and from that point on, all the ADAs were female. Furthermore, all were very easy on the eyes. The first being ADA Claire Kincaid, played by Jill Hennessey (pictured at right), who served as the lead prosecutor's second chair lady from 1993-1996.

Claire was a Harvard Law grad who was described as an "idealistic, outspoken feminist and agnostic who became increasingly disillusioned with her job." Although she was well-respected by her bosses, Clair's liberal views often clashed with the duties of her job and they didn't always sit well with her initial, more conservative superiors. She was killed when a drunk driver rammed into her car while she was driving Detective Lenny Briscoe home, who had one too many himself that evening. She was considering leaving the Manhattan DA's office at the time of her death. A few hints were dropped that she had a more-than professional relationship going on with lead prosecutor Jack McCoy, while she was working alongside him. That wasn't finally confirmed to viewers until three years after her death.

Rena Riffel

I remember seeing the movie Showgirls on the big screen in 1996 shortly before I went in the Army. As my friend and I left the theater after the the film let out, I said that I wished Rena Riffel would have had more screen time. He said if she did, she would have stolen the show. I couldn't have agreed more. So, a few weeks ago when my good friend Carlo Rodriguez over at Underdogs.com mentioned that he was personal friends with Rena and asked if I'd be interested in interviewing her, I immediately said "hell yes!" and asked him to put in a good word for me. He did, and here she is to start out this site's 2012 with a bang.

Even though she's been appearing in movies since 1988, Rena will probably always be best known for her role as the sweet and slightly naive stripper Penny/Hope in the now camp classic film Showgirls. What many don't know is that she was originally up for the part of the seasoned diva Cristal Conners (played by Gina Gershon) but the producers felt she was better suited for the role of the younger and seemingly-innocent small-town girl working in a Las Vegas strip club for the first time. If you're a fan of the film, you know the brief but unforgettable Cheetah Club dance scene with Rena and Elizabeth Berkeley. It was one scene where I'm sure, Rena would have stolen the show if it would have been longer.