Avery Misuraca

I first spoke with Avery Misuraca when I was interviewing "James Girls" for this article featured here last July, in which Avery was definitely a part of. If the dark hair, dark eyes, and deep voice with the slight Jersey accent weren't enough, finding out Avery was one of the official Vampirella models was all I needed to ask her for an interview for a spotlight feature of her own.

Besides capturing one of the most definitive looks (as evident at left) of Vampirella, when she posed as the character for Harris Comics, Avery later created her own sexy horroresque character in the form of the beautiful Countess Vladimira, whose comic book was published by Peregrine Entertainment.

Behind the dark personas of Vampirella, Countess Vladimira, and Morticia Addams, whom she also did a brief stint as, Avery is a real down-to-earth sweetheart. One of her passions since she was a child is animal welfare and she's actively involved in Fur and Feather Animal Sanctuary, who rescue and raise awareness about neglected and abused animals.

It was my pleasure to recently speak with Avery (and listen to that sexy Jersey accent) for this exclusive interview and it's no coincidence that this goes to press on her favorite holiday, which of course is Halloween. (Photo credit: Terry Sanders)

Kerry Finlayson in Bedfellows

Drew Daywalt's 2008 horror short Bedfellows is very short, very simple, and awesomely terrifying. It stars Kerry Finlayson, who's a seasoned actress and no stranger to fright films. Learn more about her at her official website.

I felt the already-very-short short, would be even more frightening if it were even shorter, so the above is a shortened 1:15 version (including titles and credits) of the original 1:30 film, that you can see here and then decide for yourself which is more frightening.

Sarah French as Marilyn: Zombie Hunter

According to director Thomas J. Churchill, his upcoming film Marlyn: Zombie Hunter is a mystery, an action film, a suspense movie, a thriller, a western, and most of all, it's a bloodbath horror film ....and it stars the lovely Sarah French. With some of her other recent titles that include The Bitch That Cried Wolf, Insectula, and the recently-announced Lazarus: Day of the Living Dead 2, Sarah's a lady who's truly earned the Scream Queen title. As this goes to press, fans can catch Sarah this weekend at Santa Fe Comic Con.

Cerina Vincent and Annika Marks in Skypemare

John Fitzpatrick's 2013 horror short Skypemare, has won several awards at major film festivals and earned very favorable reviews from horror critics. Even though the two main characters are chatting through Skype, a modern social medium, the film follows a simple, straightforward premise that was always a winning formula for so many classic slasher movies of the late-70s to mid-80s: Girls home alone at night (and in this case, it's Halloween, no less), TV newscaster reporting on an escaped maniac loose in the area, etc. However, this story takes a different turn at the end and serves as an example of what can be the unfortunate consequence of a very well-played prank.

Michelle Tomlinson

A native of New Mexico, actress and acting coach Michelle Tomlinson moved to Los Angeles right after graduating from Eastern New Mexico University with a degree in theater. She began her film career by doing student films, which was sort of on-the-job training for her since up to that point, she only had stage experience. She's since become a well-respected indie film actress, having appeared in dramas, comedies, and of course, horror. A few of her notable film roles of the latter genre have been in Kevin Tenny's Brain Dead, and in Matt Zettell's 2007 frightmare The Cellar Door and his upcoming Axe to Grind.

Early this year, Michelle debuted as the host of her own one-on-one interview show, An Intimate Look with Michelle Tomlinson, which she also co-produces. Michelle tells me it's a project she considers a labor of love. After writing at her blog about her experiences of being diagnosed, fighting, and eventually beating papillary thyroid cancer, she had many responses from people who gave her support and inspiration with their own stories to tell. That sparked the idea for the show, which is now set to enter its third season. Above photo by James DePietro.

The Ladies of Sorority Slumber Party Slaughter

With a tagline that reads; "Even a pillow fight in your nightie can go too far," Twitchy Dolphin Flix's upcoming comedy-horror Sorority Slumber Party Slaughter is bound to be an attention-getter, just judging from its cast, alone. Directed by Terissa Kelton (the hardest-working lady at Twitchy Dolphin) in her directorial debut, the film is slated to go into production next month. The recently-announced cast features (from left to right in the above photo) Margaret Ann Garza (interviewed here in September 2012), Katie Miles, Vicky Illk (yes, unlike the spelling of her name on the poster, she spells it with a "y"), Madison Weber, Brittany Flurry, and Andrea Dettling. Six versions of the film's poster have already been released, featuring each one of the six ladies. See them, as well as info on the film's lovely and talented director, after the break.

Judy Cerda Revisited

Since my first interview with actress Judy Cerda, more than three years ago, she's continued to stay very visible in San Francisco's indie film scene. Last year, she appeared in Last Doorway Productions' Monster of Golden Gate, and Forgotten Tales, the former of which she was on hand to promote at this year's Big Wow ComicFest in San Jose. The latter, currently in post-production, was filmed at an actual cabin in the woods that Judy says added to the horror-movie feeling of the shoot and helped her get into character.

Some of the recent short films Judy has done, include Jon Schipsi's Cosplay Dreams and Jeff Lunzaga's Agent 6, in both of which she plays a psychologist, albeit within very different storylines. In David Millett's Autum's Fall, Judy took on the role of a jaded, tough-talking prostitute, a role she tells me she had a lot of fun with. Always a true professional and highly-respected by those she works with, Judy was prompt and gracious to accept my offer for this follow-up interview.

Vanessa Lai

Actress and model Vanessa Lai started out at a very young age as a dancer and later got into modeling and acting, in her words; as a "fluke." However, it was a good fluke because since she began modeling in 2002, she's built an impressive portfolio which includes her stints as a model for Svedka vodka, and appearances in Volo magazine and Asian Mystique calendars.

Since beginning her acting career in 2009, Vanessa has appeared in the HBO series Body Language and TV series Lingerie. One of her most horrific characters is in Jamie Carswell's FM Andy, which recently premiered at the Royal cinema in Toronto. Coverage shows that it was met with a good turnout of supporters, just in time for the Halloween season, as Vanessa describes it as a "pretty twisted" movie. Her most recent role is as a vampire in the Babak Payami horror, Manhattan Undying. Slated for release next year, the story centers on a vampire who seeks out an artist to paint her portrait so she can see her image for the very first time. Even though she wasn't cast as the artist in that one, painting is among Vanessa's talents and she's also one of the best selfie-takers I've ever seen. In fact, the above photo is courtesy of Vanessa, herself.

Jessica Cameron at Film4 FrightFest

Above is the always gracious Jessica Cameron giving an interview at this year's Film4 FrightFest in London, where the UK premiere of her film Truth or Dare was shown. The focus of the interview is on the film, which has earned overall positive reviews from fans and horror pundits alike, but Jessica delves into other topics, as well. After giving an award-winning scream, she talks about the challenges she faced going from in front of the camera to behind it, and comments about today's social media "celebs." At about the eight-minute mark, she gives her views on why there are so few female directors in the film industry, and not just in the horror genre.

National Mean Girls Day

This past April marked the 10th anniversary of the theatrical release of the now-cult classic film Mean Girls. While it may not be in the same midnight-showing cult league as The Rocky Horror Picture Show, or even Night of the Living Dead, the 2004 Lindsay Lohan star vehicle (which actually had an ensemble cast and was a big boost to more than just Miss Lohan's career) does have its avid fans, and those fans know the significance of today's date.

Choi Jin-sil on Saturday Night Music

Even though she was never much of a singer, top Korean actress Choi Jin-sil made quite a few appearances on the MBC show Saturday Night Music. Above is a then-24-year-old Miss Choi singing “For Our Precious Love” during an April 1993 broadcast of the show.

Today marks the 6th anniversary of her suicide by hanging. Her brother took his own life in March of 2010 and her ex-husband in January of 2013, both in the same manner.