31 December 2021

Taylor Mead

 Taylor Mead was born on December 31st, 1924 in Detroit, Michigan. 

Taylor Mead (1924-2013)

Andy Warhol once devoted an entire movie to his ass. 

Andy Warhol 

It was entitled Taylor Mead’s Ass (1964)

Coffee and Cigarettes (Jim Jarmusch 2003)

Related: 

Candy Darling

Holly Woodlawn

30 December 2021

Kelli Maroney

 Kelli Maroney was born on December 30th, 1960 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Kelli Maroney

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
with Pheobe Cates
Amanda Wyss,
Taylor Negron and Vincent Schiavelli

Night of the Comet (1984)
with Catherine Mary Stewart,
Mary Woronov and Roger Beltran


Chopping Mall (1986)
with Paul Bartel and 
Mary Woronov


29 December 2021

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)

 On December 29th, 1939, The Hunchback of Notre Dame was released in US theaters. 

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

This is one of many film adaptations of Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel but likely one of the most definitive. 

Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel

Starring Charles Laughton, Maureen O’Hara, Sir Cedric Hardwicke and Thomas Mitchell. Directed by William Dieterle and adapted by Sonya Levien and Bruno Frank. 

Charles Laughton and Maureen O’Hara 



28 December 2021

Nichelle Nichols

 Nichelle Nichols was born on December 28th, 1932 in Robbins, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. 

Nichelle Nichols

Best known for her role as Nyota Uhura in Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek

Nyota Uhura

She is one of four surviving members of the original series including William Shatner, George Takei and Walter Koenig. 


Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols,
William Shatner and George Takei

Nichelle with Majel Barrett
the “First Lady of Star Trek”

Nichelle with Leonard Nimoy

For nearly four decades Nichelle volunteered for NASA recruiting women and minorities into the space program. 




Related:













27 December 2021

John Amos

 John Amos was born on December 27th, 1939 in Newark, New Jersey. 


John Amos 

Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971)

Good Times (1974-1976)

Roots (1977)

The Beastmaster (1982) Directed by Don Coscarelli

Coming to America (1988)

Coming 2 America (2021)

26 December 2021

The Exorcist

 On December 26th, 1973, The Exorcist premiered in US theaters.

Iconic

Written and based on the book by William Peter Blatty and directed by William Friedkin

Starring Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Max von Sydow and Jason Miller. 

Special effects by Dick Smith.

Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair on set

Featuring the Oscar winning star of film, stage, TV and radio, Mercedes McCambridge as the voice of Pazuzu. 

Mercedes McCambridge

Set puppet

A fun place to go if you’re ever in Georgetown is the location of the concrete stairs prominently featured in the film. 

I’m not sure how to get there because I went after a Violent Femmes show in ‘99 at the university and I was totally off the hook at the time. It’s definitely a surreal experience and I would recommend going at night. It’s been a bit of time since I’ve been there but as far as dwindling shooting locations go, this would be a tough one to get rid of. 

25 December 2021

Sissy Spacek

Sissy Spacek was born on December 25th, 1949 in Quitman, Texas. 

Sissy Spacek

She originally aspired to be a recording artist and in 1968, at age 18, recorded a diss track to John Lennon under the name Rainbo. The single didn’t perform well and she was dropped by her label. 


She went on to prove herself later as a talented singer by doing all of her own singing as Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner’s Daughter.

Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980)

After being dropped by her label Sissy enrolled in theater school in New York City and began hanging out with the Warhol crowd. Her first acting role was as an extra in Warhol’s Women In Revolt (1971) with Candy Darling and Holly Woodlawn.

Prime Cut (1972)

Terrence Malick’s Badlands (1973)
with Martin Sheen and 
John Carter

Carrie (1976)
with Nancy AllenP.J. Soles, Priscilla Pointer,
Amy Irving and Edie McClurg

The voice of the brain in
The Man With Two Brains (1983)

Rip Torn and Sissy Spacek are cousins 


24 December 2021

Spider Baby or, the Maddest Story Ever Told

 On December 24th, 1967 Spider Baby aka Cannibal Orgy aka the Maddest Story Ever Told aka the Liver Eater aka Attack of the Liver Eaters premiered in Corpus Christi, Texas. 

Spider Baby aka…

Written and directed by Jack Hill and starring Lon Chaney, Jr., Carol Ohmart, Beverly Washburn, Jill Banner and Sid Haig.  

Beverly Washburn, Sid HaigJill Banner 
and Lon Chaney, Jr.

Carol Ohmart

Sid Haig and Beverly Washburn would work with Jack Hill again in 1969 in Pit Stop

Pit Stop (1969)


23 December 2021

Hellbound: Hellraiser II

 Hellbound: Hellraiser II was released on December 23rd, 1988. 

Hellbound: Hellraiser II

Directed by Tony Randel, who was on the editing team for the original movie, with Clive Barker writing and executive producing. 

Clive Barker and Oliver Smith as skinless Frank

The returning actors are Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Sean Chapman and Oliver Smith as “Skinless Frank”.  

William Hope and Ashley Laurence

Doug Bradley, Nicholas Vince and Simon Bamford return as the cenobites with Barbie Wilde replacing Grace Kirby from the original film. 

The Order of the Gash

Doug Bradley as Captain Elliot Spencer

Introducing Kenneth Cranham and Imogen Boorman and William Hope.

Imogen Boormam

Kenneth Cranham as the Doctor


22 December 2021

The Mummy (1932)

The Mummy was released nationwide on December 22nd, 1932. 

The Mummy (1932)

Directed by Karl Fruend and starring Boris Karloff, Zita Johann, David Manners, Edward Van Sloan, Bramwell Fletcher and Arthur Byron. 

Karloff the Uncanny”

Make-up artist Jack Pierce