Because I’m a guy. What is interesting to note of Vampira is the impact her local regional television show had in conservative 1950s America.
Along with some newly uncovered television footage, the bare extant two minutes of footage from The Vampira Show, Greene fills out his interviews with his own voice-over observations.While not a wholly satisfying tribute, the film still offers testament and captures Nurmi, who is witty and intelligent, quite a character herself, though her iconic image now best…The films recommended or mentioned (sometimes really just mentioned in passing..but in a positive light...ish) by Sam Ashurst and Dan…So what do I watch next? Still, when it comes to snappy one-liners cracked at the stroke of midnight, it’s certainly safe to say that no one did it better than Vampira. RH Greene uses stock footage of the time, numerous Vampira photo shoots, and a mere two minutes of promotional footage that exists from the original Vampira show to provide visual aid to Nurmi’s talking head segments.
It’s an artfully done doc that carries with it an oppressive air of melancholy.
For its protracted 106 minute runtime, Vampira and Me is a combination of tragic, frustrating, annoying, and enthralling. The Secret History of American Movies, with which I was unimpressed when I viewed it in 2006.Greene met Nurmi while producing the earlier film and managed to land a moderately long interview with private and somewhat paranoid former television icon.
The documentaryGreene struck up friendship with Maila Nurmi during the filming for the documentary ‘There is only 2 minutes remaining of footage of The Vampira Show but what we do have is hundreds of publicity stills, articles and public appearances to chronicle her brilliant yet turbulent career. Though most people knew her as Vampira, a late-night, creature-feature host in Los Angeles, Maila Nurmi was so much more. There's something strangely narcissistic about it that I just don't like. Throughout her life she fiercely continued to fight for the rights to her creation but as the documentary shows ultimately this right was not granted.The later half focuses on the aftermath of The Vampira Show which saw Nurmi living in abject poverty and struggling with her mental health after a series of horrific assaults from crazed fans. The Me is writer-director Ray H. Greene, who also made Schlock! The interview took place in her 70's and even though her community had not been kind to her, she beams with charisma and charm. The Secret History of American Movies, with which I was unimpressed when I viewed it in 2006.Greene met Nurmi while producing the earlier film and managed to land a moderately long interview with private and somewhat paranoid former television icon. Since there's not much to work with, there's a lot of opinion & explanation from Greene, to the point that someone a bit more objective might've made a more well rounded documentary. And that’s what we do.Pieced together several years after Vampira’s (Maila Nurmi) death in 2008, VAMPIRA AND ME is an interesting documentary about the OG goth’s rise to fame and quick descent into obscurity. ‘Vampira and Me’ June 25, 2012 By Kirk Honeycutt A documentary about Maila Nurmi, whose meteoric albeit brief career as the scream-queen Vampira, the goth-clad host of late-night horror movies on local Los Angeles television in mid-1950s, sounds like an invitation to a high-camp frolic and giggle-fest of bad cinema and absurd TV personalities. Age did not dull Nurmi’s spirit and the documentary enabled her unconventional opinions to be voiced. I get it, the reason the documentary exists at all is because this guy likes Vampira and wanted to interview her, and I'm sure his motives and intentions for the project evolved over time (or, maybe, I don't fucking know), but the fact remains that he's inserting himself into someone else's story rather than just giving her free reign to tell her own. Vampira and Me gives long overdue recognition to Maila Nurmi’s own creation and dutifully allows Nurmi to speak to us once more from beyond the grave but this time on her own terms.This movie had me fucking weeping over the tragic life of Maila Nurmi aka Vampira and made me feel guilty for perpetuating the artistic rivalry of her and ElviraI watched this like a week after putting up rival tip jars at my restaurant with Elvira on one and Vampira on the other. Whether being groomed by a major Hollywood director or making a surprising foray into music, Nurmi proves herself to be so much more than a scream queen.
It is incredible to think that Vampira only exists in a brief two minute clip yet she has impacted so much of popular culture in particular many people’s belief she was the original ‘goth’ girl.
DONT DO IT. When she smiles, missing teeth and all, her eyes twinkle and you get glimpses of her impossible beauty.