American filmmaker Ted V. Mikels holds a unique position as one of the most unconventional directors of exploitation cinema. Famous for his eccentric home life (he once lived with a harem in a castle with secret passageways) and promotional gimmicks (he was known for having nurses and ambulances on hand to assist "scared-to-death" moviegoers), Mikels is now considered a pioneering master of low-budget movie making.
Examples of Mikels' influence can be seen everywhere: from music (punk band The Misfits wrote a tribute song called "The Astro-Zombies"), to Mikels' film The Doll Squad being the template for the television series Charlie's Angels, to inspiring the look of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill.
Lurid Be Thy Name
Astro Zombies, Blood Orgies and Corpse Grinders - Ted V. Mikels reflects on six decades of low-budget sensational cinema.
by Dave Alexander
Rue Morgue issue #103 -- on stands now!
Ted V. Mikels' latest film, Astro-Zombies M3: Cloned, is now available for pre-order from Oldies.com, and is set to ship September 28, 2010!