Ted V. Mikels

BLOOD, SWEAT...
AND MORE BLOOD

David Byron Grillss Ted V. Mikels

David Byron is the founder of NVF Magazine, an online publication that promotes new voices in horror fiction and film. His past special guests include Ramsey Campbell, Joe R. Lansdale, Herschell Gordon Lewis, and Edwin Neal of Texas Chainsaw Massacre fame. His latest projects include Queens of Scream: The New Blood, a collection of in depth interviews with the hottest ladies working in indie horror film today. In 2010, he will release his first film documentary, Scream Kings: Bonded By Blood, featuring Ramsey Campbell, Paul Kane, and Philip Nutman. Dave lives in southern Indiana with his cats, Tobey and Buckwheat, who he considers his best friends. Visit him online at NVF Magazine: New Voices In Film and Fiction and Wicked Kitty Productions

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Ted V. Mikels (born Theodore Mikacevich on 29 April 1929) is a Croatian-American filmmaker of independent cult films. His work is very campy and sometimes outrageous. Mikels was also famous for his eccentric home life, as he once lived with a harem in a Glendale, California castle that contained secret passageways. He also adopted bizarre promotional gimmicks for his films, such as having nurses and ambulances on hand to assist "scared-to-death" moviegoers.

In 2008, a documentary titled The Wild World of Ted V. Mikels, was produced by Kevin Sean Michaels and narrated by John Waters. Additionally, a book called Film Alchemy: The Independent Cinema of Ted V. Mikels, written by Christopher Wayne Curry, was published by McFarland & Company.

Horror Garage: Good day, Ted. Is it true that you have made more films than anyone else alive? My research, so far, indicates you have.

Ted V. Mikels: If your research included the book: Film Alchemy: The Independent Cinema of Ted V. Mikels, or if you could have seen the documentary The Wild World of Ted V. Mikels by Vamp Films -- narrated by John Waters -- you would get a much better idea of my movie-making life. In any event, yes you are correct, I have made more theatrical feature movies than any man alive, as writer, producer, director, cinematographer, editor, distributor, and in my sixty years of movie-making I have made about every genre of movies known, from musicals, outdoor action-adventure, martial arts, horror, dramas, comedies, you name it -- all of my movies are different.

HG: Have you always been an indie filmmaker?

Ted V. Mikels: Yes, I have always been an independent movie-maker, although I was brought in many times to finish other people's movies when they had contracts with the majors, but couldn't finish their movies either due to lack of experience or lack of completion money. I usually finished those movies with a fraction of the money they wasted in their attempts.

HG: Did you start out as a director, or work your way up gradually?

Ted V. Mikels: I started out doing magic tricks at the age of five, and by the time I was fifteen, I had a two hour magic show, doing magic, ventriloquism, accordion solos, fire-eating, Houdini escape tricks, etc. I wanted to film my show, then had to realize I would have to create the circumstances myself to do it. That's when I started writing, producing, directing, shooting and editing movies. I never allowed anyone to see my first ten years of movie-making, considering them my personal " textbooks". Then, and only then I did my first 35mm theatrical feature, Strike Me Deadly, which was released theatrically, also played television. It is still available on DVD through Alpha Video. Alpha has released about fifteen of my movies on DVD domestically.

HG: Does the term ''exploitation film '' offend you?

Ted V. Mikels: I learned many years ago that people will call your movies and your work anything they wanted. "Exploitation" usually defined anything that was made independently outside of the studio. Everyone has their own idea of what EXPLOITATION means. I couldn't care less what they call them, as long as they like my 'BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS efforts to entertain with my films.

HG: Did you ever get a chance to meet Ed Wood? How about John Waters?

Ted V. Mikels: Yes, I met Ed Wood when I was called in to help them with Ed's last movie. I was training a young cameraman who was working hard to get his union card, and they asked me if I would supervise ( Director of Lighting) for them. At that time, no one knew Ed Wood. Someone sent me a photo of the production crew with all of us on it. They asked me to tell them about Ed Wood. I had to ask them which one of the group was Ed Wood -- I didn't know. I have met and chatted with John Waters -- he not only is talented, but a very warm and gracious individual. Also, John Waters narrates the documentary on my movie-making life , The Wild World of Ted V. Mikels, produced by Vamp Productions, who also produced Vampira.

HG: Was there any particular ''inspiration'' for the film Corpse Grinders?

Ted V. Mikels: There was no particular inspiration for making The Corpse Grinders. My biggest motivation was that was my only hope of getting out of severe debt after a big set-back in my attempt to be the first movie-maker to put his movies on tape to be played in Sony black and white reel to reel tape players with a separate monitor This was in the late sixties. There were no such things as VHS cassettes then,, and of course, a long time before the advent of DVD. Fortunately for me, The Corpse Grinders did FANTASTIC business, outgrossing many multi-million dollar major studio movies, in both drive-ins and regular theaters.

HG: Did the drive-in market help your career?

Ted V. Mikels: When I first started my film distribution company, drive-ins were our most important and reliable source of income. Drive-ins numbered into fourteen to sixteen thousand screens, so if you had good box office grosses with your movie, other drive-ins and "hard top" theaters would book your movie as a proven money-maker for them.

HG: Any advice for fledgling filmmakers?

Ted V. Mikels: As a word to fledgling movie-makers, keep in mind that the world will not beat a path to your door because you have proven that you can make a movie. What you get the most out of it is the sheer pleasure of making the movie, the new friends and talents that you meet, and may continue to work with over the years as you become a better film-maker. It's truly a labor of love.

END

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WWW.TEDVMIKELS.COM

Producer:
Demon Haunt (2009) (V) (executive producer)
Heart of a Boy (2006) (producer)
Cauldron: Baptism of Blood (2004) (V) (producer)
Chimera (2003) (V) (associate producer)
...aka The Werewolf Cult Chronicles, Part 1: Chimera (USA: series title)
Mark of the Astro-Zombies (2002) (V) (producer)
The Corpse Grinders 2 (2000) (V) (executive producer)
Apartheid Slave Woman's Justice (1997) (producer)
Mission: Killfast (1991) (producer)
Ten Violent Women (1982) (producer)
...aka Women's Penitentiary I (USA: video title)
The Aftermath (1982) (co-producer)
...aka Nuclear Aftermath (Philippines: English title)
...aka Zombie Aftermath (UK: video title)
The Worm Eaters (1977) (producer)
Alex Joseph and His Wives (1976) (producer)
...aka Obediah: 18 (USA: alternative title)
...aka The Rebel Breed (USA: alternative title)
The Doll Squad (1973) (producer)
...aka Female Mercenaries (USA: video title)
...aka Seduce and Destroy (USA)
Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things (1973) (executive producer)
...aka Revenge of the Living Dead (USA: reissue title)
...aka Things from the Dead (USA: reissue title)
Blood Orgy of the She Devils (1972) (producer)
...aka Female Plasma Suckers
The Corpse Grinders (1972) (producer)
...aka The Flesh Grinders (USA: reissue title)
The Astro-Zombies (1968) (producer)
...aka Space Vampires (USA: video title)
...aka Space Zombies
Girl in Gold Boots (1968) (producer)
The Black Klansman (1966) (producer)
...aka Brutes (UK)
...aka I Crossed the Color Line
...aka I Crossed the Line
One Shocking Moment (1965) (producer)
...aka Suburban Affair (USA)
Dr. Sex (1964) (producer)
...aka Dr. S- (USA: bowdlerized title)
...aka Strange Loves of Dr. Sex
Strike Me Deadly (1963) (producer)

Director:
Demon Haunt (2009) (V)
Heart of a Boy (2006)
Cauldron: Baptism of Blood (2004) (V)
Mark of the Astro-Zombies (2002) (V)
The Corpse Grinders 2 (2000) (V)
Dimensions in Fear (1998)
...aka City in Terror (USA: video title)
...aka Dimension in Fear (USA: video title)
Apartheid Slave Woman's Justice (1997)
Mission: Killfast (1991)
War Cat (1987)
...aka Angel of Vengeance
...aka Warcat (USA: video title)
Ten Violent Women (1982)
...aka Women's Penitentiary I (USA: video title)
Alex Joseph and His Wives (1976)
...aka Obediah: 18 (USA: alternative title)
...aka The Rebel Breed (USA: alternative title)
The Doll Squad (1973)
...aka Female Mercenaries (USA: video title)
...aka Seduce and Destroy (USA)
Blood Orgy of the She Devils (1972)
...aka Female Plasma Suckers
The Corpse Grinders (1972)
...aka The Flesh Grinders (USA: reissue title)
The Astro-Zombies (1968)
...aka Space Vampires (USA: video title)
...aka Space Zombies
Girl In Gold Boots (1968)
The Black Klansman (1966)
...aka Brutes (UK)
...aka I Crossed the Color Line
...aka I Crossed the Line
One Shocking Moment (1965)
...aka Suburban Affair (USA)
Dr. Sex (1964) (as Theo Mikacecci)
...aka Dr. S- (USA: bowdlerized title)
...aka Strange Loves of Dr. Sex
Strike Me Deadly (1963)

Writer:
Demon Haunt (2009) (V) (co-written by)
Heart of a Boy (2006) (writer)
Cauldron: Baptism of Blood (2004) (V) (writer)
Mark of the Astro-Zombies (2002) (V) (writer)
The Corpse Grinders 2 (2000) (V) (writer)
Dimensions in Fear (1998) (writer)
...aka City in Terror (USA: video title)
...aka Dimension in Fear (USA: video title)
Apartheid Slave Woman's Justice (1997) (writer)
War Cat (1987) (writer)
...aka Angel of Vengeance
...aka Warcat (USA: video title)
Ten Violent Women (1982) (writer)
...aka Women's Penitentiary I (USA: video title)
Missile X - Geheimauftrag Neutronenbombe (1978) (adaptation)
...aka Allarme nucleare (Italy)
...aka Cruise Missile
...aka Incident in Teheran
...aka La guerra de los misiles (Spain)
...aka Missile X, orden secreta bomba de neutrones (Spain)
...aka Missile X: The Neutron Bomb Incident (USA)
...aka Teheran Incident
Alex Joseph and His Wives (1976) (writer)
...aka Obediah: 18 (USA: alternative title)
...aka The Rebel Breed (USA: alternative title)
The Doll Squad (1973) (writer)
...aka Female Mercenaries (USA: video title)
...aka Seduce and Destroy (USA)
Blood Orgy of the She Devils (1972) (writer)
...aka Female Plasma Suckers
The Corpse Grinders (1972) (uncredited)
...aka The Flesh Grinders (USA: reissue title)
The Astro-Zombies (1968) (screenplay)
...aka Space Vampires (USA: video title)
...aka Space Zombies
One Shocking Moment (1965) (writer)
...aka Suburban Affair (USA)
Dr. Sex (1964) (screenplay) (as Theo Mikacecci)
...aka Dr. S- (USA: bowdlerized title)
...aka Strange Loves of Dr. Sex
Strike Me Deadly (1963) (writer)