Vampira and Me

With "Vampira & Me" director/producer R.H. Greene has put together quite an interesting documentary spotlighting the patchy acting career of Maila Nurmi (aka. Vampira) who, with her ear-piercing scream and hour-glass figure, became a minor pop-culture icon during the 1950s.

Through vintage film clips, stills, and interviews, we learn how Maila (seeking fame & fortune) moved up from being a cheesecake magazine model in the late 1940s, to doing TV commercials in the early 1950s, to her glory days of becoming Vampira, delightfully hosting her own late-night TV show in the mid-1950s which screened Sci-Fi and Horror films for all the fans.

Known as the "Glamor Ghoul", Maila never ceased to thrill her many fans with the wild combination of her eccentric (and, yes, sexy) make-up, costume and persona.

Sadly enough, by the early 1960s Maila had all but faded away into obscurity and seclusion. She was later discovered waiting tables at a second-rate diner to make ends meet.

In 1997 producer R.H. Greene sought out Maila (who was now 75) and interviewed her for this entertaining and informative documentary. And I'm glad he did.

I have always been interested in the Vampira character portrayed by Maila Nurmi. She created an iconic image as the ghoulish vampire woman surrounded by a web of mystery. During the 1980's, when I first saw her image, I became a fan. The fact that she was an Scandinavian like myself fueled the interest. Unfortunately there was never enough facts or information about Maila Nurmi to make me know enough of her career and life as a misfit in the Hollywood system. This documentary film is an excellent telling of her life and the creation of Vampira. An objective telling of how her short lived fame during the mid 1950's brought both happiness and tragedy into her life. Vampira was a character that grew out of an era in change, where teens became rebels and rock'n roll was the new beat. An underground culture that grew to the surface and changed a generation of young people. Like Bettie Page, Vampira became strong iconic figure with a look nobody could forget. The camera caught images that never aged and continues until today to attract peoples attention. "Vampira and Me" is like an unholy grail must see for anyone who love the character Vampira and the woman behind her creation. A story told with love and compassion from her number 1 fan and also supported by all the people who loved her image and kept her underground fame alive. It is especially interesting to see unseen and rare footage of Vampira that proves she also was a great comedienne. Also fun to the see images of her early days as a pin-up model. This documentary has much heart and at times you can not help feeling sad, her career and life deserved much better. But once you adventure into the road towards Hollywood in search for fame there is no telling of the outcome, everything is at risk, especially your life. Maila Nurmi was a woman with talent and intelligence, a survivor. This documentary tells her strange tale of the unexpected, almost like it was meant to be. See it, you will love it!

First, the bad / sad news: Only about 2 minutes of footage from Maila Nurmi's Vampira show are known to exist. Although, there was a news article some years back, that said that most of the full episodes were still around, held privately by an "anonymous owner".

Now, the good news: VAMPIRA AND ME is a loving, fascinating look at Ms. Nurmi and her alter ego, told -mostly- in her own words, in the flesh! Writer / Director R. H. Greene went to great lengths to present a tribute that isn't just some fawning fanboy fiesta.

Greene allows the triumph, as well as the tragedy and pain in Ms. Nurmi's life to emerge, filling in the blank spaces. From her first donning of the Vampira persona at a masquerade party, to her meteoric rise as the dark star of KABC-TV in Los Angeles, she was larger than life. Still, though she had her time with the likes of James Dean and Elvis Presley, she ultimately fell from grace, living in obscurity and poverty. In spite of this, Maila shows great dignity and poise in her interview.

Obviously, her part in PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE is covered, as is her wonderful recitation in THE BEAT GENERATION. Her later meeting with punk band, THE MISFITS is also discussed.

However, for me personally, the most arresting and haunting part of the entire documentary is Maila's singing / reciting the song, "Genocide Utopia" with the band Satan's Cheerleaders. This impromptu performance gives me the shivers, no matter how many times I hear it! The fact that she was 64 when she did it, tells us all we need to know about this incredible woman, and her blazing, undying spirit!

The movie ends with Maila and Satan's Cheerleaders performing, "I'm Damned" over the end credits. What a finale!...

A documentary that shows in great depth the life of Maila Nurmi and what she really was behind the character of Vampira. Mr. Greene did a great job to gather information that seemed to be lost for decades. He created a very good biography of a woman who is called "The Godmother of Goth". For a D.I.Y. documentary I think is a 10/10!

There's not much surviving footage of Vampira in her prime, so there's only so much they could do here, but the interview with her in her old age was great and she was quite candid and sharp. Overall, a very well made doc about a legend that deserved better in life.