
Maila Nurmi
Actor · 1922 – 2008 · Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA
Maila Elizabeth Syrjäniemi (December 11, 1922 – January 10, 2008), known professionally as Maila Nurmi, was an American actress best known for creating the camp 1950s character Vampira. She was of Finnish descent.
Movies24
Movie4.2Science FictionHorrorIn California, an old man grieves the loss of his wife, and dies the day after she is buried. However, the space soldier Eros and his mate Tanna use an electric device to resurrect them both, alongside the strong Inspector Clay, who was murdered by the alien-controlled dead couple. When the populations of Hollywood and Washington D.C. see flying saucers on the sky, a colonel, a police lieutenant, a commercial pilot, his wife, and a policeman try to stop the aliens.
Plan 9 from Outer Space
1957 · 630 votes
Movie6.7ComedyRomanceGeorgia Garrett is sent by jealous wife Elvira Kent on an ocean cruise to masquerade as herself while she secretly stays home to catch her husband cheating. Meanwhile equally suspicious husband Michael Kent has sent a private eye on the same cruise to catch his wife cheating. Love and confusion ensues along with plenty of musical numbers.
Romance on the High Seas
1948 · 37 votes
Movie2.0DocumentaryScience FictionDocumentary on the History of Science Fiction Movies from The Day the Earth Stood Still onward.
Way of Tomorrow: The Evolution of Science Fiction Movies
2022 · 1 votes
Movie4.3AdventureFantasyThe son of a sorceress, armed with weapons, armour and six magically summoned knights, goes on a quest to save a princess from a vengeful wizard.
The Magic Sword
1962 · 49 votes
Movie7.5DocumentaryStacy Keach narrates this documentary that chronicles the abbreviated life and career of iconic brooding bad boy James Dean, from his obscure early days working in television to his rise to stardom in films such as Rebel Without a Cause. Clips from Dean's movies are intermingled with candid interviews with the star's friends and Hollywood colleagues, including Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Sammy Davis Jr. and Dennis Hopper.
James Dean: The First American Teenager
1975 · 2 votes
Movie3.3ComedyCollins College needs a new department head for their science department, so Doctors Carter and Zorch consult Thinko, the campus computer, and come up with Dr. Mathilda West, who has degrees in lots of things, but turns out to be disruptively attractive as well.
Sex Kittens Go to College
1960 · 18 votes
Movie4.8ComedyCrimeA mental patient escapes from the looney bin in drag, robs a bank, and goes on the lam!
I Woke Up Early the Day I Died
1998 · 23 votes
Movie6.9DocumentaryHollywood is a town of tinsel and glamour; but there is another Hollywood, a place where maverick independent exploitation filmmakers went toe to toe with the big guys and came out on top.
Schlock! The Secret History of American Movies
2001 · 16 votes
Movie7.8DocumentaryOften called the worst director in the history of cinema, Ed Wood is nevertheless a beloved figure among cult-film aficionados for his oddball productions. This documentary takes a look back at Wood's unique career at the margins of 1950s Hollywood, speaking to those who loved him and hated him. Bela Lugosi Jr. discusses his father's work in the abysmal "Plan 9 From Outer Space," while a Baptist reverend recalls how he was tricked into financing the film.
The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood, Jr.
1996 · 13 votes
Movie9.5DocumentaryHorrorA history of the famous vampire of books and movies, using film clips, previews and other methods.
Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook
1991 · 2 votes
Movie3.5DocumentaryHorrorHosted by Christopher Lee, this documentary examines the different actors who have portrayed Dracula over the years.
The Many Faces of Dracula
2000 · 2 votes
- Movie
A psychoanalyst treats a noted atomic physicist who believes that he lives on Earth as a scientist in a government research laboratory, and on another planet where he is the dominant authority and has powers of telepathy and teleportation.
Movie7.2DocumentaryA documentary detailing the making of the cult favorite "Plan 9 from Outer Space," featuring interviews with cast members and prominent filmmakers about the film, its lasting legacy, and its creator, Edward D. Wood Jr.
Flying Saucers Over Hollywood: The 'Plan 9' Companion
1992 · 12 votes
Movie7.0DramaA young woman falls in love and marries, but withholds from her husband information about her family.
I Passed for White
1960 · 4 votes
Movie6.0DramaCrimeA power-mad union boss resorts to murder to eliminate witnesses scheduled to testify against him.
The Big Operator
1959 · 12 votes
Movie5.1CrimeA group of beatniks unwittingly harbor a serial rapist. A cop goes after him after his wife is attacked.
The Beat Generation
1959 · 13 votes
Movie10.0DocumentaryA documentary that explores man's enduring fascination with the vampire legend by examining historical accounts, literary works, and as they are portrayed in film and television.
Vampires: Thirst for the Truth
1996 · 1 votes
Movie8.0HorrorDocumentaryThe story of Maila "Vampira" Nurmi, living on the very edge of show business, and her rise to celluloid cultdom 50 years later. Her big break came in 1954 when she played the "glamour ghoul" Vampira, emerging from the mist to greet viewers of obscure horror movies on the new medium— television. Her newfound fame led to friendships with Marlon Brando, James Dean, and Anthony Perkins. But Vampira's show was abruptly cancelled. Nurmi appeared as Vampira again in the 1959 low-budget horror / sci-fi film, Plan 9 from Outer Space, directed by Edward D. Wood Jr. and often dubbed "the worst film of all time." But you can't keep a good vampire down, and Nurmi's character rose from the dead again in 1993's Ed Wood, directed by Tim Burton.
Vampira: The Movie
2006 · 3 votes
Movie7.0DocumentaryMonsterama: A Tribute to Horror Hosts was a documentary focused on horror hosts; screened on the horror channel Monsters HD in 2004.
Monsterama: A Tribute to Horror Hosts
2004 · 1 votes
Movie7.5DocumentaryA fond remembrance of and tribute to the uniquely American institution of the horror movie host.
American Scary
2006 · 6 votes
Movie7.5DocumentaryInterviews with Maila Nurmi, who famously played the horror hostess Vampira
Vampira: About Sex, Death and Taxes
1995 · 2 votes
Movie5.4FantasyMusicA defense contractor who somehow becomes the sole survivor of a nuclear holocaust. In his solitude, he traces the history of U.S. civilization in the 20th century through musical numbers.
Population: 1
1986 · 8 votes
Movie7.4DocumentaryThough most people knew her as Vampira, a late-night, creature-feature host in Los Angeles, Maila Nurmi was so much more. From her relationships with James Dean and other Hollywood luminaries to her significant contributions to the eventual Goth craze, Nurmi was a multifaceted woman, with more than a few amazing stories to share. Having befriended Nurmi while she was still alive, Greene finds himself perfectly situated to give us the complete story on this fascinating individual, blending extensive interviews with remarkable found footage of Nurmi's long and varied career. 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. 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.
Vampira and Me
2013 · 9 votes
- MovieComedyHorror
Horror short.
Bungalow Invader
1981
Series2
TV8.3DocumentaryA series of documentaries focusing on the world of psychotronic movies; focusing on the lives of filmakers such as Hershell Gordon Lewis, Saim Raimi, Doris Wishman, Ed Wood Jr, and Tsui Hark. Covers weird movie genres, like Mexican wrestling movies and Hong Kong horror films.
The Incredibly Strange Film Show
1988 · 3 votes
TV7.0ComedyMysteryThe Vampira Show was an American variety show hosted by Vampira. The series aired on the Los Angeles ABC television affiliate KABC-TV from April 30, 1954, through April 2, 1955. The series was produced and created by Hunt Stromberg, Jr., and featured the Vampira character created by Maila Nurmi. Though the show was unseen outside of the Los Angeles area, The Vampira Show has become a cult classic, spawning fan clubs the world over.
The Vampira Show
1954 · 1 votes