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Ted V. Mikels

{{Short description|American film director (1929–2016)}}

{{More citations needed|date=October 2016}}

{{Infobox person

|image = Tedandfan-web.jpg

|caption = Ted V. Mikels with a fan in 2008

|birth_name = Theodore Vincent Mikacevich

|birth_date = {{Birth date|1929|4|29|mf=y}}

|birth_place = Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.

|death_date = {{Death date and age|2016|10|16|1929|4|29|mf=y}}

|death_place = Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.

|occupation = Film producer, film director, screenwriter, actor

|spouse = Geneva M. Mikels, Wendy O. Altamura

|children = Michele Cosette Mikels,{{cite web | url= https://universityoforegon.newspapers.com/image/97308133/?terms=Theodore%20Mikels&match=1 | title=Local News | publisher=The Bulletin | date=June 7, 1954 |access-date=February 4, 2021}} Cherisse Mikels,{{cite web | url=https://universityoforegon.newspapers.com/image/97331064/?terms=Theodore%20Mikels&match=1 | title=Bend Hospital | publisher=The Bulletin | date=December 14, 1955 |access-date=February 2, 2021}} Theodore Vincent Mikels Jr.,{{cite web | url= https://universityoforegon.newspapers.com/image/92086314/?terms=Theodore%20Mikels&match=1 | title=Briefs - Here and There | publisher=The Bulletin | date=January 12, 1961 |access-date=February 2, 2021}} Troy Scott Mikels{{cite web | url= https://universityoforegon.newspapers.com/image/97290080/?terms=Theodore%20Mikels&match=1 | title=Briefs - Here and There | publisher=The Bulletin | date=September 6, 1962 |access-date=February 2, 2021}}

|years_active = 1950s–2016

}}

Ted V. Mikels (born Theodore Vincent Mikacevich; April 29, 1929 – October 16, 2016) was an American independent filmmaker primarily of the horror cult film genre. Movies that he both produced and directed include Girl in Gold Boots (1968), The Astro-Zombies (1968), and The Doll Squad (1973).{{citation needed|date=October 2016}}

During the 1960s and 1970s, Mikels also operated his own recording label, Geneni Records, which primarily issued radio spot advertisement records used to promote his various movie projects but also released a number of stand-alone singles by such artists as Vic Lance and Little Leon Payne.{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/label/230364-Geneni|title=Select discography for Geneni Records |website=Discogs.com|accessdate=February 21, 2015}}

Life and career

Mikels was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on April 29, 1929; his father was a Croatian immigrant who worked as a meat cutter, and his mother was an herbalist who emigrated from Romania.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/19/movies/ted-mikels-dead.html?_r=0|title=Ted Mikels Dead|newspaper=The New York Times|date=19 October 2016 |accessdate=2016-10-21 |last1=Grimes |first1=William }} When Mikels was in third grade the family moved to Portland, Oregon, where his father took up farming. In Oregon, his father changed their surname from Mikacevich to Mikels.The New York Times, William Grimes, Ted V. Mikels, Master of Low-Budget Cult Favorites, Dies at 87'

During his grade school years, he was an amateur photographer who developed his own film in his bathtub. While in 8th grade, he was awarded his first acting role in a film that was to star William Powell, but World War II forced the cancellation of the production. By the age of 15, he was a regular stage performer and developed an interest in film-making when he attempted to shoot his performances. In 2008, he said, "I figured out that you have to move the camera around to get different angles, and then you have to edit the film when you're done."{{cite web|url=http://unitshifter.com/TVMikels2.html |title=Ted V Mikels Interview |accessdate=2012-05-25 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060623054416/http://unitshifter.com/TVMikels2.html |archivedate=2006-06-23 }}

In the 1950s, Mikels moved to Bend, Oregon, joined the Bend Community Players little theater group, and founded his own film production company.Betty L. Oakley, "The Torch Bearers of Bend Oregon, 1912-1978", Maverick Publications, Bend, Oregon, 1993, p. 49. Soon, he began producing both educational documentaries,[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ns8zAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7fcDAAAAIBAJ&dq=mikels%20rocks&pg=3879%2C1138843]{{dead link|date=October 2016}} and short dramatic features.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OmxYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=C_gDAAAAIBAJ&dq=Film%20productions%20of%20bend&pg=3023%2C1041012]{{dead link|date=October 2016}}

Additionally, as horseman, archery expert, Indian{{citation needed|date=October 2020}} and stuntman, he contributed to the production of several Hollywood films made in Central Oregon. Notably, during on location filming of The Indian Fighter, he taught studio special effects crews a technique for making flaming arrows appear authentic. Before leaving Oregon in the early 1960s, Mikels wrote and directed his first feature-length film in 1963, entitled Strike Me Deadly.{{Cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vFZYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kvcDAAAAIBAJ&dq=mikels%20barnum&pg=5364%2C4346417 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2016-09-26 |archive-date=2019-11-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191121224130/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vFZYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kvcDAAAAIBAJ&dq=mikels%20barnum&pg=5364%2C4346417 |url-status=dead }}

Throughout the 1960s through 1980s, Mikels lived in Glendale, California out of a house he decorated as a castle; for roughly 12 years, he lived with dozens of women at the house, stating once, “They did have a commitment to me. If they lived with me and I took care of them and cooked for them and paid the bills and all that, they were not to have involvements with other men…They didn’t owe me anything, they didn’t have to sleep in my room, my bed….”{{cite web | url=https://mediafunhouse.com/?page_id=208 | title=Astro Zombies, Doll Squads, and Corpse Grinders: The Wild World of Ted V. Mikels – Media Funhouse }} He became as well known for his hard-partying lifestyle as he did for his low budget exploitation films he'd produce and direct. He opened his first studio office with the help of actor John Houseman, and helped on many big budget Hollywood films but directing directly for a major studio constantly eluded him. Increasingly he'd shoot more of his films in the substantially cheaper Las Vegas, Nevada area and eventually moved there in the early 1990s.

In 1993, Mikels began running TVM Studios, a film and video production studio based in Las Vegas. On August 28, 2005, he was presented with a Certificate of Recognition by Nevada Lieutenant Governor Lorraine T. Hunt on the day of screening of his then-latest film, Heart of a Boy, which was the only G-rated film of his career. The certificate was awarded to Mikels for his contributions to the filmmaking industry.{{cite web |url=http://www.tedvmikels.com/heart_of_a_boy.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041204134652/http://www.tedvmikels.com/heart_of_a_boy.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2004-12-04 |title=The Heart Of A Boy |website=Tedvmikels.com |accessdate=2016-10-21 }}

In 2010, Mikels released the third installment in his Astro-Zombies franchise, Astro-Zombies M3: Cloned, followed two years later by Astro-Zombies M4: Invaders from Cyberspace. Both were produced by TVM Global Entertainment in association with Blue Heron International Pictures, and distributed by Alpha New Cinema.

Mikels died on October 16, 2016, at the age of 87 from complications of colon cancer.{{cite news|last1=Cling|first1=Carol|title=Las Vegas cult filmmaker Ted V. Mikels dies at 87|url=http://www.reviewjournal.com/neon/movies-and-tv/las-vegas-cult-filmmaker-ted-v-mikels-dies-87|accessdate=18 October 2016|publisher=Las Vegas Review-Journal}}

DVD releases

In 2007, Alpha Video released 10 of Mikels' films on DVD under the Alpha New Cinema imprint. Six of these titles included 10 Violent Women, The Doll Squad, The Corpse Grinders, The Corpse Grinders II, Girl in Gold Boots and Blood Orgy of the She-Devils, all of which Alpha later released as a six-DVD set titled Ted V. Mikels Signature Collection, which was autographed by Mikels.

Filmography

class="wikitable sortable"
Year

! Title

!width=65| Director

!width=65| Writer

!width=65| Producer

!width=65| Cinematographer

!width=65| Editor

!width=65| Sound

!width=65| Stunts

! Notes

1955

|The Indian Fighter

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|

1957

|Oregon Passage

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|

1958

|Tonka

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|

1963

|Strike Me Deadly

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1964

|Dr. Sex

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1964

|Genesis

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1965

|Orgy of the Dead

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|Assistant director

1965

|Day of the Nightmare

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1965

|One Shocking Moment

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1966

|Agent for H.A.R.M.

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}{{efn|Uncredited|name=unc}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1966

|The Black Klansman

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1967

|The Hostage

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1967

|Catalina Caper

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1968

|Girl in Gold Boots

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1969

|The Astro-Zombies

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1971

|The Corpse Grinders

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|

1972

|Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{partial|Executive}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1973

|Blood Orgy of the She-Devils

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1973

|The Doll Squad

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1977

|The Worm Eaters

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1977

|Alex Joseph and His Wives

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1979

|Missile X: The Neutron Bomb Incident

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1982

|Ten Violent Women

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1986

|The Aftermath

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}{{efn|name=unc}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1987

|Angel of Vengeance

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1988

|Knee Dancing

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1991

|Mission: Killfast

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1993

|Little Red Riding Hood Saves the Big Bad Wolf

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1994

|Spooky World

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1997

|Apartheid Slave-Women's Justice

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

1998

|Dimensions in Fear

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

2002

|Chimera

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{partial|Associate}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

2002

|The Corpse Grinders 2

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{partial|Executive}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

2004

|Cauldron: Baptism of Blood

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

2004

|Mark of the Astro-Zombies

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

2006

|Heart of a Boy

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

2008

|The Wild World of Ted V. Mikels

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{partial|Executive}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

2009

|Demon Haunt

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

2010

|Astro Zombies: M3 - Cloned

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

2012

|The Corpse Grinders 3

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{partial|Executive}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

2013

|Our Forever Friends

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{partial|Associate}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

2014

|Astro Zombies: M4 - Invaders from Cyberspace

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

2014

|The Parallax Man

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{partial|Executive}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

2015

|Paranormal Extremes: Text Messages from the Dead

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{partial|Executive}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|

2017

|Ten Violent Women: Part Two

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|Released Posthumously

Further reading

  • {{cite book|title=Film Alchemy: The Independent Cinema of Ted V. Mikels|first=Christopher Wayne|last=Curry|publisher=McFarland & Company|year=2007|isbn=978-0786432370}}
  • {{cite book|title=Unmasking the Astro-Zombies|first=Kevin Scott|last=Collier|publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform|year=2016|isbn=978-1540590947}}
  • {{cite book|title=The Life and Cinema of Ted V. Mikels|first=Kevin Scott|last=Collier|publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform|year=2017|isbn=978-1546318743}}
  • {{Cite magazine|magazine=Psychotronic Video|url=https://archive.org/details/Psychotronic_Video_32/page/n41/mode/1up?q=%22one+shocking+moment%22+|number=32|title=Ted V Mikels|first=Dale|pages=39–46|last=Ashmun|date=2000}}

Audio/video

Notes

{{Notelist}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20030529125551/http://www.tedvmikels.com/ Official website]
  • {{IMDb name|0586399|Ted V. Mikels}}
  • [http://www.thewildworldoftedvmikels.com/ Documentary "The Wild World of Ted V. Mikels" official site]
  • [http://love-and-pop.com/ted-v-mikels/ Ted V. Mikels Interview at Love & Pop]

{{Ted V. Mikels}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mikels, Ted V.}}

Category:1929 births

Category:2016 deaths

Category:Mass media people from Saint Paul, Minnesota

Category:People from Glendale, California

Category:Film directors from California

Category:American people of Croatian descent

Category:American people of Romanian descent

Category:Deaths from colorectal cancer in Nevada

Category:Film directors from Minnesota

Category:American horror film directors