TVSquad

A veteran horror star famous for playing the undead has passed on herself: Vampira (real name Maila Nurmi) died of natural causes yesterday. She was 86.

While Nurmi appeared in several movies, including The Beat Generation and The Big Operator, she is probably best known for the character of Vampira she created in the 1950s. She was the Elvira of her day, hosting a local show on KABC in Los Angeles where she introduced horror movies. She caught the eye of director Ed Wood, who cast her in the cult classic Plan 9 From Outer Space. She was played by Lisa Marie in the Tim Burton film Ed Wood in 1994.

I was just watching Plan 9 recently and on the DVD there's a great documentary that features an extensive interview with Nurmi and other stars from the movie.

Rob Zombie will be hosting TCM Underground starting Friday, October 13. The first movie to be shown will be Ed Wood's classic trainwreck, Plan 9 from Outer Space, followed by another Wood film, Bride of the Monster. The movies, according to the official site, will start "around 2 am." Other cult movies to be shown in future episodes include The Crazies, Tokyo Drifter, Dementia 13, The Honeymoon Killers and Lonely Hearts. If you're a fan of these memorable midnight movies, or you just like to talk back to the screen a la Mystery Science Theater 3000, you might want to check these out. Plus, they're on at just the right time so you can enjoy them after stumbling home from a night of heavy partying, or from a night of helping elderly people reach items on the top shelf at Walgreens. You know, whatever it is you do with your Friday nights.

• At 8, NBC has a new Dateline.
• ABC has college football at 8, Notre Dame vs. Michigan.
• FOX has a new Cops at 8, followed by a repeat episode and then a new America's Most Wanted.
• CBS is rerunning the Jericho premiere at 8, followed by the Smith premiere, and then a new 48 Hours Mystery.
• HBO2 has a mini marathon of Entourage starting at 8.
• Also at 8: Cartoon Network has a new Fantastic Four.
• Around 8:20, IFC has Ed Wood, with Johnny Depp and Martin Landau.
• At 9, there's a new Naruto on Cartoon Network, followed by a new Bobobo-bo Bo-Bobo.
• At 10, NBC is rerunning the premiere ep of Kidnapped.
• HGTV has a new Design on a Dime at 10.