http://www.radioexiles.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=70&Itemid=256

Michael Plumides and Dave Brockie AKA Oderus Urungus share a KILL THE MUSIC moment before an Atlanta show at the Masquerade in October, 2009.

Here’s the KILL THE MUSIC link on Amazon ; the Second Edition is available in paperback or kindle:

http://www.amazon.com/Kill-Music-chronicle-idealists-censorship/dp/1439234477/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1322128043&sr=1-1

A never before seen production still of Addy Miller (The Walking Dead) from GHOST TREK: THE KINSEY REPORT

Here’s the new GHOST TREK sizzle reel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66BnizWr5i8

Our website: http://www.ghosttrektv.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66BnizWr5i8

The award-winning GHOST TREK: THE KINSEY REPORT (TV Pilot) is an uncensored comic – horror series based around a paranormal reality show. GHOST TREK is the winner of a 2011 Corman Award for “Best Comedy” at Fright Night Film Fest and a Silver Addy Award for “Best Film Presentation Package”.

Genius SFX Artist, Conor McCullagh put the finishing touches on GHOST TREK's Colonel Andrew Jackson Trull over Thanksgiving weekend for the "Confederate Ghouls" segment.

Also, Conor McCullagh put the finishing touches on a spec head for a character I created for the Confederate Ghouls feature (for TV).  The character’s name is Colonel Andrew Jackson Trull, a Confederate who fought against the Union for many months after Lee surrendered at Appomattox.  The Colonel led his rag tag Black Flag regiment until they were captured and put to death; their final resting place being a town called Cemetery, South Carolina.  More on that soon.

Conor is also working on a head for another character called Fatty Biggs for the “Zombie straight outta Compton” episode.

In case you’re a noob, GHOST TREK follows the Paranormal Underworld Detective Society (PUDS) as they investigate haunts across the U.S. and abroad between tanning beds, babes, body-building, and bong hits — all the while risking life and limb capturing the undead and unexplained on video.

The team is lead by Dr. Zeke Wallace (Michael Melendez), a good-looking ex-chiropractor turned paranormal investigator, his ex-girlfriend and show’s producer, Shawna Leibowitz (Gia Allemand), Scary Carrie Carmichael (Christy Johnson), the “Living-Dead Roller-Girl” case manager, Barry ‘The Bomb’ Burkowski and Joey ‘Mayhem’ Moscone affectionately called The Goon Squad (Colt Cabana and Disco Inferno), The fashion-conscious psychic Guy Swisher (Brett Gentile), the team’s tech specialists and devoted stoners are Robbie (Michael Bortone) and Ray-Ray (Jonny Fairplay), Weasel the kleptomaniac “emo” cameraman (Kevin Johnson, and newbie Jules Partridge (Julia Bullock) the “investigator in training”.

In the pilot, the PUDS team travels to Aspen, Colorado to investigate a supposed “cursed” house where a young pageant girl, Tyler Rae Kinsey (Addy Miller), was choked to death with a jump rope. Described by FILMTHREAT.COM as “… ridiculously entertaining and deserving of a full season of follow-up episodes” and “…the funniest group of paranormal researchers since Peter Venkman, Raymond Stanz, and Egon Spangler” by DREADCENTRAL.COM,  GHOST TREK is “More funny than scary” says the Charlotte Observer.

More VENTURE BROS. than GHOST HUNTERS… More CLERKS than SCOOBY DOO, GHOST TREK brings the laughs. It’s “Paranormal research with an emphasis on bad taste.”

For more videos please go to http://www.youtube.com/ghosttrektv

The website: http://www.ghosttrektv.com/

Me and Dan Aykroyd with his copy of GHOST TREK: THE KINSEY REPORT

Me and Executive producer, Anne Saunders in L.A. at Universal's screening of THE THING as guests of Morgan Creek.

A promotion at THEE SOUTHERN BELLE in Charleston, SC.

Me and Psychic, Chip Coffey. He predicted a "Deal by February."

Aaron Goodwin didn't make those faces when he took pics with pretty girls... then again, maybe he did in private. lol

Inside the Morgan Creek offices in Beverly Hills.

A FEARNET Screening at SCAREFEST in Lexington, KY... right before Michael Biehn's THE VICTIM.

Addy Miller (The Walking Dead) and me as Rasputin's Ghost for a GHOST TREK promotion on Halloween in Charlotte, NC.

Me and Steve O.

In Los Angeles meeting with Napoleon Dynamite Producer, Sean Covel.

Screening of GHOST TREK at the Dark Light Film Fest October 7, 2011, in Charlotte, NC.

Go here for video from SCAREFEST!  Kane Hooder live for GHOST TREK!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Lc9f0U0WM4

Become a fan of GHOST TREK on Facebook here:

https://www.facebook.com/GhostTrekTV

New press:

http://www.horrorsociety.com/2011/11/07/ghost-trek/

http://www.filmthreat.com/reviews/40412/

Scary Carrie Carmichael, the "Living Dead Roller Girl" Case Manager (Christy Johnson), on GHOST TREK. (Photo by Justin Kates)

Hello dear blog people,

I don’t get a chance to blog as much as I would like these days.  I’m slammed with GHOST TREK.  So far this year we’ve had a number of screenings throughout the southeast (ConCarolinas, Charlottte Film Community Meeting, and Fright Night Film Fest) with more coming up in the fall (Athens, GA Horror Society screening on Friday, September 9th and Scarefest in Lexington, KY Saturday, September 24th).  We’ve been getting some great press.  Here’s an awesome write up at Dread Central:

http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/45773/creatures-night-beware-ghost-trek-screen-fright-night-film-fest

GHOST TREK: THE KINSEY REPORT won BEST COMEDY at FRIGHT NIGHT FILM FEST in Louisville, KY on July 24, 2011.  Our first win.  Here’s the video clip of us accepting the award (we also won an ADDY Award earlier this year):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE4Jv_TwmFc

GHOST TREK packed in two screenings at Fright Night and we gave out free t-shirts too... cause that's how we roll.

We’ve got a succesful facebook page with close to 1,400 fans so far.

https://www.facebook.com/GhostTrekTV

And we’ve got a couple of screenings coming up:

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=202072553186481

http://thescarefest.com/home.html

We may be screening GHOST TREK in Los Angeles, and Atlanta very soon.  I’m in talks with several production entities about GHOST TREK as a TV series.  There’s a lot of interest. I’ll keep you posted.

Meanwhile, my book, KILL THE MUSIC is in development with some cool people attached to the project that have been involved with such films as Napoleon Dynamite, and Blue Velvet.  Here’s the book link:

http://www.amazon.com/Kill-Music-chronicle-idealists-censorship/dp/1439234477/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1322128043&sr=1-1

Best,

Michael

An insidious new comedy rocks hard, tapping the talents of punk, metal, electronic and indie-rock bands.

BY RICHARD O’SULLIVAN

Imagine a cross between Kevin Smith’s Clerks, Syfy’s Ghost Hunters, plus a little of Ricky Gervais’ The Office thrown in and you might come close to understanding the inspired mental gang-bang that is Ghost Trek, the raucous, uncensored, new indie sitcom disguised as a supernatural reality series. Ghost Trek is sprung forth from the twisted mind of rock journalist-turned-director (and BLURT contributor) Michael Plumides, author of the music-biz memoir Kill the Music. With uber-witty dialog, a hipper-than-hip cast, and a sonically disemboweling soundtrack, Ghost Trek follows the exploits of the Paranormal Underworld Detective Society (PUDS) as they zig-zag across the nation investigating things that go booga-booga in the night between bitching girlfriends, barking bosses, tanning beds, and bong hits – all the while risking life and limb capturing the undead on video.

Helmed by “handsome chiropractor-turned-spook-investigator” Dr. Zeke Wallace (played by Michael Melendez – not to be confused with Ghost Adventures head honcho Zak Bagans but easily as two dimensional), the PUDS team contains some very familiar faces to popular culture aficionados, including reality stars Jonny Fairplay and Mikey Bortone (CBS’ Survivor),  pro-wrestling cult heroes Scott “Colt Cabana” Colton and Glenn “Disco Inferno” Gilbertti (WWE and WCW respectively), Maximcovergirl Gia Allemand (The Bachelor), North Carolina female rock vocalist (for Dreamkiller) and scream queen (Mortuary) Christy Johnson, and indie horror’s comic genius Brett Gentile (Cold Storage). Go here to see the IMDB.com entry for Ghost Trek.

In the pilot episode, entitled “The Kinsey Report” young zenith Addy Miller (pictured above, with director Plumides, and now an instant horror legend for her portrayal of a child zombie on AMC’s The Walking Dead) co-stars as a murdered prepubescent beauty queen named Tyler Rae Kinsey (strangled adorably with a jump rope), calling out from the ether somewhere in the thick Colorado air. Faster than you can say “Holy Jon Benet, Batman!”, PUDS spring into action in an attempt to catch Tyler Rae on camera – hopefully within budget and with just the proper amount of unprofessional dicking around.  But hard times have befallen all those who have come in contact with the Kinsey case. And Zeke’s girlfriend/producer just found out he’s been getting some mugambo from one of Charlie Sheen’s girls behind her back. Will she get him shit-canned? Will the PUDS be cursed?  We will see.

Trailer for “The Kinsey Report”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2S7xcEA4AM&feature=player_embedded

Like Law & Order, Plumides’ chose material torn from yesteryear’s headlines. But unlike Law & Order, it’s a headline that is then proverbially tied face down on a table and forcibly fisted with someone losing their wristwatch.  Nods to Scooby Doo, The Young Ones, and Entourage, “The Kinsey Report” deserves every bit of the tag line “Paranormal research with an emphasis on bad taste” while also retaining the reality show feel in an obnoxious Bad Girls Club kinda way enough to make “The Donald” proud. Plumides has another eleven episodes in development as well as a feature film; some are based on real cases, but not all. But they are all chocked full of pop-culture references ranging from Kolchak: The Night Stalker to Tombstone, and definitely honed to appeal to the Family Guy crowd.

With politically incorrect, balls-to-the-chin humor combined with hilarious ghost hunting fubar underscored by the pitch-perfect special effects makeup of two-time Emmy winner Dean Jones and brother Starr (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Generations), Ghost Trek brings the bang for the indie buck. And it should probably come as no surprise that the soundtrack doesn’t exactly share a lot of crossover tunes with this week’s episode of Grey’s Anatomy.

Plumides, who has noted that he intends his project to be “the Spinal Tap of paranormal reality TV” and maintains an uber-lively blog, “The Decline of Southern Civilization,” detailing his work on the film and sundry other matters, confirms that the soundtrack is unique, saying, “I wanted the score to be ominous, creepy, but a little silly. We employed the work of Hit Music, Inc. (Alan Grossman and Jimm Mosher) for that.  But I also wanted Ghost Trek to be highlighted with indie bands that have a familiar ring. So, I reached out to a few folks, some I knew and some I didn’t. They each contributed one song a piece. We signed all the synchronization agreements and placed the songs exactly where they needed to be. I did the licensing and Rob Filion, my co-director, supervised the music edit. All the bands are great, and have a distinct sound of their own. And the songs are appropriate for each scene theme.”

Rather than sensitive bleeding angst from the latest Sarah McLachlan wannabe, we get an opening theme entitled, appropriately enough, “Haunt Me,” from the take-no-prisoners North Carolina goth- electronica outfit Angels on Acid, a band that somehow manages to blend the energy of old school Trent Reznor with the ethereal goodness of Joy Division.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5OfeL2W6zI&feature=autofb)

Bringing forth a decidedly anti-hero anthem (pun intended) called “Kill the Cheerleader (Save the World)” are South Carolina’s ruling punk/metal hybrid gods, Isabelle’s Gift(coming off their KISS opener in the Carolinas last October), who deliver every riff and line as though they’re laying it at an altar for either Ozzy Osbourne or Mike Ness, whomever the hell is hungry that day.

(http://www.isabellesgift.us/the_free_download)

Bonging out to metal seems to be the flavor of the month.  The next song in the pilot is a nervous and foreboding ditty called “The Hunt,” by Brooklyn band (and current Combichrist opener) Star Killer, with a Nitzer Ebb (or Gravity Kills, take your pick) meets Jane’s Addiction slant.  Fronted by Jasin Cadic, co-writer of the film, The Perfect Age of Rock-n-Roll (Kevin Zegers, Jason Ritter, Peter Fonda – due to be released later this summer), Star Killer displays a love of Manson-Korn-esque era rock that will knock your dick in the dirt.

(http://www.reverbnation.com/starkillernyc)

And rounding out the eclectic soundtrack is “Wicked World” by the folk/rock/cabaret carnage carnival known as Hellblinki, whose music is reminiscent of a “Squirrel Nut Zippers meets Gogol Bordello – cum -Tom Waits chained up in the Avett Brothers’ basement” sound is essentially the musical compendium to all things Ghost Trek, creating a universe that is at once off-kilter and yet more sane than anything on the evening news.

(http://www.hellblinki.com/)

***

With the pilot episode in the can, Ghost Trek is currently in negotiations to blow its unique form of ectoplasm on an HD screen near you. Ghost Trek: The Kinsey Reporthas its first public screening at ConCarolinas 2011 Sci-Fi Convention in Charlotte, NC on Saturday, June 4^th.

For more information: www.concarolinas.org. Also find the Ghost Trek Facebook fan page here – tons of awesome photos, and more:https://www.facebook.com/GhostTrekTV

Richard O’Sullivan is a writer-turned-filmmaker whose work with NBC’s “The More You Know” single-handedly kept a generation off crack cocaine.

GHOST TREK follows the Paranormal Underworld Detective Society (PUDS) as they investigate haunts across the U.S. and abroad between tanning beds, babes, body-building, and bong hits – all the while risking life and limb capturing the undead on video. The pilot episode begins in the show’s second season and introduces the characters in a “teaser” fashion.

Principal photography for GHOST TREK: THE KINSEY REPORT was shot in four days in reality-style and POV high definition in Charlotte, NC, and its environs December 10-13, 2010. Additional photography and second unit were shot January – March, 2011.

GHOST TREK is lead by Dr. Zeke Wallace (Michael Melendez), a good-looking ex-chiropractor turned paranormal investigator, who is living in New York with his girlfriend, Shawna Leibowitz (Gia Allemand) who is also the show’s producer. Scary Carrie Carmichael (Christy Johnson), the “Living-Dead Roller-Girl”, pines away as the GHOST TREK case manager as Harvey Goldman, The Executive Producer, forbids her face time due to her freakish outward appearance.

The other PUDS investigators are: Barry ‘The Bomb’ Burkowski and Joey ‘Mayhem’ Moscone (affectionately called The Goon Squad), two ex-wrestlers from New Jersey who hung up their tights for a paying gig (Glenn Gilbertti and Scott Colton).The fashion-conscious psychic, Guy Swisher (Brett Gentile), is comedic genius incarnate. The team’s tech specialists and devoted stoners are Robbie (Michael Bortone) and Ray-Ray (Jonny Fairplay). Weasel is the kleptomaniac “emo” cameraman (Kevin Johnson). The ‘newbie’, Jules Partridge, (Julia Bullock) is the “investigator in training” chosen by the network marketing department.

In the pilot, the PUDS team travels to Aspen, Colorado to investigate a supposed “cursed” house where a young pageant girl, Tyler Rae Kinsey (Addy Miller), was choked to death with a jump rope. Although it was never proven, Tyler Rae’s jealous, overweight older sister, Claire (Brittany Renfro), was suspect (Tyler Rae’s parents, also under suspicion, were later killed in a car crash running from the Paparazzi).

Writer/Producer/Co-Director Plumides and Addy Miller (The Walking Dead) in her make up as Tyler Rae Kinsey in GHOST TREK: THE KINSEY REPORT.

Meanwhile, Shawna is fuming over Zeke’s out–of-control spending, especially now that she suspects he’s cheating on her. But Shawna’s forced to sit still for Zeke’s lunar escapades with Russian model Svetlana (Cora Deitz) as Harvey Goldman (Michael Plumides) says, “He’s trending.”

Director of Photography and Co-Director, Robert W. Filion, has worn a lot of hats. He’s a director, producer, unit production manager, visual effects coordinator, and sound mixer with 17 years of filmmaking experience. Robert is also the 2008 American Zombie Film Competition winner for his short, See the Dead, judged, moderated, and sponsored by the iconic creator of Night of the Living Dead, George Romero. Rob also co-produced the award-winning Last Confederate.

Creator, Writer, Producer, and Co-Director Michael Plumides is a celebrated author and writer, making his directorial debut with the GHOST TREK TV pilot.

Michael conceptualized GHOST TREK in late 2009 after watching marathon episodes of cable paranormal reality shows such as Ghost Adventures, Paranormal State, and Ghost Hunters International. He was convinced of an underlying comedic element to each show, begging to be lampooned. Michael began developing the characters of GHOST TREK in early 2010, and completed a feature script in March. Then using the screenplay as a template, Plumides wrote six television episodes.

Combining the camp of Kolchak: the Night Stalker, the dynamics of The X-Files, the social commentary of Clerks, the drama of Entourage, the humor of The Young Ones, and the zany hijinx of Scooby Doo, there’s no question GHOST TREK will be a hit with the Family Guy and/or Ghost Hunters crowd.

Described by Jason Tracey, writer and producer of USA’s Burn Notice as “promising and well-written,” GHOST TREK combines indie-horror with indie-comedy creating a crossover market appeal by incorporating reality stars and actors, plus masterful special effects make-up and graphic design.

GHOST TREK: THE KINSEY REPORT features music from Angels on Acid, Isabelle’s Gift, Star Killer, and Hellblinki plus original score buy Hit Music, Inc.

Watch the GHOST TREK trailer here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2S7xcEA4AM

Executive Producers are: Bill Walker and Anne Saunders

GHOST TREK: THE KINSEY REPORT premieres at ConCarolinas on Saturday, June 4th, 2011 at 7 PM. There will be a Q & A session afterward.  For more information,  please go to www.concarolinas.org.

Follow GHOST TREK on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ghosttrektv 

Become a fan of GHOST TREK on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/GhostTrekTV

(Photos courtesy of the SyFy Channel and NBC, Conor McCullagh, and Ghost Trek, LLC)

Monsterpalooza Madness: (From left to right) Sam Cobb, Marcel Banks,  Megan Areford, Gage Munster, Conor McCullagh, and Frank Ippolito of SyFy’s Face Off original series.

INTERVIEW BY: MICHAEL G. PLUMIDES, JR.

I had the chance to catch up with a friend, Conor McCullagh, noted makeup artist and winner of SyFy’s Face Off competition, this week. I made Conor’s acquaintance last year, where he was involved in GHOST TREK from the early stages of development – since then he won Face Off… and his day rate went way up.  Anyway, Conor hasn’t spoken out regarding his experience on Face Off in much detail and has, until now, been silent.  But knowing Face Off was SyFy’s biggest unscripted reality show franchise ever, I seized the opportunity to get an exclusive interview with Conor McCullagh, the new face of horror.

Michael:  How long have you been in makeup and special effects? What was the driving force behind your desire to create “Nightmares” (a reference to Conor’s website www.nightmaresetc.com)?

Conor:  I’ve been working in the film business as a makeup artist for twenty years now.  I think the “driving force” would have to be my love of makeup effects in the genre films I watched growing up:  American Werewolf in London, The Exorcist, Poltergeist, The Thing.

Michael:  I knew that head you were working on looked a little like Rob Bottin’s work (makeup effects artist for John Carpenter’s horror classic remake The Thing).

Conor:  I wish.

Michael:  How many legs does it have?

Conor:  (laughs) Six.

Michael:  You’ve worked with a few indie directors in your time, such as Mark Young from Charlotte, North Carolina.  Do any particular funny stories come to mind working on indie films?

Conor:  I’ve worked on three features with Mark:  Southern Gothic, Tooth and
Nail, and The Killing Jar.  Those films were all great experiences.  Something funny always happens on Mark’s set because either we’re blowing up heads, slashing throats, or melting faces.  There’s a lot of blood and someone gets covered in it (Go here to watch the trailer for Southern Gothic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP1oyeev4wo ).

Michael:  But you’ve worked on major motion pictures filmed in the Southeast for the Farelly Brothers, and more recently Big Momma’s House 3 .  You’ve also worked on network television shows like The Vampire Diaries.  Discuss doing indie vs. big budget projects you’ve worked on.

Conor:  In regards to big budget versus small budget, I’d say there are advantages and disadvantages to both.  Studio films are great because you usually get more time and more money to work with, but I really enjoy independent film making because you get to be a bigger part of the production. I really enjoy being able to sit down with a writer or director to come up with ideas and really make a mark on the film. There are so many people involved in studio films that you often end up feeling like a cog in a gigantic wheel.

Michael:  Is that why you left Vampire Diaries?

Conor:  Well, with Diaries, I wasn’t doing makeup anymore.  I was applying little dots to
actor’s faces. I wasn’t happy, so I didn’t go back (for an interview with Conor about Vampire Diaries , go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To62kcd5EIc ).

Michael:  So, after you finished Big Momma’s House 3, you started teaching makeup in Orlando.

Conor:  Yep.

Michael:  How did you learn about SyFy’s Face Off competition and what audition did you perform to be on the show?

Conor:  I first heard about Face Off when the producers informed the school, where I was teaching, that they were holding auditions in Orlando. In my first audition I created a full
head, pull-over prosthetic, dentures, a chest prosthetic, and gloves to create a kind of “demon vampire”.   I think I went a little overboard with the makeups. But they really liked it and signed me on.

Michael:  What were the housing conditions like living in a communal sense for Face Off? Was there anyone who was intolerable or “excruciating” to live with?

Conor:  The Face Off household was actually two lofts that were side by side and they were really nice.  The only problem any of us had to deal with was snoring generated by a select few.  It did cause me to sleep on the couch a number of times.

Conor in disguise: One of the many Face Off competitions to be overcome.

Michael:  I think you were confident you would win Face Off. At least that’s what you said in the trailer.  You said something about “mopping up the floor with the competition?”

Conor:  C’mon.  That was just for television.

Michael:  Okay, then.   Who worried you on the show?  Who gave you the best run for your money?

Conor:  The more skilled competitors on the show were Tate and Frank, in my opinion. Obviously Frank wasn’t really enjoying the whole experience and seemed happy to leave by the third challenge. Tate didn’t have as much experience, but the judges were very impressed with his ability to conceptualize.

Michael:  Were you surprised when you won Face Off?  Did you feel you were “the ringer” as we discussed?

Conor won the “Alien Challenge’ with this head, chest, neck and hands piece on Face Off.

Conor:  I was surprised when I won.  The competition really shook my confidence.  I never thought of myself as “a ringer”. The producers cast makeup artists with different levels of experience and from different parts of the country.  If they had cast everyone based solely on experience, the show would have been nothing but thirty-and-forty-something white guys from Los Angeles.  I don’t think it would have been nearly as interesting.

Conor’s winning concept.

Michael:  Yeah, that doesn’t make for good television.  They need the drama element… speaking of which.

Conor:  What? (laughs)

Michael:  Okay, Conor.  Be honest.

Conor:  Uh-oh.  Here it comes. (laughs)

Michael: Did you hook up with Megan?

Conor:  (Pause) No.

Michael:  Liar.  Okay, then what was your “relationship” with Megan?  It was certainly exploited for television.  Did your interaction interfere with your “performance”?

Conor:  I think the perception of our relationship got skewed by some of the comments being made by other contestants.   If you really watch us on the show, we were two
people who got along and worked well together.  She didn’t interfere at all.  We were supportive of each other.  We were friends.  That’s all.

Michael:  You seemed surprised when Megan was voted off.

Conor:  I wasn’t surprised.  She knew she was going home.  Megan told me the
night before she was ready to go.  She just hoped they would let her leave with her “dignity” after all the mudslinging.

Michael:  Rumor has it you are planning something with Ve Neill, the Oscar-winning makeup artist for Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice. Is that true?

Conor:  Ve was one of the Face Off judges.  She and I had talked and she invited me to work at her booth for International Makeup Artists Trade Show – Los Angeles coming up this June.  I’m honored that Ve thought enough of me to work by her side.  She is great.

Michael:  How did you get involved with GHOST TREK?

Conor:  Like you don’t know.  (laughs)  You contacted me when you found out that I lived in Charlotte.  Well, actually I was living in Atlanta at the time working on Vampire
Diaries but I still had a North Carolina cell phone number and address.  Anyway, I read one of your early scripts, and we ended up meeting while I was still working on Big Mamma’s House 3 in Atlanta.

Michael:  You told me how Martin Lawrence watched back to back episodes of The Wire
while in the chair.  You want to tell the story about the luggage thing?

Conor:  Ah, no.

Michael:  What’s the verdict on GHOST TREK?

Conor:  The imagery is hilarious.

Michael:  Too bad you couldn’t work on the pilot.  Robert Filion, who you worked
with on Cold Storage, and I were in pre-production while you were shooting Face Off.  Starr and Dean Jones (Deep Space Nine) did Addy Miller’s (The Walking Dead) make up for us.

“Confederate Ghoul” spec head prepared by Conor McCullagh.

To become a fan of GHOST TREK go here: https://www.facebook.com/GhostTrekTV 

Visit our website at:http://www.ghosttrektv.com/

Conor:  Nice ham-fisting by the way.

Michael:  I had to get my shameless plug in there, somehow.

Conor:  Well, hopefully GHOST TREK will get picked up.

Michael:  We’re shopping it.  The TV pilot, GHOST TREK: THE KINSEY REPORT
is now complete. I sent you the link.  Anyway, I asked you the other day whether or not you were a “Universal Studios Monster” fan like I was.   But you weren’t influenced by Bud
Westmore or Jack Pierce.  Who are your makeup heroes?

Conor poses with the host of SyFy’s Face Off, McKenzie Westmore,  at Monsterpalooza.

Conor:  My heroes in makeup are the usual suspects:  Dick Smith (The Exorcist), Rick Baker (Men in Black, The Wolfman), Steve Johnson (War of the Worlds), and the late Stan Winston (Jurassic Park, Pumpkinhead).

Michael:  No one ever mentions John Chambers.  I thought he revolutionized
the art with his Planet of the Apes prosthetic effects.

Conor:  Not really my era.  I’m more mid-late 70’s early 80’s. You’re older than me.

Michael: Thanks.   Anyway, what would be your ideal gig?

Conor:  My ideal gig.  Let’s see.   My ideal gig would be a big creature feature with enough time and money to do it right. Creature suits, creature puppets, and creature makeups.   A makeup and effects artist’s dream, basically.

Conor’s entry for the “Zombie Challenge” on Face Off with a “70′s -style zombie.”

Michael:  You know they’re already casting Face Off again. Will SyFy have you back on Season Two as a judge or possibly for commentary?

Conor:  I have not discussed Face Off Season Two with the producers at this point.  I sincerely hope they do consider me for something.   Being a guest judge would be
great! We’ll see what happens.

Michael:  What do you dislike the most about the makeup business?

Conor:  I think what I dislike the most about makeup and the film business, as a whole,  is the lack of stability.  I’ve been living out of a suitcase for three years now.

Michael:  But you’re a Canadian currently living in Florida. Before that you lived in Atlanta, and you own property in Charlotte.  You’ve bounced around a lot, as you said.  Where next?  Are you contemplating going back to California where you started?

Conor:  I would really love to be able to settle in one place without having to move back to Los Angeles. Only for the sake of my career, I have to consider it.  It’s not my first choice. But, I just got back from Monsterpalooza and it was amazing.   It was like a Face Off reunion.  Meg, Frank, Sam, Gage, Marcel, Jo, and Anthony were all there.  Ve Neill and the other judges were there. Rick Baker was there for a short time but yet again, our paths didn’t cross.

I am going to be doing some work for Ve Neill, but I’m not disposed to discuss that right now, and Greg Nicotero expressed interest in having me come back for The Walking Dead Season Two.  So, I made some great business contacts, took a lot of pics with fans, and probably partied a little too much. But, it was a fantastic experience. And to be recognized by so many great makeup effects legends is really validating.

Michael:  What’s the best advice you have for fledgling makeup artists?

Conor:  The best advice I can give is diversify.  Don’t pigeon-hole yourself.   Learn the beauty makeup, hair laying, airbrushing, prosthetics… being a “specialist” only works to your advantage if you plan on moving to LA and never leaving.

Michael:  What’s next for Conor McCullagh, “Winner of SyFy’s Face Off?”  What are your
plans for the rest of the year?

Conor:  I may also be attending some conventions this summer, and I’m waiting to hear on a few films I bid on.  After that, who knows?  I love what I do.  As long as I can make monsters for a living, I’m happy.

Both Conor McCullagh and Michael Plumides will be appearing at ConCarolinas on Saturday, June 4, 2011.  Conor will have an exhibition of his make up skills and will sign autographs and take pictures with fans. Michael will be present for a viewing of GHOST TREK: THE KINSEY REPORT, the television pilot’s first public showing. Plumides created, wrote, produced, and co-directed the pilot.

Also some of the GHOST TREK actors, producers, and Plumides’ co-director, Rob Filion, will be present. Details are forthcoming.

For more information go here:http://www.concarolinas.org/

Michael

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Updated on February 24, 2011 from a February 8, 2011 post) GHOST TREK IS AN ADDY AWARD WINNER

GHOST TREK TV PILOT SHOT IN CHARLOTTE, NC – NOW IN POST-PRODUCTION (From left to right: Brett Gentile, Jonny Dalton, Mikey Bortone, Julia Bullock, Michael Melendez, Gia Allemand, Scott Colton, Glenn Gilbertti, and Christy Johnson.) Reality show stars, wrestlers, rockers, zombies, and unknowns bring the dead to life with a … Read More

via Michael G. Plumides Jr.’s The Decline of Southern Civilization