LAST UPDATED: May 1, 2007

Greetings! If you've found me you've probably already passed through TEMPE ENTERTAINMENT and RAPID HEART PICTURES constantly growing slate of fantastic new horror films. If not, you've either caught my name in magazines such as FEMME FATALES, ALTERNATIVE CINEMA, FANGORIA, or CINEFANTASTIQUE or, like myself, you're a wack job with an incessant hunger for new horror projects, ideas and an unconditional love for B-Movies. Whatever your history, you've come to the right place. I always update my life's events here, so check back often.

If you have any interest in how I came to life as it now is, read on, otherwise get to juicier stuff like:

MY RESUME

MY FILMS

PHOTO GALLERY

COVER STORIES

B-MOVIE REVIEW OF THE MONTH

PERSONAL APPEARANCES

Hmmm. Still here? Let's start off with a relatively "quick" bio. Born on July 15, 1973 (gifts are always welcome on this or any other date of the year) to David A. Collum and Kathleen H. Vanderhoef-Collum. They divorced when I was 3. Mom married Larwence D. Campeau, Jr. a year later. I grew up in Racine, WI and spent 12 years in Catholic School (an odd coincidence for many horror film makers/fans?) I'd planned to be a Kindergarten teacher since I was in Kindergarten and HATED horror thanks in most part to accidental viewings of TOURIST TRAP (1979), JAWS (1975) and BURNT OFFERINGS (1976).

Life was going along blandly until sometime in 7th Grade when my teen angst was just kicking into full gear. One evening I was babysitting and caught a double showing of FRIDAY THE 13th (1980) and FRIDAY THE 13th, PART 2 (1981). They scared me to death, but suddenly I enjoyed it! The jumps, the eye covering, the short, quick screams... all became delicious! The following weekend caught me watching HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME (1981) and I was hooked!

From that point I ate up between 5 - 10 new horror films weekly (thank God for the video revolution). CARRIE (1976) became my all-time favorite (I could soooo relate to her) and then, in 1989 as my Junior year began, I discovered my calling. I got to see my first Jason Voorhees flick in a theater (FRIDAY THE 13th, PART VIII) and realized that not only did it SUCK but that I could do it sooo much better. (Okay, I have yet to prove this, but I also have yet to get a real budget.) So I dropped my forementioned desire to teach (aided by noticing how much crap teachers have to endure) and picked up a video camera.

I shot my first short feature, DEAD WOMEN DON'T WEAR SHOES (1990) (a story ripped-off, er, borrowed, from THE NEW TWILIGHT ZONE) and showed it to a teacher during my Senior year. Impressed, she offered the students in my Film Novels class an opportunity to make short films instead of writing papers. I was set. I soon had two slasher flicks ETERNAL SLUMBER ("borrowing" from 1982's SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE) and BEWARE THE KIND STRANGER ("borrowing" 1980's PROM NIGHT) and the rather blatantly inspired WHEN A STRANGER CALLS 2 (don't wait for it on video). My "little" endeavors earned me 3 "A+'s" and a "B-" and as college loomed I was ready to follow that dream.

While studying English at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, I completed a screenplay for THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, PART 2. While the script never sold (Kushner-Locke Co - sequel rights owners - turned it down after 6 months fearing an NC-17), it raised several eyebrows and landed my first official screenwriting/directing gig. MDM Productions President Michael D. Moore wanted to make the film, but couldn't afford the rights. Instead, he assigned me to MARK OF THE DEVIL 666 (1995).

The movie, about a serial killer who performs his own form of witch hunts for what he considers "sins," was a success for MDM's distribution arm, MOORE VIDEO. I was immediately asked to write and direct THREE ON A MEATHOOK, PART 2. As I sat down to write I realized I couldn't do it with a straight face. A new title, 5 DARK SOULS, popped into my noggin and after approval from Moore, we began production. 5 DARK SOULS (1996), which follows a group of teenagers who kill their classmates just out of curiosity, was based on a trio of true stories and garnered both positive and negative attention.

Reviews were mixed. Some loathed the fact that it was shot on video, others stated it aided the realism. When a cover story appeared in my hometown newspaper, some residents were offended, but, as is often the case, hadn't actually seen the film to know what they were screaming about. A little over a year later, a group of teens in the next town actually attempted to dulpicate the plot, though no direct connection to my movie was ever officially made. 5 DARK SOULS was a huge hit for MOORE Video, so in 1998 5 DARK SOULS, PART 2 hit a few theaters and premiered on video the same week.

Between those films I received my degree and worked at a television station, plus several commercials, but knew a true career wasn't going to happen in my hometown. So, in April 1998 I packed up my life, and partner Dennis Smart, and headed to West Hollywood, CA.

Over the years I'd become pen-pals with Scream Queen and actress Brinke Stevens (SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE, THIS IS SPINAL TAP), so upon arrival she took me under her angelic wings and began introducing me to folks within the industry. Among the most beneficial were J.R. Bookwalter, whom I'd long admired for taking a similar path as myself and succeeding at it. He in turn introduced me to director David DeCoteau, whose films, like NIGHTMARE SISTERS, SORORITY BABES IN THE SLIMEBALL BOWL-A-RAMA (both 1987) and PUPPET MASTER III (1991) had taken up a large portion of my Saturday nights.

I think perhaps DeCoteau saw some of himself in me, and quickly put me to work. Since that first fateful day I met him in his office at Full Moon (I could barely breathe and was sweating profusely from nervousness), I have worked on several of his features and began heading up publicity at his much deserved brainchild RAPID HEART PICTURES.

In the process I have met many wonderful people who got me work on commercials. I also officially became a freelance journalist for the genre magazines listed way at the beginning of this "quick" bio. I also found a use for my obsessive and once seemingly useless knowledge of the horror genre. In Spring 2000 I returned to the hallways of my university to teach a month long course on "Modern Horror." (The class was a huge success, so I returned in the Fall of 2002, and I'm expecting to repeat my duties "again" in Fall 2005.) Additionally, during my "down time" that month, I shot a 30 minute short feature JULIA WEPT (2000). The movie has been receiving glowing reviews and made its theatrical debut at Chicago's Flashback Weekend in June 2003.

In November 2001 I made the major decision to relocate once again to Chicago to work in the offices at Femme Fatales and Cinefantastique magazines. I considered the change of scenery a win-win situation, as I would get to remain active in the film business and live only an hour south of my family. Additionally, my arrangements with the magazines allow me to return to Los Angeles, or other locales, for filmwork.

In June 2002 I was hired by J.R. Bookwalter to helm SOMETHING TO SCREAM ABOUT, a documentary on the lives and experiences of famous-and infamous-actresses who have made careers screaming in front of the camera. Some of those luscious lovelies interviewed are Judith O'Dea (NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD), Felissa Rose (SLEEPAWAY CAMP), Julie Strain (HEAVY METAL 2000), Debra DeLiso (THE SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE), Denice Duff (SUBSPECIES 2 -4), Brandi Burkett (SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE III), Debbie Rochon (WITCHOUSE 3) and many others. SOMETHING TO SCREAM ABOUT debuted on the big screen on December 15th, 2003 in a limited theatrical release, then hit DVD March 16, 2004!

Also over the Summer of 2002 I had some groovy new photos taken by none other than Julie Strain, Ward Boult, and Jill Ensley (all of which appear on this page) and I was asked by author and film director Jon Keeyes to write the closing chapter "Into the Post-Modern Era" for his book ATTACK OF THE B QUEENS. Having helped Brinke Stevens with the outline for her chapter on horror films of the 1980s, I gladly jumped at this opportunity to share my own knowledge and predictions with other B-film fans. It was released October 2003.

My 29th birthday saw me receive the gift of a lifetime: I was named "Editor-in-Chief" of Cinefantastique Magazine! I couldn't believe it. A dream come true of something I never thought, when I picked up my first copy at age 15, would ever be even remotely possible. I'd only been at the company for a scant 8 months, but publisher Celeste Casey Clarke said she believed in me and had seen me prove myself time and again with my enthusiastic work as an "Assistant Editor" on Femme Fatales. (CFQ's previous editor, Daniel Persons, had resigned for personal family issues.) There was, unfortunately, a thunderous, nasty bolt of lightning in that silver lined cloud. My first and only issue would never see print.

September 30, 2002 dealt a major blow to my life and career. The entire staff of Cinefantastique and Femme Fatales was called in for an early, mandatory meeting that Monday morning. Celeste informed the staff both magazines were halting publication, and we had only hours to clean out our offices of our personal belongings, because "they" could show up at any minute and whatever was on site when "they" arrived would be considered "their" property. So, Lisa Coduto, Lisa Tomczak-Walkington (Editors of Femme Fatales) and I ran around with our heads cut off, trying to return photos and other properties to their rightful owners in our short remaining time. Both mags have since been purchased by a new publication company based in Los Angeles, but none of the original staff was asked to become involved. To worsen matters, the same day saw my 5 1/2 year relationship come to an end, and some still unresolved medical problems concerning nerves go full-throttle. Talk about stress....

Amidst wallowing in self pity, I was lucky enough to have already been asked to teach for the second time at the Univeristy of Wisconsin - Parkside, and in November 2002 was hired by J.R. Bookwalter to work as the First Assistant Director and even appear (!) as a mucho-mutilated scorpion victim in 20th Century Fox's DEADLY STINGERS, a sci-fi/horror/comedy/homage about 6 foot long killer scorpions which take over a small town. (It would be my second time in a Tempe movie, having appeared already as the Grim Reaper and a Business Executive in Director Danny Draven's HELL ASYLUM - released in February 2002 by Full Moon.) These gigs brought me up a little to remind me I DID still have a film career, but as whole the 2002 Holiday season really bit the big one.

2003 shaped up much better. To my major surprise, I was asked to appear at a number of horror film conventions as a "Celebrity Guest Speaker." (Check out my all-new "Personal Appearences" page for dates, places and times.)  I also wrote and began filming/directing 5 DARK SOULS, PART III: RETRIBUTION with most of the cast from the original 1996 movie reprising their roles, from leads to surprise cameos. This closing chapter to the trilogy, in which the survivors of the original massacre seek revenge on the two surviving killers, is expected to hit video in 2004. Even more exciting, the entire trilogy will be released, rematsered, cinelooked and with new scores and a new edit on DVD by Tempe Entertainment sometime next year!

April found me back in Los Angeles working on a new comedy series, BAD MOVIE POLICE as the First Assistant Director and, to my own shock, a fairly sizable role as a not-so-straight actor named "Ike" spoofing "himbo" roles in the premiere episode (Case #1: Galaxy of the Dinosaurs). The series is similar to Elvira's MOVIE MACABRE which preceeds really, REALLY bad movies.

Speaking of Tempe, I was hired on as their Director of Publicity in June 2003. Lots of chaotic fun and happy to be back in the game on the promotional end of the business.

The last few months of 2003 saw me do funny little cameo bits in the comedy-mockumentary BUDNICK: THE TRUE STORY INSTEAD OF A LIE and the horror mockumentary DEAD TIME GORIES. Very fun, bizarre flicks.

Friday, February 13, 2004 enveloped me in one of the most joyous events in my life, as Tempe Video and Ventura Distribution joined with the Virgin Megastore in West Hollywood, CA for the DVD signing of SOMETHING TO SCREAM ABOUT. I was joined by almost all of my leading ladies (except Debbie Rochon, Brandi Burkett and Lilith Stabs, who all had prior committments). It was SURREAL. Very surreal. Before the event we all had dinner at the Goucho Grill on Sunset Boulevard courtesy of executive producer J.R. Bookwalter. I walked in and was greeted with a barrage of hugs and kisses. Then, as I was sitting at the table, Judith O'Dea was talking to me and had her hand on my wrist. It suddenly hit me what was going on. I looked around... Denice Duff on my right, Debra DeLiso and Felissa Rose across from me, and Julie Strain, Lizzy Strain, Brinke Stevens, Ariauna Albright, even Julie's husband Heavy Metal and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles creator Kevin Eastman...all seated down the row. People whom I had worshiped and adored since I was 12 years old living in my basement bedroom in Racine, WI. It was like a big happy slap in my face. THAT was a moment I will NEVER forget.  After, we headed to the signing and there were people waiting for us! I was honestly afraid no one would show, but we had a constant flow of traffic through the line for the full two hours. People wanted my autograph and were nervously asking me to take pictures with them, which in itself is so bizarre to me, because I still feel like a "nobody." Who the Hell wants a picture with me? I turned to J.R. about half-way through the event and said, "Well, this is my 15 minutes." The entire night made me very proud and much more secure in myself and my talents. Check out additonal photos of the event at http://www.tempevideo.com/scream/virgin/virgin.html
 
My book of journalism, ASSAULT OF THE KILLER B's: INTERVIEW WITH 20 CULT FILM ACTRESSES (ISBN# 0-7864-1818-4) finally saw publication in April 2004, just a few weeks after SOMETHING TO SCREAM ABOUT debuted on DVD. The book, published by McFarland & Co. Publishers, Inc., features one-on-one interviews with many of the cult film industry's most popular leading ladies including Elvira, Julie Brown (EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY), Karen Mistal (RETURN OF THE KILLER TOMATOES), Judith O'Dea (NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD), Pamela Susan Shoop (HALLOWEEN II, EMPIRE OF THE ANTS), Stacey Nelkin (HALLOWEEN III), Kari Keegan (JASON GOES TO HELL: THE FINAL FRIDAY), Lar Park Lincoln (FRIDAY THE 13TH, PART 7), Felissa Rose (SLEEPAWAY CAMP), Brinke Stevens (BODY DOUBLE), Marta Kober (FRIDAY THE 13TH, Part 2), Freddy Krueger's leading ladies Lisa Wilcox (A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 4 & 5), Kelly Jo Minter (NIGHTMARE 5), Tuesday Knight (NIGHTMARE 4), Lisa Zane (NIGHTMARE 6), Lezlie Deane (NIGHTMARE 6) and the girls of the SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE franchise including Debra DeLiso (SLUMBER 1, DR. CALIGARI), Robin Stille (SLUMBER 1, SORORITY BABES IN THE SLIMEBALL BOWL-A-RAMA), Heidi Kozak (SLUMBER 2, FRIDAY THE 13th, Part VII), Juliette Cummins (SLUMBER 2, FRIDAY THE 13th, Part V, PSYCHO III), and Brandi Burkett (SLUMBER 3, LIAR LIAR)!!!! Plus a look at "Where have the girls of FRIDAY THE 13TH Gone?" Filled with over 65 black & white photos, many never before seen!! This is a great collection for fans of horror and cult comedy B-movies, and those who want a hefty collection of my writings from Fangoria, Femme Fatales, Alternative Cinema and many other magazines. (You can purchase an autographed copy in the "My Films & Store" section of this website.) 

2004 continued to pick up steam as Tempe Entertainment struck a mutli-year television deal to air SOMETHING TO SCREAM ABOUT on the Showtime Network and all of it’s sister stations. That was another amazing moment to click on that cable station scroll and watch my title roll along side mainstream movies. Very cool.  

This deal directly led to my greatest adventure to date, the filming of my dream project OCTOBER MOON in September/October 2004. A sort of gay-themed FATAL ATTRACTION, I had been trying to get a gay horror project off the ground since I moved to Los Angeles in 1998. Everybody liked the idea – nobody wanted to touch it. “America isn’t ready to see gay men as the leads in that genre” was a phrase I heard over and over. “Too risky” was common as well. 6 years later and with much Thanks to two independent daring investors, however, OCTOBER MOON finally went before the cameras starring Judith O’Dea, Brinke Stevens, Tina Ona Paukstelis, Jeff Dylan Graham, Darcey Vanderhoef, and newcomers Sean Michael Lambrecht, Jerod Howard, Joel Duffrin, Chad J. Morell, and Ashley J. Anderson. The story, with a narrative designed to follow my all-time favorite film CARRIE (1976) in that it begins as a drama/comedy, evolves into a thriller, and culminates as a horror film, follows a straight man who’s engaged to be married but finds himself falling obsessively in love with his male boss. Making its big screen debut on September 29, 2005 and followed by a DVD release on Valentine’s Day 2006 again through TempeDVD, OCTOBER MOON went on to become Tempe’s #1 Best Selling Title of 2006, was voted “Best Gay Film” of 2005 by QueerHorror.com, and has garnered me the best critical reviews and magazine coverage of my entire career. It even landed me an interview on the Halloween 2005 episode of the now-defunct talk show ON Q LIVE. The shoot, while outrageous in its emotional ups-and-downs, remains the most effective and full-filling film experience of my life.  

In the midst of the 2005 OCTOBER MOON bru-ha-ha, I was approached by a new Wisconsin-based director, Jason Satterfield, to appear in his horror film THE LEGEND TRIP as “Timothy Buth,” a man in the 1870s who blows his brains out upon discovering his wife (Tina Ona Paukstelis) has slaughtered their 5 year old daughter, setting off a chain of ghostly and gore-ffic events on the land over the next century. I honestly believe THE LEGEND TRIP is destined to become a legend indeed, sporting some scenes so graphic and horrifying that audience members have been known to leave during the final 10 minutes. Easily the most violent and graphically gruesome film I have ever been associated with, and one which will set Satterfield as a filmmaker with bite.  

I had such a good experience with Jason Satterfield I decided to bring him on board as my Cinematographer on NOVEMBER SON, a sequel to OCTOBER MOON which began filming in July 2006. NOVEMBER SON had a rough road towards production, as I was dealing with the deaths of my birth father, David Collum on March 1, 2006 and my grandmother Vinnie Campeau on June 7, 2006, plus the purchase of a new home and the most severe case of writer’s block I’ve ever experienced. Stresses aside, I was able to pull the film together over 10 long days of 17 hours shoots and a wonderfully patient cast. A rarity in most sequels, the entire cast of OCTOBER MOON reprised their roles and were joined by musician Sacha Sacket making his screen debut, plus Debbie Rochon (Tromeo & Juliet), Robyn Griggs (One Life To Live), and Lloyd Pederson (Unsolved Mysteries) in a tale of a young man who, in the search to find himself a new family, winds up involved in a mystery of revenge and retribution as the lives of the survivors of OCTOBER MOON are twisted into horrifying new directions. Can I describe it any simpler? Nope. This one plays on so many levels of mystery and suspense, combined with the same drama/comedy that made the original film a success, you’ll have to see it for yourself. NOVEMBER SON is expected to debut in limited theatrical/public screenings late Summer/early Fall 2007.  

The remainder of 2007 will remain equally insane for me as I begin directing SHY OF NORMAL, my first directorial foray into non-horror!!! That’s right, this “dramedy” is an anthology of “new life” stories concerning two expectant mothers from opposite sides of the class tracks, three very different college girls looking to split the rent, and a suicidal young man who may find a reason to live through the girl up stairs. The stories were originally performed as three one-act plays by students at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, and I found them so charming and delightful I moved quickly to option the stories from the students and will be working on the screenplay versions with them with filming planned to begin Summer 2007 using the original stage cast members as well.  

You’d think that would be enough to occupy the remainder of 2007, but I’m also prepping the official DVD release of my 5 DARK SOULS trilogy as a boxed set through TempeDVD in late late late 2007 or very early 2008. Plus there are TWO, yes, Two books in the pre-planning stages, and more articles being prepped for magazine publication. At some point I realized having a mortgage means having to bring in more cash, so it’s time to continue working my way out of the writer’s block depression and keep those creative juices flowing.  

There's lots of other juicy possibilities for the year ahead, but since I usually don't promote projects which haven't actually been completed or made official (for fear of jinxing), you'll simply have to check back for updates! 

So that's where I'm at. Who and where are you? I always love meeting other horror fans, B-Movie afficinados, et al. Drop me a line at jasonpaulcollum@hotmail.com and let me know what you love about the genre. Stay tuned for a complete revamping of my entire site with all-new photo galleries, convention dates, resume, links, trailers and so much more!!!