Plan Nine Benefit Screening: Help Lay Vampira to Rest (updated)

This showed up in my e-mail. Because it is a worthy cause, I thought I would pass it along in case anyone out there might like to contribute.

Horror fans take note: FX artist Bryan Moore of Arkham Studios and friend to the late horror icon Maila “Vampira” Nurmi […] got in touch with Fango regarding the deceased actress’ funeral arrangements, and he needs your help.
[….]

“Sadly, Maila died with very little means […] so a few friends, along with Heather Saenz and I, are making funeral arrangements for her with the cooperation of a distant niece of Maila’s. She has given us permission to arrange for a funeral service and a niche at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Heather and I will also give Maila her last ride in our 1951 Cadillac hearse; she dug the coach very much, and it’s our privilege to be able to give her this last honor.

“What I’m asking friends and fans for right now is financial support. We have to raise about $8,000 for Maila’s funeral expenses. We’ve already created a MySpace page for her memorial fund, and a film fest will be showing PLAN NINE FROM OUTER SPACE [in which Nurmi co-stars] at the Vista Theater in Hollywood, CA at midnight this Friday, January 25. All proceeds will be donated to the memorial fund. Even if all you can afford is a dollar, it’ll add up. If you can afford more, we could really use it. I’m not in the habit of passing the hat like this, as asking friends—and strangers—for dough is a little embarrassing. This is a pretty good reason, though, as it’s helping a great lady to keep her dignity to the last. Thanks so much, gang. I really need the help, as this special gal meant an awful lot to me.”

Moore says that donations can be made to the The Maila Nurmi Memorial Fund, c/o Frattali & Salem, 9229 Sunset Boulevard #414, Los Angeles, CA 90069, or via PayPal to vampira@brazenmanagement.com. For any questions re: The Maila Nurmi Memorial Fund, please e-mail ghooled@sbcglobal.net. —Sean Decker

If you are interested in the midnight benefit screening of PLAN NINE, you can find more information on the Vista Theatre here. (Unfortunately, the official website is almost non-existant.)

UPDATE: In case the details were not clear, Kimberly Blagrove of the So Bad It’s Good Film Festival, which is hosting the Maila Nurmi tribute, writes in to clarify:

• PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE (1959)
  Friday, January 25th at MIDNIGHT
  Vista Theatre 4473 Sunset Drive – Los Angeles 90027
  Admission $10 – Cash only
  We’ll have a brief tribute to the lovely Vampira before the film, and DVD giveaways of Vampira: The Movie to some lucky audience members. We will also be gladly accepting donations for the Maila Nurmi Memorial Fund at the screening as well as on our MySpace page (www.myspace.com/sbigfilmfest).
  

  Also, it is incorrectly mentioned on your posting that all the proceeds from the ‘Plan 9’ screening will be going to the Maila Nurmi Memorial Fund. I wanted to clarify that It is only a portion of the profits from the night that will be going to the fund. However, we will be doing a separate collection specifically for the Memorial Fund and everything that is donated will go directly to help with burial costs.

  Thank you for spreading the word.
  Very best,
  Kimberly