In her Junior High School yearbook,

a quote describing 8th graders as

"They're inbetweeners"

was mistakenly attributed to Daena Smoller

who swears she was not interviewed for a quote

nor had she ever uttered the word

inbetweeners

in her entire life.

However, for the August 2000 edition of

PREMIERE Magazine,

Daena was asked

'can ghosts kill?'

and her attempt at a comedic answer

was printed correctly,

"If they executed Charles Manson

and he stuck around,

he'd be shoving some old lady

in front of a bus."

In addition,

a photo featuring Kevin Bacon

resides on the same page as shown.

Daena wonders if that maybe

makes her separation from the actor,

a degree of 1.5?

I met rock legend Peter Frampton in 1985

by unintentionally interrupting his live radio interview with

WONE 97.5 FM's Tim Daugherty,

while delivering commercials to the on-air studio.

I stealthily entered the studio as the on-air light was on.

But when I saw one of my favorite rock stars just a few feet away,

my jaw dropped while simultaneously

dropping the multitude of commercial cartridges I was carrying;

making an explosive crash

that went out over the airwaves.

Although I was fairly embarrassed about my workplace faux pas,

I was not embarrassed enough to hold back from

asking Peter Frampton if he knew Rick Springfield!

And then,

I actually asked for an autograph!

2025: KUDOS to PETER FRAMPTON for continuing to rock on!

During the interview of Daena Smoller and Larry Montz by

Nicole Kristal for a feature article in the

November 2001 issue of PREMIERE Magazine,

the three were alone inside the

Vogue Theater Hollywood.

The recorded interview took place in the former

800-seat auditorium while seated in removeable seats

near the screen.

While listening to her tape(s)

in order to write the article,

the journalist claimed later by phone to Daena

that she heard a little girl in the background,

throughout the interview.

The claim has never been substantiated

because the recording (original or a copy)

was never presented to the ISPR for analysis.

Vogue Theater Hollywood Marquee during AFI Film Festival

Larry Montz and Daena Smoller introduced digital projection at the Vogue Theater Hollywood to film festivals (AFI Film Fest and others) prior to 2002, initially with great pushback from film fest organizers. Competing filmmakers however, embraced the concept as it involved merely an inexpensive DVD of their film as opposed to a fragile 35mm print costing at the time, upwards of $35,000.

Much to the surprise of all those involved, there was only one visible difference between the film and digital projection upon Hollywood's then-second largest screen (with a 101-foot throw from the projection room).

Digital projection lacked 'film jitter' upon the screen.

Nearly a decade later, almost all movie theaters across the United States employed digital projection.

In 1995, Daena Smoller coined the term GHOST EXPEDITIONS

as a business name for

the world's first and original

parapsychological field investigation / workshop

that she designed for participation

by the general public -

using the initial framework

of an experiential tour created by

ISPR Parapsychologist Larry Montz.

"GHOST EXPEDITIONS" quickly became an

international phenomena

as the 'paranormal thing to do'

and in short time,

GHOST EXPEDITIONS

became the catch-all phrase

for any claim of paranormal investigation

as referred to by the international media

and by the hundreds of ghost organizations

and the millions of ghost hunters

that manifested as a result.

ONE PIECE OF TRIVIA LEADS TO ANOTHER

GHOST EXPEDITIONS in Hollywood

was the only 'paranormal' listing in PLAY 411, 2000 EDITION;

the directory of entertainment resources for the film and video industry.

Research indicates that Giles Goodhead and Deborah Goldblatt launched

LA 411, an online resource guide launched around 1980, which later included the listing service for film and TV, PLAY 411.

In 2000, LA 411 was purchased and housed under the VARIETY GROUP which included VARIETY, DAILY VARIETY and VARIETY.com.

VARIETY GROUP parent company CAHNERS ( renamed REED BUSINESS INFORMATION in 2002 ) is a unit of the

Dutch-Anglo media conglomerate REED ELSEVIER.

While under Daena Smoller's control, the Vogue Theater on Hollywood Boulevard was an additional screening venue for the

5th Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) in July 2001. One particular screening drew great attention by a protest involving the festival's co-founder and president, Edward James Olmos.

Unlike the year before when there were organized protests during the 4th LALIFF focusing on the depiction of indigenous cultures in the DreamWorks film, THE ROAD TO EL DORADO, the primary focus in 2001 was Olmos' recent arrest rather than a protest against the festival itself.

Edward James Olmos had been arrested earlier in 2001 for his participation in protests against U.S. Navy target practice bombings on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. He was jailed for 20 days for his activism; a major point of interest during the film festival.

The National Hispanic Media Coalition was known for organizing protests in Hollywood regarding the lack of Latino representation and diversity in major films and awards.

Daena maintains that Edward James Olmos was one of the nicest people she had the honor of meeting in Hollywood.

Photo Credit: Larry Montz

When Spielberg wanted to use the haunted Vogue Theater for a promotional screening of DreamWorks Pictures remake of THE HAUNTING (1999),

I said YES when I received the call - without hesitation!

The auditorium was packed to capacity and the Q & A session we were requested to conduct prior to the screening, went overtime by more than 30 minutes.

The highlight of the evening for Larry , Peter James, Derek Acorah and myself was discovering that during our Q & A session, at least 30 people had the exact same paranormal experience - at the exact same time!

What was that undeniable, mass paranormal experience?

It's detailed it in my upcoming memoir!

The first

SCREAMFEST INTERNATIONAL HORROR FILM FESTIVAL

and SCREENPLAY COMPETITION,

founded by Rachel Belofsky,

was held at the former 800-seat / silver screen Vogue Theater

on Hollywood Boulevard

in 2001.

At that time,

the theater was under the direction of Daena Smoller.

Housing the offices of the

ISPR (International Society for Paranormal Research),

the historic Hollywood property

also served as a

parapsychological field research site for

GHOST EXPEDITIONS.

2001 SCREAMFEST WINNERS

Best Animation: BLOOD: LAST VAMPIRE

Scariest Student Short: THE APPOINTMENT

Best Actor: Jeff Rector, FATAL KISS

Best Actress: Jennifer De Martino, THE APPOINTMENT

Best Special F/X: CRADLE OF FEAR

Audience Choice: KNIGHT OF THE HEADSMAN

Best Foreign Film: BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE

Best Cinematography: DEEP IN THE WOODS

Best Director: Jeff Rector, FATAL KISS

Best Picture: Y2K

Best Makeup: KNIGHT OF THE HEADSMAN

Best Feature Screenplay: VAMPIRE'S HELL by Jordan Wendkos

Best Short Screenplay: THE BLOATED BEETLE by Karen Dent

Late 1970s:

Daena won tickets to both the Frank Sinatra and Liza Minnelli concerts

at PINE KNOB Music Theatre

(later known as the DTE Energy Music Theatre)

in Clarkston, Michigan.

While Frank Sinatra was on stage in front of 15,000+ concert-goers

and between songs,

Ol' Blue Eyes shared that he had just enjoyed a great meal

at a now, long-gone, upscale supper club in

Southfield, Michigan.

Baby back ribs was known to be Sinatra's favorite dish

which became a specialty at

Marty Wilk's much-missed EXCALIBUR.

Daena, was a Southfield resident at the time

and her best friend was working at EXCALIBUR.

So when she was the sole person to yell out an affirmation in response,

Frank Sinatra acknowledged her in front of his engrossed yet silent crowd.

Lucky for Daena,

on the lawn at Pine Knob,

no one can see you blush!

Daena Smoller's radio on-air career as Daena Hall, began unexpectedly during her radio continuity & traffic internship at WHLO AM 640 in Akron, Ohio. Don Dempsey, former Executive Vice President of the Broadcasters Hall of Fame and the station's program director at that time, asked her to fill in for a vacationing weekend air talent. Following that first 6-hour, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants air shift during which she gave an entire 2-minute extended weather forecast in a record 25 seconds, Daena became a permanent part-time weekend jock for the remainder of her tenure with WHLO AM 640, with two air-shifts each Sunday; 12 AM - 6 AM and 3 PM - 12 Midnight.

Daena was also reprimanded each Sunday for taking format liberties in the middle of the night by airing long blocks of her favorite Paul Anka and Frank Sinatra songs.

Just days after speaking one-on-one with rock 'n' roll icon Billy Joel at a pre-concert party, Daena segued in weekend, music-focused air-shifts at WNIR FM 100 Talk Radio. Later, she stepped into weekday afternoon drive on WKNT Country Radio where she and her Program Director traded on-air barbs shared with one another via the listening audience. She also became known for kicking off her Saturday morning air shifts with a breaking-format selection of favorite tunes such as WHAM's WAKE ME UP and QUEEN'S BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY. Years later, after achieving a position at Wells, Rich, Greene, Daena went back to weekend on-air shifts at WKNT. She was on-air during the historic HANDS ACROSS AMERICA event in May 1986 when over 6.5 million people created a human hand-holding chain to raise awareness and money for the hungry and the homeless. She shed tears at the joyous feeling of participating with untold numbers of U.S. radio stations broadcasting We Are the World, Hands Across America, and America the Beautiful during the same 15 minute period.

Later, while working as Continuity Director for WAKR / WONE Radio and shortly after the historic LIVE AID CONCERT (July 1985), Daena caught the attention of music legend, Graham Nash while he was at the station for an interview. As he walked by her office escorted by the WONE FM program director, he noticed and remarked upon her office posters of Rick Springfield. The PD didn't care for Daena much due to her 'bubble gum' taste in music. Much to his chagrin, she invited Graham Nash into her office and the two spoke for a while about Crosby Stills Nash & Young performing at LIVE AID* and about his good friend, Rick Springfield who also performed at LIVE AID. It is one of her most cherished 'radio days' memories.

*LIVE AID was a 16-hour, dual-venue, international benefit concert featuring nearly 75 major music artists / acts including David Bowie, Tina Turner, Mick Jagger, Madonna, Queen, U2, Eric Clapton, Sting, Paul McCartney, Sting, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan and more - broadcasting from both London and Philadelphia to an estimated 1.9 billion viewers across 150+ nations. The purpose of LIVE AID was to raise funds for the Ethiopian famine.

The last radio stop for Daena Hall in Ohio was the 7p - Midnight shift at the brand new, Canton Country 95.9

(hot 40 country) where she butchered Shania Twain's name for weeks before being corrected and in true, "Daena Breaks Format" fashion, had to squeeze in Restless Heart's DANCY'S DREAM at some point during each and every night.

In 1999, I really wanted to win

the Amazing Randi $1,000,000 Psychic Challenge.

All I could think of was how cool it would be to use that money

and restore the Vogue Theater properly.

So much so, that I came up with a killer psychic feat

to prove that psychic abilities do exist

and in a way that no one could deny,

including Randi himself.

It was a controversial idea that caused quite a stir.

Randi badmouthed us and got his followers to do the same.

It received a great deal of international media attention

and a contract for us for a pay-per-view one-off.

In fact, it even inspired two production entities

to modify my idea into a super short-lived

TV Series.

Short-lived because what they produced just wasn't killer!

What was this killer psychic feat,

what inspired it and,

what happened?

The only place the entire story is revealed

will be in my new memoir - coming soon!

Pictured : more media interest continued

after the initial news conference.

ONE PIECE OF TRIVIA LEADS TO ANOTHER

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