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

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!

- more trivia -

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 'disc jockey'. Following that first 6-hour, on-air stint, she 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.

While working as Continuity Director for WAKR / WONE Radio in Akron, Ohio and shortly after the televised Live Aid Concert (July 1985), Daena caught the attention of music legend, Graham Nash one day while he was at the station for an on-air interview. As he walked by her office escorted by the then-WONE FM program director, he noticed and remarked upon her office posters of Rick Springfield. She invited him in and the two spoke for a bit about Crosby Stills Nash & Young performing at LIVE AID and about his friend, Rick Springfield (who also performed at the benefit concert). It is one of her most cherished 'radio days' memories.

Daena Smoller in New Orleans , leading a HOLLYWOOD SQUARES week-long prize of GHOST EXPEDITIONS

ONE PIECE OF TRIVIA LEADS TO ANOTHER

- more trivia -

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