Lando Fights "Bots in Assault
By Ian Spelling

Joe Lando, who just completed a role in the upcoming SCI FI Pictures original movie A.I. Assault, told SCI FI Wire that he takes on a new enemy in the movie. Lando previously starred in SCI FI's Bloodsuckers, about vampires. In A.I. Assault, he said: "I'm battling robots in that one. I'm working for the government again. I've been having those kinds of roles lately, and the guy I'm playing is going in to neutralize some robots that have been developed to fight in situations like the Iraqi war."

A.I. Assault co-stars such genre veterans as Star Trek's Michael Dorn and Robert Picardo, Baywatch's Alexandra Paul, Babylon 5's Bill Mumy and Xena: Warrior Princess's Hudson Leick.

"The robots are used in urban combat so that soldiers don't get wiped out," Lando said. "What happens is that a plane carrying these two robots crashes in an electrical storm, which activates the robots. All the robots know is to basically kill what attacks them. I have to go out and hunt them down, and I have this beautiful young doctor with me, who's played by an actress named Lisa Lo Cicero, who was lots of fun. That was done up at Sable Ranch, which is one of the ranches [in Santa Clarita, Calif.] where they used to shoot Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. So we're running around killing robots in that one. It's definitely a hot movie." A.I. Assault premieres at 9 p.m. ET/PT on May 6.

 

Wildfire
ABC Family, 8/7c

Those sparks between Jean and Pete (Joe lando)
look about ready to turn into a full-on blaze when
the former couple becomes swept up in an old familiar feeling.

          

Heavenly Creatures
(Click on thumbnail to enlarge )
OLTL's Megan (Jessica Tuck) succumbed to lupus in 1992, but returned in ghostly form that same year to provide comfort to her grieving husband Jake (Joe lando).

Where are they Now?

(Click on thumbnail to enlarge )
Catch up with a former Daytimer who found
success after soaps.

By Naomi Rabinowitz

Joe Lando
(ex-Jake, ONE LIFE TO LIVE, 1990-92;
ex-Macauley, GUIDING LIGHT, 1993)

OLTL's Jake and Megan may have looked cozy on the 5/29/90 OLTL "Whodunit" cover of Soap Opera Digest, but Joe Lando (ex-Jake) reports that at the time, he and Jessica Tuck (ex-Megan) weren't getting along. Still, he enjoyed posing for his first magazine cover. "I was really nervous so I was glad they shot it with a lot of people," he admits. (Ironically, Roger Gordon, the character who actually did kill Michael Grande, wasn't pictured.)

He and Tuck made up with a little help from Brian Tarantina (ex-Lucky, OLTL). "Brian tricked us into coming to this bar and left us alone to talk. We then became great friends."

In 1997, Lando got married in real life; he and wife Kirsten have three children: Jack, 7, Christian, 4, and Kate, 2. Though he has starring roles in prime-time series (DR. QUINN, MEDICINE WOMAN and HIGHER GROUND) under his belt, he's been spending most of his time with his family (and was in the middle of a camping trip when he did this interview).

Lando's career is still going strong. This past year he appeared on WILDFIRE, SUMMERLAND, and MISSING, and starred in the Teleflick BLOODSUCKERS. Recently, he finished filming the TV movie, SHOCKWAVE, which also stars Lisa LoCiero (ex-Sonia, OLTL; ex-Jocelyn, LOVING/THE CITY). "She's great, a lot of fun to work with," he praises. "We had a good time talking about [OLTL]."

Which led him to recall how he knew he'd made it -- at least in Phil Carey's (Asa, OLTL) eyes. "Phil would call people by their character's names, he chuckles, "Hey, Jake!' This went on for over a year. Finally, by the time I was ready to leave, he called me by my real name [laughs]."

For more on Lando, visit to www.joelando.org.

Sci-Fi Channel Original: Bloodsuckers
Reviewer: The Foywonder

Review of Bloodsuckers (2005)

Starring Joe Lando, Michael Ironside, Dominic Zamprogna, A.J. Cook, Natassia Malthe Directed by Matthew Hastings

As the closing credits of Bloodsuckers aired, there were five thoughts that immediately went through my mind.

#1) Was this movie designed to be the pilot for a potential TV series? Other than the amount of gore in the movie, it sure feels that way. Between the design of the opening title logo, the constant inclusion of concepts that introduced other aspects of this particular story universe yet ultimately proved incidental to the actual plot, and the open ended manner in which the film concluded gave off the vibe that this was designed to be less a self-contained movie and more a feature length pilot for a Bloodsuckers TV series.

#2) When did Jake Gyllenhaal grow some facial hair and begin starring in movies under the pseudonym "Dominic Zamprogna"? Some would argue that Jake Gyllenhaal and "Dominic Zamprogna" are two entirely different people; IMDB even has a listing for a "Dominic Zamprogna" complete with a birthday and other movie credits, but there’s no way you’re going to convince me that they are actually two entirely separate people.

#3) Someone really needs to make another Vampirella movie and it so needs to star Natassia Malthe. Between her superior butt kicking skills and exotic sex appeal, Malthe’s vampiric vampire-hunting heroine role in Bloodsuckers comes closer to the spirit of Vampirella than poor Talisa Soto could muster in that dreadful movie version of the comic vampiress.

#4) If you’re going to cast Michael Ironside as the villain in your movie then please, for God’s sake, give him more to do than just stand there sneering and cackling. Granted, few can sneer and cackle quite like Michael Ironside, especially when made up to resemble a grittier version of Count Orlock, but still, this is Michael freakin’ Ironside and having him as your villain is not an opportunity one should let go to waste. Have filmmakers learned nothing from Highlander 2: The Quickening?

#5) Unless Jake Gyllenhaal had himself cloned and named that clone "Dominic Zamprogna" then maybe...

Anyway.

Set in the grungy future of 2210, Bloodsuckers recasts vampires as man’s greatest threat in outer space. Vampiric races infest the galaxies to the point that the majority of them have become regarded by humans as being nothing more than alien vermin in need of extermination. "V-San" (the abbreviated term for "vampire sanitation") units roam the universe in search of "fangheads" that need wiping out.

They really should have called this movie Fangheads instead of the more generic Bloodsuckers.

Forget everything we’re used to regarding vampires because sunlight doesn’t bother them, crosses and garlic don’t repel them, sleeping in coffins isn’t required, and not all are into bloodsucking - other vampiric types include organ eaters and essence stealers.

Among the different breeds of vampires found throughout the universe are the Nosferati, the Voorhees (think Nosferatu dressed like a Mad Max biker), and the "Leatherfaces" (known as such for their fondness for wearing victims’ skin as a mask). That two of the vampiric races we’re introduced to have names derived from iconic horror movie slashers should tell you everything one needs to know about the campy B-movie tone of the film. There are even talking, vampiric, parasitic worm-like creatures that infest human hosts and turn them into vampiric incubators for more of their ilk. So, yeah, there’s even a little Night of the Creeps action tossed in too.

The one trait virtually all of these vampiric breeds share is that they can only be killed by destroying their hearts, which means that firearms and sharp pointy things are the weapons of choice for the typical V-San employee.

One V-San unit is led by former "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" hunk Joe Lando as veteran vampire hunter Captain Nicholas Churchill. His crew consists of a butch Asian female with overly aggressive tendencies, a cowboy-type that is played in a surprisingly low key manner, and a friendly vamp named Quintana, played by the vampiciously delicious Natassia Malthe, last seen wearing pretty much the same Mortal Kombat-style wardrobe playing Typhoid Mary in that unwatchable Elektra spin-off movie. The other two are not particularly fond of having a vampire onboard given the nature of their occupation. Perhaps that would change if they knew she’s a form of psychic vampire with the power of tantric sex, which is sort of like the Vulcan Mind Meld only a billion times better.

The newest member of the crew is young Damian Underwood, played by Dominic Zamprogna (or Jake Gyllenhaal – I’m still not convinced), who has been forced into V-San duty following a tragic event that led to him getting court martialed among other career/life ruining turns. Despite the dark cloud hanging over Damian’s head, Churchill firmly believes he has all the makings of a great V-San unit captain, even viewing him as his own successor, and it’s a good thing he felt that way since he gets killed very early on in the movie leaving the rookie reluctantly in charge of the unit that blames him for the captain’s untimely demise.

That’s basically what Bloodsuckers is all about - Damian getting the fractured V-San unit he now finds himself in command of to get along with one another and work together, which is something they’re going to have to do fast since a misguided group devoted to anti-human imperialism (i.e. opposed to the human race spreading so fast and so far throughout the galaxy) has joined forces with a group of Nosferati led by a revenge minded Michael Ironside.

The overall plot kind of takes a backseat to developing the characters – something that’s really rare for Sci-Fi Channel films – and introducing us to various elements of this particular universe. This is also one of the reasons why I found myself wondering if this was designed to serve as the launch for a weekly series since it’s clearly more interested in setting things up than delving into a full-fledged plot. But writer/director Matthew Hastings (Decoys) keeps the proceedings lively enough that you’re able to look past most of the story deficiencies. However, there are two major drawbacks that do hurt the film’s overall entertainment value.

The first is the lack of budget, which is almost certainly why most of the sets tended to look, shall we say, economical. This also clearly effected the action scenes that, aside from a spirited fight early on a forest planet with some Voorhees, often had the feeling of being very stagy, and not just because most occurred in tight quarters. Bloodsuckers was clearly an ambitious production that ends up feeling a tad anemic due to a few more dollars that certainly would have benefited the overall look and feel of the film’s scope.

The second problem - and I admit this one might just be me - were the vampires themselves. I don’t know, they just weren’t all that menacing or compelling. Aside from Quintana and the vampiric parasites, all the "fangheads" introduced more or less came across as generic space opera villains, albeit with fangs. My complaint about Michael Ironsides' villain being reduced to merely cackling and sneering applies to most of the vampires in the movie. Vampires tend to be presented as horrific or seductive or cunning or a combination of which. Other than having fangs and an urge to dine on humans, the bloodsuckers in Bloodsuckers weren’t terribly vampiric. Maybe that’s just me or maybe that was what Hastings was going for when he decided to treat them as more of a universal nuisance than traditional vampire archetypes.

Despite these two unfortunate drawbacks, Bloodsuckers easily ranks one of the Sci-Fi Channels most entertaining original productions yet. I know such a statement is hardly high praise given Sci-Fi’s track records, but if they were to pick this up as a weekly series then I’d be more than willing to give it a chance.

Now give me my Vampirella remake starring Natassia Malthe, dammit!

3 out of 5 Mugs O' Blood

Added:  Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Reviewer:  The Foywonder

Sci-Fi Channel Original: Bloodsuckers
by Chris Beaumont

Saturday 7/30.
Vampires in space. What a fun idea, and in a campy way, this movie makes it work. Almost. My movie barometer acts in strange ways once in awhile, the range of varying quality films of which I derive enjoyment can be staggering at times. Sometimes this B (or lower) grade films are among the most enjoyable.

This is the latest premiere of a Sci-Fi Channel's Original Picture. I don't often wade into the waters of these films, as most tend to be of such schlock value that they are not entertaining at all, but when I read the description of this one, I had to risk the bite of a bad movie. I mean, how can you read this description and not be intrigued: "Capt. Nicholas Churchill (Joe Lando) leads a team of intergalactic vampire hunters who answer distress calls from planets overrun by the creatures. (from www.TVGuide.com)." Sounds like fun to me.

So Saturday rolls around and I settle in for an evening of corny vampire fighting action. I wasn't disappointed.
The setting is about 200 years into the future. There are civilized worlds all over the galaxy, some by humans, some by vampires. It appears that vampires have taken on a variety of cultures themselves, complete with different breeds, but equally nasty dispositions. They attack colonies of humans, sometimes for food, other times for sport, sometimes to replenish their ranks.

We pick up our intrepid band of misfit heroes on a hunt, where one of their ranks, a newcomer, hesitates and is almost killed. This sets up the rest of the film, the newcomer, Damian Underwood (Dominic Zamprogna) doubts himself as leader material, but his current captain, Nicholas Churchill (Joe Lando), convinces him to give it some time.

His leadership potential is put to the test when the next hunt goes south, Churchill is lost, and his crew members turn on him. This leads to a new battle, to work with his crew, while facing down a variety of these neckbiters. And this doesn't even get into the fact that they have a vampire as a member of their team.
They are then sent on a mission which puts them face to, uh, mouth(?) of a new type of vampire. This then sends them on a chase of another ship, bearing what they thought were survivors, but was actually a budding alliance between humans and vampires.

--- Chris Beaumont

The Week That Was.....A Viewer's Diary: 7/24-7/30
by Chris Beaumont

Saturday 7/30.
•Bloodsuckers. This Sci-Fi Original is not a good film. That said, I had a lot of fun watching it. Who doesn't like watching a corporate sponsored hit squad roaming the cosmos looking raiding vampire hordes to slaughter? Sounds like fun. Joe Lando leads the ragtag team, but things are not always that simple. Things go south for much of the film as the team goes after a fallen team member and uncover an alignment of humans and vampires. But all is resolved and our heroes ride off successfully into the sunset. ***

--- Chris Beaumont

Bloodsuckers
9 :00 p.m. ET - SciFi-

It's Saturday night, which means audiences are clamoring for a cheesy science fiction film about vampires. Thankfully, the Sci Fi Channel does not disappoint, offering up 2005's "Bloodsuckers" -- in which a captain leads a team of commandos searching for vampires in the universe. Joe Lando and Michael Ironside star.

WE’RE RUNNING OUT OF TITLES THEATER

Joe Lando hunts space vampires in “Bloodsuckers” (9 p.m., Sci Fi).
But really how different could it be than working with Jane Seymour?

Lando Vamps For Bloodsuckers

By Ian Spelling

Joe Lando, who stars in the upcoming SCI FI Channel original movie Bloodsuckers, told SCI FI Wire that a conversation with writer-director Matthew Hastings, with whom Lando had collaborated on the series Higher Ground, convinced him to sign on to the project. "He gave me a quick rundown as to what the movie was about and this character I'd get to play, and it sounded like fun," Lando said in an interview. "And it was. It was a lot of hard work. I haven't had a lot of experience in the SF-horror type of movies, and also this was another opportunity to play a character different from what I usually do."

Bloodsuckers casts Lando as Churchill, a private contractor and ex-military man who works for a vampire eradication company called V-SAN, short for Vampire Sanitation. Churchill doesn't need to be in such a line of work, but like much of his mercenary team, he's a bit of an adrenaline junkie who thrives on the danger and the thrill.

At one point, Churchill is transformed into a vampire, which, Lando notes, presented challenges as an actor. "You want to chew the scenery," Lando says. "I'm in scenes with Michael Ironside, and he's a vampire. So it's just kind of fun. You want to go over the top the moment you look at yourself in the makeup. But I tried to play it a little bit lower, and I'm not a vampire for a big portion of the movie. It's just one scene. I don't want to give away too much about what happens, but it does happen to me. I just went with the flow. Anyway, I think we've made a really entertaining film." Bloodsuckers, which also stars Michael DeLuise, A.J. Cook and Natassia Malthe, premieres July 30 on the SCI FI Channel, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Suck This Blood!
Arrow in the Head News

By Matt Withers

I have to admit I'm a big fan of vampire flicks. Especially when they have some fun with the concept. So I've got a big, silly grin on my face right now after checking the trailer for BLOODSUCKERS, a SciFi Channel original movie. You can go watch it here.

The pic takes place in 2210 and bascially there's a lot of vampires around: essence eaters, soul suckers, nerve parasites, Nosferati worms, etc… these legions of bloodsuckers are plotting our enslavement and eventual demise.

Across the galaxy, first on the ground are not the Marines; they are the mercenaries: Vampire Sanitation or V-SAN. It’s the dirtiest, most dangerous job in the galaxy.

Made up of the down and out, screw-ups, or people the corporation has simply turned its back on, V-SAN isn’t about the best and the brightest… just the ones desperate enough to stick their necks around the corner first.

Fun times, right? Here's a little insight into writer/director Matt Hastings' inspiration for this particular take on the classic tale:

As a huge fan of vampires and sci-fi, it was my dream to write and direct a film that could combine the two. I came up with the idea for BLOODSUCKERS four years ago and assembled a trailer to help sell the concept. The trailer itself was comprised of clips from over 100 films that inspired me and helped to solidify the idea. And… it worked.

Very creatively done, Mr. Hastings. Hope your labor of love finds you success and fame! For those who want to see what's up when you get Vampire Mercenaries in Space, make sure to check out BLOODSUCKERS on SciFi July 30th at 9pm.

TV Section

Editor: Casey Stiler

Saturday Tipster

Bloodsuckers (9pm, Science Fiction): It's 2205 and Earthlings are roaming the universe in search of natural resources - having exhausted our own planet's.  Meanwhile, vampires are roaming the universe in search of human blood.  So a giant corporation dispatches a crew of intergalactic vampire killers to clean up the mess.  Joe Lando (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman), Michael Ironside, Leanne Adachi and A.J. Cook star in this new sci-fi horror tale."

Tonight's Best TV

Saturday, July 30

By Alynda Wheat
 Entertainment Weekly

(Entertainment Weekly) -- Entertainment Weekly's daily guide to notable shows:

9-11 PM

 BLOODSUCKERS (Sci Fi Channel, TV-14-DLSV)
The year is 2210, and the galaxy is overrun with Nosferatus. A vampire-sanitation crew led by "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman's" Joe Lando and Jake Gyllenhaal-lite Dominic Zamprogna hunts the titular "fangheads," while a cult of sympathizers schemes against them. It's a movie about the virtues of loyalty, recklessness, and tantric vampire sex. And despite the use of "We're in their blind spot" as a reason for why our heroes' spaceship goes undetected, dialogue like "You can kiss my assertiveness," and brief appearances by two DeLuise brothers, it's a slicker-than-usual Sci Fi original. Credit Lando's conviction and Michael Ironside's cameo as a bloodsucker with half a brain. We like a cheesy cast. We love it when the Velveeta can actually act.

-- Mandi Bierly

Prime-Time Prejudice?

Click on Thumbnail to enlarge

Prime-Time Prejudice? Joe Lando (ex-Jake, OLTL; ex-Macauley, GL), who rose to fame playing Sully on DR. QUINN MEDINCE WOMAN and has continued to have a lucrative TV-movie career, believes that daytime has a bit of a stigma against nighttime. "These days, it seems as if soap auditions have gotten more competitive and they're only looking to hire acotrs who have a soap background,," he explains. "Nighttime work just doesn't seem to do it anymore. I guess it doesn't translate well into daytime. But it's sort of a reverse prejudice."

ABC Gossip &
One Life to Live

They'll Drink to That:
During most raucous party scenes, the stars are only acting as if they're, uh, having fun, but Joe Lando, (ex-Jake) recalls one time when life became art.

"There was this scene where Megan [Jessica Tuck] had to jump out of a cake at a party," he reveals, "and a bunch of us had been drinking before we did it. So, when we did the scene, we were actually drunk [laughs]. The producers were not happy about it."

Lando has other fond memories of Llanview and wouldn't mind resurrecting Jake -- but on GENERAL HOSPITAL. "I still keep in touch with Brian Tarantina [ex-Lucky Lippman, who was Jake's buddy]," he shares, "and I think it would be fun if Lucky and Jake were together again. It should be a crossover, though; I think it would be cool if they went over to Port Charles."

Prime-Time Report &
Missing

Click on Thumbnail to enlarge
Missing
FOXY LADY: Joe Lando, (ex-Macauley, GL; ex-Jake, OLTL)
has had a busy past few months, starring in several movies (including the Lifetime teleflick SILENT KILLER) and doing TV guest appearances.

Ironically, while making SILENT KILLER, which is about the dangers of fire, real-life blazes broke out in LA and production had to be shut down.

Thankfully, his latest job -- playing FBI gent Burke on the 1/9 episode of MISSING, opposite Vivica A. Fox (Nicole; ex-Stephanie YOUNG AND RESTLESS, ex-Maia, GENERATIONS; ex-Carmen, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) and Mark Consuelos (Antonio; ex-Mateo, ALL MY CHILDREN) -- went a bit more smoothly.

As for working with Fox, Lando shares that they had a great time and even went out to dinner together. It was a happy, content crowd," he praises of the cast. "Vivica is hard-working, sexy, and really good to work with. I had a fun time. MISSING airs on Lifetime. Check Local listings.

 

Prime-Time Report &
Summerland

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FAMILY AFFAIR: Joe Lando (ex-Macauley, GUIDING LIGHT; ex-Jake, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) says it didn't suck being on the beach shooting for his August 3 appearance on SUMMERLAND, where he lives on the beach and romances Susannah.

"This was one of the best gigs I've ever had," raves Lando, "There was sand, surf, bikinis...and I got paid. There was also a great crew, great cast, and a great view. I brought my 6-year-old son,Jack, to the set, and he had a blast."

Jack was so inspired by his father - who has done four disaster movies in the past year - that the tyke created and directed his own movie, Tornadoes, which was based on his dad's TV movie, DEVIL WINDS. "I shot it, but it was his idea," beams Lando. "He was so cute. He put these glasses on and called himself 'Doc.' His little brother Christian was in the movie too. He was so inspired by the tornadoes that he went and made his own movie on them." Did the clan beat the bad weather? "Of course! The tornadoes didn't win. "