The Mistress of Unreality

by Jon Keeyes (April 1999)

Sensual as a scorpion. Erotic like the baying of wolves to the moon. Haunting like the gothic sounds of an ancient band playing melodies to a ghost-filled ballroom. Each of these terms do well to personify Lilith Stabs, one of the newest actresses making a name for herself in the b-film genre. Coming from Atlanta, Georgia, Lilith Stabs has swept the nation with her black and white hair, pale, spirit skin, and eyes filled with a passionate evil that seduces the soul. For the new century, she is the new Elvira, the new personification of horrorific b-grade movies brought to life in her dress and attitude. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the Mistress of Unreality.

What exactly does it take to make it as a b-film actress? Ask any number of actresses and the answer will always be different. Some will say hard work and drive. Others will say acting classes and connections. While other will say style and charisma. For Lilith Stabs, making it came naturally: she already had the fan-based appeal to make it in horror films. For, you see, she began not as an actress but as a dominatrix. Shared Stabs, "Being a dominatrix was a good way to express myself and find some freedoms. I started as a professional dominatrix about five years ago, but before that it was just a lifestyle thing. I learned it primarily through reading and then just as life experience."

Having moved into the darkly, erotic world of bondage and domination, Stabs pulled out all of her personality and imagination to create a persona that would shred away the masks of proper society and divulge the true lady lying beneath. From the ashes of history came forth the Countess Lilith Stabs, the reincarnation of Lady Elizabeth Bathory. "That's a past life story," declared Stabs, " and it goes well with my persona that I have created." For those unfamiliar with the tale, Lady Bathory died in Hungary in 1613. According to the stories, she was entombed in the walls of her castle after having reportedly drank the blood of more than six-hundred virgins. For Stabs, the gothic horror of Bathory is the gothic beauty she brings forth not only in her own natural looks, but in the aire of her dungeon where she worked as a dominatrix.

But like any person with a desire to be on top, Stabs set out to do more. "I was working as a dominatrix, but I was also wanting to do other things," reminisced Stabs. "Some people try to do things discreetly. I didn't do it that way. I jumped in and started advertising myself nationally."

Before long, Stabs had a following of fans that journeyed to conventions to have her sign autographs and buy merchandise (she even appeared with Elvira at the opening of Elvira's Haunted House in Atlanta). Stabs also drew the attention of filmmaker and artist, Everette Hartsoe. "Most people are now getting to know me because of the convention appearances related to b-movies, and not through the domination," said Stabs. "I met Everette Hartsoe several years back at a convention and we stayed in contact. And then he called me and started talking about projects we might work on."

Lilith Stabs first film for Hartsoe was VAMPIRE CALLGIRLS in which she played a dominatrix vampiress. "We filmed for about a week and a half. It was pretty fast and we also did the Pittsburgh Comicon while we were there. For a fast film, it's gotten some great reviews."

The films premise is easy: Hartsoe plays a man who hires the services of a callgirl only to be nearly killed by her. Ignorant to the fact that she's a vampire, Hartsoe is drawn into their world when he seeks compensation from the agency. Stabs appears as one of these vampires, arriving first in a seductive scene in which she takes a bite out of a client, and again when Hartsoe is taken by the vampires to be tortured. In the most memorable performance of the film, Stabs lights up the screen with her evil intentions. "A lot of my character in VAMPIRE CALLGIRLS is like me," said Stabs. "Obviously, when I'm doing a domination session it's not like that, but there's a lot of me there with a bit extra added to it."

In her first scene, she picks up a client at a bar and takes him back to a hotel room where she does a nasty little dance before proceeding to eat him. "We didn't really go by the script. We did in the sense of what the scene was going to be like and where it was set, but we got things going and Everette was like, 'Say whatever you want - go with it.'"

In her second scene, she reappears in time to apply some brutal pressure to the film's captured hero. "In my next appearance - with the candle wax and cuffs and such - all of that was me because that wasn't even in the script. It was an idea that Everette just threw in there and we went with it."

Now, if you're planning on jumping out to grab her films to see her flesh, don't be too disappointed when you discover she remains clothed. Though many of her co-stars get naked, she performs her tantalizing dance of the she-devil garbed. "I'll probably end up doing nudity, but not yet," explained Stabs. "My character was supposed to have some nudity in VAMPIRE CALL GIRLS, but I talked to Everette about it and he was okay. I'm sure that I've lost some roles because of it, and probably haven't been asked to do roles because of it. But I'm just not ready to do the nudity yet."

Stabs returns again this month with her second feature called DEMONATRIX. "I'm in this one quite a bit. I would say me and Marley Murphy are definitely the lead parts in it. This one has more story to it than VAMPIRE CALLGIRLS and much darker content."

Also made by Hartsoe, DEMONATRIX will undoubtedly be a hit as Hartsoe's first film has been. Shared Stabs, "DEMONATRIX is a lot like THE CROW, in a sense. It's a female character played by Marley Murphy. She's this girl who gets raped and killed, and then I appear. I'm sort of this dark angel. I show her the way to get revenge - how she can kill the guy. So when she goes through that she'll be able to have her soul back again."

Following DEMONATRIX, Stabs will be appearing in an, as yet, untitled film about an invisible man, as well as another large, undisclosed project. Though still doing some dominatrix work, Stabs in enjoying the freedoms and results that modeling and acting are bringing her: "I like seeing the end results of the movies. They're really fun to do, but seeing the end result is really rewarding."

Stabs also has other projects available or in the planning. Through London Night Studios, she can be found as the model for the comic book Razor Gothic, and a trading card set of her modeling can be ordered through comic book stores. But it doesn't end there. Explains Stabs, "I do some writing, and I'm working on a manuscript that I'd like to do something with. I'd also like to do some music projects - heavy, dark, gothic, industrial. And that's another thing. A lot of people - if they don't know me - think I'm in a band. I played drums and I sing, so I think it might work."

With a killer personality and teasing looks reminiscent of a vampiress from a Hammer Horror film, Lilith Stabs will continue to grow in name and fame. "I'd like to expand on my acting. I don't mind being typecast or stereotyped. I think it's appropriate, otherwise I'd have to totally change my persona and look." For fans, that would be a shame.

To contact Lilith Stabs or order merchandise, write to:

Lilith Stabs
P.O. Box 250153
Atlanta, GA 30325

or visit her at: COUNTESSLILITHSTABS/

Originally published in GC Magazine - Edited by Jon Keeyes.