Writer inspired by horror films, motivated by STCC

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Michael Aloisi admits he was “petrified” of horror movies growing up. But as a young teenager, he had a chance to see “Friday the 13^th Part III” and decided to face his fears.

“I was getting closer to the TV. I thought, this is kind of cool,” Aloisi recalled. “By the time I was 18, I had horror movie posters everywhere.”

Since then, he has taken his passion for horror to a new level, carving out a career as a writer and rubbing elbows with the characters he watched on the screen as a kid. He writes with famous actors who were in some of his favorite spooky movies. He penned a biography called “Unmasked” about Kane Hodder, the actor and stuntman who played the unforgettable hockey-mask-wearing psycho Jason in several of the “Friday the 13^th” movies. That experience gave him his first break as a writer, leading to more opportunities.

Aloisi recently worked with Steve Gonsalves to write “A Life With Ghosts: True, Terrifying, and Insightful Tales from My Favorite Haunts.” Gonsalves is a paranormal investigator and star of the TV show “Ghost Hunters.”

Long before he was writing books for renowned personalities like Gonsalves and Hodder, Aloisi was a high school student in Agawam pondering what he was going to do with his life.

“When I was in school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” said Aloisi, who grew up in Agawam and now lives in Southwick. “A teacher said, ‘Do what you love.’ I said I love movies. She said, ‘Go do that for a living.’”

He checked out STCC and discovered its video program, Digital Media Production. He was excited about getting on a path toward a film career and thought STCC would be the perfect first step in the right direction.

He earned an associate degree in Digital Media Production from STCC in 2000.  The program has evolved with changing technology, but the fundamentals of writing have always been a part of the curriculum. Students learn to produce media using industry-standard computer and cloud-based software. They develop skills to write, perform and present their productions.

“I loved it here,” Aloisi said in an interview at STCC. “I had a lot of fun going to the studio on campus. Without starting at STCC, I wouldn’t have been set on that path. It started the whole chain reaction of my life.”

Without starting at STCC, I wouldn’t have been set on that path. It started the whole chain reaction of my life. Mike Aloisi '00 Writer and STCC alumnus

Professor John Wakelin, who chairs the Digital Media Production Technology program, said he loves hearing from alumni like Aloisi.

“Mike has a great story and shows how far you can go with a degree from STCC and a passion for what you do,” Wakelin said. “The Digital Media Production program offers a hands-on experience and gives students a chance to develop a wide variety of skills. Our graduates go on to work as writers, editors, social media specialists, filmmakers and more.”

Lara Sharp, Dean of the School of STEM at STCC, said Wakelin has done a great job keeping his program up to date. Students can learn how to operate drones.

“Digital Media Production is one of our state-of-the-art programs that can lead to robust careers for students who earn an associate degree. We also encourage them to transfer to continue with their education. Starting at STCC provides a strong foundation for students who continue with their education.”

After receiving his degree from STCC, Aloisi transferred to the School of Visual Arts in New York City where he earned a bachelor’s in Film Directing. Aloisi gravitated toward writing while in college. He would make videos and found out he had a knack for helping classmates with story ideas and improving on their writing of scripts.

He went on to receive a master’s in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He studied at the university’s campus in England.

After college, he wrote a couple of novels and short story collections. He then reached out to Hodder from the “Friday the 13^th” movies and was surprised and thrilled when he received a return call asking him to help write a biography.

“That changed my life,” Aloisi said. “He’s so well known in horror. I went on a six month book tour, visiting 30 states and five countries. After I worked with him, celebrities trusted me and I received other offers.”

The Hodder book led to a documentary and a blog that Aloisi wrote called “The Killer and I” about their adventures together.

“I’m a wuss,” Aloisi said with a laugh. “He’s a stunt guy who has jumped out of a moving helicopter onto a moving train with no safety gear.”

Aloisi got married and he and his wife raised twins. After the children were born, he put his writing on hold for a few years. But he was able to pick up on his career. He worked on a biography of one of the top makeup artists, Tom Savini, who worked on the classic 1978 movie “Dawn of the Dead.”

His latest book with Steve Gonsalves was released in 2023 through Simon and Schuster. In the fall, he was accompanying Gonsalves on a book tour, traveling on weekends to cities in the Northeast. On Friday the 13^th in October, he attended the Famous Monsters Festival in Pennsylvania which included an appearance by heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne.

While his writing career is rewarding, the work can be unsteady which is why he holds a full-time job working for the Springfield Public Schools. Aloisi teaches filmmaking to students at Central High School. He recommends STCC to some of his students who want to study Digital Media Production.

In the future, he wants to write horror fiction, but also will continue to work with well-known names in the industry to help them with their biographies.

When he thinks back to his young days as a timid boy who grew passionate about scary movies, he says he never could have imagined that he one day would be working with some of the characters who scared the daylights out of him.

“It’s very surreal to go from being a huge horror fan to now where I’m friends or know every single one of them,” he said. “I have had dinner with Freddy, with Pinhead, with Leatherface, with Chucky. I love it. I have a lot of fun and do a lot of amazing, cool things.”

Watch a video of Mike Aloisi talking about STCC. Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.

About Springfield Technical Community College

STCC, the Commonwealth's only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC's highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequaled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu

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