2013년 11월 24일 일요일

About 'the walking dead dvd set'|...would she allow it to affect her. Only when she was alone and it was in the dead of the night. But for now, the urge to do something grumbled within her. Something...







About 'the walking dead dvd set'|...would she allow it to affect her. Only when she was alone and it was in the dead of the night. But for now, the urge to do something grumbled within her. Something...








Many               times,               interview               stories               will               begin               with               the               occupation               of               the               interviewee,               such               as               "columnist,               Rene'               Thurston."               In               the               case               of               this               interview               subject,               however,               you'd               need               an               entire               paragraph               and               a               bucket-load               of               commas               to               encompass               the               entirety               of               what               James               Felix               McKenney               has               had               his               hands               on               in               the               entertainment               industry.

Writer,               producer,               director               of               films               and               music               videos,               special               effects               artist,               comic               book               author,               stagehand,               doorman               and               editor               are               just               a               few               of               the               many               jobs               on               his               extensive               resume,               not               to               mention               a               real               walking               encyclopedia               of               60's               and               70's               mainstream               and               underground               horror.

While               the               world               is               filled               with               would-be               filmmakers,               very               few               actually               get               their               ideas               past               the               script               stage.

After               aligning               himself               with               more               than               one               feature               film               project               that               failed               at               various               stages,               James               Felix               McKenney               decided               that               sometimes,               if               you               want               something               done,               you               have               to               do               it               yourself.
               With               $8,000               of               his               own               money,               earned               working               at               the               Census               Bureau               (add               that               to               the               list               of               employment               hats),               McKenney               shot               his               first               feature               film,               a               tongue-in-cheek               horror               gem,               "Cannibalistic,               "               and               with               that,               his               film               company,               Monsterpants,               was               born.
               With               good               friends,               determination               and               sheer               force               of               will               to               get               his               scripts               produced,               this               ambitious               filmmaker               has               proven               that               anyone,               with               enough               hard               work,               sacrifice               and               ingenuity,               can               get               their               films               out               of               their               head               and               onto               the               screen.

He               has               also               proven               that               the               old               adage,               "it               can't               hurt               to               ask"               can               end               up               getting               you               more               than               you               imagined.
               Since               those               humble               beginnings,               James               has               now               written,               directed               and               produced               five               of               his               own               films,               including               "               Satan               Hates               You               "               and               "               Hypothermia,               "               and               is               in               pre-production               on               a               sixth,               "               The               Girl               from               Mars,               "               which               is               slated               to               begin               shooting               in               the               next               few               weeks.

The               new               film               stars               the               lovely               Pauley               Perrette,               who               plays               criminologist               Abby               Sciuto               on               the               popular               CBS               series,               "               NCIS.

"
               Jim               took               time               out               from               pre-production               duties               to               answer               some               questions               about               his               filmmaking               experiences.

From               his               first               film               to               now,               the               interview               is               a               real               Low               Budget               Film               101               that               all               aspiring               filmmakers               should               read.
               RHT:               So               Jim,               I               mentioned               that               you've               worked               in               theater,               comic               books,               music               videos               and               a               host               of               other               mediums.

Was               moving               making               the               dream               goal,               or               did               that               one               fall               in               your               lap?
               JFM:               I               think               making               films               was               always               where               I               wanted               to               end               up,               but               I've               always               been               content               doing               whatever               I'm               doing               at               the               time               as               long               as               it's               making               me               happy               creatively               and               allows               me               to               tell               a               story.

I               probably               would               have               skipped               the               theater               and               comic               book               stuff               in               the               early               days               if               the               financial               expense               of               making               films               didn't               make               it               seem               so               out               of               reach.
               If               I               had               been               born               into               a               wealthy               family               or               maybe               10               or               15               years               later               when               the               current               digital               technology               made               everything               so               affordable,               I               probably               would               have               gotten               a               much               earlier               start.

But               all               of               that               experience               in               other               areas               did               pay               off               because               that's               where               I               learned               a               lot               of               the               skills               I               use               when               making               our               films.
               RHT:               Was               there               one               horror               film               in               your               life               that               made               you               say,               "oh               yeah,               what's               what               I               want               to               do?"
               JFM:               It               was               a               variety               of               influences,               really.

My               parents               took               me               to               see               ABBOTT               AND               COSTELLO               MEET               FRANKENSTEIN               at               an               outdoor               park               when               I               was               about               four               years               old,               and               I               became               obsessed               with               monsters,               the               Frankenstein               monster               in               particular.

As               I               got               a               little               older,               I               got               to               be               more               and               more               of               a               fan               of               the               old               Universal               and               Hammer               horror               films               that               were               showing               on               TV               and               started               creating               my               own               monster               makeup               using               stuff               I'd               buy               at               the               local               department               store               at               Halloween               time.

Then               there               was               the               first               STAR               WARS               craze,               and               I               was               absolutely               fascinated               with               all               of               the               material               that               was               out               at               the               time               about               the               making               of               the               film.

Shortly               after               that,               I               became               an               obsessive               "Doctor               Who"               fan               and               was               ordering               all               sorts               of               books               and               magazines               from               England               about               the               making               of               the               series.Some               of               my               favorite               films               at               the               time               were               THE               BIRDS,               THE               REVENGE               OF               THE               CREATURE               and               DRACULA:               PRINCE               OF               DARKNESS,               THE               WICKER               MAN               and               THE               OMEN,               but               it               was               less               about               the               horror               specifically               and               more               about               the               monster               costumes,               special               effects               and               the               process               as               a               whole               that               sparked               my               imagination.
               All               throughout               my               childhood,               I               was               always               telling               stories               by               drawing               comic               strips,               putting               on               plays               and               making               films               using               expired               film               (it               was               cheaper!)               and               my               dad's               8mm               camera.

So               when               it               came               time               to               decide               what               I               was               going               to               do               with               my               life,               I               realized               that               I               had               a               real               interest               in               film               and               TV               production               and               that               perhaps               that               was               the               field               I               should               try               to               get               into.
               RHT:               Having               worn               the               hats               for               a               thousand               jobs               (or               so               it               seems),               was               it               out               of               a               desire               for               career               enhancement,               necessity               due               to               budget               or               other               reasons?

Do               you               feel               it's               really               important               for               filmmakers               to               assume               all               these               roles               at               one               time               or               another               to               be               successful?
               JFM:               Part               of               it               is               out               of               necessity,               certainly               the               producing,               promotional               tasks,               and               sometimes               the               editing,               which               I               don't               quite               enjoy               as               much               as               the               other               parts               of               the               process.

But               I               love               all               of               the               production               design,               effects               and               art               department               stuff.

I'm               just               as               happy               painting               a               set               as               I               am               directing.

It's               all               about               being               creative               and               making               things.
               There               is               a               part               of               me               that               feels               that               if               you               are               a               filmmaker,               you               have               to               get               your               hands               dirty               and               really               be               an               artist.

Otherwise,               you're               just               an               administrator               or               supervisor.

Which               is               fine,               if               that's               the               sort               of               director               that               you               want               to               be.

I've               been               that               guy               on               one               or               two               directing               jobs               I've               had,               simply               because               I               wasn't               inspired               or               excited               by               the               production.
               So               while               I               don't               think               being               involved               in               all               aspects               is               a               requirement               for               a               filmmaker,               it               certainly               helps               to               be               able               to               understand               as               many               parts               of               the               process               as               possible,               and               I               believe               it               makes               for               a               more               artistically               rewarding               experience.
               RHT:               Did               you               go               to               film               school               -               or               if               not,               do               you               wish               you               had?
               JFM:               I               didn't.

I               took               one               film               class               in               college               while               I               studied               writing,               acting               and               at               one               point,               cartooning,               but               that               was               it.

There               definitely               would               have               been               some               benefit               for               me               to               have               gone               at               least               one               year               to               film               school,               just               to               get               some               of               the               technical               basics               that               I'm               still               lacking               even               today.

It               seems               that               most               of               the               people               I               know               in               the               business               went               to               film               school               at               one               point,               but               very               few               of               them               actually               graduated.

They               learned               what               they               needed               to               to               get               their               feet               wet               and               then               stopped               wasting               time               in               class               and               got               to               work!

I               firmly               believe               that               experience               is               the               best               teacher.
               RHT:               You've               said               that               you               worked               on               a               film               or               two               that               fell               flat               before               making               it               into               production,               which               then               prompted               you               to               go               it               on               your               own               with               your               first               film,               "               Cannibalistic.

"               What               happened               with               those               projects               that               caused               them               to               fail,               and               what               do               you               feel               ultimately               led               to               the               successful               completion               of               that               first               project?
               JFM:               When               I               was               living               in               Los               Angeles               in               the               late               1990's,               I               was               focused               on               screenwriting               and               had               three               scripts               optioned;               a               super               hero               /               espionage               action               film,               a               horror               movie               and               a               big               budget               action               /               road               movie               that               I               co-wrote               with               Richard               Kaponas.

In               every               case,               I               was               very               excited               and               thought               "this               is               the               one,"               and               then               eventually,               the               project               fell               apart               after               months               of               waiting.

It               wasn't               anybody's               fault               or               anything,               it's               just               the               nature               of               the               game.

In               every               case,               the               producers               either               lost               the               financing               that               they               had               because               of               some               unforeseen               economic               crisis,               or               they               just               were               unable               to               raise               the               money               before               the               option               on               the               script               ran               out.

That's               showbiz.
               After               going               through               this               more               than               once,               I               just               decided               that               rather               than               waiting               for               somebody               else               to               make               it               happen,               I               should               just               do               what               I               always               did               with               the               comic               books               or               whatever               and               just               do               it               myself.

By               then               it               was               1999,               and               digital               technology               had               finally               made               things               affordable,               so               I               got               to               work               and               we               shot               CANNIBALLISTIC!

in               2000.
               That               film               worked               because               I               didn't               try               to               make               a               fake               Hollywood-style               production.

I               called               on               the               people               who               I               had               done               underground               theater               with               in               Boston               in               the               early               90's,               and               we               made               the               movie               the               same               way               we               used               to               put               on               shows               in               loft               spaces               and               bars.

Everybody               pitched               in               and               did               a               little               bit               of               everything.

Luckily,               our               old               theater               director,               David               Hale,               was               making               music               videos               and               documentaries               at               the               time,               so               his               newfound               expertise               and               access               to               equipment               really               came               in               handy.
               RHT:               Do               you               feel               your               extensive               resume               and               contacts               you               had               made               up               to               that               point               were               integral               to               the               success,               or               can               a               filmmaker               start               from               scratch               and               still               get               the               job               done?
               JFM:               It               helped,               certainly,               in               the               case               of               a               movie               like               SATAN               HATES               YOU               where               it               was               a               fairly               large               production               with               a               lot               of               actors               and               locations               which               we               managed               to               pull               off               for               very               little               money.

But               really               nowadays,               there's               nothing               holding               anyone               back.

You               can               shoot               a               feature               using               your               phone,               edit               it               on               a               laptop               and               distribute               it               via               the               web               for               very               little               time               and               a               lot               of               hard               work               if               you're               creative               enough.

Anybody               can               accomplish               anything               if               they               just               don't               screw               around               procrastinating               and               get               to               work!
               RHT:               Was               the               script/story               choice               of               "               Cannibalistic               "               made               due               to               the               budget               or               in               spite               of               it?

(               "               Cannibalistic               "               is               the               story               of               a               young               man               who               is               forced               to               eat               his               traveling               companion               when               they               become               stranded.

The               character               is               rescued               but               has               developed               a               taste               for               human               flesh.

He               attempts               to               move               to               the               middle               of               nowhere               and               become               a               vegetarian,               but               people               just               seem               to               keep               stopping               by...

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               JFM:               It               was               completely               dictated               by               the               budget.

That's               the               benefit               of               being               the               director,               editor               and               most               importantly               the               producer               --               when               I'm               writing,               I'm               counting               every               penny,               thinking               about               what               resources               we               can               get               for               free               and               where               we               can               cheat               things               in               the               edit               to               save               money.

That's               the               most               basic               lesson               that               we               all               learn               in               low-budget               filmmaking:               You               write               for               your               budget.

Being               a               producer               on               your               project               is               key               because               you               can               write               something               that               you               know               in               your               head               exactly               how               to               pull               it               off               when               shooting               and               later               cutting               the               scene;               however,               if               your               producers               don't               understand               the               low-budget               process               or               can't               get               their               head               around               doing               things               outside               of               the               "industry               way,"               then               you're               going               to               have               problems               and               the               production               will               go               over               budget,               or               you               won't               get               what               you               need               to               make               your               movie               work.
               RHT:               What               was               the               experience               like               making               that               first               film,               "               Canniballistic,               "               and               what               was               it               about,               for               those               who               haven't               been               lucky               enough               to               see               it?

Did               you               have               any               experience               in               movie               making               at               that               point,               and               what               did               you               learn               about               making               a               film               on               an               $8,000               budget!?
               JFM:               I               had               no               filmmaking               experience               outside               of               the               crappy               little               8mm               movies               I               made               in               my               backyard               and               in               college,               appearing               as               an               actor               in               a               few               student               and               independent               films               and               working               as               a               grip               on               some               music               videos.

Although               when               I               first               moved               to               Los               Angeles               in               1996,               I               did               a               lot               of               extra               work               on               movies               and               TV               shows,               mainly               so               I               could               be               on               sets               and               watch               how               things               were               done.

I               was               lucky               enough               to               spend               several               weeks               working               on               a               TV               movie               called               GEORGE               WALLACE               starring               Gary               Sinise               and               Angelina               Jolie               which               was               directed               by               the               great               John               Frankenheimer.

I               always               like               to               say               that               I               learned               how               to               direct               by               just               watching               him.

That               was               a               really               valuable               experience               for               me.
               CANNIBALLISTIC!

is               a               very               bloody               black               comedy/horror               film               starring               Don               Wood,               who               has               appeared               in               every               film               we've               done               so               far.

It's               the               story               of               a               guy               who               found               himself               trapped               in               the               woods               after               a               car               accident               where               he               was               forced               to               eat               his               deceased               companion               in               order               to               survive.

A               year               or               so               later,               he               moves               back               to               his               old               family               home               to               escape               his               newfound               craving               for               human               flesh,               but               his               annoying               neighbors               won't               leave               him               alone               --               and               he               ends               up               going               Canniballistic!
               It               was               a               blast               making               that               movie.

It               was               the               first               one               I'd               done,               so               every               moment               was               an               adventure               accompanied               by               a               feeling               of               accomplishment.

We               shot               it               in               Maine               at               my               parent's               place               when               the               autumn               leaves               were               in               their               full               glory,               and               the               weather               was               very               co-operative.

The               days               were               long,               and               at               times               we               were               all               exhausted,               but               it               was               one               of               the               most               enjoyable               shoots               I've               ever               been               on.
               The               film               was               all               made               using               common               sense               --               what               do               I               need               and               how               can               I               get               it               cheaply?

I               was               using               all               of               my               own               money,               which               is               the               best               incentive               to               keep               costs               down.

You               show               me               a               producer               or               director               who               can't               stay               on               budget               and               I               guarantee               that               person               has               never               had               to               work               with               his               or               her               own               cash               on               the               line.
               RHT:               You               said               in               another               interview               it               took               you               a               year               to               edit               "               Cannibalistic.

"               Had               you               ever               edited               before,               and               how               has               your               process               changed,               or               stayed               the               same,               in               the               other               films               you've               edited?

Should               directors               really               edit               their               own               films               or               at               least               be               present?
               JFM:               It               took               a               year               because               I               wasn't               editing               full-time.

I               moved               from               Los               Angeles               to               New               York               City               immediately               after               we               wrapped.

So               while               I               was               editing               I               was               also               working               construction               in               order               to               support               myself               as               I               had               just               spent               every               penny               I               had               on               the               movie.

I               was               also               exploring               a               new               city,               making               new               friends               and               finding               an               apartment,               while               shopping               the               movie               around               to               distributors               and               doing               everything               I               could               to               promote               it.

So               if               you               take               all               of               these               distractions               out               of               the               equation,               I               probably               could               have               finished               post-production               in               three               months               or               so.
               I               had               never               edited               anything               in               my               life!

I               was               learning               as               I               went,               and               I               had               no               idea               what               I               was               doing.

It's               a               miracle               that               the               movie               makes               any               sense               at               all,               let               alone               all               of               the               great               reviews               that               the               film               received               when               it               was               finally               started               making               the               rounds               in               2002.
               I               cut               my               own               films               because               it's               cheaper,               easier               and               (sometimes)               faster.

If               I               could               have               a               real,               professional               editor               on               all               of               my               movies,               I               would.

Cutting               a               movie               is               its               own               art               and               I               would               never               pretend               to               know               better               than               somebody               who               does               only               that               full               time.

I               also               don't               think               that               my               work               is               so               precious               that               I               can't               trust               other               people               with               it.
               Having               that               other               objective,               yet               informed,               opinion               can               be               an               amazing               thing               which               can               protect               a               filmmaker               from               his               or               her               own               blindness               to               things               that               may               not               be               working               in               a               film.

The               trick               is               finding               the               right               editor.

Like               any               other               field,               there               are               just               as               many,               if               not               more,               bad               ones               out               there               as               there               are               great               ones.
               RHT:               How               did               you               end               up               going               to               work               for               Larry               Fessenden's               Glass               Eye               Pix?
               JFM:               David               Leslie,               aka               "The               Impact               Addict",               a               performance               artist               and               frequent               collaborator               of               Larry               was               looking               for               some               help               on               a               project               they               were               working               on,               and               so               they               put               an               ad               out               looking               for               someone               with               filmmaking,               graphic               design,               web               and               desktop               publishing               skills.

I               got               the               job               and               ended               up               working               for               Glass               Eye               Pix               for               eight               years               and               making               four               films               of               my               own               with               the               company.
               RHT:               "               The               Off               Season               "               was               your               next               film               and               the               first               for               Glass               Eye               Pix's               Scareflix               series.

How               did               that               series               come               about,               and               how               did               working               on               that               second               film               differ               from               the               first?
               JFM:               I               had               been               working               for               Larry               for               about               six               months               before               I               let               him               see               CANNIBALLISTIC!,               mainly               because               I               was               worried               that               if               he               thought               it               was               garbage,               he'd               have               second               thoughts               about               my               talents,               and               I'd               be               out               of               a               job!

Turns               out,               he               really               loved               the               movie,               gave               me               a               raise               and               told               me               that               he               wanted               to               see               what               I               could               do               with               a               little               more               money.
               Larry's               films               are               more               of               a               sort               of               "art-horror"               genre,               and               I               think               he               had,               for               sometime,               wanted               to               produce               some               B-movies               that               he               himself               wanted               to               see               but               wasn't               inclined               to               make               on               his               own.

I               had               the               script               for               THE               OFF               SEASON               already,               he               gave               me               the               money               and               that               was               the               start               of               ScareFlix.
               I               always               say               that               CANNIBALLISTIC!

is               how               I               learned               to               make               movies               and               THE               OFF               SEASON               was               how               I               learned               NOT               to               make               them.

My               first               mistake               was               using               a               script               that               I               had               written               in               early               1997.

That               was               a               time               when               horror               movies               had               been               out               of               style               for               some               time,               so               the               screenplay               revisited               a               lot               of               the               old               cliches               that               audiences               might               have               expected               but               had               forgotten               about.

Producing               that               same               script               in               2003               and               releasing               the               movie               in               2005,               well               into               the               latest               horror               boom,               made               the               premise               seem               tired               and               dated.
               We               also               had               some               crew               and               scheduling               issues               that               I'd               rather               not               get               into               because               it's               easy               to               throw               around               blame,               and               ultimately,               the               blame               falls               on               my               shoulders.

Things               went               so               well               on               CANNIBALLISTIC!

that               with               this               film,               where               we               had               a               bit               more               money,               fewer               locations               and               fewer               special               effects,               I               just               took               it               for               granted               that               the               shoot               would               be               a               breeze.

I               was               wrong.

We               fell               way               behind               schedule,               and               I               ended               up               cutting               22               scenes               from               the               movie               as               we               were               shooting.

We               went               one               day               over               schedule               on               the               shoot,               which               has               NEVER               happened               before               or               since               on               any               film               I've               directed.
               In               the               end,               it's               the               least               favorite               of               our               movies,               which               is               a               shame               because               I               think               that               there               are               some               really               amazing               performances               in               there               from               our               actors.

Perhaps               the               best               thing               to               come               out               of               that               production               was               that               it               began               our               relationship               with               the               delightful               and               always               professional               Angus               Scrimm               and               another               ScareFlix               regular               Brenda               Cooney.
               The               film               was               released               on               DVD               by               Lionsgate               who               put               an               illustration               on               the               cover               of               a               graveyard               with               a               zombie               hand               reaching               out               from               under               the               earth               --               none               of               this               imagery               appears               in               or               has               anything               to               do               with               the               film.

It               did               amazingly               well               for               them               sales-wise,               but               people               who               bought               or               rented               it               expecting               some               kind               of               living               dead               film               and               got               our               subtle               little               ghost               story               felt               cheated,               and               we               got               some               really               terrible               reviews,               not               to               mention               hate               mail.

It               really               hurt               my               reputation               as               a               filmmaker               for               a               couple               of               years               until               my               next               film,               AUTOMATONS,               was               released               to               much               more               positive               reviews.
               RHT:               The               Scareflix               series               is               touted               as               "a               slate               of               ultra               low               budget               films               designed               to               exploit               hungry               new               talent               and               inspire               resourceful               filmmakers               to               produce               quality               work               through               seat-of-the-pants               ingenuity."               So               how               does               a               filmmaker               get               considered               for               Scareflix,               and               how               do               the               Scareflix               films               differ               from               regular               Glass               Eye               Pix               offerings               and               The               Dark               Sky               Films               flicks?
               JFM:               I               think               they               differ               because               they               aren't               Larry's               own               films               that               he's               made,               nor               are               they               the               sort               of               art/indie               films               that               he's               often               been               a               producer               on.
               I               don't               work               directly               for               the               company               anymore,               so               I               don't               know               whether               or               not               Glass               Eye               Pix               is               producing               any               more               ScareFlix,               but               in               the               past,               it               always               happened               rather               organically.

Ti               West               was               Larry's               intern               at               one               point,               and               that's               how               he               ended               making               THE               ROOST,               TRIGGER               MAN,               etc.

Graham               Reznick               was               the               sound               designer               on               several               ScareFlix               before               he               made               I               CAN               SEE               YOU               and               Glenn               McQuaid               (I               SELL               THE               DEAD)               started               doing               titles               and               FX               on               the               films               after               he               was               introduced               to               us               all               at               the               wrap               party               for               THE               OFF               SEASON               by               Brenda               Cooney               who               played               the               ghost               in               that               film.
               James               is               currently               in               post-production               on               "               Hypothermia,               "               starring               Michael               Rooker               (most               recently               seen               as               Merle               in               the               AMC               hit               The               Walking               Dead).

The               film               was               shot               in               upstate               New               York               in               the               winter               of               2010,               when               a               record-making               amount               of               snow               dumped               on               their               pristine,               iced-over               lake               that               they               had               been               shooting               on               for               weeks.

Trucks,               snowplows               and               crew               members               with               brooms               worked               to               get               it               back               to               the               clear,               shiny               ice               they               had               shot               on               previously               to               protect               continuity,               given               that               the               film               is               supposed               to               take               place               in               just               one               day.

Ah,               the               joys               of               low-budget               filmmaking               and               stories               set               in               the               dead               of               winter.

               RHT:               So               tell               us               about               "               Hypothermia               "               and               getting               to               work               with               Michael               Rooker?

(check               out               the               slideshow               at               left               for               photos               from               the               film)
               JFM:               HYPOTHERMIA               is               an               old-fashioned               monster               movie               that's               best               described               as               "THE               CREATURE               FROM               THE               BLACK               LAGOON               on               ice!"               It's               easily               the               most               straightforward,               mainstream               movie               that               I've               directed.
               Rooker               is               every               bit               the               character               that               you'd               expect               him               to               be.

He's               got               an               insane               amount               of               energy               and               never               sits               still.

He               loves               the               intense,               emotional               scenes               and               really               throws               himself               into               them.

And               he's               incredibly               physical,               which               was               a               huge               asset               while               making               this               movie               out               on               the               frozen               lake               for               very               little               money.
               The               night               before               I               was               heading               to               the               location               in               upstate               New               York,               I               was               talking               to               Mike               on               the               phone               when               he               asked               me,               "So               this               part               where               I               fall               in               the               water,               is               there               some               kind               of               studio               up               there               with               an               indoor               pool               that               we're               doing               this               in?

How               are               you               making               the               ice               indoors?"               I               was               in               shock,               because               the               producer               who               was               in               charge               of               casting               had               never               told               him               that               he               was               expected               to               put               on               a               wet               suit               and               go               into               the               actual               freezing               water               out               on               the               lake!

That               should               have               been               the               FIRST               thing               communicated               to               a               55-year               old               actor               when               offering               him               the               part,               but               it               didn't               happen.

I               profusely               apologized               to               Rooker               and               told               him               what               the               plan               was.

This               was               three               days               before               we               were               to               start               shooting               and               I               thought,               "This               is               it.

He's               going               to               bail               on               us."               Mike               was               quiet               for               a               few               moments               while               he               digested               what               I               had               told               him               and               then               responded               "Ah,               what               the               hell?

It's               just               a               little               water."               Amazing!

Not               many               actors               would               be               that               easy-going               about               something               like               that.
               When               the               day               came               to               do               the               stunt,               he               did               it               several               times!

He               was               super               into               it               and               the               scene               looks               fantastic               in               the               finished               film.
               RHT:               You've               managed               to               cast               some               of               the               real               cult               icons               of               the               horror               genre,               including               the               fantastic               Angus               Scrimm               (               "               Phantasm               "               ),               Debbie               Rochon               (see               IMDB               for               her               194               films!),               Michael               Berryman               (               "               The               Hills               Have               Eyes               "               )               and               Reggie               Bannister               (               "               Phantasm               "               ).

What               was               the               process               in               getting               these               actors               in               your               films,               and               had               Angus               and               Reggie               seen               each               other               since               "               Phantasm?

"               (they               appear               together               in               McKenney's               "               Satan               Hates               You               "               ).
               JFM:               If               there's               a               part               in               the               film               that               isn't               a               perfect               fit               for               one               of               our               regular               or               local               actors,               I               just               start               looking               for               people               whose               work               I               am               a               fan               of.

When               we               were               doing               THE               OFF               SEASON,               it               turned               out               that               Angus               was               going               to               be               on               the               East               Coast               for               a               convention,               so               we               figured               it               wouldn't               hurt               to               see               if               he'd               be               up               to               working               with               us               while               he               was               in               the               area.

Tony               Timpone               from               Fangoria               (possibly               the               nicest               man               in               the               world)               put               us               in               touch               with               Angus'               agent.

Angus               had               never               been               to               Maine               before               where               we               were               filming,               so               he               took               the               role               once               we               negotiated               his               salary               and               agreed               to               get               him               a               lobster               dinner.

We've               been               friends               ever               since.
               I               was               acquainted               with               Debbie               from               the               NYC               horror               scene               and               her               work               for               "               Fangoria.

"               She's               awesome.

A               real               professional.

Michael               Berryman               we               got               through               his               agent,               and               he               was               a               lot               of               fun.

A               super-smart               guy               with               a               great               sense               of               humor.
               Reggie               I               got               to               know               through               Angus.

They               have               been               friends               for               decades               and               see               each               other               fairly               regularly,               I               believe.

He's               another               amazing               guy.

Just               so               laid               back,               but               really               attentive               to               his               work.
               RHT:               So               Jim,               your               film               "Satan               Hates               You"               has               more               than               a               little               "wink               wink"               to               the               Christian               scare               films               of               the               70's               and               80's               (Christian               scare               films               were               over-the-top,               badly               acted               attempts               at               scaring               youth               into               doing               the               "right               thing"               and               avoiding               sin               with               cheesy-special-effects               laden               subject               matter               like               abortion               and               drugs).

What               about               those               films               inspired               you               to               make               that               movie?
               JFM:               I               love               all               sorts               of               low-budget               films               made               outside               of               New               York               or               Hollywood               --               exploitation               films               from               Florida,               traffic               safety               films               from               Ohio               or               whatever.

You               just               get               such               a               unique,               unpolished               and               honest               point               of               view               from               these               little               low               budget               productions               without               the               sort               of               jaded               "professionalism"               of               the               "big               city".

Some               of               the               Christian               films               are               really               well-made               and               scary               like               "A               THIEF               IN               THE               NIGHT"               or               the               short               film               "STALKED,"               while               others               are               just               so               amateurish               and               bizarre,               like               "THE               BURNING               HELL"               or               "IF               FOOTMEN               TIRE               YOU,               WHAT               WILL               HORSES               DO?"               that               you               can't               help               but               love               them.
               Along               with               the               Christian               comic               tracts               of               Jack               Chick,               I               was               really               inspired               by               these               movies,               but               I               didn't               want               to               make               an               imitation               of               one,               because               the               originals               already               exist,               nor               did               I               want               to               parody               them.

I               just               wanted               to               make               our               own               version,               and               I've               been               thrilled               at               how               well               it               have               been               received.
               RHT:               Many               of               your               scripts               seem               to               pay               homage               to               films               of               the               past               in               one               way               or               another,               and               we've               discussed               our               love               of               70's               and               80's               horror.

What               are               your               feelings               on               modern-day               films,               like               the               "               Saw               "               series,               and               especially               the               use               (and               perhaps               overuse)               of               CGI               special               effects?

Would               you               prefer               a               return               to               the               Stan               Winston               days               of               hands-on               SFX?
               JFM:               I'd               say               I'm               probably               more               of               a               60's               and               70's               guy,               so               I'm               a               full               decade               behind               you!
               I               don't               see               a               ton               of               modern               day               horror               films.

I               liked               the               first               SAW               movie               and               I               think               I               may               have               made               it               up               to               SAW               3               or               4,               but               I               lost               interest               even               before               that.

I'm               kind               of               a               sucker               for               the               "found               footage"               kind               of               films               like               BLAIR               WITCH,               PARANORMAL               ACTIVITY               and               the               last               few               minutes               of               REC,               because               they               have               (or               simulate)               the               kind               of               rawness               that               I               appreciate.

But               I               understand               how               they               don't               work               for               everybody               because               of               the               slow               pacing               and               the               fact               that               it's               hard               for               a               movie               that               is               made               for               so               little               money               to               live               up               to               the               expectations               of               modern               audiences,               especially               when               there               is               so               much               hype               surrounding               them.
               CGI               is               fine               when               used               properly,               although               I               think               they               work               better               in               sci-fi               or               fantasy               films               rather               than               a               horror               movie               that's               set               in               the               real               world.

I               prefer               hand-made               FX,               and               we               use               them               in               all               of               our               films               because               I               feel               that               somebody               needs               to               keep               that               tradition               alive,               and               they               are               just               so               much               more               fun               to               work               with.
               RHT:               What               are               some               tips               and               tricks               on               getting               the               most               out               of               special               effects               on               a               low               budget?
               JFM:               Lots               and               lots               of               blood!

You               can               hide               any               flaws               in               an               effect               with               tons               of               the               red               stuff.
               Also,               don't               feel               that               you               need               to               show               too               much               for               too               long.

Keep               the               mystery,               keep               things               in               the               shadows.

With               AUTOMATONS               we               got               away               with               tons               of               stuff               we               normally               couldn't               have               because               we               were               working               in               black               &               white               with               a               seriously               degraded               image.
               RHT:               Do               you               enjoy               the               "seat-of-your-pants"               method               that               comes               with               ultra-low               and               low               budget               filmmaking,               or               would               you               like               to               work               with               a               gazillion               dollar               budget?
               JFM:               I               prefer               the               no-nonsense,               low               budget               way               of               working.

I               don't               mind               making               compromises               because               there               isn't               enough               money.

That               just               inspires               you               to               come               up               with               more               creative               solutions.

I'll               take               that               any               day               over               making               compromises               because               some               idiot               producer               or               executive               just               doesn't               "get               it."
               I'd               like               to               find               a               happy               medium               where               we               have               as               much               creative               control               as               possible               while               having               enough               money               to               buy               the               time               to               get               things               right.

By               that               I               mean               always               getting               all               of               the               coverage               we               need               and               the               freedom               to               do               more               that               two               or               three               takes               of               every               shot.

We               hope               to               hit               this               magical               combination               with               our               next               film,               THE               GIRL               FROM               MARS.
               RHT:               How               hard               is               it               to               get               distribution               and               financing               for               low-budget               horror               these               days,               and               what's               your               advice               to               struggling               filmmakers?
               JFM:               It's               very               hard.

I've               been               very               fortunate               to               have               been               able               to               make               all               of               these               movies               and               get               them               released.

The               thing               that               is               really               crushing               is               that               for               every               hour               I               spend               actually               making               a               film,               I               spend               30               or               more               trying               to               raise               money,               get               it               into               festivals,               find               distribution,               etc.

I'm               a               filmmaker,               not               a               businessman,               so               this               is               the               one               aspect               of               the               job               I               really               can't               stand,               but               what               can               you               do?

That's               the               way               it               is.
               Sadly,               I               don't               have               a               lot               of               advice.

I               haven't               done               it               yet,               but               raising               money               through               something               like               Kickstarter               seems               like               a               better               bet               at               the               moment               than               the               old               traditional               sources.
               As               for               distribution,               it's               tough               out               there               right               now.

It's               easy               to               get               your               film               seen,               but               extremely               difficult               to               make               your               money               back               doing               so.

Most               indie               film               folks               who               get               their               movies               released               through               a               distributor               still               end               up               losing               their               shirt.

The               downside               to               the               digital               filmmaking               revolution               is               that               there               are               just               so               many               movies               out               there               now               that               distributors               aren't               paying               even               close               to               what               they               were               ten               years               ago.
               RHT:               What               do               you               think               of               the               use               of               YouTube               as               a               device               for               marketing               and               financing,               such               as               shooting               teaser               trailers?

What               about               other               social               networking               sites?

               JFM:               I'm               the               wrong               person               to               ask               because               I've               been               lucky               enough               to               be               so               busy               that               I've               never               had               the               time               to               explore               all               of               the               possibilities               that               these               sites               have               to               offer.
               Although               our               company               MonsterPants               has               a               presence               on               Facebook,               and               we               have               a               Twitter               account               for               our               upcoming               film               THE               GIRL               FROM               MARS               @marsgirlmovie               --               both               of               which               are               maintained               by               my               producing               partner               Lisa               Wisely               --               I               don't               personally               use               any               social               networking               sites.
               People               ask               me               all               the               time               how               I'm               able               to               juggle               so               many               projects               and               how               I               can               write               a               full-length               screenplay               in               five               days               and               the               answer               is               right               there               --               I               don't               let               myself               get               distracted.

I               don't               use               Twitter               or               Facebook,               I               don't               spend               my               time               in               forums               chatting               with               other               film               people               or               reading               blogs               on               what               others               are               doing.

I'm               a               writer               and               filmmaker               first               and               foremost,               so               I               need               to               spend               my               time               actually               doing               those               things,               not               talking               online               about               doing               them.
               Now               when               you're               movie               is               finished,               and               you               need               to               promote               it,               that's               a               different               matter.

There's               no               such               thing               as               a               bad               way               to               let               people               know               about               your               film.

Just               keep               in               mind               how               much               time               it               takes               to               make               your               Facebook               and               Twitter               campaign               interesting               and               successful.

But               if               you're               just               a               one               or               two-person               operation               and               there's               still               work               to               be               done,               I               think               it's               best               to               keep               the               distractions               and               excuses               for               procrastination               to               a               minimum.
               RHT:               So               for               a               question               on               today's               films,               what               are               you               thoughts               on               all               the               remakes               permeating               the               cinema               these               days,               and               are               there               any               films               you'd               like               to               remake?
               JFM:               Going               back               to               almost               the               beginning               of               narrative               cinema,               there               have               always               been               remakes.

But               they               were               usually               motivated               by               some               advancement               of               technology;               remaking               a               silent               movie               when               sound               came               along               or               re-doing               an               old               black               and               white               film               for               an               audience               accustomed               to               watching               things               in               color.
               In               the               case               of               something               like               John               Carpenter's               THE               THING               or               Cronenberg's               THE               FLY,               aside               from               the               black               &               white/color               thing,               the               remake               was               completely               justified               because               the               original               films               were               made               during               a               time               when               the               pacing               was               much               slower,               and               the               acting               style               was               less               naturalistic               than               what               audiences               in               the               1980's               were               used               to.
               But               now               that               Hollywood               is               re-making               films               from               the               1970's               and               80's               where               the               sensibility               is               the               same               as               any               good               contemporary               movie,               and               you               can               watch               the               originals               on               home               video               at               anytime,               it's               just               cashing               in               on               a               brand               without               any               regard               to               artistic               merit               whatsoever.

These               sorts               of               remakes               don't               really               interest               me.

As               a               rule,               most               of               my               favorite               movies               were               made               before               1983               anyway,               so               I               don't               feel               any               need               to               see               what               the               dumbed-down               21st               century               version               of               a               1970's               classic               is               going               to               be               like.
               I               generally               just               want               to               make               films               based               on               my               own               original               stories,               but               I               do               have               two               movies               in               mind               that               I               would               be               interested               in               re-making               if               somebody               came               along               with               an               offer               and               the               money               to               make               it               happen.

They               are               both               horror               films,               one               is               an               old               MGM               title               and               the               other               is               an               American               International               cheapie               that               doesn't               quite               live               up               to               the               promise               made               by               its               title               and               poster.

They               aren't               exactly               "dream               projects,"               but               if               the               opportunity               came               up,               they               could               be               fun               to               do.
               RHT:               Tell               usabout               the               latest               project               you're               about               to               start               shooting,               "The               Girl               from               Mars!

"
               JFM:               THE               GIRL               FROM               MARS               is               a               science               fiction/romance               about               a               guy               who               meets               the               girl               of               his               dreams,               who               claims               to               be               from               another               planet.

I               wrote               the               film               specifically               for               actress               Pauley               Perrett,e               and               we               were               thrilled               when               she               told               us               how               much               she               loved               the               script.
               I               had               written               a               story               for               her               about               a               year               earlier.

It               was               a               very               dark               and               gory               horror               film               in               the               vein               of               early               Clive               Barker               stories               with               some               Lovecraftian               elements.

But               it               was               so               grim,               it               just               didn't               seem               right               for               Pauley.

The               free-spirited               and               generous               gal               she               plays               in               MARS               celebrates               what               makes               Pauley               so               special,               and               I               think               that's               going               to               make               the               movie               a               lot               of               fun               for               audiences.
               The               film               is               also               a               nice               little               breather               for               me               after               making               HYPOTHERMIA               as               it's               all               character               and               dialog-driven,               so               the               effects               aren't               dominating               the               production.

I'll               be               back               to               gore               and               monsters               and               robots               soon               enough               though!
               RHT               :               Pauley               Perrette               and               Max               Brooks               (author               of               the               bestseller               "               World               War               Z               "               and               son               of               legendary               director,               Mel               Brooks)               both               had               cameos               in               "               Satan               Hates               You               "               and               both               will               appear               in               "               The               Girl               From               Mars.

"               How               did               you               meet               them               and               convince               them               to               be               in               your               films!?
               JFM:               Pauley               is               an               old               friend               of               my               producing               partner,               Lisa               Wisely.

We               both               met               her               through               Pauley's               best               friend,               Darren               Greenblatt,               who               has               been               a               huge               help               in               getting               THE               GIRL               FROM               MARS               off               the               ground.

She               loved               the               script,               and               we               were               in               business!
               Max               is               an               old               friend               of               mine               who               I               met               when               he               started               dating               his               wife,               Michelle               Kholos,               who               I               went               to               college               with.

He               and               I               hit               it               off               right               away               because               we're               both               big               nerds               who               can               spend               hours               talking               about               zombies,               Bigfoot,               Star               Trek               and               King               Kong.
               He's               been               amazing               as               far               a               promoting               my               films               during               interviews               and               appearances               where               he's               supposed               to               be               talking               about               his               own               work!

He's               gone               above               and               beyond               in               that               regard.

It               was               because               of               this               level               of               support               that               he's               given               me               that               I               figured               I'd               ask               him               to               do               a               couple               of               cameos               in               our               films,               and               he's               been               very               generous               with               his               time.
               RHT:               So               the               biggest               question               of               all,               for               any               struggling               or               first-time               filmmakers               out               there:               Are               you               actually               doing               this               for               a               living?

As               in,               have               you               progressed               to               the               point               of               making               enough               money               as               a               filmmaker               to               sustain               you?
               JFM:               I               was               a               full-time               employee               of               Glass               Eye               Pix               for               eight               years,               so               thanks               to               Larry's               generosity,               I               was               able               to               support               myself               working               on               my,               and               other               people's,               films.

Since               deciding               to               strike               out               on               my               own               last               October,               I've               been               getting               by               doing               some               little               freelance               writing,               directing               and               editing               gigs               along               with               some               graphic               design               work               while               we               wait               for               the               money               to               come               in               for               the               next               feature.

Operating               at               these               lower               budget               levels               certainly               doesn't               mean               champagne               and               caviar,               but               it               can               be               enough               to               get               by               on               as               long               as               you're               able               to               keep               working.
               R               HT:               So               what's               in               the               pipeline               for               James               Felix               McKenney?
               JFM:               Filming               on               THE               GIRL               FROM               MARS               is               right               around               the               corner.

We               just               need               to               confirm               a               few               things               before               we               lock               in               our               start               date               and               then               we               can               get               to               work.
               After               that,               we've               got               seven               projects               in               various               stages               of               development:               There's               a               dark               fantasy               film               in               the               "Twilight               Zone"               tradition               called               WORLD'S               FAIR               that               I               was               gearing               up               to               make               when               the               offer               to               do               HYPOTHERMIA               came               along.

Then               we               have               another               rural               monster               movie               that               Max               Brooks               prodded               me               into               writing               (no,               it's               not               a               zombie               movie!).

We               have               a               couple               of               other               horror               movies               lined               up               as               well               as               two               science               fiction               movies               and               some               other               "mystery"               projects.
               Even               I               don't               know               which               one               will               end               up               going               into               production               first.

It's               always               the               same               story,               it               all               comes               down               to               raising               the               money.

Even               low               budget               films               cost               something               to               make!
               ___
               To               see               one               of               James'               films               from               start               to               finish,               check               out               his               Glass               Eye               Pix               films               "Automatons"               in               its               entirety               at               New               York's               Public               Television               station               WNET               Reel               13.
               View               trailers               and               learn               more               about               James'               other               films               at               the               Monsterpants               official               website






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