Interview: James Felix McKenney, writer and director of forthcoming romantic Sci Fi film The Girl from Mars

Finally, writer-director James Felix McKenney talks about his forthcoming romantic SF film The Girl from Mars, starring Pauley Perrette, the sexy forensic scientist in the top-rated CBS television series NCIS, in a lengthy interview titled "Low Budget Horror Filmmaking 101." Here’s a snippet:

Question: Tell us about the latest project you’re about to start shooting, The Girl from Mars!

James Felix McKenney: 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 Perrette 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!

The Girl from Mars is a The Work Room Productions project. The film's official website is http://www.thegirlfrommarsmovie.com.