Posts Tagged ‘First Man on Mars’

Documentary Movie Haunted Thrills To Get Release in 2021

RPLLC and GHOST CLINIC FILMS are pleased to present HAUNTED THRILLS (2021) coming to a variety of platforms in November 2021 after its world premiere in October.
Haunted Thrills is an indie documentary featurette companion to Mike Lyddon’s horror anthology movie WITCH TALES aka CUENTOS DE LA BRUJA (2020). Lyddon lived in New Orleans and on the gulf coast for many years where he made several films including Cut Up, Zombie! Vs. Mardi Gras, First Man on Mars, and Horror Anthology movie vols. 1 and 2. The Haunted Thrills documentary looks at many of the publishers and artists who drew horror comics that were considered so extreme that it led to the Comics Code Authority stamp, one of the largest cases of industrial censorship in U.S. history.
Everyone knows about Stan Lee and Marvel Comics but few know that he was one of the original pre-code horror editors when he worked for ATLAS in the late 1940s.  We interview two artists who worked at Atlas, Joe Sinnott and Vic Carrabotta.
Also, we speak with the great Everett Raymond Kinstler about his days with AVON and ZIFF-DAVIS publishers.
Trailer is now on RUMBLE and YOUTUBE, or watch it here –

Wicked Horror Show Welcomes Indie Filmmaker Mike Lyddon

Independent horror – science fiction Filmmaker Mike Lyddon is a guest on the WICKED HORROR SHOW podcast with hosts Tony and Kevin. They talk about Lyddon’s latest feature length horror anthology movie WITCH TALES, his last film FIRST MAN ON MARS which was shot in and around New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, and his new endeavor, a pre-code horror comics doc titled HAUNTED THRILLS about many of the artists and publishers of sci-fi, horror and crimes comics of the late 1940s and early 1950s.
Also, we discuss THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON and the enormously popular COSMIC HORROR sub-genre in both print and movies.  Fans of H.P. Lovecraft will find this of particular interest.
Question: Was THE BLOB the first film made about Cosmic Horror?
First Man in Mars: The countdown to terror has begun. Astronaut Eli Cologne became the first man on Mars, but something went horribly wrong. Infected by an alien organism, he lands back on Earth during Hurricane Katrina as a savage monster with an unquenchable thirst for human flesh.  First Man on Mars Trailer is presented in the show.
Witch Tales: A Halloween Horror Anthology movie featuring an “enchanting” girl next door who wants to invite you in for a treat….or a TRICK. Witch Tales is Lyddon’s latest feature with three gruesome tales of terror presented by a seductive witch while she concocts a very special brew during Halloween eve.  The English version trailer of Witch Tales is presented in the show.
Lyddon is an award-winning writer, producer, director and special makeup effects artist known for the films Cut Up (1994), Zombie! vs. Mardi Gras (1999), Horror Anthology Movie Vol. 1 (2013) and Vol. 2 (2014) and First Man on Mars (2016). Short films include The Cordyceps Principle (2013), Thing in the Shed (2013), Footage Found Arabi (2013) and By the Hair of the Head (2014). He also filmed over 100 live indigenous and traditional music videos in South America for HowlingEarth.Com.
Click here to watch the show.

From Los Angeles to New Orleans to Lima – Mike Lyddon talks Indie Filmmaking

In the latest interview from the Swedish genre site MONSTERDIGGARE, filmmaker Mike T. Lyddon goes back in time to recount tales of filmmaking and inspiration from Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Lima, Peru.
“My early influences included Harlan Ellison, Charles Beaumont, Rod Serling, Roger Corman, Forrest J Ackerman, and of course the late great Don Dohler.”
On filming First Man on Mars in Louisiana and Mississippi –
“I wrote the original First Man on Mars story while there was a lot of excitement about NASA sending people to Mars. So I thought it would be timely to make a film about Mars, but of course, make it a horror-comedy about a billionaire astronaut who funds his own expedition to Mars…”
On DIY filmmaking –
“You MUST rehearse the script with your cast prior to getting on the set to shoot the film. You MUST block out any needed action as well as you can before you get on the set. You would be surprised at how many low budget films do not do these things, and they suffer for it.”
CLICK HERE to read the entire interview.

Sci-Fi Comedy Makes Top Indie Films List

Reel Progress LLC is pleased to announce that “First Man on Mars,” the new feature length sci-fi comedy by Mike Lyddon has made Philip Smolen’s annual list of eight incredible indie films of 2016 on the popular film site Rogue Cinema.
“I am thrilled that First Man on Mars made the list,” said Lyddon, “but even more amazed that it made a top list of all indie films of 2016, not just genre movies.  It’s rare when any horror or science fiction film goes up against mainstream flicks and I’m proud that my little Martian opus made the grade.”

If you want to know more about First Man on Mars and Mike Lyddon, visit the IMDB page.

New Orleans Films of Mike Lyddon

Mike Lyddon in Lima, Peru with Tomas

Genre filmmaker Mike T. Lyddon has been making no-budget science fiction – horror features for the last 25 years.  Beginning back in 1993 with the New Orleans crime thriller CUT UP (1994) up to his last film FIRST MAN ON MARS (2016), Lyddon has managed to craft a small but enduring legacy in the big easy which culminated in last year’s LOUP GAROU Film Festival which showcased FIRST MAN ON MARS as well as an earlier film ZOMBIE! vs. MARDI GRAS Lyddon co-wrote, produced and directed in addition to a short film which was part of the Lyddon production of HORROR ANTHOLOGY MOVIE VOL. 1.
“I had no connection with the festival, but all three films ended up in it.”  Lyddon said recently.  “It was a real kick seeing three productions of mine at one film festival.”

Click HERE to read the new interview with Mike Lyddon in the January edition of ROGUE CINEMA!

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Loup Garou at Bar Redux

Bar Redux in New Orleans, La., is hosting the Loup Garou Sci-Fi and Horror Film Festival from October 21st through the 23rd.
Included on the three day schedule is First Man on Mars (2016), the latest feature film by indy filmmaker Mike T. Lyddon.
On Saturday, you can catch Zombie! Vs. Mardi Gras (1995) which was co-written, produced and directed by Lyddon.
On Sunday, don’t miss the amazing FEAST trilogy!  FEAST was the first film done through Ben Affleck’s Project Greenlight show, and we highly recommend the first film and the third film from this trilogy.

Find more info on the festival on the Facebook page or from the official Bar Redux website.

Horror Comedy First Man on Mars

First Man on Mars (2016)
Billionaire astronaut Eli Cologne became the first man to land on Mars.  After his hopes of getting even richer by finding and claiming the rights to valuable mineral deposits are dashed, he finds what he thinks is gold, but he is horribly mistaken.  He is infected by an alien spore and returns to earth a mutated, blood thirsty creature hell bent on murder and destruction in this satirical homage to 1970’s drive-in creature features produced and directed by Mike T. Lyddon.

Shot on location in Louisiana and a ghost town in Mississippi located near Stennis Space center where actual Nasa rockets were constructed.

Click Here to visit the official movie page and buy FIRST MAN ON MARS, now on DVD.