Posts Tagged ‘First Man on Mars’

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.