PopHorror Let's Get Scared
The name Lucky McKee probably sounds familiar to you. He did, after all, give the horror world the cult favorite, May (2002 – read our retro review here). Following up that gem were his contributions to Masters of Horror and Tales of Halloween (2015 – read our review here). But his pièce de résistance is the masterpiece, The Woman. I was fortunate enough to screen Lucky’s latest film, Kindred Spirits, for Cinepocalypse 2019 (stay tuned for my upcoming review), and then got the chance to speak with the master himself. We discussed Kindred Spirits, his favorite part of filmmaking, and of course, horror movies.
PopHorror: What was it about Kindred Spirits that made you want to be a part of it?
Lucky McKee: One of my oldest friends and collaborators wrote a great script that fit me like a glove. Kindred Spirits presented a lot of new challenges for me as a filmmaker. It was great to direct a film without having to put my hands on the script… which I’ve had to do with everything I’ve made up to this point. I just trusted Chris’s [Sivertson of Queensbury Pictures] words and concentrated on directing. It was very liberating. I also had built a great friendship and working relationship with our producer, Mike Moran, and it was great to finally put a film in the can with him as an ally.
PopHorror: I noticed the subtle placement of Texas craft beers throughout the film. Where did you film, and how long did it take? What was your favorite part of filming?
Lucky McKee: We shot in Austin, Texas back in the fall. I’m assuming all the craft beer cans were what our props people were able to get clearance on. I love the shooting process, so there are many moments that were fun, but I’d say filming all the high school party scenes was the most-most fun. Orchestrating all the extras, lighting, atmosphere and performances – all while keeping up with our tight schedule – was a great challenge, which we met with everything we had. We also shot the scene where Nicole has an altercation at school that same day. Our cast and crew kicked ass from breakfast to dinner in what I saw as a perfect day. We even wrapped early!
PopHorror: Awesome! A lot of your movies – May, All Cheerleaders Must Die, The Woman, and now, Kindred Spirits – have strong, central female characters. Is this important for you to have in your films?
Lucky McKee: Ever since film school, I’ve gravitated toward female leads in my films. It’s not a necessity or a requirement when I’m writing or considering an outside project. It’s just happened to work out that way for me.
PopHorror: Have you always been a horror fan?
Lucky McKee: Ever since elementary school when I acquired a book summarizing all the classic Universal monster films.
PopHorror: Have you always wanted to make movies? If you weren’t a filmmaker, what do you think you’d be doing?
Lucky McKee: I caught the movie bug at around 11 years-old and never looked back. Before that, I wanted to write and draw comic books, but eventually was honest enough with myself that I just didn’t have a natural talent for drawing. If I had to go into another field today, it would be in sound recording and editing.
PopHorror: If you could collaborate with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?
Lucky McKee: Kurt Cobain
PopHorror: What’s you favorite scary movie?
Lucky McKee: Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
I want to send a big thank you to Lucky McKee for taking the time to speak with me, Be sure to catch Kindred Spirits when it comes to a city near you!
