HorrorYearbook: How did you come up for the plot in ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE! (2001) where cheerleaders get revenge on a group of jocks?

Lucky McKee: Chris and I wanted to make a movie at the level of what EI was doing at the time, but we didn’t have the balls to ask anyone to get naked. However, we filmed the majority of the movie naked ourselves. We just wanted our first movie to be something simple and fun.

HYB: I have heard some fans are looking for copies of it. Will it be released on DVD in the future?

LK: We are going to self-distribute it next year. I’m sure there are bootlegs out there. We’ve had to shut some of them down. Just be patient. It’s aging like wine and that DVD is going to be PACKED with stuff.

HYB: Is it true that you had a lot of help from friends in film school that contributed to the making of MAY (2002)? How so?

Dance Break!

LK: It was the first movie of our own that we all got to make, so I used every genius I had found over the course of life and film school. It was our first baby and is extremely dear to us. Just look at the editors! Rian Johnson, Chris Sivertson, and Kevin Ford. Three successful directors now. And there are many more to come. Those credits are gonna be pretty amazing in a few years. It’s where a lot of great artists first got their work seen worldwide.

HYB: Where did the idea from MAY come from? It seemed to weave different ideas and unique characters into one storyline.

LK: Frankenstein. Taxi Driver. Nirvana. Loneliness. Awkwardness. John Waterhouse. My Mom’s creepy doll. Myself.

HYB: Was MAY inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein? I notice the similarities with May’s sewed body parts and her quest for companionship.

LK: Shelly’s book is part of it. She wrote the story in her late teens and that’s when I wrote MAY. But it came from a lot of different stuff. Mostly my life at the time. (Minus the body chopping and re-configuring, I swear!)

HYB: Will the DVD be re-released with more features such as the missing scenes? You mentioned in the commentary that there were scenes removed like the “Bird Wing Chopping” scene where a young May tries to make her doll fly.

LK: Gosh. It could be very cool. I have so much cool shit. About a hundred hours of documentary footage, all the original artwork, deleted scenes, you name it. Who knows?

HYB: Your films serve as more than a form of entertainment and explore different themes such as isolation, loneliness, and abandonment. What are your influences in the horror genre?

LK: At some point or another we realize that we’ll be alone for our entire lives. Alone in our minds. No one else can get inside there and truly see what’s going on. Some people can invade areas, but the whole potato is yours and yours alone.

HYB: Your editor Rian Johnson moved on to direct the well received BRICK (2005). How did you earn the Special Thanks?

LK: I hooked him up with my casting director from MAY and just pushed him as hard as I could in my own way. I have known him since I was 17 years old and have always known that he would be the greatest director of our generation.

HYB: Why did you choose THE WOODS (2006) script as your next directing project?

LK: I wanted to try and make something in the Hollywood system and see if it could maintain a unique quality amidst a bunch of cookie-cutter nonsense. I skipped major grades in school with that one and will be informed by it for the rest of my life. I’m very proud of the final product as an audio-visual experience. It’s an overdrawn picture to a certain extent, but I stayed with it to the bitter end and truly believe it’s the best version we could muster.

HYB: How was your experience working on MASTERS OF HORROR: SICK GIRL (2006)? I have heard some other directors complain about budget and time restraints.

LK: Well…I came in under-budget and under-schedule, so no complaints there. We just had a fricken’ blast! We felt like being silly and I really needed to hone my skills and learn something about myself. I’m very proud of that piece of work. It’s just pure fun.

HYB: Would you say that you have made films that support feminists and feminist theory?

LK: I don’t subscribe to any causes. I just try to call it like I see it. People are very cruel to each other and very judgmental. We all have those qualities to varying degrees inside us, so I try to explore it a little, in my own way.

HYB: I have also noticed that most of your films feature lesbian characters, seemingly not for the sake of titillation, but for the sake of being diverse. What is your reasoning behind this?

Watch Angela Bettis & Misty Mundae Lesbian Scene Here

LK: I’m not going to lie. Titillation IS a part of it. I’m a guy. Sorry. BUT…that being said, if you’re gonna’ do it, have sympathy for your characters and don’t be an exploitative asshole. Make it genuine. It exists and there’s nothing wrong with it, contrary to a lot of people’s beliefs.

HYB: ROMAN (2006) is almost a reverse MAY for the males. What was your inspiration behind writing this?

LK: Guilt. Loneliness. Millais (the painter). Rear Window. People I’ve met and things I’ve seen.

HYB: How did Angela Bettis become the director?

LK: It just seemed like the logical thing to do to make the films distinct from one another. Plus…I only direct movies with female leads!

HYB: How was it acting for the first time? Did you take any classes or receive coaching?

LK: I just used what I’ve picked up over the years working with all different types of actors. Angie held my hand and we made through.

HYB: Do you have a new respect for the actors you work with now? Any advice you would give to actors on working with directors and vice versa?

LK: Absolutely. How could I not gain more respect? Advice? Get in the mood and listen to each other. No one likes a faker. You have to believe what you’re doing. Find a comfort zone and just let it go.

HYB: How did you get involved as Producer on Jack Ketchum’s THE LOST (2005)?

LK: I bought the rights for Chris when I received my first check on THE WOODS and served as a cheerleader all the way through. He made that movie happen with hard work and will power. He’s going to go down as one of the good ones, I think.

HYB: Can you tell us about the upcoming adaptation of Jack Ketchum’s “Red” you will be directing?

LK: Red is Dead.

HYB: Besides “Red”, What other projects do you have lined up for the future?

LK: LuckyMcKee.com goes up in April and it’s gonna be pretty damn cool. I’m really excited about it. And I may just make something with this actress I heard about called Angela Bettis…