'Alien Trespass' actress did homework for her movie role

When actress Jenni Baird was cast in "Alien Trespass," the campy science-fiction film released on DVD Tuesday, she was given homework.

Director R.W. Goodwin told her to go home and watch the original versions of "The Day the Earth Stood Still," "War of the Worlds" and "It Came from Outer Space." He wanted Baird to get familiar with the movies that were the inspiration for his salute to the 1950s creature features.

Goodwin's film looks like it was shot in the '50s, when movie monsters were often made of scraps of material and had exposed zippers. The task of the beautiful woman - fellow scientist, secretary, spouse - was to scream bloody murder.

Baird's character is different. She plays a waitress who won't back down to any little green men in flying saucers.

"I was told that my character does not exist in the original form," said Baird during a break from meeting with WonderCon conventioneers earlier this year.

"I figured if we stuck to our guns and made an authentic '50s movie, it could be charming and scary and fun," Goodwin said.

GARY THOMPSON is on vacation. His column, A Gary Thompson Production, returns next week.