Hot Picks

- There's No Such Thing as Zombies 2020

- Ready for My Close Up 2019

- If I Could Ride Again 2025

- Freak Off 2025

- Lavender Men 2025

- Lost Cos 2023

- Sound of the Surf 2022

- The Stillness 2025

- Frankie Freako 2024

- The Texas Witch 2025

- Cannibal Mukbang 2023

- Bleeding 2024

- No Choice 2025

- Nahual 2025

- Bitter Souls 2025

- A Very Long Carriage Ride 2025

- The Matriarch 2024

- Oxy Morons 2025

- Ed Kemper 2025

- Piglet 2025

- Walter, Grace & the Submarine 2024

- Midnight in Phoenix 2025

- Dorothea 2025

- Mauler 2025

- Consecration 2023

- The Death of Snow White 2025

- Franklin 2025

- ApoKalypse 2025

- Live and Die in East LA 2023

- A Season for Love 2025

- The Arkansas Pigman Massacre 2025

- Visceral: Between the Ropes of Madness 2012

- The Darkside of Society 2023

- Jackknife 2024

- Family Property 2: More Blood 2025

- Feral Female 2025

- Amongst the Wolves 2024

- Autumn 2023

- Bob Trevino Likes It 2024

- A Hard Place 2025

- Finding Nicole 2025

- Juliet & Romeo 2025

- Off the Line 2024

- First Moon 2025

- Healing Towers 2025

- Final Recovery 2025

- Greater Than 2014

- Self Driver 2024

- Primal Games 2025

- Grumpy 2023

- Swing Bout 2024

- Dalia and the Red Book 2024

- Project MKGEXE 2025

- Two to One 2024

- Left One Alive 2025

- Burgermen 2020

- Conspiracy of Fear 2025

- The Haunting of Heather Black 2025

- Talk of the Dead 2016

- A Killer Conversation 2014

- First Impressions Can Kill 2017

- Star Crash 1979

- Strangler of the Swamp 1946

An Interview with Jennifer Valdes, Director of Isabelle

by Mike Haberfelner

August 2014

Films directed by Jennifer Valdes on (re)Search my Trash

 

Quick Links

Abbott & Costello

The Addams Family

Alice in Wonderland

Arsène Lupin

Batman

Bigfoot

Black Emanuelle

Bomba the Jungle Boy

Bowery Boys

Bulldog Drummond

Captain America

Charlie Chan

Cinderella

Deerslayer

Dick Tracy

Dick Turpin

Dr. Mabuse

Dr. Orloff

Doctor Who

Dracula

Edgar Wallace made in Germany

Elizabeth Bathory

Emmanuelle

Fantomas

Flash Gordon

Frankenstein

Frankie & Annette Beach Party movies

Freddy Krueger

Fu Manchu

Fuzzy

Gamera

Godzilla

Hercules

El Hombre Lobo

Incredible Hulk

Jack the Ripper

James Bond

Jekyll and Hyde

Jerry Cotton

Jungle Jim

Justine

Kamen Rider

Kekko Kamen

King Kong

Laurel and Hardy

Lemmy Caution

Lobo

Lone Wolf and Cub

Lupin III

Maciste

Marx Brothers

Miss Marple

Mr. Moto

Mister Wong

Mothra

The Munsters

Nick Carter

OSS 117

Phantom of the Opera

Philip Marlowe

Philo Vance

Quatermass

Robin Hood

The Saint

Santa Claus

El Santo

Schoolgirl Report

The Shadow

Sherlock Holmes

Spider-Man

Star Trek

Sukeban Deka

Superman

Tarzan

Three Mesquiteers

Three Musketeers

Three Stooges

Three Supermen

Winnetou

Wizard of Oz

Wolf Man

Wonder Woman

Yojimbo

Zatoichi

Zorro

Your upcoming movie Isabelle - in a few words, what is it about?

 

Isabelle is a romantic horror love story about a grieving husband who will stop at nothing to be reunited with his love again. He becomes so obsessed with Isabelle that he begins the downward spiral into madness...

 

What were your inspirations when writing Isabelle?

 

I was very inspired to make a modern black and white film after watching the film Frankenweenie. The story also inspired me. The lengths that the boy went to trying to resurrect his dog definitely influenced my main character Leon's development. Also the love story aspect and sheer creepiness of the character comes from my love of Edgar Allen Poe's work.

 

With your film being among other things about undying love - your thoughts on the topic?

 

I personally don't think love dies, it just transforms - for Leon, undying love becomes an obsession. Actually, he becomes very obsessed his love for Isabelle but also with her corpse and he has a morbid romance with her dead body...

 

How would you describe your film's approach to horror, and what can you tell us about the look and feel of Isabelle as such?

 

Isabelle is my attempt at stepping a little bit away from the horror genre in a way. Yes It's horror, but it's also romantic and dramatic. I think it is a classy, elegant, cross-over piece broadening the spectrum from horror to other genres...

 

Do talk about your key cast for a bit, and why exactly these people?

 

Bradley Brian Custer plays Leon - he had the perfect look and personality to play this odd character and he was brilliant! Mara Lee Gilbert plays Isabelle - I  had worked with her before on a project called Escape From Kings Park and I had a vision of her playing this part. She was amazing.

Other actors include Anthony Saint Thomas, Bettina Skye, Susan Adriensen [Susan Adriensen interview - click here] and Bradley Creanzo.

 

What can you tell us about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere?

 

The shoots were all amazing! We had 5 days of shooting. My crew and actors were phenomenal. Everyone kept a professional attitude and we all worked our butts off to get things done. The shoots moved along smoothly and efficiently thanks to my amazing AD Jeremiah Kipp [Jeremiah Kipp interview - click here] as well as the hard work of SOS Productions, Michael Zinn and Jeff and Meg Scott. Marissa Valdes also co- produced the film and I couldn't have done it without her expertise.

 

The $64-question of course, when and where will the movie be released onto the general public?

 

Isabelle will be screening September 12th 2014 9:30pm at Long Island's Blood and Babes Comic-Con. After that we will be entering film festivals.

 

Any future projects you'd like to share?

 

I am working on an anthology of films by female film directors. Isabelle was created to be released as part of this anthology called, Dawn of the Femmes. Right now we need funding to produce the final short in the series.

 

What got you into filmmaking in the first place, and did you receive any formal training on the subject?

 

I first got into filmmaking after studying Communications, TV/Film and AVID Editing at St. John's University. After that I produced my own public access TV show with my sister, Fallen Fayth. The show was called The All New Brain Eaters Show and it aired weekly on QPTV and BCAT for 8 years. It was a comedy/variety show with musical guests and band interviews.

 

What can you tell us about your filmwork prior to Isabelle?

 


My first film is called Jack 'O' Slasher (2013). It's a hilarious horror/comedy film, about a pumpkin-headed demon from hell, who is killing people to trying to resurrect the devil. It has worldwide distribution and can be found online as well as in stores around NYC. After that I made a few short films. To Love is to Die was nominated for best music in the Macabre Faire Film Festival, and M is for Monotheist was produced for the ABCs of Death-contest. I also co-directed a feature film with Samuel Oswald Stone called Escape From Kings Park.

 

When it comes to filmmaking, you have pretty much done it all: Writing, directing, producing, editing, acting, ... - so which are your favourites, what could you do without?

 

Directing and editing are my favorites, I mostly do acting just for fun and I don't take myself as seriously when I am acting.

 

Your films never seem to stray too far from the horror genre - coincidence, or is horror a genre at all dear to you, and why (not)?

 

Horror is very dear to me but I am trying not to get locked into just one genre.

 

How would you describe yourself as a director?

 

l am hardworking and determined. I strive to reach my goals and share my vision with the audience. I see my films as a finished product before I start shooting them. I see my vision as a whole.

 

Filmmakers who inspire you?

 

Sam Raimi, Tim Burton, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez.

 

Your favourite movies?

 

Feeling lucky?
Want to
search
any of my partnershops yourself
for more, better results?
(commissions earned)

The links below
will take you
just there!!!

Find Jennifer Valdes
at the amazons ...

USA  amazon.com

Great Britain (a.k.a. the United Kingdom)  amazon.co.uk

Germany (East AND West)  amazon.de

Looking for imports?
Find Jennifer Valdes here ...

Thailand  eThaiCD.com
Your shop for all things Thai

Jaws, Evil Dead, Beetlejuice, Killer Klowns from Outer Space.

 

... and of course, films you really deplore?

 

Remakes of perfectly good horror movies.

 

Your/your movie's website, Facebook, whatever else?

 

https://www.facebook.com/isabellethemovie

www.jennifervaldes.weebly.com

 

Thanks for the interview!

 

© by Mike Haberfelner


Legal note: (re)Search my Trash cannot
and shall not be held responsible for
content of sites from a third party.




Thanks for watching !!!



 

 

In times of uncertainty of a possible zombie outbreak, a woman has to decide between two men - only one of them's one of the undead.

 

There's No Such Thing as Zombies
starring
Luana Ribeira, Rudy Barrow and Rami Hilmi
special appearances by
Debra Lamb and Lynn Lowry

 

directed by
Eddie Bammeke

written by
Michael Haberfelner

produced by
Michael Haberfelner, Luana Ribeira and Eddie Bammeke

 

now streaming at

Amazon

Amazon UK

Vimeo

 

 

 

Robots and rats,
demons and potholes,
cuddly toys and
shopping mall Santas,
love and death and everything in between,
Tales to Chill
Your Bones to

is all of that.

 

Tales to Chill
Your Bones to
-
a collection of short stories and mini-plays
ranging from the horrific to the darkly humourous,
from the post-apocalyptic
to the weirdly romantic,
tales that will give you a chill and maybe a chuckle, all thought up by
the twisted mind of
screenwriter and film reviewer
Michael Haberfelner.

 

Tales to Chill
Your Bones to

the new anthology by
Michael Haberfelner

 

Out now from
Amazon!!!