Interview by Geno McGahee
The horror genre has plenty talk of lost films or movies that were made and never released. Fans flock to the horror conventions in hopes that somebody has a copy that has been burnt to a disc and is up for purchase. Movies like HALLOWEEN 6: THE PRODUCER’S CUT and GRIZZLY 2 were found and the horror fans passed them around and now one emerges that has long been spoke of but has been missing in action since the production completed.
What prompts a producer to sit on a film for so long and what makes them bring it around 20 years after its creation? Filmmaker and actor, Bill Rodd, answers those questions and more in this exclusive interview. BITTEN: VICTORIA’S SHADOW is now available on DVD and on Amazon Prime from CINEMA EPOCH.
GM: Why did it take so long to release BITTEN: VICTORIA’S SHADOW?
It was not the right time in the market to try to release back then so I decided to sit on it for the time being. I got busy with day-to-day life and never attempted to find a Distributor, but due to several events over the last year, everything fell into place and here we are.
GM: How was your experience acting in the film?
I have always loved acting and it was a great experience. At the time, I was in most of the films that were shot in Central Florida but only as an extra or stand-in. I thought who would be better to tell the story than the one who wrote it.
GM: You produced it. What drew you to the storyline that prompted you to invest?
During my six weeks on the set of the HBO series “From The Earth To The Moon”, I became friends with Joseph Schofield, also an extra in the production. With our downtime of waiting for our scenes to be shot, decided we could put our heads together and come up with ideas for a horror film, something we were both interested in. I wrote the script and my wife Carla, and I produced Victoria’s Shadow, and did so without any other investors.
GM: It’s been almost 20 years since this was shot and it’s getting it’s first release. Do you think that timing is on your side considering that horror fans are always looking for the holy grail…a lost movie?
I certainly hope so but that was not the intent during its inception. I simply had to focus on my engineering career to help support my family. The time was not right to continue the project. All the cards fell into place over the past few months to have the project released.
GM: Why haven’t you done any productions since this one?
I have worked on a number of shorts and worked for a few years as the sports editor for the Central Florida Sports Commission, creating specialty videos for sporting events. I was also lucky enough to partner up with World Gate Entertainment and was asked to Co-Direct and Produce a great Children’s film entitled “The Marionette”.
GM: What do you consider to be the toughest part of producing a film?
I would say trying to balance the budget with all the other aspects of production. Since there are so many variables involved from day to day from craft service to the shooting schedule, this is always a challenge.
GM: What brought you to cast Brinke Stevens in the film? Were there other candidates?
I of course knew of Brinke, but the Director, Grant Waldman, knew her from previous films he had been involved in. He asked her if she had time to come to Orlando for a week and shoot an independent film and luckily, she was in between projects and agreed to join us.
GM: Watching the film, it felt like NIGHT OF THE DEMONS and other films of the 1980s. Was the goal to recreate a 1980’s style horror film with this?
I have always been a big fan of Alfred Hitchcock, Boris Karloff and of course Vincent Price films. As a kid, I followed the Dark Shadows television series, so vampires and their stories fascinated me. The tag line of ‘Darkness Without a Soul’ was the description of Victoria and the script’s storyline followed that with somewhat of a shock value. I believe Brinke pulled this off perfectly.
GM: What is your favorite part of the film and what do you think the horror fans will enjoy the most when they check this out?
The caretaker kill scene has always been a big hit with the people who have watched it, but I personally like the kill scene with Victoria, Julie & Carl. The music is rocking, and it is fast-paced, then dumps you back into the cemetery where it all started.
GM: Any closing thoughts?
I just want to thank everyone involved with this project. Even though it’s been 20 years, I believe this will be a timeless piece for many to enjoy, thanks to everyone’s great work and dedication to it.
