Hellter interviews Jamie Bernadette (I Spit On Your Grave: Deja Vu)!!
Hello Grue-Lings,
Today we have a special guest. A Woman who has been in numerous horror films, her name is Jamie Bernadette. She watched movies repeatedly and acted out the scenes, mimicking the actresses she loved. Jamie began acting in Community Theater productions at about age 10 and did some theater in high school as well. Her very first acting credit was HBO’s TV show “Tell Me You Love Me”, in which Jamie played a dancer. This earned her SAG (Screen Actors Guild Union) card. She then went on to act in commercials, films and television shows. She has done NCIS: New Orleans, Season 4, Episode 3, titled “The Asset”, in which Jamie plays “Callie Tillford”. She has a leading role in the horror film “The 6th Friend”, which she also produced and co-wrote, has won her many Best Actress awards on the film festival circuit and the film has also won many Best Feature Film awards. She is also the lead in the sequel to the 1978 film “I Spit on Your Grave”. The sequel is titled “I Spit on Your Grave: Déjà Vu”. Some other horror thriller films she has been are: Son of Sam, Absolute Evil: Final Exit, Nightstalker, Lake Death, Rift, Operation Terror, Reel Evil, Axeman, The Bunnyman Massacre, L.A. Slasher, Let’s Be Evil, The Darkness, 13 Days, All Girl’s Weekend, Face of Evil, American Satan, Hacked Off, Grizzled, Killing Joan, and 420 Massacre. She has a lot of films in pre and post production, mostly horror, including Vampire Feast.
Jamie is the recipient of the 2017 Best Actress Award from the Independent Cinema Foundation and Festival Academy for her work in film. The Lucky Strike Film Festival also awarded Jamie this year with the Rising Star Award. Jamie loves reading books and writing. She is busy compiling a book of poetry for publication in the near future.
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HELLTER: Thank you Jamie for joining us today on Gruemonkey, it’s a true honor to interview an amazing woman.
JAMIE: Thank you so much. And thank you for having me.
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HELLTER: Tell us what Face of Evil is about and your character in the film?
JAMIE: It’s a horror film with some powerful messages about the current state of our society. I play the sister of the lead actor who is a soldier just returning home from war.
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HELLTER: How did you get cast for this film?
JAMIE: I auditioned and the director cast me.
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HELLTER: What was your favorite scene and greatest experience while filming Face of Evil?
JAMIE: My favorite scene was the scene in the backyard in the beginning of the movie with a bunch of the actors. We had so much fun together. That was the best experience of the film: the great time I had with everyone.
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HELLTER: One of your first roles was in Son of Sam. What was your experience like doing a film based off a real serial killer?
JAMIE: Yes, that was so long ago. Rest in peace, director Ulli Lommel. It was really creepy doing a film based off of a real serial killer.
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HELLTER: One of my favorite horror films of the new era is American Satan. Perfect blend of horror and rock. What did you like most about filming American Satan and what was your favorite kill from the film?
JAMIE: This was my second time working with director Ash Avildsen. The first time was in comedy “What Now”. So it was great to be on set with him again. He’s a great director. He knows what he wants and makes beautiful films. I hit it off with actor John Bradley (Game of Thrones) so that was a highlight of working on the film as well. He’s been a good friend to me and offered me some great career advice. My favorite kill in the film was when they burned the guy in the van. So brutal.
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HELLTER: I actually saw 4/20 Massacre. It is what it is. It’s a fun horror film. Not to be taken too seriously. Can you tell our readers what 4/20 Massacre is about and your character?
JAMIE: It’s about a group of girls who come across a bag of stolen marijuana from a pot farm in the woods where they are camping. The owners of the farm come after them and start killing them one after the other. I’m the lead character, Jess, and I am a martial artist. I’m strong, intelligent, caring, and a good friend.
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HELLTER: You have some amazing fight scenes in 4/20 Massacre. How did it feel to play a woman fighting a crazed maniac?
JAMIE: I absolutely love fight scenes. It’s something I never knew that I would love until I did it and I’ve done quite a lot of them. I am often cast as the strong one, so I get the opportunity to do a lot of fun fight choreography and stunts.
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HELLTER: How would you describe your character Joan in Killing Joan?
JAMIE: She is from a rough upbringing and so has an explosive temper and often acts irrationally. She’s confused and mentally tormented. She has another side to her that is vulnerable and sensitive, which she doesn’t show to many people.
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HELLTER: Did you enjoy working with an almost all female cast and was the 420 real (laughs)?
JAMIE: Yes, I did enjoy it a lot. No, the marijuana smoking scene was done with fake marijuana.
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HELLTER: How does it feel being a woman in horror? You are such an amazing actress and women are a huge part in the success of horror films.
JAMIE: It feels wonderful. I’ve loved horror since I was a child and always wanted to work in the genre since then so I am very happy with all of the horror that I have had the opportunity to do.
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HELLTER: What was it like to work on one of the most iconic horror films I Spit On Your Grave and to work with original star Camille Keaton and director Meir Zarchi?
JAMIE: It was surreal. I loved that movie before I ever auditioned for the sequel, so to work with the star and the director was absolutely amazing.
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HELLTER: What drew you to your character of Christy Hills in I Spit On Your Grave?
JAMIE: I love her because she doesn’t allow herself to get pulled into the materialistic world in which she lives as a model. She seeks something deeper and more meaningful in her life. And, as we find out as the story goes on, she is courageous and strong, and overall, a very good daughter. She thinks of her mother more as a best friend.
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HELLTER: You wrote the screenplay for the 6th Friend and it won you awards at horror festivals. Is screen writing something you are interested in doing more?
JAMIE: Yes, absolutely. I have been writing since I was 6 years old. It’s always been a passion of mine. I’m going to publish a book of poetry soon. And I just want to give a shout out to the director of the film, Letia Clouston, for doing some of the writing too. I wrote the original script and then she wrote the second draft and we bounced it back and forth several times between ourselves for revisions.
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HELLTER: In Killing Joan you did a threesome sex scene as Joan. How nerve-wracking is it to film a scene like that, do they make it comfortable for you?
JAMIE: It was very light and there was no nudity. It was a pretty clean scene I thought. It was fine for me. The director, Todd Bartoo, was great and the actors I worked with made me very comfortable so it wasn’t a problem.
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HELLTER: Are there any films you want to promote, anything you have coming out soon?
JAMIE: Yes, “The 6th Friend” should be out very soon. We are wrapping up a distribution deal now. “The Furnace” is nearly complete as well so we should see that out very soon too, perhaps in the next 6 months. Also is “I Spit on Your Grave: Déjà Vu”. I don’t have an exact release date on that yet but I can say that they are finalizing the poster and trailer and so we are very close. Their goal is to release it this year.
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HELLTER: Thank you for your time. Appreciate this interview with you. Take care and good luck with everything.
JAMIE: Thank you so much for the interview.
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