Tara Cardinal Puts the Half-Nelson on Hollywood and Eric Roberts in the Upcoming Spreading Darkness: An Interview

Tara Cardinal is a Canadian born actress, who is noted for both her beauty and brawn. Admittedly a fan of action genres in film, Tara has performed extraordinary stunts in many of her pictures. She is not only active in the arts and martial arts, but in charities. She has hosted blood drives, clothing collections, and film festivals in support of vulnerable members within her community. In this interview, Tara talks of fighting with many of her male co-workers, including talented actor Eric Roberts and professional wrestler Al Snow. She also talks of many thrilling upcoming features such as "Spreading Darkness," "Legend of the Reaper" and others below.

Michael Allen: Hello Tara. Where are you coming in from?

Tara Cardinal: I just got back into Los Angeles last night, from a test shoot for Maxim magazine.

MRA: How did the shoot go?

TC: I just saw the test photos and I like what I see, but I cannot talk too much about the shoot.

MRA: Okay, then we will move along and into movies. In 2010, you completed "Legend of the Red Reaper" with professional wrestler Al Snow. This is an action piece, with horror icon Lloyd Kaufman. What is the status on this film?

TC: Yes, late last year we wrapped production. We are now in post-production with editing, colouring etc. I did my big fight scene with Al Snow, under a waterfall. It is really period wrestling, because the "Legend of the Red Reaper" is a period film.

MRA: That sounds exciting. I also know that you were working on another thriller titled "Vivid," with director Brandon Slagle. This is a surreal piece and artistic. However, I know that there is definitely an exciting premise with this film, as it involves a serial killer switching consciousness with his victims. Bill Oberst Jr. ("Priest") also stars. Who is your character in the film?

TC: Her name is Alice and I also star with Devanny Pinn ("15 Till Midnight"), but I cannot really talk about this project, either. "Vivid" is still on the film festival circuit and this title is being kept under wraps.There is a press release coming for this film, in a little bit. Expect to hear about this project this year (2011).

MRA: Well, let us move on to "Spreading Darkness," which is a thriller starring Eric Roberts ("Dark Knight"), James Duval ("Cornered"), Louis Mandylor ("My Big Fat Greek Life") and Musetta Vander. I know that you cannot give much of the plot away early in production.; however, can you give readers insight into your character?

TC:This is a psychological thriller and one of the locations that we shot in was on Malibu. It was this beautiful house and this was my character's home. Also, Eric and I are married, in the film. We shot a lot of "Spreading Darkness" in the Los Angeles area, as part of the preliminaries. A lot more of this film is going to be shot in New York. There is a lot more to shoot on the film, but we are in hiatus due to Eric's schedule and others.

MRA: So, this film is in the early stages, then?

TC: So far, we have shot the teaser trailer and I know Josh Eisenstadt ("Dark Reel") likes to take his time with his films. Likely, "Spreading Darkness" will come out in 2012!

Josh is a real pro. He like to do things right. Josh shoots on film. There are no handi-cams here.

Also, Will Barratt was our director of photography and, of course, he was on "Hatchet" and "Hatchet II." He was also excellent to work with.

MRA: What were some of your impressions of working with Eric Roberts?

TC: First off, he is a nice guy and if he forgets your name, he will call you doll. He gave me a hug and a kiss on the last day on set and said: "thanks Tara." He was really genuine. Of course, I got to beat him up on set, which Josh promised.

MRA: That is funny! I know that you have a busy schedule and that you need to get back to setting up shoots. Before I let you go, can you tell your fans what to expect from you in the coming year?

TC: Stay on the lookout for "Song of the Shattered." We have been nominated for award after award for this project. My friend, Devanny Pinn has been nominated for best actress from Big Daddy Horror. I am also coming out with a couple more thrillers like "Bloody 27" and "Terminal Descent!" As well, I am participating in a clothing drive for Covenant House. Please, come out and support us February 12th!

MRA: Thanks for taking some time out from shooting to talk today!

TC: My pleasure and thanks for the support!

For more information on Tara Cardinal's clothing drive please visit the site below:

Women in Horror Month at Dark Delicacies

And visit actress Tara Cardinal's website for updates on upcoming films such as "Spreading Darkness:"

Tara Cardinal Official Website

Sources:

Tara Cardinal. Phone Interview. 28 January 2011.