Interview:
Alexandra Chando,
director,
Suzanne Weinert,
screenwriter,
"The 8th Day"
Austin-based TV star Alexandra Chando makes her feature-length directorial debut with The 8th Day, the 1994-set West Texas small-town thriller written by local screenwriter and producer Suzanne Weinert. In The 8th Day, Elvis (1923's Darren Mann) is tasked by his imprisoned uncle to find the woman responsible for stealing from $150,000 in 1978. Paired with his uncle’s henchman Jeremiah (Landman's Mustafa Speaks), Elvis tracks down Landon Mooney (Northern Exposure Emmy winner Valerie Mahaffey) to the Texas watering hole of Valentine, “Where Sweethearts Meet!” Having wasted away the $150,000 years ago, Landon makes Elvis and Jeremiah: help her rob a check-cashing store and they can keep $150,000 in stolen money to give to Elvis’ uncle upon his impending parole. But Elvis quickly finds himself distracted by Eve (The Original's Phoebe Tonkin), a mysterious and seductive small-town girl with dreams too big for Valentine to contain. The cast also includes Walker’s Lindsey Morgan as Eve’s bestie Maggie. Set in Texas, but shot in New Mexico, The 8th Day is now available for digital and on-demand viewing. Actress-turned-director Alexandra Chando starred as Maddie Coleman on As the World Turns and headlined the Austin-shot ABC Family series The Lying Game. She recently appeared in the Tom Segura Austin-shot Netflix series Bad Thoughts. Suzanne Weinert previously wrote the 2009 dark comedy ExTerminators, produced The Doo Dah Man, Lazer Team 2, and Windsor, and executive produced Hellion and Match Me if You Can.
Note: This interview was conducted before the May 30, 2025 passing of The 8th Day star Valerie Mahaffey. Aired: June 11, 2025. Web sites https://www.alexandrachando.com/ https://tv.apple.com/ https://www.amazon.com/ |
|