A guest on a previous spotlight, I'm pleased to welcome back Aleen Isley to talk about her latest films, "I:Scream" and "CarousHELL 4," among other upcoming projects.
Me: Hello, and thank you for returning to this! Since last we’ve spoke, you’ve been involved in the upcoming film “I:Scream” which you wrote, directed, and starred in. What can you tell us about the film?
Aleen Isley: “I:Scream- A Minty Musical” is a science fiction musical comedy about love, loss, and mutagenic ice cream hellbent on eating all who cross its path.
Me: Where did the inspiration for the film come from? Were there any unique stories about its conception?
AI: The original idea for the movie came from viewing a Halloween decoration that was a skull-shaped ice cream cone. I just thought “Man, that would have made a cool VHS cover back in the day,” and the story sort of leapt onto the page from there. I took inspiration for the musical aspect from some of my favorite musicals with movie adaptations, such as “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
Me: Being the writer, director, and star of the short, did it challenge you to be involved in various capacities at once on a project like this? How do you balance those priorities during a shoot?
AI: I’m definitely not a star of the movie, I simply had to fill in for a bit part at the last minute when our extras fell through. I didn’t really find the process too challenging because I was honestly having too much fun. I’m a planner, so the storyboards and choreography led the way, and sure, sometimes we had to think on the fly to change something that wasn’t working on set, but having my long-time film partner (and hubby) Steve Rudzinski on set with me was perfect because we work so well together, and he could read my mind pretty quickly.
Me: With the film being a musical, what type of work went into composing the songs in it?
AI: Funnily enough, the musical part came afterwards. I had already launched the existing script on Kickstarter and cast six of the lead roles when I realized that I had such a good stable of musical theater talent on my hands. I had acted with most of these people on stage before and had been dreaming about producing a musical for Silver Spotlight Films for some years now, so there was definitely no better time to jump into it. Within 20 minutes I had written out the lyrics for the opening song, “You’re my Uranium (because I love U)” and then I sent them off to my composer, the illustrious Mike Trebilcock, with the simple instructions of “50’s-60’s rock a la Little Shop of Horrors et al” and he fired back with the composition within a day or two. The rest of the songs unfolded naturally from that point on. I imagined each section of the storyline like the dialogue in a traditional musical and chose places for songs for exposition, character introductions, and moving the plot along when I needed to jump between scenes. It continued to flow really well, with me providing lyrics and Mike turning each one into the earworms that you hear now in the movie.
Me: With a cast of experienced and talented indie actors, how'd you settle on the cast getting involved in the film? What characteristics did you look for with each performer that they brought to the table that helped bring the production to light?
AI: Honestly, the lead casting of Charlie sort of fell right into my lap. We were having a party in my home, and I had asked a group of friends to do a read-aloud of the script in progress (pre-musical) right there in my kitchen. B. Barnabei was such a perfect read for Charlie, I offered them the part right then and there. They fought me on it initially, but sometimes when you have the right person for a role, you just have to forgo the more traditional process of auditions and go with your gut. Everyone else sort of fell into place during the audition process. I chose people who really embodied the characters the way I saw them in my head while writing them. Surprisingly, I got more auditions for the silent role of “Sprinkles” than for any other role in the film.
Me: What was the set like while shooting the film? How did the cast and crew react to the type of film being made?
AI: Unlike our usual sets, this filming process was spread out over several weekends in the summer of 2025. Normally, we like to get all of the filming done in a straight week, but I didn’t have a 5-figure budget to pay everyone enough to take a whole week off of work, so the process got stretched out over a few months. The only downside to working with stage actors is that we all tend to get ‘booked and blessed’ and then rehearsals and performances take up a lot of our availability, so we worked around everyone the best we could. Everyone seemed to have a good time, as there were jokes abound on set each day, no drama, and lots of phone calls the next day, when people were still humming the music at work after shooting their parts.
Me: Do you recall having any odd or funny on-set stories about yourself or any of the other cast/crew members?
AI: I think the weirdest part of filming was puppeteering the Minty blobs. There are 6 different sizes of Minty that were thrown, rolled, slid, and dropped, and by his final form, I was just walking around inside the giant hoop-suit, and it just looked so silly, we kept cracking up. We fought a lot of really hot summer days, and everyone was a trooper for dealing with some toasty hours in front of the lens.
Me: What are you most looking forward to with its upcoming release?
AI: The physical release has been going really well. We had a great turnout for our screening as part of the Lindsay Theater’s Emerging Filmmakers Showcase in January of this year. The film is still waiting in QC as of this writing to try and make it to streaming, but is currently being pitched by StreamGo Media and FilmHub for services. I hope to see it streaming by summer 2026 if possible, just in time for a cold, refreshing treat. The film is also slated to film at a few conventions this year, including Pittsburgh’s own GrossFest and Cinema Wasteland just outside of Cleveland, OH. It’s always ideal watching our movies with a live crowd, because I love hearing the laughs, cheers, heck, even the boos and heckles!
Me: As well, you and Steve Rudzinski are preparing to get “CarousHELL 4” started soon. What are you looking forward to the most with continuing the beloved franchise?
AI: This is going to be the goriest CarousHELL yet, with deadite-like creatures, decapitations, goo, and a whole monster fight. While I love the trilogy as its own closed story, this can either be the start of a trilogy centered around Robbie, our little unicorn hybrid, or serve as an excellent epilogue romp for Duke and son to send them off one last time.
Me: What is the collaboration between you like to ensure the film comes together?
AI: We came up with the story of this movie together (like all of the franchise). Steve writes a large percentage of the script, then I go in and revise and give input and help with brainstorming gags, bits, jokes, and kills. When it comes to storyboarding, puppeteering, and general on-set handiness, that’s where I really get to shine on the series. Right now, our biggest hurdle is the generous budget we need to pay for all of the amazing practical FX that will once again be provided by Cody Ruch (from the previous films). We have already signed on many of the previous films’ actors to reprise their roles in this romp from beyond the grave, but we need your help to get there. At the time I am answering this questionnaire, we are still kickstarting the movie at www.CarousHELL.com and are in need of more pledges to make our goal by March 6th, 2026.
Me: Outside of this, you’re also involved as an actress with the upcoming film “Cracula.” What can you tell us about it and your character, Scarlett? What was the set like while shooting the film?
AI: I was very fortunate to be pulled into the project through Carly Sonafelt. I had been wanting to work with Brad Twigg for some time, and a spot had opened up in Cracula that I had the time for. I have always been an avid vampire fan, so I jumped at the opportunity to play one in the flesh. The set was very laid back, and we had to work on the fly when Mother Nature decided it was going to rain all night long during an outdoor shoot. I had a great time, though, especially with star Melissa Sapienza, whose antics as our pimp, “Peaches,” had me in stitches throughout the shoot. All I can say about Scarlett is that she reads very classic comic book villain through her very short time in the film.
Me: What else are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers?
AI: Besides CarousHELL4, I am actually beginning the writing process on my next musical film. I don’t really want to give away too much, so at this time, I’ll only say that it will take place on Halloween and have a gorier, less family-friendly tone to it, leaning more into the horror-comedy genre this time. It’s definitely not a project that will come to completion this year, though, as we already have our hands full. I’d also love to rewrite a stage adaptation of I:Scream and produce the premiere stage production of it somewhere in Pittsburgh in the future, so that’s definitely on the docket at some point.
Me: Lastly, being that this is our Women in Horror Movement, what special message do you have for any women out there looking to join in the industry in any capacity as you are one yourself? Thank you again for your time!
AI: I would simply say that you can do anything you put your mind to, but the first step is to take the first step. You want to write? Start scribbling down your ideas. Act? Submit for some projects. The worst they will tell you is no. Makeup FX? Wardrobe design? Put your ideas out there on your socials and volunteer for experience if you have none. Just lay out your boundaries clearly, and don’t be afraid to stick to them if people try to stomp all over them or step over the line. We need more women in this industry, and it can all start with you.
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