February 2008
Seventh Twelfth Collective
Donna starred in this movie, released to DVD in 2010.
Donna plays Abby Barrett in this tale of revenge and justice gone awry. In a story similar in tone to that of Truth or Dare, this time Donna is firmly in the driving seat as she hunts down cop-gone-bad Rebecca Ryan, played by Claire Goose.
The events of the film are brought about by the murder of Ryan’s sister and her subsequent attempts to hunt down the members of the mob she believes are responsible for the crime. As Abby Barrett, Donna must assist Organised Crime Division’s Darius Cruise – played by Anthony Ofoegbu – as they attempt to put a stop to Ryan’s killing spree.
Among the things helping Bad Day to make the headlines is the film debut of Girls Aloud’s Sarah Harding as brunette Jade Jennings – adding acting to her string of accomplishments, which include modelling and of course singing.
The star of the piece is Anthony Ofoegbu as Darius Cruise of the Organised Crime Division. He seems well suited to the gritty tone of Bad Day, having appeared on the small screen in dramas such as Casualty and The Bill. Ofoegbu is by no means limited to television though, having also shared film reel inches with actors such as Dennis Hopper and Elizabeth Hurley, and with titles such as The Killing Zone, Dead Room, and Samson and Delilah under his belt.
Claire Goose takes top billing on the cast list itself – another Casualty veteran, she has also appeared in The Bill and Eastenders. Her role as Rebecca Ryan might be seen by many as a natural progression from her character DC Mel Silver in the television series Waking the Dead.
Sarah Harding breaks on to the silver screen in a different guise to that with which many fans are familiar – gone is the platinum blonde bob, in favour of a longer, brunette ‘do. Sarah is listed as ‘and introducing’ on the credits, symbolic of the fact that this is her first major screen role. Previous working credits from her include Girls Aloud, obviously, while other strings to her bow centre mostly on modelling for brands such as Ultimo lingerie.
For producer Gena Helen Ashwell, Bad Day represents the culmination of a career path in the media which has led her gradually towards producing – as well as the realisation of an ambition. Her early career involved working as a runner on shows such as My Family and Only Fools and Horses. She later served as production assistant on The Weakest Link before joining the organisation behind Bad Day, the Seventh Twelfth Collective. Production work for the Collective saw her take charge of the trailer for Ice Angels, with Bad Day her first feature film.
Director Ian David Diaz is a founder member of the Seventh Twelfth Collective and has received a number of awards for his work with the group, including the Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature at the 2000 LA & New York International Independent Film Festival. Along with Bad Day, he also has a number of other projects currently in development, as well as working on a selection of screenplays in his capacity as writer.