Interview with up and coming writer/director Tommy DeNucci

I got in touch with Tommy DeNucci, my favorite up and coming writer/director, and managed to get an interview. Here’s how it went:

John Lepper: So what made you want to get into the movie industry?

Tommy DeNucci: Took a film production elective as a senior in high-school. Got an introduction to the process and was totally hooked. Started messing around with my friends, shooting little shorts and things like that. It was actually the only class I got an A in that year, so I was like, woah, people actually do this for a living? And I’m half way decent at it? Sweet! I think everyone is exceptionally good at something at it was just a matter of me figuring out what exactly that was.

JL: It sounds like you found a career you can enjoy. Always helps with motivation when you don’t dread going to work. My next question is, while you’ve acted in a few different genres, all of your writing and directing has been horror so far. Do you see that trend continuing?

TD: Absolutely, there’s nothing better than going to work with a smile on your face. The horror genre has a special place in my heart. I grew up on Friday the 13th movies, as kids my friends and I used to hit up Major Video and totally deplete their horror section on a Friday night. This genre it’s where I cut my teeth as a writer director so It’s always gonna be special to me, but the truth is, I’m looking forward to telling some different stories down the road. In fact I think people will find that my last film “Almost Mercy” veers away from the traditional “horror” narrative. So it was fun to play in a new sandbox.

JL: The horror genre is special in many regards, I think. Of all of the genres, I believe it has the most diehard fanbase. Now, your mentioned your new movie. Almost Mercy, which is, correct me if I’m wrong, in post production now. Can you tell us a bit about it?

TD: No question, I’ve been fortunate enough to have my films play at some great horror conventions and it’s always fun to see the fans come out and represent. They’re all very knowledgeable and students of the genre. Yes, we are knee deep in edit mode. I wrote Almost Mercy along with B. Dolan. It stars Bill Moseley, Kane Hodder, Danielle Guldin and Jesse Dufault, with a cameo by hardcore wrestling legend, Tommy Dreamer. The film tells the tale of two outcasts who seek revenge on a town that’s done them wrong. I’m really excited about it because it deals with some real life horrors that we unfortunately see in the headlines every week.

JL: Talk about an all star cast! Which bring me to another question. You always are able to pack the heavy hitters in. So far, I’ve seen Nick Principe, Michael Berryman, and Tony Todd in your other films Self Storage and Army of the Damned, and now this terrific cast. Do you have a secret to getting such big stars in the genre in your films?

TD: I can’t tell how amazing it’s been to work with these guys. Really it comes down to two things. My producing partner Chad Verdi has been able to build a great network of talent over the last few years. They like to come to RI and work with us. The other thing is the material. At the end of the day it comes down to the story. The actors you mentioned have really responded to the scripts. They read so many scripts on a weekly basis, that if they see one that’s a little unique and has a cool hook, they get excited.

JL: Yes, unique stories are hard to come by now. Self Storage and Army of the Damned were certainly very original and Almost Mercy sounds great too. I can see how that would bring in career guys tired of unoriginal material. One last question. What’s next? Do you have anything planned for after Almost Mercy?

TD: B. Dolan and I are back at it again. We’ve got something we just started cooking up so I’m excited to be back in the writing room. One of my favorite places to be.

JL: Awesome! I can’t wait to hear more in the coming months. Thank you again, for this opportunity to interview you.

Check out Tommy’s latest movie, Army of the Damned, on iTunes here

And follow him on Twitter at @Tomdenucci