Interview: Director Tom DeNucci (Johnny & Clyde)

Hi Tom, it’s good to talk to you. How are you doing?

Tom- Hi, how you doing Janel?

I’m doing great. Please tell us how Johnny & Clyde manifested for you? I’m getting Bonnie & Clyde – well obviously Bonnie & Clyde (I realized what I said, after I said it, and Tom was cool enough to just go with the flow and laugh while I laughed at myself. Thank you.) Well, are you a fan of Bonnie & Clyde? It’s a wild movie.

Tom- It started off with just a couple of characters that my writing partner Nick Principe were kicking around, and it was about these star-crossed lovers… the only thing they love more is causing mayhem together. From there, we said it would be cool to start the movie off like a traditional heist movie but then we wanted to swerve everybody. We wanted to throw them off. We thought it would be cool if a casino had a demon for a security system to protect the place. We never saw anything like that before. Maybe, this spirit is conjured up to protect this place. When you’re dealing with demons though, they can be unpredictable. Sometimes they can turn on you. To answer your question, it just started with these characters, Johnny and Clyde.

I appreciate that. I loved that you completely jumped out of the box, and you ran from the box. It was nice to have something different and sort of wild and new. So, thanks for that.

Tom- Well, thank you for noticing that, and every time you have a chance to make a movie, you have to try to do something unique.

The cast is kick ass. What was it like working with everyone? Megan Fox, Avan Jogia, Ajani Russell, Tyson Ritter, and Bai Ling?

Tom- Oh, I was like a kid in a candy store. Every character in this movie brought something special and unique. I liken it to a cool band with a lot of different instruments that you might not think sound cool together, but when they all start playing the same song, your like, “oh, I like the way this sounds.”

What are you working on next?

Tom- I’m working on an action movie that I can’t say too much about. I’m excited about that and I may or may not be linking up with some actors that I have worked with in the past.

What do you want to say to everyone that will be watching Johnny & Clyde?

Tom- I want people to know that it’s okay to laugh at this movie. We were trying to make it as aware of itself as it can be. This movie is an escape, and you’re not going to see, “based on a true story” in the beginning of the movie. Just enjoy the ride and for the horror buffs, I think they will appreciate the practical effects, which I love. We tried to keep it real, and I think we used like fifteen gallons of fake blood on this movie.

You answered part of my last question. I wanted to ask about the special effects. How did you get everybody ready for that?

Tom- A gentleman by the name of Doug Sakmann came onboard to spearhead the special effects. It’s not really an off the rack business. Every scene is unique, and they are building everything, and it’s one of a kind.

Thank you so much, Tom. This was a fun, kick ass movie.

Tom- Thank you, Janel.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14875820/

 

Directed by Tom DeNucci (Vault, Almost Mercy)

Written by: Tom DeNucci and Nick Principe
Produced by: Chad A. Verdi, Michelle Verdi, Chad Verdi Jr., Paul Luba and Nick Koskoff

Starring:
Megan Fox (Transformers, Jennifer’s Body)
Avan Jogia (Zombieland: Double Tap, “Victorious”)
Ajani Russell (Skate Kitchen, “Betty”)
Tyson Ritter (“Preacher”, “Parenthood”)
Bai Ling (Red Corner, The Crow)
Vanessa Angel (Kingpin)
Robert LaSardo (The Mule)
Armen Garo (The Departed)

Johnny (Avan Jogia) and Clyde (Ajani Russell) are two serial killers madly in love and on an endless crime spree. They set their sights on robbing a casino owned by the crime boss Alana (Megan Fox) and guarded by her demonic warrior.

 

JOHNNY & CLYDE

In Theaters and On Demand May 5th