Death To Prom

Six Questions with director/screenwriter Matt Stenerson

Q: Were there any films or filmmakers that inspired Death to Prom?
The biggest influence was obviously John Hughes’ Pretty in Pink. When I sat down, I thought: I want to write a Pretty in Pink/Breakfast Club/Some Kind of Wonderful, but with a gay character. I loved John Hughes movies while growing up and still love them. I always felt like Duckie (from Pretty in Pink) and Watts (from Some Kind of Wonderful) were really gay characters. I felt I could really identify with them, but they still wound up with someone of the opposite sex at the end of the movie. I’m a little in love with lover’s triangles, so I was also inspired by films with that kind of conflict, such as The Wings of the Dove, Cabaret, Almost Famous, and (of course) Pretty in Pink.

Q: What motivated you to write Death to Prom?
I wanted to write a movie where sexuality and ethnicity weren’t really an issue. I wanted the issues to be more about friendships, similarities between people, first crushes, creativity and individuality. I feel like the young people of today are moving on and the adults are the ones who are hanging onto old ideas and boundaries when it comes to gay or race issues. I also really wanted to show the unique bond between gay guys and straight girls. So many movies gloss over that unique bond.

Q: Death to Prom has a unique look. What led you to this aesthetic?
I was inspired from everyone from Alexander McQueen to Pedro Almodovar. The biggest thing I wanted for Death to Prom, was for it to be colorful. I feel like I see teens wearing thrift store clothes just because they’re a great color or pattern. I picked wardrobe from Goodwill and Salvation Army that I loved, but am “too reserved” to wear. In a way, I’m living out my obnoxious fashion dreams through the characters.

Q: Are there any real-life elements in Death to Prom?
Death to Prom is most definitely all fiction, but some of my close friends inspired a lot of fun lines, looks, and ideas. The Rene character was mostly based on a friend I met when I lived in Austin, Texas. His irrational commitment to fashion was insane and fun. One fall, he traded in a silver car for a gold one to match his Halloween outfit. He lived (and still lives) for fashion, color, design and fun. He once described wanting a fish aquarium where the rocks would be white, the plastic underwater trees would be white, and he’d “get the fish in white.” He’s a rarity in New York, (where he lives now) but was a SUPER rarity in the middle of Texas!

Q: What was your prom experience like?
I actually had a pretty mellow prom experience. I was totally exhausted because my friends and I all camped out the night before in Afton, MN and never went to sleep. None of us drank anything, we just sat around the fire laughing all night. We went down to the St. Croix River to watch the sun come up, it was a perfect night. My prom date was a really good friend, but I felt bad, because I was a sleepy boring zombie by the time of the dance.

Q: What is happening with the film now?
The film is out in the world. Check Amazon, Hulu, VHX, SnagFilms, Vimeo, IndieReign and others.