Just in time for Valentine's Day we sat down with Director Todd Strauss-Shulson to talk "Love Letter Films." This is a term I hear often in film reviews, or what would be included in a snippet on the front of a DVD case. "Love letter" It calls to mind a passion, and a need to express this passion that cannot be contained. Movies like Shape of Water, Cabin in the Woods, Final Girls, Grindhouse, etc. come to mind. But the more I thought about these movies, obvious "love letters" I looked at some of the movies that came to mind but had trouble placing on the list, Austin Powers, Airplane, Shaun of the Dead. Where these love letters too, or just straight parodies, or homages? The task of defining what makes a movie a true love letter proved harder to define that I had first thought. So I decided to take it to the best place to ponder deep questions...The Launchpad Podcast. Roomie and I often dig deep into thought provoking topics, like who could beat the Predator in a fight, or if Hellboy is sensitive enough to win Whitney Houston's heart in a
"Bodyguard"type scenario. But this "love Letter" conundrum required the extra mile treatment. We invited director Todd Strauss-Shulson to The Launchpad to help crack this puzzle.
I had worked with Todd on Several projects through Ingenuity Studios, and we are all alumni of Emerson College. I was already a big fan of his film "Final Girls" (a confirmed love letter to 80's slahsers) and I really liked "A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas," a film that has spawned a yearly holiday tradition of waffle eating in various states of intoxication. When I saw that his new film, "Isn't it Romantic" might be another "love letter" type film I knew we had to bring him on.
This may be one of the most insightful episodes of The Launchpad Podcast we have ever recorded. We hope you find it as interesting as we did.
Follow Todd on Instagram @straussshulshon or on his website ulteriorproductions.com and go see "Isn't it Romantic" in theaters now!
