Red Streak Richard interviews Julia Strumfeld, associate-producer 
on Machiavelli Hangman, the latest offering by award-winning 
filmmaker Shervin Youssefian. The word is that it was picked 
from the same treat as Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and 
marinated with some Amores Perros and spiced up with a pinch of 
Sixth Sense. Let’s wait and see if it’s the queen bee everyone 
says it is or a dead fly buzzing on the window sill.
 
Red Streak Richard: Machiavelli Hangman is standin’ 
evo-lu-shun. Hollywood is comin’ apart. You will finally sting 
the real bang bang bang, Machiavelli hang it on to the real 
black stang. Now you tell me how it works out, the way the deal 
is flown. How did you find the style the truth of my lines, how 
did you clay the ping pong plow?

Julia Strumfeld: If I understand you correctly, you’re 
asking how this project came along. I didn’t get on the team 
until a few months after the script was in its final revision 
stages. I came in as an associate producer to get it to the right 
people.

RSR: I hear lots of things but this is a neat lil’ trick. 
Something a wild man writes, something a mad man makes. Is it the 
Pulp of the Fiction like Quentin once made or is it the pulp of a 
citrus fruit that’ll squeezed dry soon?

JS: It’s definitely something new, something that people 
haven’t seen before. And that’s what interested me in the project 
because I always try to work on a project that demands a new 
level of my attention. I’m always looking for a challenge and I 
was very impressed when I met with Shervin [Youssefian] who wrote 
the project. 

RSR: Is he the treat man tease the cream o’ the crop? Is 
he the new John Ford the fur of the bat?

JS: Hmm... [laugh] I guess you could say he’s the cream of 
the crop. At least, I think so. He brings a certain charm to the 
set and he has only words of encouragement for everyone involved. 
You will never see him put anybody down. The whole cast and crew 
is just superb. While most other films in production today are 
about the money, everyone involved in Machiavelli Hangman 
(http://www.hangmanmovie.com) has made this a labor of love.

RSR: So what makes it slick, what  makes it live. What 
makes the bee to the funnel of this fine fine bebe la 
boooosssshhhhhh?!

JS: ???

RSR: Why will this hive a night an night tight bring the 
bees to the ease and tease the real peas. Why do you think 
it’ll splash a bash of pure cash?

JS: Oh ok. I think that Machiavelli Hangman will be 
successful... that’s what you’re asking right?

RSR: Oui.

JS: Ok, because it’s not your conventional A to Z film 
where you know exactly what’s going to happen when you see the 
intro credits. It takes you through a zig zag and while you think 
you know what’s going to happen next, you’re always surprised at 
the twists and turns. That’s the charm of the story because what 
happens right in front of your eyes, you find out later is not 
even what it seems? Audiences will go to the theater and have to 
decide between four regular standard movies and one Machiavelli 
Hangman... if you ask me, the decision will be really easy, but 
then again, we’ll have to wait and see.

RSR: So you think it’ll bang gainst the rang a tangs of 
the world? The Sodeberg, Spielberg and Allen, the Spiderman and 
Batman and Titanic?

JS: Why not? I think that in the end, it doesn’t matter 
how much money was spent on a film, it all comes down to the 
story, story and story. Wow, I’m starting to talk like you! I 
would rather have a 200 dollar film with an amazing story than 
a 200 million dollar film with no story.

RSR: Amen baby, amen! 

Red Streak Richard interviewed Julia Strumfeld, 
associate-producer on Machiavelli Hangman: 
http://www.hangmanmovie.com