RARA-AVIS: Re: RARA-AVIS Digest V2 #129

Kevin Smith (kvnsmith@total.net)
Wed, 10 Dec 1997 10:07:41 -0400 >RARA-AVIS Digest Wednesday, December 10 1997 Volume 02 : Number 129
>
>
>
>In this issue:
>
> RARA-AVIS: Wim Wenders' "Hammett"
> RE: RARA-AVIS: Jackie Brown
> RARA-AVIS: Elmore Leonard from print to film
> RARA-AVIS: Jackie Brown
> Re: RARA-AVIS: Jackie Brown
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Date: Tue, 09 Dec 1997 14:58:43 -0500
>From: James Stephenson <James_E_Stephenson@umail.umd.edu>
>Subject: RARA-AVIS: Wim Wenders' "Hammett"
>
>Wim Wenders' 1983 film "Hammett" will be broadcast this Saturday on the
>cable network Bravo, at 1:30 PM. It stars Frederick Forrest as Hammett,
>Peter Boyle, Marilu Henner and Elisha Cook, Jr. It's an enjoyable
>film, and it's fun to watch for "quotes" from other movies.
>- --
>James Stephenson
>Rare Books & Special Collections Cataloger
>McKeldin Library
>University of Maryland
>College Park, MD 20742
>Email: js272@umail.umd.edu
>#
># To unsubscribe, say "unsubscribe rara-avis" to majordomo@icomm.ca.
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>
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Tue, 9 Dec 1997 16:18:36 -0500
>From: Andy Hughes <AHughes@sbtinfo.com>
>Subject: RE: RARA-AVIS: Jackie Brown
>
>Yes, "Jackie Brown" is based on Leonard's "Rum Punch." I thought it was
>one of his better "Florida" books in the 90s. Still, I think "Get
>Shorty" was his last excellent book and that the Harry Arno kidnap book
>and the escaped convict book (I know one is called "Out of Sight;" I
>just can't remember which, and simply forget the title for the other)
>come in right behind that for quality. Leonard needs to go back to
>Detroit and stop trying to horn in on Hiaasen's territory.
>
>>----------
>>From: Ryan Benedetti[SMTP:rhino@cybercen.net]
>>Sent: Monday, December 08, 1997 1:38 AM
>>To: Hard-boiled List
>>Subject: RARA-AVIS: Jackie Brown
>>
>>
>>I'm sure a lot of you have seen
>>the previews for Tarantino's new film,
>>"Jackie Brown." As the preview suggests,
>>"Jackie Brown" was based on an Elmore Leonard novel.
>>
>>Am I way off base or is _Rum Punch_ not the prototype for the film?
>>Haven't read it yet, but I know from the blurb
>>that it's aboput an airline stewardess named Jackie Burke,
>>an arms dealer named Ordell, and a bailbondman named Max Cherry.
>>I believe Samuel Jackson plays Ordell, and DeNiro plays
>>Max Cherry, but again just raw guesses.
>>
>>Who out there has more info?
>>
>>Can't wait to see it.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>"Some mornings it's just not worth
>>chewing through the leather straps."
>> --Emo Phillips
>>
>>Ryan Benedetti
>>
>>
>>#
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>>
>#
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>
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Tue, 9 Dec 1997 20:14:37 -0500 (EST)
>From: BaxDeal@aol.com
>Subject: RARA-AVIS: Elmore Leonard from print to film
>
>Ryan wrote:
>
>{{{ Yes, "Jackie Brown" is based on Leonard's "Rum Punch." I thought it was
>one of his better "Florida" books in the 90s. Still, I think "Get
>Shorty" was his last excellent book and that the Harry Arno kidnap book
>and the escaped convict book (I know one is called "Out of Sight;" I
>just can't remember which, and simply forget the title for the other) }}}
>
>PRONTO is the name of the other Harry Arno book, which also takes place in
>Italy. Out of Sight, not one of Leonard's more plot driven novels, is now a
>movie with George Clooney, btw.
>
>One of Dutch's earlier works, Gold Coast was a recent cable original with
>David Caruso. A couple years ago, noirish filmmaker Abel Ferrara botched
>what I thought was a surefire movie, Cat Chaser.
>
>When are they going to get off the dime and make Swag or City Primieval?
> These two are easily the equal to 52 Pick-Up, probably the best of the
>Leonard books to movies.
>
>John Lau
>#
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>
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Tue, 9 Dec 97 18:25:57 -0700
>From: Ryan Benedetti <rhino@cybercen.net>
>Subject: RARA-AVIS: Jackie Brown
>
>Hard-boilees,
>
>After hearing much hype about "Jackie Brown" all over the TV
>(Tarantino will appear on Leno tonight to discuss the film), I went
>on an internet search and found "The Unofficial Jackie Brown Home Page."
>It turns out that it is based on _Rum Punch_ by Elmore Leonard.
>As you'll see below, Pam Grier plays Jackie Brown, Samuel Jackson
>plays Ordell Robbie, and DeNiro plays Louis Gara (not Max Cherry
>as I originally thought).
>Apparently, Tarantino changed the name and race of the main character from
>Jackie Burke to Jackie Brown to reference two other crime-based
>characters:
>
>Foxy Brown, a character from some old gangster movie
>I'm not familiar with, and Jackie Brown, "a criminal character in a 1973
>gangland novel entitled 'The Friends of Eddie Coyle' by George V.
>Higgins, a
>crime novelist whose work is greatly appreciated by Elmore Leonard."
>
>Here's a bit of what I found on the page:
>
>Quentin Tarantino's JACKIE BROWN
>
>General Info
>- ---------------------------
>Title: Jackie Brown
>Production house: Mighty Mighty Afro-dite Productions / Miramax Films
>Production dates: May 1997 --> "August 7", 1997
>Release date: December 25, 1997
>Produced by: Lawrence Bender and Quentin Tarantino
>Screenplay by: Quentin Tarantino,
>based on the novel "Rum Punch" by Elmore Leonard
>Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
>
>Cast
>- ---------------------------
>Michael Bowen . . . Dargus
>Margaret Cho . . . Strip Club Waitress
>Denise Crosby . . . Public Defender (Character name unknown)
>Robert De Niro . . . Louis Gara
>Bridget Fonda . . . Melanie
>Robert Forster . . . Max Cherry
>Pam Grier . . . Jackie Brown
>Sid Haig. . . Judge (Character name unknown)
>Samuel L. Jackson . . . Ordell Robbie
>Michael Keaton . . . Ray Nicolet
>T'Keyah Crystal Keymah . . . A Junkie (Character name unkown)
>Chris Tucker . . . Beaumont Livingston
>
>Unconfirmed Cast:
>Lisa Gay Hamilton
>Carol Speed
>
>Quentin Tarantino does not appear in the movie.
>
>Crew:
>- ---------------------------
>Location Manager . . . Bob Craft
>Costume Designer . . . Mary Claire Hannan
>Co-Producer . . . Paul Hellerman
>Editor . . . Sally Menke
>Transportation Coordinator . . . Derek Raser
>Production . . . Designer David Wasco
>
>Plot Synopsis:
>- ---------------------------
>The new film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, the creator of
>Pulp
>Fiction, is this crime caper based on the novel _Rum Punch_ by Elmore
>Leonard.
>Pam Grier stars in the title role of Jackie Brown, an attractive
>stewardess who supplements her income by smuggling cash into the
>country for an illegal arms dealer--until the day federal agents bust her.
>The only way she'll stay out of jail is to set up a sting to bring in a
>half
>million dollars and bring down the gun runner. In this web of dangerous
>characters, she should be wondering: how will she stay alive? But all
>she's
>thinking about is: how can she make off with the money?
>
>The Soundtrack
>- ---------------------------
>The soundtrack will be released on December 9th, 1997. Below is the
>listing
>of tracks that will be appearing on the album.
>
> 1. Across 110th Street - Bobby Womack
> 2. Beaumont's Lament - (dialogue)
> 3. Strawberry Letter 23 - Brothers Johnson
> 4. Melanie, Simone And Sharonda - (dialogue)
> 5. Who Is He (And What Is He To You?) - Bill Withers
> 6. Tennesse Stud - Johnny Cash
> 7. Natural High - Bloodstone
> 8. Long Time Woman - Pam Grier
> 9. Detroit 9000 - (dialogue)
> 10. Letter To The Firm, (Holy Matrimony) - Foxy Brown
> 11. Street Life - Randy Crawford
> 12. Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time - The Delfonics
> 13. Midnight Confessions - The Grass Roots
> 14. Inside My Love - Minnie Riperton
> 15. Just Ask Melanie - (dialogue)
> 16. Lion And The Cucumber, The - The Vampire Sound Incorporated
> 17. Monte Carlo Nights - Elliot Easton's Tiki Gods
>
>Out
>
>Rhino
>
>
>"Some mornings it just doesn't seem worth it
>to gnaw through the leather straps."
> -- Emo Phillips
>
>Ryan Benedetti
>
>
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>
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Tue, 09 Dec 1997 20:42:35 +0000
>From: Mario Taboada <matrxtech@sprintmail.com>
>Subject:Re: Trenton Quarantino and Jackie Brown

>Speaking of Tarantino, am I the only heretic that actively *detests* his
>work?

No, there's probably others. His in-your-face direction, like Spike Lee's,
is intended to provoke. Those who don't like him seem to *detest* him,
those that like like him seem to really like him. A friend of mine
complained that his films are "morally vapid" but I think he's missing the
point. After all, if all we wanted was morally-correct entertainment,
whatever that is, we'd probably not be on this list.

But even if Tarantino never made another flick, he's stirred up the genre.
Is is my imagination, or aren't there a lot more sorta pulpy crime flicks
in the wake of Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction? I'm thinking Get Shorty, LA
Confidential, Killing Zoe, Usual Suspects, Playing God, Red River
Rock,etc., etc. I'm not saying they all owe their existence to the success
of Pulp Fiction, but it seems there's a lot more of them being cranked out
these days, all dealing with various thugs and thieves, and there seem to
be more of them showing up at the video store. (On the other hand, speaking
of vapid, I guess we could blame Pulp Fiction the return of Vinnie
Barbarino)

Anyway, it'll be interesting to see how Tarantino handles Leonard's work.
By the way, has anyone else heard that Miramax went out and snapped up the
rights for four Leonard novels for Tarantino just to say "Thanks!" for Pulp
Fiction?

Hmmm....add two Jackie Brown tickets to my wish list, Santa. So, c'mon
guys, what's on your list?

Kevin Smith
Web Guy for The Thrilling Detective Web Site
For info, mailto:kvnsmith@total.net

"Well, I'll have some rotten nights after I've sent you over/But that'll
pass..."
- Seeing the Real You at Last (Bob Dylan, via Dashiell Hammett)

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