Re: RARA-AVIS: Re: The Long Goodbye

From: DJ-Anonyme@webtv.net
Date: 15 Feb 2007


TL wrote:

"There is no right or wrong when determining whether you enjoy or dislike something that your fellow man feels the opposite about. There is only opinion. And as they say, 'Opinions are like asses. Everyone has got one.'"

As Tad Allagash said in Bright Lights Big City: Taste, after all, is a matter of taste.

"Well, the war I predicted weeks ago came to pass. It is amazing how polarizing this movie is. Could it be THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILM IN THE P.I. GENRE?"

Certainly is here. Not even Kiss Me Deadly inspires this heat, an earlier movie that took great liberties with a popular book and PI hero. In fact, I can't remember anyone having a problem with it except Spillane himself.

"Someone made a very good point a few days ago - it might have been offlist to me - that NIGHT MOVES deconstructs the PI genre in a similar fashion, but does not draw the heat that THE LONG GOODBYE generates because there is not a beloved book and author at the foundation."

There is a novel, but it was probably a novelization, even though the cover says: "Now a powerful and provocative film . . ." On the back cover, it says, "See the Film, Read the Novel." However, this movie tie-in paperback is its first printing, so I'm guessing the screenplay came first. Both are by Alan Sharp.

There were a number of good movie deconstructions of the PI in the '70s: Long Goodbye, Night Moves, Chinatown. When did Robert Benton's Late Show come out?

Mark



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 15 Feb 2007 EST