Rob-
Of course I was using "totally" hyperbolically. After all,
when discussing (dismissing?) Frank Miller's work, can one
actually be too over-the-top?
As for reading RONIN, I got hit in the head once, feeding the
cattle with my rancher grandfather. I was 8 and he tossed a
bale of hay my way that over-matched me. Banged my head on
the bail attachment of his tractor. Headwound, so it bled a
lot, and left a scar up under my scalpline.
That scar is more subtle than anything about RONIN.
YMMV-
Brian
----- Original Message -----
From: Robert Elkin
To:
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, June 23, 2007 2:20 AM
Subject: Re: RARA-AVIS: Trouble Is My Business
& Total Chaos
Brian--
"a bit" is rarely equivalent to "totally," &
not at
all when I write ("totally" would be the work of
Don
DeLillo...)--nevertheless, & even though I
like LG
very much indeed, I stand by my remarks, both
positive
& negative. Every writer has her or his
competencies &
limits, & they are perhaps more evident than
usual
when the text is essentially (& necessarily)
a riff on
a formula. (I haven't read RONIN, sorry, but I
hope
you got me good!)
Rob
--- Brian Thornton <
tieresias@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
> Oh yeah, THE LONG GOODBYE? Totally
heavy-handed.
> No light brush strokes there. In fact, when
I
> re-read it last summer, I thought to myself,
"You
> know what this reminds me of? Frank
Miller's
> Splatter-Fest-Cum-Graphic-Novel RONIN (not to
be
> confused with DeNiro film of the same
name).
>
> Brian Thornton
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Robert Elkin
> To:
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Friday, June 22, 2007 9:20 AM
> Subject: Re: RARA-AVIS: Trouble Is My Business
&
> Total Chaos
>
>
> Well, aside from his ability to turn a
phrase
> neatly &
> brilliantly, Chandler himself is a bit
> comic-bookish &
> heavy-handed with the whole Marlovian
"romantic
> hero"
> dodge, so maybe it won't be too bad a
combo.
> Rob
>
> --- Nathan Cain <
IndieCrime@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I agree completely. I cringed when I saw
this
> over
> > at Crimespree Cinema.
> > Miller's writing style works for comic
books,
> which
> > are not the most
> > sophisticated or subtle venue. Sin
City
> translated
> > well onto the screen,
> > but it was still Sin City. Meh.
> >
> >
> > On 6/22/07, Kevin Burton Smith
> > <
kvnsmith@thrillingdetective.com> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > On Jun 19, 2007, at 9:13 PM, Vince
Keenan
> wrote:
> > >
> > > > It was announced a while back that
Clive
> Owen
> > would produce and
> > > > star as Philip Marlowe in a new
series of
> > Raymond Chandler
> > > > adaptations. The first project has
been
> > announced. It will be
> > > > based on the novella TROUBLE IS MY
BUSINESS.
> > Perhaps more
> > > > interesting is the choice of writer:
Frank
> > Miller, who worked with
> > > > Owen on SIN CITY. Let the
arguments
> commence.
> > >
> > > Okay.
> > >
> > > Owen as Marlowe? Sure. He might be
very
> effective,
> > with the ability
> > > to be both hard and soft. Certainly a
better
> > choice than Montgomery
> > > or Garner. Or Boothe Powers (the poor
man's
> Stacy
> > Keach. Or is it the
> > > other way around?)
> > >
> > > And of course, Miller may have hidden
depths.
> But
> > him doing Chandler?
> > >
> > > Yuck. My first reaction is... Miller's
a
> > pretentious hack. Oooh!
> > > Black ink! How artistic!
> > >
> > > SIN CITY? Technically and visually, it
was
> > stunning. But the writing
> > > was simply for the stunned. A bloated,
smug,
> > overwrought, humourless
> > > and soulless film, based on equally
bloated,
> smug,
> > overwrought,
> > > humourless and soulless comic books;
PULP
> FICTION
> > (and pulp fiction)
> > > stripped of any cleverness and dumbed
down
> (way,
> > way down) for
> > > fourteen year males of all ages and
genders.
> > >
> > > Adapting Chandler requires a grace
and
> deftness
> > and subtlety I've
> > > never really seen in any of Miller's
work.
> > Miller's generally about
> > > as subtle as an amputated leg.
> > >
> > > If Miller wants to adapt a classic
detective
> > author, he should go for
> > > someone like Spillane, and leave Chandler
for
> > someone better qualified.
> > >
> > > You purists think Altman took
liberties?
> Wait'll
> > Marlowe pulls out a
> > > bazooka or starts boinking
hookers.
> > >
> > > Of course, as I said, I could be
wrong.
> > >
> > > Kevin
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have
been
> > removed]
> >
> >
>
>
>
__________________________________________________________
> Don't get soaked. Take a quick peak at
the
> forecast
> with the Yahoo! Search weather shortcut.
>
> http://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/#loc_weather
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have
been
> removed]
>
>
__________________________________________________________
Shape Yahoo! in your own image. Join our Network
Research Panel today!
http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 25 Jun 2007 EDT