Re: RARA-AVIS: Trouble Is My Business & Total Chaos

From: Brian Thornton ( tieresias@worldnet.att.net)
Date: 25 Jun 2007


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]
> >
> >
>
>
>
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