Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Classy Ass

This sign was posted in a neighbor's yard about two blocks from my house. Reminded me just how few words are required to speak volumes. Of course, the fact that I made my wife drive back home so we could collect the camera, swing back around, get out of the car and trespass in order to get this peachy pic speaks a lot too. So, here's where I live.

February 28th N@B reader Kevin Lynn Helmick's latest - Heartland Gothic - was just released from Trestle Press, so you've got a few weeks to tenderize your sensibilities before he smacks your smug mug, but good at the live event. And shit, as long as we're putting the 'goo' in 'good taste' you could drop a buck on Jason Makansi's short story Trophy Wife and perhaps he'll sign your Kindle on February 21st while that asshat trying to get Robert Randisi's scrawl on 75 Gunsmith books holds up the proceedings.

Over at Ransom Notes today I'm lamenting my slipping down the list of January shit I've not read yet - one of them being N@B (Los Angeles) alum Robert Ward's latest The Best Bad Dream and it's making me wonder if he's penning any memoirs? Cause I'd be all over those like white on the GOP. Last week, at Ransom Notes, I looked at a few franchise film casting moves that went both ways. Never know what's gonna work, is all I took away from that piece. Well, that and I found out that the Tom Cruise as Lee Child's Jack Reacher adaptation One Shot is directed by Christopher McQuarrie and co-written by McQuarrie and Josh Olson (A History of Violence). Shit, I guess I'll be seeing that one after all. Say whatcha wanna about the source material or star, I'll give McQarrie a fair shake on anything after Way of the Gun... Check out this sweet-ass George Pelecanos essay on the John Flynn's The Outfit from Richard Stark's novel, that one and the Jim Brown as Parker vehicle The Split top my got-to-find-them movies from books to catch up on. This year, we've got some hot shit book to film adaptations to looksee like Lee Daniel's take on Pete Dexter'The PaperboyOliver Stone's Savages from Don Winslow's book, (dunno what happened to the Michael Mann-manned Winter of Frankie Machine movie - oh well, can't wait to check out the Mann/David Milch project Luck on HBO), and oh, what's that other one... Oh yeah, Julian Grant's Fuckload of Scotch Tape - I'm looking forward to that one. And did I see that Jame Franco is directing the adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's Child of God? Okay. I've been intending to revisit Billy Bob Thornton's All the Pretty Horses - I just re-read the book and seem to recall that there was a director's cut floating around out there supposed to have another hour or so attached. I'd give that a shot.

2 comments:

Chris said...

I wish more signs were as well-made and carefully lettered as the one opening this post. I'd have gone back to take a picture too.

Pelecanos needs to put out a book of movie recommendations and commentary. I'd read the hell out of that one. I think my first introduction to him came from an NPR piece that I heard one 5 AM where he was going over a half-dozen or so of his favorite movies. It was great.

jedidiah ayres said...

Yeah, Pelecanos has expressed interest in making films and shit, I think that needs to happen