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| gromit |
 Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 1:46 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9008
Location: Shanghai
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| If they were saving a guy sewn into a freaky walrus suit, it could be the Kevin Smith's new horror flick Tusk -- which sounds sorta awful, in an awful sorta way. |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 5:28 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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My favorite detective novels by far are the series of books about Matthew Scudder written by Lawrence Block. Scudder is a former drinker who has joined AA, and the books have more hard info about getting sober than any literature outside of AA-approved material. But that's just the gravy. Scudder is a great creation, a throwback to the hard-boiled private eyes like Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe, the depiction of New York City is graphic and realistic, and the plots are riveting.
Back in 1986 Hal Ashby directed Jeff Bridges from a screenplay written by Oliver Stone in an adaptation of Block's seminal Eight Million Ways to Die, and the result was dire and near-unwatchable. (For starters, the NYC milieu was lost and the title made nonsensical by moving the story to LA, and that was just the tip of the inane iceberg.) Until now, that's been the only Scudder movie. But now we have A Walk Among the Tombstones, in which the quintessential Liam Neeson makes for a terrific Scudder, the screenplay and direction by Scott Frank are on the money, and the style is film noirish, dark, and grim, but in its own gruesome way, very entertaining. Neeson is well supported by Dan Stevens, Boyd Holbrook, and others, and the movie is set in the 90s which means almost no cell phones. Yes! |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 9:06 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9008
Location: Shanghai
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Where would you rec starting with Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder novels?
My parents read tons of spy and detective books.
I'm not sure if they've run across Block/Scudder yet.
Right now I'm reading an Icelandic crime novel my folks picked up in Iceland decades ago and gave to me about 5 years ago.
It's called Tainted Blood.
Most of the characters and the setting are handled well.
But, for me, the murder investigation veers off in various odd ways that dwell on the past, and seem extremely tangential. I have no doubt it will all prove useful as all get out, but that doesn't make it less likely the case would be pursued in this manner.
I have another one here as well, and might check it out next/soon.
Like most crime novels, this is a fairly quick read. |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 11:39 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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gromit wrote: Where would you rec starting with Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder novels?
I might start with the very short novel "A Stab in the Dark," which is good on its own but also serves as a sort-of prologue to "Eight Million Ways to Die," Block's most famous book and a must-read. I'd follow that with what's probably Block's best, "When the Sacred Ginmill Closes." All of his novels have much to recommend them, but these are three of his best, and IMO the right way to start. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 1:56 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6944
Location: Black Hills
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| I have to try a Scudder - I tried a couple of his lighthearted burglar novels a few years ago and liked the wit and whimsy. One had Bernie in search of a writer clearly meant to be Salinger - it was titled The Burglar in the Rye. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| carrobin |
| Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 1:31 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 7795
Location: NYC
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| bartist |
| Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 5:43 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6944
Location: Black Hills
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| From personal experience, I can certify that Norwegian-Americans like to ponder on a cosmic scale. That was very amusing, thanks, Carro. esp. about having first sex after a viewing of Baron Munchausen. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2014 5:13 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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bartist wrote: I have to try a Scudder - I tried a couple of his lighthearted burglar novels a few years ago and liked the wit and whimsy. One had Bernie in search of a writer clearly meant to be Salinger - it was titled The Burglar in the Rye.
The burglar novels are fun but can't hold a candle to the Scudder series.
Whoopi Goldberg's 1987 debacle Burglar was a gender-changed adaptation of the burglar character. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2014 8:38 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12890
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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| I saw The Drop and A Walk Among the Tombstones this weekend. Both are well-written, directed and acted. I haven't read any Matthew Scudder books but Neeson delivers a first-rate performance and I really liked the supporting cast. Did T. J. first appear in that book, or did the writers change how he was introduced? |
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I had a love and my love was true but I lost my love to the yabba dabba doo, --The Flintstone Lament |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 8:43 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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Syd wrote: I saw The Drop and A Walk Among the Tombstones this weekend. Both are well-written, directed and acted. I haven't read any Matthew Scudder books but Neeson delivers a first-rate performance and I really liked the supporting cast. Did T. J. first appear in that book, or did the writers change how he was introduced?
I forget exactly in which book T.J. was introduced. It might have been A Walk Among the Tombstones, though. In any case, he was introduced pretty much as seen on screen. What was interesting to me, however, is that T.J. on the page is not as good a character as he was in the movie. Brian "Astro" Bradley made him considerably more down to earth and grounded than he is as written, which is typically and a mite boringly "smart-assed black youth." |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 10:42 am |
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I'm planning to see A Walk Among the Tombstones tomorrow afternoon.
Maybe they should have the song, "A Walk On the Wild Side", in the background. |
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| carrobin |
| Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 10:34 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 7795
Location: NYC
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Sometimes it's hard to see new movies in flyover country. This interviewer got caught by Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader when he asked the wrong question about "The Skeleton Twins." (I'll bet it's the most fun they ever had at an interview.)
http://tinyurl.com/o3ocpao |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 1:09 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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carrobin wrote: Sometimes it's hard to see new movies in flyover country. This interviewer got caught by Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader when he asked the wrong question about "The Skeleton Twins." (I'll bet it's the most fun they ever had at an interview.)
http://tinyurl.com/o3ocpao
Very amusing, and could have been truly painful except that all three folks kept their sense of humor. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2014 8:34 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6944
Location: Black Hills
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| Walk among the Tombstones and Gone Girl...both are pulling us to the cineplex. Am hearing some pretty high praise from people who've seen Fincher's latest. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2014 12:02 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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bartist wrote: Walk among the Tombstones and Gone Girl...both are pulling us to the cineplex. Am hearing some pretty high praise from people who've seen Fincher's latest.
Seeing it tonight, and will--duh--weigh in. |
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