These 3 are all great movies and its hard to pick just one. I picked out of sight, it to me has everything an elmore leonard book should have as an adaptation. The style of the film is just perfect. It would be wonderful if more adaptations of his work could end up like this. Everyone seems to have such hard time, creating elmore’s world. And when you start changing things like location of places it hurts the story. Example is 52 pick-up, very good film and really close, but looses gritty feel with out having detroit. There is something lost in that movie and I think that is one key thing.

Gregg Sutter - 23 November 2006 09:17 AM

A constant battle with Elmore’s stuff is that no matter what time period it’s set in, the makers want to place it in the present and in Los Angeles, preferably down the street from where they live.  I jest slightly.

Killshot muted the time frame and Freaky Deaky (an announcement is imminent) had to be adjusted.  I had to laugh, with Nicaraguan President-elect Daniel Ortega back in, maybe they could set Bandits in the now. 

Anybody that messes with the Detroit books and sets them in the present is guilty of some crime, most likely lameness and a lack of imagination.  But they say in defense, all those old cars eat up budget!  Tough.

Amen! I am from detroit and Mr. Leonard gets detroit so perfectly. When they move that stuff around for an updated version it kills me! Because I think a lot of the times certain books lose something or fall apart with out the right feeling and locales. I would love to see cat chaser done in the right time frame and done right! Cause it is such an awesome book! The 80’s film just killed it terribly. But as I say I just really agree with your statement.

I’m going with ‘Out of Sight’, ‘Jackie Brown’ & ‘Get Shorty’. ‘... Shorty’ can switch places with ‘Jackie Brown’ or vice-versa. In my humble opinion, Scott Frank has nailed Mr. Leonard’s special slice of storytelling and character driven crime opuses better than any screenwriter–with Mr. Tarantino marching in a close second.

Valdez Is Coming

A Mexican-American lawman (Burt Lancaster) gets even with a Southwestern rancher (Jon Cypher) for leaving him to die in the desert.
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Susan Clark, Jon Cypher   |  Directed By: Edwin Sherin
90min., Rated PG-13

(January 1) PM:  9:30 Pacific
(January 2) AM:  12:30 Eastern

This TV:  Channel 5.2 in Los Angeles

Mr. Majestyk
A Colorado melon grower (Charles Bronson) offends a mob hit man (Al Lettieri), starting a war that’s bad for business.
Starring: Charles Bronson, Al Lettieri, Linda Cristal   |  Directed By: Richard Fleischer
104min., Rated PG

This was on today!!!!

This TV network is an American television network made up of over 55 affiliates.  Follow this link to view them:  ThisTV has Bronson!

This TV (also referred to as “This TV Network” or just “this” in on-air promotions) is a general entertainment television network designed for digital television subchannels. Turn off your cable or satellite.  If you have a internal or external digital converter, you can get it. 

This TV’s program schedule relies on the extensive library of films and TV programming currently owned by MGM and subsidiary United Artists (notably excluding the pre-1986 MGM film/TV library, whose rights are currently held by Turner Entertainment and Time Warner). Though such vintage series as The Patty Duke Show and The Outer Limits are featured, the network’s lineup places a greater emphasis on movies, including prime-time double features every night. The film roster does not concentrate on films from any specific era, meaning films from the Depression era to contemporary times are featured.  There are no plans for any original programming on the network, although the use of on-air presenters had been considered for This TV’s movie broadcasts.  The station’s continuity announcer is Milwaukee radio personality and Miller Park PA system announcer Robb Edwards.

“Get Shorty” by a nose over “Out of Sight.”

I can’t endorse “Jackie Brown” (even though I did enjoy it as a film, just not as an Elmore Leonard adaptation).

The reason being that Tarantino moved the action from Florida to California. The ‘80s and ‘90s were clearly a time in EL’s life when most readers identified with him as a Detroit and/or a Florida novelist. The novel screamed of the seedy side of Palm Beach County, yet we never got to see it in the film because Tarantino decided to set it in La La Land. He catered to the masses. Big mistake.

Tim Dorsey (who worships Mr. Leonard) alludes to this in one of his Serge A. Storms novels (although I can’t recall which one right now).

Unknown Man #89 and Touch both contain Leonard’s straightforward treatment of the recovery process (eg, the AA meeting and the First Step table in Unknown Man #89).  It is a topic which would be more easily received by the public now