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Joe Mantegna’s Elmore Audio (Cassette Only)

Joe Mantegna has performed the audio on five great Elmore Leonard titles. Unfortunately, for the time being, you will have to go retro to enjoy them.  They are only available on cassette.  But Joe lends great authority and understanding to Elmore’s great characters in his performances and it’s well worth the hardship, if indeed you see digging out the cassette deck or Walkman as too great a difficulty.  The only real hardship or bummer is that in the cassette days, most readings were abridged.  So that may turn some of you off.

Here are the titles which you can get from Amazon or other audio outlets.

The Elmore Leonard Value Collectionon: Pronto, Riding the Rap, and Get Shorty  (Audio Cassette - Nov 7, 2000) - Abridged
Out of Sight  (Audio Cassette - Aug 1, 1996) - Abridged
Riding the Rap (Audio Cassette - May 1, 1995) - Abridged
Rum Punch (Audio Cassette - Aug 1, 1992) - Abridged
Pronto (Audio Cassette - Feb 1, 2000) - Abridged
Get Shorty (Audio Cassette - Aug 1, 1990) - Abridged

 

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F. Scott Fitzgerald Conference Videos on YouTube

Elmore and Michael Brown at the studios of Montgomery College.

Our friend, Michael Brown, Video Producer/Director in the Office of Information Technology at Montgomery College has posted four YouTube videos of Elmore’s recent appearance there for the F. Scott Fitzgerald Conference where he received the 2008 F. Scott Fitzgerald Award for literary excellence.  The videos contain Michael’s twenty minute interview with Elmore as well as highlights of the award ceremony, including George Pelecanos introducing Elmore and excerpts from his reading from Killshot.  Next week, Michael will upload more video of the conference including Elmore’s entire reading.

Elmore Leonard Videos from Montgomery College Television

Part 1

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Part 2

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Part 3

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Part 4

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Coming Soon:  News of Whether or Not Killshot is Coming Soon?

Mickey Rourke in Killshot and The Wrestler

Wow.  Talk about a tortured headline for a non-news story, but there it is.  Killshot is “scheduled” for theatrical release in 41 days and yet there is no new trailer and no assurances that the date isn’t just more bullshit, like every other announced release date for the film.  All things Killshot on the Weinstein website are ” coming soon.”  Right now however, Weinstein is apparently absorbed with the release of The Reader starring Ralph Fiennes, David Kross and Kate Winslet which was nominated for four Golden Globes and had a limited release a few days ago.  But the thing to watch for is how well The Wrestler does.  This is Mickey Rourke’s critically acclaimed film that comes out in limited release December 17 and then opens wide in January.  Will The Wrestler’s success determine whether Killshot is released or not?  Will the fact that The Wrestler comes out the same month as Killshot be one Mickey Rourke film too many or will it have a halo effect?  Nobody knows, not even Harvey Weinstein.

Check out a review of Killshot by a guy who knows what he is talking about.

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“Sparks” at Sundance 2009

The film adaptation of Elmore’s short story, Sparks, will be included among 46 U.S. films, (96 short films total) at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.

The film is described in the Sundance catalog as

The story of a former rock-and-roll goddess who may or may not have burnt her house down. Adapted from the writings of crime novelist Elmore Leonard.

Sparks is adapted from the story of the same name, published in Elmore’s short story collection, When the Women Come Out to Dance and Other Stories.  The film is produced by Look at me Films, which is Megan Freels (Elmore’s granddaughter) and her partner, Melanie Donkers.  Sparks is written for the screen and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.  The cast is headed by Carla Gugino, Eric Stoltz and Xander Berkeley.  The voice of Kristen Johnson is also featured.

Here are the screening times for Sparks, which will play in Shorts Program 4-

Fri. Jan 16 2:15 PM Racquet Club, Park City
Sat. Jan 17 1:30 PM Broadway Centre Cinemas IV, SLC
Sat. Jan 17 11:30 PM Holiday Village Cinema III, Park City
Wed. Jan 21 8:30 PM Holiday Village Cinema III, Park City
Sat. Jan 24 11:59 PM Egyptian Theatre, Park City

Scenes from Sparks:

Insurance investigator, Joe Canavan (Eric Stoltz) casts a suspicious eye on suspected arsonist, Robin (Carla Gugino).

After a few drinks and a joint, Canavan begins to lighten up.

Flashback: Robin and Sid (Xander Berkeley) at home surrounded by his former wife’s Chinese décor.

Robin performs at the Troubadour in West Hollywood.

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Elmore and the Bible?

Every wonder where the title,  When the Women Come Out to Dance comes from?

The Bible.

The Book of Judges, Verse 21

and see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

Then there is a more modern translation:

Go to a party and hide. When the women come out to dance, grab one and carry
her off to be your wife.
—Benjaminites (Judges 21:19-25)

 

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Zigzag Movie (Get Shorty)

Slow blog day in Paris.

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Crime Scene by Terry Shaw

Retired Detroit Police Investigator, Terry Shaw has a jazz album out called “Crime Scene” that features the track,
“1300 Beaubien.” Listen to tracks from “Crime Scene” as well as other CDs by Terry Shaw here.

Read More>

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Howling Diablos

The Howling Diablos are a great band from Detroit.  Elmore has borrowed their name for the coyote gang in A Coyote’s In the House! and gives them a major shout out in Road Dogs. Foley and an Aryan Brotherhood guy at Lompoc discuss their mutual fondness for The Howling Diablos.

Click here for their website.

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Elmore’s Take on Stagecoach

John Russell (Paul Newman), a white man raised by a band of Arizona Apaches, is forced to confront the society he despises when he sells the boarding house his father has left him. While leaving town by stagecoach, several bigoted passengers insist he ride outside with the driver (Martin Balsam). But when outlaws leave them all stranded in the desert, Russell may be their only hope for survival! Diane Cilento, Frederic March, Richard Boone and Barbara Rush co-star in this action-packed Western classic.

Paul Newman is the blue-eyed “savage,” a white man raised by the Indians who rejects so-called civilized society for his spiritual family, in Elmore Leonard’s take on Stagecoach. It’s not exactly Grand Hotel on wheels. The hypocrites, crooks, and racists Newman travels with cast him out of their polite company in the coach, then turn to him for salvation when outlaws hold up the stage and hunt them through the desert. It’s hard to “like” Newman’s cold, hard survivor, but you can’t help but respect his cunning and his unsentimental directness. Fredric March is sweaty with corruption as a crooked Indian agent, and Richard Boone smiles his deadly charm as a lusty bad man. While this 1966 Western wears its social politics on its dusty sleeves, director Martin Ritt tempers the revisionist moral of the tale with a stripped-down ruthlessness befitting the rugged, unforgiving landscape.—Sean Axmaker

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Punch créole

The French covers ain’t bad either.

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