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Heavy Metal
Sep 1, 2014

America's $1 Funnyman

Elmore Leonard is really cool. Everybody loves Elmore. Big influence on Tarantino (and the Coen brothers*), Jackie Brown is based on his book Rum Punch. Get Shorty, Justified, I personally really like that Out of Sight movie. I've been digging into his books lately. Better Call Saul has also reminded me of his work, in general it seems movie and TV owe this gent a good bit. So it's been like a treasure trove checking out his stuff, having mined crime TV and film already.

Swag rules, it's about two dudes who become crime pals. Going around Detroit doing hold ups and whatnot. Elmore writes in this famously stripped down lean way, which I hear the Parker books do too. Elmore's is done with a lot of wit and entertaining charm too. It's just a pleasure to read. I look forward to checking out the follow-up book Stick soon too.

I really enjoyed Mr. Paradise, this one in audiobook form read by Robert Forster. Swag is from the 70s, this one written in the 2000s, and it's cool to see Elmore always had the touch. Just a touch of noir hard boiled cool, coupled with characters you grow to care about, unexpected turns, and just an air of authentic vision, while using larger than life western and crime tropes etc. Just a cool writer. Be cool, he might say.

I collected a ton of his books lately, looking at preview pages etc, they pretty much all look good. So I've got that to look forward to. Also I noticed he had a message board back in the day, that's fun to see. I noticed a local bookstore or two didn't have any Elmore Leonard stocked, and that is a sadness to quote David Lynch. Gotta spread the word.

(* the Coen brothers wrote a LaBrava script adaptation at one point.)

By the way, Elmore has a bit of a shared crime universe, which is fun for cameos and tidbits. He brings a few characters back for full roles too. Oddly enough, a villain from LaBrava and the George Clooney character known from Out of Sight team up in a book called Road Dogs. Pretty cool.

Heavy Metal fucked around with this message at 06:17 on May 22, 2023

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Dr. Lunchables
Dec 27, 2012

IRL DEBUFFED KOBOLD



The movie A Life of Crime is basically a prequel to Jackie Brown, and shows Ordell and Louis and Melanie back when they were younger.

I always enjoyed that Leonard never tried to make his criminals smart. Half the time they’re bumbling fools who get taken for a ride by the mark they’re trying to get one over on.

They are always cool though.

s_c_a_r_e_
May 9, 2003


i have somehow never heard of him, so i will be checking these books out. how do they compare to George V. Higgins' books, if you are familiar with them?

Heavy Metal
Sep 1, 2014

America's $1 Funnyman

s_k_a_m_ posted:

i have somehow never heard of him, so i will be checking these books out. how do they compare to George V. Higgins' books, if you are familiar with them?

Right on! I haven't read those, I saw the Eddie Coyle movie at least though. I heard his books brought swearing to the table and more realistic dialogue etc, which is rad. I'm guessing Elmore's books have more humor and smoothness to them, although they vary in tone and some can be gritty at times too.

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