Elmore Leonard knew how to start a story. My first Leonard novel was Glitz. I opened the paperback on a whim in the college bookstore where I worked as a clerk. It started, "The night Vincent was shot he saw it coming." Forty-five minutes later, my boss poked me in the shoulder and said, "Get back to work." That's how you do it.Leonard died at 87, not long after suffering a stroke. He was spare, direct, and funny. He didn't waste your time or his. "I leave out the parts people skip," he said. Leonard was prolific: 46 books, seven screenplays, two teleplays. He was catnip to TV and film producers looking for material; nearly two dozen of his novels and short stories became movies or shows, including Justified, Get Shorty, Be Cool, 52 Pick-Up (also adapted as The Ambassador), Mr. Majestyk, Hombre, The Tall T, Jackie Brown, 3:10 to...
- 8/20/2013
- by Matt Zoller Seitz
- Vulture
Writer/director Charles Matthau, son of actor Walter Matthau, will adapt the 1988 crime novel "Freaky Deaky" by author Elmore Leonard.
Matthau will direct from his own script with actor William H. Macy attached to star.
To be set in 1974, premise of "Freaky Deaky" follows a radical 1960's couple who became activists, then 'explosives experts' for hire.
Several of Elmore's books have been adapted to film, including "Hombre" (1967), "Get Shorty" (1995), "Rum Punch" (aka "Jackie Brown") (1997) and "Out of Sight" (1998).
Other Elmore novels turned into films include "Mr. Majestyk" (Charles Bronson), "Valdez Is Coming" (Burt Lancaster), "52 Pick-Up" (Roy Scheider), "Stick" (Burt Reynolds), "The Moonshine War" (Alan Alda), "Last Stand at Saber River" (Tom Selleck), "Gold Coast" (David Caruso), "Glitz" (Jimmy Smits), "Cat Chaser" (Peter Weller), "Touch" (Christopher Walken), "Pronto" (Peter Falk), "Be Cool" (John Travolta) and the Toronto-lensed "Killshot" (Mickey Rourke).
"Freaky Deaky" starts shooting in 2011.
Click the images to enlarge...
Matthau will direct from his own script with actor William H. Macy attached to star.
To be set in 1974, premise of "Freaky Deaky" follows a radical 1960's couple who became activists, then 'explosives experts' for hire.
Several of Elmore's books have been adapted to film, including "Hombre" (1967), "Get Shorty" (1995), "Rum Punch" (aka "Jackie Brown") (1997) and "Out of Sight" (1998).
Other Elmore novels turned into films include "Mr. Majestyk" (Charles Bronson), "Valdez Is Coming" (Burt Lancaster), "52 Pick-Up" (Roy Scheider), "Stick" (Burt Reynolds), "The Moonshine War" (Alan Alda), "Last Stand at Saber River" (Tom Selleck), "Gold Coast" (David Caruso), "Glitz" (Jimmy Smits), "Cat Chaser" (Peter Weller), "Touch" (Christopher Walken), "Pronto" (Peter Falk), "Be Cool" (John Travolta) and the Toronto-lensed "Killshot" (Mickey Rourke).
"Freaky Deaky" starts shooting in 2011.
Click the images to enlarge...
- 9/16/2010
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
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