'Just Rewards (2)'
A place to talk about movies--old and new, good and bad, high art and high cheese. It's the place to place your kittens on the award winners, gossip about upcoming fims and discuss DVD releases and extras. Spoiler policy: White font all plot-related discussion until a movie's been in wide release two weeks, and keep the major HSQ in white font until two weeks after the video/DVD release.
I did not even read this review, but feel the need to quote the summary of it (both, I presume, by a combination of A. O. Scott and his editors):
“Smokin’ Aces” is a Viagra suppository for compulsive action fetishists and a movie that may not only be dumb in itself, but also the cause of dumbness in others.
Tell us how you really feel, dude!
The conceit of Miller's Crossing is that it's a hash of three sources, rather than ripping off one novel unattributed.
Whereas Brick is pretty much the one I mentioned in high school.
RED HARVEST is essentially the template for YOJIMBO which begat FISTFULL OF DOLLARS which begat LAST MAN STANDING which begat...
Right? I really need to read that some day soon.
Yeah, that's pretty much right. The book itself is fairly short, but Hammett at his spare best.
but Hammett at his spare best.
Excellent last line too.
I've forgotten it, unfortunately. Can you post a reminder?
Wasn't that a continental Op story? Was MALTESE FALCON the only Sam Spade book? I really need to get up to speed on Hammett.
Wasn't that a continental Op story?
Yes.
Was MALTESE FALCON the only Sam Spade book?
It was the only novel, but there were a few short stories. I wrote that sentence before double-checking, but Wikipedia agrees: [link]
So, Wim Wender's HAMMET: was it ruined by interference, or would it have been a botch anyway? THE AMERICAN FRIEND leans me towards the former; even if it wasn't a true representation of Highsmith, it was a damn fine movie anyway.
I've forgotten it, unfortunately. Can you post a reminder?
"The old man gave me merry hell."