I've reviewed both ELIOT NESS: AN UNTOUCHABLE LIFE and THE LAST LULLABY BEFORE. Ness is a brilliant recreation of the famous lawman's life. A true dramatic blockbuster. THE LAST LULLABY is one of the three or four finest crime films I've seen in the last two years. Tom Sizemore was never stronger. And the direction is superb. Here's news from Max Allan Collins on both these projects.
MESSAGE FROM M.A.C. — May 26, 2009
Iowa Public Television (IPTV) will air the two-part mini-series, "Eliot Ness: An Untouchable Life," on Sunday, May 31, at 9:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
My longtime filmmaking cohort Phil Dingeldein and I recently went to Des Moines to the HQ of Iowa Public Television, where we edited our feature ELIOT NESS: AN UNTOUCHABLE LIFE into a two-part mini-series. The episodes cover Chicago ("Capone's City") and Cleveland ("Butcher's Town") with only minor changes to the material as presented on the currently available DVD from VCI Home Entertainment.
What is really exciting, however, is that we were able to do HD masters. The feature (starring my frequent accomplice Michael Cornelison) was shot in Hi-Def, but our limited budget did not allow us to master it that way. Thanks to IPTV, we now have both the feature and the mini-series in HD format...and it looks wonderful.
Soon IPTV will be offering the new two-part version of NESS to PBS stations nationally. I'll have more details later, but when the time comes, I will encourage you to approach your local PBS stations and request airings of the mini-series version.
MESSAGE FROM M.A.C. — June 1, 2009
The Last Lullaby showings: Des Moines (June 5 - 11), Brooklyn (June 7 - 8), San Jose (June 12 - 18)
THE LAST LULLABY — the film based on the Quarry short story "A Matter of Principal," and co-written by me — will be showing at the Fleur Cinema in Des Moines from June 5 till June 11. Director Jeffrey Goodman and I will be there for the two evening showings on Friday June 5, and probably on Saturday June 6, as well, doing intros before and Q and A after. This is our last scheduled appearance together in support of the film, and marks the final of the three Des Moines bookings.
Jeffrey continues to roll it out slowly and carefully. The film will show at the 6/5-6/14 Brooklyn International Film Festival. Tickets are now on sale at this link. We screen Sunday, June 7th at 9PM and Monday, June 8th at 8PM. Jeffrey will be there for both of our screenings.
The film also plays 6/12-6/18 in San Jose, CA at the Camera Cinemas 3.
The film continues to rack up great reviews. Here's two of them:
Stark Silvercreek: "A movie that gives the movie industry hope." (Includes an interview with Jeffrey.)
Steve Rhodes: "New filmmakers should look at it as a paradigm on how movies should be made."
There's been some confusion about where the novel THE LAST QUARRY fits in. It was based on my draft of the screenplay and written prior to the shooting of the film, which reflects a draft by another writer plus a polish by me. Call it the Writer's Cut.
Quarry is continuing to make a remarkable comeback for a character who appeared in an obscure four-paperback series in the mid-'70s. I was always proud of this character, and he remains one of my two favorite characters (Nate Heller being the other).
THE FIRST QUARRY has been nominated for the Best Paperback Novel "Anthony," presented at the Bouchercon. It's voted on by con attendees, so go to the con and remember what Al Capone said: vote early and vote often.
Also, THE LAST QUARRY's magnificent Robert McGinnis cover has been chosen as one of the handful of images adorning a new group of Hard Case Crime t-shirts.
And later this year, look for a new Quarry novel, QUARRY IN THE MIDDLE.
M.A.C.
WILD WEST MONDAY
As a reader and writer of westerns I urge to participate in Wild West Monday by signing the petition below.
The western as a literary genre is popular worldwide and although there was a time, not so long back, when most bookshops had a western section these days are sadly gone. However together we can all show our support for the genre. Sign the petition get all your friends to do likewise and we'll send it to every publisher we can.
Please sign and tell others http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/wildwestmonday/index.html
Funny you should mention the Western petition. My last two visits to my local Borders, each time there was someone rifling (pardon the pun) through the Western section. The first guy asked me for a recommendation; none of your books were there, Ed, so I pointed him to the recent reprint of Matheson's "Journal of the Gun Years". The second guy was poring over the L'Amours and didn't seem to need any help.
ReplyDeleteJeff P.