I made a list today at MaineCrimeWriters, and as I said in my post, I had a hard time stopping at fifteen. Looking at it in the cold light of day, I'm struck that I left off any of the films of David Fincher. Zodiac was a near miss. Maybe if I could bring myself to watch Se7en again, I would put it onthe list. I remember seeing Se7en alone at a theater in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, not knowing what to expect, and being disturbed in a way that almost never happens to me at the movies, not just grossed out, but sent emotionally and psychologically reeling. Anyway, go check out my fifteen. I'm curious to hear what you think. It probably won't come as a surprise to anyone who has read my novels to discover that I'm a big fan of the Coen brothers.
Movie Casting (ctd)
Carey MulliganI've been blogging recently on which actors I could imagine playing Mike Bowditch and Charley Stevens in a film version of The Poacher's Son or Trespasser. Well, my new New York magazine arrived, and I have to say this picture of Carey Mulligan convinces me beyond a doubt that she'd be the right actor to play Sarah Harris. What do you think?
The Movie Version
I got an invitation to write a guest post for a blog called My Book, the Movie where authors are invited to imagine their books becoming films. Here's how I began my reply:
The first thing I should do is quote my film agent who says that, in his experience, novelists are poor casting agents for their own books.
Having said that, I’ll take a stab anyway. Mike Bowditch should be a great character for an actor to play—he’s brave and intelligent but impetuous and haunted by violence, both his own and others’—but Hollywood seems to have a dearth of promising male actors under the age of twenty-five (which is Mike’s age in this book). For that reason, I’d probably go with someone a little older like Ryan Gosling, who has the acting chops and has shown an inclination recently to play more physical roles. I haven’t seen enough of Charlie Hunnam’s work, but his performance on Sons of Anarchy has intrigued me.
No sooner had I hit send than the wisdom of my film agent's observation came home to me.
I had suggested that January Jones might be right for the character of Sarah (whom I have always seen as earnest and beautiful but bland). My wife scoffed. She wanted an actress in the role who could project intelligence, someone like Carrie Mulligan or Amanda Seyfriend or Michelle Williams. She's almost certaintly right.
Hey, what do I know? I'm just a novelist.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Trailer
I liked the Swedish versions fine, but I must admit: This trailer has me hooked.
Luther in Hell
At the Edgar Awards back in April I sat up in my chair when the award for best teleplay went to a British TV show which I had never seen and about which I knew next to nothing. Since the spring, I have discovered the dark pleasures of watching Luther myself and am looking forward to the American premiere of season 2 on September 28.
If you haven't seen the show before, you can currently stream the first season on Netflix. It's violent and disturbing, but Idris Elba and Ruth Wilson turn in great performances.