Fantasy Casting Call

To have a movie made from a book is every author’s dream come true.  To have that movie garner rave reviews, receive prestigious awards, and make a heck-of-a-lot of money is heaven.

Every writer knows a good/great movie = a bestseller.

                            

Those who enjoyed the movie may in turn seek out the original source material.  This is a win-win situation for the author.  Not only does he get to see his work on the big screen he also gets to sell many more copies.

With that in mind, I will indulge myself by picking the actors that I would enjoy seeing play my characters on the big screen.  

  

A series of brutal murders lead Chicago Homicide Detective Karl Whaler on the strangest and most dangerous investigation of his career.

How could the death of a promising young man be related to a tragic event during the Vietnam War decades earlier? And why do a plumber, an electrician, a caretaker, a locksmith and a butcher meet secretly in a downtown room?

Karl Whaler (Detective)

I would love for Brendan Gleeson to play him.  Gleeson was excellent in the movie In Bruges.  Whaler is quiet, soft-spoken, and shy, this would fit Gleeson perfectly.  Plus, Gleeson has Whaler’s body-type.

Michael Lantern (Plumber) 

When I was writing the book years ago I actually had Clint Eastwood in mind but he would be too old now—the character in the book is in his early fifties.  Lantern is a man of few words and he is very reserved.  I think Liam Neeson would capture who he is.

Barry Tarkovsky (Butcher) 

This one, without a doubt, should be played by Alfred Molina.  I actually had Molina in mind while writing the book.  I loved Molina in the movie The Man Who Knew Too Little with Bill Murray.  Tarkovsky is physically strong but has a soft heart.

Vince Crouch (Electrician) 

This part should be played by Chris Cooper.  Crouch is angry, hot-headed, and stubborn.  Cooper looks like he is filled with p*ss and vineger, perfect for playing Crouch.

Sam Patroni (Locksmith) 

I think George Clooney should be Patroni.  Patroni is handsome, charming and funny.  Even at his age Patroni is capable of attracting beautiful women. Clooney has no problem in that category.

Al Shorley (Caretaker) 

I think Kevin Spacey would be the right person to play Shorley.  Shorley is introverted, quiet, and physically weak.  I loved Spacey in the movie The Usual Suspects.

For further indulgence I would love for Ridley Scott (American Gangster, Body of Lies) to direct it.  Ridley Scott is one of the finest directors around.  I’m a huge fan of his and have seen all his movies.

Like many authors I have spent a great deal of time thinking about the movie version.  Who knows, maybe one day that dream may turn into reality.

Hey look he’s also Canadian!

As a Canadian I figured why not mention some books written by Canadian authors that I’ve enjoyed reading.  Let me first lay it out that we, Canadians, have a complex.  This complex can be identified as ‘hey-look-he’s-also-Canadian’.  Being in a country that is second in land mass (after Russia) but with a population slightly over 30 million, we can’t help be proud of our fellow comrades…um…er…citizens.

I’m not going to mention books by Canadian greats, such as Margaret Atwood, Alice Munro, Mordecai Richler, or even Michael Ondaatje. Even though their books are exceptional they need no praising by me.

I’m going to mention the relative unknowns or those whose books have surprised and entertained me.

Brad Smith - One Eyed Jacks - I can’t remember how I stumbled upon this book; maybe it was the names of the characters. With names like Tommy, T-Bone, Fat Ollie, how can you go wrong? Plus, it was set in Toronto in the 1950’s.  It had the noir style of the tough guy novels I’d enjoyed reading when I was a kid, but with a slight Canadian flavour.  

Brad Smith’s other two novels are also enjoyable reads: All Hat and Busted Flush.  If I had to describe his novels it would be ‘heavies with heart’ or ‘likeable tough guys.’

I met Brad Smith at one of his readings and he does look like the author who writes these types of books.  He wore a tight T-shirt, which revealed his big muscles, his head was completely shaved and he had a French beard (hey, he could be a character in RACE!).  He looked more like a bouncer than a writer.  He was pleasant and he did sign my copy of One Eyed Jacks. 

Yann Martel - Life of Pi - The only reason I read this book was because it had won the Man Booker Prize and guess what, Hey-look-he’s-also-Canadian!  I started reading this with much hesitation, hoping I wouldn’t like it and would go on to something else.  But, there was something about it. It was the voice of the main character Pi Patel. There was so much innocence in it, like an eager-eyed kid who wants to learn and know everything about the world.  

Pi goes through a tough ordeal. He is stranded in the ocean on a boat with an orangutan, zebra, hyena, and a tiger.  If that doesn’t get you excited about reading it then nothing will.

Rob Payne – Working Class Zero – Hilarious and downright funny is how I’d describe this book.  I read it prior to being exposed to the TV series The Office, so it was new and refreshing. The protagonist lands a job as a team leader at a call centre full of temps.  There are all sort of weird and wacky characters.  Those who have worked in a call centre or in an office environment will totally relate to it.

I also read How to be a Hero on Earth 5 and I wish I had written it.  It reminded me of my trip to England (the real England and not the Earth 5 England in the book). It was so interesting to hear the British accent and see the places I had visited. The novel is more geared toward the YA reader but I think even adults will find it just as fun and entertaining.

And if you are interested in reading more books by Canadians then might I recommend some books by…me!

Book-to-Film

Along with being a writer I’m also a huge movie fan. Most of my blogs in one way or another have some connection to movies. So I figured why not write about book-to-film adaptations.

Now, there are hundreds, heck, thousands of books that have been turned into films. In most cases the books were better than the movies. I have always wondered why that is. Books have the capacity to evoke emotion, make us feel like we are right in the action, and even scare the daylights out of us. So they would easily translate into movies, right? Wrong.

There are many factors at play. When an author writes a book it is solely his/her vision. They are, in essence, the actors, the directors, the scriptwriters; they are everything they need to be to tell a story. What they are not are producers, this title will be placed on the publishers. On the other hand, in a movie there are actual actors, a director, one or several scriptwriters, and producers. What happens is that when a book is adapted an author’s story is then passed through several people: the scriptwriters, the actors, the director, and even the producers. That one person’s vision gets filtered through that many people and becomes something else entirely.

There are also other reasons why a great novel turns into a terrible movie: the scriptwriters may not understand the novel, the actors may not be suited for the parts, the director may be inept, and the producers may only be concerned with the budget. This process can be very frustrating for the authors. For this reason authors rarely are hired to write the screenplay of their works.

Writing a book is like giving birth, it’s a long and painful process, but in the end the results are often beautiful. So to go back and change your ‘baby’ is something that most cannot do. It is better to write your book and then let someone else make their movie.

There is a great quote from Ernest Hemingway about Hollywood: "Let me tell you about writing for films. You finish your book. Now, you know where the California state line is? Well, you drive right up to that line, take your manuscript and pitch it across. No, on second thought, don't pitch it across. First. Let them toss the money over. Then you throw it over, pick up the money, and get the hell out of there."

There are many books I’ve enjoyed reading but loathed the movie versions. My favourite author, Michael Crichton, his books never turned into good or great movies. While the movies based on his books were successful (see Jurassic Park) they never came close to what the books were. Whenever I read a Crichton book I always felt like I was watching a movie in my head, but unfortunately, what was written on the page never converted well onto the screen (see Congo, Timeline, Rising Sun).

Below are five titles (in no particular order) that I have enjoyed both the novels and their respective movies.

DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?/BLADE RUNNER

Deckard, a blade runner, has to track down andterminate 4 replicants who hijacked a ship in space andhave returned to earth seeking their maker. (courtesy of IMDB)

SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

A young FBI cadet must confide in an incarcerated and manipulative killer to receive his help on catching another serial killer who skins his victims. (courtesy of IMDB)

THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER

In 1984, the USSR's best submarine captain in their newest sub violates orders and heads for the USA. Is he trying to defect, or to start a war? (courtesy of IMDB)

THE GODFATHER

The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son. (courtesy of IMDB)

FIGHT CLUB

An office employee and a soap salesman build a global organization to help vent male aggression. (courtesy of IMDB)