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Off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush

GhostOfTomJoad

By GhostOfTomJoad
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GhostOfTomJoad

GhostOfTomJoad 9323

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L.A. Confidential has been in rotation lately. Such a brilliant film. I was watching a 'behind the scenes' bit the other day and the director (Curtis Hanson) told Kevin Spacey (I know, but damn if he wasn't a brilliant actor) to approach the character of Jack Vincennes as Dean Martin. And he nailed it.

 

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TwiceHorn

TwiceHorn 31438

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18 minutes ago, GhostOfTomJoad said:

Has anyone read the novel? My understanding is that it's much more complex with 8 intersecting storylines. Jame Ellroy is on record saying he didn't think it was possible to turn it into a film, but thinks Hanson and co-writer Brian Helgeland created a masterpiece.

It is fairly bizarro as is most of Ellroy's stuff.

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Dick Tremayne

Dick Tremayne 103

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58 minutes ago, GhostOfTomJoad said:

Has anyone read the novel? My understanding is that it's much more complex with 8 intersecting storylines. Jame Ellroy is on record saying he didn't think it was possible to turn it into a film, but thinks Hanson and co-writer Brian Helgeland created a masterpiece.

As great as the movie is, the book is better. His whole underworld quartet is phenomenal(LA Confidential is the 3rd book in this series), and his Underworld USA trilogy is a fucking masterpiece. If you like this movie and enjoy reading, I can't recommend James Ellroy's books enough.

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Dick Tremayne

Dick Tremayne 103

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2 hours ago, Dick Tremayne said:

As great as the movie is, the book is better. His whole underworld quartet is phenomenal(LA Confidential is the 3rd book in this series), and his Underworld USA trilogy is a fucking masterpiece. If you like this movie and enjoy reading, I can't recommend James Ellroy's books enough.

Sorry, it's the LA Quartet and Underworld USA Trilogy. 

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oSuJeff97

oSuJeff97 3435

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And yeah... great fucking movie.

Was Vincennes getting shot one of the most shocking death scenes in movie history? I remember literally jumping and the entire movie theater audibly gasped out loud in the theater back in '97.

Edited by oSuJeff97
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Continental Op

Continental Op 3934

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8 hours ago, GhostOfTomJoad said:

Has anyone read the novel? My understanding is that it's much more complex with 8 intersecting storylines. Jame Ellroy is on record saying he didn't think it was possible to turn it into a film, but thinks Hanson and co-writer Brian Helgeland created a masterpiece.

Like others have said, LA Confidential and the other novels in the LA Quartet are all great.  Helgeland/Hanson did a great job of distilling a very sprawling novel down while retaining the overall essence and getting rid of the stuff that would have planted it firmly in NC-17 territory.   Underworld USA Trilogy was great as well.  The two books in what Ellroy plans to be The Second LA Quartet have been a little bit uneven IMO.  

If you happen to read Black Dahlia, skip the De Palma movie from 10 or 15 years ago.  Complete dogshit.  

 

 

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Prepuce of Doom

Prepuce of Doom 21053

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I devoured Ellroy's books back in the early 2000s, so I'm glad that this thread has tipped me to the fact that there's a since been a book after The Cold Six Thousand. 

If you aren't familiar with Ellroy's personal life, it's pretty fucked up, and explains a lot about his writing. 

"James Ellroy - Wikipedia" https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Ellroy

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Mileslong

Mileslong 4728

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This is absolutely one of my all time favorite movies. I loved everything about it. 
 
And to this day my wife and I call someone at a traffic light in the right hand lane that doesn’t turn a rollo tomasi. 

Username doesn’t check out...

One of my favorite movies...
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Lazarus Bocanegra

Lazarus Bocanegra 304

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She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die She don't die so I don't die 

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Biff Tannen

Biff Tannen 45665

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On 1/26/2021 at 8:45 AM, Dick Tremayne said:

As great as the movie is, the book is better. His whole underworld quartet is phenomenal(LA Confidential is the 3rd book in this series), and his Underworld USA trilogy is a fucking masterpiece. If you like this movie and enjoy reading, I can't recommend James Ellroy's books enough.

Bought the quartet.  Thanks for the rec.

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mchookem

mchookem 16321

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movie is in my top 10 for sure. it's always spectacular when an entire cast just nails their parts. 

and another vote for American Tabloid, which is in my top 5 for novels. i've read it three times...it just immerses you in this fictional(??) universe, all the intertwining historical characters...i love that time period and noire in general and AT is a masterpiece of the genre. can't recommend enough!

Prepuce mentioned Ellroy's rather fucked-up personal biography...My Dark Places is a pretty dark read, pun intended.  

 

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Eskimohorn

Eskimohorn 5630

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And yeah... great fucking movie.
Was Vincennes getting shot one of the most shocking death scenes in movie history? I remember literally jumping and the entire movie theater audibly gasped out loud in the theater back in '97.

Why we still need movie theaters. When you see this in the theater its amazing, between the immersion and audience reaction.
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