Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Fat City



Fat City by Leonard Gardner has long been one of my favorite books. I had heard John Huston adapted it into a movie, but I could never get my hands on it because it wasn't released on DVD. And the only copies of it I've seen have been VHS region 1. I'm a big fan of Huston, and I like the way he redoes books -- another example of him refashioning prose is his take on Flannery O'Connor's first novel Wise Blood-- so letting Fat City slip through my hands has always irked me. Going off this montage of the movie, I feel like I have good reason to be sad I've never seen it.

3 comments:

emma rowe said...

I read wise blood there a few months ago, I love writers of that southern gothic ilk, I think it was very vauge memories of the movies main character and wise blood the movie had got a re-release on DVD that prompted me to read it.its so odd. Huston I think also did a movie version of The Asphalt Jungle way back in 1950, great Noir book and this is the 1970's!!!. nice montage.

Ciaran.L said...

Yep, both Wise Blood movie and book are highly underrated I think (for some reason the blonde country-boy always breaks my heart, with his 'mvsevm' and monkey-suit). Haven't heard of Fat City, so cheers Ry.

Anonymous said...

That blond boy breaks your heart Ciaran cuz he is you! Wispy good looks! only messin of course. So I found Fat City via torrent. It's good. Not as good as the book. I felt the same with Wise Blood, as in, Houston's terrific but there's something about the words on the page that allows for the imaginative cones and rods to really build atmosphere, mood, juice. I'll have to try an find The Asphalt Jungle Emma. I'm on the lookout for it.