Completely valid point - plus the film gets rid a LOT of that “Disney” sort of stuff that felt a bit overstuffed in the book. 

Oh hai Kirk Cameron left me behind...

At band practice last night we were discussing “Under Pressure” by Queen/Bowie and I stated that when I was younger, I was a huge Queen fan and didn’t get the Bowie uproar in any sense.

If you can write a part for the Rock and a comic side kick, your project is a GO.

Screenwriters! I feel like going into a rage the equivalent of Barton Fink’s studio boss...

It’s a fun, sort of relaxing film (and that cast with Harry Dean Stanton and Willie Nelson cameos is fucking great) but it’s nothing like the source material...and the femme fatale in it is fucking TERRIBLE. Hot, but terrible.

You are a monster...

I wasn’t a fan of the Michael Rappaport season, but in general that show held a great level of quality through out its run.

Valid point. Plus as much as I loved the guy, Dee Dee was not the sharpest tool in the shed or the most nuanced. You’re probably right in that there’s a better emotional ‘core’ to Joey’s story.

Depends: I like some of the flabby stuff (and I’ll die on the hill that American Tabloid is flat out his best book, followed by the Big Nothing) but a lot of his early stuff (the leaner stuff) is just sort of boiler plate to me. You ever read Killer on the Road or the Clandestine/Hopkins books? They’re okay but they…

White Jazz. Flat out. Blood’s a Rover isn’t great but you still get Pete B and so forth. White Jazz is just...I dunno, I wasn’t thrilled with it.

Shit, I’d put him on the current squad...who are of course a fucking dumpster fire before the season even starts. 

Yeah, but Winslow isn’t as good of a writer (IMO). I’ve read his stuff, and it’s OK, but Ellroy’s stuff fucking crackles. He’s definitely a miserable bastard though. 

Well...let’s not be hasty there. Female Trouble is VERY transgressive to boot. And dare I say, it might be BETTER than Flamingos. 

Right? Although oddly enough he’s STILL not tall or thin enough as crazy as that sounds.

Oh, fully agreed. He’s an incredible writer and his best stuff when translated by folks with talent can be transcendent. Justified comes to mind as well, especially season two (even thought it’s an expansion on his characters, you get that Leonard vibe big time)

I wouldn’t go that far: The Hateful 8 is definitely not a sniggering 14 year old film. Kill Bill (the first one especially...well...)

Shut the fuck up Rex and go back to your commentator job.

Elmore Leonard books can easily be ruined though: what was the name of that terrible Mickey Rourke film based on Killshot? (I’ll bet it’s Killshot)

That’s valid, although I’m more sold on the concept. I’ve seen a million exploitation films about the Manson family (the Van Bebber one comes to mind as a particularly decent if overly gory one) and I think it’s about time someone with talent AND money took a shot at it.