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Posts Tagged ‘Charles Willeford’

podcast alert: The Projection Booth on THE WOMAN CHASER

Saturday, November 26th, 2011

tn_womanchaserIf you read me alot you’ve probly seen me rambling about my love for the writer Charles Willeford now and then. He’s the guy that wrote the books of COCKFIGHTER and MIAMI BLUES and also one I love called The Burnt Orange Heresy that Neil Labute is supposed to be doing, although I don’t see how it would work as a movie. (It’s about a sociopathic art critic, told in first person, and he thinks he’s the good guy.) Back in 2005 I reviewed the little-seen gem of a movie version of THE WOMAN CHASER. Since then I read the book and respect the movie even more because it’s a very faithful and well done adaptation, but I rarely run into anybody who’s even heard of it.

So I was surprised and excited by the new WOMAN CHASER episode of Mike (not the guy who did CHUCK AND BUCK) White’s The Projection Booth podcast. He talks about the movie and interviews director Robinson Devor (who went on to do the acclaimed horsefucking documentary ZOO), executive producer Joe McSpadden and star Patrick Warburton. Since I knew very little about the making and even release of the movie this was really enlightening. Among other mysteries it explains why to this day it’s only been released on VHS.

I should probly cast more of these episodes into my pod. Of the ones I’ve listened to I would recommend the interview-heavy look at THE WARRIORS and especially their excellent ROBOCOP episode. I was impressed by the interviews with Ed Neumeier and others, and also by the use of ROBOCOP related novelty songs between segments. And wait a minute, Monte Hellman shot which scenes!? That episode turned my world upside down.

Cockfighter

Thursday, July 6th, 2006

Well when you want a good sports movie you go to Monte Hellman, the fellow who also did the great racing movie Two Lane Black Top and Silent Night, Deadly Night 3. Now I know some of you from the title, you’re gonna say, “Oh, Vern’s reviewing a gay porno” but no, it’s about chickens.

I don’t know if you are familiar with cockfighting, cock is a term for rooster and what they do, they put two roosters in a circle and have them fight each other. Sometimes they put little metal hooks on their legs to make them more deadly. You know, it is basically like the dog fights we have up here but this is what they do in the south, because chickens are more readily available I guess. (read the rest of this shit…)

The Woman Chaser

Thursday, March 24th, 2005

Here’s one of those small time, low budget independent movies you never really heard of, because it never really caught on. This one’s not even on DVD, and I think it’s out of print on VHS. Made in 1999 and with no recognizable faces except the star, Patrick Warburton, that big deep-voiced goofball I guess was on Seinfeld.

The twist is, this movie is pretty good. This is one of the rare independent rookie movies that remind you why you try watching all the other ones – ’cause you’re hoping you’ll find one of these ones. I picked it up because it’s one of only a handful of movies based on books by Charles Willeford, the writer of COCKFIGHTER (book and movie) and MIAMI BLUES (book only). I haven’t read this book but seeing the movie, I’m betting it’s a great one. (read the rest of this shit…)

Miami Blues

Tuesday, August 10th, 2004

I don’t know if you guys have ever heard of this one. It’s a weird crime movie starring Fred Ward as a cop with fake teeth, Alec Baldwin as a crook who steals his teeth, and Jennifer Jason Leigh as Baldwin’s dumb hooker turned naive fiancee.

From the cover you’d assume this is just some boring cop movie, so you’ll just have to take my word for it that it’s something completely unique. Or don’t take my word for it. Let me explain to you a little bit about the plot, and see if that waxes your mustache.

See, Alec Baldwin (back when he was young and skinny, and made the gals swoon) gets off a plane in Miami, steals somebody’s luggage, and heads for the exit. At the bottom of an escalator he is approached by a hare krishna, who asks him what his name is. He says, “Trouble,” breaks the guy’s finger, and leaves. (read the rest of this shit…)