FOLKS, here is my debut as an LA Times freelancer. i'll be doing regular film writing for them.
the story is about the prolific crime writer donald westlake, and the generally poor job Hollywood has done handling his talents.
there are lots of European adaptations i didnt have room to get into -- i hear great things about costa-gavras' "Le Couperet," made from the novel "the ax." (the novel and film are about a laid off guy who begins to literally eliminate the competition -- seems like an idea whose time has come.)
here is an example of the softcore porn he wrote in the 60s under a pseudonym -- shame this never fell into the right director's hands.
if you've not read any of the parker novels that he wrote under the pen name Richard Stark, run dont walk to get the new university of chicago press reissues. they are as pure a distillation of the noir sensibility as i've ever read.
Photo credit: Flickr user 4
