Not much news since the last of these–maybe stuff is out there, but I haven’t had a chance to look for it. A huge work project, football season, and lots of great concerts coming through Austin have kept me busy.
I need some help from someone who knows stuff about video files. I don’t know if it’s medium-level or advanced-level knowledge that I need, but it’s definitely above my no-knowledge level. I don’t want to say what I need the help for right at this moment, but if you contact me about it, I think you will jump on board the project about 1/4 of a second after you read about what it is. I also don’t think it will be that time consuming for someone who knows what he’s doing. If you contact me and I tell you about it and you aren’t interested (you will be), if it’s too big a project (I don’t think it will be), or the particular set of skills I’m looking for aren’t yours, don’t worry, I won’t be offended.
Update: Video issues resolved. More to follow.
Also, has anyone seen John Wick yet? The preview looked great, and the reviews are very strong.
I don’t understand why the title follows the baffling trend of naming the movie after the main character even though John Carter and Parker didn’t do well and Jack Reacher only did OK. What the hell, Hollywood? Who is or are the idiot or idiots who think this is a good idea? What’s a better title, James Bond or From Russia With Love, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, or The Spy Who Loved Me (to pick three favorites)?
Anyway, if you saw it, tell us what you thought.
And, of course, thread is open for anything else.
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Is John Wick based on a book series or something?
It’s original to film.
Well, as original as a revenge thriller can be, I guess.
I was wondering because all the other name series was based on books. I wonder if John Carter would have done better if it was called Princess of Mars are something.
I’m not a huge fan Keanu Reaves, but the trailer looks interesting.
John Carter of Mars as a title would have put a lot more butts in seats, I would guess. I’m not a marketing expert, but I think I could have done better than the folks who made a box office disaster out of a high budget and solid movie. Why the name-it-after-the-protagonist trend continues despite dismal results continues, I do not know.
I often don’t like Keanu, but he has his moments. Perhaps this is one of them. Hoping to catch it this week and report back.
I saw John Wick today and liked it pretty well. It is seriously over the top but is stylishly filmed and the action sequences are excellent. Keanu is in fine form as he clearly handles most of his own stunts. There are some great shots of NYC at night too.
This is a revenge film plain and simple. Wick is a former elite hit man who comes back to get revenge on the people he used to work for due to some things that happen at the beginning of the movie (no spoilers from me). The bullets fly and the body count rises from that point on. I don’t know what the record is for killings in a movie but this has to be in that ballpark.
There is a lot of humor in this film. I found it very amusing that Wick stays in what is basically a hotel for hit men. I was also reminded of John Carpenter’s “Escape From New York” when Wick runs into a seemingly endless line of former colleagues and enemies. It isn’t quite “Snake Plissken? I thought you were dead!” but close enough.
The supporting cast is good including Willem Dafoe, Adrianne Palicki, Lance Reddick and Ian McShane, but this is clearly Keanu’s film 110%. I endorse this movie as a fun and well made action flick but if you are looking for realism, you won’t find it here.
I recently found out Keanu has been cast as Barry Eisler’s Japanese-American assassin John Rain in an upcoming TV series. He is also executive producer. The same production team who made John Wick is also involved. Barry Eisler has a lot of info about the series on his website as well as his Facebook page.
Anyone out there have any opinions on the John Rain series? I have picked up a few used copies of the series over the past couple of years but haven’t gotten around to reading them yet. I hear mostly positive things and Eisler seems like a very interesting guy. I would be interested in hearing what some of you have to say.
It’s been awhile since I read any, but the John Rain books are really good. Good characterization, good action, and good plot.
Reaves seems to have an interest in Japan, which is interesting since he’s partially of Chinese descent. He was in that ridiculous adaption of 47 Ronin and wanted to play the lead character in a movie adaption of the anime Cowboy Bebop. As a fan of that property, I’m glad ehn it did not happen.
Thanks Matthew. I think I’ll put the first Rain book on the top of my “next up” pile of books.
They are good books. Eisler does a lot of research and one could probably actually use the books as a guy to murder.
Oh wait I said to much…
Just wanted to let other Max Allan Collins’ fans that lurk here on VWOP that the new Quarry, “Quarry’s Choice” is coming out on January 6th. Available for pre-order on Amazon (go through Trent’s portal so Trent can make a shekel or two). :-)
JOHN WICK is supposed to be an adaptation of the JOHN RAIN novels. I follow barry Eisler on Twitter and he’s been talking up the movie and TV series for a while now.
FYI there is a Japanese adaptation of the first RAIN novel, RAIN FALL, and the flick is entitled RAIN FALL. That came out in 2009 and has Gary Oldman in it, I’ve still not watched the picture.
Wow–didn’t know Wick had any relation to Rain.
I saw a very good crime film with Bryan Cranston called Cold Comes the Night. Excellent work by Cranston, who plays a bad-ass Russian bagman going blind. After seeing this, I know Cranston could do Parker, even though physically he’s not the closest match.
A lot of Parker fans also seem to like, or in my case love, John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee character. I discovered the character at a pivotal time in my teens–like maybe 12 or 13–and it really shaped the way I think. No other fictional character had that kind of impact on me until I met a certain Mr. Parker.
Rod Taylor, who played Trav in 1970’s Darker Than Amber, one of only two filmed adaptations of a McGee novel, passed on Jan. 7th.
RIP Mr. Taylor.
I wonder what’s happening with Getaway Face. It was supposed to be released in October, I think, and yet it’s still not out.