I do it all because I'm evil

[sovay]

Hey, friendlist.

1. Pursuant to nineweaving's recent post on Evelyn Nesbit, I've noticed more than one review of Claude Chabrol's La fille coupée en deux (2007) mention that the film is an update-retelling of l'affaire Stanford White et Harry Thaw. It is not a historical film. I find this fascinating. What other real-life events have become cultural mythology, infinitely reworkable as such? Kim Philby comes to mind, because of John le Carré's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1974) and the last ten minutes of The Good Shepherd (2006) I caught on television last night, but I know there must be other, really obvious examples that I'm missing.

2. Recommend me some Dennis Potter. I have so far seen Dreamchild (1985), which I think is the best take on Alice Liddell I have encountered so far, and the original television play of Brimstone and Treacle (1976), which I just discovered and really, really loved. Pennies from Heaven (1978) is up next, because by this point I have no excuse for not having seen it, but what else of his should I know about?

3. Does anyone know if there exist recordings of Lloyd Alexander reading his own work?

Comments

[thistleingrey.livejournal.com]

Re: Philby: also in Tim Powers's Declare, which though less read than le Carré's book is certainly worth reading, IMO.

(I haven't replied to your other comment-reply yet, I know--it's in a tab, and this is quicker and it's time to attempt going to sleep....)

[sovay]

Re: Philby: also in Tim Powers's Declare, which though less read than le Carré's book is certainly worth reading, IMO.

I have yet to read any Tim Powers beyond The Drawing of the Dark (1979), which I have come to understand is not exactly characteristic of his work. (It is Arthurian, though, which relates to our other conversation. I'd completely forgotten that.) Thanks.

[thistleingrey.livejournal.com]

heh--neither Drawing nor Declare is characteristic, IMO; they're also quite different from each other. Declare could almost be someone else's well-written Cold War spy thriller. Almost.

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

Nothing useful to say, but I have to question your header. You don't strike me as being evil. Of course, this may be because I amn't one to judge. ;-)

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

Ah. I see.

Thanks!

[sovay]

Nothing useful to say, but I have to question your header. You don't strike me as being evil.

It's a line from Voltaire's "When You're Evil," which has been stuck in my head since the afternoon.

[joshwriting.livejournal.com]

The only direct recording of him reading his own fiction, though is in
"Children's Program of Poetry and Literature" - This was a Library of Congress event in 1993 with Prosser Gifford and Lloyd Alexander. "Lloyd Alexander reads a chapter from his novel for young people entitled The remarkable journey of Prince Jen. The chapter he reads is Tale of the bronze bowl." I suspect nobody else has this recording.

Other than that, there are related recordings.

In 1973, Edna Edwards interviewed him and the Center for Cassette Studies recorded it - "Lloyd Alexander, born story teller."

There's a cassette recording of his "Fantasy and the human condition," from 1976. (He presented a paper with that name in 1988 - but I don't know if they were the same.)

In 1994, a video was done, "A Visit With Lloyd Alexander" which has been uploaded to youtube in 3 parts, the first of which is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jln9VPoP3Tw

Again, though, this is not quite what you were asking for. If I trip across anything else in my wanderings, I'll pass it along.

[sovay]

Again, though, this is not quite what you were asking for. If I trip across anything else in my wanderings, I'll pass it along.

It's not what I was asking for, but it's more than I knew existed. Thank you very much!

[blubeagle.livejournal.com]

If you want to view "Pennies from Heaven," I'd recommend the original. I don't remember offhand, when it was made, but it was in the 1930's, I believe.

[sovay]

If you want to view "Pennies from Heaven," I'd recommend the original.

I am not planning to see the movies of either Pennies from Heaven or The Singing Detective until I've had a chance to check out the television serials. Thank you!

[blubeagle.livejournal.com]

No problem.

[wyldemusick.livejournal.com]

Kim Philby is also a central element of The Company by Robert Littell, who suggests Philby as being essentially the cause of breakdown within the CIA, affecting the organization for years afterwards.

Other events? The Earp brothers and the O.K. Corral are a good example, I think, as the events surrounding the Tombstone period have been cultural mythology for decades, told and retold and examined from multiple angles. The life of the Earps prior to and subsequent to Tombstone have had their share of going over too, though not to near the extent.

Dennis Potter...hmmm. Cold Lazarus and Karaoke (which go together), The Stone Tape, and most certainly The Singing Detective, which is quite autobiographical in many respects, even more so than the original Pennies From Heaven.

[rysmiel.livejournal.com]

Cold Lazarus and Karaoke (which go together)

It is my understanding that, because Potter had requested they be a BBC/Channel 4 co-production with one channel originally showing each series, there was some complication arising from this preventing a DVD release of either; if this understanding is out of date I should be most pleased. Cold Lazarus has a couple of irritating "mainstream writer picks up SFnal tropes without actually making it make sense like SF" things about it, but it also has my mother's ex-boyfriend (from when she was ten) in a secondary role, and they are... truly astounding, particularly in the light of being written in what Potter knew were the last couple of months of his life.

While seconding the recommendation for The Singing Detective and Potter's original TV Pennies from Heaven with Bob Hoskins, I do also think that the subsequent film version of Pennies from Heaven with Steve Martin, while not as good, is worth watching. (If only for an amazing Christopher Walken dance number.)

It is also worth noting that Dennis Potter wrote the screenplay for the excellent film version of Gorky Park, which is highly worth watching.

[sovay]

but it also has my mother's ex-boyfriend (from when she was ten) in a secondary role, and they are... truly astounding, particularly in the light of being written in what Potter knew were the last couple of months of his life.

I can get the published screenplays of Karaoke and Cold Lazarus; I can't get either of them on DVD (of whatever region). Bah. If anything changes, I will let you know.

the subsequent film version of Pennies from Heaven with Steve Martin, while not as good, is worth watching. (If only for an amazing Christopher Walken dance number.)

That I'd watch.

It is also worth noting that Dennis Potter wrote the screenplay for the excellent film version of Gorky Park, which is highly worth watching.

I keep being told this, too. I need a film budget.

Thank you!

[sovay]

The Earp brothers and the O.K. Corral are a good example, I think, as the events surrounding the Tombstone period have been cultural mythology for decades, told and retold and examined from multiple angles.

I was thinking less of historical events retold as themselves, somehow, than appropriated as allusions or patterns: with the serial numbers filed off, if you like. But you are right that as far as cultural mythologies go, the O.K. Corral is huge.

Cold Lazarus and Karaoke (which go together), The Stone Tape, and most certainly The Singing Detective, which is quite autobiographical in many respects, even more so than the original Pennies From Heaven.

Thank you! Three of these I hadn't even heard of. Awesome.

[wyldemusick.livejournal.com]

Oh, another one who's gradually been folded into fictional works: Alan Turing. He's been incorporated into everything from a Doctor Who novel to various productions about Bletchley Park and the Enigma Machine.

[sovay]

He's been incorporated into everything from a Doctor Who novel to various productions about Bletchley Park and the Enigma Machine.

Oh, yeah. The scenes with him in Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon (1999) are my favorites in the entire book.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

2. You should absolutely utterly watch "The Singing Detective", which was iconic, pivotal TV. (Also the scripts were published in book form, and for once make really interesting reading, for the matter between the dialogue...)

Also also, "Blue Remembered Hills" is really interesting.

[sovay]

You should absolutely utterly watch "The Singing Detective", which was iconic, pivotal TV.

On the list. Thank you!

(Also the scripts were published in book form, and for once make really interesting reading, for the matter between the dialogue...)

I actually really like reading film/playscripts; I love seeing what changes between pages and action, or how authors see their characters that I might not; or just having the words there at hand.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Blue Remembered Hills, the Singing Detective...

But also his take on Jesus as an angry young socialist- Son of Man. It caused huge controversy at the time.

Oh, and I'm rather fond of his Casanova (1971)

[sovay]

I have never taken one of your recommendations that I did not like; I'll look for all of them. Thank you!

[xterminal.livejournal.com]

I know there must be other, really obvious examples that I'm missing.

Weaving historical figures into modern cultural mythology has been having something of a renaissance recently. Teddy Roosevelt and a number of other chaps turn up in Caleb Carr's books (The Alienist is phenomenal). Conan Doyle is a rather popular one, too. Mark Frost did him right in The List of Seven. And I swear I've seen Harry Houdini somewhere in the past couple of years, but I can't remember the book. I remember an opening scene where he was having a fight with his brother in a hotel room in New York City (possibly over a woman)...

And, of course, there's all that alternate-history stuff. I'm not a huge fan-- when I want martial fantasy, I know I can turn to Steve Erikson and Elizabeth Moon and be competently entertained-- but Harry Turtledove is the really big name in the subgenre, I think. I read Guns of the South seven, eight years ago. Meh.

[sovay]

Teddy Roosevelt and a number of other chaps turn up in Caleb Carr's books (The Alienist is phenomenal).

I will look it up. Thanks!

And, of course, there's all that alternate-history stuff. I'm not a huge fan-- when I want martial fantasy, I know I can turn to Steve Erikson and Elizabeth Moon and be competently entertained-- but Harry Turtledove is the really big name in the subgenre, I think. I read Guns of the South seven, eight years ago. Meh.

I am not fond of Harry Turtledove. He makes me think, what if Spartacus had had a Piper Cub? For alternate history, I read Mary Gentle (Ash: A Secret History, Ilario: The Lion's Eye); she at least does not turn it all on battles.

[tithenai.livejournal.com]

I have no answers, but I wish to applaud your choice in earworms. ; )

[sovay]

I have no answers, but I wish to applaud your choice in earworms.

Hee. Thank you!

[ookpik.livejournal.com]

re: other mythologized historical events--the JFK assassination?

It wouldn't surprise me if some part of the Diana Spencer drama took on that character, but I don't know of any actual examples.

[sovay]

re: other mythologized historical events--the JFK assassination?

Wow. Yes. My brain was clearly not firing on all cylinders: that one is mythology on all sorts of levels. Thank you!

It wouldn't surprise me if some part of the Diana Spencer drama took on that character, but I don't know of any actual examples.

Both Alex Cox's Revengers Tragedy (2002) and Alfonso Cuarón's Children of Men (2006) make heavy visual allusions to her death and mourning; I'll bet there are others.

[thehornedgod.livejournal.com]

With Pennies from Heaven taken for granted, I second the recommendations of Blue Remembered Hills and The Singing Detective. They might be interesting to watch together (albeit the latter's quite long, so probably not on the same day), as they both seem to draw on Potter's childhood.

[sovay]

They might be interesting to watch together (albeit the latter's quite long, so probably not on the same day), as they both seem to draw on Potter's childhood.

So noted! Thank you!