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I do it all because I'm evil
Hey, friendlist.
1. Pursuant to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
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?
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?
no subject
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.
no subject
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.