Jackie Brown

[Neon Maniac]

I'm rewatching Jackie Brown for the 30th time, and thinking about what a great film this is. Some of you know that I am no fan of Tarantino and I'm not fanboi fawning. The cast is great, the soundtrack's great, and it's got to be one of the best book adaptations ever made. It's as if he somehow has the film mimic Leonard's writing style.

[Alien Redrum]

I always thought Tarantino's style goes well with Leonard's. I too enjoy this one very much and think it's his best work.

[Neon Maniac]

I would've liked it if Tarantino'd adapted more of Leonard's work, but I think his ego won't allow him to do that. I think this was likely his best film, and likely won't get surpassed. At least in my mind.

As a filmmaker, I think he's got a great eye and good instincts towards things, but when he films his own scripts its like watching him masturbate with toys. I like his scripts when another filmmaker makes them, like True Romance is great with only a smidgen of annoying dialog and over the top characters. If Tarantino had made it, you'd have Slater talking about kung fu movies for 3 hours and at the end we'd all want to shoot ourselves.

[Alien Redrum]

So. Fucking. Accurate.

Every single word.

Tarantino would be off the wall amazing if he did Leonard or even Lansdale works.

[Neon Maniac]

I could see him doing Lansdale too. At the time I'd really hoped he'd do some more. It's been years since I've read a Leonard book, but a lot of his books had recurring characters and characters that would just kind of move along the outskirts of one story while having theirs told in another book. Rum Punch is one of those central hub type stories I think, so I was hoping maybe Tarantino'd do the connecting books too, but nope.

Trivia: Michael Keaton reprised his roll as agent Ray Nicholette the following year in the Jennifer Lopez/George Clooney movie Out of Sight.

[Alien Redrum]

Yep! He even wore a hat that said FBI, and Lopez's dad asked him if he was undercover and he didn't get the joke.

[Neon Maniac]

I still think Keaton's greatest role was Mr. Mom.

[Alien Redrum]

Pacific Heights!

[New Wave Shamrock]

I haven't seen Reservoir Dogs yet, but I'm a very big fan of his mid-90's work. I suppose I agree that Pulp Fiction is Tarantino's best film but Jackie Brown has his best characters. And Pam Grier gives probably his best directed performance. And Jackie Brown is easily one of all-time favorite films.

It has a heart. It's extremely mature.

[Neon Maniac]

They're Elmore Leonard's characters.

[Alien Redrum]

They're Elmore Leonard's characters.

And I think that's why they are the best characters in any of his movies. Tarantino should just suck it up and do more of Leonard's novels.

[Neon Maniac]

They're Elmore Leonard's characters.

And I think that's why they are the best characters in any of his movies. Tarantino should just suck it up and do more of Leonard's novels.

I wish he would to. Especially a lot of the older novels from that same era.

[Neon Maniac]

I'm watching this again, and one thing that's always bothered me about this are the dollar amounts mentioned. They make no sense. I forget what they were in the book. In the movie, Ordell is planning on retiring on $500,000. Jackie Brown makes between 13000-16000 a year at her job and lives in LA. The book was written in 1992, the movie 1997. No time during the 90's could any of that have worked. Maybe in the 70's. But the movie is obviously not set in the 70's.