FADE IN MAGAZINE Vol. 11 No. 1 : Page 10

.: theGRID THE PROJECT: Beaujolais THE PLAYERS: Fox; Farrelly brothers will produce; writers Mike Arnold and Chris Poole; Danny McBride is attached to star. THE PITCH: A redneck action- adventure, with a redneck action hero, for rednecks in red states. THE POSTSCRIPT: “I’m John McCain, and I approved this movie.” .: THE PROJECT: Two Face THE PLAYERS: Sony; writer Vince Gilligan; Will Ferrell is attached to star. THE PITCH: After falling victim to a prank, a fervent racist becomes much more liberal. THE POSTSCRIPT: “I’m Barack Obama, and I approved this movie.” .: THE PROJECT: Serial Killer Days THE PLAYERS: Fox Searchlight; writer-director Mark Carter; Amanda Seyfried is attached to star, possibly with Steve Carell. THE PITCH: A small town in Minnesota builds a festival around its annual serial killing. THE POSTSCRIPT: CAA, William Morris, Endeavor and ICM have already announced that they are closing at noon in observance. .: THE PROJECT: Army of the Dead THE PLAYERS: Warner Bros.; writer Joby Harold; director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.; cast may include Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Gary Oldman, Malin Akerman and Robert Patrick. THE PITCH: A legion of zombies attacks Las Vegas. THE POSTSCRIPT: Like anyone would notice. .: THE PROJECT: Just Do It THE PLAYERS: Fox; no writers or directors have stepped forward yet to adapt the book by Douglas Brown, but a really nice fruit basket has been delivered to Will Ferrell’s trailer. THE PITCH: The true story of a couple who, in an effort to rejuve- nate their marriage, make a pact to have sex for 101 days straight… THE POSTSCRIPT: …and God knows how many days gay. .: THE PROJECT: Bim Bam Baby THE PLAYERS: Sidney Kimmel Entertainment; producer Mark Gordon; writer Jeremy Catalino; director Carlos Ruíz Ruíz; art- imitating-life cast may include Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore and Bruce Willis. 10 FADE IN HOT PROPERTY: LOSANGELES FROM PAGE TO PROJECTOR…LIT PICKS FROM THE REASONABLY BOOKISH SKYLIGHT BOOKS 1818 N. Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90027 • (323) 660-1175 Submitted by: Staff One Plus One Volume I by Neal Shaffer & Daniel Krall (Oni Press) One of the few graphic noir novels in recent memory that stands up to repeat read- ings, thanks to its densely layered narrative and complex themes that unlock them- selves to the dedicated reader. David Coulson travels the world as an agent of destiny, his missions carried out between the lines of good and evil. Leonard is a writer tortured by everyday life, unable to look at people without seeing what they will look like after they die. Celeste is a waitress with a dark social life and Eddie is the wannabe con man. David decides to teach them the art of the grift. With its inti- mate settings and strong ensemble of characters, this would make a great directing vehicle for Scott Frank. The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall (Canongate U.S.) Hall wanted to write a novel that could be interpreted differently by the mystery fan, the romance fan, the comic superhero fan or the philosophy fan. This Rorschach of a novel would translate into a fascinating collaborative project drawing players and effects from several genres: perhaps Jerry Bruckheimer, the Coen brothers, Christopher Nolan and Michel Gondry. And maybe Jake Gyllenhaal as the protagonist, Ellen Page as the snarky Scout and John Malkovich as Dr. Fidorous or the nefarious villain. The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinski (Grove Press) This engrossing, staggeringly downbeat book might be next in line if the upcoming adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road does well. The story of a young boy surviving on his own while wandering around war-torn and impoverished Poland during World War II is harrowing in its depiction of anguish and abuse. The characters the boy encounters are beyond grotesque in their selfishness and desperation to live through the hell that exists in the midst of war, all powerfully evoked by Kosinski. Timely indeed. The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood (Anchor) Written in 1965, on the cusp of the women’s movement, this hilarious novel is a look into the mind of a woman dealing with some very surreal anxiety surrounding her gender role. Since getting engaged to her completely suitable, vaguely misogynistic boyfriend, Marion is becoming gradually, inexplicably put off by her food. First eggs, then meat, then cake...not to mention all the other strange associations that are begin- ning to complicate her life. Chock full of colorful characters and unsettling twists, this story would be wonderful as a satirical period piece. Stone Junction by Jim Dodge (Grove Press) A young pregnant runaway is taken in by an organization of anarchists, magicians and thieves in 1970s CB-trucker America. When she is later killed in a botched bomb explosion, her only son, Daniel, vows to exact revenge on those responsible. He grows up to become an assassin with the ability to make himself invisible, and is given the task of finding the fabled philosopher’s stone. But is he finding the stone, or is the stone trying to find him? Mixing American folklore with hermetic magic, Dodge’s 1990 novel would come alive in the hands of Darren Aronofsky. The Maximortal by Rick Veitch (King Hell Press) This surreal, scatological graphic novel reimagines the Superman story, and the sad tragedy of that character’s creation. Along the way, it ponders the concept of creative ideas, who owns them and, once they grow into mythic icons, who has a right to control them. The story examines the origin of a superhero, both in his world and ours. And as those two realities blur, an entirely new reality appears. Or maybe it doesn’t. This would be a great, difficult picture to make, and not for everyone, but it would be fantastic to see Guy Maddin take a crack at it. >>

Hot Property: Los Angeles

One Plus One Volume I by Neal Shaffer & Daniel Krall (Oni Press) One of the few graphic noir novels in recent memory that stands up to repeat readings, thanks to its densely layered narrative and complex themes that unlock themselves to the dedicated reader. David Coulson travels the world as an agent of destiny, his missions carried out between the lines of good and evil. Leonard is a writer tortured by everyday life, unable to look at people without seeing what they will look like after they die. Celeste is a waitress with a dark social life and Eddie is the wannabe con man. David decides to teach them the art of the grift. With its intimate settings and strong ensemble of characters, this would make a great directing vehicle for Scott Frank. The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall (Canongate U.S.) Hall wanted to write a novel that could be interpreted differently by the mystery fan, the romance fan, the comic superhero fan or the philosophy fan. This Rorschach of a novel would translate into a fascinating collaborative project drawing players and effects from several genres: perhaps Jerry Bruckheimer, the Coen brothers, Christopher Nolan and Michel Gondry. And maybe Jake Gyllenhaal as the protagonist, Ellen Page as the snarky Scout and John Malkovich as Dr. Fidorous or the nefarious villain. The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinski (Grove Press) This engrossing, staggeringly downbeat book might be next in line if the upcoming adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road does well. The story of a young boy surviving on his own while wandering around war-torn and impoverished Poland during World War II is harrowing in its depiction of anguish and abuse. The characters the boy encounters are beyond grotesque in their selfishness and desperation to live through the hell that exists in the midst of war, all powerfully evoked by Kosinski. Timely indeed. The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood (Anchor) Written in 1965, on the cusp of the women’s movement, this hilarious novel is a look into the mind of a woman dealing with some very surreal anxiety surrounding her gender role. Since getting engaged to her completely suitable, vaguely misogynistic boyfriend, Marion is becoming gradually, inexplicably put off by her food. First eggs, then meat, then cake...not to mention all the other strange associations that are beginning to complicate her life. Chock full of colorful characters and unsettling twists, this story would be wonderful as a satirical period piece. Stone Junction by Jim Dodge (Grove Press) A young pregnant runaway is taken in by an organization of anarchists, magicians and thieves in 1970s CB-trucker America. When she is later killed in a botched bomb explosion, her only son, Daniel, vows to exact revenge on those responsible. He grows up to become an assassin with the ability to make himself invisible, and is given the task of finding the fabled philosopher’s stone. But is he finding the stone, or is the stone trying to find him? Mixing American folklore with hermetic magic, Dodge’s 1990 novel would come alive in the hands of Darren Aronofsky. The Maximortal by Rick Veitch (King Hell Press) This surreal, scatological graphic novel reimagines the Superman story, and the sad tragedy of that character’s creation. Along the way, it ponders the concept of creative ideas, who owns them and, once they grow into mythic icons, who has a right to control them. The story examines the origin of a superhero, both in his world and ours. And as those two realities blur, an entirely new reality appears. Or maybe it doesn’t. This would be a great, difficult picture to make, and not for everyone, but it would be fantastic to see Guy Maddin take a crack at it.

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