Non-Film Discussion > Other Media
Bret Easton Ellis
children with angels:
There've been some hints here and there that there are some fans around (most recently, Jokerspath's signature), so I thought I'd start a thread...
I've only read American Psycho, Rules of Attraction and Glamorama - Glamorama being one of my favourite books of all time (anyone who loves movies should read that book).
I think he's a brilliant postmodern writer: I love how he's so casually symbolic, the way that things don't necessarily have specific meanings, or reasons for happening, but they just come together and feel so right in the end - he reminds me a little of Lynch in that way, though not quite as abstract.
Thought we could discuss the movies too. I thought American Psycho was a very fun, interesting version of the book: completely different, but that's okay - made it into much more of a comic satire rather than a vicious one, and - importantly - kept it all very uncool. Rules Of Attraction was okay for what it was, but was just far too high on itself to actually grasp the philosophy behind Ellis' writing. (Worryingly, Glamorama is presently in production with Roger Avary directing again. If he makes a shitty movie out of that wonderful book I'm going to be really pissed of: that book has the potential to make an INCREDIBLE film, what with all the fun the writer and director could have playing round with filmic conventions, etc...) Haven't seen Less Than Zero yet - want to wait till I've read the book.
So anyway - what does anyone think of the guy?
Cecil:
im a fan. less than zero is a great book, the movie is completely different, but i enjoy it for what it is.
and rules of attraction is a great, great film. an excessive film about the excess of college. and everyone who thinks otherwise is a fool :twisted:
children with angels:
I don't know - I thought Rules was too cool by half. It felt like it could have been made by a talented film student at that college, rather than someone who had seen that life then grown up and away from it and was judging it with distance from the outside (as Ellis was)... It felt a little superficial, and not in a way that commented on the lives of these kids, but in a way that made itself into a movie that these kids might watch and love. I enjoyed it, but for very different reasons than the book.
But I don't want this to be another Rules of Attraction thread - what did you think of Glamorama, Cecil? Apparently the sped-up Europe bit with Victor in Rules was pre-production footage for Glamorama. Considering that part was my absolute favourite bit of the movie (which I felt captured Ellis' prose style and outlook pretty damn well), maybe it'll be good after all...
jokerspath:
--- Quote from: children with angels --- It felt like it could have been made by a talented film student at that college, rather than someone who had seen that life then grown up and away from it and was judging it with distance from the outside (as Ellis was)
--- End quote ---
If I'm not mistaken, Mr. Ellis was only about 23 when Rules Of Attraction was published, which doesn't seem like too much of a distance, especially if you take in to fact how long it may have taken to get the book published...
I enjoyed the hell out of Less Than Zero (never seen the movie version).
American Psycho took me a second time to fully appreciate it, having expected a gory, twisted read. Instead, I got, after trying a second time, a gory, twisted, incredibly sharp, whip-smart, satirical, and hysterically funny (at times) novel. Then the movie came out. It took me a few times to fully enjoy that, but I do love what Harron/Turner did with the film, which is to present as much of all the angles of the original work as they could, complete w/ a terrific cast and some nice camera work.
I'd like to read everything (Informers, Glamorama, the random story about cocaine in some anthology) to get the full overview. I definitely enjoy his work. I like 'em detached...
aw
thooor:
--- Quote from: cecil b. demented ---and rules of attraction is a great, great film. an excessive film about the excess of college. and everyone who thinks otherwise is a fool :twisted:
--- End quote ---
Well slap me in my ass and call me a fool! I didn't know you were a fascist..... :wink:
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