Well brother & sister geeks, Harry has asked me to start writing about some of the hundreds of scripts we have piled all over Geek Headquarters so this will be the 1st in a series that will probably see one new effort each week. ( My keyboard skills really suck) In the last 12 months I have read at least 200 scripts, everything from mega-blockbusters to small indie ones that may never get made. I've read great, tightly crafted works and some real garbage. I won't burden you with what I consider pure trash and I'll probably steer clear of the overly hyped opus as well. I view my job here as one of enlightenment. I will try to point you toward some distant winners to watch out for, and I will on occasion try to bring some new, talented works into the light of discovery. These will not be reviews per say and I will not be discussing plot details, no spoilers. Instead I will simply express my feelings about the read, how did the film play on that screen that rests behind my forehead in front of that 3rd eye that many of us have developed with great effort over time, and when I can I will try to place the script into some sort of historical perspective.
I first read the Parker script about 8 months ago in a single sitting during a period when Harry and I were each reading 2 or 3 scripts a day. The story moved like lightning, packed the punch of a 357 mag., and stayed with me, I've carried it high in the stack ( top 10% ) of mental scripts filed away in the filing cabinet that rests on my shoulders ever since. The project received a new name, Payback, and a big time star, Mel Gibson. Then I quit hearing about it, until this week. First I got a report that it was a finished film, I pulled up the file and got excited all over again. Then today an E-mail informs me that it has been given a 1999 release date, bummer, I really want to see Gibson's take on the lead character. The old roadwarrior can be perfect for this role, even if they did change the character's name from Parker to Porter. What's that about, try as I will, I cannot understand the purpose of that change.
When I finished reading the script towards the end of January we had just finished watching 30 some odd movies from Tarantino's personal collection with about 125 other Austin film nuts over a 5 day period. So when Harry asked me what I thought of Parker I responded that it was great, that it reminded me of a 70's crime flick that Quentin had shown us a few days before, " That one with Robert Duval & Joe Don Baker, oh yeah, The Outfit." This film kicks major ass. If you haven't seen it make an effort to find a video print somewhere and see it, it's well worth the trouble. Well, the feel of Parker was so like The Outfit ( I think its Duval's attitude and manner) that I did some research, and what do you know, they are both based on novels by Donald E. Westlake who writes as Richard Stark.
They've recently reissued a bunch of old 70's blaxploitation films on video. I had missed many of these when they 1st came out so I've been playing catch-up this summer. Back at the 1st of June I caught Hell Up In Harlem the 1973 sequel to Fred Williamson's great Black Caesar with Gloria Hendry. Once again the Parker script jumped into my mind's eye. The Parker/Payback movie playing at the cinema in my head kicks it's butt, but they run along parallel plot lines dealing with betrayal and the drive to get even. Just like The Outfit. Williamson's and Duval's single-minded drive, their tunnel-vision could be perfectly played by that early Mel Gibson, that roadwarrior, even the Mel we loved in Lethal Weapon #1. I hope he catches that fire, that intensity. If he does, we're talking a great crime/thriller here.
Lastly, a while back I was sorting a bunch of old movie posters here at the house and ran across one for Point Blank, the hard-nosed John Boorman film about depersonalization in our increasingly urban lifestyles. Well, I noticed it was based on Westlake's "The Hunter". Wow, Parker is based on the same novel. I remember seeing this film in the late 60's when I was at UT's film school. I remember my prof comparing Lee Marvin's character to Godard's Belmondo. Suddenly I understood why this script rocked so hard. It's a classic story about a classic character on a classic quest. Gibson has the skills to bring him to life. The script is great. Look for Payback in 99, you won't be sorry.
