Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Look At Me - I'm Chili Palmer


I'm reading Elmore Leonard's Get Shorty now, taking a break from the bushrangers thing... although I am still in the middle of writing The True History Of The Kelly Super Gang (see post below below).

I'm loving this book so much. So well written. So deft. Such a perfect balance between cool and funny, and with enough reality in there to make it almost believable. His characters ring true, even the really dumb ones. And I just read that Chili Palmer was based on a real life friend of the author's, Ernest Chili Palmer who made a cameo appearance in the film. The story refers to real Hollywood stars and is about movie making, so knowing there was a real Chili Palmer, you can't help wondering just where the idea for this story came from.

I also can't hep getting very caught up in this book and will read Be Cool, the follow up, next.

Yesterday I was so into it that after the tram had been sitting still for a minute or two, I casually looked up and wondered where we were. Then leapt out of my seat and bolted arm-flappingly to the door because it was my stop. How in the hell did that happen?

And just now... I'm waiting on an email interview for a music festival and the director's answers are not in yet. Deadline is technically yesterday. I'm thinking the way Chili Palmer speaks now and emailed my editor with, "The Castlemaine guys, they haven't got back to me yet. You want I should wack 'em or lean on 'em some more?"

We're emailing in Mob-speak now.

Which in turn got me thinkng... you know how there is International Talk Like A Pirate Day? Well why not an International Talk Like A Mobster Day? The pirate thing doesn't go much further than aaargh me mateys and oim a poirate, but talking like a wiseguy? The possiblities are endless.

Guy behind the counter: "You want what? You come into my joint - a coffee joint - and you ask for a coffee and expect me - a motherfocking barista - to make you a focking coffee. Do you know who I am? Do you have a focking clue what you're dealing with here?"

Etc.

I wonder how one starts an International Day. I think I'll look into it. I'm thinking February 25th can be International Talk Like A Mobster Day... Happy focking birthday to you... happy focking birthday to you...

7 comments:

meva said...

Elmore James is the bomb!

meva said...

Oh bugger! Drunk again! Elmore LEONARD! As in Cohen.

meva said...

If you like hard boiled, I hope you've read Raymond Chandler. Beautifully written.
xx

Lee Bemrose said...

Elmore and James? Is that the Cohen brothers? Wot?

Why can I not see your blog?

Lee Bemrose said...

And so yes, Meva, if you come back and read this, can you please invite me or allow me to read your blog please. I used to quite enjoy it but you disappeared.

I can't remember if I've read Raymond Chandler. I think I might have read some a long time ago.

meva said...

Oh Lee, I don't blog any more. My last post was back in 2009. I dried up like an old prune! If I start again, you'll be the first to know. Don't you ever think about quitting, though!
xx

Lee Bemrose said...

Ah. I see. Fair enough. And thank you.