McCarthy on Film

Blood Meridian is now under the supervision of Todd Field. This, coupled with the knowledge of Andrew Dominik (see The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford NOW!) tackling Cities on the Plain, and things remain right with the Cormac McCarthy film adaptation part of the world. Blood Meridian is due next year, with Cities slated for 2012. Once scheduled for the '08 holiday season, The Road, is now looking like a 2009 release as well. I would love to see Field & Dominik tap into the Nick Cave/Warren Ellis reservoir. Director John Hillcoat (The Proposition) already has Ellis scoring The Road. From Paste:

A Los Angeles Times article on the upcoming film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's The Road (starring Viggo Mortensen and Charlize Theron) curiously dropped this little nugget of information: writer/director and sometimes actor Todd Field is currently working on an adaptation of McCarthy’s Blood Meridian novel. Ridley Scott had previously been attached to direct the tale, said to be a brutal 1850’s Western where Native Americans are slaughtered for profit. [Paste]

Cormac McCarthy. Oprah. Today.

The website is a little vague as to how long it will actually run, after all we have to talk about Michael Moore's new movie Sicko and Bono's spot as guest editor in next month's Vanity Fair. I'm betting that we get a five minute snippet with Mr. McCarthy (at the very end of the show) and then get directed to the website for the entire interview. Meh! JK just finished The Road and I think he liked it more than I did...if that is even possible. Oprah airs at 4 PM EST. And I don't recommend watching it after today.

Cormac McCarthy Blew My Mind. Again.

I finished it in two sittings. If I didn't have to get off of the plane in LAX and if I didn't sleep through the first three hours of that plane ride, I would have consumed it whole in one shot. It may be the best book I have ever read. I am still trying to come to terms with it and it is still haunting me. It just recently won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and John Hillcoat (of The Proposition fame) is slated to direct the film. Fuck. Yes.

One of the highlights of my weekend was walking down Sunset Boulevard in the rain on Sunday and hearing from Frat. He was similarly affected. Both of us were (are) at a loss for words in regards to the book, the impact and relevance to our modern times.

The last two books I've read are McCarthy novels (the other being No Country for Old Men). I found myself not wanting to read anything else. How could I pick up a book after the journey I just went on? Frat told me that he was pushing through, had to score something else and keep on moving. I took the advice and decided to pick up another book by one of America's greats: The Human Stain by Philip Roth. So far, so good.

Apocalypse Now

I know. I know. I've talked about two things in the past two days. Cormac McCarthy and Queens of the Stone Age. But I really can't handle the sticker. I almost didn't believe Win Butler. I didn't want to. First Faulkner. Now McCarthy.

If you see me reading it, stop me and ask to see the cover. There will be a hole cut into my cover. You know what? Fuck that. I'm getting the hardcover. Used. I feel so impure.

Further investigation puts my jaw on the floor. On the floor. Cormac McCarthy, a television appearance. On Oprah. The man rarely does interviews. (One? The NY Times article?) And the last I read of him was in a brief Vanity Fair article that focused on his reclusiveness.

Fuck. After the episode with Dave Chappelle, I thought I was in the clear for eternity. Just when you think you are out they pull you back in. And the only way to get up to the minute info on when C-Mac will grace the airwaves...is to sign up for the Book Club. It's 10:44 AM. And I need a fucking cocktail.

Further On Up The Road

KinoSport has been busy, or maybe I just caught up. Great stuff lately. Here is the latest: graffiti, Calvin Klein and Don DeLillo.

I'll never forget picking up Underworld at some point soon after 9/11 and being completely leveled by the image on the cover. The book, after all, came out in 1997. But, that's another discussion, for another place.

I'll be off to pick up the paperback edition of McCarthy's The Road today, pushed by the knowledge that it now exists in paperback and can therefore, can be rolled, folded, crammed, stored and devoured in a way that a hardbound book never could. Someone told me it was better than Blood Meridian. That's a strong statement. And I don't know how I feel about it.

Arcade Fire & The National Conduct Not-So-Secret Meetings In Select Cities Or How I Came To Discover Win Butler Was a Cormac McCarthy Fan

[The National: Official Site]

From Arcade Fire's Official Site:

Hi!

Just wanted to let you all know that the surjery (sic) was successful, and I am recovering nicely. Thank you for all of your thoughts and emails...

I will probably start singing again this week some time to try and get ready for the shows in North America.

It has been a blessing in disguise to be forced to stay home and read, and sleep (pick up Cormac Mcarthy's [sic] "The Road" if you are feeling like a little post apocalypse...don't let the Oprah Book Club Sticker scare you away)...Regine and I have even started working on some new songs...

anyway see you all soon

luv
Win

Let me get this straight. You throw down ridiculous live performances. Put out monster albums. Land a monster opening act (The National) for your NYC, DC and PA shows. Mock Oprah's Book Club. And dig on Cormac McCarthy? I'm with you, Arcade Fire. My ears will always be open.

I haven't cracked into The Road yet (I'm waiting for it to go paperback status), but No Country For Old Men was a damn good read.

MP3: The National - "Secret Meeting" (Remix)