What’s new? More swine flu panic, more mediocre comedy and horror movies on release. Went to see Public Enemies by Michael Mann. Had higher expectations since I enjoyed Heat, but this all felt a bit dry. Scene to scene, good enjoyable action, but no real sense of context of the times. Nothing really visible of The Great Depression, people starving with no prospects of jobs and so on. It felt more like a movie about heists and get aways, nothing interesting or new to the crime genre I would say.

Haven’t seen it yet, but far more interesting as a character study seems to be the films about Mesrine, with the similarly titled Public Enemy no.1. But since it’s a French language film I doubt you will see this on mainstream release. As if subtitles are that hard to read. Unfortunate, but then again there are far more gems in different genres from different countries we’ll never see as they’re all drowned out by big studio releases.

Lately I find myself more inspired by books than by films. The best way to spend the time on public transport anyway. Over the last few weeks rushing to production meetings in the long stretched territory called London, I gobbled up a few paperbacks. The Animal Factory by Edward Bunker, haven’t seen the film yet, but it read like a gripping study of friendship in jail and the survival of the human spirit in the most oppressive of circumstances. Written with a gritty realism far removed from any kind of “baddest motherfucker-gangster” glorification that so many media seem obsessed with now. A lot of wannabes caught the syndrome.

Then there’s World War Z by Max Brooks. More survival, but on a large socio-political scale. Great idea and well executed. Rights already bought by Plan B Productions, so a film adaptation is underway.

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiel Hammet. Coincidentally another book that was adapted to the screen (brilliantly by John Huston).

Now I’m starting on Eye of Cat by Roger Zelazny and working through a pile of far more interesting material than what the multiplexes are screening.

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