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| Ken King is on the left |
By DONALD PORTER
Standard-Examiner staff
Ken King is a cop who spends his vacations starring in movies. Or, at least he did this year.
King, a detective on the San Francisco Police Department, snagged himself a co-starring role in the film "Jade." But it was purely by accident. King had made an arrest on a computer fraud case and had phoned an assistant district attorney because he needed the prosecutor to come by his office -- in a hurry. The D.A. said he'd be over in a while, but he was "with some people."
An hour later, an anxious King called him back. King told him it was OK, bring the people along; he just needed him.
"And so he comes here with Billy Friedkin and David Caruso," King recalls during a phone interview from his squad room desk in San Francisco, referring to William Friedkin, director of "Jade" and the Oscar-winning "The French Connection," and former "NYPD Blue" star Caruso.
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| Burt Reynolds in "Heat" |
By DONALD PORTER
Standard·Examiner staff
Dear Burt Reynolds,
I feel compelled to write this letter because I've been a fan of yours for about 20 years. And the past 10 years, Burt, haven't been very pleasant. But I'm hanging in there, hoping for a respite from the drudgery you've been releasing. And I realize I'll be waiting a little longer, because your new film, "Heat," isn't exactly a redemptive effort.
Still, it's good to see you back in front of the cameras. You've been gone from the screen for two years, ever since "Stick" bombed in 1985. It may have been smart to duck and cover for a while. After all, you've made only two marginally good films -- "Paternity" and "Best Friends" -- since the fantastic "Starting Over" in 1979.
"Heat" is a move in the right direction, yet it, too, has serious flaws. The Nick Escalante character you play is an interesting man, an ex-mercenary who hires himself out as a bodyguard for high-rolling gamblers on the Las Vegas strip. You give Nick some depth and a few foibles, but William Goldman's script is abysmally boring and always predictable. Once Nick runs afoul of a mobster's son, we can see the final confrontation and ensuing shoot-out coming from a mile away.
Probably my favorite author is Elmore Leonard. I love his work. So when a respectful adaptation of his fantastic “Get Shorty” was made, it was time for a celebration. I had fun with the writing style on this one.
“Get Shorty” one of this year’s best
By DONALD PORTER
Standard-Examiner staff
There’s this guy, name’s Chili Palmer. Works as a shylock for a Miami outfit -- you know, mob.
So, he’s a debt collector, right? Gets sent to L.A., supposed to find a movie producer owes this Vegas casino a wad of green. But when Chili gets to L.A., he falls in with the producer, Harry Zimm. They decide to make a movie together. The movie’s about Chili’s trip to L.A., only Harry doesn’t know about that just yet.
Chili's makin’ it up as he goes.
This is the movie, called “Get Shorty.” It’s based on the Elmore Leonard novel. Leonard’s books have been made into movies before. Or should I say ruined by the movies before? Watch Burt Reynolds’ “Stick,” and you’ll know what I mean.
“Get Shorty” was made by guys who liked the book. Respected the book. Its tough-guy dialogue, its humor, its grit. In Leonard’s books, the characters talk like this. In short sentences. No wasted words.
