One of my favorite authors is Richard Stark, aka Donald Westlake. Writing under his Stark pseudonym, he created Parker, a master thief who isn’t just an anti-hero, he’s an out and out villain. The Parker novels are grim, dirty, bloody and dark. And funny as hell.
Back in the ’90’s, a movie adaption of the first Parker novel, The Hunter was made. Directed by Brian Helgeland, it starred Mel “I Need to Have a Grusome Torture Scene in All My Movies” Gibson as Parker… except they called him “Porter.” (This is because Westlake sells the rights to his books, but not the right to call the main character “Parker.”)
The movie was supposed to break Gibson of his good guy image. Gibson was the primary producer and he wanted it that way. Unfortunately, Helgeland did his job too well and Gibson didn’t like being portrayed as such a bastard. So, Gibson fired Helgeland and got the DP to re-shoot 30% of the movie. You can tell which parts Helgeland shot and which parts the DP shot because the DP segments look and feel like Lethal Weapon movies.
(Hint: Parker doesn’t give a fuck about the Three Stooges, cute dogs, or hookers with hearts of iron pyrite.)
Also, Gibson had the ending re-written with a gruesome torture scene inserted for no good reason other than to have Gibson fulfill his sick sex fantasies in front of the whole world.
Needless to say, as a Parker fan, I’m happy with a lot of the movie. Gibson acts like Parker, he thinks like Parker, and the movie feels like a Parker book… most of the time.
However… there’s a rumor running around that the Director’s Cut is on its way to DVD in October. (I found the rumor over at Wikipedia.) Needless to say, I know what I’m spending my cash on that month.
Oh, and by the way, the latest Parker novel is due out a month later. If you haven’t read any of the Parker novels, shame on you. They are 6634569% better than all that fantasy dreck you’ve been pumping into your veins.
Shame on you.
Here, I’ve even given you a handy link. You can thank me later.