My Favorite Film Title/Credit Sequences Part 2

This is my continuation of a blog series arc I started in Part 1 featuring my favorite film title or end credit sequences.

Main Title - Catch Me If You Can: whoever did the titles for Steven Spielberg's 2002 true tale of Frank Abagnale Jr. sure had a playful sense. The mesmerizing 2-D titles and graphics summarize the story in the sequence, and all in perfect tune with a jazzy opening score by John Williams. It exudes a carefree and thoroughly 60's feel.

Closing Credits - Ferris Bueller's Day Off: John Hughes' unexpected end credits to his 1986 teen comedy are wonderfully funny and work well with the story that's been presented. The unpredicted scenes inter-cut with the closing credits made the staying worthwhile, and funny as hell.

Main Title - Charade:  The 1963 mystery comedy with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn is a favorite of my friend from across the pond, Livius, and mine. As he puts it, "I also love the beginning of Stanley Donen's Charade, as the body is tossed from the train before that superb score and credit sequence kicks in." Those vortex-like graphics, with the accompanying rhythmic Henry Mancini track, is one of the great old-time title sequences in film history.

Main Title - Total Recall: The 1990 Paul Verhoeven film featured some of the best in cascading graphics. The translucent movie titles are driven to the pulsing beat of Jerry Goldsmith's larger-than-life score. It is a rousing opening for this sci-fi actioner.

Total Recall (Opening Titles)
by NakedBrotha2007

Main Title - Blade Runner: Ridley Scott's 1982 film may have relatively simple titles on the screen in its opening sequence, but the look of it (along with the eerie and distinctive Vangelis score) make it unforgettable. What comes after the LOS ANGELES NOVEMBER, 2019 title has to be one of the all-time best cityscape eyeopeners ever for audiences.




Main Title - The Thing From Another World and John Carpenter's The Thing: I was going to look-up the iconic title sequence from each of these film classics (since they are such favorites of mine), but I discovered it was already done, recently (and a whole lot better than I ever could have) by the fine folks over at The Art of the Title Sequence. Who are they?

A compendium and leading web resource of film and television title design from around the world. We honor the artists who design excellent title sequences. We discuss and display their work with a desire to foster more of it, via stills and video links, interviews, creator notes, and user comments.

Featuring opening title design for film and television from Croatia, New Zealand, Serbia, Russia, the United States, Brazil, England, France, India, Japan, Italy, Chile, Mexico, Yugoslavia and Egypt.

Their Feb. 22nd post covers both films (including clips of the "Two fine fire melt title reveals"), and an interview with a young title designer, Krystian Morgan, who created a new experimental sequence of the film based on Carpenter's vision. If you enjoy watching or analyzing the special graphic and motion art of title sequences, this is the web site you must visit.

Mr. & Mrs.

Cover of Mr & Mrs Smith [Blu-ray]

Last week, I teed up Doug Liman's Mr. & Mrs. Smith for another viewing (this time, on Blu-ray Disc).  It's not a perfect movie, but then again, neither are we. Timing is everything, I guess. I don't love this film because of the pyrotechnics and the over-the-top super-assassin skills on display from the pair of super-attractive leads, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. [okay, every now and then I do get a kick out of the variety of combat hardware on hand and that it's being put to gorgeous use by a comely, long-haired brunette...] That's not really the reason. I love it because of this:

John Smith: Careful, Jane. I can push the button any time I like.
Jane Smith: Baby, you couldn't find the button with both hands and a map.

It is the facets of wedlock, and all the little things about marriage, that this story absolutely nails on the big screen.

This post has been updated and moved to my current blog, and can be found here.

Elvis & Joe in Audiobook: L.A. Requiem

The Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novel series by Robert Crais remains my absolute favorite among the things I read or listen to. In celebration of this year's release of the 13th book, The First Rule, this is a continuation of the look-back series I started a couple weeks ago to briefly examine each novel within the series, and the audiobook versions that came out of them. When television writer/producer Crais turned away from Hollywood in the 80's to do what he always wanted, be a novelist, I don't think even he envisioned the kind of success his books would bring. The tough but tender L.A. private detective (with a penchant for Disney characters) he created, the unlikely named Elvis Cole, is over twenty years old in print (along with his partner, Joe Pike). The chain of novels, and their success and uniqueness, is proof that the author's trademark mix of humor, pathos, and memorable characters remain something special to both critics and fans alike.

L.A. Requiem

Robert Crais' eighth novel, L.A. Requiem (print published in 1999 and pictured above - now with a new icon for Los Angeles, the Library Tower building in downtown, for the cover art), is simply the pivotal book in the series. It marks the juncture in time when the author stretched himself, his fictional characters, and the mystery genre to the point of seismic change. So much so, that when it was done, the landscape was no longer the same. I've heard Robert Crais describe it using the phrase, "... to blow the doors off the series." The narrative change he briefly played with in the previous two novels, is fully unleashed here with flashbacks, multiple storylines and perspectives, and all with an assured writing style. And, the norms and structures of the genre expanded right along with it. Author Dave White perhaps said it best, "Crais blew the whole genre up."

"He took things that had been done before--the PI novel, the police procedural, the thriller, and studying two dark characters deeply and managed to mix it into one incredibly satisfying novel."

By doing all of this, Mr. Crais would break from the established touchstones of his first seven books, and elevate his work to that of the great detective writers of old (Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett) and new (MacDonald, Parker, Mosely). Furthermore, Robert Crais knows this city - regardless that he's someone who has been transplanted here. His outside perspective, even compared to those born and raised here, brings a refreshing clarity to his observations of the people/locale he places his fictional characters in the middle of, in general. And to this novel, specifically. Suffice it to say this explains the 'L.A.' portion in the book's title. Still, keep this adage in mind when reading or listening to the book:

"One may not be able to choose their family... but, one does get to choose their friends."

On top of everything else in the book, this aspect is critical to what transpires here. What about the 'Requiem' bit in the title, you ask? That is reserved for the unexpected subject of the book. The enigmatic partner of Elvis Cole, Joe Pike. What's been building for some time in the series, the dark background of this key character, will finally be revealed in a stunning story involving a serial killer, those that hunt him, and bitter history. All of the characters we've come to know and care about from the previous novels will be left touched, or scarred, by this tale. This repose for the dead.

[Note: there has been a variety of cover art for this landmark novel in hardcover, paperback, and audiobook. Some of them quite eye-catching. To view a sample of this selection, see this photostream I put together.]



Beginning with this influential novel, other facets changed, too. For the audiobook series, L.A. Requiem will mark the first book not published (in some version) by Brilliance Audio for the U.S. market. As well, long-time overseas publisher BBC Chivers will not get a crack with it in the U.K., either. New publishers on both sides of the pond will be brought in, as well as an altogether new set of narrators. Ironically, each reader will only have one turn with this series. Lastly, note the differences not only between the narrators and their styles, but of the abridgements and the complete version in the audio samples (after the jump).

My Favorite Film Title/Credit Sequences Part 1

Image via Wikipedia

When I was a kid growing up watching movies at a local theater, I couldn't wait until the main titles were through and off of the screen. I thought they held up the movie, especially if it was one I really wanted to see. Yes, I had no patience, then. [wife: "You have it, now?"] I think it was during my college days that I began to appreciate the creativity behind those titles, or end credits. The playful use of graphics, music and motion (or fonts) that were on display in the really great ones, lent to the story that was on-hand. Or sometimes, the main titles gave a brooding foreshadowing of what was to come via whatever method the skilled designers behind them employed. Whether it was subtle, or blatant, those sequences could and did mesmerize me. It would be years later that I'd learn about some of the masters of this special art, like Saul Bass and Maurice Bender (and if you've ever seen any of the older James Bond movies, you've seen this man's excellent work). In other words (and especially when they're great), I've come to genuinely enjoy, and look forward to, the main title sequences and/or the closing end credits of the movies I take in. Here are some of my favorites, in no order or ranking:

Main Title - The Wild Bunch: this is the now famous (and fabulous) entrance of the "Wild Bunch" into a quiet southwestern border town. Peckinpah's use of the black & white titles, via intercuts and freeze frames, are just so elegantly done. It is a truly effective sequence with the clear message that these are very serious, violent people encased on the screen. Any illusion to the contrary is surely ended when the director's title credit comes across on Pike Bishop's (William Holden) order:

"If they move, kill'em!"

The Wild Bunch: Opening Titles
by le0pard13

Main Title - Superman (The Movie): This is the great translucent graphic main titles director Richard Donner used for his now classic 1978 comic book adaptation. Those swooshing title images (a clear reference to the main character) cutting across the screen is augmented by John Williams' heroic score leading the way. It is as good as it gets for a superhero movie introduction, then or now.

Superman: The Movie (Opening Titles)
by NakedBrotha2007

Closing Credits - Angel Heart: This is the closing credits from Alan Parker's 1987 film, Angel Heart. It is the movie adaptation of the novel Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg. The dark, contrasty images of Harry Angel's "elevator ride to Hell" are intercut with the closing credits, along with creaking sounds and sinister musical score. All of it, make this closing sequence well worth staying to the end for.

Angel Heart: Closing Credits
by le0pard13

Main Titles - Alien: This is the famous slow fade-in of the film title sequence in director Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi/horror classic, Alien. The title appearance is played across the top of the screen (with the interstellar expanse as a backdrop), moving from out to in (hint, hint). Jerry Goldstein's eerie score lets everyone know what they're in for, too.

Alien Opening Titles
by le0pard13

Opening Title - Duel at Diablo: Ralph Nelson's 1966 western, with its bloody Apache knives cutting across the opening black screen is one of the best (and most grim) western preludes ever. It sets up what's to come in a most effective and direct manner possible.



Main Titles - The Outlaw Josey Wales: This is the main title sequence from Clint Eastwood's early masterpiece from 1976, The Outlaw Josey Wales. After the pillage of the Wales homestead, the simple titles are overlaid on the scenes of the avenging Missouri guerrillas on horseback. All of it done to the marching score by Jerry Fielding. It's a great introductory sequence and it provides the backstory of the main character. As well, it uses some of the best of Bruce Surtee's beautiful cinematography.

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Elvis & Joe in Audiobook: Indigo Slam

With this year's release of the 13th book, The First Rule, in the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novel series by Robert Crais, this is another post in my continuation of a series examining each novel and the audiobook versions that came out of them. All of this traces back to when television writer/producer Crais turned away from Hollywood in the 80's to do what he always wanted, be a novelist. With that, he originated and began to write about a quirky, tough but tender, private detective with the unlikely name of Elvis Cole (and his partner, Joe Pike). That first book's success and uniqueness in portraying the genre with the author's mix of humor and pathos meant a standalone novel gave birth to a popular series that's working past its second decade.

Indigo Slam

Robert Crais' seventh novel, Indigo Slam (print published in 1997 and pictured above - and continuing with another classic view of L.A., the freeway and skyline, for the cover art), is an interesting work from the author. Crais continues to play the narrative change-up started in the last novel (Sunset Express). Moreover, you can see the changes coming to future books in the series with this tale of three children seeking help from Elvis to find their lone missing parent. In this tale, their father is a talented printer/counterfeiter on the run from Russian mobsters. The humor is somewhat downplayed in the novel as the case unfolds and winds through various twists in the story, some of it set in and around Seattle. As well, Elvis' continuing relationship with Lucy Chenier further evolves, and begins to complicate. All of this places the seeds of troubled families in and around both the P.I. and his partner. The concept of affected childhoods are potently planted with this book--to be revealed, powerfully, later.



Brilliance published the unabridged Indigo Slam audiobook, initially, as another Bookcassette® version--pardon me as I adjust the balance to the proper channel. Later editions would come out as Audio CD, MP3, pre-loaded player, and for download. Like the previous audiobook, this one was released the same year as the print version. Likewise, David Stuart returned for his second round as narrator (chronologically), but it would be his last stint as reader in the series where he does both the unabridged and abridged versions of a Robert Crais audiobook for the publisher. However, Mr. Stuart does stumbles a bit here, at least for those sharp-eared audiobook listeners who live in the City of the Angels. If you've spent any time here, you can easily pick up on the Spanish heritage of the city as seen in the names of the locales and streets (the author has noted this in this series). So, for us who have either grown up or come to live in the southland and learned to enunciate the spanish street names, it is painfully obvious when a narrator, like Stuart, really mis-pronounces them. And when they occur, it certainly jolts the local listener away from the Crais' story, and his narration (friends that I've lent these to can attest to this). I won't include anything glaring as that, though, in his audio sample.



As was done with Sunset Express, Books on Tape produced another (and hard to find, now) audiobook version of this novel for library user consumption. Michael Prichard is again the narrator. Though very proficient in the many non-fiction works he's recorded over the years (and with his very distinctive voice), his reading with these very established characters couldn't be more matter of fact in its presentation (think Dragnet's Joe Friday, and that's not a good thing). It's a take that is as curious as any in the series. His range with characters, compared to the other readers in the series, is limited; and the story is just not his style as an audiobook narrator. The BoT studio managers (whether they knew how temporary this gig was or not), just did not match up the right reader to the material. I say this because I have this audiobook on cassette. See if you agree with me. Here's his sample with the selected passage.



The U.K.'s Chivers audiobook uses the Seattle skyline for its cover artwork (although, the majority of the plot in the novel takes place in southern California). The seventh novel in the Cole/Pike series will be reader William Roberts' next turn with these characters. His experience shines through with another reliable effort. Check out his work with the sample. Perhaps, it is symbolic that this narrator's streak will end at 7. But, given what's coming, it just might be fitting for the series.

[Note: as I've stated, both Sunset Express and Indigo Slam novels serve as a preparatory bridge for the reader/listener to cross, especially with regard to the natural maturation of a talented author. That is evidenced with this pair of novels. These characters have ripened just to the point that makes what's coming that much sweeter. Though, one can read the next book without the preceding novels of the series and still enjoy it. But, from here on out, the landscape definitely changes.]

Next up: L.A. Requiem

The Series:
The Monkey's Raincoat
Stalking the Angel
Lullaby Town
Free Fall
Voodoo River
Sunset Express
Indigo Slam
L.A. Requiem
The Last Detective
The Forgotten Man
The Watchman
Chasing Darkness
The First Rule

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Elvis & Joe in Audiobook: Sunset Express

With this year's release of the 13th book, The First Rule, in the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novel series by Robert Crais, this is another post in my continuation of a series examining each novel and the audiobook versions that came out of them. All of this traces back to when television writer/producer Crais turned away from Hollywood in the 80's to do what he always wanted, be a novelist. With that, he originated and began to write about a quirky, tough but tender, private detective with the unlikely name of Elvis Cole (and his partner, Joe Pike). That first book's success and uniqueness in portraying the genre with the author's mix of humor and pathos meant a standalone novel gave birth to a popular series that's working past its second decade.

Sunset Express

Robert Crais' sixth novel, Sunset Express (print published in 1996 and pictured above - the classic silhouetted palm tree photograph of L.A. replaces the previous graphic motifs for the cover art), returns Elvis to a Los Angeles in its tumult period, post O.J. Simpson-trial. That true event, and its influences, abound within this novel. Here, the author shines a keen spotlight on the effects of it. Crais examines the media, lawyers, and the public in the unique way that only a fictional tale with our favorite characters can bring to readers. Due to this, having our favorite protagonist involved in a high-stakes, media murder trial of a celebrity defendant offers a new angle and depth to the series.

I look at this book, and the next, as a transitional pair in this series. The author is laying the groundwork for a metamorphosis. Additionally, the author breaks away from his traditional Page One meeting of the client setup (as was done in the first five books). Almost like a police procedural, Robert Crais moves to establish some situation/character background before moving back to the first person narrative of the story. And finally, the author begins to ease into his slow reveal of partners Elvis Cole and Joe Pike's make-up and background. This will continue through much of the remaining books in the series. The changes signaled with this novel don't stop there, either.



Even though I've been going through the books in series order, the U.S. audiobook versions were never published in that sequence. The first audiobook released by Brilliance Audio of the author's work started in mid-series with this novel. The unabridged and abridged versions were released in the same year as the hardcover with book resellers. This, in reality, was David Stuart's initial stint, and he was the first Elvis Cole/Joe Pike audiobook narrator for Brilliance (and he performed both the full and shortened versions). He has a good vocal versatility within this story, but a southern California lad he's not (I'll explain that more in the next book). Audio sample.

Note, the mid-90's was a time the audiobook industry began expanding its distribution formats. The audio cassette had been the traditional medium (and it's still produced to this day, though waning). Brilliance Audio also came up with a way to minimize production costs by getting twice as much on to a single cassette: the dubious and short-lived Bookcassette®. Luckily, the clear move toward audio CD and MP3 disc (and later downloads) as their preferred distribution medium succeeded with audiobook listeners.



Another interesting detail concerning Sunset Express is the fact that Brilliance Audio wasn't the only publisher of an audio version in the U.S. market. Books on Tape, a publisher known to many who've checked out audiobooks from libraries, was licensed to produced their own (in a rare and hard-to-find) unabridged Sunset Express version (ISBN-10: 0913369896) in 1997. The accomplished Michael Prichard was their narrator. Since I've not found a copy of it, here's a sample of Mr. Prichard's work from another book for your examination of his voice and style.



Chivers' cover art for their U.K. audiobook mirrored the book's with its cityscape photograph. Narrator William Roberts has another quality outing with his sixth audiobook turn with these characters. Please notice that Roberts (like Patrick Lawlor and Mel Foster did with Voodoo River) uses the proper French pronunciation for Lucy's last name, Chénier [shey-nyey]. Since she's from Louisiana, it is the way those from the area would pronounce the name [at least that's what I suspected at the time I wrote this]. Narrator David Stuart (and later James Daniels) will use the American enunciation for it [shen-neer]. Here's Roberts' sample with the passage.

Next up: Indigo Slam

The Series:
The Monkey's Raincoat
Stalking the Angel
Lullaby Town
Free Fall
Voodoo River
Sunset Express
Indigo Slam
L.A. Requiem
The Last Detective
The Forgotten Man
The Watchman
Chasing Darkness
The First Rule

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Elvis & Joe in Audiobook: Voodoo River

With this year's release of the 13th book, The First Rule, in the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novel series by Robert Crais, this is another post in my continuation of a series examining each novel and the audiobook versions that came out of them. All of this traces back to when television writer/producer Crais turned away from Hollywood in the 80's to do what he always wanted, be a novelist. With that, he originated and began to write about a quirky, tough but tender, private detective with the unlikely name of Elvis Cole (and his partner, Joe Pike). The early success of his books, and uniqueness in portraying the genre with the author's mix of humor and pathos, meant a growing reputation among readers and critics toward this now popular series.

Voodoo River

Robert Crais' fifth novel, Voodoo River (print published in 1995 and pictured above - and continuing the similar graphic design motif from the last novel), brings us back to the author's original stomping grounds, Louisiana. Elvis is hired by an adoptee, albeit one who is now a famous TV starlet, to find her original birth parents back in the 18th state of the union. Fans of this series know this book very well for it marks the introduction of one Lucy Chenier into the expanding universe that is Cole and Pike. Along with the intrigue of the story-line, her inception brings an unexpected love interest for our intrepid P.I. (one that still leaves an impact on the series to this day). As well, you can tell by the novel's composition that Crais is writing from long time experience with this work. His familiarity with the area, food, and its people is very apparent via their descriptions and behavior on the pages. It is a good change of pace for the series, but it will eventually sprout two distinct camps among the faithful with regard to this new character.



Brilliance Audio, most probably because of scheduling conflicts or the like with either of the two previous narrators (David Stuart or James Daniels), brought in another new reader for their 2003 abridged version of Voodoo River. This was the first introduction of Patrick G. Lawlor as a reader in this line of audiobooks. I've already mentioned that his range and gravelly voice are ill-matched for the audiobook and characters, but his take on a Louisiana drawl is what I find particularly grating. Though you won't get an example of it in his sound clip, you will get his take on how he interprets a woman's voice.



To this point, it would be easy to think that the Brilliance folk produced the first U.S. audiobook for this book series. However, that's not the case. Soundlines Entertainment did the first one out. This very abridged, and rare, version was released in the same year as the hardcover ('95) and proved to be the very first published audiobook of a Robert Crais work. This audiobook is barely 3 hours in length (compared to 5.6 hours for BA's abridged version). It is read by veteran character actor, James Remar. While a good actor, his vocalizations of various characters are lacking and the abridgment is too severe in this version to recommend it other than as a odd curiosity in the series. Sample clip.



The unabridged version was released in July 2008 with the solid (yet, unspectacular) Mel Foster returning for his last effort as reader in the series. Again, note the difference in the length of the passage (compared to the abridged versions). You get what you pay for. Here's his sample.



While the U.S. version emphasized the bayou on their covers, Chivers used the river-way for theirs in the 2003 release. As I've already mentioned, Lawlor's drawl got on my nerves when I first heard this book. I contrast him with William Roberts' rendition of the same (BBC) audiobook and his ease with dialects. It is no contest, here. Covering the same material, Roberts is superb, and Lawlor is... well, you already know. Perhaps, I'm spoiled by Stuart, Daniels, and especially Roberts' interpretations, or just plain used to them. No doubt, others will disagree. Fair enough. Check out his work.

[Note: I tend to look at the first five Elvis Cole/Joe Pike novels as a loose group. What my friend and book blogger, Corey Wilde, calls, "the early books, full of a wisecracking Elvis and deadpan - and deadly - Joe Pike." For me, the next couple of novels will signal a maturity and a subtle shift in the series.]

Next up: Sunset Express

The Series:
The Monkey's Raincoat
Stalking the Angel
Lullaby Town
Free Fall
Voodoo River
Sunset Express
Indigo Slam
L.A. Requiem
The Last Detective
The Forgotten Man
The Watchman
Chasing Darkness
The First Rule

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Elvis & Joe in Audiobook: Free Fall

With this year's release of the 13th book (a lucky number for me), The First Rule, in the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novel series by Robert Crais, this is another post in my continuation of a series examining each novel and the audiobook versions that came out of them. All of this traces back to when television writer/producer Crais turned away from Hollywood in the 80's to do what he always wanted, be a novelist. With that, he originated and began to write about a quirky, tough but tender, private detective with the unlikely name of Elvis Cole (and his partner, Joe Pike). That first book's success and uniqueness in portraying the genre with the author's mix of humor and pathos meant a standalone novel gave birth to a popular series that's working past its second decade.

Free Fall

Robert Crais' fourth novel, Free Fall (print published in 1993 and pictured above - for the first time, we've gotten away from the Mickey Mouse image reference), the author returned Elvis, Joe, and the cast back to familiar L.A. ground, and into a tempestuous period here, locally. This book--clearly influenced by the earlier Rodney King case, trial, and the '92 riot aftermath--has Elvis and Joe dealing with a young woman looking to help her LAPD fiancé away from suspected dishonest conduct. Ironically, this novel actually pre-dates the real-life Rampart Division police corruption scandal that occurred later in the 90's.



James Daniels returns to the Brilliance Audio abridged audiobook release, circa 2003.  And, he doesn't disappoint. Daniels seems more comfortable in this his second stint as narrator in the series. For this run, he brings a good bit of more theatricality in his reading, overall. It's never bothered me, but some fans of the series have noted one trait in his delivery they find irritating. That is, how he pronounces the word, police. They say it sounds like one syllable when he says it. As in, "pleece". My abridged audio sample does not contain that particular word in the clip, so you'll either have to take my word for this or listen to the audiobook yourself.



The newer unabridged Free Fall version arrived in late June 2008, with Mel Foster returning as narrator for Brilliance Audio studio managers. One reason I selected this passage is to show listeners how each of these professional male narrators vocalize female characters within the context of an audiobook. They do this by varying volume and how they modulate the intonation (pitch) in their voice to infer a woman's voice to listeners. Some narrators are very successful in their technique. It's up the audiobook fan to judge how well each in this group does in this important aspect. Here's Foster's sample covering the same passage with Elvis Cole and his client, Jennifer Sheridan.



Chivers continued to use cityscape scenes for their cover art (released in 2005). If I'm anything, I'm opinionated. And, Foster comes in third by my listening (and judging) in this vocal gender category. The difference between his male and his female voices seem the smallest among the three readers, here. Not a good thing. Daniels' female voice work seems more subtle when you first here it, but there's more variation than Foster's. You'll see what our friend Patrick Lawlor brings to this category in the next post, I promise. Yes, Roberts is the more theatrical with his inflection and phrasing among all of them, but that's likely due to his work on the theater stage. Check out his passage.

Next up: Voodoo River

The Series:
The Monkey's Raincoat
Stalking the Angel
Lullaby Town
Free Fall
Voodoo River
Sunset Express
Indigo Slam
L.A. Requiem
The Last Detective
The Forgotten Man
The Watchman
Chasing Darkness
The First Rule

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Muy Bruen

With the encouragement of my friends Jen and Corey, I've finally taken the plunge and dived into a novel by author Ken Bruen. I reserve the right to insert and jump the order in my TBR stack, at anytime. So, I don't feel bad that I've preempted the next in Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire series. And I'm so glad I listened. In this case, I jumped into my introduction to Irish crime fiction with the first in the Jack Taylor series, The Guards.

This post has been moved and updated to my current blog, which can be found here.

Elvis & Joe in Audiobook: Lullaby Town

With this year's release of the 13th book (a lucky number for me), The First Rule, in the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novel series by Robert Crais, this is another post in my continuation of a series examining each novel and the audiobook versions that came out of them. All of this traces back to when television writer/producer Crais turned away from Hollywood in the 80's to do what he always wanted, be a novelist. With that, he originated and began to write about a quirky, tough but tender, private detective with the unlikely name of Elvis Cole (and his partner, Joe Pike). That first book's success and uniqueness in portraying the genre with the author's mix of humor and pathos meant a standalone novel gave birth to a popular series that's working past its second decade.

Lullaby Town

Robert Crais' third novel, Lullaby Town (print published in 1992 and pictured above with the now familiar hand-in-glove of the famous Disney mouse holding a revolver), took readers on their first road trip and brought Elvis and Joe to the New York area in search of a famous director's former wife and child. Besides the grief of a rich and famous client, the guys come into direct conflict with the mobsters of the East Coast. The author, for the first time in series, takes his characters off familiar ground. But, he proves that he can write a good story no matter the location. As well, he gets to share more of his Hollywood experience and knowledge through this novel.



Brilliance published their audiobook of the same title in late 2001. And again, it was in abridged form for their first effort with this book. Of note though, for this early version Brilliance studio managers introduced a new narrator for the series, James Daniels. Daniels, a Chicago actor and musician, will become the dominant U.S. reader for this audiobook publisher in the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series (having read the most Crais titles for the line). His delivery, in contrast to David Stuart, offers a less youthful (sounding) voice, but brings a more noir-ish edge to his narration. Good for a private detective story; in Crais fashion, anyways. As I've done previously, all reader samples cover the same passage. Here, though, you'll get an idea of what abridgment really costs the listener. Abridged sample.



BA published their unabridged Lullaby Town version in early May 2008. Whether they received complaints from other Crais audiobook fans concerning Patrick Lawlor as the reader for the first of the unabridged attempts, will never be known. But, studio managers did make a change and brought in another new narrator, Mel Foster, for this production. His background is that of a former ad agency executive turned audiobook narrator, he does not have an actor's background (as some professional readers do). Foster's performance is decent in the multiple roles he's called upon to vocalize, but there is a more dry (less vibrant) quality to his reading. He's an improvement over Lawlor's ill-match voice (but that may not be saying anything). He does give an different (and definitely contrasting) vocal interpretation for Elvis and Joe. Here's his sample.

The other aspect of note relates to Brilliance Audio production values. This audio publisher, and a few others in the U.S., will add audio effects to enhance their recordings for the listener. Re-listen to the abridged and unabridged clips, again. Pay attention to when Joe or Rollie is speaking on the telephone call in the excerpts. BA's sound engineers modulate the recording during those segments to give the audio the appearance of the character speaking via a phone. The effects are subtle, but it is an excellent technical touch to augment the experience for the audiobook fan.



I love those eyes on the Chivers cover art. Chivers released their version in 2002. Narrator William Roberts performs his usual solid narration. His acting ability, when compared with the new guy Foster, really does stand out in comparison, here. See how he covers the exact same ground with this audio clip. Like him or not, you can't say he's dry, now can you? It also makes it clear to the listener that abridged audiobooks are not for Robert Crais fans. Lastly, the U.K. audio publisher does not augment the audio like Brilliance does. They believe in the old fashion method - the narrator does everything with his/her own voice.

Next up: Free Fall

The Series:
The Monkey's Raincoat
Stalking the Angel
Lullaby Town
Free Fall
Voodoo River
Sunset Express
Indigo Slam
L.A. Requiem
The Last Detective
The Forgotten Man
The Watchman
Chasing Darkness
The First Rule

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Elvis & Joe in Audiobook: Stalking the Angel

With this year's release of the 13th book (a lucky number for me), The First Rule, in the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novel series by Robert Crais, this is another post in my continuation of a series examining each novel and the audiobook versions that came out of them. All of this traces back to when television writer/producer Crais turned away from Hollywood in the 80's to do what he always wanted, be a novelist. With that, he originated and began to write about a quirky, tough but tender, private detective with the unlikely name of Elvis Cole (and his partner, Joe Pike). That first book's success and uniqueness in portraying the genre with the author's mix of humor and pathos meant a standalone novel gave birth to a popular series that's working past its second decade.

Stalking the Angel

Robert Crais' second novel, Stalking the Angel (print published in 1989 and pictured above with one of my favorite cover art images), was the second in the now long-running series and brought back Elvis, Joe and the gang for another round. This time, they're exploring L.A.'s Little Tokyo. Elvis and Joe are tasked with finding a stolen, precious Japanese manuscript, and their job is complicated with the client's family, and the Yakuza's involvement. Crais continues the P.I. first person narrative and client introduction for the start of the book--that'll become the familiar setup for the first five novels of the series. It is a worthy and strong sequel to The Monkey's Raincoat, and it begins partner Joe's slow creep up to parity in the series. Heck, it had to start somewhere.



Again, Brilliance Audio published their audiobook of this work as an abridgment in late 2001. Their studio managers brought back David Stuart for another run with the characters. Stuart builds upon the vocal characterizations from the first novel and does a better job, here. Of course, having Pike more involved in the story-line only adds to the printed book and audiobook series. With that in mind, here's an appropriate clip of David's second turn with RC's cast.



Brilliance released the unabridged version of Stalking the Angel in follow-up of their full version of The Monkey's Raincoat almost one month later in early 2008. Again, unfortunately, with Patrick G. Lawlor as the narrator [and I did express my unhappiness to BA customer service via email over this selection]. While an unabridged treatment is better than an abridged one, especially for a writer as good as Robert Crais, Mr. Lawlor is the weakest of the series narrator's, I think. However, don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed his other vocal work. He was very good for David Morrell's Creepers. But here, in this series, his voice and intonations are not a good fit, at all. Here's his version of the same passage.



U.K. audiobook publisher BBC/Chivers brought the second book in the series out in 2002. Their unabridged version cover art is markedly different than their U.S. counterpart, but I've grown to appreciate their choice of graphics. Narrator Williams Roberts settles in with an assurance of his vocal work, and displays a gift for intoning Cole's demeanor and clever wit without making it, or him, irritating. Additionally, he's the only reader among the three to actually pronounce the Japanese manuscript of the story's, Hagakure, somewhat correctly. Check out his work with the passage.

Next up: Lullaby Town

The Series:
The Monkey's Raincoat
Stalking the Angel
Lullaby Town
Free Fall
Voodoo River
Sunset Express
Indigo Slam
L.A. Requiem
The Last Detective
The Forgotten Man
The Watchman
Chasing Darkness
The First Rule