On this day in movie and book history - The Big Town (1987), The Arm (1967)

The Big Town

directed by Ben Bolt and Harold Becker,

written by Robert Roy Pool,

based on the novel The Arm by Clark Howard,

was released in the United States on September 25, 1987.

Music by Michael Melvoin and Frank Fitzpatrick.

Cast:

Matt Dillon, Diane Lane, Tommy Lee Jones, Bruce Dern, Lee Grant, Tom Skerritt, Suzy Amis, David Marshall Grant, Don Francks, Del Close, Meg Hogarth, Cherry Jones, Alvaro D'Antonio, David James Elliott, Steve Yorke, Chris Owens, Sean McCann, Kevin Fox, Marc Strange, Don Lake, Angelo Rizacos, Chris Benson, Gary Farmer, Diego Matamoros, Sarah Polley, Kirsten Bishop, Kenneth McGregor, Viki Matthews, Cherie McGroarty, Sandy Czapiewski, Marie Siebert, Julie Conte, A.C. Peterson, Sam Malkin, Robert Morelli, Layne Coleman, Lolita Davidovich, William Colgate, William Forrest MacDonald, Len Doncheff, Michael Caruana, Richard Comar, Lubomir Mykytiuk, Robert Ramsay Collins, Errol Slue, Gerry Pearson, Hugo Dann, John Evans, J. Winston Carroll, Diane Gordon, David Berni, Robert Mavor, Robert Minkoff.

Recommended reading:

The Arm

by Clark Howard.

Filmed as The Big Town (1987), directed by Ben Bolt and Harold Becker.

First published 1967.

Published by Fawcett / Gold Medal.

ASIN: B0012513FS

Paperback.

Description:

A high-tension novel of the seething underworld of the professional crapshooter – where the women come easy and the points come hard.

Before young J.C. Cullen hit Chicago, nobody had ever heard of him. But Cully knew he had it- the cool, the guts, the skill, the magic... whatever it took to be a winner. The big-time players in Chicago had never seen anything like him. Within a week he was known in every gambling haunt in the city... every bar, brothel, striptease joint, and backroom. He was Cully the Arm, King of the crapshooters. He was hated, envied, respected... and lonely. Then he met Lorry. Beautiful, tempting, and evil as Hell. As skilled in sex as he was with dice. And far deadlier. The game she played had no rules – and no limit. Cully knew this, but he couldn't stop. Even though the stake was his own life.

On this day in movie history - Factotum (2006)

Factotum

directed by Bent Hamer,

written by Bent Hamer and Jim Stark,

based on the novel by Charles Bukowski,

released at the Kosmorama Trondheim International Film Festival in Norway on April 12, 2005.

Music by Kristin Asbjørnsen.

End titles song: Slow Day by Kristin Asbjørnsen.

Cast: Matt Dillon, Lili Taylor, Didier Flamand, Fisher Stevens, Marisa Tomei, Adrienne Shelly, Karen Young, Thomas Lyons, Dean Brewington, James Cada, James Michael Detmar, Kurt Schweickhardt, Dee Noah, James Noah, Michael Egan, Terry Hempleman, Emily Hynnek, Wayne Morton, Tony Papenfuss, Lana Schwab, Sally Wingert, Robert Downing Davis, Bryan J. Walker, Dan Lee Jr., Peter Moore, Bruce Bohne, Larry Roupe, Chris Carlson, Stephen D’Ambrose, Emil Herrera, Michelle Hutchison, Andy Hubbell, Martin Marinaro, Raye Birk, Stephen Pelinski, Stanley Kipper, Brent Doyle, John Paul Gamoke, Jim Lichtscheidl, Jay Gjernes, Clyde Lund, Debbie DeLisi, George McGuire, Brad Madson, Gary Tournier, Esera Tuaolo, John Nadeau, Cathi Cooper, Carole Samuelson. #Drama

Recommended reading:

Factotum

by Charles Bukowski.

Published by Ecco.

First published 1975.

ASIN: 006113127X

ISBN-10: 9780061131271

ISBN-13: 978-0061131271

Description:

One of Charles Bukowski's best, this beer-soaked, deliciously degenerate novel follows the wanderings of aspiring writer Henry Chinaski across World War II-era America. Deferred from military service, Chinaski travels from city to city, moving listlessly from one odd job to another, always needing money but never badly enough to keep a job. His day-to-day existence spirals into an endless litany of pathetic whores, sordid rooms, dreary embraces, and drunken brawls, as he makes his bitter, brilliant way from one drink to the next.

Charles Bukowski's posthumous legend continues to grow. Factotum is a masterfully vivid evocation of slow-paced, low-life urbanity and alcoholism, and an excellent introduction to the fictional world of Charles Bukowski.

What Matters Most Is How Well You Walk Through the Fire

by Charles Bukowski.

Published by Ecco.

Published 2002.

ISBN-10: 1574231057

ISBN-13: 978-1574231052

Description:

The Walt Whitman of Los Angeles. – Joyce Carol Oates.

He brought everybody down to earth, even the angels. – Leonard Cohen.

What Matters Most Is How Well You Walk Through the Fire is the second posthumous collection from Charles Bukowski that takes readers deep into the raw, wild vein of writing that extends from the early 1970s to the 1990s.

On this day in movie history - Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the American Drive-in Movie (2013)

 

Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the American Drive-in Movie

documentary directed and written by April Wright,

was released in the United States on June 6, 2013.

Music by Dave Glover, Kate Houle and Rob Houle. 

Cast:

Charles Bruss, Riley Cooke, Roger Corman, Dennis Cozzalio, Bob Deutsch, Matt Dillon, Barry Floyd, Barb Frankhouser, Bill Frankhouser, Paul Geissinger, Patricia King Hanson, Richard M. Hollingshead III, David Hudzik, Jennifer Sherer Janisch, Sam Kirkland, Jim Kopp, Megan Kopp, Mark Lovato, Robbie Mack, Wes Neal, Teri Oldknow, Karen Sternheimer, Ed Szurek, Tony Troidl, D. Edward Vogel.

On this day in movie history - Capone (2020)

Capone

directed and written by Josh Trank,

was released in the United States on May 12, 2020.

Music by El-P.

Cast:

Tom Hardy, Linda Cardellini, Matt Dillon, Al Sapienza, Kathrine Narducci, Noel Fisher, Gino Cafarelli, Mason Guccione, Jack Lowden, Kyle MacLachlan, Rose Bianco, Manny Fajardo, Christopher Bianculli, Edgar Arreola, Jhemma Ziegler, CG Lewis, David Wachs, Tilda Del Toro, Wayne Pére, Josh Trank, Neal Brennan, Jason Edwards, Caiden Acurio, Mason Rozas, Emma Kathryn Coleman, Tara Marie Foy, Reed Luckett Wiley, Troy Anderson, Andreanna L Jenson, Tony Beard, Silas Borelly, Patti Brindley, Rebecca Chulew, Samantha Czosnek, Macey DePaula, Julia Holt, Bruce Jesse Mattson, Michael McQuillan, Christopher Morris, Carl Anthony Nespoli,Jack Reeder, Candace Reuter, Ivan Salvatore, Natalie Sibille, Cameron Stout, Sue-Lynn.

On this day in movie history - Bad Country (2014)

Bad Country

directed by Chris Brinker,

written by Jonathan Hirschbein,

based on a story by Mike Barnett, Don 'Bud' Connor, Tom Abernathy and Jonathan Hirschbein,

was released in the United States on April 29, 2014.

Music by Jeff Danna and John Fee.

Cast:

Matt Dillon, Willem Dafoe, Neal McDonough, Amy Smart, Christopher Rodriguez Marquette, Don Yesso, Kevin Chapman, Christopher Denham, Alex Solowitz, John Edward Lee, Ritchie Montgomery, Frederick Weller, Patrick Brinker, Jeff Leaf, Bill Duke, Tom Berenger, Lazarus Jackson, Aldo Juliano, Dane Rhodes, Lex D. Geddings, Jake La Botz, Mike Barnett, Don 'Bud' Connor, John Lafayette, JD Evermore, Pat Fisher, Ron Gural, Matt Thompson, Hugh Wilson, Eddie Matthews, Dylan Yesso, John Braymer, Erika Bruun-Andersen, Gayle James, Caitlin Kearney, Mike Quintana, James Lew, Roger Behle, Mary Lane Haskell, Duane Cothren, Jarvis Green, Stephanie Carpenter, Garth Currie, Bobby Greer, Zach Hartman, Luke Hawx, Charles Hunt, De'Cha LaVeau, Hans Marrero, J. Travis Merendino, Gustavo I. Ortiz, James Ourso, Rehnan Overmiller, Michael Rhoads, Jason Stanly, Ronn Surels, Shirley Tregre, Joseph Uzzell, Bob Walker, Glen Warner, Jesse Yarborough.