Every author should be lucky enough to hear their story read by a professional actor. It makes you appreciate nuances of character, and feel the "beat" of the story-telling, in ways that sometimes doesn't come across on the page. It's one reason I enjoy listening to the audiobook versions of my MONK books — they feel new to me even though I wrote them.
Tonight I went to WordTheatre's presentation of three short stories: TC Boyle's Three Quarters of the Way to Hell, James Salters' Such Fun, and my brother Tod Goldberg' s Walls. Gary Cole read Walls, Carla Gugino read Such Fun, and Gugino & Adrian Pasdar read Three Quarters of the Way to Hell. Cugino was the stand-out of the three actors, truly enlivening and enriching what she read, particularly in Boyle's story (where she was much stronger than the material she was reading). I am too close to Tod's story to be objective about it, but I thought Cole made some interesting choices, not all of them successful, but he still illuminated aspects of the story that I hadn't seen in the quite same way before, either when I read it or when I'd heard Tod read it.
That's me, Gary Cole, and my brother Tod in the picture (you can click on it for a larger view, though it's hard to imagine me or Tod any larger than we already are). Cole and I chatted about a bit about MIDNIGHT CALLER — he can't understand why the show hasn't come out on DVD yet. I said there's no logic to how those decisions are made… if there was, utter shit like Dom DeLuise's flop sitcom LOTSA LUCK wouldn't be on DVD. Is there anybody who wants to see Dom DeLuise for God's sake?
Naturally, Michael DeLuise was sitting right behind me.
Put me down for a MIDNIGHT CALLER box set the day it’s released. While it’s late-night-talk-radio-host-as-crimefighter premise sounds silly, the show was consistently smart, well written, and well acted. Highly underrated drama. Plus, I had a crush on Wendy Kilbourne.
I’ve been listening to Gillian Flynn’s DARK PLACES and the narration has been excellent.
I could not possibly run faster to get to a DVD release of “Midnight Caller.” I loved the show as a high schooler, though it was erratic when I got to watch it. However, there were episodes I’ll always remember. Had to be one of the best pilots ever.
When I was studying for my M.A. in English, a prof who wrote sonnets in the voices of famous women like Helen of Troy and Leda and the Swan, brought in a professional actress to read many of his works to a group of us, and it was FANTASTIC. She added in so many nuances that we were all a bit askew. It made me realize that a live performance of literature is what I wanted to experience. In Ontario, here in Canada, in the city or Stratford, there’s a Shakespeare Festival each year. If you ever get the chance to see “As You Like It” it’s really worth it. The play is just so much better experiencing it than just reading it. And Hamlet is awesome.
I saw Dom shortly before he passed away — and he called into Outlaw Radio a few weeks prior to his funeral (perhaps to boost attendance). None of us were stupid enough to wish him Lotsa Luck. He was, from my experience, a heck of a nice guy.
I’m constantly checking, and hoping for, MIDNIGHT CALLER to be on legitimate DVD sets. I’ve seen the ‘bootleg’ companies offer it.
I considered it, I was so desperate, but I got burned on another program’s set. What was promised and what I received. So, I’m not sinking $90 in an inferior quality product for this show. I’ll just keep yelling for it until I hope someone hears.
This is classic TV, and the best thing Gary Cole ever did.
I loved Dom DeLouise, but…come on…who would pay money for THAT show????