Even if the name Joe Eszterhas isn't immediately familiar to you, the resume certainly should be: "Showgirls," "Basic Instinct," "Jade," "Sliver"... a string of mid-'90s pulp classics marked by preposterous dialogue, hilarious performances and, in several cases, Sharon Stone. And no, none of these are comedies. Not intentional ones anyway.
I kid because I love. Eszterhas is a veteran writer whose work has gotten somewhat of a bad rap. "Showgirls" may not be high art, but it is thoroughly entertaining in all of its trashy glory. Well the writer, who hasn't put out a project since the 2006 Hungarian production "Children of Glory," is coming back to pen a script about the Virgin of Guadalupe, according to a report in Variety.
For those who don't know, the Virgin of Guadalupe is a work of religious art dating back to the 16th century. As the story goes, an image of the Virgin Mary appeared on a peasant's cloak in an apparent miracle. The image can still be viewed in Mexico City, at the Basilica de Guadalupe.
If this seems like a peculiar turn for the man who gave us "Basic Instinct," bear in mind that Eszterhas won a battle against throat cancer in 2001 and has since written a number of books, including last year's "Crossbearer: A Memoir of Faith." In an official statement, Eszterhas referred to this latest project as "a labor of love."
Mpower Pictures will produce the untitled project, which will presumably focus on the circumstances surrounding the icon's miraculous appearance. Mpower has been around since 2007, delivering a series of "inspirational films" such as "Bella" and recent release "The Stoning of Soraya M."
I honestly haven't seen any of Ezsterhas's work since the '90s pulp stuff, on film or in print. I have to believe that his craft has sharpened over the years, especially after reading the critical praise for "Children of Glory." A story about a miraculously appearing image of the Virgin Mary isn't exactly something that excites me, but if anyone can imbue it with a widely accessible flair, it's Eszterhas.
Have you seen any of Eszterhas's earlier work? How about "Children of Glory"? Read any of his bookHow do you think the writer might approach this particular story?
0 comments:
Post a Comment