Literature, Film, and Their Hideous Progeny: Adaptation and ElasTEXTity

235 Pages·2015·2.4 MB·English

by  Julie Grossman (auth.)

Literature, Film, and Their Hideous Progeny
Palgrave Studies in Adaptation and Visual Culture
Series Editors: Julie Grossman, Le Moyne College, USA; R. Barton Palmer,
Clemson University, USA
Advisory Board: Sarah Cardwell, University of Kent; Deborah Cartmell, De
Montfort University; Timothy Corrigan, University of Pennsylvania; Lars
Ellestrom, Linnaeus University; Kamilla Elliott, Lancaster University; Christine
Geraghty, University of Glasgow; Helen Hanson, University of Exeter; Linda
Hutcheon, University of Toronto; Glenn Jellenik, University of Central
Arkansas; Thomas Leitch, University of Delaware; Brian McFarlane, Monash
University; Simone Murray, Monash University; James Naremore, Indiana
University; Kate Newell, Savannah College of Art and Design; Laurence Raw,
Baskent University; Robert Stam, New York University; Constantine Verevis,
Monash University; Imelda Whelehan, University of Tasmania; Shannon
Wells-Lassagne, Universite de Bretagne Sud.
This series addresses how adaptation functions as a principal mode of text
production in visual culture. What makes the series distinctive is its focus on
visual culture as both a target and a source for adaptations, and a vision to
include media forms beyond film and television such as videogames, mobile
applications, interactive fiction and film, print and nonprint media, and the
avant-garde. As such, the series will contribute to an expansive understanding
of adaptation as a central, but only one, form of a larger phenomenon within
visual culture. Adaptations are texts that are not singular but complexly multiple,
connecting them to other pervasive plural forms: sequels, series, genres, trilo-
gies, authorial oeuvres, appropriations, remakes, reboots, cycles, and franchises.
This series especially welcomes studies that, in some form, treat the connection
between adaptation and these other forms of multiplicity.
Titles include:
Julie Grossman
LITERATURE, FILM, AND THEIR HIDEOUS PROGENY
Adaptation and ElasTEXTity
Palgrave Studies in Adaptation and Visual Culture
Series Standing Order ISBN 978–1–137–54205–4 hardcover
Series Standing Order ISBN 978–1–137–54205–2 paperback
(outside North America only)
You can receive future titles in this series as they are published by placing a stand-
ing order. Please contact your bookseller or, in case of difficulty, write to us at
the address below with your name and address, the title of the series and one of
the ISBNs quoted above.
Customer Services Department, Macmillan Distribution Ltd, Houndmills,
Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS, England
Literature, Film, and Their
Hideous Progeny
Adaptation and ElasTEXTity
Julie Grossman
Professor, Departments of English and Communication and Film Studies,
Le Moyne College, USA
© Julie Grossman 2015
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this
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work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published 2015 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN
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ISBN 978-1-349-56523-8 ISBN 978-1-137-39902-1 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/9781137399021
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For Phil and Sophie

Contents
List of Figures viii
Acknowledgments x
Introduction 1
Part I Journeys and Authorship
1 “It’s Alive!”: The Monster and the Automaton as Film and
Filmmakers 25
2 Lightening Up: Reappearing Hearts of Darkness 41
3 Hideous Fraternities: The Coen Brothers Hit the Road 62
Part II Textual and Marginal Identities
4 Imitations of Life and Art 83
5 The Quiet Presence of “The Yellow Wallpaper”
in Todd Haynes’s film [Safe] 105
6 Musical Theater and Independent Film 126
Part III Immersive Theater and the Monstrous Avant-Garde
7 Adapting Time and Place: Avant-Garde Storytelling
and Immersive Theater 147
8 Time Will Tell: Adaptation Going Forward and Film at
the Art Museum (Christian Marclay’s The Clock) 167
9 Cape Fear, The Simpsons, and Anne Washburn’s
Post-Apocalyptic Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play 177
Epilogue 191
Notes 195
Works Cited 210
Index 219
vii
List of Figures
I.1 Being John Malkovich 4
I.2 Sandro Miller, “Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich”:
Dorothea Lange/Migrant Mother, Nipomo,
California (1936), 2014 4
I.3 Sandro Miller, “Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich”:
Victor Skrebneski/Bette Davis, Actor, November 8 (1971),
Los Angeles Studio, 2014 5
I.4 Sandro Miller, “Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich”:
Herb Ritts/Jack Nicholson, London (1988) (B), 2014 6
1.1 Hugo: the approaching train in Hugo’s dream 33
1.2 Hugo: Hugo becomes the Automaton in his dream 35
1.3 Gods and Monsters: Clay walks Whale to his grave in shared
dream 37
1.4 Gods and Monsters: Clay in the rain at the end of the film 38
2.1 Hearts of Darkness: a desperate Coppola 44
2.2 Jamie Abrahams, Hearts of Hot Shots! Part Deux—
A Filmmaker’s Apology 48
2.3 Eleanor Coppola, Hearts of Darkness 49
2.4 Welles during the making of Heart of Darkness 53
2.5 Apocalypse Now: Coppola’s cameo – “Like you’re fighting ….” 60
3.1 O Brother, Where Art Thou? The three boys hiding
from capture 75
3.2 O Brother, Where Art Thou? Stunning cinematography 78
3.3 O Brother, Where Art Thou? The three boys looking at
lynching; The Wizard of Oz. Saving Dorothy 79
4.1 Imitation of Life: cramped hallway 96
4.2 Imitation of Life: publicity poster 97
4.3 Imitation of Life: Sarah Jane pinned among the
masks on the wall at the club 98
4.4 Imitation of Life: Sirk’s mise-en-scène; Annie, trapped 103
viii
List of Figures ix
5.1 [Safe]: Lester at Wrenwood 115
5.2 The Yellow Wallpaper musical 122
6.1 Kinky Boots: watching 137
6.2 Once the musical 143
7.1 West 27th St. sidewalk, New York City, September 2013 148
9.1 Cape Fear; “Cape Feare,” The Simpsons 180
9.2 Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play: A pre-production model
rendering of the stage/set 188