false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173446904m/288973.jpg 288973 25 The film <I>Get Shorty</I> was a success on many fronts. It introduced a new style of hip gangster that revised the stereotype of the <I>Godfather</I> series. It also helped relaunch the career of John Travolta. And it brought Elmore Leonard's impressive body of fiction to larger public attention. In Hollywood, such a triumph usually spawns a sequel--a film that rehashes the great jokes and cool scenes of the first film, but with none of the panache that initially inspired audiences.<p> In the beginning of <I>Be Cool</I>, the sequel to the novel <I>Get Shorty</I>, readers are reminded that Chili Palmer--like his creator--scored a huge success with a gangster film (his was entitled <I>Get Leo</I>). But the sequel, <I>Get Lost</I>, was a predictable dud. Rather than follow that sordid story, however, Leonard takes Chili into a totally new direction. He places Chili on a murder investigation (in which he is a prime suspect) and then traces Chili's entry into the music business. Meanwhile, Leonard reveals a whole new cast of fresh, funny, and flaky characters to populate Chili's world, characters like Elliot the gigantic, gay, Samoan bodyguard who lives to be on the stage. Throughout, the voice of John Travolta rings in Chili's every speech (word has it that Travolta has already been cast to reprise the role) as Leonard pokes fun at the Hollywood apparatus and the task of a sequel writer. <p> <I>Be Cool</I> surpasses its original because it is so self-consciously a novel about sequels, about the sometimes cowardice that limits the creativity of the American film industry. It is hard to imagine how Leonard could top the multilayered satire/crime novel/exposé. One only hopes for a sequel. Fans of <I>Be Cool</I> might want to check out music from <i>The Stone Coyotes</i>, the band that served as Leonard's model in the book. <I>--Patrick O'Kelley</I> 827574 1999 Be Cool total:812|5:74|4:235|3:355|2:128|1:20| 812 2651 979 51 842038 0440235057 9780440235057 15 4 3.26 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178825793m/842038.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/842038.Be_Cool 3 0 false Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Nov 30 14:48:14 -0800 2008 Sun Nov 30 14:51:31 -0800 2008 more...]]> 288973 0141020482 9780141020488 726 38 3.26 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173446904m/288973.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/288973.Be_Cool 4 0 false Sun Nov 23 09:01:10 -0800 2008 Sun Nov 23 09:03:58 -0800 2008 ...more...]]> 288973 0141020482 9780141020488 726 38 3.26 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173446904m/288973.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/288973.Be_Cool 2 0 false Wed Sep 16 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Sep 16 23:23:58 -0700 2009 Wed Sep 16 23:30:22 -0700 2009 The music industry plot line and character development on Linda Moon was good and kept interest, but ...more...]]> 842038 0440235057 9780440235057 15 4 3.26 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178825793m/842038.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/842038.Be_Cool 4 0 false Thu Aug 07 15:07:51 -0700 2008 Fri Aug 08 12:52:45 -0700 2008 more...]]> 842036 0385333919 9780385333917 29 3 3.26 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178825792m/842036.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/842036.Be_Cool 2 0 false Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 1999 Mon Jul 07 14:25:37 -0700 2008 Sat Aug 22 17:01:12 -0700 2009 Be Cool was the long-awaited sequel to Get Shorty, but as eager as I was to read it, after I was finished, I was not only disappointed but I realized why it was a terrible idea in the first place. In my review of GS, I described Chili Palmer as a neanderthal at a fencing match. In...more...]]> 985084 0060777060 9780060777067 19 4 3.26 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180012648m/985084.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/985084.Be_Cool 2 0 false Wed Dec 10 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Aug 29 09:32:52 -0700 2007 Wed Dec 10 19:30:29 -0800 2008 1 more...]]> 842038 0440235057 9780440235057 15 4 3.26 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178825793m/842038.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/842038.Be_Cool 3 0 false Sun Jan 30 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Tue Jun 24 12:06:54 -0700 2008 Fri Nov 14 08:05:05 -0800 2008 1 more...]]> 842036 0385333919 9780385333917 29 3 3.26 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178825792m/842036.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/842036.Be_Cool 3 0 false Mon Oct 18 00:00:00 -0700 1999 Sat Aug 22 08:13:10 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 22 08:15:05 -0700 2009 288973 0141020482 9780141020488 726 38 3.26 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173446904m/288973.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/288973.Be_Cool 5 0 false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Sun Apr 19 17:07:47 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 19 17:10:29 -0700 2009 288973 0141020482 9780141020488 726 38 3.26 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173446904m/288973.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/288973.Be_Cool 3 0 false Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Jan 02 11:48:09 -0800 2009 Fri Jan 02 11:50:01 -0800 2009 288973 0141020482 9780141020488 726 38 3.26 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173446904m/288973.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/288973.Be_Cool 3 0 false Tue Nov 17 04:17:44 -0800 2009 Thu Dec 03 04:26:52 -0800 2009 288973 0141020482 9780141020488 726 38 3.26 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173446904m/288973.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/288973.Be_Cool 5 0 false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Sun May 17 16:53:27 -0700 2009 Sun May 17 16:54:15 -0700 2009 842038 0440235057 9780440235057 15 4 3.26 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178825793m/842038.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/842038.Be_Cool 0 0 false Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Fri Nov 02 08:10:08 -0700 2007 Thu Nov 15 06:28:26 -0800 2007 more...]]> 288973 0141020482 9780141020488 726 38 3.26 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173446904m/288973.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/288973.Be_Cool 3 0 false Mon Nov 16 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Oct 25 23:37:50 -0700 2009 Mon Nov 16 00:37:19 -0800 2009 288973 0141020482 9780141020488 726 38 3.26 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173446904m/288973.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/288973.Be_Cool 3 0 false Thu Aug 06 22:20:03 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 10 09:37:06 -0700 2009 288973 0141020482 9780141020488 726 38 3.26 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173446904m/288973.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/288973.Be_Cool 2 0 false Tue Jul 21 19:25:17 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 21 19:25:58 -0700 2009 288973 0141020482 9780141020488 726 38 3.26 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173446904m/288973.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/288973.Be_Cool 2 0 false Tue Aug 19 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Aug 09 14:02:12 -0700 2008 Mon Jun 15 13:44:12 -0700 2009 more...]]> 1061825 0060775203 9780060775209 2 1 3.26 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180651782m/1061825.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1061825.Be_Cool_CD 3 0 false Sun Aug 10 09:12:20 -0700 2008 Sat Aug 23 10:18:08 -0700 2008 more...]]> 288973 0141020482 9780141020488 726 38 3.26 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173446904m/288973.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/288973.Be_Cool 2 0 false Wed Jul 29 06:39:03 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 29 06:39:41 -0700 2009 288973 0141020482 9780141020488 726 38 3.26 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173446904m/288973.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/288973.Be_Cool 4 0 false Fri Jun 26 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 03 13:03:13 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 03 13:03:54 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=288973