“Here were my options: (1) take $50G and not be involved (2) take $0 and not be involved (3) threaten an expensive and futile lawsuit and not be involved. I took the $50G.” – “American Gigolo” writer-director Paul Schrader, explaining on his Facebook page he has nothing to do with the new Showtime series based on his 1980 film.
The opening titles to the Showtime series “American Gigolo” are a direct homage to the fashion-forward neo-noir movie from 1980, complete with “Call Me” by Blondie setting the tone for the lurid escapades to come — only this time around, it’s Jon Bernthal as the escort Julian Kay cruising Los Angeles in a luxury convertible sports car, á la Richard Gere back in the day. Still, while this update does include certain plot points and characters that echo elements from the feature film, it’s a stand-alone, kind of a parallel-universe version, and it’s even more sexually graphic and more violent than the original.
