Ink-Stained Wretch

Ink-Stained Wretch

Share this post

Ink-Stained Wretch
Ink-Stained Wretch
'Collateral' at 20: Peeking at That Inner Damage

'Collateral' at 20: Peeking at That Inner Damage

It might not be Michael Mann's masterpiece, but it's *a* masterpiece.

Nick Kolakowski's avatar
Nick Kolakowski
Aug 13, 2024
∙ Paid
2

Share this post

Ink-Stained Wretch
Ink-Stained Wretch
'Collateral' at 20: Peeking at That Inner Damage
1
Share

A few years ago, I had the chance to interview Michael Mann. He was filming Ferrari in Italy but he needed to promote Heat 2, the novelized sequel (co-written with Meg Gardiner) to his cinematic masterpiece, and the PR person told me I’d get two questions at most, make ‘em good.

So I asked a highfalutin’ thematic question about the book’s protagonist, Chris Shiherlis (played by Val Kilmer in the original film), and received an appropriately dense answer about the changeover of crime in the late 20th century from analogue to digital, bullets to bits. “The evolving of Shiherlis as an innovator/proponent of a ‘seismic historical’ transition of crime was exactly the narrative ambition and challenge,” he told me.

Ink-Stained Wretch is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

As a genre, crime fiction has some major insecurities when it comes to philosophical heft, and with good reason. It’s always trying to outrun …

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Ink-Stained Wretch to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Nick Kolakowski
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share