J. M. Hayes's "The Spirit and the Skull," the movie

Featured at My Book, The Movie: The Spirit and the Skull by J. M. Hayes.

The entry begins:

Even with the infinite casting ability of someone whose choices are limited only by imagination, this was a tough job for me. The Spirit and the Skull is set 15,000 years ago on the North Alaskan tundra. The main characters are among the earliest immigrants into the New World, on their way to become American Indians. So I think they should look the part. The easiest way to do that is to cast American Indian actors. Since Westerns don't exactly crowd our theaters, TV series, or DVD selections these days, American Indian actors aren't so easy to find. Nevertheless, here goes.

Wes Studi – Raven
Raven is a forty-something Spirit Man and the central character in the novel. Wes Studi is older than that, but Raven would have lived his entire life exposed to wind, sun, weather, heat, and cold. I picture him as still lean and hard, but with a weathered face that's filled with character. Wes Studi has that kind of face, and one many people...[read on]

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--Marshal Zeringue