"MFN" the Book Could Become the Movie....with a Different Name

Online, November 18, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Author Jeffrey Alan Payne remains cautiously optimistic about the chances of a movie being made, based on his new book.

"Until I'm sitting in a theatre with a bag of overpriced Gummy Bears and a bucket of popcorn, watching my story on the big screen, I'll remain skeptical," the writer is referring to his novel "MFN - A Cultural Satire", which has been available through Amazon and Kindle since September.

"I went on a promotional junket, sending copies of the book to any broadcaster, publication or production company that had a mailbox. Two months later, I got the call." That call came from a small independent film company, who received the book through two or three degrees of separation, "I had never even heard of them before, and I certainly hadn't sent them a copy."

Payne has agreed not to discuss details or the name of the production group yet, but he says they seemed quite taken with his story. The book is about two radio shock jocks whose comedy routinely pushes the limits of good taste and political correctness. Their long hard-fought climb up the ladder to success suddenly crumbles, when an obscene spoof of a gangsta rap song is leaked onto a download site.

"The book is really about our gossip crazy voyeuristic society and the fact that every underachieving misfit who puts a goofy video on the internet can become a celebrity."

The filmmakers reportedly loved the story, "They said they laughed out loud...a lot!"

However, they hated the title, "I said, 'Come on. There was a movie a few years ago called Young People F***ing', and they said 'This is much worse than that.' It looks like the tentative working title might be Shock Jocks. That is if it gets made."

The author relates to own his experiences in broadcasting and the entertainment business, indicating that both are largely built on speculation, "I'm pretty cynical after some of the things I've seen promised to people in the past, me in particular."

If it does happen, he says there would positively be a percentage of movie-goers who will be offended by the language used in the story. "We now live in such a politically correct society; people are hypersensitive to an extreme. I have a 78 year old aunt who said that the book was brilliant, but she wants to wash my mouth out with soap."

The book also makes unflattering caricatures of many real celebrities. Payne defends the content, "It's just comedy, nothing personal. I'm sure that any celebrity mentioned will realize it's only satire."

It could be interesting watching to see if he's right.

For more information, author interview requests, or promotional copies of "MFN", contact [email protected]