May 8, 2024
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It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?
So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.
And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.
There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.
I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.
So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.
But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”
My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
~ Hampton Fancher
“That was the most disappointing thing to me in how this thing was played. Is that I’m on the phone with you now, after all that’s been said, and the fundamental distinction between what James is dealing with in these other cases is not actually brought to the fore. The fundamental difference is that James Franco didn’t seek to use his position to have sex with anyone. There’s not a case of that. He wasn’t using his position or status to try to solicit a sexual favor from anyone. If he had — if that were what the accusation involved — the show would not have gone on. We would have folded up shop and we would have not completed the show. Because then it would have been the same as Harvey Weinstein, or Les Moonves, or any of these cases that are fundamental to this new paradigm. Did you not notice that? Why did you not notice that? Is that not something notable to say, journalistically? Because nobody could find the voice to say it. I’m not just being rhetorical. Why is it that you and the other critics, none of you could find the voice to say, “You know, it’s not this, it’s that”? Because — let me go on and speak further to this. If you go back to the L.A. Times piece, that’s what it lacked. That’s what they were not able to deliver. The one example in the five that involved an issue of a sexual act was between James and a woman he was dating, who he was not working with. There was no professional dynamic in any capacity.
~ David Simon
I just went back to read the comments under “Getting AICNed.” Gee, I wonder how this second article will play into the worldviews of those who seem to think I was trying to “get” you, David. As I told you in e-mail, I was hoping to draw even more reactions from readers, and I did. And, as I expected, the reactions were more varied. I never look to just publish one side of the reaction to a film, no matter what the haters want to believe.
Good question… as I wrote before, I never thought you were out to get me or the movie. But still, there is a lot of web impact when you run one bad review like that, no matter your intentions, whether it was real or not. And there, we do have different philosophies.
Again, I appreciate your new piece and am perfectly comfortable, given that you are going to run reports that are hard to verify as truthful, with you running a range of opinions.
And, truth be told, people are as likely to be trying to “get” AICN with a postive false review as a negative. Warner reps were at the screening, though the ones who attended are not execs likely to be sending false reports to AICN.
I understand the anger and dissapointment of those who posted those comments. And I understand your personal intentions. When either seems too black or too white, I find it a bit frustrating. But as I wrote to a poster on another site, if my skin wasn’t thick enough to deal with it, I’d be doing something else.
no one defends himself like mcweeny. he has it down cold. its too bad he doesn’t have the balls to go out on his own and leave harry cause u just know they do not get along on philosophy.
They got what they needed from their work on that site. The Weeny guy is now a screenwriter and Harry is helping produce movies. They’re not journos like Davey here.
Wow. The BrotherhoodOfSteel has something in common
with Bob and Mark. Shocking. As Bob so astutely
put; McWeeny can defend himself amazing well.
Again, I did not think Drew or AICN intentionally
went out of their way to get Poland. I do believe,
as I have all this year, that their earlier reviews
have been more fake than not. Especially ones
that have been posted on SP by the authors of these
bogus reviews, but reviews never removed from AICN
after preported to be bogus.
If you are going to post an early review, then at
least make sure it’s real. Have the integrity to
admit you were had, apologize to the FILMMAKERS and
the readers of the site, and move on. This has
seldom happened.
Drew, relax. We all know, that you have succeed
in such a way, that makes name calling ridiculous.
Just please accept that you have created certain
contradictions that are glaring. No one is perfect.
Your incredible leaps to make yourself look innocent.
However, they only make you look more guilty or
defensive.
No one, now, is out to get you. People have reservations
and forgive us if we do.
i think i shed a tear or two, brother….
HA! That’s a good one!
Dave,
I feel compelled to write because I think this whole AICN thing has gotten out of hand. I was the person who attended the screening and wrote the review of Phantom of the Opera. I’ve never submitted a review to their site before and didn’t realize that I needed to include information about the screening itself to give the review legitmacy. I wrote the review rather quickly after the screening so it was pretty brief…just giving some general impressions. I could have stated that the room was about 2/3 full and that you started the screening by telling us that you had just gone out on a limb today on your site by proclaiming this to be the picture to beat for the Oscar. You also told us that it was an easy film to knock, but it was one for the heart…something like that. My friend and I did not stay for the Joel Schumacher Q&A…well, frankly because we both thought the film was terrible…any questions I had for Mr. Schumacher wouldn’t have been appropriate for the evening. I also don’t think that an audience reaction after a screening…especially when people know that the director is there, is any good indication of people’s true feelings. People are on their best behavior. I can tell you that the audience I talked to disliked Beyond The Sea much more…but were still polite for Mr. Spacey. I think it’s funny that there was this whole AICN conspiracy theory about my one little review. I have never met anyone from AICN or have any type of vendetta against Warners or the film. In fact, I wrote the review mostly because you had gone out on a limb and proclaimed it to be Best Picture material and I had a counter opinion and wanted to express it. Dave, let me state again that Phantom of the Opera is a terrible film. Since my review I’ve seen others that have agreed. It has no lead performance (in the play, Michael Crawford and the Phantom WERE the show….his character was the main character and you couldn’t get enough of him). Strangely enough in the film The Phantom doesn’t command the same attention. Rossum’s character is passive and wimpy. Hmmm, which man should she choose? (At one point my friend whispered to me….Bitch, how about just leaving the opera house and make your own damn decisions). The movie is long and slow. Plus, as I stated in my AICN review, things that we accepted in the play…because they were theatrical, just don’t play the same way in the film. When I saw the candles rise from the water in the play, I thought…damn, this is good theater. In the movie I thought….hmmmm, how did the Phantom do that? (Of course in that whole awkward sequence that stops the movie cold, where Miranda Richardson lays on the whole “Elephant Man-ish” backstory, we learn he a genuis. The movie is mayonnaise. Middle america will probably eat it up. But Best Picture? I seriously doubt the film will even get nomimated. And the question still stands…how can a director as bad as Joel Schumacher. Flawless. Dying Young. The Lost Boys. Two terrible, franchise-ending Batman movies. And why…if he’s such a talent, does he only work at Warners? Seriously, what’s the deal? So, Dave, don’t be so paranoid. I will get a big laugh if this thing continues and people wonder whether the person who wrote this letter is actually the person who wrote in to AICN. Thanks for the screenings…they alot of fun!
why even write into that shitbag site and post a review??? dumbass. u crave attention that much?
and stop comparing it to the show. its not broadway
its a movie