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 enjoyed the ESPN spot. The Target one was okay. The Wal-Mart one bothers me though. It seemed like that was really selling out.
Even though it’s great to see the characters I do think it’s cheapening the image of STAR WARS in the long run. I know Lucas makes all his money off of merchandising, but next summer will be overfilled with chip bags and pop cans…I guess you can call this a pre-emptive strike?
I figure Lucas is making $$$ while he can. A year from now no one’s gonna give a shit about Star Wars, so he should go for it while the market is still somewhat hot.
Martin, people will continue to give a shit about
Star Wars for years to come. Apparently you missed
the last 29 years, and are acting as if these
films are just going to go away.
As a Star Wars fan, nothing made me laugh more than
Ice-T giving Vader some solids in that commercial.
I mean, not like Poland would remember tha back in
the day guys got dressed up in Darth Vader suits
all across this country to do opennings or in-stores.
Not like he should, but that little bit of info
sort of makes your point null and void Poland.
LFL are not a bunch of tight asses, and at least
know how to have fun. Anyone with a sense of
humour should be able to take these commercials
in jest, and move on about their business. Vader
messing with people at ESPN kicks ass. A stormtrooper
board out of his mind in that Target commercial
does as well.
Not like someone such as yourself David would realize
that LFL are just using the characters the way
fan films have been for years. Again, you call
them whores for having a sense of humour.
That’s just fucking weak.
Whenever I see a Star Wars ad, it reminds me of and enforces the notion of Lucas prostrating himself fully at the altar of the dollar.
Note that you’ll never see any characters but the “faceless” ones– Vader, the droids, a stormtrooper– in these ads, because you don’t need any of the movies’ actors to participate, and you don’t need to pay them royalties.
You can toss anybody in a Vader costume. It’s easier and it’s all profit that way– and you don’t have to rely on a famous actor who, unlike George Lucas, is not shameless enough to hock for Doritos.
There was a question mark after “whores.” It’s called starting a discussion.
And I do remember – and refer to – the earlier incarnations of this for the other movies.
I don’t think Lucas is doing this for money… not at all. It’s clear that the strategy is to bring the characters back into the minds of mainstream audiences long before the movie starts being sold. It’s daring and it’s obviously been successful.
But if you can’t see that it is fair to question it, it is you who have no sense of humor or perspective.
Just because the spot is well done doesn’t mean it won’t dilute the potency of the characters, in the movies and anywhere else.
Shouldn’t I be awed and intimidated by Darth Vader? Instead, when I see Episode 3, I’m going to chuckle at the memory of him in some Target spot. A more caring creator than Lucas wouldn’t undermine his own work by selling it out. But if artistic integrity was the name of the game, we wouldn’t have collectible Star Wars Pepsi cans.
You’re right, David, it is all about raising awareness. But “raising awareness,” roughly translated, means “selling more tickets.” In the end, it’s about money.
With issues such as this, I am reminded of the “Simpsons” episode when the family sees an obvious take-off of SW: Episode I. The Comic Book Guy leaves the theater declaring–
“Worse sequel ever. I will only see it three more times. Today.”
And he gets back in line.
That’s the problem with Star Wars. Disney does this kind of marketing all the time and, though diehards (and poor Mr. Disney spinning in his grave, God bless him) might hate it, it’s called MARKETING for a reason. You bet it’s whoring–but we keep coming back to the red light district regardless, hungering for our fix.
Lucas has milked this property since 1977. Why are we surprised? The guy just keep getting richer by the ten million Comic Book Guys out there in the world.
Yes David, you might have put an question at the end
of that sentence. However, not like you are not
known for being about as snarky as one can come. So
I apologize if I took it the wrong way.
The thing being is this; Darth Vader, as in an official rep
of LFL, was doing store opennings before Empire came out.
I see these commercials, especially the ESPN, as
doing a much better job of getting the characters
out there then having Darth openning a small chain
store. This is nothing new.
I have no idea why there should be a question.
If you already knew things had been like this for
awhile now. But if you feel no one can distinct
between a silly commercial and a film where Vader
will be more known as being Canadian than being in
a suit, then so be it.
This does not affect Vader or that poor lowly Stormtrooper
in the least.
Att hoppas på bra väder när man åker på semester till tex Paris är alltid bra, för om det är dåligt väder är oftast semestern eller turen inte lika rolig.