The trades are “reporting” that Eva Mendes is going to be in Ghost Rider opposite Nic Cage…
But what does it matter? Mark Steven Johnson is directing!!!!!
What is it about Daredevil that makes another studio hire him to do an even edgier character?
OY!
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[twitter-widget username="DavidPoland" hiderss="true" hidereplies="true" hidefrom="true" items="3" showts="60" title=" " targetBlank="true"][twitter-widget username="MCNTweets" hiderss="true" hidereplies="true" hidefrom="true" items="3" showts="60" title=" " targetBlank="true"]
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” ā 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 ā 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 ā he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” ā and I’d forgot who he was.
So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging ā I was with her at that moment ā 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 namedā” “Yeah, sure ā 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 Iām on the phone with you now, after all thatās 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 didnāt seek to use his position to have sex with anyone. Thereās not a case of that. He wasnāt using his position or status to try to solicit a sexual favor from anyone. If he had ā if that were what the accusation involved ā 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. Iām not just being rhetorical. Why is it that you and the other critics, none of you could find the voice to say, āYou know, itās not this, itās thatā? Because ā let me go on and speak further to this. If you go back to the L.A. TimesĀ piece, thatās what it lacked. Thatās 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
>>What is it about Daredevil that makes another studio hire him to do an even edgier character?<< Well, how about the fact that "Daredevil" grossed $179 million worldwide? Or that it made gadzillions more on homevideo? Or how about the fact that some of us -- obviously, many of us -- liked "Daredevil" more than you did?
As for why, it’s hopefully because, as I’ve ranted about in different occasions, the director’s cut of Daredevil shows that Johnson can do a dark, human, gritty action story, assuming the studio lets him release said version.
i remember daredevil had a decent cast too. this guy couldn’t direct a bud commercial
Exactly Leydon, some of us actually did like Daredevil.
Heck, I will admit it. I liked Elektra. Of course
it was nothing more than a Buffy episode, but not
like any critic would get Buffy/Angel writing or
anything. They just want to feel the “ache.”
Ghost Rider will not be the hardest story to tell.
Plus Johnson has to deal with the utter whackiness
of Nick Cage. So Poland, look at as if it were
a co-directed picture.
I long to live in a world where people will get
openly mocked for liking Sideways and Million Dollar
Bollocks. That’s a world I am getting behind!
I have not seen Daredevil, so I won’t bash Mark Steven Johnson. Is Ghost Rider in danger of being watered down a little, like that movie apparently was? I’m not familiar with the comic. Is it a dark, R-rated story? Does it need to stay that way to work?
i think my buddy Udo said he’s in this thing.
JOE LEYDON – The slightly nicer critic.
On average, this critic grades 5.3 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
For the 183 reviews listed, this critic graded higher than the average critic 67% of the time, even 1% of the time, and lower 32% of the time.
Daredevil was acceptable at best. The movie wasn’t exciting or innovative. Daredevil & all Marvel titles have a following. People have been waiting for these movies for decades. Marvel fans will go see each & every single Marvel movie that comes out simply because we grew up reading the comics & waiting for the characters to be put on screen. For years we speculated over who would make a better Wolverine(I was pleasantly surprised), Spiderman(excellent), X-men need a better Storm, Halley Berry makes the character seem too week, & Aflec looked the part of Daredevil but the direction was unimaginative. The money this movie made has nothing to do with the director. If it was well directed most Marvel fans would have gone to see it over & over. I hope he does a better job with Ghost Rider which is a great character with lots of different directions to go in. But I get the impression he will just make him seem boring.
Jeff’s Dr.: I’ve often been amused by the way they translate (and sometimes mistranslate)reviews into numbers on the Meta-Critic site. But, hey, it’s like I always say: I’m a critic, not a pollster.
Joe -c’mon man, don’t make excuses for your love of B-Movies now.. BATS, BONES, BOOGEYMAN š
Hey, don’t put down “Bats.” Remember — it was written by the screenwriter of “The Aviator.” No, I’m not making that up.
after watching johnson destroy daredevil, what exec gave him this comic book property? what did they see in daredevil that made them go “we need to be in the mark johnson business”?
Someone needs to be fored for this. We’re not talking Coppola directing this here.
hey bicycle bob,
wow, you managed to repeat exactly what Poland originally posted. Are you the poster child for Sycophants Unlimited?
Someone agreed with David, you better haul him off and shoot ’em! Bitter, Jeffrey, bitter.
Whoever let Johnson direct another comic book movie might be the same person who keeps letting Uwe Boll direct video game movies.
Seriously, the directors probably show what the studio thinks is a “great deal of ethusiasm for the material” and get the jobs.
Or they work for free.
ugh, “DareDevil” was woeful. Only “National Security” was worse (and that is indeed my least favourite movie of all time, so thats saying something!). It was just… egads!!
Even Gigli wasn’t that bad.
I at least remember the plot to Gigli!
Camel, that comparison, makes absolutely no sense.
Good god. Nothing worse than a friggin ridiculous
movie analogy. Jesus. I have no idea why DD failed
for you, but make a better analogy. Or go see
the more GRITTY version of DD via the Director’s Cut.
At some point one has to start wondering when people
stopped being polite, and started being REAL!
But I agree with the Gigli comment. Not that bad
of a flick. Yeah it’s plot seems strung together
like it’s shooting script was held together with
string and bubblegum. A decent 2 and Half-star movie
nonetheless.
who can defend daredevil? it was dreadful and the fact that this guy got another directing job of a major comic property is ridiculous
Yikes –I wouldn’t be bragging about liking Daredevil more than others, people. Also please don’t compare these awful hack movies to one of the greatest television series ever made -just cuz both feature female heroes who kick ass. The similarities end there. Mark Steven Johnson is not fit to shine Joss Whedon’s shoes.
Johnson isn’t fit to shine the shoes of the creators of a UPN sitcom. Let alone Joss Whedon.
L&DB i was merely pointing out that while Gigli was apparently the worst movie of all time (with people who hadn’t even seen it…!) DareDevil was in fact a much worse movie. It was trying to be something that it no chance in hell of ever being. I don’t think the makers of Gigli were striking for brilliance from the get-go to be honest.
And, I’m sure the director’s cut IS better but I, personally, don’t want to have to wade through the previous movie just to get to some more character development or something.
I’m wondering what people didn’t like about DD the movie. There was stuff I liked and stuff I didn’t but overall a watchable movie. There seems to be a lot of passionate dislike for the film here and I was hoping a few of the people who felt that way would elaborate. Thanks!
What did you like about it? The story was terrible. The acting was below average. The special effects were lame and 10 years behind. What could you have possibly liked about it?
The director’s cut is better.
Gigli? oh boy. Gigli is not a better movie than Daredevil cut or uncut or sliced or grated or smoked. The only good thing about Gigli was the guy who played the kidnapped boy, he was great and gave some endearing feeling/dialog to an otherwise empty-headed movie. I had to have almost an entire bottle of vodka to ease the pain of the dialog.
To Daredevil fans D was a disappointment, but comic fans are never happy (although the darker Daredevil would have made them alot happier, me included). The only good Batman movie was the first one and the diehard Batman fans still rip on it since it was not “accurate” to the comic in their not so humble opinions as they viciously battle over it STILL on the IMDB and comics sites.
The producers of Ghost Rider may have their hearts in the right place but some of the casting has made me wince. look on the bright side, Schumacher isn’t directing. Give Johnson a chance, the director’s cut shows he has potential if the casting doesn’t get any more big names…oy, that would help prevent disaster.
I have high hopes for Iron Man too. Don Murphy is a big comic book fan. It’ll be mean and ugly like it should be. Go Don.
after screwing up a real easy, slam dunk daredevil this guy gets another shot at a comic? he must have something on the producers or marvel. he can’t tell a story.
Jesus H. Christ. Justin Bartha’s performance in Gigli has got to be the worst cinematic portrayal ever of a mentally challenged person. It doesn’t even deserve to be called a performance. I was hoping Gigli would put three in his skull. Three in the head, you know they’re dead. Seriously, though, an awful, awful, embarrassing “acting” job.
If they really want to do “Iron Man” as mean and ugly, they should use the ugly gray iron suit Tony Stark originally built to bust out of the Red China prison. Jeez, that thing looked so creepy that I think he had to spray-paint it gold after only 2-3 comic book outings.
As for “Daredevil” — hey, it could have been a LOT worse. Like, they could have used the original yellow outfit, and Ben A. would have wound up looking like a freakin’ canary on steroids.
If they really want to do “Iron Man” as mean and ugly, they should use the ugly gray iron suit Tony Stark originally built to bust out of the Red China prison. Jeez, that thing looked so creepy that I think he had to spray-paint it gold after only 2-3 comic book outings.
As for “Daredevil” — hey, it could have been a LOT worse. Like, they could have used the original yellow outfit, and Ben A. would have wound up looking like a freakin’ canary on steroids.
If they really want to do “Iron Man” as mean and ugly, they should use the ugly gray iron suit Tony Stark originally built to bust out of the Red China prison. Jeez, that thing looked so creepy that I think he had to spray-paint it gold after only 2-3 comic book outings.
As for “Daredevil” — hey, it could have been a LOT worse. Like, they could have used the original yellow outfit, and Ben A. would have wound up looking like a freakin’ canary on steroids.
If they really want to do “Iron Man” as mean and ugly, they should use the ugly gray iron suit Tony Stark originally built to bust out of the Red China prison. Jeez, that thing looked so creepy that I think he had to spray-paint it gold after only 2-3 comic book outings.
As for “Daredevil” — hey, it could have been a LOT worse. Like, they could have used the original yellow outfit, and Ben A. would have wound up looking like a freakin’ canary on steroids.
Joe, I didn’t catch that. Could you post it again please?
Please excuse the multiple postings. Each time I hit post, I kept getting a message telling me to try positing again in a few minutes. What’s with that?
Bigger Jesus A. Christ. well we’ll have to agree to disagree.
He (bartha) reminded me of a good friend who would be called ‘dev challenged’ or retarded by mean people. He saw Gigli too. He didn’t think it was that ‘off’ except Bartha has better teeth. But he did want to kill Al Pacino and Ben’s bad accent and Ben’s tattoo.
There’s worse. Like Forrest Gump.
Only time i have ever been annoyed with D Poland is quoting FG on his Valentines candy thing. I suffered and writhed just reading that. ugh.
While Bartha was on screen, I kep thinking that this is a very untalented actor desperately trying to imitate Dustin Hoffman and give a convincing portrayal of a developmentally challenged person. Granted, he was not helped at all by the script. But it was so forced. Then again, anyone would have struggled with that thankless role. Fred Armisen did an infinitely better job on SNL when Affleck hosted after Gigli (one of the 17 times he’s hosted since then).
don’t know if the SNL guy was better. There are alot of disorders which show different behaviors and it is hard for an actor to get it right without annoying overacting or unrealistic responses to the situations they are put in. Tom Hulce was good/real as “special” Nicky in Dominick and EUgene, but then I am partial to Alvin Sargent too, who did a good job with the writing of a blue collar eye-talian family and how they handled a character like Nicky.
re. Iron Man, the origins are to be updated so he probably isn’t flying out of a CHinese/vietcong prison. I think if they stick with th good stories in the 70s-early 80s, well before the traitorous demise of Iron Man’s character in the early to mid 90s, then we’ll be okay.
why is anyone comparing gigli to daredevil? gigli was horrendous. case closed. daredevil could have actually been good. and it hurts as a comic book fan that it sucked.
Just thinking about Daredevil makes my head hurt.
Looks like everything good about this story and character will be destroyed by Holywood –
How bad can thay make this flick – well look at Ghost Rider its Nicolas Cage (BAD BAD BAD CASTING) but what can you say HE`s got the Big Box – here the story –
Cage: I like that carachter so much that I will produce it (If I do the main role – Ghost Rider) and they said well
why not… and then the movie started
I believe that this was one of the best storys form a comic book that could it the big screen – but then again its hollywood – we re here to make cash not good movies…
I would of gone to see it without a lead role that everybody is familiar with… Ghost rider allready sells the story (movie) by its own… so I dont see how it could have been bad – Now I know get it done by Hollywood – Money shure does destroy everything …its starts with the cutting down of trees and gets all the way to hell… at least we know something… their all going to hell – lol (kiddin) not to me to judge – but this will only be bad
well to do the best movies (comic movies) we need to discover new actros and actresses – this is the only way we will be enjoying them on screen – because we are not attached to other characters from other boring movies…
we all know them allready and we dont want to see them on screen – the people that does – dont really give a f^$k about the story – so make some other flick – thats my theory on comic book movies –
but no body will go to check them out…. If YOU risk / you can only do better
SPider- man ‘ BAD
BATMAN – dont go there – the 2 first ones were good
Daredevil – change daredevil to any one ealse than Jack ass
Punisher – OK – not a well known actor not like all tyhe others so it did work so did HULK and now their in every movie…
try it Holly
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