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
You see Tom O’Neil! Poland got mad heart and
consideration for people! Even people he inadvertently
gives the cold shoulder too. How dare you Tom O’Neil
cast aspersions on the man! Shenanigans upon!
SHENANIGANS!
i think madsen and haden church will sweep those 2 awards
Dave are you really that insecure? Or are you really a social climber? It just appears like you’re covering your ass to ward off any unkind words a EW journo may have about your actions. Either that or your dream of getting an EW column is gone up in smoke once your actions are repeated around the EW water cooler.
Jeffrey, you seem to have real issues with Dave. You should really let all the bitterness go. So hes successful. Get over it.
Poland calls them as he sees them. Rumour has it, this is not an exclusive behavioural pattern.
His sympathy inducing/ self deprecating story was very much transparent. And yes, you are correct Mark, I have a beef with Poland and most of his biased diatribes. But it’s his gig and he’s 100% entitled to do whatever the hell he feels. I actually like his refusal to budge on certain topics and admire his stubborness.
However, I feel that by opening up his personal blog (which btw is very gracious of him) he does expect to take flak, cos he’s big enough to handle it. Personally I think he sometimes comes off as a ego-maniac, social climbing, name dropping boofhead with minor critical skills. We don’t want to let this turn into a love-in (calling Bicycle Bob) do we? A few skirmishes is always good to for the circulation.
And you ask, am I jealous of him being successful?
Successful?!?!?!
Oh Mark my little non-jaded friend. Come back in twenty years when youse all growsed up kay?
I can’t tell you what to think, JBD… all I can tell you is that I am genuinely embarrassed by what might be my perceived behavior on this, as if someone did it to me, I would think unkindly of them.
Truth is, I doubt the guy even knew that the person I turned to talk to was a director. But he does read thb, apparently, and I kind of hoped he would see this, as none of the publicists there last night could give me his name.
Anyway… yes, I can handle it. If I couldn’t, I would be working for EW or some such safe place and not carrying my own water with all the downside of being out here on my own (with my most excellent business partner).
But social climbing? Really… you don’t get me at all. I am a lot of things, but if there is one thing I can boast, it is that I have never chased a professional or professionally-associted personal relationship or a job in my decade-plus in this part of the business. In fact, that is the weakest part of my game… at least, in my perception.
Ego maniac… well, duh!
I remember, years ago, as a college student, I’d work three weeks every January at the Sundance Film Fest, and I got to see the infamous “Hollywood shuffle” in action. (Not that I’m saying you’re guilty of this David.)
People would come up to me and my co-workers at the evening parties. At first they would seem very interested in us, they’d stick out their hands to shake ours and… the second they saw that our festival passes said “staff” or “volunteer” instead of “festival guest”, they’d walk off to find someone “real” to talk to. Ha Ha Ha. Of course the next day if they wanted one of us to try to score them a ticket to a sold out show they’d be our best friends again.
A couple other observations from Sundance: It seemed to us, counter-intuitively enough, that the New York film people were generally nicer and more relaxed than the LA film people. Who would have thought it? And despite it all, some of the hottest talent were nice as hell even to the lowliest ticket-stub counter. Steven Soderbergh, David O. Russell, and, believe it or not, Brooke Shields were always great, polite, humble people even to us “slaves of the festival.” I can think of repeated examples of each of them treating the “Sundancers” with the same respect they afforded the “major players” in town.
Not really on topic, but:
“i think madsen and haden church will sweep those 2 awards”
How can someone sweep a catagory. You could say Sideways will sweep the acting catagories (which it can’t because it’s only nominated for 2/4) but how can Virginia Madsen “sweep” the best supporting actress catagory. That don’t make sense.
Long Live Sandra Oh (the unheralded wonder woman of Sideways)
i think its pretty obvious it means sweep the supprting actor categories, dumbass. if u have an iq of 7, don’t show off
Accusation: social-climbing.
Withdrawn your honor.
david u don’t have to defend yourself from baseless accusations from jealous people.
For the record, Poland doesn’t need a sycophant like you to defend him.
Why do people always throw the jealously card down when people have issues with someone else? To me, it speaks volumes about the butting-in third party.
As in; Bicycle Bob being so impressed with Poland’s gig that he can’t fathom that an argumentative sort like myself could never be jealous of Mr Poland.
Finito. Lets move on. yawn.
bob’s just kissing up hoping that David won’t bar him from the blog once the new “idiot filter” is intalled here.
I don’t think Poland needs guys like Geoffreys Doctor saying hes a suck up. Which is obviously way off base and unsupported. And if anyone is talking “idiot filter” it has to be a guy who has the ultra wit to use bobbys name and a fake email address saying “yokel”. Way to rise above it, witty guy.
Dave Poland a social climber? Now that is just rich.