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
The opposite of something you do not respect is not necessarily respectable by just being its opposite. That fundamental fact seems to be lost with the IFP awards. If the so-called commercial films are hung up on comic books, gross comedies and sequels, then what America would see watching this award show is that indpendent films exists in an equally small world of human experience: drugs, slackers and self-absorbed people. What is Sidways but the same characters from Will and Grace in their mid-forties and in wine country? We movie goers who yearn for a bigger world can feel let down by both.
The clothes is a perfect symbol. Just because you are wearing your dress downs (which probably cost more than my dress ups) does not make you more real. Except for the kid from Mean Creek, have you ever heard a worst group of acceptance speeches in your life? They made the Oscars look … well, golden. Please do not give the director of Mean Creek an award ever again … I do not think I could take another one of his I-can-be-just-as-assine-as-a-commerical-film person rant again.
There are so many issues, so many characters and so many stories that neither commerical or indpedent are touching. They both seem dedicated to just splashing about in their limtied wading pools.
The smugness of the IFP occasion is not a superior step forward from the pretentiousness of the Oscar boy. In fact, it is more annoying.
Why be so happy for Paul Giamatti? Because his award thumbs its nose at the Oscar? I hate to break it to you, but Giamatti’s performance was NOT better than Jeff Bridges’. Where’s the outrage at Bridges not getting recognized with an Oscar nomination? From a slightly more subjective position, I’d argue Liam Neeson’s performance was better as well. Yet all we hear is Giamatti, Giamatti, Giamatti. Just because Sideways was nominated for a bunch of other stuff doesn’t automatically qualify it for something else. This was a VERY tough year for the Lead Actor category, and before shedding tears for Paul we should weep for Javier Bardem, who did work better than most Oscar WINNING performers in the past. I haven’t seen The Woodsman, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Bacon was a better choice too.
You want to be happy for someone, how about Zach Braff? Garden State winning best first feature may finally silence some of the people that think Napoleon Dynamite was actually a film of merit. Thank god the Spirit awards recognized someone with actual directing & writing talent, and didn’t just pick the trendy success story.
And I know this is going back to an old argument, but I’m still going to strongly disagree with Alexander Payne for best director. I would have rather seen Walter Salles take that prize for his beautiful film, which may not have had as good of a screenplay as Sideways but really stuck with me. Hell, I’d prefer Bill Condon, who wasn’t even nominated.
Do you think there would be anything wrong with waiting until AFTER the oscar nominations are announced to decide on the Independent Spirit nominees? I really feel that if you’re in the running for the big prizes, you should be disqualified for these awards. I thought the whole point was to recognize stuff that didn’t get a chance to compete in the big dance. Indies have finally been able to break through, so take it down another notch and look at more films/actors/writers who haven’t. Lost and Translation winning and now Sideways just makes the whole thing seem like a bitter second-guessing of the Oscar choices, which is really lame. Besides, Sofia Coppola didn’t go home empty handed at the Oscars last year, and Payne/Taylor probably won’t this year. Spread the love.
The IFP awards were a crock this year. Seriously! The fact that Sideways cost $16mil is beyond the point. The fact that they all but ignored movies such as Before Sunset was mind-boggling. Why does Jamie Foxx get a Best Actor nomination for a non-theatrically released TV movie?
And, yeah, I don’t really see why everyone was so horrorfied that Paul Giamatti missed out on an Oscar nom. Why is he so more special over Jim Carrey or Jeff Bridges who all gave career best work…?
At least Last year’s Lost In Translation only cost something like $5mil.
So good for Giamatti, but really, I agree that Bardem, Neeson, etc. all gave better performances. The majority of critics who voted for Sideways to win everything became warped with disappointment that Giamatti didn’t make the shortlist for Oscar. It’s as if it was the biggest snub in history the way these critics STILL carry on.
Yeah, and we all know the biggest Oscar snub OF ALL TIME was the befuddling exclusion of Collateral from the Best Cinematography catagory. What’s up with that…?
Uh, it’s a tedious bore of a film. That might be
the reason they ignored Collateral. While I am
glad Giamatti at least has something to display
in his lue. Those awards are just a joke. Ignoring
independent films in lue of DEPENDENT films remains
one hell of a mystery. Of course no one can really
determine what the hell “indie” has become. So
verklempt might be the right word for these awards.
Tomorrow night, may Oscar voters rise up against
coordinated boxers bipping themselves on benches!
VENGENCE SHALL BE SCORCESE’S!
I agree with the comment about Jeff Bridges. That was an amazing performance in “The Door in the Floor,” maybe a little too nuanced for mass consumption. I don’t know. I can’t figure it out besides the fact that the performance was better than the film. I still stand by it being the best piece of acting all year by anyone.
And I totally agree with the person who said that “Collateral” was slighted for Best Cinematography. Anyone who knows how they shot that film and what they achieved using basically untested technology understands. A real risk that paid off and it is disheartening that the movie got overlooked in this way.
The reason the Spirit Awards have become the People’s Choice Awards of the Indie set is their method of voting. Anyone can join IFP, as long as they pay the membership dues. I myself joined one year when I was in college – thanks to the student discount, it was quite affordable.
And I voted. I tried as hard as I could to see all the nominated films, but without screeners and with many of the smaller films barely given a release (even here in Los Angeles) – if they weren’t available on Netflix yet, I couldn’t see them all. I’m sure I wasn’t alone. And thus, the movies that the most people see are the ones most likely to get votes, and the movies with Oscar nominations are the ones most likely to have been seen. It’s sad, but true.
As much as it pains me to say as a fan of democracy, the IFP doesn’t need to restrict the films that can be considered, they need to restrict their electorate, like the Academy. Their nomination process allows for some very diverse, very independent films to receive recognition – the next step does not.
Oh, and did anybody else notice that nominee Jamie Foxx failed to show up today? I’m sure he’s in town. Does he only go to award shows where he knows he’s gonna win?
OK, Dave: Are you gonna set up a new thread so we can swap and share comments throughout the Oscarcast while you’re off at Paris Hilton’s party?
Paul G should have been Oscar nominated. But hes getting more press for being snubbed. Maybe he’ll get best supporting for Cinderella Man.
Even long after the fact, IFP-LA’s decision to totally snub “Super Size Me” bewilders to no end.
Giametti was snubbed for Big Mamas House. Fizzack ze osgars.