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
if u made movies like tomcats, u would be quitting the biz too
Tom’s Oprah session might be a a career defining moment for him.
David,
Could you please get rid of that online poker nonsense?
Thanks.
Am I the only freakin’ person in the world who didn’t see Cruise on Oprah? What’s the big deal? Is there an online transcript?
You don’t want the online transcript. It does not do it any kind of justice.
Please Dave, “pill” is such an ugly word. It’s just that the Helper assigned to Tom forgot to give him his Flintstones “vitamin”.
Maybe Joe Roth is giving up because Julia ROberts is on 5y break and other stars are ageing.
Speaking of Ageing, perhaps Tom feels his age realizing that the action stud roles are limited and he wants to compete with Jim Carrey for comedy-drama histrionics. He was more Jim Carrey than Tom on Oprah (pity, since Tom would be a halfway decent Iron Man).
Josh,if you didn;t see it, words wouldn’t describe what I saw. Chappelle simply must do a skit on Tom. Maybe lots ‘o skits on Tom.
Real life Cruise is good enough for a skit. Not much more even the great Dave C can do.
Cruise’s old publicist that he fired for his sister must be lauging really hard right now…
Joe Roth is a joke. His movies are pitiful. As a director they all stink. As a producer every two hundred and fortieth are decent. Not one classic. I can do better than that by spinning my mom blindfolded and making her pick post- its off a craphouse wall. He chooses a monkey like Todd Garner to take the fall for his choices and now he’s dreaming about firing Tom sherak. What a joke Roth is. He such a wad. Wants to be important now. You’re real important Joe. Keep banging pa’s. That’s what you do best.
Mr Fitz. I disagree. I think Chappelle could get as much mileage out of Tom as he does out of Puffy or Rick James (RIP bitch!). Maybe this is the reason Dave C came back from SA. He could call his skit “Do this mess in private”.
*cough*
*reads l.a. times story*
Chris Columbus is making Rent for Revolution????
Can’t musicals be dead yet? Is it going to be better than the “Rent” inspired musical in “Team America: World Police”… everyone has AIDS, yeah! No, and I’d say it’s highly improbable the movie version of “Rent” is going to make more than 10 dollars at the box office (and then I’ll wait for the DVD release 2 months later, and ignore that too).
As far as Tom Cruise, yeah, the more he speaks the less I think of Scientology. I’d tell him to see a psychiatrist because I think he’s overcompensating for something (I’m not gay!), but I guess his options, like his acting talent, is limited. And now that Tom’s weirdness has dulled the hotness of Katie Holmes, is it too late to CGI in someone else in Batman Begins? Mmmm. How about 24’s Mia Kirshner or Elisha Cuthbert?
…huh?
Kind of looking forward to Rent, actually. Maybe it’s cause I like musicals..?
Anyway, Tom Cruise went bonkers years ago when he gave Nicole the heave-ho for, excuse me a second while i dry-heave, Penelope Cruz.
kidman got everything she wanted from dating cruise. now shes an a list star. maybe holmes is trying to ride that.
That didn’t rub off on Penelope Cruz. It had the opposite effect. Maybe Katie will be starring in knock off action movies soon too.
If I was a tv actress with film star dreams, I’d date Tom Cruise. If I was a crappy creative exec I’d date him. If I worked at Carl Jr’s I would too so maybe I’m not the best judge.
I cannot remember the last time I saw a major star promote his love life like this. This is unprecedented.