His words can explain without any help from me…
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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” — 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
AICN? Does anyone actually read that garbage anymore?
“If Drew is not in some business with Grey and/or Paramount, he is, as a working screenwriter, perpetually in position to do so. Too many conflicts.”
So, by this logic, you will shut down this blog the second you start looking to work in the industry again as a writer, p.a. or what have you? Mind you, I’m not saying you should. I’m just asking if what’s good for the goose…?
Drew has sold out a long time ago. The best place to learn about Drew is http://www.mysterydouchebags.com/squirt/viewforum.php?f=1
I am Spam Dooley and I actually read DREAD!
I thought that article by Moriarty was suprisingly on-the-ball. 99% of the time those guys are asskissing like crazy. And I guess this is also asskissing, but it felt like it had some credibility to it. I agree that anyone that is a professional Hollywood screenwriter should not be doing news and views on a movie-fan website. Not only is it unethical, but it smacks of desperation of the highest order. It’s like these guys feel like they can’t simply be movie fans without constantly trying to have an “important voice” in the industry. Lucky bastard is now working with the studios.. that he’s still at AICN says to me that they hired him not only on his writing ability, but his marketing connections. Which has to be somewhat disheartening for him.
spam – which one are you – supernova or facer?
Dave – c’mon man, are you telling me that there has never been a conflict of interest when it comes to journos/writers who cross over to the dark side.. Bart, Kael, Schraeder, Bogdanovich or scribes for EW , New Yorker or fanboys from Fango and Starlog… Moriarty is a prime target cos he likes to talk.
I am Spam Dooley and I Know all.
I am NOT a MysteryDouchebag.
I am not mysterious.
I am not Spock.
I am not a zombie of the stratosphere.
I am not Paris from MI the series.
I AM Spam Dooley.
Dave, I think you give AICN far more credibility than it deserves (which is zero, as a venue for news analysis). It’s not The New York Times (all jokes aside about that august institution).
Yes, Joe… if I ever start getting into the business of using my relationships developed as a journalist to find work inside the industry, I will not be writing about the industry anymore.
Outside shot, if I were in a position pitching a single producer or studio, I might feel it was okay and just not ever write about that person or any related entities again.
But no, I would not be reviewing movies from a company I had an employment contract with, accepting trips from studios to visit sets, or do anything that would cause the smell of the cigarette smoke of conflict to linger on my leather jacket weeks later.
I’m not even accusing Drew of any bad faith. But frankly, if I were Brad Grey, I would be more embarrassed than anything else. This is ‘Weinraub’s Last Article” kinda stuff.
And believe me… it’s not because I’m next on the list. Nor do I wish to be on the list or I’d be working somewhere like Premiere.
Of course, if Drew has no shame and the studios have no shame and Paul Greengrass has no shame, it doesn’t matter much what I think, does it?
I don’t know how I feel about the whole thing. On one hand, I agree with the ethics. On the other hand, I see two guys (and Nick at Chud and all the rest) take their geek love of movies and have pimped the system to get inside, which deep down everyone of those guys that worked those sites I’m sure really wanted. Now they’re getting their shot. Whether or not they can stay in the game is a whole ‘nother story.
However, if they can put out quality entertaining movies, I don’t care. Much darker shit goes off in this town than that.
The market-driven movie making machine is burning itself out. Why is it surprising that the studios is going to these guys, when they’re so desperate for real product?
I’m getting off the point of what Dave is saying about McWeeny’s ethics. But there is something to be said about having the immediate access to the market audience you’ve established, that the studios want to covet, to keep the suits in check when they might want to dick with your work.
I don’t really see the point of singling out McWeeny. Every journalist/critic/blogger who accepts invitations to junkets and all the other sorts of miscellaneous studio booty also runs the risk of the appearance of impropriety. Sure, McWeeny’s conduct is absolutely questionable, but why pick on him and him alone? It’s not like anyone considers him to be among the cream of the crop.
Chester, you’re missing the point. The two guys are getting “creative” work in the industry that they write about. Not only do they “choose the news” they wish to present to the public, but they editorialize as if they are above the fray. AICN still has a tremendous impact in the internet film community. They may not be able to make a movie into a hit (see Sky Captain) but that is their goal. They want to be able to have an influence over what is popular. And considering the fact that they are both on the studio’s payroll, that is downright dishonest.
The point is not, to me, the impact of AICN or junkets. It is that Drew is selling his personal, private services to the very studios he is writing about.
Have you noticed the dissapearance of Smilin’ Jack Ruby from the web? Why? Because he is now a working screenwriter and there is a conflict. He occasionally will so something, on a lark. But it is rare and it is always something he is far, far away from in terms of his screnwriting work.
on one hadn you say that he’s shilling services via AICN – but then he’s also inside the system. If so, then why the hell would he shill so publicly.. isn’t it more so the case that he has a largish ego and needs to be heard by his so called peers. I just think your case is weak when everything is so transparent. I think the Studio itself will decide if there’s a conflict of interest.. the only conflict is a fiscal one Davey ol boy.
mcweeny really needs to start being honest with his readers. the site did its job for him. it made him a paid screenwriter. now its up to him and his talent. doing mortal kombat 4 isn’t going to help.
Drew uses the site and his pulpit to get jobs. He pimps himself and the site. What it comes down to is that he is a liar and a user. It’s sad that he has to do this.
Forget Drew. The minute HARRY accepted a gig at Revolution, he should’ve withdrawn from the site. That he hasn’t just shows what these guys are all about. Nothing new here: even legitimate film critics used their gigs to promote screenwriting jobs (Cocks, Zimmerman, Ebert).
I still don’t have a problem with them pimping their site to get in the system. I’m sure that’s what they really wanted to do, make movies. And they found a way in, namely the internet, that nobody had considered before.
That is straight up pimping and now they’re doing what they want to do. I see the ethical dilemma, but I can’t be mad at them for taking something they have and turning it into a real want.
They’re scumbags is what it comes down to. They used to have good stories and some good scoops. Now everything they get is a link to somewhere else and the writing is sophomoric. They sold out.
I think this really would be a problem if the guy had a future in the business as a writer, but have you read anything he’s written? It’s not like he’s going to write the next Citizen Kane, if he’s lucky he’ll have a future in the direct to video or Sci Fi Channel Original Pictures(ie so lame they can’t even get to video) market. He used the site to get what he wanted and now he’s got his fifteen minutes that’s all this is.
hes writing c level action movies and i think thats only because the studio wants publicity from that crappy site. like they bought him off and the site off for a few dollars. they took it out of their marketing budget
Who goes to that site anymore anyway? You knew they were over once Harry gave a rave review to Rollerball after the producers flew him out, fed him, and gave him a hotel room.
Give me Movie City News any day of the week. At least you know the writers here are not going to plead with studios for writing, producing, directing or acting jobs. Maybe except for Ray Pride. He thinks hes the next Martin Lawrence I hear.
I absolutely hate defending AICN in any way, but Knowles slammed “Rollerball.” Of course, that doesn’t go the same for “Armageddon,” “Godzilla” and “Blade 2.”
When he said he cried during Armageddon, I knew this was not a man to take seriously.
Confirming Josh… Rollerball is the flag often waved to show that the site hasn’t sold out. McTiernan, not the studio, flew Harry in, in a state of desperation, hoping to find support to keep the film in the summer. Ironically, AICN took credit for the movie being moved, when in fact, the movie was already moving and the only reason Harry was invited to show up was in a vain attempt to stem the tide.
That said, I still don’t claim that Team AICN is all bought and paid for. I believe they write what they beleive. However, a lot of running a site is what you run, when you run it, when you don’t run things, etc.
AICN was effectively done when they kept their first secret…. Not that I approved of secret telling in the first place… but that was their place at the table.
There are days when I consider jumping out of journalism because I know too many things I cannot print. Journalism is not about defining news… it’s supposed to be about reporting news.
At this point, AICN is a mockery of something I take seriously. And as sincere as I know Drew to be, that is a shame.
The site is a joke now. But some execs still think it means something so they do things for them. But no one takes them seriously.
well I know one secret they kept was in their stellar “review” of the script of the soon-to-be blockbuster “Amusements”. Which just so happened to be written by a guy named Drew McWeeny, aka Moriarty. No mention of the fact that McWeeny was Moriarty. In fact I think it took several months until some other website figured that out and called AICN on it. Absolutely shameful.
From the same article:
“If they do let the property go, then I hope another studio (anyone besides Fox, where I feel the material would be savagely raped and murdered in Tom Rothman
But alas, Drew… how does anyone know… other than to trust you.
If Tom Rothman would fire you for writing that, would you have written it? Really? Sincerely…
that’s insane. So you’re saying that you’d be willing to risk your entire screenwriting career because you’ve got “opinions” that need to be expressed in a public forum? I think it’s outrageous that you think so little of your readers that you’d expect them to believe you don’t hold back on AICN. And the thing is, if you hold back, you’re a moron, and if you don’t, you’re an even bigger moron. Maybe it’s time to stop playing the AICN game and focus on writing professional screenplays. You can’t do both honestly.
At least every job I’ve held is public record, David “No entry on the IMDb, but I swear, I’m a professional screenwriter with produced credits that I’ll never name” Poland. And if there’s a direct conflict, I include it in whatever I write so the reader can decide to ignore the piece entirely if they choose.
Seriously… you ever going to fess up to what you wrote? Or are you ever going to confess that you’ve padded that part of your life out with pretend movies that don’t actually exist?
Because how are we supposed to know… other than to trust you?
Didn’t Dave write that direct-to-video sequel to “Can’t Stop the Music” a few years back? (Of course, I should talk: My IMDB credits include an appearance in “Junket Whores.”)
Gee, Drew… nice job attacking me instead of honestly answering the question.
I think you are a smart, often thoughtful person. But your self-serving myopia is a bottomless pit.
Is my work on Saturday Night Live on imdb? Have you seen the show I produced Off-Broadway? Are you really sure I graduated NYU? Damn that imdb… they don’t have my appearance on Jeopardy or The Dating Game or even Ebert!
I mean, if you really want to know, maybe the Writer’s Guild can tell you. Of course, I let my membership (and my health insurance) lapse a long time ago (1994, I believe), but whenever I get a residual check, they are suddenly asking for dues again. But my three admitedly shitty movies are not an issue in my life. When is the last time I mentioned them in my work? It’s a silly argument.
By the way, I worked for a modeling school for six months once. Shall I send you a pay stub?
So you want photos of all the women I’ve slept with?
And this shit from someone who screamed like a stuck pig when someone dared to put his real name on the internet after years of hiding behind a psuedonym… and my friend, you will never find an anonymous comment from me anywhere on this web. Whatever I write, my ass is always on the line.
So again, I ask… if writing something about Tom Rothman would get you fired off a job, would you do it?
What a pathetic defense, Drew. You have deep conflicts of interest and AICN is bloated with Amazon weblinks and you have to resort to petty accusations?
Dave, is that offer to provide photos of all the women you’ve slept with open to everyone? And should I get an album for them or will they fit in a wallet?
Chester, how about one of those nice digital frames? Which shows one picture after another? You could ever put them in descending or ascending order! It would be incredibly fucking novel. And does Drew always come up with the craziest responses or what? This guy will soon be a father. He has, believe it or not (even if you know he and Swan came up with the AFRICAN PRESIDENT), became a working screenwriter. Yet he keeps talking smack on AICN, reviewing films, talking about DVDs, and hanging out in a chat that people have used against him more than once. HE should just cut the ties. Harry seemingly has because Eric runs that site now. Drew just needs to become a writer, enjoy being a dad, and live happily ever after. Who wants to deal with this shit once you have a firm grasp on your dreams?
Here’s the deal: Drew wants to be a working screenwriter, and he also wants to be a critic/reviewer/journalist. The easy solution would be for him to get his own website that doesn’t take ads and where he recuses himself from writing about anyone he’s in business with. Then he could write about Star Wars and his DVD collection all day long and not hide behind his ‘secret identity’. I suggest a name other than mcweeny.com.
Wow, did you overreact. The only reason I even know about all of your fabled professional movie screenwriting jobs is because of how many times you’ve mentioned them to make authoritative points about all the magnificent wisdom you’ve collected over the years on your way to being the Internet’s Ombudsman.
And if we’re pointing out the nimble sidestepping of questions, you still haven’t said what you allegedly wrote. But I understand. You never will. Either those movies are so powerfully terrible that you are afraid mentioning them will change the way people view you, or you may be… dare I say… overstating the case a bit.
“So again, I ask… if writing something about Tom Rothman would get you fired off a job, would you do it?”
I’ve lost work in the past for writing what I thought about various projects. I was told flat out by my management after the whole SUPERMAN script review that the Warner Bros. door had just closed on me for as long as that particular configuration of studio brass was in place.
And Tom Rothman already thinks I hate him. He screamed at a filmmaker recently when my name came up because of some quote (which I’m fairly sure he doesn’t even have right) from several years ago.
Nice crack about the Amazon weblinks, Jeff. Find one in an article of mine. Go ahead. I don’t run a single link to any DVD I review.
Again… all of this comes down to David having one view of what is ethical that is based entirely on his point of view. I know that what I write is influenced by one thing and one thing only… my love of film and my hopes for the industry as a whole. Proving that comes down to simply pointing at the full body of my work. No one studio gets hammered unfairly, and no one studio gets a free pass. If I were supposed to be playing a political game that was all about advancing my screenwriting career, then I would have to be the absolute worst manipulator in the history of manipulation, because I still say exactly what I think about films way too often.
And if that doesn’t convince you, nothing will. But if keeping secrets and playing buddy-buddy with people disqualifies you from writing about the industry, then you’re dirtier than I could ever hope to be, Dave. You know it, and I know it, and the difference between us is that I don’t use my website to call you out as what you are. I’ll just file this as the nine-millionth time David Poland has decided to scold me like he’s my daddy and call it a day.
Figures with AICN. The weeny comes here to defend himself and ends up just attacking David. At least hes not a liar, Weeny. You need the scolding. You are a hypocrite. Can’t wait to see Mortal Komabt 5!
keep responding moriarty. u make yourself sound worse by ur defending yourself. why can’t u just be honest and tell everyone “yes i wanted to be a screenwriter. yes the site helped me get jobs. yes now i am bought and sold by major companies and my loyalties are to them and to no one else”
be honest
The last thing that site can be is honest. They have already sold out. The more the deny it, the funnier their cries are. And there is no one more sensitive than Drew McWeeny. I think he spends 5 hours a day online trying to find out who is writing mean things about him and then calling the AICN(aka Revolution aka Fox) lawyers in.
If Brad Grey wasn’t embarassed before about a number of things, he is now. Or ‘concerned’ mayhaps.
Whew AICN Dude, why WRITE LONG TRACTS on blogs that gazillions of other people (well maybe 16-17) report on to Other People? A number of producers read this Blog on a regular basis thanks to Dave’s interesting topics.
Funny how Ethics go on a sliding scale once they are regularly violated. Ethics are black and white, anything else is phony and for convenience.
That all said, my biggest concern re. above is for Dave. I do hope you have some sort of Health insurance by now Dave. I recommend those managed by CIGNA. [disclaimer…I do not work or have contractual obligations to CIGNA, their underwriters, or any collaborator or competitor, past or present].
C-C-C-C- CAT FIGHT!
As much as I enjoy MCN and respect David, I think Drew is right. If an aspiring filmmaker isn’t “allowed” to be chummy with industry people under David’s rules, then we would seem to have a case of the pot calling the kettle black. *I* don’t think it’s a conflict that Drew is “employed” by studios simply because I don’t need what Drew says to be true or honest. No offense to you Drew…but your “opinion” doesn’t mold mine…it just gives another side to it. Plus, AICN isn’t my demographic. I leave the house. I have real-life friends…heheheh.
I think David and Drew and anyone else should do what they have to do to get where they want to be. I mean, I read AICN daily but I take it with a grain of salt. If people out there believe everything they read on there, that’s their own stupidity. I trust MCN but I read AICN for cool rumors and to gauge fanboy applause on projects.
All this being said, if you wrote a new screenplay and it got picked up, David…I would rush out to see it based on what I know of you from this site. Same with you, Drew. I “know” you both and respect what you do. The internet has brought people closer and has made it possible for wanna-bes and fans (like me) to connect with people in the industry. Be it a “perceived” relationship or some kind of low-end knowledge about a person, it’s still a connection and it will hopefully serve you both well in whatever you decide.
No offense to Drew, who I think is a bright guy, but I would not “rush” out to see a movie written by him. I like my screenwriters to be seasoned veterans. I just can’t take a screenwriter seriously if he/she is also writing entertainment journalism. I don’t see Charlie Kaufman or Alexander Payne reviewing the latest Star Wars.
yeah…I take it back, Martin. I won’t ever see a MORTAL KOMBAT movie. Not my bag baby.
No, it’s not about Mortal Kombat or Lawrence of Arabia. It’s the perception of the writer I’m talking about, not the subject matter or genre he chooses to work in. I’m sure Drew is more than adequate for a Mortal Kombat movie.
McWeeny isn’t right. He is an untruthful guy. You think if David ever did work with a studio he wouldn’t preface it everytime?
i got zero respect for aicn cause they don’t come out and say what they’re about. they’re about furthering their other careers. i really cann’t wait for the day to come when people write early about mcweenys screenplay before its done and critique it and bash it and the studio makes him change it. like what he did to jj abrams and superman 4. not like jj isn’t well regarded or anything. only 3 hit shows and numerous screenwriting jobs.
Drew writes here: “I was told flat out by my management after the whole SUPERMAN script review that the Warner Bros. door had just closed on me for as long as that particular configuration of studio brass was in place.”
From the second paragraph of Drew’s AICN article: “So, as I recently wrote in AICN Story #20,000, I went to London to visit the set of THE CORPSE BRIDE. Warner Bros. flew me over and put me up, and they were incredibly cool about doing so.”
Uh… blurry enough?
We all know hes full of shit. Its funny watching him sift thru all his lies. Maybe he should turn that into Mortal Kombat 6.
Wow! Massive right hook to Drew’s entire credibility there, Dave. Nice job. Though,I imagine Drew will be back here with a 10,000 word psuedo-justification before long.
Damn. I think Poland got him good. Can’t wait to read Drew’s response.
McWeeny will not respond. He’ll probably just make snide comments about Dave and MCN and the Blog on AICN the next two weeks. Thats their MO.
Blurry how? I still won’t be hired at Warner Bros. for a screenwriting gig any time soon. I went to London to see the sets of CORPSE BRIDE because I’m fascinated by the film and because the producer, Allison Abbate, made a point of inviting me. I dealt with her extensively while the studio was slow-killing IRON GIANT back in ’99.
It’s not all interconnected, David. Writing about things that interest you may equate to trying to get something out of the deal in your world, but not in mine. It’s that simple. If you won’t accept that, I can’t disprove it. It’s impossible. But I’m quite secure in knowing that it’s not about cause and effect.
I don’t want anything more from the original Paramount/WATCHMEN piece than to see a good film get made. If that makes me such a terrible person, then so be it.
And the point of the comment you quoted was to make sure it was on the record… Warner Bros. paid for the trip to London. There’s no secret deal there, nothing shady and mysterious. As they do with virtually every press outlet that does set visits, they paid to fly me over. If I hadn’t printed that, I think your “blurry” comment might make some sense. But how can there be a conflict if there’s a full disclosure?
Lets finish this once and for all here. Drew and Dave. A new topic. Just the two of em going head to head. No stone unturned. Lets get it on. This shit has been going on for years, can we put a nail in the coffin please. Drew here is your chance to perhaps not be so stubborn, admit some faults and clear the air. Dave can fess up to Leprechaun 5 and we can all move on. Uncut and uninterrupted.
I think Drew is going to cry. The guy can’t even answer all the questions posed to him. Only David’s blurry comment. Pretty low class.
Drew – I think this is what everyone else is thinking. You are probably now the only screenwriter working for major studios who gets flown around on junkets as a film journalist. In the past, when this has happened to people, they’d have kept it secret or switched roles. Just because you’re not hiding it doesn’t mean others aren’t perceiving it as slightly iffy. What they’re saying is ‘why can’t you just be a screenwriter’ – is it just ego that keeps you going? Why not write books like Bart if you want to talk about the industry as analysis etc. I think you’ve got a house of cards and you’re a little afraid of your rationale collapsing if you give an inch somewhere. You’re terrified about your rep/cred being destroyed online… but Drew, seriously… in alot of peoples eyes it already is.. so why not see where they’re coming from.
Are we going to get all picky and stuff about this full disclosure thing? I mean, do I have to go back and admit I may have raved about a certain movie because the director promised to beat me to death if I didn’t? (Normally, I dismiss such bluster, but she looked like she could really do it.)
“Blurry enough?”
Not necessarily. Warner Bros. could have indeed made such a threat. Perhaps they’ve since recanted, made kissyface, or found it beneficial enough to resume a working relationship with Drew/AICN. It happens.
Personally, I don’t consider AICN “staff writers” to be journalists, so I don’t hold them to any standards of journalist integrity. I consider them simply to be film fans with access, and give them only the level of credibility that such a postition deserves. You, David, have set yourself to a higher standard, so that’s the standard I hold you to. I can understand the irritation that comes when you and AICN are grouped together as “internet journalism”.
I think JBD pretty much hits it.
But this is what really strikes me now. You’re “they’re not connected” delusion is what has allowed you so many different forms of crossing the lines over the years. It is close to a pathological perspective.
It may not be connected in your mind or heart. It is most certainly connected for an entire industry of people around you. And your insistence on avoiding that obvious reality is just stunning every time you go there.
“I went to London to see the sets of CORPSE BRIDE because I’m fascinated by the film.”
Well, so long as its about you.
Do you really think that Allison Abbate operates in the kind of vaccuum in which you live? Do you really think that Warner Bros paid for your trip without the “particular configuration of studio brass” that is in power not knowing and approving on some level? Do you really think Ms. Abbate and the studio paid for you to be there because they weren’t trying to start the web buzz and were confident that you would?
No… it was because you were fascinated.
And I admit… many people could not care less about any of this… take you seriously… don’t take you seriously… whatever…
Personally, I don’t care who studios send where. Hey, I’m hoping to go to the set of V For Vendetta and am willing to pay for the trip… because I’m fascinated. But if WB pays for the trip – and I will allow them to if they want to – I will not delude myself into thinking they are serving my personal interest… or anything other than their own. And I will not delude myself into thinking that Joel Silver, The Wachowskis and Natalie Portman’s personal publicist won’t all be on the list of people who have to vet the trip, whoever pays for it.
I have always found it hard to believe that someone as smart as you can be so stupid when it comes to observing your own actions. (Of course, this is long after you continued reviewing Revolution pictures after getting a deal there.)
Maybe I just keep overestimating you, Drew…. nine million times…
Isn’t all entertainment journalism are part of the studio marketing game? Negative, positive, it’s all publicity in one way or another for a movie. Ever heard of the phrase “there’s no such thing as bad publicity”? It may not be the case all the time, but if you’re writing articles about studio movies, you’re a part of the studio game. Dave can play this game, because he is not paid employee of the studios. There is no good rationalization for being paid by hollywood studios and at the same time writing articles, positive, negative, rumors, scandals, about the same industry. As long as you continue to operate in this idiotic bubble you’ve created around yourself, you will not be respected in either role. Rationalize it all you want, you’re a hack.
No Dave. You haven’t overestimated him. I think we all have him pegged for who he really is.
Why can’t Drew admits he gets used by the studios and he tries to use them for writing gigs? It is fairly obvious to anyone who has read even one article he has written there. Not like him and Harry got together and decided they were going to make the top internet movie site. They had other things in mind. They are not journalists.
watching mcweeny try and defend himself gets better and better. whys he complaining? he got what he wanted from a crappy website. hes now a working writer. something that never would have happend without him being harry’s bitch
If your last name was McWeeny wouldn’t you change it to Moriarty too?
Did you hear? They’re doing a movie on the AICN crew. They hired Kevin Smith to play McWeeny. But asked him to put on 50 pounds.
whos playing harry? ralphie may in a career making role?
I was thinking Harry had to be CGI. He is just way too hard to cast properly. Its like putting a guy in a fat suit for Godzilla.
I used to really enjoy that site. They had some great scoops and some good articles. It seems to be third rate nowadays. It is not even on my favorites list anymore.
It really had its moments. But those were the so called “good old days.” I suggest you read Harry’s book if you want a good laugh.
if it reads anything like harrys reviews, i’ll pass. u know his reviews. where he spends 500 words describing what he had for dinner, what father geek wore to the theatre, and how drew mcweeny will do anything for a writing job before he even tries to say what a film is about.
It’s really mean to say, (and I won’t say anything else mean), but I always wondered if Mike Myers designed Fat Bastard after Harry. Seriously, but the resemblance is uncanny, except that Fat Bastard doesn’t gush as much about shit movies and is moderately more funny with his diction.
You better watch it. Drew McWeeny right now is sending off a hate letter to David because someone called him a fat Kevin Smith. Where does he find the time to write scripts with all the time he spends defending himself?
put a bullet in this thread now. its now officially become akin to an AICN talkback thread.
Poo McCheese sucks.