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 Michael Bay directs the Transformers movie (with Zemeckis and Speilberg producing) it could be the most expensive move ever made. Could be…
Best ever? I need to see again before I get it up into the DEAD RINGERS/THE FLY stratosphere. It’s really freakin’ good, though.
Is it April 1st already?
Did you send that comment to AICN too Nick?
START A REGISTRATION SYSTEM!
A no download casino called David. Scary.
Must be a search robot for the word :gambling: or :gamble: etc.
Speaking of Robots, Michael Bay directing Transformers might be appropo. It’ll help that Don Murphy will be involved since he cares about cartoony things.
I thought Bay was just producing not directing. Is it live action or animation?
Bay and DeSanto are hopefully making a good Transformers movie. If they really did take bases this flick off of the comics. Then get ready for a technological marvel that might be really, really, bad.
Also, register this place like talkback. Even Cinescape has a system better than typekey that does nothing but hassle me. It also will keep Lefty from using my email address. The rotten dirty bugger. n bn n n nb nb nb nb b b b cv cv cv cv cv cv cv cv cv cv cv cv cv cv cv cv cv cv cv cv v v v v vc v v v v v v v v v v v v v
No. Bay directs the Transformer flick. DeSanto produces it.
Just for further Transformers information. This film comes out JULY 4th, 2007. May Starscream not be portrayed as a bitch.
does it really take u 3 posts to say one thing? impressive.
Do they still make anything related to Transformers? I remember them being around when I was 8 but that’s it.
Bob, are you (I have typos and grammatical errors out the ass, but I CAN SPELL YOU!) not understand those are all three different points? But, because, I DO WHAT I WANT! Choke on those Cartman cheesy poofs bob. Why dont you go pick on someone your own size. Im out of your league little fella. Maybe you need to get involved with Prince. Since he loves spelling YOU the same way.
Camel, yes, TRANSFORMERS are still a very marketable commodity. They almost died in the mid-90s, but a primate Prime sort of save the day. Of course, one must give be props to Rat Trap. Just because I can.
Never forget your towel.
Reading through a JW post is kinda like walking into a bad comedy club. At least the club has booze.
Are they still making Hot Wheels, or just Transformers? That would be a hell of a double feature.
it takes u 3 posts to say one thought about comics and ur out of my league? stick to the minors. ur in a ball.
Never really got into to these Transformers and stuff. I wasn’t a nerd.
Bob, I smacked you down as a Brotherhood, I smacked you down as the Life and Death Brigade, and I can smack you down under my own name. Again, go mess with Stella’s Boy. If you want a cheap thrill. He can handle you in ways that make that guy look more verbally impressive by the day. Now get back to hating most of the American population bob, and enjoying FOX news. We wouldnt want you to lose your ability to get your hate on.
Lester, and you matter why? Oh, I forgot, Bruce just showed up, and has made BETTER POINTS THAN YOU HAVE EVER MADE ON THIS BLOG! If I leave you dizzy. Maybe you should learn how to extrapolate. Mac did it, and so can…no wait. You just as sorry as coward. You go sit in that corner, and let Bruce school you. Sorry buster.
Just Transformers Stella, but they are making Hot Wheels animated films. Which deal with guys driving Hot Wheels against Aliens to save the earth. They are on Cartoon Network from time to time.
Ohhh…Cartoon Network. God forbid anyone had some love for Tom Goes to the Mayor on this blog. I would flip out, transformer, and roll out.
PIPE CAMP! PIPE CAMP!
Bruce, so you calling little kids nerds? Hold on. You might be as bad as Lester…THE WORLD, THE CORE, SOMEONE SEND HILARY SWANK AND STANELY TUCCI TO SAVE US! Aaron Eckhart, eh, he’s no Tom Jane or Josh Lucas.
Have fun, David. Chris Gore and Film Threat are doing a panel as well, go check it out if you can. I wish I could go to the “Con,” I went a few years ago and it was really, really fun. However I was forced to rename it “Geeks standing in line for hours-Con.” Those people will wait in line patiently for ANYTHING.
Little kids that had a great fondness for all things Transformers? Yes, they’re nerds. Now don’t worry JW. Nerds isn’t a bad thing. You will get over it.
I have a feeling this is being announced at Comic Con, but when the hell is Aeon Flux coming out? Man, is Paramount keeping it a secret or something?
this convention should be humorous. great social experiment. put chewbecca in a room next to the new playmate and see who gets more stares.
Bruce, Transformers had their main dominance with children back in the early 80s. You might have missed the cartoon and the subsequent film, and how they were very much a part of many a childs childhood.
Calling kids nerds, like MILLIONS OF KIDS OF ALL DIFFERENT TYPES, sort of misses that these toys were a cultural phenomenon. Of course, you can choose to believe they were nerds. Luckily, the facts just prove you to be wrong.
Transformers hatred. Man, someone needs to sick Don Murphy on this guy.
bob, keep that hatred going. You know you love it. Chewie or a Playmate? Wow. You really have no faith in anyone’s libido. But condescending seems to be your highlight bobubala.
I got my dough on these geeks doing double takes at old Chewie. He is a star. JW only gets turned on by Thing.
It was the main thing for kids in the 80’s, sure. Kids that were geeks and nerds. I’m not looking down on you for being a geek.
Even I’d be looking at the Playmate. But Chewie has a natural sexiness about him that would draw any gal in.
these nerds are a threat to our way of life.
Has there been better casting for a movie than Revenge of the Nerds? Such a perfect movie.
I’ve seen History of Violence as well. I’m not sure it’s an Oscar Contender, I will say it is one of the best movies of the year. The movie is not without it’s problems, but the last scene is amazing, really amazing.
I wonder how the Tenacious D movie will be. I saw some behind the scenes thing on some entertainment show and it looked goofy. But thats the show.
I am a big Cronenberg fan. Even his terrible misses are a joy to watch for me.
Bring this one on.
I really dug his early stuff. Like The Fly. the newer stuff I really haven’t seen so I am completely in the dark on it. Gotta catch up.
I still can’t believe they’re doing a Transformers movie, it had to be the stupidest cartoon of the 80’s. What’s the draw?
Money. Purely money.
The draw is the same of all remakes. We think a newever version of something we liked as kids will draw us in. I’d rate Transformers and TMNT as the biggest chunk of my toy collection as a youngster in the 80’s.
All remakes are essentially about trying to capture that same built-in audience.
Oh, and Money. Lots of money.
If they don’t have the same voice of Optimus Prime as they did in the original series. you can fuhgetaboutit.
never even watched the cartoon. so its all new to me.
Never count out Hollywood when the chance to make money is at hand. Maybe after how badly some of these remakes and reimagines have done they will look into making more original movies.
Can we get so lucky?
Come on now Bruce. The remakes and re imagines have been great. Honeymooners, Can’t Buy Me Love, Bewitched, Car 54, Where are You? Ok, I may be using the sarcasm button now.
The Fugitive is a pretty good movie, for a thriller, and that’s a remake.
The Fugitive was a decent remake.
I also liked the Thomas Crown Affair. Many of the remakes in the 1930s-40s-50s which were remakes of Silents were good too.
I just wish the modern remakes were of movies or shows that failed to live up to their potential (like Green Mansions, Wild Wild Planet..heh heh) rather than remaking good/beloved/popular stuff which is harder to do well.
The Fugitive was what? 1996? I’m sure we all can come up with a good list of solid remakes. But don’t we all want to see original movies? Isn’t Pulp Fiction better than The Thomas Crown Affair?
I’d rather see a bad original movie than an uninspired remake or a 70’s tv show. Any day of the week.
I kind of like it when they remake 70’s shows and make them into comedies. Like Brady Bunch and Starksky and Hutch. Still waiting on the best of all time. The A Team.
i like original movies best, but studios don’t seem to be as interested in them these days as in remakes or reinterpretations, unless they are buying Original at a festival re. distribution.
Not enough money on taking chances. Easier to be content with known profits from retreads.
It shouldn’t be about money. It should be about art and artistic choices.
If “artistic choices” cost $10,000 then the market would be flooded with them. Unfortunately they cost money and the people who anti up the dough would rather go with “safer” bets.
Instead of making one $100 million movie you make 3 or 4 $20 million movies makes sense to me, but not to them. and not their accountants either.
Artistic movies don’t make 300 million$. It stinks. But thats the game.
Transformers would have been interesting if they’d gone through with getting Joseph Kahn to direct it. Michael Bay is one of the few directors whose movies make me furious when they’re not putting me to sleep. Maybe The Island will change that.
I agree, Torque had a crappy script but the action sequences and visuals were good and different-looking from other directors’ work. Too bad it was such a bomb.
Torque has some clunky lines, but I feel the script is at least half-clever. It has a good sense of humor. And yeah, except Zhang Yimou’s stuff, it was visually way above every other action movie that came out last year.
i liked Torque even though, being a m-cyclist, the stunts made me laugh hysterically. in the “real world” of course, not a single actor involved in the stunts would have had any flesh left on their bones. or bones even attached together. Torque wasn’t made to be serious so I could suspend disbelief and enjoy it.
But Bay may be good for Transformers (no sarcasm). Doing cartoon machines is a good idea–he has the action experience going for him and his stuff is cartoonlike isn’t it? i just hope he’s not going to hit Optimus Prime with an asteroid or give certain ‘hot’ transformers cleavage.
Torque=Worst movie of all time? Yes.
Have you seen it? I can name ten worse movies. Just this year, White Noise.
But anyway, Cronenberg. Is anyone else amazed to see a trailer for a Cronenberg movie in front of big summer Hollywood movies? Hell, a Cronenberg movie with a decent-looking budget? Spider was great and AHOV looks good as well.
White Noise really doesn’t have anything on Torque. At least White Noise was made by pros.
who the hell is joe kahn and who cares if he directs it? lets just say if i haven’t heard of him he shouldn’t be directing over bay.
Michael Keaton was in White Noise. That alone makes it good.
Torque was by far one of the worse movies ever made, even the “actors” that were in the film make fun of it. Fazon Love ripped it to pieces on an episode of Dinner for 5. The visual effects were sub standard the script was horrible, it made the Fast and the Furious films look like Citizen Kane.
I like Michael Keaton a lot, too, but he can’t save worthless shit like White Noise. I’m sure First Daughter is pretty bad as well, but I hope to never find out for myself. Anyone see Quint diss Poland over at AICN? In his article on the panel discussion for History of Violence, he claims that Poland seemed determined to give away plot points and was thwarted in his efforts by Cronenberg and screenwriter Josh Olson. I imagine they all have it in for him over there, taking their shots any chance they get.
Michael Keatons disappearance is one of the biggest myserties in life. The Keat is one of our greatest actors and he hasn’t proven it in a long time.
bicycle bob – Every director you haven’t heard of is automatically less qualified than Michael Bay? That’s sad.
teambanzai – I used to also rely on Faizon Love to tell me my opinions, but it’s not a trap you want to fall into.
yes. thats exactly it.
Kahn’s alright. Torque was ok becasue it wasn’t trying to be serious.
“We take our horrible mutilations very seriously around here.” I kept thinking that during all the cycle stunts…and no one got mutilated. But hey Kahn has time. I think he would have done a nice job with Transformers. Just becasue he isn’t a big name doesn’t mean he can’t handle a full-fledged movie. The only thing I would slightly hold aginst him was being on the Ashlee Simpson show.
Bay will do okay too as long as he doesn’t try to get too ‘scientific’. We saw what happened with the asteroid. Uh-huh.
ANyway, can’t imagine Mr Poland was purposefully attempting to give away plot points. I like Cronenberg’s odd imagination so that will be a good movie to see.
I don’t think anyone who hasn’t seen Torque should bash it. I’m not saying it’s great, merely that it’s better than horrible.
On the otherhand, you shouldn’t defend White Noise unless you’ve seen it. It was incredibly slow and boring and pointless, and far from Michael Keaton’s finest moment.
You know how slow and boring this week is when you have people talking about Torque.
Seriously. Chocolate Factory, anyone?
i didn’t even know it was coming out today til yesterday. either they’re marketing stinks or i’m not watching enough tv.
I’m seeing Choc on IMAX tomorrow. Can’t wait.
Marketing spots have been on major networks, but if you don’t watch it alot you may not have seen them.
I can’t wait to compare the Wilder version to this one. Should be a good study.
I’m pretty certain The Brady Bunch Movie is the single greatest movie ever made. Or, ya know… ONE OF.
Am I the only one who enjoyed 2 Fast 2 Furious?
If people are defending Torque, they cannot discriminate against 2F2F
(Michael Keaton was in Herbie: Fully Loaded, 4ril!!!!)
yeah i liked 2 fast 2 furious, it was alright, more of a movie for boys though, rather than us gals.
Tyrese and Paul Walker had the best love story of 2004.
hahah, SO true. I’d pay to see them make a Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan type Romantic Comedy. DIRECTED BY NORA EPHRON!
In Australia there’s a very prominant critic called Margaret Pomeranz and I remember she gave 2F2F 4.5/5, which I found to be the funniest thing all week. Of course that week is pretty hazy in my memory but you get the idea.
hahah, SO true. I’d pay to see them make a Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan type Romantic Comedy. DIRECTED BY NORA EPHRON!
In Australia there’s a very prominant critic called Margaret Pomeranz and I remember she gave 2F2F 4.5/5, which I found to be the funniest thing all week. Of course that week is pretty hazy in my memory but you get the idea.
In fact, it was me who set the line for what we would not talk about, making Quint’s comment all the more unfair and irritating.
To give him the ultimate benefit of the doubt, I did bring Ed Harris into it and D.C. did a good job of not giving too much away.
But my position on this film, long before Comicon, was that the best scenerio is for no one to know anything past the first act before seeing it.
DC and Warners screwed up royally by ignoring SMALLVILLE. I already have a Supes, a Lois Lane, a Ma and Pa Kent, a Lana Lang, and the best Luthor ever. As the Beastie Boys once so poinantly asked; “Yo ma, what are they givin me?”
today’s Hot Button re.Comic Con
My butter-soaked repast is set aside after reading about “Quint’s AICN ass” Dave and I don’t need to lose weight. Perhaps food and AICN asses can be kept separate so as not to ruining Readership breakfast. AICN and sustenance have little in common these days don’t they.