April 25, 2024
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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
So, do they get freaky or not? I’ll see a movie if Watson gets freaky.
I’d probably be upset if, ya know, I’d heard of this movie and was actually anticipating it. But, alas…
not a good way to start the festival.
What does Poland mean by “the powerful Ms. Watson was once capable of forcing your eyes to stay on her and no longer is”? Is she all fuglified or something? Please say it ain’t so!
What the heck does “fuglified” mean?
Proof was supposed to be a sure fire Oscar movie. Had all the pedigree. When a movie like that fails you have to ask the question, why?
Gweneth Paltrow has made one good movie in the last ten years. One. She is really lucky a lot of people turned down that Shakespeare role. But she is overrated as an actress and a far cry from box office.
Sometimes it is much better if a show stays on the stage. It’s just not visual enough for the big screen. Most stage plays aren’t visual enough.
I’d probably take BluStealer to task on that comment but he can’t even spell Gwyneth’s name, so I won’t.
But he’s wrong none-the-less.
I’ve always been a proud member of the Gwyneth is Overrated group. She didn’t deserve her Oscar, and she isn’t all that great of an actress. And no one is wrong when it comes to opinions.
her resume is as hack filled as u can find. u can blame a lot of things but she really doesn’t pick good projects.
First of all, Kamel, I am a she. Not a he.
Second of all, who cares how her name is spelt? You obviously knew what and who I was talking about, right? And most Gwen’s spell it with an E not a Y.
And lastly, if you want to defend Gwens career, please do. I would really like to hear it since it will be funnier and actually harder to do than the people defending John Singleton.
Here is all of the work she has done (and I’m not joking) since 2000.
Sky Captain, Sylvia, View From the Top, Possesion, Shallow Hal, Bounce, Royal Tenenbaums, and Duets.
That is just a small sampling but thats since 2000. Can you find a worse group from someone as acclaimed as her? She was even the worst thing about the Royal Tenenbaums. She makes stinker after stinker and her work is supposed to bring projects up. It doesn’t. She is overrated and I have no doubt that Proof is a worse movie because of her.
So much was expected from her. She has not lived up to her hype and her Oscar win.
I didn’t see most of those movies, but Shallow Hal and Tenenbaums are both good movies.
I know she has a weird name, but that’s no reason to get pissy when you spell it wrong.
See, here’s a great example of the problem. Most of you read just one negative review of “Proof” (by Dave) and presume it’s dead-on right, so you immediately pronounce the movie DOA.
Look a little further. Right now “Rotten Tomatoes” has four posted reviews (including those by the trades), and every one of them is positive. Now, I know that four reviews certainly don’t represent any kind of critical consensus, but they do qualify as valid counter-opinions to the one Dave offered.
I personally saw “Proof” this past Tuesday at an AFI screening at The Arclight. (John Madden and Anthony Hopkins did a brief Q&A afterward.) The film is quite good, went over extremely well with a paying audience, and may suffer at the box office and at awards time only because it too readily compares to both “A Beautiful Mind” and “Good Will Hunting.” But IMHO “Proof” is generally better than both of those films. And the much-derided mother of baby Apple gives what I expect many people will likely consider her best performance ever – although I have to admit that IMHO Paltrow at times seemed to be channeling Mary Louise Parker (who originated the role on Broadway).
My point is simply this: Don’t write this one off yet. “Proof” is a lot better than Miramax’s typical Oscar bait (e.g., “Cold Mountain,” “Chocolat,” “Finding Neverland”), and it would be a mistake to make too much out of the fact that the Weinsteins shelved it for a year. The film’s problems have a lot more to do with marketing than quality.
I don’t think you will find many people who say Shallow Hal is “good”.
I hated Shallow Hal. Awful movie. I hope you’re right Chester. I think Proof looks OK. Sometimes, though, some just rubs you the wrong way and it’s hard to see past that. I really can’t stand Paltrow, and try as I might, sometimes I carry that bias with me when I see her in something.
I hear ya, SB. I’m far from a die-hard fan of Paltrow, thought “Shakespeare in Love” was fine but extremely overrated, and that crooked overbite of hers doesn’t do much for me either. Still, I think “Proof” is a very good (not great), intelligent film that may find a decent-size audience if the decimated Miramax machine can figure out a way to market it properly.
When is it scheduled for release anyway? And how wide is it going to play?
It’s scheduled to come out 9/16. I don’t know for sure but I assume it will be platformed.
For a supposed “Golden Girl” of the big screen she hasn’t made one good movie in fifteen years. The sad part is audiences don’t buy her either since she has had one film over 100million.
This is the month of the Miramax dumps.
Unfinished Life.
Proof.
Underclassman.
I’ve paid to only see one of her movies. That was “The Talented Mr Ripley” and I didn’t pay to see it for her. I thought she was the one weak link besides the extra long plot.
She has been cursed by the one and only, Ben Affleck. You do a movie with him and you’re cursed for life. You have to sell your soul to the devil to get back in the game, ie Matt Damon.
Gwyneth Paltrow is just overrated. She is coasting on the Oscar she won and she really wasn’t that good before that. She has just picked some really bad projects. Bounce. View From the Top. Not movies you want to make when you are trying to join the A List. A list isn’t just about money and fame. It is about getting to pick the projects you really want.
I don’t care if people don’t like Gwyneth but to say she’s made no good movies seems pretty abrupt.
The Royal Tenenbaums – a hilarious movie, that she was deadpan great.
The Talented Mr Ripley – Excellent creepy little thriller
Hard Eight – Down right brilliant little movie
Shakespeare in Love – Unapologetically romantic and entertaining to boot
Bounce – if you actually watch it without prejudice it’s a nice romance
Emma – Jane Austen done very well
Se7en – Yes, only a small role, but the film is still great and she’s good none-the-less
The Anniversary Party – Funny little movie about Hollywood
Sky Captain & The World of Tomorrow – Fun retro sci-fi
A Perfect Murder – Entertaining Hollywood thriller
Sliding Doors – highly original and entertaining rom-com
And before you lambast me for liking Sky Captain or Sliding Doors check out Rotton Tomatoes. Sky Captain is 73% and Sliding Doors is 65%. Even the movies classified as rotton like Bounce and A Perfect Murder are at 52% and 57% respectively. Not to mention Shakespeare, Mr Ripley, Royal Tenenbaums Hard Eight which are on 94%, 83%, 79% and 79% respectively. Also, Emma is 86%, Se7en is 84% and The Anniversary Party and Possession are 60% each.
But, still, don’t get me wrong. I don’t care if people dislike her but when they say she hasn’t made any good movies then…
and yeah she’s made PLENTY of shit movies but, er, so have a lot of actors. Why who’s that starring in “A Sound of Thunder”? It’s Ben Kingsley! And, whoa, who starred in “Secret Window”? Johnny Depp! etc
See I really hate Paul Giamatti but even I can see that “Sideways” was a good movie. Same with “American Speldor” or “Storytelling”. It’s just that I really don’t like him. And even he had “Big Fat Liar”…
Secret Window is a good fun movie. For Sky Captain to have gotten to 73% on Rotten Tomatoes is a sign to me that it’s a seriously flawed benchmark. That was almost the worst movie of last year.
Ebert gave it four stars. And while I haven’t read all the others, i’m sure the other 73% of reviews liked it to some degree if they were marked as positive.
If you can find the FUN in ‘Secret Window’ and not ‘Sky Captain’ then something’s wrong. If you don’t like Captain that’s all well and good but to then turn around and say Secret Window was FUN? That’s crazy talk.
Didn’t see Sky Captain, but Secret Window is painfully bad. I wanted to tear my eyes out during that shitfest. Awful movie. And I can’t take Ebert seriously anymore. He gives thumbs up to way too many terrible movies. I forgot the percentage, but it’s insanely high.
I wonder of Rog’s excessive use of thumbs up is correlated with his illness and confrontation with possible death. I like him, but he seems to like so many things…even things 10 years ago I don’t think he would consider.