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
how can depp play a 21 yr old? i know he looks young but thats a stretch.
When are we going to see Tim Roth direct another film? The War Zone, while incredibly depressing, was amazingly done.
I read the book… and I’m sure that age was specified… but I didn’t feel like it was terribly age specific… early 30s would seem reasonable… maybe I was projecting…
The novel was a really tough read. If they make that into a film, I say good luck. It’s not cinematic at all and the character has no redeeming qualities.
The rehab girl would be a plum role. I recall Frey was young in the book. Mid twenties. Right out of college. Let’s face it. They’re going to cast Ryan Gosling.
Why on earth make a movie of A Million Little Pieces in the first place. Who wants to see that as a film? Yay another Prozac Nation! I love me dependency flicks (One Mans Poison, Leaving Las Vegas, Requiem et all) but c’mon what separates Frey’s novel from the rest? And Dave – your somewhat startling compassion towards McAdams is veering towards a ‘Daddy’ festish.
oops fetish. not sure what ‘festish’ is apart from a bad santa exclamation of the yuletide.
I couldn’t get into the book. Didn’t care at all for Frey’s writing style. Never got around to finishing it.
So, Dave really digs Racel Mac. Who can blame him?
This director quit? Good riddance. Never even heard of him.
Yeah, who wants to watch a movie made by somebody you never heard of? Fame = importance.
Hardly a fetish… observation based on recent events.
I think McAdams can be as big as Julia Roberts was, but Ii don’t think she is as industry saavy or tough as Roberts or Bullock or Witherspoon.
If anyone really did Frey’s novel right, it could be legendary. I would not be very commercial. But I think the book is pretty definitive and the movie could be too. Someone has to be willing to deal with the body fluids in a real way, which is very, very tough.
Comparing it to Prozac Nation is weak… from book all the way to film.