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
I don’t know. Either those shoes were kind of cheap that they expanded or he’s so old that his feet shrank.
I, on the other hand, wear good shoes, am young, and loving BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN.
I’m still not sure whether you like Brokeback Mountain or not.
Then let me show you my tatoo.
Wait, can’t show that one in public.
Stop! Bad visual! Bad!
David, spills the beans about Ask the Dust please. What you liked, what you didn’t like. Some of us have been expecting that movie forever.
He’s been writing it forever. I didn’t think he’d ever finish it.
It was so close to coming together when I saw it a year ago. In the cut I saw, it lost its way when Arturo and Camilla retreat to the beach house.
I can’t believe Dave just linked Ellwood’s article about Crash as the front runner on the front page. Hello? The SAG win of Crash and the lack of an editing nomination for BBM were the main arguments for the article, both of which have been beaten to death.
Thanks Dave. We BBM fans love you.
You should say “Revolutionary BBM fans”. They’d take out your heart if you dis the front runner.
Oh no PandaBear, you just di’n’t. You’re going on my list.
I’m just trying to support you. And help the list.
Don’t take out Haggis til after his show comes out this fall. It sounds good.
Oh ok, my bad. I’ll take you off the list and keep Haggis’s status as “undecided”. I hope BBM wins just for these people’s sakes.
‘Cuz hell has no fury like a Brokeback fan going on a rampage. =p
I respect the fact that Ellwood is trying to create some suspense for Oscar night. And scaring the Brokeback faithful is always fun. But I can’t see Crash beating out Brokeback. I’m not a huge BBM fan but it was better than Crash.
I don’t know if Crash has a shot or Munich or whatever. But it’ll make me watch if it’s a race of some kind. So, spin away. Keep me into it.
I’m starting to like BBM. I like the rabid fandom. It’s making me root for it.
Any movie that offers to vanquish Crash from cinema immortality is okay in my book. If it means putting on a Stetson and zipping down Hollywood Blvd in rollerskates next month… well… then a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.
(Just hope I don’t run into any of them creepy action directors on the way)
Being a Vice cop in LA must be a lot of fun.
Ellwoods “Hollywood Hit List” article contains the following paragraph:
“Now, there’s certainly an historical significance to ‘Brokeback Mountain’ leading the way with the most nominations. The last time a picture with fewer nods took the top prize home was ‘Shakespeare in Love’ in 1999 and that scenario rarely occurs. However, in a year where the only studio-produced nominee is ‘Munich,’ conventional wisdom may have to be thrown out the window.”
Shakespeare in Love was a picture with “fewer nods”. WTF??
Shakespeare in Love–13 noms
Saving Private Ryan–11 noms
The Thin Red Line–8 noms
Elizabeth–7 noms
Life is Beautiful–7 noms
Before making sweeping pronouncements, it would be nice if he would do little things like get the FU**ING FACTS RIGHT.
Perception clouds many a peoples thinking. Even reporters. After reading I assumed that PRIVATE RYAN was a juggernaut that year too.
I forgot that SHAKESPEARE was well represented.
Another weekend of crap opening up.
I say “When a Stranger” hits 20 million bucks.
I say closer to $15m. It doesn’t have as interesting of a hook as Hostel or the upcoming The Hills Have Eyes. In fact, it looks like an incredibly generic slasher. And no stars.
I’m pretty sure that “have you checked the
children” is a really good hook.
Almost like “I see dead people”.
Nothing new at the box office? Good commercials? Horror films doing really well in week 1?
Makes for 22$ mill. Quote me.
This week also has Something New, expansions of the Oscar movies, and the Super Bowl.
The commercials, in my personal opinion, are not good. Neither is the tagline.
I have a good feeling about Something New in the long run.
I personally hope Brokeback makes $10 mil this weekend.
BBM will make 6 million.
Why do you have to say that? Even if it might be true.
I personally think the tagline is really perfect. It gets you. And it’ll get about 20 million dollars worth this weekend.
It is called alternative programming. I’m not a 16 yr old but I don’t know many who would want to sit thru a football game.
They’re banking on the fact that the target audience doesn’t know that it’s the exact same tagline as the original movie from 1979.
I’m sure the audience seeing it doesn’t even remember it was a movie in 1979.
The audience wasn’t _born_ in 1979. It’s maybe a sign that the top-tier properties have already been remade that they’re down to a Carol Kane starrer.
If people knew who Carol Kane was they’d be laughing at that. One of the great voices of all time.
not my headline, bucket.
It’s not that story’s headline either.
You picked that quote from the story for your MCN link either because
(a) you agree with it, or
(b) it’s provocative and gets people to click the link, or
(c) both.
hah, Carol Kane is great. But i really dislike the original “When A Stranger Calls” EXCEPT the opening scene, so… I still think it’s a great concept, even if in this day of mobile phones it is incredibly flawed. Still “have you checked the children” is indeed one of my favourite lines from a film. So creepy.
I think BBM will make around $9mil this weekend. Could be more could be less though.
I have to ask why Ask The Dust was vanquished from the 2005 Oscar schedule only to premier in early February 2006… that don’t sound right?!