May 3, 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
God, aren’t we over the whole “Snakes on a Plane” thing? It’s already gone through the whole ridiculous-but-true (and so funny/cool) thing and passed onto the it-was-better-as-a-joke (and now lame) thing.
Your blog’s hissing at me. Now, it’s probably going to call me a troglodyte plebian for not understanding how X-factor everything is.
After all the hype, won’t it suck if Snakes on a Plane isn’t as good as “SSSSSSS” ?
Lota: How could it be as good as “SSSSSSSSSS”? After all, the latter starred Strother Martin! (And before you ask — yes, I did see it. At a drive in.)
I’m still very much looking forward to it, even though I know it can not possibly live up to the movie in my head.
I agree…i’m so done w/ this film…not even funny anymore…
are people really going to see this? will it really be a B movie classic for anything more than it’s marketing effort?
–RC of strangeculture.blogspot.com
No Joe…it’s SSSSSSS (7 Ss).
I saw it on late night rerun cable at some point when I was little and i was traumatized. Especially when snake-boy cried when strapped to the table.
Lota: You are so smart and sweet and movie savvy, I have to ask: Do you need a surrogate father? Then I’m you’re man. Between you and my exceptional son and some of my better students, I would consider myself a fortunate and proud Dad.
This could still very well turn out to be the cult film that actually makes money at the box-office.
This film would have fared better as a good/bad film that people discover on their own and see as a guilty pleasure.
Now that they are trying to market it as a bonafide blockbuster it has to just be a good film.
If it fails now it is not a failed cult film, it is a failed blockbuster wannabe.
I really have no idea what to expect with this one. I guess maybe Anaconda.
Even though this seems old to us, I think it will still be fresh for most people come August. It has yet to enter the phase when it’s no longer just a cool cult but a successful mainstream event.
I don’t know palmtree, when I saw the preview for this in front of X-3, the crowd pretty much responded with nervous laughter like “you’ve got to be kidding me.” I don’t think people are thinking cool cult film, I think they’re thinking stupid Hollywood shit.
When I saw it before X3, the crowd went absolutely crazy. Insanely loud cheering and shouting and clapping and screaming. I didn’t detect any nervous laughter whatsoever. They ate it up.
Colbert has been referencing “Snakes” for weeks on his show. Not exactly mainstream but certainly something the kids are watching.
And I thought I had seen “Sssssss” on the HBO or Showtime schedule recently but can’t find it on either Website.
The hipsters are completely done with SoaP. But now that they’re selling the t-shirts at Hot Topic, maybe it’s become a more mainstream phenomenon. I’m still excited to see the movie (if only because I heard the reshoots were terrific), but my fevah for more SoaP hit room temperature months ago.
And Nicol D’s post is right on the money, though, if it fails, it won’t cost New Line all that much.
Jeremy gets the real deal here… hitting the mainstream is where the money is for this movie, not the geek crowd. And the thing about the geeks is, they will go anyway and if it is a lot of fun, they will go again and again even if the buzz peaked out for them in April.
New Line can’t really lose money on this movie. But now, it’s about maximizing the opportunity. And trust me, the media will be back on it big time as soon as Miami Vice passes.
New Line’s next danger zone is Comic-Con, where they have to do just enough… not too much, not too little.
I’m probably a hipster, and I cannot wait for this movie. Superman, Pirates, Miami, and this are the remaining highlights of the summer (by which I mean, the only possible highlights).
got that right Dave. Comicon has become a strange sort of gladiator Coliseum for producers/execs…I feel sorry for them since they aren’t given weapons. They need weapons effective against teenagers in costume (are there any?)
Joe, it’s nice of you to offer to be my dad but my Pop’s feelings would be hurt no doubt. He did sneak me in to see my first gangster movie at the cinema, and introduced me to Walter Payton, so he’s a good Pop to have.
Well, it’s hard for me to top that. I did manage to introduce my son to George Clooney, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Will Smith during a memorable double junket for “Men in Black” and “Batman and Robin.” But Walter Payton? That’s tough to top.
Of course, my father introduced me to some of his IRA contacts. But we won’t go there.
Palmtree: You raise a good point about the awareness of average folks when it comes to cult/camp movies. I think many of us (myself included) too often assume that things we know are common knowledge. Today I had lunch here in Houston with a radio personality who’s something of a local legend. I mean, this guy has been in the media — and, presumably, has been media savvy — since T-Rexes walked the earth. But when he asked me what’s the worst movie I’ve ever seen, and I made a joke about “Plan 9 from Outer Space” — he had NO FREAKIN’ IDEA WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. None. Nada. No kidding.
I talk about looking forward to SoaP when co-workers ask what I’m waiting forward to later this summer, and I get blank stares. They haven’t really heard about it much yet. Then they ask them what it’s about, and I say, “Isn’t it obvious?” followed by a brief overview of the plot (such as it is).
I’ve seen the trailer twice in theaters now. Once before X3 and once before The Breakup. The packed theater at X3, about 30% was really making some noise, while the rest were like, “What the?”
At the Breakup, it wasn’t very full, but I heard a couple guys say rather loudly, “Awesome.” What this means as far as actual tickets sold remains to be seen.
Is it fair to say that right now, guys are more interested in this than girls?
I think I’ll start using the phrase “snakes on a plane” as a show of contempt to this increasingly cynical industry (and the cheesy remake-sequel-geek quagmire it’s got itself stuck in). A sort of “Forget it Jake, it’s Chinatown” thing.
POLAND: Hey Crow, did you hear Sophia Coppola’s remaking Citizen Kane?
CROW: I don’t believe you.
POLAND: Yep. They start rolling in New Orleans next month.
CROW: Next month!?! But who’s playing Kane?
POLAND: Brandon Routh.
CROW: Oh good god. Come on? Snakes on a plane, dude.
POLAND: Yep, exactly.
“I talk about looking forward to SoaP when co-workers ask what I’m waiting forward to later this summer, and I get blank stares.”
(this isn’t aimed at Aladdin)
Everybody has different experiences at cinemas or work or their group of friends. Just cause one group of people has never heard of a film, there may be another group that has. It’s silly to judge a film’s possible success based on your friends or work. “Oh, none of my friends wanna see it” well i’m sure there’s a whole bunch of people you’ve never heard of do wanna see it. This whole debate tactic is sort of annoying.
sweet jesus…
No, Crow. Snakes on a plane.