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
Pink Flamingos is one of the greatest films ever made. It’s one of a very, very small group of films that actually has the power to disturb and offend me.
There was a company that released knock-offs of Disney animated movies back in the ’80s and ’90s. I remember seeing them and thinking, “Do they really think people are that dumb?” I guess we know the answer.
“Pink Flamingos is one of the greatest films ever made. It’s one of a very, very small group of films that actually has the power to disturb and offend me.”
And that makes it great? The power to offend?
Actually, I work at a video store and the movie people are confused about the most is Flight 93 — they think it’s United 93. Other stores in our chain have had to place stickers on the video saying “not the theatrical release.”
Yeah, a friend of mine recently rented “Flight 93” thinking the same thing. She complained that it wasn’t as good as I told her it was, but alas…
That’s a forgivable error, though (especially since “United 93” was called “Flight 93” until just before its release). But anyone who rents “Pirates of Treasure Island” thinking it’s a Johnny Depp movie deserves what they get.
“And that makes it great? The power to offend?”
In the right dose, yes, personally speaking. And it’s not really an ‘offensive’ movie in that I like it, just a very strong, unique piece of work.
Okay, I sort’ve hate iKlipz. Can you not pause it, let it load, and then watch it? The whole buffering/downloading thing is awful to watch.
I haven’t seen ads like the one for Pink Flamingos for a while. Occasionally they do it here for Australian films, but that’s about it.
Oh, and Toby Allen’s voice is much worse than Phillip Seymour Hoffman. But, my god, how great it was to see Sigourney Weaver and Isabella Rossellini on there!
Yeah, Youtube > iKlipz.