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
He tries to make a bedtime story “real” and in the process creates something more artificial than any fairy tale.
The whole film comes off as equal parts misguided ideas, unrestrained self-love and sour grapes. The character of The Writer is so transparent it would be disturbingly narcissistic even if it wasn’t played by Night himself.
Giamatti works as hard as anybody ever has, but every other member of the exceptionally talented cast is waisted. He put Bill Irwin in a role where he doesn’t even move, fer cryin’ out loud.
It’s a really pretty poster, though.
Any prediction on the opening numbers? People seem to think it will have a big opening because of Night’s name, but I have a bad feeling it’s going to bomb — like open with, I don’t know, 15 mil or so. What do you think, DP? What’s it tracking at?
Thanks.
I thought it was tracking in the mid- to high-20s. I don’t think that qualifies as a “bomb”, but anything under $30 million would have to be considered a disappointment, IMHO… assuming that its legs aren’t going to be great.
Sounds very confusing, not a good thing. I’m glad to hear that Shyamalan has stopped going for the expected surprised twist ending.
With four openings, this weekend is going to be a tracking fiasco. But it’s doing ok… I agree that it will underperform the normal expectations… but $15m would be a surprise.
(Is this Suprise Week or what?!?!?! I feel like I am writng that word every 3 minutes.)
For all its faults (and there are plenty), LADY is intoxicating. I can’t stop thinking about all of the things I loved about it … most of which trace back to Giamatti.
I openly acknowledge the film’s problems, but I still found a lot to like.
“Fuck M. Night Shamylan. Fuck him up his stupid ass.”
Sorry. With all the Kevin Smith writings going on today, and with the above quote being the feeling of sentiment towards Night – just had an uncontrollable urge to post that.
LITW is running 10% at Rotten Tomatoes right now… and some of the reviews are truly vitriolic.
If this keeps up I might start feeling sorry for Night.
I left the screening of this film a bit confused as well. I didn’t hate it, but I really can’t say that I liked it. I may have to see it again. I can tell you that this film will not find much mainstream success. It may gross $25-$30 mil on opening weekend, but I’ll be shocked if it makes over $75 mil total.
I have a feeling this movie could be CITIZEN KANE 2 and it will get ripped apart at the seems. Hollywood brings you up. Takes you down.
Welcome to the game, M Night.
Agreed, Nash… but Night has played the game awfully well for a long time already….
We all know critics can be petty, but they also don’t go after a target unless they’re pretty confident of its weakness, and this movie looks pretty weak.
I know I
It’s true that, regardless of the crappy quality of Shyamalan’s scripts, that his movies are always extremely well-crafted, thanks to Howard and to his various cinematographers.
The comparison Night probably was looking for is Hitchcock/Herrmann. Howard’s scores play with those darker ambiguous harmonies that were Herrmann’s signature, and Night’s films naturally set themselves up for that type of horror/mystery scoring. For example, the Signs opening theme is all Herrmann.
Everyone’s wrong but me… Plus about 200 people who saw the movie at the same time tonight.
Folks laughed, jumped in their seats, cried… No one works an audience like Shyamalan does.
My favorite movie of the year so far is Soderbergh’s BUBBLE, the most anti-commercial flick there is.
But there is something to be said about crowd-pleasing films. People fucking clapped during LADY IN THE WATER tonight, and I gladly joined in.
This is E.T. with grown-ups, LOTR in the real world.
I’m a critic, and I still wonder what the hell critics are thinking!
Porn movies are pretty good at ‘working the audience’ too.
The Rotten Tomatoes CotC rating is a flatlined 0% right now. I wonder how long that will hold out?
I still might catch this at some point. I find Night incredibly irritating is his extreme earnestness but SIGNS is the only one of his film that has truly disappointed me and even that one had some good elements.
I love it when people insist that the audience they saw it with cheered and clapped and laughed and couldn’t possibly have enjoyed the movie more. And not just a few people, but the entire theater. Does anyone really buy that? Does it change anyone’s mind?
Goulet, your review at Rotten Tomatoes is the single shining exception — even the other positive ones are somewhat muted in their praise. Perhaps Night should hire your audience to help fill theaters around the country this weekend, to goose the rest of the crowd.
Stella, I never believe people when they say they entire audiences clapped and cheered after a movie such as this. The only movie I’ve been to where large parts of the audience clapped was Moulin Rouge! on opening night and Return of the King after a cinema marathon involving all three films – and they’re movies that lend themselves to that sort of feverish reaction.
I believe people even less when they say audiences clapped and cheered at TRAILERS.
This ain’t Cannes we’re talking about.
People DO clap and cheer at trailers–especially the ones I make! 🙂
Yeah, the clapping/applause might be more prevalent in SoCal, but just last weekend (for example) at a screening of P2, the audience cheered, laughed, and clapped for the Snakes on a Plane trailer. It wasn’t an amazingly loud LOTR/SW fanboy response, but I’d say a good portion of the audience joined in.
I’ve seen applause at the end of a movie, but never cheering. Cheering is for sporting events and rock concerts.
Well Wrecktum I have seen cheering (and ok I Admit i did it too) at the end of This Is SPinal Pap.
Well it was the first time I saw it on the big screen…too young for its first run.
We pretended like it was a concert.
There was some scattered applause at the Transformers trailer I saw last week. That sure took me by surprise.
Okay “scattered applause” I can sort’ve believe, but what about that other dude who said the entire cinema was hootin’ and hollerin’ at the teaser? Gimme a break.
When I saw The Hulk teaser, the whole theater erupted. And during the original Spider-Man teaser too–when it’s revealed that the bank robbers chopper has been caught in a giant web, the crowd went crazy.
Off the point, but that was one of the best teaser’s ever made. I wish they released it on the DVD.