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
Haha. I really wanted to go to this too, but couldn’t make it. Interesting.
“The only shocking thing about the preview was that the movie is still so far from finished” what’d they do, show it in black and white?
What does the ‘also’ refer to since Barry White is the only mention of Robin Williams here?
Going OT here . . .
First, now we know why Lucas released those lame non-anamorphic versions of the original SW movies on DVD. He’s giving the cash to USC.
Second, can “Flyboys” possibly be as lousy as it looks? Apart from the dogfighting, that is.
^^^Yes. I saw Flyboys a few months ago and it rocketed to the top of my worst-of-the-year list. It is appallin on every possible level. For me the single worst thing about it is how it turns WWI dogfights into fizzy video game sequences, at a time when our nation is engaged in fighting overseas. It’s literally disgusting.
In other news, I’m perfectly happy to have those Star Wars DVDs. The VHSs wouldn’t play on my laptop.
Okay, maybe not ‘literally’ disgusting. But definitely appallin’. I’m very surprised it’s getting a theatrical release.
Blackcloud, apparently I’m the only critic who has come forward and said that I liked “Flyboys”…actually quite a bit, enough to sit through its 2 hours and 20 minutes TWICE and I’d see it again in a second, mainly for those aerial sequences (completely disagree with jeffmcm’s take on it). You can find my review on RottenTomatoes if you’re interested on my take on the movie.
Correction to the above: Actually, I know at least two other critics who agree with me…they just haven’t posted reviews yet (one of them isn’t on RT)
I assume this is a CGI picture. No worries aobut the glut there and poor performance of many recent animated films. I guess that the holiday season might be different.
Flyboys must have been a cheap pick up. Otherwise, by the looks of it, it is hard to believe that it got a theatrical release. I would guess that it does Great Raid type box office, maybe a little more. Looks laughably bad and surely is. I trust jeff more than comingsoon.net, that’s for sure.
I’m really curious about how much MGM paid for it as well. I know the movie cost around $60 million but they must know that it wouldn’t make that kind of money domestically…maybe once it gets released in Europe.
And though I know you must feel my opinion must be skewed since it’s so singular, I’ve seen a lot of laughably bad movies…most of them starring James Franco…and this isn’t one of them. I was equally skeptical and optimistic after seeing the presentation in San Diego, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. (Maybe it’s because it reminded me of this Czech movie Dark Blue World which I saw and loved but haven’t found anyone else who’s even seen it)
I can’t wait to see Happy Feet. I’ve been thoroughly charmed since the first trailer appeared. The scope and scale of it looks great. Why just have a few penguins dancing when you can have *thousands* dancing?
One of the only pieces of ComicCon swag I kept was the Happy Feet keychain, complete with thermometer. (Okay, I kept the creepy Tarantino/Rodriguez Grind House miniposters, but only ’till I find a good home for them.)
Oh my god. Edouglas, I don’t want to cast aspersions on your character, but on what street corner did you buy that crack you had to have been on? This movie fails in every aspect of filmmaking except that it’s in focus.
There’s a great crack dealer on 49th and Broadway, conveniently located in between the Magno and Broadway screening rooms. Oh, wait…that was rhetorical, wasn’t it?
Well, I hope that a few of the readers here who may be interested in that time period go see Flyboys and then report back here when they do.
All I can say is, don’t waste your money. Even for the dubious thrill of being able to agree with me.
“Even for the dubious thrill of being able to agree with me.”
Well that certainly would be a first for you. 🙂
I liked the stuff in the reel. Very off-the-wall comic timing… supposedly the 20-minute reel was from four or five weeks ago. THere are some interesting stories to be told about Dr. Miller’s interaction with the makers of MARCH OF THE PENGUINS while both pics were in production.
I read your review, ED. It looks like you saw a completely different movie from the one that I saw.
I’m curious, what’s the ‘baggage’ you refer to that ‘comes along with recent Hollywood movies’? Are you talking about movies referring to Sept. 11 in subtle or not-so-subtle ways?
That’s, like I said, one of the things I dislike about Flyboys – it’s childish escapist qualities that distort how people think about war and fighting and make it look like fun.
Also, I don’t think it’ll do too well in Europe – they seem to not be too fond of movies about ‘their’ wars that star Americans.
jeff, Email me at “warrior at comingsoon dot net” and we’ll discuss. I don’t want to spoil the movie, but no, the baggage had nothing to do with the war or 9/11. Since the script was written over seven years ago, it didn’t have either one as a reference.
Happy Feet looks really funny to me…I can’t wait to see it too!