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
Not too many surprises, though I thought Scoundrels would open in the $12 million range.
That 64% drop for Flyboys does my heart good.
So maybe there’s only so much interest in irritating animals voiced by irritating celebrities. To bad it took us so long to get here.
And being #1 at the box office with a probable weekend tally of around $20million is a slacking-off of interest how?
jeff, compare that amount to Over the Hedge or the first Ice Age or Madagascar or even Chicken Little. Heck, Martin Lawrence dressed as a woman made more money its opening weekend! The last really successful family/kids film was Barnyard almost two months ago and even with that open playing field, Open Season has trouble making more than $25 million? Seems like slacking off to me. (There are just too many computer animated movies coming out…they’re not special or unique anymore)
Yeah, and those movies were released in the summer and now it is September. Barnyard is a hit with a final gross of $70m and it only opened to $15m. I’m sure there is a slackening of interest, but it’s folly to say that it’s a dead subgenre.
Nobody said it was dead. And must every conversation be an argument here?
You call this an argument?
There is less interest because they keep making the same movies over and over, but this particular film seems to be doing pretty well regardless of that.
Agreed this is a stupid argument. Barnyard was a modest hit, Open Season opening with these numbers at this time of the year is an even bigger hit. This type of movie is not even close to dead. Just wait until the next big Disney or Fox animation comes along on a holiday weekend, the anthropomorphic audience will be back in force.
Considering that they’ve been advertising the bejeezus out of this thing for months, and that “Barnyard” is the nearest competition, “Open Season” would have done better if not for the diminishing returns of this type of movie.
Sure, but I don’t see it doing substantially better. Parents need a movie to take their kids to and this is the only real option, they’re not going to say no to it in large numbers because it’s the fifth movie of its kind this year.
And Little Miss Sunshine keeps going, and going, and going…
Is $60 million possible?
lobelydave49
Can you answer this question?
Why is Thiki Finke reported a whole different order? With Jackass $2m less than you?
I am Spam Dooley and I feed my people!
A. Nikki doesn’t report box office at all. She is told what to write by one studio.
B. I think Klady might have typo’d, actually. Still waiting for his response.
C. The Jackass thing is about the only variation on Nikki’s press release numbers. No?
I think it’s unreasonable to expect these CG movies to open big every time. And even then, in the context of CG furry animal movies, $25 m doesn’t look so bad anymore after Ant Bully, Everybody’s Hero, Barnyard, etc. Which is fine because these movies can be and are being produced for less and less.
David
Yessir that is the only error
But since I want Penny and Sandy out of a job it would be so sweet if Jackass week 2 beat Open Season.
Ninja Sweet.
I am Spam Dooley and I walk don’t run.
Am I really drunk or was SNL reasonably funny? Even though that fucking retard Dane Cook hosted…
All things considered, this weekend looks to be pretty solid. And it’ll be up from last year when Flightplan was #1 for the second week in a row.
Last King of Scotland is doing mighty fine. A $10,000 average on Friday alone.
David, I think Jackass should be 4.2 million… I thought that number was high but when I figure out the math based on the percentage (and checked other estimates), it must have been a typo.
Uh-oh, just look at the bath All The King’s Men is taking. Ouch.
Hi there, just wandered by. I have a Wilmington 4g site. Amazing the amount of information on the web. Not quite what I was looking for, but very nice site. Take care.