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
Glad to hear somebody talk about Marie Antoinette and Sofia like that. I was a huge fan of LiT and a pretty big fan of Virgin Suicides so I have faith she’ll deliver with Marie. I freely admit to being easily won over by movies with fabulous costumes, sets and music even if they lack a little depth.
She’s said Marie Antoinette is the last in a sort of trilogy of loosely-connected films, so we’ll see where she goes.
Yeah, that was some great commentary on the commentary about Maria Antoinette, which I can’t wait to see. I also loved LiT, but felt that Virgin Suicides was pretty vapid, and that the film showed a total mis-reading of a book that was much more complicated and sharp.
That being said, it really is condescending to call her “Little Sofia,” which screams of sexism. You would think winning an Oscar would mean she’s all growed up now, and deserves a little more respect…
I think this film festival would be a great ploy to stage my proposed idea for a reality show where you throw ten film critics on a remote island together and force them to watch movies.
Easy on the Little Sofias, even if you are trying to be ironic and draw attention to how her detractors refer to her, which you may be. If I hear any more references to her youth or her privileged status as Daddy Coppola’s Precious Daughter posing as critiques of her film, I might throw up.
That said, I respect your tasteful and reasonable stance on MA.
Agreed, this is one of the best critical pieces that DP has written in some time, nice work.
For all you folks complaining about the “Little Sofias” — do you remember how old Ron Howard was before the Little Opie references began to slacken?
I dunno, Joe, you’ll have to answer that one. He’s always been a director for me, although I do remember Opie references in stories about “Cocoon” and the like back in the mid 80s. I probably did know him first as Opie, thanks to TV, but it was after the fact.
Poland’s writing here is even more useful now that I see that certain other bloggers have deemed it necessary to post not once, but twice daily about how much they hate Marie Antoinette, making themselves look petty and foolish.
“Marie Antoinette” seems to be one of those things that somehow compels people to say idiotic things. There was a debate about the merits of the movie on H-France, the French history discussion board, when it premiered at Cannes. At which point, no one wanted to notice, all of four people in the United States had actually seen the movie. I’m sure the stupidity will return starting this Friday. Luckily, my e-mail allows me to delete messages without reading them.
Joe, the Opie reference though is to a character. “Little Sofia” is just a nickname that (to some people) implies that people don’t take her seriously and that she’s daddy’s little girl still. People didn’t called Jason Reitman “Little Reitman” when Thank You For Smoking came out.
For me, the Little Sofia reference is really a riff on Little Gloria (Vanderbilt: Happy At Last).
It’s not that I think she is some sort of child being indulged because of her dad. Not at all. But the films she makes do scream of Poor Little Rich Girl… and I don’t me an the quality of the work, I mean the content.
I personally didn’t have a problem. I didn’t even notice it first read through.