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
David, this is a joke question, right? Or did you neglect to catch any of the media coverage about Judith Regan’s notorious follies, “If I Did It” and the upcoming “novel” about Mickey Mantle? Trust me: It matters to many, many more than 20 people. Lots of folks out there are very happy to read about her firing.
It matters because she may wind up being a person in power someplace else. I’m assuming you read or followed the link at Risky Biz.
Then why are you telling us?
I think the Hot Blog needs a make over. More pictures of hot people (like Eric Bana) and less story like this.
Should this be considered a grudging post by David that he only made because he felt compelled to? I’m confused.
DP need be very careful what he writes here, lest the patients, who like their meds hand fed to them, take over the asylum.
As I recall Regan’s part of Rupert’s empire published some of the trashiest anti-Kerry stuff last elections cycle. I might have that worng but my read onthis is that Rupert sees that the Right is in trouble politically and he is hedging his bets ahead of 2008 when his favorites might completely out of power. He even as saying nice things aobut Hillary recently.
Rupert can do whatever he wants but Fox News will never be allowed on any TV in our household.
I thought everyone was consumed with Painted Veil story.
T Holly, what are you talking about? If DP is being subtle and devious, do us all a favor and explain it to me.
Actually, I’ve been reading about this for a few days, reported as though Mel got pulled over again and talked about the Mayans coming back to “take care of ” the Jews.
New York Times, blazing headline at Drudge, etc, etc…
I’m not saying the OJ thing – which wasn’t all that extraordinary by Ms. Regan’s scummy standards – didn’t also become another over-sized story also. (See: Sierra Leone worrying about Blood Diamond’s $120 million worldwide gross and The Kazakh’s sweating Borat.) But do we really need to treat it like a bunch of peasants chasing Frankenstein’s monster around the village?
P.S. Classic missed opportunity on OJ. People who feel he skates in too many minds would have been well served, historically, by allowing him to hang himself. Without putting too specific a point on it, Jews need to let former and neo Nazis speak, so we never forget. Black Americans (and self-excusing white Americans) need to be reminded that slavery actually happened just a short historic time ago. Etc. Revisionism thrives on the details being shoved into the file cabinet.
But that’s a different conversation….
David, I still would argue that the firing of Judith Regan is a major story. For good or bad — well, OK, for bad, period — she is an example of what Communication theorists refer to as a Gatekeeper. By picking what books got published by a major imprint, she had a major influence on… well, you name it: Politics, culture, agenda-setting, etc. Put it another way: What she was able to do in her position had more far-reaching and long-term effects than most things that get routinely discussed on this or any other film blog. It’s a bit like what happened when the NY Times editor Howell Raines was more or less pressured into stepping down. Maybe most people in US didn’t know him by name, but they damn sure were affected by his influence.
DP, I don’t think all of us were cognizant of the context that you were, hence the confusion.
What’s the worst thing Judith Regan ever published? Those kind of gets she got in DP’s P.S. is why she’s not going anywhere.
Fired for cause because she abused a lawyer!!!
(Howell Raines got pulled down in the Jayson Blair scandal.)
Worst as in quality? I didn’t read it, but maybe the Jose Conseco book?
Joe – Are you really comparing the significance of Judith Regan to Howell Raines???
More people watch a very special episode of Beauty & The Geek than have read any of her books… which is exactly my point. The importance of this story is all inside the beltway… the Huffington/Observer/NYMag Elite that think they are the mainstream. (Amazingly, The New Yorker understands its own rarified air, as does the NYT, for better or worse.)
She, like Arianna, was not able to draw enough flies to MSNBC with their importance to stay on air.
This is, with due respect, how Paris Hilton became “important.” Paris showed her twat (that was for you, BiPed) and Judith published it. (not literally… embrace the metaphor)
I am saying that, for better or worse, Gatekeepers can have a profound influence — behind the scenes if not before the cameras. To deny this is, I’m sorry, incredibly short-sighted.
Yes, Joe…. all gatekeepers matter.
It is not an issue of mattering. It is a matter of degree.
I can see someone who is familiar with Regan being mildly interested. I first heard of her a few years ago and fondly remember the Law & Order episode that featured a character modeled after her. Still, it seems like it’s being blown out of proportion.
I’m not saying that Regan is/was as important as Raines. I’m saying that, like Raines, she played a role in shaping the perceptions of many people who wouldn’t know her name. And I think she had more impact than you are willing to admit. Hey, if only for her role in helping to foist Rush Limbaugh on the world…. LOL. And, for that matter, for being instrumental in Bernard Kerik’s NOT getting to be head of Homeland Security… OK, even I admit that’s a bit of a stretch.
This is a silly thing to argue about. A crapmonger lost her job. Some other crapmonger will be glad to take her place.
The part of this story that dovetails with movies is that the publishing world wants a share of the movie world pie for projects they publish and wind up being movies and, to this end, is setting up shops on the Better Coast.
Random House Films: “The multiyear partnership between the publishing and film units — created by Focus heads James Schamus and David Linde and Random House CEO Peter Olson — calls for the publishing giant to co-produce and co-finance a slate of pics with Focus based on books the parties jointly acquire.”
She was, Eric, the top crapmonger (specifically CRAP monger) in her field.
Giving Ms, Regan credit for Limbaugh or Stern or whomever… phew!
But regardless of her position in the field of crapmongering, will this really affect the amount or quality of crap in the marketplace?
Oddly enough, I am reminded of a line from Don Henley’s “Sunset Grill” — “These days a man makes you something, and you never see his face, but there is no hiding place.”
Maybe I’ve gotten too paranoid after teaching too many semesters of Media and Society. On the other hand — I kid you not — Judith Regan actually got mention (along with a photo) in one of the textbooks I have used. Obviously, I am not the only one who noted her influence.
The Mickey Mantle novel made the front page of the NY Daily News last Thursday. That paper is the NY Post’s worst enemy in battling for readers. Once that story came out HarperCollins may have had no choice but to sack Ms. Regan.
Fox Sports just signed a new 6-year contract for major league baseball. HarperCollins and Fox Sports are corporate cousins. Would News Corp. want to trash a longtime business partner just to sell a bunch of books?
Who the hell wants to read an “invented memoir” of “not documentable” stories under the premise that “Mickey finds himself in heaven – much to his surprise – and realizes he’s carrying a huge burden around with him. He needs to tell someone all the horrible things he did.” Boring.