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
I’m not even going to pretend I really know about James Brown. Obviously I know who he is, but I’m not that versed in his career.
I wonder when the biopic will be made. :/
Watch out Saint Peter…Heaven`s gonna be a lot more funkier!!!
Good bye James
Hopefully this movie wasn’t the truth.
Thank you, Tony Scott.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06NMiUR5mqU
The Godfather of Soul is one of the biggest titans in the history of American music. His influence on the overall landscape of american music is incalculable, and don’t think for a mintue that it doesn’t cross into all areas of music, including Rock And Roll. If you’ve ever seen a Bruce Springsteen concert you’ll know exactly what I mean.
If you aren’t familiar with his music I must say that a collection of it, in a box set called Startime! is one of the greatest collections of ANY music ever made. Go grab a copy, I saw it this holiday season discounted in Costco, and get lost in the funky groove!
Rest in Peace.
He was a very troubled and violent man. I hope he found peace before his death.
I love James Brown’s music, but I wouldn’t want to be a female in his life.
I would like his song “The Boss” played at my own funeral, (while I hope that’s long in the future…)
“Look at me
you know what you see…
you see a bad mutha!”
RIP Mr Brown.
Was that ‘show in New York’ SNL?
No, J-Mc… Good Day New York, which has since been reincarnated.
“Good Day New York, which has since been reincarnated.”
Really, you wrote for that show? I used to watch it religiously for years, I mean seriously every morning, but it really lost something after Jim Ryan left and then when Lyn left, it was obvious that the writing was on the wall for the show. I think I watched for a couple weeks after that and then I was done. Not sure what years you were there or how involved you were, but I found the writing to always be top notch at least during most of the ’90s.