Pre-Sundance
I’m not really ready to discuss Sundance much… but some of y’all seem to be chompin’ at the bit. So here is your own little corner in my own little room to say whatever you want to write…
May 20, 2024
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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 sure why “Away From Her” has stuck with me so doggedly since I saw it in September, given that it looked like The Notebook Redux at first, but it has. I wonder if Christie has a faint shot at being positioned for awards next year.
This will be the first time in ten years I’ll be missing Sundance. It’s just lost it’s edge and fun for me. The last few years there have just been a total drag with the only highlights being seeing friends I only see at Sundance. Have fun without me, y’all…I’m saving my money for SXSW!
That’s what Lionsgate is hoping, Qwiggles. Crash-like May release…
David, if you end up seeing The Ten there, please make sure to write about it. I’m interested to hear how it is.
Where’s the list of titles at Sundance?
Here ya go, Kamikaze:
http://festival.sundance.org/filmguide/
Of course, you’re asking about David’s list of movies to see. I’ll probably post mine sometime next week over on ComingSoon.net. This is my first year going so I’m pretty excited but a bit stressed out about how much I’m going to have to post/cover in order for it to be worth CS’s dime/time. Not really getting as much response from publicists as I did when I went to Toronto without credentials either. Go figure. I’m also staying at a hotel about three miles from the hub of the festival, so I probably should buy some snow boots. 🙂
Anyone else from the HotBlog going this year? Anyone else going for the first time?
ED-I covered the fest for FILM THREAT last year (I had covered a few things for them the previous 9 years when I volunteered for Sundance…but I was a full time journo last year) and basically you sit in the press screenings all day.
There’s press screenings from 8 a.m. with the last one starting at 11:00 p.m. or so. You sit in there all frigging day and see shit tons of movies. You’re much better off sticking to press screenings rather than the actualy screenings because it’s real tough to get into the latter.
My problem is that I also need to do interviews for the site, though I really want to see as many movies as I can.
Does the Untitled Dakota Fanning Rape Project have a title yet?
I’m curious to see how the finished product turned out.
(showing restraint)
Off and on it’s been called Hounddog. But I think it should officially be titled Dakota Fanning Rape Project…a definite boost to opening weekend gross.
Showing restraint on what? Telling people what the title is?
“Showing restraint on what?” Maybe Dave doesn’t want to talk about ‘oscar locks’ for next year before this years oscars are even nominated. Can you hear the headline, “Earliest oscar lock since Jennifer Hudson!” I’m sure there’s a full column in whether or not Fanning should be positioned as lead or supporting, and the historical examples of the child actors in both categories. (note: lots of sarcasm above). If ever there was an oscar bait project, it’s the Dakota Fanning gets raped movie
It means I decided not to offer any efforts at comedic titles for a Dakota Fanning molestation film.
I Am Slammed?
I’m also attending for the first time, but I think I’ll steer clear of DF turf. Black Snake Moan, anyone?
Or maybe Crispin Glover’s latest is a safer bet…
Why do director’s think we want to see movies called Ghosts of Abu Graib? Christ.
The Dakota movie is listed as Hounddog on the link the eDoug provided.
Ghosts of Abu Ghraib is already headed to HBO in February… this is a courtesy showing for a filmmaker who has been at Sundance with all of her films…
If Dakota Fanning was around 31 years ago, and cast in the Jodie Foster role in Taxi Driver, would people be labeling it The Dakota Fanning Baby Whore Movie? Remember, Scorsese wasn’t Scorsese in ’76. He had an interesting movie, (Who’s That Knocking), an exploitation flick (Boxcar), a masterpiece (Mean Streets), and a superior chick-flick (Alice Doesn’t Live Here). Taxi Driver made him Scorsese. It’d be nice if people waited until the movie was shown before judging it.
Saw Away from Her yesterday and though it was excellent (definite awards consideration for Christie)… but I have no idea how Lionsgate is going to market what is essentially an Alzheimer-ridden love story. Guess The Notebook is a great place to start though. (Also saw An American Crime, but I’m under embargo for that)
Jodie was 14, Dakota is 12 (I believe) and, if memory serves, Jodie’s character isn’t visually raped on camera. But it’s been a while since I saw Taxi Driver in it’s entirety so I may be wrong. I need to get on that.