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
gee Dave
not a comment in your write-up about the per theater Hot Fuzz takings?
Shaun Of The Dead – 2004 – 3 day, 707 screens, $3.3m, $5487 per screen, $13.5m total
Hot Fuzz – 2007 – 3 day, 825 screens, approx $5.8m, approx $7050 per screen
Total? $20m – $25m?
Better, but still a blip. Will just about cover the marketing expense. Profits domestically from DVD.
Having not seen Hot Fuzz, but having enjoyed Shaun of the Dead, HF looked like a solid movie that needed some sort of star power to rise above the din.
I’m a little surprised, usually when a good, underseen indie like Shaun gets made, some celebrity will agree to slash their pay to be in the director’s follow up. I expected that here, and was surprised no one wanted to give it a go.
Dave, can you please comment on the complete absence of Meg Ryan in LOW advertising; even on VH1–Meg Ryan demo for sure–ads showed only Brody & Stewart…which I understand is actually quite misleading. What’s the story…?
The quick-cutting, music-heavy trailer for Land of Women made it seem unsuitable for an arthouse — too much like a typical teen romance — and didn’t tell anybody about Brody’s character. Knock The OC all you want — and it certainly tanked this year in the ratings — but Brody is a funny guy, which you would never get from the trailer. Of course, maybe that’s not the movie, either, but my point is that the trailer didn’t serve it well either in arthouses or multiplexes.
The OC was pretty great for two seasons. And then it went to the shitter. Brody’s small bits in Thank You For Smoking and Mr and Mrs Smith were good but he probably waited too long to make the transition to lead.
As long as stuff like Hot Fuzz remain hits outside of the US then don’t have to particularly worry that the Norbit-goers of America aren’t seeing them.
Although, to be honest, does anyone know what the title even means, let along makes it sound attractive to joe schmoe moviegoer?
Thing about Hot Fuzz is that it has more of a British sensibility than Shaun of the Dead. I have a feeling that some of the geeks who loved the meta moments in SotD will be a little disappointed by HT’s willingness to take its time. In other words, there’s more to Hot Fuzz than just poking fun of cop movies. It’s actually quite moving in some parts.
Vacancy is better than it has any right to be. The trailers make it look like a slasher movie, but it’s actually a tight little thriller about anxiety. It gets the job done. It doesn’t over-stay its welcome. It’s a grindhouse movie that’ll probably do better than Grindhouse. And it’s one of the better showcases for Luke Wilson.
I liked Fracture mostly for Hopkins great performance. Gossling is fine, but I think he’s trying a little too hard to be Sean Penn. The best thing about the movie is that you’re actually rooting for Hopkins to get away with the crime. The one problem with the movie is that I never fully bought Gossling’s slow awakening to how to play the game. When he beats Hopkins at his own game it’s a rather hollow moment. You don’t believe this guy got so smart so fast.
Question of the Day: When a courtroom drama is made for theatrical distribution, is it unfiar to wonder if the story would’ve been better as an episode of Law & Order? That’s what Fracture felt like to me. I think L&O has raised the bar on theatrical high-gloss courtroom dramas. The two movie that set the template for L&O are 1985’s Jagged Edge and 1990’s Presumed Innocent. Those two movies could be considered the first episodes of Law & Order.
I have to disagree with you about Vacancy Jimmy. The midsection is decent but the last 10-15 minutes are incredibly stupid and took me right out of the movie. I found Fracture, flaws and all, to be a much more satisfying flick.
Anybody watching Ebert & Roeper? Oh my god, John Mellencamp is the guest critic and he’s outdoing Roeper!!!! Mellencamp is every man and he’s giving criticism like every man…Roeper is such a snot.
My theory on “Hot Fuzz” doing well: “Fuzz” in 1967 = “Po-Po” in 2007.
“In the Land of Women” is a regular WB release, MySpace page and all. The local arthouse near me is playing it because “Black Book” isn’t available yet.
Mellencamp was like….the anti-critic. Pretty funny.