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
Totally disagree, though to each his own. When compared to the original, it falls well short. What wouldn’t? But when compared to With a Vengeance, this is the sequel I hoped that one would be. For now, I’m just going to pretend WAV doesn’t exist, and call the Die Had trilogy my fave popcorn series.
I vowed to myself I wouldn’t bother with a PG-13 Die Hard anyhow, but…
It was horrible, but not offensive (outside of the odd interest Wiseman shows in hitting women in the face really hard, no less than four times in the film).
Mary Elizabeth Winstead is making a career out of abuse, but Maggie Q would do well to just stay out of that mix altogether.
I caught the REALLY early matin
It was at that point, when McClane picks himself up with the instantly classic “Thats enough of this kung fu bullsh–” line, that I realized I love this movie. Enough of the wire-fu garbage, indeed, John. Back to brutal basics … at least until Bay CGIs our retinas out with his hollow monstrosity.
Bomback may have fudged the details, but he gets McClane right. The subsequent elevator shaft scenaio was pretty damn cool, as well.
This is perhaps the kind of film that pisses me off the most. I know I will have serious problems with it but because of my affection for the concept, Willis, the franchise, and Maggie Q, I will be there this weekend.
Hopefully I will be surprised.
“An epic piece of shit”??? Now that’s a review!
Mary Elizabeth Winstead is a fox. Can’t we just give her all Lindsay Lohan’s roles? (OK, I love me some Lindsay too, but the baggage is drowning out the talent).
“But I’ll take Transformers to block.”
Have you seen Transformers yet? Please give us the good word. If it is even slightly good, it will be a huge success. I mean, Transformers is based on a crappy cartoon which was based on an 80s toy fad. If that can produce a decent movie, something amazing has gone right somewhere.
“Live Free or Die Hard”, on the other hand, has turned a great movie into a cartoon which will probably spawn a crappy toy line eventually.
Great review Dave. Smart and very funny. With each description of an improbably stupid stunt I found myself laughing louder, but the topper was the image of a stealth-like jet flying beneath a freeway overpass with a guy riding on the wing. Hilarious.
Based on other review of DH4 I’d say Dave is overstating it’s badness (or at least its lack of entertainment value).
Transformers has only 4 reviews so far on rottentomatoes but I guess technically it’s “100%” right now with a couple decent outlets, like Todd McCarthy and Emanuel Levy giving it thumbs up:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_the_movie/?show=all
Just came back from an evening show, looked about 85-90% full.
This was the most I have been entertained this summer. Way more fun than the other sequels. Oh, and DP
SPOILER
She did just kick him in the head a few times, I think McLean can hit back.
END SPOILER
I don’t know about those Transformers reviews. They seem all suspiciously similar, like they all came from the same press kit or something. At least with Don, you know what his stake is….
As a sequel to Die Hard, greatest modern action film of all-time: 3.5
As an action movie in 2007 in an era dominated by CGI: 7
But thanks to DP for preparing me for the worst. It’s dumb, but it’s a lot of fun.
i just got back from transformers which opened here today, saw it with my 8 year old boy who has 162 transformer toys, which he’s been collecting since he was a toddler after someone gave him one as a birthday prezzie (he’s a transformers savante, while we’re looking at the instruction sheet scratching our heads he just picks up the toy and flaps his hands about like those freakish kids doing rubicks cubes and presto chango! the bulldozer is a robot, more than meets the eye)
my stream-of-consciousness verdict: all in good fun, moments of coolness, quite long, corny, surprisingly funny, better before the robots start talking, shia is bitchin’ and steals the show – that boy’s got something spesh goin on – the transformers are choice, the overblown michael bay soundrack drove me bonkers and made me want to puch him in the face on several occasions, the u.s. military should love it, i liked the beat-up camero better, all the girls ‘cept sam’s mum look like barbie dolls, i think the same guy’s been doing optimus prime’s voice for the last 30 years. cool.
“i think the same guy’s been doing optimus prime’s voice for the last 30 years”
that would be Mr. Peter Cullen, who still had to audition for the role of Optimus for the film.
Jeffrey Lyons loved it and his review ended with, “My concern is that sometime in the future a computer expert may be able to do something like this. It’s the times we’re living in.” He frickin’ thought it was a documentary!