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
First?
Congrats on 10 years, Poland.
Keep up the good work!
Congratulations. And I’m glad you’re sticking with it.
Happy anniversary, DP. I think the Hot Button, as well as this blog, has had an extraordinary effect on my life and probably the lives of the others here. Long live the Hot Button!
Thanks and good luck in the future.
Why commit to a schedule for the Hot Button at all? Are people actually going to the Hot Button to check on a set date that something is new? I might be on the fringe, but using The Hot Blog RSS I just wait for Hot Button linked articles to come in and then read those then. I never go to The Hot Button anymore looking for new articles.
And of course congratulations on 10 years!
I am glad that you’ve decided how you want to use The Hot Button. When I started reading it, I was a little concerned that the blog would be the new “hot button”. I miss some of the old pep and vitality, and I think that’s why this is the only place I use the nickname that you gave me oh so many years ago in a question I had to the Hot Button. I’m not a frequent commenter, nor a particularly eloquent one, but I do appreciate your insights on a regular basis, DP.
Yeesh, has it been a decade? That means I’ve been reading it for almost that long, then.
I think rule 10 is really rule number 1, or should be.
David, congrats on the 10 years. Though I’ve only been contributing here for a few months, The Hot Button has been the first film site I check every morning for the past 4 years.
My old boss and a filmmaker friend of his (also a friend of yours I believe) used to always ask “what Poland thinks”, “what did Poland say about my film”, “that fucker Poland” etc, and that’s how it all started for me.
By the way, they meant fucker in a good way. I think.
10 years ago; I remember seeing this daper black haired man rocking his chest hair and a gold chain. To think — 10 years — that same man has a little bit greyer hair but still rocks that chest hair and gold chain, and he’s still doing this gig. Huzzah to you Heat. HUZZAH! HUZZAH!
congrats on 10 years Dave. Been reading your column since the Roughcut days, back to the Big Picture. As far as I’m concerned, things here have gotten better and better. MCN and the blog are two things I visit regularly now, and I would agree that THB has been kind of scattershot. Looking forward to an even bigger 10, and more entertaining Lunch With shows.
The bizarre thing is that I interviewed for Roughcut (in Atlanta) about 10 years ago. The interview consisted mostly of a pop culture interview, and though I was told I answered the most questions correctly in the history of the quiz, I didn’t get offered the job. Andy Jones offered me a job in LA a couple years later, but I turned it down. And now I’ve just finished a teaching career, and am on to the next thing. And I still regret turning down the chance to work with Andy.
Man, how small decisions affect lives…
Thanks for creating and cultivating such a great site. I visit every day…often more than once!
Can’t quite remember if I’ve been reading you for the whole ten years, might be more like 8 or 9 but, in any case, always a pleasure.
Here’s to the next ten!
Congrats as well Dave on making it to the 10 year mark. I started reading your site back in the RoughCut days and think that one of the first posts I read was about Bring it On.
I am glad you addressed the place of The Hot Button in your little mini-empire. I have to admit that I do miss the regular columns and find that blogging on issues rarely gives them the space that they need for discussion. The brevity and more informal way of expressions seems to lead to an awful lot of silly arguments about semantics in the comments sections, whereby the same couple of people carry on their grudges and push away any other posters.
Gratz oh mighty Fijian Wrestler!
I’ve been an avid reader here for two years or more and have enjoyed every minute. Highlights: the Munich/Crash debacle, Waterbucket’s Brokeback obsession, Poland’s Superman Returns take, the BO slump debacle, Don Murphy’s Transformers rants, Lunch with David, etc
Keep em coming.
congrats dave. my opinion on the site has changed over time, but i’ve always been interested in hearing your opinion and the blog continues to be a place to discuss stuff in a reasonably intellegent manner.
As one hetero Broadway lover to another: be it live or on film/tape/pixels, you are Da Man!
Congrats Dave. Ten years is a mighty long time no matter what it is you’re doing. And you’ve stuck with it with incredibly vigour.
Congrats Dave. Been reading since the roughcut days, and was pleased to be ROTD a couple times. Here’s to ten more!?