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
Regardless of record-breaking, it’s fascinating to me how this humor, completely intact, died a miserable death on network tv only a few years ago in the form of Undeclared and Freaks and Geeks (6 yrs ago?). These shows were often written by Rogen and/or Apatow, some directed by Mottola, had very similar characters and storylines, and good buzz from critics. You’d think they would have caught on then, easily accessible to audiences. Who would have thought essentially Undeclared – the Teenage years, would have caught on at movie theaters? I think it’s great, but am also surprised. It goes to show how important it is to believe in your work, in spite of early failures.
4 million people seeing the show in a week would have gotten it cancelled. Triple it and 12 million… would get it cancelled.
David: Now who’s the one who’s stuck in an ’80s mindset? Twelve million people your age (or my age) would be at least enough to secure a pick-up on cable. Twelve million people younger than 35? A definite pick-up on broadcast TV.
” it’s fascinating to me how this humor, completely intact, died a miserable death on network tv only a few years ago in the form of Undeclared and Freaks and Geeks”
‘completely intact’?!?….have you actually seen ‘superbad’?…. i don’t remember ‘f&g’ or ‘undeclared’ coming anywhere near the gross-out humor of ‘superbad’…….menstrual blood sight gags and ‘i’ve got a boner’ punch lines don’t often make it to the nets…… i love those shows but they are considerably watered down compared to ‘superbad’…..
**boop**
Martin; thus the inevitable backlash has to happen at some point. Everyone gets a backlash and I wonder if Walk HARD will be it? Again; not rooting against them but even JK Rowling wrote OotP. Stuff happens. Nevertheless, Heat, I hope you keep this silly DAY stat in mind for future box office analysis, because it’s sure to drive Crow crazy. It’s also bloody funny. Oh yeah; Freaks and Geeks aired on Saturdays. While Undeclared aired on Tuesdays and stiff competition. So, in reality, neither show had a chance even if they came close to 12 million viewers.
Fine Scooter, I’m sure the filmmakers would agree w/ you – these movies have given them the creative “freedom” they didn’t have on tv and thus… success. But I don’t buy it. Their movies are definitely more hardcore than their tv shows, but the humor is very much the same. I think it’s really degrading to the material and the audience to say that it’s a success now that it’s R-rated. Instead, the Apatow/Rogen “brand” has become the “hot shit” right now and thus you’ve got bigger advertising bucks and a deafening buzz from critics and fans. Success breeds success, and they hit it with 40 YOV and have been in the hot seat since.
And Dave, I don’t buy that tv/movie audience comparison. A hit movie is just as much a sign of a cultural hit as a hit show – perhaps more so since you’re asking people to leave their house and pay. So to me, a 30 mill theatrical weekend is indicate of a much larger cultural hit than a 4 to 10 mill a week tv show.
Well, I don’t think opening weekend means much of anything in terms of cultural significance. How many $100 million first weeks did we see this weekend that had no impact culturally aside from media on the week of release?
martin– never meant any disrespect and sorry you disagree but the proof is in the splooge…… you are completely right when you peg the humor in the series as the same as in the film…except that humor didn’t work ‘soft’ and has worked hugely ‘hard’………how can you argue this?…..the film makers say it….the studio says it….the audience says it….i say it (well, i guess that makes it argue able but still………)……..believe me, no one would tune into a pg ‘superbad’………just a thought…..
sorry….i forgot….****boop***
Well, it did work ‘soft’ (on Freaks and Geeks, I’m not sure if Undeclared aired down here), but it’s just that television is a completely different medium and it’s harder to build buzz for a television series (especially back when Freaks and Geeks premiered). Stuff like Superbad had buzz for a long time, and the makers had established hits with 40YOV and Knocked Up. With F&G people didn’t know what they were getting, nor did they really get the chance to see it. Shame, really. it was a great show.
spin spin spin…..
The Last Legion is the 2nd best opening for an Arthurian legend movie in the month of August.
The buzz for “Freaks and Geeks” and “Undeclared” was a different kind of buzz from the buzz for “Knocked Up” and “Superbad”. To compare the comedic expectations in the buzz for the former vs. the latter, it’s kind of like the difference between telling your buddy that there’s this really cute girl with a smart sense of humor down one hallway but there’s a really hot chick who puts out down the other hallway.
The analogy falls aparts all over the place, but the gist of it is true. Neither “Freaks and Geeks” nor “Undeclared” were promised to be the funniest shows in years. Not like these movies have been.
A 2% drop on Sunday? Oh, yeah. It’s going to do well.
Funny how The Simpsons Movie recorded it’s lowest weekly drop this past weekend of 40% compared to the 60% drops it has been experiencing.
:/