That last BYOB went back in time… sorry.
In New Jersey/New York… lots on the agenda for the next week, including 6 shows (no musicals… sorry). I should catch up with some actual thinking tonight for the blog.
Until then, it’s all yours. Be kind… if not to me, at least to each other.
Triple Option on: BYO Oscar
Sideshow Bill on: BYO Oscar
Stella's Boy on: BYO Oscar
Pete B on: BYO Oscar
movieman on: BYO Oscar
movieman on: BYO Oscar
Stella's Boy on: BYO Oscar
Hcat on: BYO Oscar
brack on: BYO Oscar
iothereturned on: BYO Oscar
BYOB: 235 Years Of Relative independence
BYOB Weekend: Hop, An April Fool’s Gag?
see all »
[twitter-widget username="DavidPoland" hiderss="true" hidereplies="true" hidefrom="true" items="3" showts="60" title=" " targetBlank="true"][twitter-widget username="MCNTweets" hiderss="true" hidereplies="true" hidefrom="true" items="3" showts="60" title=" " targetBlank="true"]
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
P-O-T-A-T-O-E.
Comback of the Year in Television: Anna Friel (Anna Friel?!?) on “Pushing Daisies”. I didn’t even realize she was playing Chuck until this afternoon when somebody on another blog dropped her name. She is drop dead ADORABLE in this series and I’m in love with this goofy show as much as I’m in love with her character. Wow, jesus.
I don’t know how long the writers can keep their bizarre chemistry going, but if someone here hasn’t tried the show, they really ought to give it a go. Some of you will definitely retch at it, but if it gets to anyone else, it’s a one of a kind.
Pushing Daisies is indeed fantastic. I wondered how they would keep going so strong after the pilot, but they’ve managed to make the show so whimsical and yet cynical enough that it isn’t saccharine. I just realized now that you’ve mentioned it, Hallick, that Anna Friel was the other girl in Me Without You with Michelle Williams, a film that I detested. She’s super cute, though.
I got around to seeing Things We Lost in the Fire, which was decent enough and Del Toro is great, but I feel like I’ve seen every scene in that movie before, sometimes done better sometimes not. I liked it for sure, but I had a hard time falling head over heels for it because there’s nothing terribly original or riveting about the material. I think the acting really elevates it from being just mediocre.
T-E-A-T-P-O-O
PETA too!
I love Pushing Daisies so much, I have to refrain myself from hugging the TV after each episode. I love the love story, the mysteries, the unrequited love of the waitress, and the random but awesome musical numbers.
announced or currently-filming movies that you do NOT want to see.
I am going with something about Meryl Streep and Jennifer Aniston in the same prison cell and they start planning their escape.
Is this for real? If it’s a comedy, I don’t want to see it. If it’s a drama, they shouldn’t even try.
Chuck on pushing daisies is indeed cute.
but the show itself is MEH
Streep sure does work a lot and sometimes she doesn’t seem that picky, so though I hope to God that prison thing isn’t true, it wouldn’t surprise me. Is she hard up for cash or does she just not like downtime?
The project in development that terrified me was the announcement that Nicole Kidman would be stepping into Marilyn Monroe’s shoes for a remake of How to Marry A Millionaire. I seriously don’t know what this lady’s problem is, obviously remakes haven’t been working for her…
“I seriously don’t know what this lady’s problem is, obviously remakes haven’t been working for her…”
I get the sinking feeling she’d screw up a remake of “Dead Calm” at this point.
That’s it! Dead Calm… but in outer space…
Oh I like that.
Wait that was Sunshine, right?
Meh? You can go SIT on your MEH! SIT ON IT! Seriously; I want to take the word MEH and beat it like it were pretty. Easily some of the stupidest bullshit the internet has ever produced outside of the Hamster Dance… JIPPI!
Nevertheless; Pushing Daisies remains a great great show that puts damn near everything else to shame. How they carry this on for longer then a season is really beyond me.
Noah; you have now hated on another movie that I love. No wonder I am such a big fan of your writing. Freakin hater, man. Freakin hater 😀
IO, which one did you love? Things We Lost in the Fire or Me Without You? Because I didn’t hate the former at all, just didn’t love it.
The flick you detested Noah… Me Without You. Someone play some Jewel because Noah is “breaking my heart… breaking… my heart.” I’ve had the flu. What more do you want from a man on goofballs?
Ahhh, well I’m sorry to say that I did hate that movie. Maybe it’s just because my girlfriend loves it or maybe it’s because I thought Michelle Williams was miscast (in that movie, she’s so much better looking than Anna Friel yet she’s the ‘ugly’ one), but that movie just didn’t work for me. Sorry to hear about the flu, though, feel better.
Is there some reason David is seeing so much Broadway these days? Is it so when they make the inevitible movie version he knows what he’s on about?
Speaking of Streep/Aniston is a prison comedy (right?) how about Mad Money? I’m thinking it could be quite good if Katie Holmes doesn’t turn people off, and even her “I don’t like being smart” (or whatever the actual line is) made me chuckle. If it’s half as good as The First Wives Club, which it is obviously trying to get the audience of, then I guess it’ll be fine.
I’ve been out of the country and came back to L.A. for 48 hours last weekend before racing back to Paris. To combat jet lag, I hit the TIVO and caught up on “The Office,” ignored “Dexter” to preserve what will be an all-day “Dexter”-a-thon to celebrate when I get back (best friggin’ show around), but then watched the “Pushing Daisies” pilot as my wife TIVO’ed it and I went to high school with Lee Pace (who is now two feet taller than when I used to know him).
My God, what a great fucking show. I heard about all the problems, all the budgetary caffufles (that is NOT, I’m sure, how you spell what pronounces out as “Kah-fuff-uhls”), but wasn’t expecting something that charming.
And now I hear there are musical numbers in future eps?!?!
How the hell did this slip onto ABC is what I want to know? “Grey’s Anatomy” is kind of a parody of itself now, “Desperate Housewives” shat itself in/on the foot second season and I never made it past episode 3 of “Lost.” But now “Daisies?!”
But I’m still jonesin’ for “Dexter” and am trying to keep myself far, far away from spoilers…
You know Lee Pace? By any chance you have his address so I can go stalk him? I know that boy is gay from Soldier Girl and he isn’t that much older than I am.
“Pusing Daisies” is just wonderful. Every episode is divine, and nobody on earth can say “Holy crap” quite like like Swoozie Kurtz.
Is there any love out there for the show “Life”?
Its by far my favorite new show of the season. Damian Lewis is excellent. Im really scared its going to be cancelled as Ive read the ratings are pretty low, I think about 6 mil and dropping.
I havent been that much of a TV watcher in the past few years but my changing work schedule has let me get attached to a few shows…Bionic Woman, Life, Big Shots and the other show I love, Dirty Sexy Money. Tivo sure does help.
But if they do cancel Life, Im gonna freak out.
My #1 show–30 Rock! Am I allowed to say its just as good (to me) as Arrested Development.
My #2 show–Rescue Me, although in its 4th season, its stating to drag a little, Im not that INTO IT as I used to be.
Alright Pushing Daisies is pretty much the definition of Meh. Nothing too special. The pilot would have worked as a theatrical release, but the episodes that followed have been nothing but forcing the cutsyness and repeating the same story line over and over. Which is most television ANYWAYS. And that is essentially what Pushing Daisies is like anything else. Except it has an annoying lead in the character of Chuck. She is cute. But she’s very annoying. on the hot/annoying scale she is below the line. She is not hot enough to be that annoying. I hope they kill her off and The pie Maker and the detective just solve murder mysteries.
it would have been more interesting if chuck and the pie maker couldn’t touch each other. but with the bee suits and thin suran wrap…why don’t they just put on a full body condom and bone already?
Or just touch in person and kill chuck!
This last episode with the bird, it looked so freakin cheap! it was bad. kill the series before it goes for even worse.
Oh, and Life is awesome 🙂
it will probably be cancelled though. So don’t get too attached.
and another thing
I hate to say this,
But right now if 30 rock keeps it up it might end up better than Arrested Development.
I was going to say that I enjoy it better than Arrested Development but I was afraid of the wrath I would get…from other people and myself.
“Except it has an annoying lead in the character of Chuck. She is cute. But she’s very annoying.”
Wow, I don’t find her annoying at all. I think Anna Friel made her nothing but adorable; which is odd since, judging by the ABC.com clips on YouTube, Friel’s kind of…flinty? Lee Pace is beaming with the pride and joy of working for a wonderful series while she’s kinda just slouched there, looking tired and a bit tense. Maybe she had a bad continental breakfast at the junket.
But having heard her real voice in those clips, she’s one of the best British users of an American accent I’ve ever seen. Right up there with Idris Elba (Stringer Bell on “The Wire”) and Damonn Walker (Kareem Said on “Oz”). It isn’t just a matter of losing her own accent, she takes on a completely new voice for Chuck (and a completely BETTER voice).
“Better voice” is a matter of opinion. Hugh Laurie (House) is also British, FYI. So is Damien Lewis (Life), Kevin McKidd (Journeyman), Dominic West (The Wire), Michelle Ryan (Bionic Woman) Jason Isaacs (Brotherhood) and Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica). The Brits have better acting schools.
“The Brits have better acting schools.”
Nonsense. It’s just in vogue to cast Brits as Americans on TV right now. Do you really think that Jamie Bamber is light-years better as Lee Adama than an American actor would be? Or Michelle Ryan??
I always felt Arrested Development was good, but a tad overrated.
Wrecktum the question is about learning accents – Brits are great at it and yanks suck. Notable exceptions: Gwyneth Paltrow, Anne Hathaway, Alessandro Nivola, Johnny Depp.
“the episodes that followed have been nothing but…repeating the same story line over and over.”
Isn’t that true of almost every TV show? I mean, really, what could be more carved-in-stone formulaic than the CSI series?
British thesps are better because there is more theater in their culture. More plays, more emphasis on stage training. It’s not really the case here. i’ve been to London a couple of times. I saw a play there called “This is our Youth” (it was my sister’s choice and she begged me all right). It starred Colin Hanks, Keiran Culkin and Alision Lohman. A Two-Act about pissed off youths in the 80’s blah blah…nothing special.
Then I see another one with an all Brit cast, AMAZING!
“Wrecktum the question is about learning accents – Brits are great at it and yanks suck. Notable exceptions: Gwyneth Paltrow, Anne Hathaway, Alessandro Nivola, Johnny Depp.”
I think Hugh Laurie’s accent is lousy and Bamber’s is superb. That said, the British invasion of U.S. television is more about trendy casting than accent reduction and superior acting schools.
I think The Office has been just OK this season, but it’s still one of the only shows I watch on a regular basis.
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia has been a big disappointment this year. Last season was so funny, this season has just been kinda lame.
Wrecktum, what the invasion is really about is better actors for half the price.
From an avid horror fan…
Just arrived home from seeing Saw IV. FANTASTIC!!
It amazes me how they can still be referencing the other movies and make it work so well. At one point I thought “where is so-and-so” and then in the next moment, the character walked in. I loved it. So much story.
love “life.” but the bad ratings from its lead in “bionic woman” are killing it.
“pushing daisies” is highly entertaining. been an anna friel fan from waaaay back. at least they are trying to do something different.
Why would the likes of Damien Lewis and Dominic West work for half the price of an equivilant American actor? Considering that they’re repped U.S agents amd shooting in North America. That doesn’t make any sense.
How dare you criticize Chuck from Daisies? Die beyotch!
I think Arrested Development was hurt somewhat because it’s so canonized by TV critics and TV snobs, so when you come into the show fresh you think it’s going to be the second-coming, and it’s not…”
I’ve found that this tends to be the case with most shows that survive as long as they do based on nothing but critical support. I can’t think of how many shows I’ve watched in the last couple of years – Friday Night Lights, Arrested Development, Battlestar Galactica, etc. – that have been touted as the best thing since Buffy yet turn out to be merely good.
It’s a bit of a Catch 22 – I think that critics generally feel the need to overpraise these shows in order to let the networks know that they deserve to be kept on the air (since nobody’s watching them). And in truth, they DO deserve to be kept on the air, but aren’t quite as good as these critics make them out to be.
The only exception to this I’ve seen in recent years is The Wire, with which I’ve yet to find any fault. It’s perfect.
I think THE OFFICE has been amazing this season! It’s getting a little formulaic with the touchy feely sweet ending, but there’s been some hillarious episodes. Dwights brother had me rolling!
Mose was hilarious.
Themutilator, do us a favor and tell us if you liked the other Saw movies and if Saw IV is more of the same – because that’s my understanding, and since I hated Saw II and III I want to make sure my expectations are in line.
Hating Chuck from Pushing Daisies? You sir; simply have no taste in quirky women. Also; TV IS NOT ABOUT REPEATING THE SAME STORY OVER AND OVER AGAIN… unless it’s CBS (and not HIMYM or NCIS)… it START’S HERE! Nevertheless; Chuck is pretty awesome on that show. If you lack the sense of whimsy to get the show, then good for you.
Finally… LOVE FOR SAWIV? HOT DOG!
So…the sweetest movie of the fall, the one with the most small-town values about family and community…is about a man and his sex doll. Who would have thought it?
Hating Chuck from Pushing Daisies? You sir; simply have no taste in quirky women. Also; TV IS NOT ABOUT REPEATING THE SAME STORY OVER AND OVER AGAIN… unless it’s CBS (and not HIMYM or NCIS)… it START’S HERE! Nevertheless; Chuck is pretty awesome on that show. If you lack the sense of whimsy to get the show, then good for you.
Finally… LOVE FOR SAWIV? HOT DOG!
From 20 Weeks to Oscar(didn’t see a blog post for it)concerning Hairspray:
“Could this $119 million grossing comedy be the killer ap no one saw coming? ”
No.
Michael Clayton and Hairspray will NOT be nominated for Best Picture. Not in a million years. If I have to eat my words in January I will, but I don’t think I’ll have to.
JeffMCM, what do you think about P2? The ads make it look goofy but then I found out Alex Aja(Haute Tension, Hills Have Eyes remake) cowrote it, along with most of the same team as made HT, and suddenly I’m very interested.
Hmmm. The fact Aja was involved in P2 does indeed make it more interesting.
But I saw some marketing for it today that slightly put me off- some posters on columns in a shopping center parking deck (similar to the movie setting, I suppose), with a caption something like “The only thing worse than being alone is finding out you’re not”.
It seemed a bit in poor taste to me, given the sort of slight natural fear a lot of people have of attacks in such areas. I don’t know. It’s not like the Captivity billboards that were just asking for trouble, but it is very slightly offputting to me, like some unspoken line has been crossed.
P2 needs a better title. On an unrelated note, do we really need an American remake of Funny Games?
I don’t understand the ‘poor taste’ thing – the whole point of horror movies like P2 is to dramatize situations that people are naturally afraid of. That’s the movie’s reason for existing.
I think Aja is an okay director and a bad writer (High Tension was interesting to look at but pretty boring and the twist was AWFUL) so his participation in P2 doesn’t bode well for me.
P2 sounds like a video game console. Dumb title.
And no we don’t need a remake of Funny Games. We don’t need any remakes. How about we keep moving forward with original ideas.
Well, poor taste in the sense of the location of the ad. It’s like putting an ad for Alive in an airport. Or Gone Baby Gone next to a pre-school dropoff point. I mean you can, but is it really a good idea?
I agree re Funny Games remake. The version that exists is about as good as the concept supports, and there’s probably not even much money in the remake…
Oh, I missed that part re: ad location. It’s not bad taste as much as it is just bad marketing, because it makes it easy for people to get annoyed at the movie.
P2 doesn’t look like anything special.
I now present a one-scene play, written by me.
Guy: “Hey, do you wanna see a movie tonight?”
Girl: “Sure, what’s playing?”
Guy: “What about P2?”
Girl: “P2? Was there a P1?”
Guy: “…what?”
Girl: “What’s it a sequel to?”
Guy: “Nothing.”
Girl: “It’s not a sequel? Then why is it called P two?”
Guy: “I… don’t know.”
{fin}
Also, on the subject of Funny Games, I’m sure Michael Haneke has some warped reasoning for remaking his own movie shot-for-shot. We may never know what it is though…
P2 is the Surf 2 of the 21st Century.
Obviously people are not up on the haps with P2 being a PARKING LEVEL… WHERE WES BENTLEY TERRORIZES YOU! BRUHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cough. Excuse me. I could not help myself.
please visit
http://www.gabrielchristou.blogspot.com
you will see PHOTOS of WHO and WHERE Bin Laden and his NETWORKS ARE
please visit
http://www.gabrielchristou.blogspot.com
you will see PHOTOS of WHO and WHERE Bin Laden and his NETWORKS ARE
P2’s not a sequel to K2?