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
Rented the DVDs of “Rescue Dawn” and “Hairspray.” Christian Bale deserves an Oscar nomination for this, as he did for “The Machinist.” (Why does he put himself through all this physical torture for his art? Were I he, I would insist on a mushy love story set in Paris for my next film, just to revel in the comfort and luxury of it all.)
Travolta is really good as Edna and I wouldn’t be surprised if he got some nominations for this. Certainly he can get a Golden Globe nomination. The question is: lead or supporting?
RESCUE DAWN is like….the quietest movie made since the silent era. Everyone whispers!
Completely agree with you on Christian Bale in Rescue Dawn, Adorian. I even wrote about it in my new column; it’s the performance of the year so far.
So what is everyone most thankful for this year at the movies?
Gellar in SOUTHLAND TALES = B O N E R
Best performance EVER.
That’s a tough act to follow, but I’m thankful primarily for the Coens, Carice Van Houten, Brad Bird, Bong Joon-Ho, George Clooney, Werner Herzog, Cate Blanchett, and Quentin Tarantino.
I’m thankful for the man o’ the year:
JOSH MOTHERFUCKIN’ BROLIN.
Bale looked on his own creatively in Rescue Dawn. Like he wasn’t getting adequate direction from wacky Werner Herzog and just winged it, filling in the blanks himself. I think that’s why he seemed so “big” in it… there was zero synthesis between story and performance. And that’s something a survival film of this kind really needs to work (Zemeckis did it so perfectly with Tom Hanks in Cast Away).
I continue to love Bale, but when I watch him I see him go to the same old bag of tricks over and over. I am not denying his performances aren’t good, simply that I am seeing some repeat stuff, kinda like when composers rip themselves off.
I’m thankful for being able to travel to see my parents, I’m thankful for my health and I’m thankful that my bonsai tree is still alive. I’m not thankful that there’s freezing rain where I’m headed to tomorrow.
I sorta agree, sloanish. Bale and Davies were doing BALE and DAVIES(!!) full-on in RESCUE DAWN and meanwhile Steve Zahn who really turns in an amazing performance gets out starred by Batman and Manson. There is no justice…
I’m thankful for Ratatouille and Stardust.
I’m thankful for MovieCityNews and David Poland.
Although, D-Po, you need to invest in a voice coach. You look like a bear but sound like a pink flower.
If it were a woman continuously doing what Bale does (dramatic weight and physical changes) they’d win Oscars yet somehow Bale doesn’t even have a nomination to his credit.
I, for one, think his American Psycho performance is the best male performance of this decade.
I’m thankful you can still see movies in theaters. DVD hasn’t killed ’em yet! May it never!
I’m less thankful for “Beowulf.” The 3D’s nice, but that’s about the only reason I’d recommend the movie. The story and characters did not do anything for me. Beowulf’s pretty dull. Angelina Jolie wasn’t enticing or alluring or anything. Last thing I expected was that.
I am extremely thankful for this. Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XU4jpnJWFY
KC-
Because Bale choose half baked movies to star in and torture himself. I mean, don’t get me wrong….I love everything the guy is in, but he does Oscar worthy performances in B movies. Mary Harron ruined “American Psycho,” “The Machinist” was too in love with itself (or not at all….) and “Rescue Dawn” well…I dunno. Just didn’t really get it I guess.
Mary Harron didn’t ruin American Psycho. As a fan of the book I must admit there are many different ways to approach it, but she embraced the dark, satirical comedy that it is. It tells the story it wants to tell perfectly. It’s a damn hard book to adapt. And the card scene is PERFECTION. Not to mention Christian Bale.
American Psycho is one of those films where you need to pretend the book doesn’t exist. The book was perfect so any film based on it could never really compare. Fight Club on the other hand, the book wasn’t perfect which left room for the film to be better or at least comparable.
So yeah, Mary didn’t ruin American Psycho and I’m still in awe for how the film turned out with it’s small budget. IMDB is saying $8M which could be completely wrong but I’ll be very impressed until I see a much higher number.
‘RESCUE DAWN is like….the quietest movie made since the silent era. Everyone whispers!”
You mean the quietest movie since the last M. Night Shyamalan flick.
But c’mon, isn’t “American Psycho” really a guilty pleasure/B movie? Did you guys read the original script that Oliver Stone was going to direct? Superior. I like the way the movie is, but it’s not a “good” movie inasmuch as it’s a fun/whacked out movie. And I think Harron blew it in many ways.
And for my money Roger Avary’s “The Rules of Attraction” is an incredible adaptation. He takes Ellis’s words and makes them cinematic. That film was marketed horribly and is really a pretty awesome movie, imho.
I happen to think both “American Psycho” and “The Rules of Attraction” are very underrated.
I rewatched AP not long ago and find that it ages really well. Much better than I remembered it (and I always liked it), and yes, one of the greatest performances of the decade from Bale.
I’m an extremely big fan of Ellis and I think American Psycho is a brilliant take on the novel. It’s more of a comedy than a satire like the book was and Bale nails the performance and the movie even integrates the Huey Lewis, Whitney Houston, Phil Collins passages into the plot. I think there are many different ways the book could have been adapted and this is one aspect, focusing on the hilarity of the premise in a sardonic way, poking fun at the chauvinism with a wink.
I also think Rules of Attraction is the best adaptation of Ellis so far, perfectly nailing the rhythms and the tone of his books. I’m looking forward to what Gregor Jordan is doing with The Informers and, having read the script, I think it’ll be just as good as Rules of Attraction.
Less Than Zero really should be re-made.
I second the notion that Christian Bale gave the best male actor performance of this decade. Naomi Watts in Mulholland Drive is the best woman performance.
Noah.. no… no it should not.
Well, I simply love American Psycho. After Mulholland Drive and Moulin Rouge! it is my favourite film of this decade so far.
To quote that great aussie flick The Castle – “It’s the vibe”.
Those are three different films there Camel. GOOD CALL!
Is that sarcasm?
Sorry: The best female performance of the year is one that most certainly will not get an Oscar nomination — Christina Ricci in Black Snake Moan.
I think I would die of happiness if Ricci (she’s around a lot today!) got some awards for Black Snake Moan ala Terrence Howard two years back. I loved the way she said “are you a pervert?” for some reason.
anyone else surprised that Hitman was #2 on Wed?