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
David, I think they’ve kinda-sorta beat you to the punch. Don’t you remember Dracula 2000, the movie that reveals Dracula really is Judas Iscariot?
At this point does New Line give a flying f*ck what the Vatican thinks of The Golden Compass? Or are they more concerned with the lackluster U.S. box office? People did not stay away from this movie because of the Vatican or Catholic League.
Americans certainly did stay away from “The Golden Compass” because of the Catholic League and their enablers the Liberal Media. Christian fundamentalists are playing a part in this latest jihad as well.
In fact, a positive review of the film was taken down from the Catholic News Service website on orders of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
As for me? I plan to see “The Golden Compass” this weekend and decide for myself.
The media like controversy, regardless of political ‘side’. More people avoided the movie because it looked lame than avoided it because the Catholic League told them to.
The Catholic League is run by a right-wing demagogue who gets lots of face time on Fox News Channel.
Entertainment Weekly did its part with a cover story, complete with inflammatory headline. That magazine is owned by Time Warner — which has long had a soft spot for hardline religion. (EW and New Line are corporate cousins.)
And you don’t see any of the contradictions inherent in your own thought process based on what you just wrote?
I’m a Buddhist and generally, in Thailand that is, (Tibet is different), monks stay away from worldly affairs. They are not meant to meddle since they gave up worldly pleasures. It is interesting and somewhat amusing to me to see the Vatican condemning this and that film. But then again, this is a religion which constantly seeks out new members…
Just looks like a boring movie. Featuring the stars of The Invasion, a big recent movie flop.
The Pope doesn’t like Gays either, especially ones that like pursuing other men in bathroom stalls. Know what I mean, Mr. Poland?
Suchie, you’re an idiot. And a tool.
I think Suchie is referring to the slanderous story that was debunked several months ago. Of course, somehow Nikki Finke will be blamed.
The DaVinci Code, The Order, Stigmata, V for Vendetta, Dogma, Elizabeth The Golden Years, The Golden Compass etc. Reads like a laundry list of some of the most artistically inept and mediocre films of the past 10 years of cinema.
“Say what you want about Mel Gibson but the son of a bitch knows story structure.”
South Park
Funny. Because I thought Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto were also artistically inept.
And Mel Gibson has no sense of story structure, as his movies have about 45 minutes of story stretched out to well over two hours with repetitive action, excessive slow motion and absolutely nothing in the way of character development.
I don’t buy the Catholic League’s impact on BO for The Golden Compass. They were more pissed off about The DaVinci Code and that did diddly squat to both the book and movie.
“And you don’t see any of the contradictions inherent in your own thought process based on what you just wrote?”
Jeff, you’ll win the lottery twice before Chucky admits once that he and logic inhabit two discrete universes.
So, if you can avoid apoplexy, you’ll at least have won the lottery twice.
Going after the Catholic Church turns you into an artistically inept hack? Don’t tell Luis Bunuel.
Nicol: so are those movies inept or are they mediocre? Those words do not mean the same thing.
And you really have to admit that you have something of a bias in that realm.