April 27, 2024
The Hot Blog
amit on: Review: Frozen 2 (spoiler-free)
movieman on: BYOB Fall Back, Film Forward
Christian on: BYOB Fall Back, Film Forward
movieman on: Review: Marriage Story (spoilers only in the broadest sense)
movieman on: BYOB Fall Back, Film Forward
movieman on: Review: Frozen 2 (spoiler-free)
YancySkancy on: Review: Little Women (no spoilers)
Hcat on: Why You Should Be Afraid Of The End Of The Paramount Decree
movieman on: BYOB Fall Back, Film Forward
movieman on: I Should Be Doing Box Office
Review: Little Women (no spoilers)
Why You Should Be Afraid Of The End Of The Paramount Decree
Review: Frozen 2 (spoiler-free)
Review: Marriage Story (spoilers only in the broadest sense)
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"]
Quote Unquotesee all »
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
I don’t care who’s first, or even who’s right, as long as they’re good, as these all are. So for what it is, include Eric Kohn’s, because for what it is, it’s good. Fave poke in Pride’s review is “geezer chic.” Wilmington abides by that, wholeheartedly, by the likes of his review. Turns out I’m not seeing it until next weekend, due to technical difficulties, or rather, last minute take backs, deserved I guess, oh well.
So, America got a Curious Case of Benjamin Button teaser before Indy. Australia got an Australia teaser before Indy (a different one to the one on the Apple website, oddly).
Here here to great directors getting some deserved attention. It’s rare for movies like those (especially Button) to get time before a giant blockbuster, instead of the latest Batman or whatever.
not exactly on topic, but…..it’s been my contention/fear that the sucess of ‘button’ will depend for the most part on the make-up work….if that fails, the project sinks…. that said, it appears from the trailer like they nailed it…..i’m really looking forward to it….
and…if i can shill for a minute… on sunday, HBO is premiering ‘recount’ (hands down, one of the best movies of the year)…then, on 6/9, ‘roman polanski:wanted & desired’ (sure to be an oscar nom for doc)…… if you can do the HBO thing, this would be the time…jus’ sayin’…
I was very impressed with the “Benjamin Button” teaser. Pitt proves once again that he’s someone who loves to take chances.
I want to see Indy again, that’s all I know.
I guess all those spoilers really ruined it for you Brack, huh?
Dave, it’s official, Hillary lost because her chief strategist was in charge of polling — thought that might ring your bell.
sorry, I guess I should’ve said “see Indy 4 again” since I already went and saw it.
My initial reaction was that I liked it, but didn’t love it. But over the last day or two I keep getting images from the movie in my head again and again, and reconsidering the decisions that were made that really make sense if one thinks about it more than just a few seconds, and I keep thinking “I gotta see it again!”
But that’s any Indy movie, really. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen the original trilogy. In some ways I’m more of a lover of the Indy movies than I ever was the Star Wars movies.
I got the trailer for Australia here in Los Angeles, nothing for Benjamin Button.
The leaked script pages for Recount were terrible, so I’m assuming it’s better than that little sliver…?
I loved the use of “Carnival of the Animals – Aquarium” in the Benjamin Button trailer, a movie I wasn’t particularly looking forward too, but now I most certainly am.
Neverthless, doesn’t it all look a bit too “arty” to justify it’s $100mil+ budget?
mcmahon — i don’t know what pages were leaked but, i believe, ‘recount’ is going to scoop a shit-ton of award nominations come judgement day…..
it’s just that good……
Although that YouTube “Button” trailer is in Spanish… I don’t know where it came from, I certainly haven’t seen it yet in the cinema! We got Batman trailers in Spain before Indy, along with Kung Fu Panda (scary!)
Scooter, Wells leaked a batch of pages depicting Gore’s retraction of his concession speech to Bush at the other end of the phone, and every major character was written, IMHO, as a total parody of themselves…which is perhaps the point?
there is, indeed, an element of parody….but the performances far outweigh any weakness in the script….really, this is a good thing…..
Yeah, we got Australia, Kung-Fu Panda, Speed Racer, Narnia and Wanted. Apart from the first one it was all very boring.
Benjamin Button looks good, and I do mean “looks” as visually dazzling. I can’t wait to see the make-up and CG combo to age the lead.
But…and I’ve found Pitt likeable and good in some roles, he’s horrible with accents. Horrible. Any time he’s tried it, it’s been laughable. And he’s got an old scool southern drawl in this one. I hope for the best.
I’ve seen Indy IV twice.
First with my friends, all 20-somethings. A few enjoyed it, most didn’t care for it or hated it.
Second time was with my father, who’s near 60. He really enjoyed it. Clapped in some scenes. Got a kick out of the chase sequences. he was grinning when we left the theater. Said it remined him of the old action movies when he was a kid.
“didn’t you think it was silly? or kinda dumb, Dad?”
“Sure, but they all are. I enjoyed it”.
Anyone else notice an age gap of enjoyment?
Young children and older couples seem to enjoy it the most.
I very much enjoyed the first hour of Indy – it was a kick to see the character return amidst the Red Scare and pretty clever.
But the second half was just WAY too much exposition – all of these characters are introduced and they just do nothing with them. I mean, they bring back Karen Allen and Marian and they give her virtually no interplay with Indy??? Then what’s the point?
It was almost as if Lucas directed this one – way too much content on the skull and what it “means” and not enough interaction between the characters. I mean, even Spielberg, at his weakest, usually delves into the family dynamic, usually to the fault of the rest of his stories. But strangely, there seem to be scenes edited out between Mutt, Indy, and Marion.
Some of the CGI is annoying – the monkeys just don’t work. And I cannot understand how they give no quip or any amount of cleverness to Blanchett’s characters – she is obviously having fun with the character, you can’t even give one “no, it’s really a coat hanger” moment like the head-nazi in Raiders? Blanchett certainly seems game for anything – just a missed opportunity, kind of like how Spielberg wasted Samuel L. Jackson and Vince Vaughn in the Jurassic Park movies.
Not a bad movie, certainly in the ballpark of the other sequels, which all had their silly moments, too. But really, why did this take 19 years to develop? Sometimes, it hurts a movie to know the backstory – that’s part of why Superman Returns even seemed worse upon screening. I mean, when you think about how many screenplays, actors, directors they went through to get it done? And the end-result is a light-action, light-dialogue, mood-piece pseudo-remake of the first movie? Just pointless.
Indy IV wasn’t quite that pointless, because Ford was truly fun to watch and LeBouf just seems to know how to make it work in a movie like this. Give the guy his props – no matter if it’s crystal skulls, demented robots attacking Chicago, or big rigs turning into robots, the guy knows how to preserve his charm. He is already ahead of Orlando Bloom in that manner. Put him in an Apatow comedy and I think he would just kill.