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
So, in other words, The Happening’s Friday gross took you by suprise.
By the way, I wanted to say thanks for calling “Iron Man” what it really was a – vastly overrated mediocrity.
Ditto for what you said about “Speed Racer”.
i am really looking forward to reading your thoughts regarding ‘boeing-boeing’. it just seems like such an anachronistic piece, i can’t imagine how it works.
that, and i think thelma ritter was prettier than christine baranski….
I don’t think Wahlberg is an underestimated box office draw at all. His level is correctly judged. He’s good for a low-mid teens weekend opening at best. He’s not a charasmatic or gifted enough actor for people to rush out to see him in huge numbers, but he does have a limited appeal.
The openinig had of The Happening had little to do with Wahlberg, and a lot to do with Shymalan. The critics were writing his box-office obituary too quickly. He’s still one of a handful of directors who can draw an audience based on his name. The marketing of the film made great play on the fact that it’s from the guy who made Signs and The Sixth Sense. Everyone I know (flimsy anecdodatl evidence, but I digress) wanted to watch the film because of “The Sixth Sense guy”, not Wahlberg.
Haven’t seen The Happening. It may or may not stink. But there is a concerted effort to destroy Shymalan’s career, and I think he’s too talented to be written off, even if the film is a clunker. Hopefully, the opening of The Happening re-establishes the fact that Shymalan still has his commercial mojo, and he can use that power to actually get something interesting made. It’s time for him to move on from these type of films, and display his range as a fillmaker.
A vast overrated mediocrity? Yep. Not with it. The fact that Heat was seen wearing a freakin Iron-Man shirt out at a screening, demonstrates in glaring detail that the guy knows how to pull off a bit of business.
I think the reason this flick did better than Lady was because it was Shyamalan doing a Shyamalan movie, unlike Lady, which was kinda like Sandler doing Mike Bender movie rather than a Sandler movie.
David, did you ever reveal whose career was ending?
Agreed with Bart about The Happening. This looked more like another Signs than another Lady in the Water, even if the quality is nowhere near. Still, anything close to or over $30mil has gotta be seen as a win, right? And if people say it’s not then their judgement is skewed.
Saw Speed Racer today (it only just opened this w/e) and am officially sad over it’s box office state. Oh well, it happens.
Also, I am completely ignorant to the subject matter, but “I don’t get” the Boeing Boeing joke.
It’s Shyamalan’s career that’s over, according to Heat. No chance… THE LAST AIRBENDER feels like the kinda thing that could take off commercially and renew Night’s inspiration. I love that he says he intends to make a live action Miyazaki movie.
Back to the NYC stage stuff, neither Michael Stuhlberg nor Mark Rylance is exactly unknown. Rylance won every award possible in London for this part, has been talked about a Tony since before it opened (I, by the way, thought he was brilliant, too) and has been a big-time stage and film actor for more than a decade (“Other Boleyn Girl,” most recently). Stuhlberg is huge in New York circles, was astonishing (and Tony nominated) for “Pillowman.”
It’s a curious thing, really. While I do think that M. Night will leave to see another day (and this fact pleases me), I also can’t help but feel that some damage has been done.
Last Airbender could be a success, in the same way, the first Spy Kids (or even the first Stuart Little) movies were but I kind of feel that he might have a hard time coming back to his “comfort territory”. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
The Strangers has already grossed more than The Happening will total.
The Happening has made over $60 mill. worldwide and it will finish up with $150-200 mill. Whether we like it or not, it’s going to be profitable – it only cost $57 mill.
Bad movies make money all the time, no news here other than the fact that there was some weird personal vendetta against Night for this one. That’s the great thing about the movies, you’re risking your $10 on a possible gargantuan piece of shit. It’s still not totally McDonalds, I like how you go in hoping for steak but knowing in the back of your mind it could be a shit sandwich. Gotta keep throwing the shit sandwiches in there to keep us on our toes.
mutinyco, you have to know that’s not true, right? The Strangers has made about $45 million. Has a movie ever opened with $30 million and failed to clear $50 million?! Isn’t The Happening pretty much guaranteed $60 million at this point? It may well outgross The Strangers when all is said and done (albeit probably not by much).
Think about how little money The Happening would have to make next weekend to not clear $50 million. Assuming a (conservative) $3-4 million total during the week, it would have to drop by about 70% next weekend to do around $9 million… and even that cume would put it within striking distance of 50 already.
Well, considering NF is claiming that it has a CinemaScore of D (I saw a C- on Yahoo!), and it made nearly half its weekend total on the first day… who knows?…
I’m not saying The Happening isn’t gonna drop hard, or have an exceptionally frontloaded gross. I’m just saying that it would be nearly impossible for this movie not to clear $50 million with a $30 million start — let alone not clear the current $45 mil The Strangers has in teh bank.
I’d also venture that with horror/thriller movies (or, as I’ve said before, most movies, but especially in this genre), unless word of mouth is SPECTACULAR or really unique, it doesn’t matter much, give or take a few million. The difference between a horror-ish movie with awful word of mouth and mediocre word of mouth or even pretty good word of mouth will be negligible, given the frontloading of late. In reality, The Happening will probably perform a lot like The Strangers: 50-60% drops several weeks in a row. But given a bigger opening, it would be pretty difficult for Happening to not make at least marginally more money.
The Happening will make more money, despite dropping hard next weekend, there’s no question about it.
That said, The Strangers will be a lot more profitable, especially domestically.
Even if The Happening has legs equivalent to Gigli’s (61.7% of its gross was made in the first weekend and it dropped by 81.9% in its second weekend, the third worst second weekend drop ever) it would still gross roughly $49 million. So, yeah, even with poor legs The Happening should gross at least in the high 50s and will probably make it over 60. 60-70 is the likely range.
Hehe…
Can I also say that I already clearly foresee Indy 4 taking the summer (and the year) crown? For too long people have compared it to Pirates 3 but according to my analysis as of today, it’s tracking slightly better than Transformers and I think it will end up in the roughly the same neighbourhood. Being a shorter movie will help it too.
Also, in about 3 or 4 weeks from now Indy 4 will be earning more money per weekend than “The Happening”.
Romance, do you think Indy will definitely stay ahead of Iron Man? It’s closing the gap, for sure, but Iron Man maintains excellent staying power (I knew it was closing in on $300 million, but didn’t realize until I saw this weekend’s figures that it was gonna happen within a week). It looks to me like they could both top out around that Transformers territory you mention — 310 or so. It might be an unusually close contest for biggest movie of the year, unless Wall-E really hangs in there.
I do think that Indy will close the gap because I don’t think that it’s big enough for Iron Man to maintain the momentum. While Iron Man has shown an incredible staying power, at the end it won’t be enough stay ahead.
Keep in mind that Iron Man opened nearly three weeks ahead of Indy and then ask yourself where will Indy be in three weeks. Again, Iron Man performed impressively well, it really had no business making this much money.
Suprises can happen though but at this moment I don’t think Wall-E will be it.
So, there you have it, Tragedy.
Chris – Being a known actor in theater circles and being a star are different. Neither of these guys are stars here now. Both will be considered as such after these performances, in my opinion.
Rylance has made a few movies, but really, he’s about to become the next Brian Cox or Hopkins, if he so pleases. Branagh will never work again if casting people can get Rylance to work.
Stuhlberg has had one credit of major note. But this performance is up there with Kline in Penzance… that kind of “I will follow this guy anywhere” performance. The show has some issues and reviews will be mixed. But he is stellar.
On the flip side, the quick, sad death of “Is He Dead?” has to keep producers scared when they realize that Leo Norbert Butz doesn’t draw, even after the Tony.
But I want to see Rylance’s Salieri.. his Cyrano… his George… his Archie f-ing Rice.
And I can only assume that Stuhlberg can’t sing, because he could have kept The Producers going for another bunch of years. He would have been the best casting from the start, I think.
It’s been a truly great year for rising stars on Broadway.
P.S. I’ve had my Daniel Johnston Iron Man shirt for years.
Iron Man was one of my favorites as a kid.
I just hope that all the elements that turned people on in this film will be back in the sequel and that they will actually have a strong script. Tony Stark is a lot more interesting to me at the end of Hulk than he was at the end of his film.
“Last Airbender could be a success, in the same way, the first Spy Kids (or even the first Stuart Little) movies were”
Shyamalan wrote STUART LITTLE, you know!
Of course I know!!! That’s why I mentioned it! Geez.
Haven’t seen The Happening yet, but Wahlberg looks extremely uncomfortable in the previews, as if he’d rather be doing a sequel to Shooter or something…
…and saying Shyamalan wrote Stuart Little is like saying J.F. Lawton wrote Pretty Woman. There were like ten writers on it, if not more.