May 11, 2024
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Review: Little Women (no spoilers)
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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
Classy.
So long and thanks for all the thumbs, Roger.
The curtain is not closed though as we still have Roger’s invaluable wesbsite.
For a minute there, you had me thinking that he had died.
Nice artwork, Ebert is THE KING…
…but all of this coverage tends to slight ROEPER, the MOST RELIABLE CRITIC IN AMERICA for eight years on now.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know… He doesn’t know his classic Hollywood cinema.
You know what? FUCK ALL THAT. Movies before 1960 mostly SUCKED unless you are OLD.
ROEPER = infinitely relatable, awesome, straight-shooter REGULAR GUY who SCORES CHICKS and OWNS ASS.
Obviously Ebert is an incredible treasure (as was Siskel), but Roeper has at the VERY least done a yeoman’s job of filling a difficult spot for years and especially in the last two years keeping the show going and entertaining.
ROEPS, IF YOU READ THIS SHIT, YOU ARE THE MAN. HIT ME UP ON MYSPACE AND TELL ME SOME STORIES ABOUT SCORING HOT CHICKS.
ROEPER IS THE ENVY OF ALL CRITICS BECAUSE MOST OF THEM COULDN’T GET LAID IN A THAI BROTHEL WITH A STACK OF THOUSANDS WHILE WEARING BRAD PITT’S SKIN.
Can we dial back the hero worship a tad and recognize that Ebert stopped grading on a legitimate scale years ago? It seems three is his lowest grade (on average) and many (too many) get a perfect four stars.
I get it. Roger is thrilled to be alive, and his enthusiasm carries over to his films. But it’s tough to take any critic seriously when they give positive reviews to THE MUMMY (3 stars), SWING VOTE (3 stars), the dreadful X-FILES (3.5 stars), THE HAPPENING (3 stars) and so on.
now to be fair lex I am also frequently asked to leave brothels when I show up wearing other people’s skin, sure it is not Brad Pitt’s and usually that of some vagrants but let me assure you the practice is frowned upon.
And I am also amazed at the passes that he is giving terrible films but no amount of worship is to much for this man. I remember watching him and Siskel on PBS with my father and they are really the reason I starting loving movies. I was the only kid in my eighth grade class who was excited to see Stand By Me because I liked the director’s previous work.
Seeing that we are always on the verge of losing him I am glad the community still gets the chance to applaud him.
“Movies before 1960 mostly SUCKED unless you are OLD.”
Lex, if you really believe that, you’re even a bigger ass than previously thought. If you just wanted to get a rise out of people, then Mission Accomplished.
Ebert was dead on with the X-Files. Plot was confusing and villains idiotic, but the film itself was a good old school thriller.
The ending in a boat was both hilarious and sad, because we sure as hell aren’t going to hear from Mulder and Scully any more.
Since the BYOB was in a mostly political bent, thought I’d bump for this:
Apparently Ebert, Phillips, and Roeper didn’t even get to issue or say a proper farewell or give any sort of indication or explanation on the last “Ebert & Roeper,” which aired the weekend before last. That show went out with no acknowledgment that it would be last, not a word from R/P, then last weekend’s was a rerun as is this weekend’s.
Christ, after eight years, Roeper wasn’t even allowed to say good-bye or thank the audience on his behalf and especially Roger’s? Thank Roger’s audience for watching for 30-some years????? Obviously Roeper and Ebert have made their opinions known elsewhere, but I wish the powers that be had allowed Roeper or Phillips to at least make a succinct farewell.
Not blaming either, as I’m sure either guy would’ve been willing to say something tactful and at least acknowledge the situation… the whole scenario is just depressing and a prime example of how NOT to treat a well-liked show, its fans, its stars, its fans, and its legacy.