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
God this constant Obama cheerleading is fucking ponderous man…ponderous.
I thought David Poland and Jeffrey Wells pretty much hated each other, yet both of their blogs have turned into all Obama-apologizing all the time. I have a hard time differentiating the two blogs these days.
It’d be much nicer if they stuck to giving us movie info instead of acting as mouthpieces for touting the party-line hollywood political position. There are about 10,000 other blogs we can go to for that kind of crap.
This is what the election feels like so far: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJiMqRd5xUk&feature=related
There’s always something to bitch about, isn’t there?
I don’t read Wells, so I have no idea what he is writing or why. But it always strikes me when people who are not showing up to comment on the endless writing about movies, movies, and nothing but movies decide to creep out and comment when I hit some nerve that makes them uncomfortable.
My rule has always been the same around here… put up or shut up.
If you motherfuckers are against Obama. Well, really, GET OUT OF HERE! OUT OF HERE! OUT OF HERE!
You think you can drop a freakin Stern reference boy, and not have me top it? Uh no. No you could not.
I, not surprisingly, disagree with IO. I think most of the conversations have been well worth having, especially when people disagree respectfully.
But when people tell me they don’t want me to write what I have written, it’s not actually a conversation.
You heard the man, whiners. You’re on his turf. If you find your host boring, excuse yourself and slip out the door.
Hey, you wanna go for a ride?
Yes, I don’t normally comment on this blog. I read this blog and Wells for my movie news, and the overwhelming number of Obama cheerleading articles on both blogs has moved me to comment. I guess I’ll try to find some other movie blogs to read that actually discuss movies until the election is over.
Oh, and David, you have no need to read what Wells is writing about Obama because you’re essentially writing the same thing. Although Wells does tend to post some wackier stuff like how the success or failure of “The Beverly Hills Chihuahua” at the BO will tell us if McCain or Obama will win the race. I’m not making this up. So, I guess this blog is the saner of the two. Congrats.
Hey, anyone remember when Moviesquad quit posting here because of the Obama stuff? I don’t think the blog ever really recovered from the his departure.
Man, I miss that guy.
Moviesquad: How can we miss you if you don’t go — and stay — away?
I’m nicknaming the Dem ticket: JOBAMA!
Moviesquad… no need to read this blog for news… or Wells for than matter… he just takes everything from the front page of MCN, where you will not find any pro-Obama content… should make you happy.
I can see where people could be coming from on this that aren’t on the Obama Train. But as someone who boarded back in February, this place is like a personal Cloud 9.
I also recommend Al Giodano’s The Field for more unique coverage:
http://narcosphere.narconews.com/thefield
Anyone have any good entertainment blogs you like? I’m coming up short.
David: you missed the Scott the Engineer reference, that was a response to the “FUCKING PONDEROUS” comment. Which is a Howard Stern reference. Thanks in no small part to Fred Norris playing that tape of Kasey going bat shit for well over a decade.
I will just stand by this point until the Fall: if you want to have a political discussion without being a condescending prick. Everything should be fine.
If you want to respond like that whacky Canuck, who many in his own country would deport for his whackiness, then there’s no room for disccusion. Which leads to people being referred to as “motherfuckers” because they seem to think that BELIEVING IN A BRIGHTER TOMORROW is bullshit.
Yeah. Your ass would have voted for Nixon in the 60s. I wonder if that motherfucker would have had the foresight to take us… from the Earth to the Moon.
Thanks David. I do read MovieCityNews, but I also appreciate the analysis found in the blog.
It isn’t just that you are posting stories about Obama, it’s that this blog is morphing into a political blog instead of an entertainment/movie industry blog. I’d feel the same way if you started posting continuous stories about McCain who I also can’t stand.
I do not recall Heat stating on day one of this blog; “WE WILL DISCUSS MOVIES AND EVERYTHING REVOLVING AROUND MOVIES! OCCASSIONALLY WE MAY DISCUSS A TV SHOW, BUT IT HAS TO BE A GOOD TV SHOW. IF IT’S SHIT. WE WILL NOT DISCUSS IT. WE WILL ALSO DISCUSS THE THEATRE. IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS… FUCK YOU. NOW LET US DISCUSS THINGS LIKE WE DID IN 2004!”
Yeah I do not remember that happening there fencesitter. You hate McCain and Obama? What a fucking piker.
The Swamp is a joint product of all Tribune Co. newspapers. Newsday on Long Island contributed to The Swamp until that paper was sold over the summer.
Yes, IO, I hate them both. I’m more inclined to think the pikers are the people who worship either one of these guys.
Mark me down as someone who doesn’t like that ad. Obama wasn’t obligated to pick any specific person. I wouldn’t have picked Hillary either.
The constant Obama cheerleading of a candidate who has accomplished nothing and pretty much changes his views daily is getting tiresome.
Stick to movies.
“Stick to movies.”
Talk about a textbook case of someone needing to take their own advice.
At least Obama has never pretended to be a Mexican or a woman, which Richard Nash has on multiple occasions.
And I’m sure we don’t forget Rufus Masters.
Ah yes. Good old Rufus Masters. Richard has been absent for a while. He was so missed here.
He’s Ian Sinclair without the intelligence, wit, or charm.
You got that right. It’s funny that he has suddenly resurfaced.
Is it just me, or does anyone else yearn to see Michelle Obama kicking Cindy McCaine’s ass?
Just for the record… I count 74 Hot Blog entries this month that have nothing to do with politics… and 6 that do.
I’m not sure that I have crossed the line into being a political blog as of yet.
And frankly, if Drudge’s sidekick hadn’t poisoned the well for me from the start at HuffPo, I’d be just as happy posting them there.
David: If memory serves me correctly, when HuffPo first launched, you posted here at least a couple… well, “attacks” would be a tad strong, perhaps. But you were not exactly encouraging. Indeed, you were downright DISCOURAGING in terms of handicapping her chances for success. Maybe THAT is what poisoned the well for you there?
Like, er, well…
http://www.mcnblogs.com/thehotblog/archives/2005/05/on_more_thought.html
Holy crap, is that bicylce bob? I mean Sanchez? I mean Rufus? Everyone’s favorite gay disabled lesbian black latino?
How you doin’ guy? Get some help? Have the voices in your head quieted down? Did you finally figure out which one you are?
How’s the weather in Hicksville?
Moviesquad not to be confused with TDK hater movieman: whose worshipping? Seriously; there is nothing you can bring that I cannot rip apart like the thinest of paper. You are just being a hater dick, but this seems to be the season of the hater dick. Only hater dicks could feel believing in something bigger being a bad thing.
Do not sing it, piker. Bring it.
The site has grown… interestingly enough, grown well past the celeb blog idea. It actually does work as a Drudge with some original content for the left. It took a while.
But no, I also know there is a different issue in play.
And thanks for opening that old can of worms back up, Joe.
A Drudge for the left is not what the world needs.
You’re welcome, David.
…I think he was being ironic…
Okay, I wrote that above comment under a pseudonym because (a) it needed to be said, and (b) I knew Joe would rip off my head, shit down my throat, and reattach my head with a lack of skill if I commented to him directly.
But since I can’t stand when people post under phony names – and because I was stupid – I apologize and it won’t happen again.
But surely Joe’s reply was ironic as well? Or at least sarcastic?
Christian: Actually, there is a kinda-sorta Drudge site for the Left… A pretty good one, actually.
http://www.buzzflash.com/
Oh, I like Buzzflash fine because it doesn’t skimp on Kucinich and actual progressive issues. I tire of these centrist lib sites who don’t see the irony of AT&T sponsoring the Democratic convention at the Pepsi Center.