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
They also showed approximately 20 minutes of the movie at Comic-Con. It wasn’t all finished; the stuff they showed before the press screening of Beverly Hills Chihuahua that I saw was much of the same footage, but more polished.
After seeing those sequences twice, I really feel like, as fun as they were, I don’t need to see more. But the kids at my screening seemed to like it.
The movie doesn’t look bad…though the concept of John Travolta as Miley Cyrus’s puppy is creepy to think about…just aimed at a very young demo audience.
Speaking of which, what is up with Disney and playing to a younger and younger audience lately?
In 2005 and 2006 (and earlier) they had a number of fall movies aimed at a more mature audience or that had major adult-crossover appeal…Flightplan, Shopgirl, Casanova, The Prestige, Invincible, Deja Vu, Apocalypto etc etc…
The last two years they’ve had “Dan in Real Life,” and distributed/dumped “Miracle at St. Anna.” Is Disney/Buena Vista headed toward an almost strictly teens and tots approach?
I think I read somewhere that Disney was gonna stop doing R-movies.
Flightplan was a big hit, but were any of those others?
Taking worldwide into account and based on budgets alone, “Deja Vu” earned a $105-million profit, “Apocalypto” turned an $80-million profit and “The Prestige” was just shy of a $70-million profit.
I’m hoping you at least asked him for a comment on this?
Did I miss the part where Moore admitted to having seen Bolt at ShowEast? Nothing on either blog indicates as much…
In 2007 I heard from reliable Disney sources that they were planning almost exclusively G/PG movies, which is the Disney brand’s strength. They were planning on dramatically scaling back Touchstone as well, since those movies were not as profitable as the “family brands” which fell under the Disney label.
F’ him, I always preferred Sean Connery over Roger Moore anyway.
I know, I’m a dork.
“Finally, I want to point out that the only reason I saw this story is that Roger, in the fashion I have come to learned is the style of the weakest players, put up a bitter and accusatory comment on the blog, obsessing on a mistake I made that was a minor, minor part of the story.”
“I have come to LEARNED?” And you can HIM weak? Jeez, man, you really do actually read your posting before you post them? Do you have any sense of pride at all about your work?
One first of iron,
The other of steel,
If Truffaut don’t getcha
Jean Luc Godard will!
…I just realized that Joe doesn’t actually have Night of the Hunter-style “Truffaut/Godard” tattoos on his knuckles. That was joke that became reality in my head.
But he should. It’s not too late, Joe!
And now I’ll just sit back and watch the bloody fight that’s about to ensue between D-Po and Joe-Ley.
Wow, Joe… you are just racking up those really important issues today. Keep them coming. You must be the smarted typo spotter in America!
And Luke, I am guessing that you read about the no-R rule right here, back in March, when I reported it after the Disney event in New York.
Frankbooth: Check this out:
http://movingpictureblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/adventures-at-sxsw.html
And David: “You must be the smarted typo spotter in America!”
No, I am not even the SMARTEST typo spotter in America. But if you are going to insult me with your snark, you had beter have someone proofread your insults.
Jesus, is this the best you can do?
I have no horses in this race and I hope it’s already over, but is that misspelling of “beter” in the middle of your argument that DP needs to be a better speller/proofreader supposed to be a joke?
“And you can HIM weak?”
Does anyone in this thread speak English?
Chris: LOL. Point taken.
Ethan G: Ditto.
Saw the Bolt preview/promo thingy before a showing of BHC. Pretty funny in spots, but the hard sell from JT was a little offputting. Just run the trailer, guys.
I’ve seen it, Joe. That’s how the whole thing got started. It was on that other blog, remember?
Meanwhile, I’m so glad that nasty fight is over. Just awful.
So Joe…the other day when you asked me when Dave stopped beating his wife…what was that all about?
“I am guessing that you read about the no-R rule right here, back in March, when I reported it after the Disney event in New York.”
Certainly seems likely, DP. No offense intended by omission; I just genuinely don’t remember.
I don’t know if there’s been a correction printed, but the “not previewing ‘Bolt'” post appears to have been taken down.