April 26, 2024
BYOB
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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
When is Vicky Cristina Barcelona coming out on DVD? I’ve read too many conflicting dates.
Recently saw the budget of Four Christmases at around $80 million. That translates to about a million dollars a minute. I don’t expect to reside in whichever level of hell that would force me see this movie so I will have to ask someone here that was unfortunate to attend a screening. Is any of that onscreen? Do they battle a dragon or something at one of the houses?
The budgets for comedies are getting outragous. You could see where they spent the money on Tropic Thunder, but how did Step Brothers cost $65 million when there was perhaps a dozen speaking parts, about four different locations, and the production values of a home movie?
I thought the whole upside to making comedies is that they were cheap to make and therefore low risk.
I didn’t believe David. I realize now, it’s because I didn’t want to believe David. And he’s been (Dreamgirls) wrong (Speed Racer) before.
But Revolutionary Road just broke my heart. What a bipolar, inconsistent, utterly meaningless funeral dirge. Like too many other films this season, it’s an actors’ showcase in service of narrative shortcomings.
Just …. fudge.
Can someone please explain why “Nobel Son” is in theaters instead of being shipped straight to video? Was it a tax shelter thing?
And is it true that director Randall Miller actually made it before last summer’s “Bottle Shock” (his only remotely tolerable movie since “Class Act” with Kid N Play)? Utterly mystifying.
Does anyone know why Sony dumped “Cadillac Records” on this most ungodly of weekends? It really deserved a fall launch (say, mid-October) so that awards season buzz could have built for the performances by Jeffrey Wright and Beyonce Knowles. Depressing.
I can’t disagree with you more about “Revolutionary Road,” TMJ. It broke my heart, too–but clearly in a completely different way.
I think it’s a career best for Mendes, DiCaprio and Winslet, and a virtually flawless screen translation of the magnificent Richard Yates novel.
In fact, yesterday was my best double-feature of the year (including Toronto where I was averaging five films a day): “RR” and “Benjamin Button.”
Both automatically catapult to the upper tier of my 2008 best list.
Question for anyone who’s seen “BB:” am I the only one who was reminded of Jean-Pierre Jeunet, especially “A Very Long Engagement”?
For the record, I actually agreed with Dave on both “Dreamgirls” and “Speed Racer.”
Bettie Page had a heart attack.
No, i didn’t know she was still alive either.
Speed Racer was a lot of fun.
I haven’t seen RR yet, but I am assuming they kept the ending from the novel. I don’t know, it just seemed so maudlin to me. It really turned me off from the enjoyment of about 3/4 of the rest of the book. To be honest, it’s a bit over rated, IMO. Have read it twice, Once, years ago, in a Lit class and then recently. Also, having MAD MEN around doesn’t help it much. Here’s hoping they knock it out of the park cause I will see it, just hope it rises above the source material.
movieman: I’ve seen one review of Button that mentions A Very Long Engagement, but I’m not sure where. Armond White maybe?
If you know the novel, the last scene of RR is shockingly apt to the last line.
Still having a bitch of a time posting comments on here…
Totally agree about the exquisite final scene of “RR” capturing the essence of the book, Ray. But I felt that way throughout the film. I can’t remember the last literary adaptation that felt so utterly faithful to its source yet remained wholly satisfying on its own uniquely cinematic terms. Sui generis indeed.
The “Mad Men” factor (I’m a huge fan) which worried me going in (fortunately) proved to be a complete non-factor.
Yancy: The only “BB” review I’ve seen so far is Todd McCarthy’s. Armond hasn’t sunk his claws into it yet, but I’m sure that day will come, lol.
MM, there are tonal shifts–the movie manages not to be as deeply sour as Yates–but I did note that line-for-line and in many of its rhythms and brutal outbursts, “its adaptation of Yates’ novel as fine-sliced as translucent prosciutto.” Looking forward to seeing it again…
It’s sour, but the fight scenes are exciting and cathartic (a friend of mine is going to Vegas for the fight tonight, I told her to bring condoms.) I cried at the end, it had a slight second act sag, but I don’t know what Dave’s beef was, because it was totally satisfying. Did you catch the infighting between Dave and Kris and Glenn and a ruffian in Chicago? http://thisis606.blogspot.com/2008/12/after-revolutionary-road.html I want to tweak RR into the Heath Ledger story.
T.Holly: I always feels as if I’m missing something in your posts. The link you gave is to a single post with no comments. I don’t see any “infighting.”
FWIW, I’m also stumped by your condoms reference and the connection between RR and Heath Ledger, so maybe it’s just me. 🙂
It’s not just you. I’ve said it before, T. Holly is the James Joyce of movie blog postings.
I just didn’t get Revolutionary Road whatsoever. Not painful, like others have said, but really not anything of note.
Did anyone else feel that Leo and Kate were channeling some bizarro Kubrickian robotic, over-wrought, over-enunciated acting?? It felt very staged, like Tom and Nicole in EWS, except for the last 20 minutes.
Can’t say that I cared much for them either, especially Winslet whose character came off as seriously unstable, without one single sympathetic note. Filmaking 101 — try adding some HUMOR once in a while. It’ll make us care a hell of a lot more.
And while I’m at it, the overly morose subject matter and nonstop self-pity these 2 characters demonstrated from the first frame on made me not give a damn an hour in… Two people wallowing for 2 hours — how’s that a movie? ** SPOILER??** All that being said I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel for what happened to her at the end. The fact that I didnt care much, IMO, is a sign of a script that’s seriously lacking something.
Kathy Bates was great though, as was her son.
Only because it’s you yancy, the dust up was on 11/18, and I think Dave’s beef, on 11/21, is “It
Aris, you ignorant slut, I can’t save you, you need a spoiler:
http://simplystated.realsimple.com/noobligation_book_club/2008/11/revolutionary-7.html#comments
I have a solution for you, Aris. You will be tied down and forced to watch Kelly Reichardt neorealist movies all day, over and over.
Hmmm that’s unlikely. That link you sent was supposed to explain what spoiler exactly?
I got Defiance and Gran Torino to watch tonight. Are either as lame and excruciating as RR? After sitting through Leo and Kate hamming it up I’ve come to the conclusion that I’d rather not waste 2 hours of my life again.
I was trying to deflower your ignorance — April’s “seriously unstable, without one single sympathetic note. Filmaking 101 — try adding some HUMOR once in a while. It’ll make us care a hell of a lot more.”
“Revolutionary Road” was “lame and excruciating,” Aris? Surely you jest?
And you dissed “Eyes Wide Shut” in the same breath, too?!
Good God man; get with the program, lol!
I make no apologies for my love of “RR.” I haven’t been able to shake it from my mind since seeing it, and there weren’t a helluva lot of movies that had a similar effect in 2008. And the “stylized” acting you refer to seemed perfectly in sync with the film’s mid-50s period setting/sensibility. (“Mad Men” does something similar, and I don’t see anyone complaining.)
If you want “lame and excruciating,” last year’s execrable “Reservation Road” should suffice in a pinch.
“Defiance.” Groan! And I used to like Ed Zwick movies (yes, even “Leaving Normal”).
Why can’t Zwick make a film as good as his TV shows (“thirtysomething,” “Once and Again,” “Relativity”)? And why must he always court such (misplaced) epic pretensions when venturing into the theatrical arena? Wouldn’t it make more sense to play to your strengths?
[Still getting screwed by Typepad: had to sign it four times just to post this stinking message.]
“Revolutionary Road” was “lame and excruciating,” Aris? Surely you jest?
And you dissed “Eyes Wide Shut” in the same breath, too?!
Good God man; get with the program, lol!
I make no apologies for my love of “RR.” I haven’t been able to shake it from my mind since seeing it, and there weren’t a helluva lot of movies that had a similar effect in 2008. And the “stylized” acting you refer to seemed perfectly in sync with the film’s mid-50s period setting/sensibility. (“Mad Men” does something similar, and I don’t see anyone complaining.)
If you want “lame and excruciating,” last year’s execrable “Reservation Road” should suffice in a pinch.
“Defiance.” Groan! And I used to like Ed Zwick movies (yes, even “Leaving Normal”).
Why can’t Zwick make a film as good as his TV shows (“thirtysomething,” “Once and Again,” “Relativity”)? And why must he always court such (misplaced) epic pretensions when venturing into the theatrical arena? Wouldn’t it make more sense to play to your strengths?
[Still getting screwed by Typepad: had to sign in five times just to post this stinking message.]
movieman and i are seldom on the same page but i agree completely with his ‘rr’ assessment….in fact, ‘rr’ has taken milk’s place as my fave film of the year… i’m going to watch ‘che’ tonight but i doubt that’ll affect my list much…..
No current BYOB, no one will care, WAY off any conceivable topic, but maybe someone here will know, and ANY answer is appreciated:
Why is the Natalie Holloway Story such a particularly huge deal on FOX? Was she a notorious Republican? Or because she’s a lily-white girl gone missing in one of those oh-so-scary “foreign lands”?
I am not asking to make light of the woman’s disappearance, or to suggest it isn’t a newsworthy case… but the only place I EVER HEAR ABOUT IT is on Fox, where they talk about it ad nauseam, especially on Greta.
What in particular is so Foxable about this news item?
The latter.
Kinda my suspicion, though I probably like Fox a little more than most here; Even if it’s hugely, obviously slanted, I value opinions from across the board, and a blowhard narcissist like me can certainly relate to the appeal of a Hannity/O’Reilly persona, if the politics don’t always line up.
But, yeah, the bi-hourly Holloway updates send me LEAPING for that remote control faster than a Dick Morris segment on H/C.
Actually, here’s a more productive comment from me:
How does someone who knows that they are a ‘blowhard narcissist’ persist in their behavior? I mean, Hannity and O’Reilly know that they’re both obnoxious douchebags making the world a worse place, but they’re also amply rewarded for what they do.
It’s like being a freelance racist. I don’t see the upside.
I don’t understand the question.
Neither do I, Lex (grimly shaking head). Neither do I.
Hannity can be a megawatt tool, but O’Reilly is pretty reliably funny and entertaining; No less a tool than Bitch Perm even quite rightly and succinctly once pointed out here that he’s a consumate showman and has a quirky smug humor and curious streak of going off neo-con book with some amusingly original opinions; Where they both lose me is the “traditional values” spiel, which has ZERO appeal to me. All that bullying, smarm, superiority, independence shit, yeah, whatever. But the whole “family values” and religion shtick is 1000% lost on me.
I don’t really see how either one is actively “making the world a worse place” by expressing their entitled right to free speech, especially when they’re voicing opinions, that for better or worse, the majority of this country seems to share.
I’m talking about the ‘worse’ part. O’Reilly is indeed more ‘showman’ which means he has no business thinking of himself as a serious newsman than Stephen Colbert. And the problem is, people watch Fox thinking they’re actually receiving balanced information, which is pretty much the best way to cripple a democracy.
If I had FAME AND MONEY right NOW at 3:08 am, I’d get FUCKED UP on shit a lot stronger than the swill I’m drinking to little discernible buzz, hit up some afterhours club or order some ‘scorts, and bang like 24 women for 24 hours, all the while telling them to call me KING LEX while wearing a fake CROWN and yelling that I AM THEIR COMMANDER.
Then I’d PAY THEM TO LEAVE. MAN IS KING.
Ha ha, Lex called me “Bitch Perm.” Truly the redundant wit of a failed comedian! And actor. And entertainer…