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
Wow. After the turgid first one you’re going to get excited about the sequel after seeing THAT clip?
Yikes.
The first one had potential, but holy shit. What they didn’t lift from Independence Day they made ridiculous. Anthony Anderson as a master hacker?
My favorite was the ending. You have these military guys with the powerful “all spark” taking it from an isolated miliatary base into a densely poplated area, and decide the best way to defeat the ROBOTS WITH THE ABILITY TO FLY was to send a teenage kid TO THE ROOF OF A SKYSCRAPER to await an airlift.
I mean, i can take stupid. I have no problem with stupid. But at least TRY to make a plot coherent.
Why create a world full of awesome robots if you’re going to make them as dumb as the humans that populate the story?
And while the action scenes look a little more lucid here, i was constantly annoyed by the ground POV action shots and the quick cuts. Maybe they will improve it for the sequel, but i’m not exactly thrilled by Shia acting a crying robot.
The trailer footage does indeed look like a great leap forward; but when I’m in that theater and ‘Bee starts crying transmission fluid and making hand gestures like he’s Jennifer Hudson, I’ll be pressing my fists to my eyesockets and trying to picture a penguin in an ice cave telling me to slide…
The ‘car break-up’ scene above is a perfect example of what I couldn’t stomach about the first one. The Transformers are astonishing in their complexity and realism. Kudos to ILM.
I still see several examples of what Vern of AICN fame described (in his world record-length review ): “Imagine you took apart a whole bunch of cars, mixed the parts up and welded them all together into a giant ball maybe 15 or 20 feet in diameter, then rolled it down a hill. Shoot that in closeup and you got every fight scene in this movie.”
The action scenes look interesting, but (and I’m putting this in caps because I want to scream it) MICHAEL BAY CAN’T DIRECT DRAMA OR COMEDY. God, those parts of it are just awful.
And this might be controversial, but I hate looking at Megan Fox.
“And this might be controversial, but I hate looking at Megan Fox.”
Jeff, please, we only just got past the date rape controversy in O&R. One can of worms a week, okay?
For me, as far as looking at Megan Fox goes, if I have to be doing it that was pretty much the optimal manner in which to do so.
oh, no!
because of the ‘transformers’ movie my boy – who is THE BIGGEST ‘transformers’ freak in the entire world because i stupidly gave him his first toy at age 3 and he now owns HUNDREDS of them along with the original tv series and ‘beast wars’ on dvd – worships michael bay and has started a count down on the calender till ‘trannies 2’ opens here.
needless to say, this causes hushed, pitiful weeping while i moan, ‘noooo, noooo, please, nooo’ as i rock myself to sleep because of my intense, unyielding hatred of the brainless hack that is bay. (having said that, i mildly enjoyed the first movie, by far the least cringe-inducingly bad bay flick so far imho, so if i cringe even less in ‘trannies deax’, mores the better)
oh, that bumblebee CRYING doesn’t bode well tho…
to quote hanks in ‘a league of their own’: ‘there’s no crying in baseball!’
Look, this movie will put people into 2 camps, those that liked the first movie and are anxiously awaiting this sequel and those that hated everything about the first one and it’s director and somehow believe that this sequel will be different but then realize it wont and will just bitch.
Which camp makes the best smores?
I liked the first one, but was quite underwhelmed by the trailer for the sequel. This does look better.
‘Which camp makes the best smores?’
damn, hallick, that’s funny i tell you
(i love ‘smores’, if i could live on them and beer i’d be the happiest camper ever)
BAY RULES THE FUCKING WORLD.
Anyone who doesn’t appreciate Bay’s VISUAL GENIUS or COMMAND OF THE MEDIUM or BOMBASTIC APPROACH or WAY OF LIGHTING WOMEN FOR MAXIMUM HOTNESS?
Seriously, just keep watching your flat-hued, Lance Acord-shot, pink-flesh-tones, Duncan Sheik jangly guitar scored, Hal Hartley-esque, snide, snarky, 10-beats-removed, chortling-ironically-from-the-back row, Hope Davis-and-Campbell Scott starring Caucasian ennui DOUCHEFESTS, and leave the SQUACK and EXPLOSIONS and BRIGHT COLORS to people who ACTUALLY ENJOY FUCKING MOVIES and ACTUALLY ENJOY SHIT THAT IS AWESOME — ie, CRIME, GUNFIRE, NAKED WOMEN, JON VOIGHT, TECHNOLOGY, SURVEILLANCE, HANS ZIMMER ESQUE LOUD MUSIC, METAL, FAST CARS, and MEGAN FOX.
SO TIRED of everyone in L.A. having to have that SNIDE, IRONIC, WHITE GUY REMOVE, instead of just being ENTHUSIASTIC about everything.
Everyone has to be such an irony-laden, above-it-all, condescending COCK about everything.
So while Bay’s banging models and blowing up Ferraris and counting his BILLIONS, by all means, continue to be all tiresomely superior and arch about how your ten-roommates-in-Silver Lake, hangers-on, “Oh, my friend’s making a student film,” Ye Rustic Inn/Drawing Room-drinking outta state plate collectivist pot-smoking-ass life is somehow THE HIGH ROAD.
BAY 4 EVER.
What I’m sincerely hoping for is that Transformers 2 plays like a dark, brutal, hard-as-PG-13 can be giant monster movie where the monsters happen to be giant transforming robots. What makes me love the clips (as someone who loathed the original) is that the robot destruction looks genuinely intense and scary. Buildings are blowing up, helicopters are being knocked out the sky, and people, innocent bystanders including, are seemingly dying by the scores. If Transformers 2 can make me scared of the evil robots, than it will work splendidly.
scott, i’ll second that; if bay could make me scared of anything ever in one of his films (apart from all the cheese dripping off everything and threatening to drown the entire planet, including me, in cheesy goo), i’d be stoked! i hope for my sake ‘trans 2’ is good because i know i’ll be watching it at least a couple hundred times on dvd
Scott, the action definitely looks that way. However, the scene we were presented with in that clip is a rehash of the silliness of the first movie which became just too much for me. How scared will you ultimately be, if 20 minutes before the Devastator runs wild on people, you have Bumblebee hamming it up and leaking windshield wiper fluid because Sam wants to go to college without him?
The first movie was so silly in parts that when things started to go badly the serious drama points had to weight to them.
I can’t get over how they all look like an assortment of bolts and metal. They have no face, eyes or soul because of how they look. There is no emotional connection with them and honestly to make it work we need to care.
I think the embed just went tits up for some reason:”this is a Vimeo Plus feature”(?)
So Lex loves a film based…on a cartoon. Busted!
I find it interesting that they’re featuring this B crying scene as the start of the heavy advertising push for T2 (full trailer arrives with Wolverine). I agree with the others that this element of T1 was slightly the jar jar binks deal for me. I could deal with it because generally I liked the rest of the film, but the kiddie moments just felt out of place. I have to say that John Turturro’s comedy bits worked, but the kiddie robot stuff… not so much. I also agree with Fresca above that it’s kind of weird to me that the robots are somewhat expressionless. There’s a few moments in this showest clip where i’m looking deeply into the image to try and see expressions. The expressions are there but they are very subtle, the opposite of the traditional “animation” approach. As far as general feeling on the clip, it does seem to be at least a moderate step up from the first film, which definitely had some issues. There seems to be some actual drama here.
I really enjoyed the original (pfft, i don’t care). I haven’t watched any of the trailers for the sequel yet though (not sure why). I’ll still see it nevertheless.
I just noticed that this clip has been totally taken down. Is it youtube’d somewhere? I saw the clip this morning on Bay’s site and the first thing I thought after watching it was, nice clip, but slightly amateurishly edited and if Bay put this up himself, then I doubt the studio agreed to it. This should not be the first major footage release from the film, particularly the bumblebee stuff. Not surprising that someone at the studio quickly took it down.
Lex, whenever we actually meet in person, (and we will meet, unless you insist on hiding in your luxurious Studio City apartment for the rest of your days like a meathead Howard Hughes), I will buy you five drinks. Then I will punch you in the face.
I feel better just typing that.
Good luck with that, son.
I pump iron like fucking Ferrigno and outweigh your string bean wire-rim ass by a good 70 pounds, not to mention I carry around more RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE PURE RAAAAAAAAGE than Patriot Games Harrison Ford.
That shit would be like Eli Sunday throwing a sucker punch at The Mighty Apollo Creed and expecting not to get owned into the next millennium.
KEEP FANTASIZING, BOY. NOW WALK ON HOME.
I didn’t say I’d win a fight. I just said I’d throw one punch and connect. And then I’d laugh and laugh, and considering that I know for a fact that you talk a big game but don’t live up to any claims (i.e. “I’m busy” when other folk meet for drinks and socialize) I feel like it’a very easy claim for me to make. It’s like trying to pick a fight with a shut-in – the only way to even make contact is to drop off a Meals on Wheels platter because otherwise there’s no contact with the outside world.
Check out McDouche all hopped up and nervy from the half-shot of Pink Squirrel he drank with his homies at the Ye Rustic around 7:15. All still holding a grudge that I couldn’t drive 25 minutes across town to chill at a bar one time… Given the BULLSHIT DRINKING LAWS deem that I can’t behind the wheel of a car on anything more powerful than a gargle of Scope, how do you figure I was supposed to get home? LYT OWNS and Don Lewis is cool, but what are you saying, Jeff? You support DRUNK DRIVING?
My beef with the first film, ironically, is that it wasn’t ENOUGH of a Michael Bay film. Only in the last 25 minutes did i finally get what i paid for, as the military and giant robots finally started blowing seven shades out of each other and the cityscape. The prior 90 minutes was a inferior remake of Joe Dante’s Small Soldiers, right down to the casting of Kevin Dunn as the put-upon dad. In balance though, i reckon that Bad Boys 2 may actually be the best action film of the ’00’s (yes really).
“I just noticed that this clip has been totally taken down. Is it youtube’d somewhere?”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23MXZb23CzQ
Do I actually have to point out that suggesting physical violence is well over the line, J-Mc?
I’m pretty sure that LexG mocking you for drunk posting – which I don’t think you did – qualifies as a TKO.
Just stay down. And realize that you are the first and only person to take a post about Transformers 2 and Michael Bay and to make it personal for no reason whatsoever. Do you get that?
And please don’t start on the “but you let Person X get away with X and now you’re all over me” or explaining to me why it’s all my fault. You spend a lot more time on this blog than I do, J-Mc. But you are not the sheriff. And I am not interested in you being Travis Bickle. Maybe it’s time for a break.
‘trannies deax’
If only there was some gender confusion thrown in to make things more interesting. I get the feeling it won’t be as good as that.
DP, you made seven claims in your above post, and five of them are false.
J-Mc… enough.
Over 10,000 comments from you. No one else is close.
And I could not care less if you don’t think that joking about physical violence is over the line. It’s my line, not yours.
You need Hot Blog 12 step. I’m not saying that 20% of your posts aren’t valuable contributions, but you are more interested in amusing yourself (often by asking questions when you should be thinking or researching… or stirring up shit) than being a part of this community. Think about it.
Did you just suggest to not ask questions? On a blog filled with experts and people with more experience than I have?
Jeff, no offense but it does get kind of tiring to have every thread about your thoughts on Dave. You complain about Chucky in Jersey, but you pull the same shit in your own way, it’s like an autistic thing where every thread includes a variety of actual discussion comments from a variety of commenters, then the usual snark from you that brings the whole mood down. Not saying you’re wrong all or most of the time, but that’s not the point. Regardless of the quality of the host, shitting on him constantly, endlessly, does not make for an entertaining discussion. And that’s what I come here for, an entertaining movie discussion, not you analyzing David’s ulterior motives or whatever. I’m not going to call what you do trolling, but sometimes it’s not far off.
What is this, bizarro-world? On both this blog and Wells’ site in the past, Jeffmcm has struck me as the commenter who most consistently discusses the topics in a rational way and who loves movies, all kinds of movies, with no axe to grind. I don’t read all the threads but with all the mud-slinging and disrespectful behaviour that routinely chokes discussions and insults the host it seems really weird to single him out. Do people take more offence because the comments are written properly and based in fact? I’m not trying to be difficult here, I’d just be really curious to read an explanation, as this has puzzled me for quite some time.
It’s all a profound misunderstanding which I both regret and don’t understand.
Magga: jeff is a fucking douche. He sucks. The end. Over 10,000 post on any forum or blog demonstrates such a pathological need to be READ and to be RIGHT, that it’s staggering as to how you do not get what’s wrong with him Magga.
Besides that… I am enjoying playing my fiddle.
IOI, you are not exactly an unbiased observer.
IO: Glad to see you finally got someone to post bond for you.
I’d have guessed ransom, Joe, but you’re probably right.
Jeff: I always asserted that you were the problem, but you never caught on. Hopefully you are starting to get the fucking hint.
Joe and Cloudy: oh I always know. I just decide to let you stir your own drinks.
Joe and Blackcloud, you are both wrong. No one would pay money to get IO back.
Perm: Not at all. Last time IO was picked up for drunk and disorderly, we all passed the hat at the Old Film Critics Home and sprung him out.
Yes, IOI. I’m the big bad wolf who causes all your nightmares.
For what it’s worth, while yeah Jeff does seem to have the need to be right, and to have an arch nemesis to poke with a stick (Lex and/or IO here, DZ on Wells’ site), I’d still rather read a novel of posts from him than more caps-laden tantrums from his current nemeses.