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
Clearly A Muppet Christmas Carol is the best version and will remain so FOREVER! I know Leydon’s on my side, right?
don’t know about smokin’ joe dimaggio but i’ll second that, ‘muppet christmas’ – legend!
Kids movies suck, kids are fucking annoying, and Christmas is a BULLSHIT HOLIDAY for FUCKING IDIOTS. If this world never had a single other FAMILY FILM for FAT BUFFALOS AND THEIR RETARD CHILDREN, this world would be a happier fucking place.
They should BAN CHRISTMAS, BAN FAMILIES, BAN RELIGION, AND STERILIZE EVERY MAN ON THIS FUCKING PLANET.
“If this world never had a single other FAMILY FILM for FAT BUFFALOS AND THEIR RETARD CHILDREN, this world would be a happier fucking place.”
Awe, Lex, but then what would you and your mommy watch?
On topic, Beowulf was kinda cool.
People gripe that they wish Zemeckis would drop this “creepy” semi-animation and go back to being the AAA Spielberg, but I dunno. Seems like the nicest guy in the world and I really liked his anarchic first run of late 70s/early 80s stuff like Used Cars, but I’ve always thought of him more as just a technical wiz than a auteurist maestro.
Just TRY to defend the OPENING CREDITS MUSIC of ROMANCING THE STONE, or the entirety of Death Becomes Her, aka the most profoundly gay movie in the American cinematic canon.
What’s the problem with that?
Amen to the Muppet Christmas Carol. Faithful to be book, Caine on top form (and he sings!) and howlingly funny: “How would the tellers like to be suddenly UNEMPLOYED?” “Heatwave! This is my island in the sun!”
As I have said countless times before — hell, as I’ve told Caine to his face — Michael Caine’s portrayal of Scrooge in Muppet Christmas Carol ranks with the finest work of his career, and is the very best Scrooge in the history of movies. Most actors in Muppet movies act like they’re being good sports. Not Caine: He was a good actor. You could take that performance out of the movie, digitally insert it into a movie with all human co-stars — and it would still work beautifully.
Joe,
Couldn’t agree more. I rented the muppet Christmas Carol years out of my muppet phase mostly for nostalgic reasons. About a third of the way through I realized I was blown away by it. The genius of Caine’s performance is that he plays it straight. He acts with Kermit the same way as he would opposite Nicholson.
That is the genius of Caine and this underrated film. I finally purchased a copy this year.
That said I also love the Finney version and can’t wait for Zemeckis’.
The George C. Scott version of A Christmas Carol is the best.
‘aka the most profoundly gay movie in the American cinematic canon.’
You must have never seen Thoughly Modern Millie.
You know, I haven’t seen the Finney version in years — actually, not since its first theatrical release — and, frankly, even tough Finney is one of my faves (I’m still waiting for Charlie Bubbles to be released on DVD, dammit) I don’t remember much about it. I do know, though, that many people have fond memories of it. Which strikes me as ironic because in its time… Well, go back and read the contemporary reviews. Many, if not most, were scathing. Most of the vitriol was directed at songwriter Leslie Bricusse (remember, this was after the disaster of Doctor Doolittle) but the movie itself also got caught in the backlash against overstuffed, underperforming musicals of the era. I might want to take another look at it. Heaven knows I was pleasantly surprised when I viewed a restored version of 1776 a couple years back.
Yes, the Finney version is not generally considered to be a great film and was pretty trashed at the time. But when I saw it for the first time a few years ago, it is quite well done.
Especially the widescreen composition. One of the best I have seen. Guiness is a bit dated as Marley but for the most part, it is very solid.
Wow, Ebert just unloaded on Transformers. I was hoping he might be the one guy to see through the Bay hate and judge the movie on how fun it is. Apparently it’s no fun.
This could get interesting, the first has it’s detractors (looking at everyone here except Lex) but at the end of the day it was passable. If this is really offensively bad 1)Will it’s core audience know or acknowledge it? 2) What will it mean for the numbers?
I have to think 300 million domestic is a foregone conclusion at this point, that number has to be a green light for the team to begin a 3rd one, no? We may have to wait for the third film to see the effects ala Matrix and Pirates 2.