April 26, 2024
BYOB
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BYOB: 235 Years Of Relative independence
BYOB Weekend: Hop, An April Fool’s Gag?
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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
What’s up with Variety waiting a full two weeks after it came out on DVD (and months after the Arizona “theatrical release”) to run a review of “Killshot?”
That’s a good question.
Another good question: is this Letterman/Palin brouhaha starting to smell a tad like a witch-hunt?
Talk about out of hand.
Woops, didn’t see the Letterman thread a few posts down.
Must say that I am delighted that Peter Morgan will be writing the new Bond. That was an inspired pick.
I know this is from Nikki’s site, but I actually found this a pretty interesting list:
http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/indie-filmmaking-35-tips-from-experts/
And yes, it’s WAY cool that an ace like Morgan is replacing Paul Haggis to write alongside Purvis and Wade, but I still think it’s quite something that the same guys who did “Die Another Day” and “The World Is Not Enough” also did “Casino Royale” and “Quantum of Solace.” It can’t all be Haggis that made the difference, can it? The difference in script is almost the same night-and-day shift as Brian Helgeland from “Blood Work” to “Mystic River.”
Purvis and Wade also wrote the great Peter Medak film, LET HIM HAVE IT, I believe. Do the producers automatically assume Purvis and Wade will turn in a script that needs help from a third party? I know – producers ALWAYS assume a script needs as many writers as possible. It just seems to me that they might wait and see what those guys do on their own first. Unless Morgan is actually working WITH them, in which case never mind.
I’m not sure what to make of that new Time Traveler’s Wife trailer. Maybe it’s based on a famous novel I’m unaware of, has great source material. But to me it comes off nearly laughable in the trailer. I give props to the filmmakers that try to balance the real and the magical, but there’s been a few movies in the last decade that tried and failed big time. This may be one of those movies, unless the audience is really willing to go with it. Personally, I found it overwrought and cheesy.
Here’s a link to it:
http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=36537
i agree, martin, that trailer looks bloody awful. but i have a terrible girl-crush on rachel McA so i’ll probably watch it when it finally makes it onto cable (likely sooner than later if that trailer is any indication) just to fawn over her
(burton pulls off the real-slash-magical/fantastical blend to lovely effect in ‘big fish’)
and ‘bridge to terabithia’ is another film that manages the real/fantastical blend with subtlety and panache
Billy Pilgrim could kick Eric Banadinovich’s ass!
and…jessica rabbit could kick nicole kidman’s ass (if she had one)
I think it’s a nice trailer. I won’t see it, but it’s effective. That horrible McAdams sing-songy voice is about to drive me nutso, though. Remember when actresses used to huskily purr? Boo, McAdams.
apropos of nothing other than byob…just watched the first four eps of the new season of ‘true blood’…really, really good….. the level of performance is pretty amazing….
cool, scoot, i’m looking forward to the next season of ‘blood’, hope i don’t have a marathon wait ahead
….gave my usual cursory glance to Claudia Puig’s yawn-inducing USA Today reviews while checking out Mike Clark’s DVD column, and was puzzled when she described “Imagine That” as being reminiscent of Disney’s “The Game Plan.”
??
Besides the father/daughter hook (and their general lameness), I don’t see the comparison.
And Puig is the most read movie critic in America?
The angels weep.
Saw a commercial for “GI Joe” on NBC during last night’s Stanley Cup hockey final. If what I saw and read is any hint, “GI Joe” will be a serious contender for the Razzies.
And what a game that was. The fact that no one in this country watches such a glorious sport is pretty lame.
I would’ve watched more of game 7 last night but that 5 PM start time doesn’t help. So will that be enough for Sid the Kid to be named captain of the Canadian Olympic team? Man, did Bettman get a lot of boos. I kinda felt bad for him. I understand when he first walks out but after he gives out the Conn Smythe that should be enough. No, he hasn’t been great for hockey but I think hockey’s insular nature has had a hand in its self-cannibalizing demise.
Ratings for Verse were apparently up this season. It’s been a couple of seasons since I’ve purchased the NHL Center Ice Pack. I was really disappointed in the lack of playoff games they showed. Sat night during the season, sure I understand why I don’t get all the games but when they only show 3 of 6 or 2 of 4 there’s no excuse. Plus, I start watching the speed and hitting of the playoffs and instantly feel ripped off for half the games I watched over the regular season.
Curious, DP, if you saw this and what you think of it:
http://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2009/06/afi-tribute-to-michael-douglas-gustavo.html
Just checked out that brand new “Movie Review Intelligence” site which claims to give the most accurate and complete picture of movie reviews possible.
Yet it doesn’t cite any online critics. None. Newspapers, NPR, and Ben & Ben are cited, but no websites.
Seems like a stunning omission. Or maybe I’m just bitter that I’m only cited for the occasional LA Weekly film cap and not my weekly reviews for E!.
Dead as hell in here tonight, so I might as well unleash my inner Wells and bitch about things:
Has anyone used MOVIEFONE recently? Like, what the hell? Remember when you used to call it and it, like, gave you the fucking movie times? Seriously, give it a whirl now. For a while it was defaulting to this totally flawed VOICE-ACTIVATED SHIT that never worked… They’ve at least gone back to touch-tone as the default, but you have to listen thru ENDLESS ads and “Do you want to hear more?” BULLSHIT, with umpteen sub-menus that are barely navigable.
Today I was out and about and had NO idea where “Tetro” was playing, if anywhere. Went through that menu *EIGHT* fucking times — LA AND THE VALLEY, PRESS 1, HOLLYWOOD PRESS 1, SANTA MONICA AND THE WESTSIDE, PRESS WHATEVER.
After EIGHT TRIES, shouldn’t it give up some fucking showtimes? Come to find out later it’s exclusively at THE LANDMARK, but that NEVER came up under the WESTWOOD option, the SANTA MONICA OPTION, the WEST L.A. OPTION, Beverly Hills, Century City — Nothing.
But, hey, I did run down my MINUTES quite nicely. And The Landmark didn’t get my money because MOVIEBULLSHITFONE isn’t good for shit anymore.
And I don’t wanna get off on a rant here (TM MILLER), but haaaaah cahme ev’ry teeeeime I’m at an ATM, I can CONDUCT MY FUCKING BUSINESS in UNDER THIRTY SECONDS, but every. single. other. douchebag. ever takes SEVEN FULL FUCKING MINUTES like he’s never seen the screen before, and he’s putting in like SEVENTEEN FUCKING CHECKS?
It’s called DIRECT FUCKING DEPOSIT, DOUCHEBAG. Get a real job. But even WITHDRAWAL motherfuckers take like SIX MINUTES to hit WITHDRAWAL/40/CHECKING/RECEIPT.
After THIRTY YEARS haven’t people memorized how the ATM WORKS???? THIRTY SECONDS OR LESS, PEOPLE.
Yeah, I know that had NOTHING to do with movies but Blogger is a bullshit site and no one would read it if I posted there. YEP YEP.
I’m happy to agree with you, Lex, about the total waste-of-time-bullshit that is Moviefone.
OH… MY… GOD, YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!
TONY ROBBINS HAS A NEW INFORMERICAL!!!!!!
MY PERSONAL SUCCESS COACH IS BACK!!!!
BRETT RATNER IS IN THE NEW ONE, IT’S ON KNBC RIGHT NOW….. I LOVE TONY ROBBINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ULTIMATE EDGE BABY!
Moviefone has been eclipsed in NJ/NYC/Philly. Loews switched to Fandango a couple of years before that chain merged with AMC. Reading Entertainment, which operate the Angelika Film Center and City Cinemas, is now on Fandango. Clearview Cinemas is now on MovieTickets.com.
Also, if you buy your tickets for any theater through Moviefone the order is processed by MovieTickets.com.
“And I don’t wanna get off on a rant here (TM MILLER), but haaaaah cahme ev’ry teeeeime I’m at an ATM, I can CONDUCT MY FUCKING BUSINESS in UNDER THIRTY SECONDS, but every. single. other. douchebag. ever takes SEVEN FULL FUCKING MINUTES like he’s never seen the screen before, and he’s putting in like SEVENTEEN FUCKING CHECKS?”
Don’t forget that he’s checking his balances, trying to get another 20 bucks from either his overdrawn checking acount or that savings with the $2.21 in it, attempting to balance his checkbook, and having a conversation on his cellphone with his common law wife about how much the last credit card bill cost.
I try to get in and out of there as if it was a matter of life and death, like Keanu Reeves popping in and out of Hell in “Constantine” (TM LexG), with the drop-of-a-hat rock’n’roll precision of McCauley’s crew in “Heat” (TM LexG).
Lex, if you’re near your computer, just go to moviefone.com, type in your zip code, then the film title, and you’ll have the dope in under 30 seconds.
Moviefone online is fine (although they give a lot more screen space to ads than they used to). Lex and I are complaining about Moviefone the phone ‘service’.
Isn’t ANYONE ELSE bored as fuck tonight and ANGRY that they’re not BANGING A HOT CHICK?
SEXLESSNESS IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL ON THIS EARTH, and I’d all but bet the bank 3/4 of you beardo film geeks aren’t taxing a VAG right now, so WHY AREN’T YOU ANGRY RIGHT NOW?
This is my ETERNAL QUESTION IN LIFE, how people go through the mundanities of a DAY TO DAY EXISTENCE knowing there are people out there FUCKING MODEL and YOU are *not* FUCKING MODEL.
WHY ARE YOU NOT RAGEFUL? WHY ARE YOU NOT SUICIDAL? If you are not FUCKING ACTRESSES AND MODELS, what VALUE DOES YOUR LIFE HAVE?
Why are you not AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANGRY??????
BE ANGRY, people. BE VERY ANGRY, because you are settling for a LIFE OF LIES, a LIFE OF BULLSHIT, by which you ADMIT that others are INHERENTLY, DARWINISTICALLY SUPERIOR to you. How else do you explain the fact that MARK WAHLBERG MAKES MILLIONS and has FUCKED HOT CHICKS and could walk into ANY CLUB IN L.A. RIGHT NOW and come out with a hot chick on either arm, and YOU cannot?
WHY DO YOU SETTLE FOR LESS? WHY do you willingly agree to the life of a LESSER FORM OF HUMANITY without COMPLAINT????
I AM COMPLAINING because IF ONE MAN CAN FUCK MODEL, SO SHOULD ANOTHER MAN.
WHAT ONE MAN CAN DO ANOTHER MAN CAN DO.
I am HORNY AS FUCK and I don’t CARE who knows it. I WANT TO BE FUCKING SKINNY HOT RUSSIAN SLUTS RIGHT FUCKING NOW, not watching Dark Knight in a SHITTY PAN AND SCAN ON HBO2.
WHAT IS THE POINT OF HAVING A DICK if you CAN’T FUCK MODEL?
LEXG IS HORNY AS FUCK, HIS LIFE SUCKS, MAN UP AND ADMIT YOUR LIFE IS THE SAME.
Luke Thompson? Christian Devine? Jeff McDouche? IO? You fellas FUCKING A 10 right now? You fellas FUCKING A ONE right now? THEN START COMPLAINING, because YOU ARE SETTLING IN LIFE and WE DON’T GET TO DO THIS SHIT A SECOND TIME.
WE ARE ALL DYING ONE SECOND AT A TIME and any second not spend FUCKING is a second of BULLSHIT.
I complained about it for years. Didn’t do any good, and just turned all my friends into condescending assholes, so I stopped.
For fellow L.A. people: Is there anything scarier, more irrational or more anger-inducing than MOB MENTALITY taking over sports fans and people losing all control of common sense or reason?
In a million, trillion years, I can’t imagine being so FIRED UP that a sports team I DON’T PLAY FOR AND WHO DOESN’T KNOW ME PERSONALLY won a big game that I’m gonna go out and break windows, set fires, tip over cars and throw large objects at bus windows.
WHAT is the overriding sensation or thinking here? Shit, the audience I saw Star Trek with all applauded and seemed to like it… We didn’t rush out onto Sunset and topple fucking cars.
Now you’re thinkin’ like me Lex. The uber-deification of sports in this culture is more bizarro than any Star Trek geeks. They’re safer.
WAIT!…..(i just want to savour this moment in time when christian and lex luthor are thinking alike…ok, that was real, moving along)
“WHAT ONE MAN CAN DO ANOTHER MAN CAN DO.”
Yeah but not EVERY other man.
For example, Stephen Hawking cannot and will not be tiptoeing through the tulips or any other botanical pathway in his lifetime. Fact.
Something NO ONE WILL CARE ABOUT:
That LA Times article today about EDDIE MURPHY DELIRIOUS seems to have a whopper of an error in it: It was filmed in 83 AND AIRED on HBO in either October or November of THAT YEAR, not THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
Also, the DVD came out like a year or two ago; Why is it all acting like it just came out? Or is there a new S.E. already?
Oops, guess there IS a new special edition, and the extras feature MY PERSONAL SAVIOR BYRON ALLEN. YES!!!!
BUT another error, HBO DID NOT show that special MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT… HBO then as now only showed adult stuff after 8pm.
They should have had me FACT-CHECK THAT STUPID ARTICLE.