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
Keep that hard news comin’…
i’m told that concession stands at ‘avatar’ screenings are selling kool-aid…..i’ve no inclination to disbelieve…
What’s the difference between Real D 3D and Digital 3D? Is it just a THX brand thing or is the technology different?
They’re competing systems, the basic technology is the same but there are small technical differences, different manufacturers, etc.
Scoot… that is… awesome!
“Less immersive experience” compared to what?
Avatard? Really? I love it when you are so outside. Seriously, the old folks, the girls, and damn near everyone not a geek are going to ignore this film. So where exactly (Oh yeah, you really used a MIDNIGHT SCREENING as a reference to buzz. Your breaking of your own rules always cracks me up) does this film find an audience? It’s the Watchmen question, and you seemingly schooled my ass on that one. So I ask again. Where does this film get it’s money today?
“you really used a MIDNIGHT SCREENING as a reference to buzz”
Huh?
Your relentless aggression while being wrong baffles me, IO.
Do you mean the “other screening?” Not a midnight show. An promo IMAX 3D showing on film across town.
What number will Avatar hit before you shut up about this?
I think IO is referring to the amount of self-selection bias that goes on for promo/opening night screenings – the majority of that audience isn’t “general public”, it’s “already devoted fanbois (and grrls)”.
Rather like premiering the 2009 Star Trek movie at a gathering of Star Trek fans. Sure, they enjoyed the movie – good for them – but they’re hardly representative of the average moviegoer.
I’m still dithering about this one – top 3 of the year easy; Top 3 of all time? Eh…
Why does IO want this to fail so badly? Will he need meds if/when it does not?
How you know the Avatar marketing is working.
For a month every time an ad or trailer for Avatar came on, she said:
“You will not get me in the theater to see that.”
So last night my wife asks me my plans for Friday and i reply
“Catch the first showing of Avatar”
and she says
“Oh, i want to see that.”
WHAT?
So now i have to wait until Sunday to go see it.
BALLS!
Dave, i got an idea for a thread:
Worst line from a good movie in 2010. Here’s mine
“It’s official: I’m in love with Summer”
Come fucking on.
There have been naysayers predicting that it will perform like Kong, but this seems to be a case of the opposite happening. Kong was hugely anticipated and then a week before all the air seemed to come out of it, whether it was poor reviews of the Playskool Rings movie that came out the week before. While Avatar seems to be have been disregarded for most of the buildup only to turn itself around in the past ten days or so.
sorry, that should read
the poor reviews OR the movie that came out the week before.
David, why are your rebuttals to me always so douche? Foamy got my point, and it’s easy to get. You have gone on and on about how those sort of experiences are not a proper gauge of audience reaction, but you USED IT ANYWAY. Why? YOU LIKE THE FREAKIN MOVIE, AND WANT IT TO SUCCEED!
You always give everyone fucking else in your profession shit for stuff that you have started to do. This entire post is something you would give anyone else for, but now you want this fucking film to succeed. So everything goes out with the bath water. That’s why I am here to point it out to you. Anger? You do not even know anger.
Oh yeah storymark, that’s douchey.
Wasn’t sure which of the many Avatar threads was most appropriate for this rant, but…
I realize everyone’s schedules, moviegoing habits, and theater preferences are anecdotal, but you know what’s kind of ANNOYING about this movie?
It’s playing in like THOUSANDS of perfectly good theaters and big rooms across LA and the nation, but 98% of them aren’t good enough to experience the magic of this movie, per its creator.
I took an evening shift tonight at work so I could get up and see this movie, but we’re under an OFFICIAL EDICT FROM THE AUTEUR! that we HAVE to see it in 3D *AND* IMAX.
Well, shit, that’s like, what, a relative handful of theaters in the whole country? Which are of course sold out or at odd venues and times.
I’m scanning these listings and it’s in big rooms in beautiful 2.35:1 all over the city, but PER OFFICIAL DECREE, it’s the most important film of ALL TIME so we can ONLY see it in 3D/IMAX.
And even just 3D– Look, I’m a film geek and I have no fucking idea what the difference is between REAL 3D and DIGITAL DOLBY 3D… All I know is at a lot of good theaters, their 3D room ISN’T their biggest screen, and it seems kind of underwhelming to see this in a small-capacity room in full-frame or whatever, instead of widescreen in the big rooms, but IMAX is the giant screen, but the 3D–
Like, AHHHHH! Can we just SEE this thing without having to research it like a fucking apartment lease? This is too much goddamn effort, and it’s frustrating that every 30 minutes there’s a “regular 2D” screening I could catch, but that’s NOT THE PROPER WAY to see the movie.
Of course, the PROPER WAY is in like two fucking theaters on the planet.
Uh oh, IO is angry. Don’t gethim angry. You wouldn’t like him when he gets angry.
Because he holds his breath and shits his pants, and that’s nasty.
get a grip on yourself. the proper way is digital 3-D, either dolby or real D. i’ve heard conflicting opinions about which of the two is preferable, but either will suffice. imax 3-D has poorer depth of field so in terms of picture quality it is comes in third
sorry, it comes in third, i’m still asleep
Maybe so, but I’d like to see a GIANT immersive Avatar movie as opposed to a regular sized one in 3-D. Since I don’t really care to see it that much, I may as well see it gigantically. And Cameron says it’s the way to go, and how can anyone argue with that man?
cameron has never said that. urban myth
I’m close to done with you, IO, but I haven’t gauged anything off of my experience with any audience, except for the experience of the different forms of 3D delivery.
Are you obsessing on, “It’s nice to walk out of a theater with people buzzing.”
It is. It was nice with Dark Knight. It was nice with Star Trek. What’s you major malfunction, numb nuts?
And Lex, Leah is correct. The studio’s preferred format is Real-D. A second LA press screening was in IMAX Digital 3D. And the screening last night in IMAX celluloid 3D was a promo screening, not really meant for press. Neither was the one I attended, in Dolby Digital 3D.
My experience of the 3 delivery systems was definite preference for the Real D. Nothing wrong with the other two, really, I just felt like the Real D was a better glasses experience. Also, I think the middle size screen was better for the experience, for me. Not too big. Not too small.
Ok, I saw it, this afternoon – AMAZING, live up to the hype! Beautifully shot, exciting, immersive, and not nearly as hokey as I would have thought. Cameron yanks you into this world and does not let go – very nicely paced, true sense of danger throughout and true sense of beauty throughout.
Sam Worthington was much better than I thought he would be – usually, voice-over narration can sink you, but he does it well. The performance capture was simply amazing, the actors made you buy it, too.
Only real weakness I found was the score – James Horner is just too damn derivative of his own hits, at this point. Not only did I hear too many Titanic-like cues, but the guy was aping a lot of Glory, as well.
Still a home run, four stars, one of the best of the year, no doubt. Just like with Precious, the political stuff has been WAY overstated – this story has been around for hundred’s of years and all of a sudden, it’s a left wing screed???? Give me a break – the Breitbart/Nolte crew has got to seriously lighten up, already. It’s ok to dwell for two hours of screentime on the stoning of Sonja-whatever her name is or focusing on a cat-of-nine-tails ripping apart Jesus, but having
SPOILER ALERT
one intense scene about the destruction of a tree and thousands of people around it is overdoing it???? It’s a good scene and makes a good point, but it’s not liberal propaganda. We’ve seen Alderaan get blown up, we’ve seen Vulcan get blown up, we’ve seen the White House get blown up – were those political? Seriously, Breitbart and Nolte and the rest of them should just lighten the fuck up, already.
But back to the movie – yes, the story is derivative, but I can assure that you have never seen it like this. It moves, stays true to its own logic, and just dazzles – every one should be learning from Cameron, at this point.
I also think the film is much more chick-friendly than any one is giving it credit for – hell, I want to take my wife now, because she loves Yoga, reads lots of books about spirituality and nature, and might even get the story more than I did.
Stephen Lang was fantastic and gave his character all of the necessary charisma, Zoe Saldana does a great job portraying some one somewhat alien and feral yet relatable, and it’s nice to see Michelle Rodriguez playing the role she was always meant to play…..the tough Cameron heavy with a heart of gold.
The film should do well, but I’m expecting numbers just above Star Trek-domestic – $300 million is going to be tough with the Sherlock Holmes buzzsaw coming, next week.
And with regards to the best conditions to see it, I just trusted my man Ebert – he said he saw it at the River East and that was all I needed. They added a few Real D screens and it only cost me $9.00 – the 3D was amazing and it’s a very comfortable theater. I would like to see it in Imax and will likely do so when visiting family in Vegas in a few weeks – my folks live right near the Red Rock casino and they have an IMAX Real D screen, bingo!
I think I might have brought the “Jim said to see it in IMAX” myth to the board a while back – in any case I’ll totally claim responsibility and state that I have no evidence to say he ever said that.