April 23, 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
This article on The Wrap is so badly misunderstanding of movie industry economics that it is begging for you to pick it apart:
http://www.thewrap.com/article/true-cost-and-consequences-avatar-11206
Please do your thing.
This article on The Wrap is so badly misunderstanding of movie industry economics that it is begging for you to pick it apart:
http://www.thewrap.com/article/true-cost-and-consequences-avatar-11206
Please do your thing.
I don’t see how anyone could possibly think that $400 worldwide box office would mean profit for a $387 mill. (all-in) production, even with home video revenues. I think the film needs to make $500 mill worldwide to sniff at profitability, and that might be generous. Then again these numbers are all imaginary anyway, so who knows.
got my tickets for Sat night at the Arclight. Can’t wait.
Re: “Up In The Air”- I hate not living in a “select city”.
I just saw it this afternoon – wonderful film. Amazingly, it was playing at only one theater in Chicago and that was the AMC River East. Love that theater, just downtown, not far from the train, good food nearby, and they have Coke Zero.
Anyway, back to the film – sharp, dark, very funny, extremely topical, and featuring great performances. I have never been a huge Clooney fan, but this could be his best film. Anna Kendrick deserves all of the Oscar talk she has gotten and when did Vera Farminga become so womanly?? She was all bones in The Departed (sure that would make her Lex’ preference), but in this film, she filled out a bit, but in the best way possible. Just gorgeous and a very good performance. However…..
SPOILER ALERT
I saw that third act twist coming with her character coming a mile away and didn’t quite buy it. She can actually pull away from her “family” for a whole weekend in Wisconsin, chum up with Clooney’s family, and no repercussions and no concern from her about getting caught? That’s quite a reach. It did go with the logic of the story, though, and gave Ryan the dark ending you knew he had coming.
Jason Reitman directed it beautifully – definitely captured the feel of business travel and how ridiculous those corporate hotel parties can get….how could you not love the cameo from Young MC?
Very good film that truly lived up to the hype – this has sure been an interesting year. It would be a very close big four for me, so far, with Up in the Air, Precious, Hurt Locker and A Serious Man – loved all four films and it is truly difficult to consider one above the others, just because of how ridiculously different they are. I have a very strong feeling that all four will get nominated and the Academy will sort of cop out by giving the big award to Up – it seems to be safest, easiest choice, at this point.
Avatar is so interesting. I want to see it, but every single instinct in my body says 300 million tops domestic.
It may play better overseas with the whole ‘evil corporate military complex’ vs. ‘outmatched tribal locals’.
Everyone i know watches the commercial and says ‘that looks weird’. My wife seems particularly disinterested.
“There’s no way in hell you’re dragging me to see this.” she said as the commercial came on.
There seems to be a curiosity about it, but i just don’t feel that surge of “have to see this movie” coming from people as they talk about the holiday films they’re eager to see.
Things i’ve heard said by firends of mine while they watched the extended preview during a football game:
“Who’s that guy?”
“He was in Terminator”
“I don’t remember him from Terminator”
“The new one, the one that came out this year”
“I heard it was awful”
“Hey it’s Ben from Six Feet Under”
“What’s the last thing Sigourney Weaver was in?”
“The aliens look like cats.”
Maybe it’s the company i keep, but i heard far better comments from the masses for commercials for Sherlock Holmes and Up in the Air. Do i think that either of those will beat the box office for Avatar, no. But, it does seem to lack that non geek crossover audience.
Avatar is so interesting. I want to see it, but every single instinct in my body says 300 million tops domestic.
It may play better overseas with the whole ‘evil corporate military complex’ vs. ‘outmatched tribal locals’.
Everyone i know watches the commercial and says ‘that looks weird’. My wife seems particularly disinterested.
“There’s no way in hell you’re dragging me to see this.” she said as the commercial came on.
There seems to be a curiosity about it, but i just don’t feel that surge of “have to see this movie” coming from people as they talk about the holiday films they’re eager to see.
Things i’ve heard said by firends of mine while they watched the extended preview during a football game:
“Who’s that guy?”
“He was in Terminator”
“I don’t remember him from Terminator”
“The new one, the one that came out this year”
“I heard it was awful”
“Hey it’s Ben from Six Feet Under”
“What’s the last thing Sigourney Weaver was in?”
“The aliens look like cats.”
Maybe it’s the company i keep, but i heard far better comments from the masses for commercials for Sherlock Holmes and Up in the Air. Do i think that either of those will beat the box office for Avatar, no. But, it does seem to lack that non geek crossover audience.
Geoff: Without wanting to reveal too much: You might be surprised how often, and how easily, that sort of thing happens in real life. More than that, I cannot say.
I’m the opposite of an expert, but I think people might be making a mistake in trying to judge Avatar like a billion dollar global franchise picture, and worrying about it’s perceived lack of pre-release buzz or interest. Cameron has shown he can write super tight screenplays that connect with an audience like the best of them. That’s in addition to everything else. So maybe this will be more of a throwback movie that grows on the strength of the story it tells, which you can’t really advertise beforehand.
Or maybe it’s just uncomfortable purple, ectomorphic-elf romance.
It’s probably both!
Re Cameron’s writing–two choice bits from the trailer:
“You are not in Kansas anymore.”
“Let your mind go blank. That shouldn’t be tough for you.”
GROAN.
no way, man, classic cameron hockum. nobody does it better. the hard-out kick-ass populist sci-fi action love merchant is at it again
i was puttering out Finke’s site and is saw the page littered with ads for Funny People “For Your Consideration” ads.
Oh man. Why not just dig a big hole, pour your money in and lite it on fire?
Who writes these checks?
Geoff: I believe I read that Farmiga was pregnant during the UP IN THE AIR shoot. Hence the sudden extra “womanliness.”
Anghus, it’s not uncommon for superstar talents to have Oscar consideration ads written into their contracts, regardless of how far-fetched or hopeless it may be. This is why you always see such ads for folks like Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, et al. It’s not about getting a nom; it’s strictly ego-stroke.
Cadavra beat me to it, but that’s been pretty much par for the course for as long as I’ve been following this stuff. My favorite is still Warner’s Best Actor push for Michael Jordan in Space Jam (though to be fair, he gave a perfectly respectable performance for what the film required).
Scott: As I have posted elsewhere, I can remember “For Your Consideration” ads for John Travolta in Moment By Moment.
I remember Entertainment Tonight or some news show making fun of the “For Your Consideration” ad for Roddy McDowall in FRIGHT NIGHT — except he fucking deserved it! Check out that scene with Evil Ed dying as McDowall watches helpless…
I don’t think Roddy McDowall has ever been bad, even in something like Laserblast. My favorite is Class of 1984, anyone who hasn’t seen that movie CHECK IT OUT NOW!