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
While I agree with the notion that the SAGs aren’t that important for Oscar nominations, don’t you think all five Ensemble nominees are heading for BP nominations anyway? If the field was five strong, then I’d say at two if not three were in danger, but with 10 all five were among my predictions anyway.
Who do you think will get left out for Best Actor? Seems like that lineup is a pretty strong possibility right now. I don’t think Damon will get in for Supporting Actor, and Kruger definitely not. Not 100% sold on Mirren, Bullock and Plummer either. The rest however look good to go – at least at this point, but that could easily change.
Damn. Once again: No love for Hal Holbrook. Bummer.
I agree that Mirren and Plummer probably won’t make it through, and I’m surprised that Cotillard got left off. Bullock I can see going through because people have actually seen that movie.
The supporting actor is the most in flux. Clearly Waltz will get in there, but the rest I’m fairly curious about. who will be the Michael Shannon this year? I hope it’s Alfred Molina who was just wonderful in that role.
Even though I liked Kruger in Basterds (a bit to my surprise), if they were gonna nominate someone from that film for Supporting Actress, it should’ve been Melanie Laurent.
Laurant was submitted into the lead category. Unlike Oscar, SAG voters can’t pick and choose they vote for somebody in. Same goes for Cotillard, submitted as lead but getting both lead and supporting buzz with Oscar (ala Kate Winslet last year for The Reader).
Remember when the SAG ensemble category used to actually be about rewarding ensembles and not a default best picture category. 2007 was glorious in that regard, but then they negated that by giving the prize to Slumdog last year, which was just absurdity of the highest order.
Mirren is the only best actress contender I’m not too sure about, but the other four look solid as rocks. There are plenty of people who have received Golden Globe and SAG nominations but failed to get Oscars so it’s not out of the realm of possibility.