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
Well that’s a populist list if I’ve ever seen one.
I should hate these guys for creaming over Clint YET AGAIN, but I’m loving that screenplay award for the Coens.
What is the TV movie? Up in the Air?
No. Not Up in the Air
World’s Greatest Television Director…
Damn. No love for That Evening Sun.
This is where is gets crazy, Joe. You know how idiotic this group is and yet you worry about their “love” of a movie or performance as though it matters.
This is, with all love, the sickness we all get this time of year… we know, but we forget because any fucking port in a storm at least feels like something.
I would think that, for a small-budget indie like That Evening Sun, any mention would be helpful. If not for Oscar gold, or even wider theatrical release, then at least a more receptive audience when it’s released on home video. You know, that whole light a candle rather than curse the darkness sort of thing.
It still confounds me that people liked Star Trek. And I typically have a boner for all things Abrams.
Poland,
indiewire says Avatar is screening for the HFPA on the 8th, not tomorrow.
Which is it?
Glad to see Get Low will get its US premiere at Sundance.
It’s always annoyed me that they don’t include the “Best Film” on their “Ten Best Films” list. Ditto for foreign and docs. Wouldn’t be a problem but I often see the ten best list reproduced with no mention of the film that was their #1.
Ah yes, the annual “I hate the NBR!!!” post.
Like clockwork, Jeff. And we can expect the same posts about the Hollywood Foreign Press, and how none of this matters, no one knows anything, blah blah blah. I hope he’ll at least take the time to include the Broadcast Film Critics in that list of irrelevant and tasteless voting bodies.
I’m confused. Is it that an Independent film can’t be one of the 10 best films of the year? What’s the criteria that separates them? From what I see, District 9 was released by Tristar and 500 Days of Summer was released by Fox Searchlight. Honest question, what’s the difference?
Also for a movie with so much juice coming in, surprised there is no Precious in either category.
“I hope he’ll at least take the time to include the Broadcast Film Critics in that list of irrelevant and tasteless voting bodies.”
The Checkered Demon just smiled.
Lousy organization but I do approve of their indifference towards Precious.
IndieWIRE is incorrect, loyal… unless things have changed in the last 12 hours.
From what I see, District 9 was released by Tristar and 500 Days of Summer was released by Fox Searchlight. Honest question, what’s the difference?
None. Both were independent productions picked up by studios/dependents for distribution. Plus The Messenger and The Hurt Locker are decidedly independent productions from independent distributors (Summit is much bigger than Oscilloscope, but I wouldn’t put them among the majors quite yet). I think “Top Ten Independent Films” really means “Top Ten Independent Films Not Good Enough to Be in the Actual Top Ten.”