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
wow, the british academy sure likes them some locker
(in a weird way i wonder if this actually bodes well for tarantino’s screenplay and maybe even avatar a bit at the oscars, as it seems the american academy often likes to roll deliberately differently from their brit counterparts, raising the middle finger with a big “screw you, limeys! no taxation without representation!” when making their big choices. or that might just be my imagination)
Based on timing alone, I’d be more likely to belive that the opposite is true (since Oscars are pretty predictable).
In any case, it’s nice to see a film by Cameron win something at BAFTAS, especially since Rick Carter is among the winners.
Leahnz, I think it is more often the other way around. Before they switched their dates from post-Oscar to pre-, BAFTA used sometimes act like some sort of correction to the mistakes made by Oscar (o, so very British). And of course understandably, they also have a bias towards home grown talent…
But I don’t get the sense that Oscar will raise the finger to BAFTA. I think Locker is on a roll and we’re in for a pretty big sweep. The Guilds (except SAG) has backed it and the only thing stopping it now is some idiot saying “but it didn’t make any money.”
I think the “it didn’t make any money” argument could be made if it only had a few Oscar nominations, not 9.
Brack, I agree with you (as I said, it would take an idiot to complain “but it didn’t make any money”)… and while I do not agree with the argument, we have often heard that the Academy prefers the big horses in its race.
“***Rising Star Award: Kristen Stewart***”
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!
BEST. NEWS. EVER.
CONGRATULATIONS, K-STEW!
Her “star” isn’t the only thing “rising.”
Of course this is based on assumptions since I’ve never been to the UK but I’m surprised that Up In The Air beat out In The Loop for Best Adapted Screenplay. I don’t think Peter Capaldi was even nominated but I would’ve also figured he’d beat out dude from Ing Basterds.
i’m a bit surprised ‘up in the air’ beat out ‘in the loop’ also
(i’m pretty sure that ‘rising star’ thing is voted on by the public; in this instance all those horny chicks who wish they were bella to edward’s wood no doubt put the stew over the top)
Lex: When I heard about K-Stew’s award this afternoon, I came thisclose to coming here and saying “her star isn’t the only thing that’s rising,” but I didn’t want to steal your thunder.
Congrats to Firth and Mulligan. Both fantastic performances.
Also congrats to Joe Dunton. Someone i have been fortunate enough to know. A very generous man who has contributed a great deal to the industry as well as the film community in wilmington.
I don’t know if this has been brought up before because I’ve avoided the topic as until this past w/e hadn’t seen the film, An Education but does the fact that Mulligan looks like she could play Veronica Mars’ big sister discount performance any? Obviously, it didn’t hurt her here but is the praise going to someone playing a precocious teen or that a 25 yr old is able to play a precocious teen who acts like she’s 25? Any older and she’d be a perfect re-cast in an Ab Fab re-make.
triple,
that is ridiculous. almost on par with lex ridiculous.
veronica mars big sister? are you comparing this talented actress with a no-talent like Kristen Bell?
seriously?
bonkers man. just bonkers. whatever you were on while watching an education, pour into the toilet and flush. it’s making you insane.
I think Triple is just making reference to Mulligan in how in “An Education” she looks and acts like somebody in their mid-twenties as opposed to looking like a 16 year old with a precocious spirit. Thus, Triple wonders if she’s been showered with praise for her performance of a 16 year old or for just being so gosh darn loveable.
Yes. Thanks, Hallick.
When I saw An Education a couple months ago, one of the things I liked about it was how appropriately cast Mulligan seemed to be as a teenager. As in, she looked like a teenager to me. Granted, I don’t spend a lot of time with teenagers these days, but I think the point is at least debatable as a matter of individual perspective.
Anghus, I’d quibble with you on Bell’s talent. I first noticed her in SPARTAN, and she was just sensational on VERONICA MARS. (She also did solid work on HEROES just as it was jumping the shark.) But her choice of feature projects has been simply abominable; if she doesn’t make her FU money soon and go back to working with folks like Mamet, she’ll have squandered all the good will she built up on TV.