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
His performance in “Breaking Bad” is so real and authentic when it could easily become cliche. Very talented actor. Can’t wait for the DP/30 with Cranston.
Great work on Big Love, too.
PINKMAN POWER.
You should get SAUL GOODMAN for the next DP.
And on the topic: Why doesn’t AMC put this show on Hulu??? Or anywhere on the web, or on OnDemand for more than a week? I didn’t get to catch the first few eps of SEASON THREE, figuring I could catch em online or on Demand, but NO DICE. AMC yanks them within a week or two, so I ended up not seeing ANY of Season 3, and they probably won’t drop the DVD set till the week before S4 starts in like a year.
STUPID.
Lex, AMC is more interested in building a network/brand than building a show. They want you checking the listings, digging around, etc. It’s annoying, but judging by the quality of the shows and the pilots they buy, it might be working.
We say, “Aaron Paul is getting an Emmy” every single week when we’re watching the show.
Would like to hear Dean Norris, Bob Odenkirk, along with Bryan Cranston.
Wish the female characters were as well-developed and enjoyable.
Breaking Bad is definitely worth watching, but does anyone else feel the third season’s been a bit “meh”
“Fly” was the best thing Rian Johnson’s ever done, though.
I actually thought Season 1 was ok. Interesting, but not in love with it. Season 2 blew me away. I was hooked. Season 3 hasn’t been quite as good but the amazing moments are so flat out awesome.
The last five minutes of the last episode was phenomenal.
I love Breaking Bad. It’s taken over my dark, methodical, drug-based show spot previously reserved for The Wire. The acting is phenomenal, and often recognized. It’s a shame that the show tends to get overlooked because of Mad Men.
I loved the first season, and the start of season two. Then it slowed way down. I wasn’t crazy about the first part of season three, but it has been building a major head of steam lately and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.
Lex: I’m going through the same thing with Season 3. I moved before I could watch the first few episodes in my DVR queue, which I then lost because my new home can’t get U-Verse. I’ve dutifully recorded the last few eps, with the hope that AMC will run a season marathon at some point after the finale, allowing me to fill in the gaps.