The Rest Of The NetFlix/Relativity Story
So color me (somewhat) wrong.
There are elements of the NetFlix/Relativity deal that I feel are still pretty much what I thought they were yesterday. But the thing that stuck out like a sore thumb to me
May 17, 2024
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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
great read dave. thanks for the follow-up and update. Great journalism.
“Note: Yes… a number of things in this entry are breaking news and to date, exclusively reported by me. Big deal. It’s not about me… it’s about the story.”
Well, it wasn’t about you until you made these comments…
Anyway, what are your sources for this information regarding how much Netflix might be paying?
Unrelated. Watched Collateral last night… Whatever happened to Jamie Foxx? Too lazy to imdb it but haven’t heard of him being in anything of note since the Soloist.
Also, I’d forgotten how much Cruise OWNED in that film.
Jamie Foxx was in Law Abiding Citizen and Valentine’s Day, which were both hits.
Valentine’s Day. How could I forget.
Brought it up because at one point it seemed like he was on the cusp of becoming a major star and- not to take anything away from the successes of VDay and Law Abiding Citizen- it doesn’t feel that way anymore. Maybe it’s just because he had an amazing run between Collateral and Dreamgirls, + The Kingdom (arguably the last movie he carried) came out in 07 (L.A.C felt like it was Butler’s show)
Foxx lucked into one great role (cf. Halle Berry) and has dined out on it ever since. Remember it wasn’t so long before RAY that he was doing junk like SHADE and BREAKIN’ ALL THE RULES. He can be very good with the right kind of role, but they don’t come along that much, and too often he’s been going for the paycheck while he still can. This is not a knock; I’d probably be doing the same thing.
I watched Law Abiding Citizen the other night. That is one hilariously absurd movie. It’s pretty terrible but I couldn’t look away. I wanted to see what batshit crazy shenanigans Butler was going to pull next. Foxx is fairly bland as the “hero,” and not very credible as an attorney. As awful as it is entertaining.
Yeah that sounds about right. Still though a guy like him could be chasing after big named directors or investing in passion projects- it’s a shame he doesn’t seem to be reaching.
Just got True Romance on dvd and it’s got the director’s cut on it as well. Thoughts anyone? Funnily enough it’s sold on the name of Tarantino, the visionary creator of Pulp Fiction & Kill Bill.
I guese NetFlix will make a similar deal with Media Rights Capital (which just makes a service deal with Universal) .
I don’t think it’s great journalism. It’s just asking the key question in a breaking press release… which all many these folks who claim to be news breakers should do more often instead of just pushing along the press releases and pretending it’s reporting.
In this case, you have two entities desperately trying to claim an exclusive a few hours before a press release goes out and they are so busy rushing to win the speed battle, they don’t ask a single significant question. This didn’t require Woodard and Bernstein. They just had to think, for a minute, about the story and not just getting the story up first… and ask a real question. My experience with it is that neither of the parties to this deal is anxious to hide these basic facts.
Add to that, this is not a significant deal without the financial facts… a problem I stepped into earlier yesterday by writing it up while assuming that the details were being kept secret, because how in God’s name could both Sharon and Nikki fail to ask the $64k question? My mistake… never ass-ume. But the dollars involved are what make the claim that this could upset the apple cart for HBO or Showtime at all real… even if I, in my analysis, don’t think it will play out quite the way NetFlix hopes.
And grady… apologize for the footnote that speaks to me, but I am both reporting a story and sending a message to those who like to suggest that I am just shouting from the peanut gallery at “real journalists.” I tried to make it as subtle as possible.
And how would the NYT write up the sourcing? “…according to people in a position to know on both sides of the deal who refuse to be quoted as it is not their business practice to publicly comment on financial details of their business relationships.”
Jamie Foxx has done some crap, no doubt – but he didn’t exactly luck into ONE great role and milk it.
Any Given Sunday has been on cable a lot lately and that film has really grown on me – he is AWESOME in it at Steamin Willie Beaman. The fact that he actually more than holds his own against Mega-Pacino in most scenes.
He was also great in the following movies:
Any Given Sunday
Ray
Collateral
Ali
The Kingdom
Haven’t seen Any Given Sunday in a few years, sounds like it may be worth revisiting. Can’t remember Sunday but minus Kingdom (solid not amazing perf) I’d agree with you in terms of great performances- but only Ray and perhaps Collateral are great roles.
Still despite, or perhaps even because of this, I maintain my earlier argument. It seems like he was working his way up pre-Ray and coasting post. I mean he worked with a few top-tier directors after that but hasn’t really shined in anything, not to mention the bad movies he’s done. (you could possibly possibly make an argument for Dreamgirls)
Now would be an appropriate time for Lex to jump in with a MIAMI VICE POWER!
Just a little thing:
Nikki never called this news as ‘exclusive’; only Sharon did. (And Sharon was indeed the first person to ‘report’ this news)
Looks like Nikki did write some words to trash some person, though: “Sorry, but it’s hilarious to think this deal will make HBO or Showtime or Starz or Epix shudder, especially as they continue to move away from showing movies and more towards original programming. “
Jamie is doing the best with the parts available to him. I don’t think it was his fault that say Miami Vice didn’t work. Or that Oscar bait thing he did where he played a homeless man. Law Abiding Citizen is a fun little movie. I think he should get some respect for helping the gross on it. As I said in Dave’s previous post that I can’t find a lot of people are substituting netflix and a set top box for overly expensive cable. I just hope netflix can keep the price of its plans reasonable as these deals become more commonplace. I don’t even care if it’s blockbusters in fact I’d prefer movies that are good that I just didn’t have access to.