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
high praise indeed from lindqvist (and SK tho as much as i love him he’s a bit off his rocker in the taste stakes, at least when it comes to matching my own)
Seriously.
The four best movies I’ve seen this year:
ENTER THE VOID, INCEPTION, LET ME IN, NEVER LET ME GO.
They’re both spot on reviews. It was a really great movie-I kept waiting for another great American horror film. The vampire myth wasn’t this teenager goth stuff it was sadness at what she was and how alone she was running parallel to the loneliness Owen felt.
I’ve been telling myself I can just wait and rent this on Blu-ray in a few months, but these two blurbs may have inspired me to say “to hell with it” and go this weekend. Plus, I feel bad that the film’s doing so poorly at the box office. Maybe the poster should have read “From the Industry That Brought You Twilight.”
with you on “enter the void” lex. is this film gaining traction with american audiences at all?
The only problem with these reviews and comments is that it is NOT an American movie. It is made by Hammer, a British production company.
I don’t know exactly what Hammer’s role was, but it’s not a big stretch to call a film with an American director, an American cast and an American setting (entirely shot in America) an American film. Even imdb lists both the UK and the US as the film’s “country of origin,” which reflects the financing realities. Good on Hammer for putting up some money, but I doubt that even they think this is a British film. The username “Lee Cushing” suggests you will not agree. 🙂
Let’s look at the facts.
1. Pretty much all of the Hammer movies made since 1934 were heavily funded from American and are still considered British.
2. Many of the films produced by Hammer since 1934 used American based actors in lead roles – Actors like Bette Davis, Bela Lugosi, Cybill Shepherd, Stephanie Powers, Elliott Gould and many others.
3. There are plenty of American movies that were not filmed in America with all or the majority of cast members non-American.
4. There was reportedly far less American funding for this than there was for past Hammer movies.
5. The username Lee Cushing is the name I write under.
Let the right one in (original version) was a mesmorising beautiful intelligent film. When I heard a US remake was on the cards I was dreading it… But it sounds like it has being handled with the same quality n craftsmanship! What a shame it’s not doing well at the box office … Maybe it’s too clever, no car chase or gun fights!!!
I hope the US viewers get to see what intelligent horror should be like.
Watch the original first mind you!
Andy
Hi Folks
One point regarding past and present hammer films – at least in the 50’s, 60,s and 70’s hammer made their own films – now they are only putting money up – the film was actually made by Overture films and not hammer – I believe this is just De Mol buying the hammer name and adding it to a horror film – hammer are gone and finished – this is just a business deal!