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 cast, Fincher, can’t wait to see it. But I am not getting an Oscar vibe at all. Not that I am a brilliant Oscar prognosticator.
The original trilogy is streaming on Netflix but I haven’t watched them yet. At this point, should I bother?
Paul MD,
Remain a virgin.
What I find most intriguing about it is that Columbia are declaring it is from the trilogy. I can only assume that they are feeling (justifiably) so confident about the film that they are all but ready to greenlight parts 2 and 3 as early as Wednesday lunchtime of December 21.
That’s what I was leaning towards. Might as well at this point.
Wait for the Fincher. The originals are well done but workmanlike movies.
Yeah I was tempted to read the books, tempted to see the original movies, but decided to avoid all of it when the Fincher movie was announced. I’m definitely holding out for that. Can’t wait. Not even watching any of these trailers.
The lead performance of Lisbeth is the main saving grace of the original trilogy. They’re perfectly fine but workmanlike is a very accuarate way to describe them.
I’ve read the books, and I’m thrilled with Fincher directing, the casting, and what I’ve seen so far with that teaser. (I’m going to wait to see this trailer in front of MONEYBALL this weekend, since I’m assuming it will be attatched.)
I’m curious, though, if Fincher will direct 2 and 3. I know he’s developing LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA and maybe CLEOPATRA…I wonder if maybe they’ll greenlight both and have them shoot back to back to shorten the time frame.
LOVE Fincher, enjoyed all three of the Swedish “Girl” films and like the cast well enough.
But the latest (exposition-heavy) trailer makes it seem like a more artfully shot and edited (English-language) remake of “Dragon Tattoo 1.”
I hope I’m wrong because Fincher remains one of the few American directors who can seemingly do no wrong in my book.
And for “Girl” newbies, it’s probably best to steer clear of the originals at this point.
Should have followed:
But the latest (exposition-heavy) trailer makes it seem like a more artfully shot and edited (English-language) remake of “Dragon Tattoo 1.”
with
Nothing more. Nothing less.
It’s a trailer. Approximately two percent of the film. Of course it does.
Sorry, but Noomi Rapace’s turn as Lisbeth is worth seeing. That performance is tremendous so see it in order to know if Rooney Mara is up to snuff or not.
Now, the whole bringing a tear to his eye? Really?
Yes, IO… it’s about being excitement by beautiful filmmaking. When something feels so perfectly in the groove, it is thrilling to me.
I find it hard to believe a true movie maven has not seen the three Swedish films, after all they got quite a run theatrically, in big cities anyway, and the books are quite well known ….
craig did interviews in nyc today…screening was received less than enthusiastically… jus’ sayin’…
berg– i also find it a bit disingenuous that craig claims never to have looked at the originals (even though he has them all on his shelf)…i know a lot of actors and i’m pretty familiar with curiosity….if i were a cynic, i’d be callin’ bullshit…
I could see it though…if you’re about to do the same role as some other actor, do you want what he did in your head the whole time? Every choice you then make is either “this will be different than what he did” or “oh no, this is too similar to the other guy.” Rather than being a natural performance.
Although I definitely know many many actors who would have watched them several times.
Still, it’s been under two years since the original came out, and less since it hit DVD and VOD. I might have waited another two or three years just to put some distance between them. But that’s just me.
Fincher seems to be really into “over the shoulder” shots these days, seemd to be a cartload in the trailer alone.
This version does look better than the other one, but I wonder if it overcomes the problem that the plot to the actual thing is something you could have seen on PBS Mystery a hundred times over. In spite of Noomi Rapace’s performance in the original, I got pretty bored to death halfway through.
I also wonder why the story wasn’t relocated to North America for this one. I honestly didn’t realize they were still setting it in Sweden until I watched the trailer just now.
David, did you really send that response to me? Really? Really? Really? XD!
Hal, her performance is the best thing of those movies because yes, they are, amazingly dull.
As dull as the Swedish movie was, I’m still pretty fond of the subway scuffle because overall Rapace kicks some ass, but when she gets hit, IT HURTS LIKE UNHOLY HELL AND THEY LET IT. I think at one point she drops to the ground and can barely get her breath since, duh, a big drunk motherfucker socked her in the breadbasket! None of this usual bullcrap where a 115 pound supermodel is beating the crap out of hired thugs three times her size with a roundhouse kick that’s moving about 3 miles per hour (Monday night’s Hawaii 5-0, I’m looking straight at you here!). I’m not saying that action scenes on the whole aren’t bullshit when it’s man vs. man anyway, but can we please stop pretending crap to this level?
Hal, you make good points, but 115 lbs women can win fights over drunkards if they just kick them in the knees! The KNEES: THE REAL EQUALIZERS!
The book was awful and repugnant and Fincher should be striving to do more than yet another of these movies. Seems like a step back for him.
“I find it hard to believe a true movie maven has not seen the three Swedish films, after all they got quite a run theatrically, in big cities anyway, and the books are quite well known …”
I saw the original film and never bothered with the sequels. Couldn’t care less about them. Just because they are very popular doesn’t mean they are any good or really worth watching.
berg you sound like someone without a wife and child. If you have a family with a young one at home and don’t review movies for a living, you simply don’t get to see as many movies as you’d like. Fact of life. When those movies were in theaters they got a one-week run where I was living. I was interested, but I’m interested in lots of movies playing in theaters at any given moment. Can’t see them all.
wow, has Steven Berkoff become the embodiment of Pleasance Blofeld.
My point I guess was that even after the three Swedish film ran theatrically they are available on dvd and certainly accessible to those that watch stuff at home … better still have you checked out the Red Riding trilogy on dvd, because those are some awesome films, superior to the Dragon trilogy in many ways while still treading in the same territory
I have seen the Red Riding trilogy, and those films (especially the first two) are incredible. Definitely in my top 10 for 2010 (when I saw them). That’s what I mean, though. When you have limited opportunities, you really have to prioritize. The Red Riding trilogy looked far more interesting to me than the Dragon trilogy.
good looking trailer. tells you the story without giving any real plot points away. I haven’t read the books or seen the originals, so i’m going in cold.
i saw another trailer for a Daniel Craig movie, Dream House. My wife had wanted to see it based on the commercials. Then we caught the trailer last week in front of Drive. If you haven’t seen the Dream House trailer, it is the polar opposite of this one. It gives practically every major twist away in the trailer. After seeing it, my wife said “well fuck, i don’t need to see it now, the trailer just gave away the whole movie”.
I’m always curious about why studios would give everything away in the trailer, including twists, instead of setting up the mood and mystery like GWTDT does. Is cutting a decent trailer that difficult?
The Dream House trailer is indeed awful and does appear to give away the entire movie. It also isn’t screening for critics, which is probably a bad sign in this case. As for why studios give away so much in the trailer, I always think back to what Robert Zemeckis said about the Cast Away and What Lies Beneath trailers, insisting audiences actually prefer it that way. Maybe he’s right.
Somewhere there was a recent study that said Zemeckis was right. Audiences want to know the story when they go in.
And in the case of Dream House…if they didn’t give away the twist, why would anyone see it? it would look totally generic otherwise. And it looks like the twist is probably half an hour in or so, and the rest is figuring stuff out.
i think the final box office for Dream House wouldn’t have mattered much, whether you revealed one of the major plot twists or not.
Brian Grazer was a big pimp for letting it all hang out in trailers. Show them the structure leading to the ending and hope they want the details filled in. Blame the television conditioning discussed in BYOB as to why some people watch formulaic shows. They know the beats so they watch for the details. Movies trailers are trying to provide that same comfort. Risk aversion.
Suffered through the diminishing returns of the Swedish trilogy for completeness’ sake, but any compulsion ended there. I think I can still respect Fincher and Zaillian while looking at this and seeing little more than a paycheck movie. There is other stuff for me to see.
I’m really looking forward to Plummer’s performance as Max von Sydow.