April 19, 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
chalk up another one for dp/30
I adore Passion Fish. I’m not sure I’ve seen a Sayles movie since Men With Guns. Have there been any worth watching since that I missed?
No one will agree with this, but I was deeply moved by Casa de los Babys.
i like this dp/30 – go back and get 5 more minutes.
I liked Limbo, until the “end.”
Seriously, this video should be required viewing for any and every film school student. This is crash course for the history of independent film over the past 30 years. This guy gets it, while most others are just pretending to play a role.
John, I just got a call from Burt Reynolds, he wants his shirt back … seriously you need to do a Sayles dp30 and give it the Muzursky treatment
Mike: Nearly all of them, but HONEYDRIPPER is one of his most purely entertaining films ever and a must-see. I’m glad to be one of the fortunate few who saw it in a theatre.
AMIGO starts out a bit pokey, but once it gets going it’s pretty swell, though it is definitely not a “fun” film.
God I wish he’d do another television series. He’s one of maybe a handful of people (a shop teacher’s handful at that) who I’d imagine could put out a show as good as “The Wire” if he put his mind to it.
I really enjoy Sunshine State. But Silver City is pretty dreadful.
Honeydripper is great. Lone Star is a minor masterpiece I find, and I have a real soft spot for Sunshine State as well. Agree on Silver City, couldn’t get into it at all. I remember how astoundingly bad Danny Huston was in it, a guy who’s usually excellent.
Silver City was “script doctor, heal thyself” bad.
Limbo is a masterpiece and I love the ending. Casa de los Babys is a great showcase for some brilliant actresses and very entertaining. Sunshine State is also really good. Silver City has a great cast but is a disappointment. Haven’t seen Honeydripper. Amigo sound great.
GOOD OFFER
Yeah, I’ll second what Paulmd said, in that CASA DE LOS BABYS, if nothing else, is a great showcase for how wonderful those actresses are, and it also includes a few powerhouse scenes and a bunch of interesting, complex ideas that aren’t easily digestable.
My favorite of his recent work is SUNSHINE STATE, which is a great mutli-character piece. I’m actually seeing AMIGO tonight with Sayles in attendance, so I will chime in with how that goes later.
I haven’t seen luxuriant upper chest hair like that since 9th grade p.e. class’s Coach Jones.
But I liked the interview too.
Lone Star is his undisputed masterpiece. Great cast, great gimic of going back in time in camera (metaphor for the past and present being so close) and the issues of race and immigration, which Sayles always throws in there.
It’s got some great lines too. “I’m as liberal as the next guy.” “If the next guy’s a redneck.”
Eight Men Out is another one that is incredibly overrated. It came out the same year as Bull Durham so people tend to overlook it, but that’s a great script given how many characters were involved in that story and how much emotion you feel toward the end.
Brother from Another Planet – its looooooowwwwww budget sci-fi, but there’s some good ideas in there.
I agree that Lone Star is magnificent, but wouldn’t call it undisputed. I think many people would toss up Passion Fish and Brother as his best, and I consider Matewan his best, deepest work.
I’m not saying that to argue or get listings going of his projects, I think we can all agree that he has done some amazing work especially considering the miniscule budgets he has to contend with. He handles ensembles well while still being able to give great showcases to actors that normally didn’t get a chance to shine like David Strathain, Joe Morton, and Chris Cooper.
Now excuse me while I go look up to see if City of Hope is streaming on Netflix.
John Sayles needs to hang out with more directors / actors with some money like Adam Sandler who wrote
Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star ..
maybe in a few years John will write Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star 2 ….
So, there was a comment about his shirt and chest hair but not the nuthugger shorts?!? God, this man is one of the top pioneer artists that America has produced. Seaucucs 7 (the real “Big Chill), lianna, brother from another planet, passion fish, matewan, sunshine state, men with guns, honeydripper (best Danny Glover performance ever), 8 men out, discovering Chris Cooper/david straiharn (who I always used think were the same person), giving Matthew mccongahuey his first substantial role, city of hope, ballsiness of limbo’s storytelling especially the ending (witness it’s effect on Sopranos finale & before that Angel’s tv finale), the magnificent Lone Star in the wonderful independent film year of 1996, and so much more.
since 9th grade p.e. class’s Coach Jones.
… at Churchill High School we had a p.e. teacher named Coach Roach
Tuck you said:
“Eight Men Out is another one that is incredibly overrated”
From what you said after, though, I’m assuming you meant UNDERrated? I love Eight Men Out. One of my favorite movies of the ’80s.
Sayles was the source of probably my worst/most awkward “celebrity” interaction ever. Because of him I rarely if ever say anything to a filmmaker I admire.
I was at Sundance a while back (12 years maybe?) and had along a book that compiled all of Sayles’ interviews into one. I was a HUGE Sayles fan. Huge. I hopped off a bus at Prospector Sq. theater and had to pee really, really bad but didn’t know where the bathroom was so I ducked into the cafe to ask. When I went in there, I saw Sayles sitting at a table drinking a cup of coffee and got kind of starstruck. I actually never approached filmmakers back then either. Anyway…
I found out where the bathroom was and on the way there told myself that if I came back and he was there, I’d get him to sign my book and maybe strike up a conversation if he wasn’t busy. Sure enough he was still there so I went over to him with the book and a pen. He wasn’t with anyone so I said, “excuse me, Mr. Sayles. I’m a really big fan of your films and I have this book. I was wondering if you’d sign it?”
He snatches the book out of my hands and goes, “where did you get this!?” I told him “Amazon.” He seems like, pissed or annoyed and goes, “well, I’ve never seen this. I didn’t sign off or approve this. Where’d you get it again?!?” He’s like, pissed that I bought some apparently rogue book that contains all his interviews. It’s not like it was a tell-all or an un-authorized biography. He flips through i all pissed off and looks at the back cover.
So I tell him again that I got it at Amazon and I didn’t realize it was unofficial or not something I shouldn’t have. He kind of glares at me, snatches the pen out of my hand and writes “Best, John Sayles” in it and gives it back. Looks away and starts reading something.
It was so weird. I just thought he’d be cool and man, was he ever NOT cool. I don’t hold it against him, maybe he was having a shitty day or doesn’t like people like me. Whatever. It just weirded me out.
AMIGO is a really strong, intelligent, perceptive and morally provoking film. It’s kind of quintessential Sayles in the way it explores these different cultures and classes bumping up against each other and the socio-political forces of their time. The lead guy (who is apparently a well known Filipino actor whose name I’m having trouble finding right now…) and Dillahunt get some really great, subtle character work to do, and as always, there’s a serious attention to the place and community as character. Worth checking out.
My local arthouse is actually doing a Sayles retrospective right now, and he was there tonight to introduce the movie and do a QandA. He was very gracious, intelligent and in good spirits but Don your story has me very glad I didn’t find myself in a situation where I said/did anything stupid/accidently irritating. It would be a bummer to meet an icon like that and have that result.
I had watched Lone Star (and loved it) a few months before I met Chris Cooper. I was working at Blockbuster and he came in, and I was hoping to tell him how much I had liked him in the movie. But when he brought whatever VHS tape to the counter, I had to tell him he had a late fee. He didn’t get mean, but I can tell it irked him, so I chickened out of complimenting him.
It’s not worth it to approach celebrities – just admire from afar.