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
Strong for “Argo” which could be the rare 5x multiplier if it can stay in a large number of theaters for the Thanksgiving holidays and in to the Christmas season.
Sinister I hear is a tick above the average horror film so good on it for at least matching the genre norms even after going for the less inclusive R-rating.
“Taken 2” is clearly not a one and done type deal and will probably do 90% of the original’s total. It’ll be interesting to see if the inevitable sequel will at least try to mix up the formula a little. You can often get away with a photo copy type sequel to the original once, but can they really go with Neeson chasing Maggie Grace through Europe a third time? Even the “Death Wish” and “Dirty Harry” movies had more story alterations between installments than that.
“Seven Psychopaths” was predictable in that these type of meta, violent crime comedies never do well outside of the Tarantino brand. Stuff like this always catches on a year or two later when the DVD gets traded around dorm rooms.
Disappointing that “Frankenweenie” continues to disappoint. It’s clearly a personal film for Burton and those who’ve seen it have unanimously hailed it as a gorgeous piece of filmmaking.
That’s a really poor showing for “Paperboy,” which is only in its second weekend of mini-release.
Is it the movie, or Millennium?
Both? I actually kinda like “Paperboy”‘s batsh-t craziness but who is the audience for that movie? (Other than whoever went to see “Hurry Sundown” more than four decades ago.)
Chris: Wait! You mean there’s a scene in this one where Nicole Kidman does something sexy with a saxophone? Damn. I am so there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOMZ2Aa118A
Think more along the lines of the Burgess Meredith nuttiness
The reviews were overall actually pretty decent.
A.O. Scott’s review made me want to run out and see it….as if that was even remotely possible considering its miniscule release.
Too bad. I guess I’ll have to wait for dvd like 95% of the country.
Say what you will about Millennium’s surprisingly robust showing w/ “Bernie” (a movie that succeeded despite shoddy distribution), but I’m guessing Harvey Weinstein could have turned “The Paperboy” into a real cause celebre.
While it might not have had legs, at least it would have opened in more than a handful of cities.
“Paperboy” gets a HUGE LexG thumbs-up. You would like it, movieman.
One of the more unfortunately derided and misunderstood movies of late, and Kidman certainly goes for it. And McConaughey making it look easy these days is no surprise, but Efron gets better with each movie.
Where are the Otto Premingers of yesterday?
Funnily enough, the first time I saw Hurry Sundown was on a double bill with Alfie. My first time seeing both films. Nearly suffered whiplash seeing and hearing Michael Caine zip from thick Cockney to Southern drawl. It’s been years since I saw Sundown, but I vaguely recall that his Southern accent was more believable than the accents of most of his US-born co-stars.
If I was writing Taken 3, I’d have it be the family member of an old friend who’s kidnapped, so he goes to help.
In TAKEN 3, Honey Boo Boo gets kidnapped. Neeson says, “Fuck, no!” and hangs up. The End.
Kidman goes for it? EVERYBODY goes for it and Daniels shoves in for a close-up of everybody doing it. Which is weirdly, tastelessly enjoyable.