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
Any Cinemascore on Spring Breakers yet? It’s my favorite movie of all time, but I can’t even BELIEVE it’s playing in, like, actual multiplexes for the ‘masses.’ I know it always sounds like some elitist insufferable film snob stance to say the hoi polloi “won’t get” a movie, but, man, considering “Killing Them Softly” and “Drive” got mainstream reactions like people were suckered into watching Andy Warhol’s “Empire,” I can’t even fucking CONCEIVE of what “regular people” will make of what, bikinis and guns aside, is very much a Korine movie and not really a traditional narrative movie.
Also: HAIL GOD BUTLER breaking his bad luck streak.
Spring Breaaak. Spring Breaaak forever.
I remember wishing that a major–Universal or Lionsgate–had picked up “Trash Humpers” back in 2009, and given it a saturation break (3,000+ screens) selling it as the “ultimate horror movie.”
The freaky visages of the Humpers would have brought teens out en masse expecting another “Saw” or “Hostel.” And their WTF?!?! outrage at what the film really was might have been the ultimate in performance art on Korine’s part.
Sorry that didn’t happen.
But delighted that “Breakers” is doing better in wide-ish release than I would have ever imagined.
I’m willing to make a deal w/ Univ.
If they insist upon making another “Fast and the Furious” after this year’s Memorial Day’s entry, they have to hire Harmony Korine as writer/director.
Otherwise, “F&F 6” is as far as that (quite frankly terrible) franchise is allowed to go.
JKill hits it on the head. “SPRIINNNNGGG BREAAAKK” was a college chant for my group and pretty much any group.
Unsurprised it’s doing okay.
CROODS should be a bit better given the 4 months its been since a studio animated film.
So we’re going to be -15% after the first quarter…without an AVENGERS or TDKR this summer. Let the hand wringing commence!
Saw The Croods, it was much better than I expected. Was thinking of the thread here on Burt Wonderstone and how The Croods was so much more imaginative than it. Like, “man, why couldn’t Burt W have anything it like that? Or like that? That, too!”
I thought the trailers made it seem pretty stupid. Not sure what made me give it a shot, maybe Emma Stone, but I was sure glad I did and the 3D showed up throughout. Well done!