May 19, 2024
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Review: Little Women (no spoilers)
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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
Finally watched Jack Reacher last night and loved it. Very Clinty.
I want to see Jack Reacher. I’ve been playing catch up as of late. Got around to seeing Argo (really good until the end), Django Unchained (didn’t like it), and Broken City (more enjoyable than I expected it to be). Lincoln is up next, then probably The Master.
Catching up on early year indies. CAESAR MUST DIE, which won the Golden Bear @ Berlin last year is very moving. I don’t get the controversy that the win caused…it is NOT a conservative choice for any festival, which is where the criticism has stemmed from, except maybe compared to the competition it was up against which I haven’t seen outside of the decent ROYAL AFFAIR.
Paul, same opinion on ARGO, DJANGO, and BROKEN.
I had the pleasure of attending the inaugural Stanley Film fest last weekend and it was every bit as fantastic as it seemed! Being in the hotel that inspired Stephen King to write THE SHINING was just so….neat and the festival did a great job making it a fun event that was well programmed film wise and easy to navigate. Some highlights….
– staying in the Stanley, a haunted hotel. The staff leave candy out for the ghost children and my roommate took a piece. After that we had our TV turn off in the middle of the night “mysteriously” and I heard ghost children run by outside my door.
– They show THE SHINING on a loop at the Stanley all year round but for the festival, they showed it on a loop where the prints were layered back to back and played simultaneously which is one of the “conspiracy theories” in the doc ROOM 237. While I’m not sure there was any “meaning” behind the way it turns out, watching the film that way is mesmerizing. You also really sense Kubrick’s staging as it really does create some amazing shots where the characters appear to be reacting to what’s happening in the film going the other direction.
– I had drinks with Kubricks Assistant, Leon Vitali. He was gracious, hilarious and just a great source of info. He also was on a panel with Mick Garris (who directed THE SHINING tv movie), Rodney Ascher (who directed ROOM 237) as well as Jay Weidener whois the driving theorist that Kubrick faked the moon landing. Seeing Weidener next to Vitali was simply….awesome. They’re going to include the panel on the ROOM 237 DVD so I won’t spoil it. Let’s just say Vitali knows what Kubrick did and didn’t do and he doesn’t suffer fools lightly.
– I went on a 2am ghost tour of the hotel
-I saw some GREAT films!! I really liked 100 BLOODY ACRES, HERE COMES THE DEVIL and for the most part liked BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO which was probably a bit too heady for an early screening after being up late. Roth’s newest producing/writing/acting gig AFTERSHOCK was also pretty good. I’ve definitely warmed to it after my initial reaction which was pretty low.
-They had a horror brunch the last day and I had CARRIE pancakes with strawberry syrup. There was a prom queen doll atop the pancakes so….yeah.
They’re definitely having it next year so keep an eye out, definitely a great festival all around!
You guys should watch the SELENA GOMEZ video for COME AND GET IT.
GOMEZ
Classic Armond White quote on the right side of this page. Ne’re a White review without sticking it to the man! Especially Ridley Scott, pre-CARS 2 Pixar, Steven Spielberg, Chris Nolan or that most famous of Hollywood hacks, Darren Aronofsky! Whilst sticking up for the little guys…the Michael Bays and Jerry Bruckheimers of the world, ya know? This time, he really sticks it to that dead bastard Tony Scott for lacking the cultural understanding of Michael Bay in action films. As White hints at, Bay has clearly inherited Antonioni’s mantle as King of Italian New Wave cinema…plus, you know, TOP GUN wasn’t socially relevant enough.
If you don’t see PAIN AND GAIN as reflective of our society, consumerism, and the fetishism of physicality, a microcosm of America’s ills, you just don’t understand movies.
White is the greatest troll in the history of film criticism. I bet anything he wrote this review without seeing the film. I will gladly join up with Westboro Baptist Church in picketing his funeral.
Don I read about how they are trying to turn that into Sundance for horror. It sounds awesome.
Paul-
Eh…..it’s too “fun” to be Sundance. That’s not a slap at Sundance, just more speaks to the fun that’s inherent in this new fest and the location, guests….etc.
I just found a copy of All This and World War II on youtube
There was an article on the front page that covered 9 other movies with anachronistic music, and while watching clip after clip I realized why I dislike it so much–it reminds me that I’m watching a movie.
Oh, an ’80s song during a WW2 movie, Siouxsie and the Banshees performing for Marie Antoinette–ah, someone’s attempting to throw art in my face. Thanks for reminding me that I’m sitting in a theater, because for a moment there I was actually caught up in the movie.
Maybe that’s why I dislike art galleries so much–you cannot forget for even a moment that you’re in an art gallery. Disney World, on the other hand, is amazing for exactly the opposite reason–it’s constructed so well that you keep forgetting where you are.
I’d go to Dali Land but not Mona Lisa World.