April 18, 2024
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Review: Little Women (no spoilers)
Why You Should Be Afraid Of The End Of The Paramount Decree
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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
Re-post:
Not a ton of surprises. Pleased to see “Foxcatcher,” which has been overlooked, sneak in for Best Drama, and “Pride” for Best Comedy/Musical. Julianne Moore was likewise a pleasant double-nominee for “Maps to the Stars” and “Still Alice.”
The only disappointments, in my mind, were knocking off Marion Cotillard in favor of Jennifer Aniston. That talk of a late Cotillard surge can stop now after SAGs and Globes. Also, Laura Dern missing the boat for Meryl Streep’s 142nd nom for “Into the Woods” is sad, but unsurprising.
Also: it’s hilarious to me that “Interstellar” was shut out except for Best Score, when the score was nearly enough to single-handedly ruin the movie.
Hard to care much about the globes, but I was happy to see a nom for Jake Gyllenhaal.
Was enormously gratified by all the love bestowed on Wes Anderson and “Budapest Hotel.”
Maybe it has a shot at making the BP Oscar list after all.
Also pleased that the Globes sycophants didn’t suck up to Brangelina as everyone expected.
The little-seen “Railway Man” is a better, albeit similarly themed, movie than “Unbroken.”
And I’ve seen lots (LOTS) of better WWII movies than “Fury.” Who hasn’t?
Got a chuckle out of Aniston’s nomination: it almost felt like a slap in the face to Angie and Brad, lol.
The TV side was thoroughly confusing in some categories, but ehh, whatdya gonna do.
Eastwood’s Sniper and Jolie’s Unbroken are going down.
Interesting to see Julianne Moore get two nominations.
Since the Oscar’s Best Picture nominees can be up to 9 or 10, my guess is they settle on Birdman, Boyhood, Imitation Game, Theory of Everything, Selma, Gone Girl, Grand Budapest, maybe Foxcatcher, maybe a 9th title. (Most Violent Year?)
Depending on how it ends up doing at the box office, I’d say that “Inherent Vice” has a pretty good shot at making the final ballot for Best Picture.
Re: Streep, as much as I love her, this is now 8 nominations in the last 7 ceremonies. It’s gone from ridiculous to downright insulting to other actors considering some of the turds these noms are for.
Et, agreed, the Interstellar score was terrible. At least Meryl Streep is still giving good performances to earn her noms.
Pleased to see the Supporting Actor nod go to Robert Duvall for “The Judge.” Maybe this and the SAG nomination will help him get a little Oscar love. As I have posted elsewhere: I was surprised to see him overlooked by many of the early Oscar handicappers.
I’m just so sick of by-the-book bio-pics like THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING and THE IMITATION GAME gumming up award season every year. Hopefully, GONE GIRL and GRAND BUDAPEST will be able to use their Globe exposure, such as it is, to stay in the game.
Joe, when I start talking up “Lifetime turned this down” stuff like “The Judge,” I hope you’re still alive so you can shoot me.
Joe, I think most people saw the movie as a write-off with no awards traction whatsoever. I was pretty surprised to see Duvall’s name in the SAG and GG nominations myself since you’re right, nobody was talking about him anywhere I can remember.
The INTERSTELLAR score is genius. Probably my favorite of the year.
I agree. I loved the Interstellar score.
Always thought the globes were more people’s choice than the other awards, but out of ten nominees the box office heavyweight is grand Budapest hotel. Sure Into the Woods might surprise and pass 125 million but this will likely be the least seen group of nominees in quite some time. That transfers over to the television side as well, do any of those comedy noms pull in even two million viewers when they air (I know the Netflix series don’t release numbers so Orange’s ratings are a mystery). Perhaps the globes can expand their fields to ten and ten to a accomadate the majors who can now not make a great drama or comedy.
Speaking of awards, AVN should do a retroactive prize in the category of history’s best blowjob for Zero Dark Thirty. They must have been popping champagne at Langley when that movie came out.
Hcat: I’ve never thought of the Globes as People’s Choice-ish at all. To me, their mandate has always seemed to be “Let’s try to anticipate what the Academy will nominate so we can steal their thunder,” complicated a bit by having separate categories for Drama and Comedy, which sometimes allows a left-field choice or two. On the TV side, they seem to mix the usual award bait with a buzzy newcomer or two.
When someone compares a feature to “a Lifetime movie,” I often wonder if that person has actually seen many Lifetime movies. Same thing with “a Hallmark Channel movie.”
People’s choice may have been a little harsh and more dismissive than they deserved, populist may have been a better term. But my impression has always been that they are more blinded by success and glamour than others and the comedy section allows them to bring more crowd pleaders into the race. Weren’t they almost tossing these at Hunt and Carrey for awhile (though Truman show was fully deserved). Its just that this year it seems everything that’s nominated is the little movie that could.
Joe, I remember someone calling Milk a routine HBO biopic level film. But for all the talent they get to come there way I have never found any of thier or any cable movie or miniseries to come close to a well done film.
I’ll say this about Robert Duvall in The Judge. The story may lack subtlety, it’s about 20 minutes longer than it should be, but despite all that, everything Duvall does is interesting. It’s like he overcame the averageness of the film to stand out.
Buuuut my heart’s with Edward Norton in Birdman.
“When someone compares a feature to ‘a Lifetime movie,’ I often wonder if that person has actually seen many Lifetime movies. Same thing with “a Hallmark Channel movie.”
ANYTHING compared to a Lifetime movie is being done a disservice. Anything compared to a Hallmark Channel movie is receiving a small compliment.
Funny you say that, Hallick. Last year, when I wrote in a Variety review that a festival film seemed a perfect fit for the Hallmark Channel, some friends thought I was putting it down. But, really, I was simply making what I thought was a fair observation. And, by the way, guess where Angels Sing. had its cable debut after limited theatrical play?
“And, by the way, guess where Angels Sing. had its cable debut after limited theatrical play?”
Spike TV?
Nothing has changed since SCTV’S THE PEOPLE’S GLOBAL GOLDEN CHOICE AWARDS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjhtJ7SkMNk
And now Robert Duvall gets a Best Supporting Actor nomination from the Broadcast Film Critics Association.
This doesn’t have to do with the Globes, but I’ve enjoyed discovering Joanna Hogg as a filmmaker this year. Her first two features, “Unrelated” and “Archipelago,” feel so cannily observed and fully realized that it seems as you’re watching a real-life melodrama unfold before you. Her third, “Exhibition,” I found a bit more obtuse, but is a worthwhile journey also. Where has this filmmaker been?