October 1, 2023
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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
Saturday Halloween, spectacular for the beer companies (or is it company now), but murder for the movies.
Wow why is Steve Jobs tanking so quickly? Very good movie and pretty much a crowd pleaser…..yeah I get that neither Fassbender nor Boyle are really audience draws, but were Eisenberg or Fincher genuine draws for The Social Network? Well Eisenberg was just coming off of Zombieland…..
Since when did Halloween become an occasion for adults (I use that term advisedly) to party?
When I was growing up, Halloween was pretty much kaput by the time you hit ten, at which point you were too embarrassed to trick-or-treat any longer.
Another thing to blame on the post-Boomer generations who simply refuse to grow up (hey there “Star Wars,” Marvel, et al), I suppose.
@Movieman, when companies realized they could in effect create a second Christmas season.
I thought “Super Bowl Sunday” was the second Xmas, Amblin.
It’s the end of the world as we know it. Everything’s an excuse for parties, movieman. Like in all the better last-days-on-earth scenarios.
I’m not exactly sure when but Halloween is now the 2nd biggest day for alcohol consumption behind New Year’s. Costumes are better. There’s more to do. Inhibitions go down. If you’re Larry from accounting, you might want to restrain yourself but who the f- cares if Super Mario ties one on.
Halloween has become the 18-39 demographic’s answer to having to spend time with their parents/families during Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s essentially the only time we all have to party with our friends until New Years, and we’re taking it to extreme levels these days.
In my forties with two kids living in suburbia and every third house was hanging out in the garage handing the occasional shot out to the parents walking the kids around in the wet weather. As far back as my teens I remember Halloween being a party night. In the twenties it meant a happy hour on a weekday but when it hits a weekend people mostly do about four times the usual volume. Nobody Carrols anymore, so this is the easiest way to raise a beer with a neighbor. Nothing to tut tut about.
Yeah, Halloween is about the family you choose. Thanksgiving and Christmas is the family you’re stuck with.
Seriously movieman? Halloween pisses you off? Well, I am sorry that there are some members of different generations (the ones that haven’t had a hand in fucking over the world), have decided to enjoy their childhoods into adulthood, and not throw them away.
I remember watching Looney Tunes with my pops, and I mentioned how I would watch them even in adulthood. My pops, rather shocked by this, mentioned that adults do not watch cartoons, and I found his response to be fucking stupid. If you enjoy being an adult so much movie man, then why on earth do you visit blogs? Seriously.
Outside of that, it’s a holiday weekend, and everyone is waiting to see Spectre next week. It’s not scary. It’s just Halloween: THE SECOND BIGGEST HOLIDAY IN THE UNITED STATES (and guaranteed to piss off old dudes)!
Grow up, JS!
America is the only country in the world where people are actually encouraged to remain children forever.
This ain’t Neverland.
I bet you wear shower slippers and shorts (in public) 12 months a year, too, lol.
Please tell us all more about how to live, act and behave movieman! I may just come on here to start running things by you. The Muppets? They’re puppets (for kids, natch!) but the humor is decidedly adult. A toughie! Frosted Mini-Wheats? Whole wheat (adult!) but also frosting (just for stupid kids!) The Beatles? Classic, but sometimes they sing about octopi and yellow submarines. Hmmmmmm. Please weigh in and tell me which black/white yes/no answer is the right one. I’m nervous that I’ve been consuming and enjoying non-age-appropriate media!!!!!! Help!!!!!!
I don’t think the idea is that adults should go around trick or treating.
I think it’s more that they enjoy dressing up and partying, AKA stuff that adults do.
Movieman, no thanks. I will enjoy my fucking Looney Tunes. Thank you very much.
movieman i kind of feel where you’re coming from re the infantilising of adults in the current culture, but i think Halloween taps into that uniquely imaginative childhood fantasyland of ‘playing dress-up’ that’s drummed out of us as we become adults but finds an outlet in the one night a year it’s culturally acceptable to indulge that inner child and dark horror tropes (plus it’s an excuse for grown-ups to go to parties and get pissed and act weird, never underestimate the need; never seen adults trick-or-treating without kids though, this would be very odd, is this actually a thing? i hope not). or, you become a thespian so you can do it on the regular.
this year i went to a neato Halloween ‘do as ‘Girl’ from ‘a girl walks home alone at night’, i got pulled around on my old skateboard a lot so that was good
When you’re 47 years old and your 10 year old daughter sees that you’re willing to play dress-up with her, it’s totally worth it.
And having not grown up in a Halloween culture, going to a Halloween party at the local pub and seeing adults have some kid style fun, while having a few, is a good time in my book.
Then people go back to their lives the next day. What’s wrong with that?
One other thing, and I’m sure others can think of other examples, but the Director of Jaws also gave us E.T The Director of Mad Max also gave us Happy Feet and Babe. And the Director of Goodfellas, also gave us Hugo. So I’m all for people never growing up and never letting the child in them die.
how about cuaron – P o azkaban, little princess; wolfgang peterson – never ending story; spike jonze – where the wild things are; bob clark – a christmas story…also that repugnant ‘baby’ shit, i block that out (maybe vaughn – stardust? not sure if that’s PG enough)
Leah- There’s nothing wrong w/ unleashing your Inner Child from time to time. I’ve done it on occasion myself, lol.
But when you make it a lifestyle choice, that’s arrested development.
American as a nation these days seems to be populated solely w/ “grown ups” suffering from an advanced case of a.d.
And that depresses the hell out of me.
Why else do Hollywood studios routinely devote 75% of their production budgets to “all-ages-friendly” flotsam?
And precious few of them are worthy of being discussed in the same breath as an “E.T.” or “Where the Wild Things Are.”
So here’s a thought, if someone claims you might be in a state of eternal adolescence perhaps throwing a tantrum is not the best way to counter the arguement.
And yes frosted mini wheats are for children, if you have to defend your sugar cereal you’ve already lost,
As far as animation goes though, while I am tired as well with the pg13afication of the film world, the thought of cartoons as only being a child’s medium is a bit flawed. Wouldn’t a cartoon have been played immediately preceding citizen Kane. And a looney tunes right before Casablanca?
i get your meaning movieman – and sadly movies for adults aren’t faring all that well at the box office so it’s a bit of a depressing cycle of shrinking cinema
Anomlisa from Charlie Kaufman should be interesting. Been a while since we had a cartoon geared specifically toward adults.
psyched to see ‘anomlisa’
So worth going in knowing no more than you already know about Anomalisa.
i just mimicked bulldog’s spelling, i blame him
i’ll say that ‘anomalisa’ looks super weird and that’s a good, good thing – weird is solely lacking in the current cinema du blande so seeing stuff like anomalisa and the lobster and even under the skin, esoteric cinema being made is a thrill (though hardly anybody sees it, esp in the cinema, so wah wah, sad trombone)
I take full responsibilitee.