April 26, 2024
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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
Per Deadline…this is supposed to be a bad opening for TARZAN? Huh?
Does PURGE go into Garry Marshall holiday mode next? I’m still awaiting that Eli Roth Thanksgiving movie. Maybe they can do a mashup.
CI is going to be the year’s #1 comedy (not counting DEADPOOL or animation) after this weekend. Glad to see something sticking before MIKE & DAVE likely flounders.
Not sure which will get the more snooty comments, BFG’s opening or IDR’s massive drop.
I hope BFG is good. I loved that book so damn much as a kid. I don’t make it to the movies as much as I’d like (small child at home) and I wanted to sneak off to see IDR but the reviews were so pulverizingly horrible I just didn’t want to bother.
Can’t wait til Jason Bourne.
I can’t be the only one who when they read there was going to be a movie entitled The BFG, they were thinking… The Big Fucking Gun.
How disappointed I was to finally see an ad with the homely giant, and learn it was big & friendly.
Et, Is there tracking on Mike and Dave? I would think that could be the out of nowhere hit of the summer. Nothing else this summer screams date movie like that one. Easily digestible premise, broad comedy, four very recognized leads….I could see this sliding past stablemates ID4 and Xmen.
War Dogs looks like a nice gonzo ride but I cant imagine it breaks 60 whether they execute well or not.
@Hcat, you’d think, but only recent tracking has a mid to high teens opening.
I’m awful at box office prognosticating, but I agree that Mike & Dave could be a sleeper hit. Awareness has to be high as I feel like I’ve been seeing the trailer for at least a year now. It’s got a Wedding Crashers vibe in terms of the aforementioned easily digestible premise. Only other wide release next week is a kid’s movie. It could break out. Then again just saw one prediction is a $12 million opening weekend, so maybe not.
Really like Swiss Army Man. Dano and Radcliffe are wonderful, music is great, and it’s pretty funny and moving. I was captivated. Not sure how I feel about the last five minutes, but overall I was really taken with it.
The Neon Demon on the other hand is dreadful. Can’t believe how many not only like it but are using words like masterpiece. I didn’t expect it to be so painfully dull. Figured at the very least it would be interesting trash, but halfway through I started getting antsy.
Surprised when my 8-year-old said he wants to see BFG. He rarely asks to go see something. He’s glued whenever a TV spot pops on. Wonder if it will have good legs, though the release of The Secret Life of Pets on Friday might not help.
Am I the only one who feels like Disney pretty much dumped The BFG this weekend? I swear I can never remember such minimal fanfare for a big budget Steven Spielberg family adventure…..or maybe his brand has just really weakened? If so, Warners has to be nervous about Ready Player One which ON PAPER seems like it could be huge – well at least Spielberg still has Indiana Jones: The Retirement coming in a few years.
And speaking of Warners, $40 million plus in the first four days was the best they could hope for Tarzan this weekend but it still won’t be enough – the film has zero breathing room with ‘Pets, Trek, Ghostbusters, and Bourne coming in the next few weeks. MAYBE it will clean up overseas? Of course it has the same competition overseas too….
I could see Mike & Dave breaking out – the studio and the cast have been WORKING it the past few weeks to open it, but having Zac Efron above the title seems more like a deterrent who knows?
Now it’s looking like Finding Dory will break $500 million domestic – Disney is the first studio to have four $300 million box office grosses in four consecutive months, damn impressive.
The BFG feels like something Spielberg was supposed to make twenty years ago, starring Robin Williams and Elijah Wood.
Can’t tell if that was a joke, but Kathleen Kennedy and Robin Williams were attached to it 18 years ago. Dunno what happened.
Tuck, I went out and saw IDR this week and surprisingly enjoyed it. It’s not really “good,” but it’s fast paced and a good FX mayhem show. The biggest problem is the cast isn’t nearly as likable as the one in ID4. Goldblum sleepwalks through his part. Pullman is OK. Gainsbourg is slumming but she’s likable. I’m partial to her though. The Judd Hirsch sub-plot (and whole character) seems tacked on and stupid. Otherwise I had a decent 2 hours. Will I ever watch it again? Probably not.
Same reaction to X-Men: Apocalypse. I went after a few weeks because I love X-Men, comics and all, and wanted to something to do that day. It was more enjoyable sans expectations then it probably would have been opening night. Very paint by numbers and formula but fun. Then again, I love the X-men. Been re-reading the Chris Claremont Uncanny X-Men run this Summer so it scratched an itch. I reckon I enjoyed it more than Dory.
Maybe I’m just an easy mark.
The BFG is the rare Spielberg I have zero interest in. I don’t like how it looks. Nothing interests me. Rylance looks kinda dopey. Love Spielberg. Love Roald Dahl. No fire for this one at all.
The Purge will get my $$ on Monday. Me and my teenage daughters are psyched about it. I know….I don’t know what that says about us but we loved the first 2. Nothing as potent as classic Romero or Carpenter but still a decent throwback to 70s-80s scuzzy dystopian B movies. Frank Grillo elevates the material. He deserves to be in something bigger and better. He held his own in Winter Soldier. I hope he breaks out.
A feel-good fantasy movie like The BFG would have done better in late year holiday season. Disney should have seen putting it between Finding Dory and Secret Life of Pets would cannibalize most of the kiddie audience.
Efron has been acting by abs since Neighbors in 2014. I think given the under-performance of the needless sequel, people are taking a pass on variations of the same.
Shouldn’t “Our kind of traitor” have been more of a thing? It’s got name actors and positive reviews. Seems like it was dumped somewhat?
BFG just seems like an anomaly in this more statesmanlike phase of Spielberg’s career. I’ve enjoyed Lincoln and Bridge of Spies more and more on repeated viewing, and its noticeable that in both those movies, though as beautifully designed and lit as ever, Spielberg seems happy to take a back seat and let the actors and script do the heavy lifting for him. BFG seems kind of incongruous in this company, but it will do fine overseas and weekdays are always strong at this time of year. It’s far from a bust. And Ready Player One potentially could be a Jurassic Park / Matrix level seminal breakthrough if done well.
“Purge 3” is as subtle as a blunt force trauma to the head, but the damn thing IS effective. Easily the best “Purge” to date.
My biggest knock is the miscasting of Elizabeth Mitchell in the sort of role Meryl Streep would have killed in if she didn’t think she was too good for genre fare–unlike, say, Jessica Lange who brilliantly and triumphantly segued to genre on “AHS.”
Yes, Grillo is aces. Never understood why he didn’t become a “star,” or at least score beefy roles in “A” caliber movies.
I think Wedding Dates and Bad Moms both have a chance of being surprise breakouts…