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
So I’m the only one on this blog seeing DP2?
walking out of the screening other critics were having a debate about what is Star Wars “canon” and if it should include the cartoons and novels … and about whether Hans was alive at the time of Darth Maul … seriously guys (there were no women weighing in) it’s time to move on
Yes. He was a kid. Duh. Also, the CGI shows are Canon. They should give up on being Star Wars fans, because that’s basic stuff.
I turned off DEADPOOL after about 20 minutes, so, no, I won’t be seeing the sequel.
Shameful.
In a previous post, David wrote:
Warners has opened 23 movies to $30 million or more in the last 4 years (out of 92 total releases). The 3 Conjuring Universe movies were the cheapest. As mentioned before, 2 comedies. 5 were DC movies. 8 were reboots or existing franchise sequels (It, Godzilla, Kong, Hobbit, Fantastic Beasts, Mad Max, Tarzan, Blade Runner) 2 were The Rock (San Andreas/Rampage). Plus The Veteran 3: Sully, Ready Player One, and Dunkirk.
This is out of 92 WB releases in these last 4 years. For perspective, Universal has has 25 $30m launches out of 69 total releases in the same 4 years. Fox hit $30m opens on 22 of 63 releases. Sony has gone 11 of 81 in the last 4 years, which is the real reason Amy Pascal lost her job, no matter how many stolen e-mails Ben Fritz wants to analyze. (If you think I am blaming Ms. Pascal for what Tom Rothman has done, she was 6 of 34 in this category when you go back another 2 years, to 2012. So, Summer 2014 – 2018, 14%. 2012 – 2014, 18%. And now that you are playing with that stat, the Summer 2014 – Summer 2018 stat for WB is 25% and U is 36%. Of course, Disney is at a stoopid 64%. And Paramount comes in at a round 20%.)
Does it make sense to not mention any marketing budgets? Sony and WB spend waaaaay more than Disney and Universal. That’s the reason Amy was let go, she wouldn’t bring down marketing budgets and Rothman’s made a living doing so….
Who cares about Ben Fritz?
My lord, they kill Han off two thirds into this one too? Bold move I did not see coming.
Loved it, and after the seeing the movie it becomes clear why L&M had to go. It’s because that changing directors was the only way to preserve the purity of what is the tightest and least cluttered script Star Wars has had in decades. Let’s not forget that Kasdan is after all the writer of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Silverado etc. And no, I’m not putting Solo in that class, but it shares a clarity of purpose, strong and readable character motivation, and solid shape and structure. There’s no mythologising or pontificating here, just a rollicking big time adventure with plenty of wit, clever action and splendid Bradford Young visuals. Apart from THAT cameo near the end (which makes no sense in terms of this movie or the wider saga, and I guarantee that Kasdan had nothing to do with), Solo was a great romp.
This is a spoiler blog, and guess what? Darth Maul didn’t die. If you didn’t know this by now, then you missed some great episodes of Rebels and Clone Wars. If Han has to deal with Maul. Maybe just maybe, he visited Lothal? It would be nice.
This fucking movie is AMAZING. Absolutely amazing. It’s a real Star Wars movie from people, that have gone out of their way to perverse it for maximum profit. It’s the best out of those four, and I hope it scratches it way to some solid Guardians money.
That? That’s what Star Wars needs, and I have no faith in Home School or the Confederate twins, making anything like this in the future. James Mangold? Boba Fett can be swell, but he better not be a fucking white guy.
Hot dawg! It’s good to have a good Star Wars movie again, and one that doesn’t have contempt for me as a fan. That’s swell.
So should KK still be fired then JS the way you want? She was just as in charge of this movie as she was TLJ. She was in charge just as much as Feige on any Marvel movie. Or am I mis-remembering it and you’re not wanting her fired like so many online are? (FTR, I do not include myself in that group even though I have problems with the sequel trilogy.)
Gdb, Solo is the Kasdans, Lord and Miller, and Howard. Watch the movie. It’s obvious, but of course she should be gone. Why should she be gone? She couldn’t grasp that The Last Jedu should be a sequel, and not a reboot. You have the entire freaking MSCU showing how it’s done, and KK didn’t read the room and Star Wars is fractious again.
I appreciate Joe Maddon getting the Cubs to a world series, and winning it. This does not change the fact, that the Cibs should have fired him last week. One good thing. Doesn’t change all the bad.
No offense JS, but to act like she had nothing to do with that movie instead of being all over it, is some sincere denial. She wouldn’t have fired L&M and the film wouldn’t have been in development as early as the sequel trilogy as reported by io9 if she wasn’t the top dawg.
You can’t blame someone for one bad movie in a series you don’t like and then discount them completely when they make one you do like. Gotta give credit where credit is due.
Yep, GdB, you got it – what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
And JS – I know about Maul, I’ve seen the cartoons. But here, it just felt off. I like Ray Park, he’s always been out there supporting this franchise and engaging with fans, but,I dunno. It just felt like they were reaching for another ‘Wow’ moment to press the fanboy buttons like the Vader massacre in R1. Beckett turning out to be a Walter Donovan in Last Crusade style-character, and the double-double cross that followed, all felt organic and true to the characters. But Maul’s appearance diminishes Dryden Voss as a character if he’s no more than a puppet. Like the clumsy way that Spectre retrofit the whole off the Daniel Craig era to be part of Blofeld’s master plan.
But hey, quibbles. I’ll be seeing Solo again within the week.
Gdb, what the fuck do you want? I gave you an analogy, and that is indeed….go back and read. I told you, figuratively, how I was excited for Solo in January, but kk announced a Boba Fett movie to get some heat. That’s amteuer hour in Dixie, and she should retire.
Wally, I feel ya, but I like the idea of Sam Witwer getting to play a live action Maul. That’s pretty cool.
Meh.
Some good stuff but a lot of things felt a little off. Maybe it’s knowing Han doesn’t die for awhile, but that car chase didn’t really feel emotional until they got stuck. Darth Maul? He’s older than Annikin and Han is barely older than Luke. Did like the ¡Revolution! at the mine.
I’m in shock how bad these SW movies are turning out. The storytelling is not progressing in an organic fashion in the numbered series, and these side stories offer little but fan service. Star Wars Babies only works when the casting is right (McGregor as Obi-Wan, still the best decision Lucas made for the prequels). Disney is shitting all over millions of people’s childhoods with these cash grabs, and the rubbery legs sure to sprout from this latest entry should result in some real corporate soul-searching (as well as a few firings, though firing directors 2/3 through a shoot will be hard to top).
If the weekend numbers hold. There has to be a reckoning at LFL. Seriously. The brand is just in tathers, and maybe have someone running it who actually likes Star Wars… Could help.
I agree with what you said about Dave Filoni in the other thread JS. Good call.
Unimpressed. Not that I was expecting Batman Begins but holy cow, I expected a little new insight to a character, which, to be honest, wasn’t all that complex to begin with. He’s the Bandit of Smokey in the Bandit but in outer space. Just give us a fun thrill ride. There was nothing there too harrowing. No new stunts or feats. It felt like a typical Saturday matinee adventure film. I’m out of the target demo but I don’t know how much 13 or 16 yr old me would’ve dug it. I didn’t think it was a crapfest, just not memorable. At all. When I think back to my teen years and some of the copies of films on vhs I used to watch all the time, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Heavy Metal, Brazil, Terminator, there’s no way this would’ve cracked the rotation even over Last Starfighter or Night of the Comet, which I never thought were great but had their charm.
Was anyone else expecting Emilia Clarke’s character to die at the end? I don’t know the timeline or all the characters. Just knowing what I did from like the original 3 Star Wars films, it just seemed like they were almost trying too hard to have him young and in love and willing to bend against iron to be with her that for him to be more selfish would’ve required him being completely jaded. I kinda wish I didn’t have that, going in fresh to film or maybe just seeing whatever last one where they kill him off, I might have bought into the whole movie from the jump.
Late to the party but saw it last night. It was perfectly enjoyable while being very slight.
I don’t get the first hour complaints. I was engaged all the way through, and saw it at a 10:15 showing, when I’m usually in bed. The train sequence was fun. I enjoyed seeing how he met Chewie, the dice, Lando, all of it. It just carried no real weight. The name thing is lame. No need for that at all.
Paul Betany was strong, better than the movie deserved. I wanted more of him. Alden what-his-face was fine but I agree the role could have been better cast. He did what he could but he seems too harmless. Even after killing Harrelson at the end he doesn’t seem any darker or rougeish, or we’re not given enough time to see it. He seems to shake off the betrayals right away before heading off to meet Jabba, I assume. They were possibly setting up his character to go darker in sequels that will now never happen.
The Maul appearance? Wasn’t too surprised. I haven’t seen all of TCW or REBELS but I know he lived.
All that being said, I enjoyed it but it was unnecessary and I don’t know how often I’ll return to it. Maybe time will be kind to it’s simplicity.
The droid was great, though. And the Teras Kasi line had me burst out laughing. What an awful game, but I sure played the hell out of it.
Also late to the party as I saw it yesterday. Since this is the spoiler thread…
Did anyone else expect Enfys Nest to say “Hi Dad” after she took off the helmet? There was a look on Woody’s face that seemed to have more meaning than just surprise. Recognition? Plus the actress appeared to be of mixed race, so she could have been Woody’s & Thandie Newton’s child. I wondered if that was something that got dropped with the director change. Star Wars certainly has had Daddy issues throughout the sagas.
I expected that too, Pete. I need to look up the actress though. She’s beautiful and was very good. I hope she gets more work if she hasn’t already.
Yeah that reveal was supposed to have some emotional impact, too bad whatever it was got written out.