April 30, 2024
BYOB
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BYOB: 235 Years Of Relative independence
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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
Today was DVD day, so I got Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, which truly is a great film. Great acting.
I had problems with Lars and the Real Girl. It was funnier (and shorter) years ago as a Christopher Walken skit on Sat Nite Live.
Before the Devil Knows Your Dead? How about… “Before The Devil Looks At Marissa Tormei Naked And Passes Out”? Seems more apt, but I went with Juno. It remains easily one of the more quirky — but endearing — love stories that I have ever come across. Whacky syntax and all.
Before the Devil Owns Your Ass.
Don’t forget, In the Name of the King also *dropped* today.
You forgot American Dad season3 too, which is what I bought. Plus The Deer Hunter HD DVD for $12.99
Love DEER HUNTER, would be awesome to own it in a great HD transfer… I remember the faded, murky early VHS copies that looked like they were shot in green-and-white.
I’ve expressed my rabid Cimino fandom here elsewhere, but even though DEER HUNTER is an all-time classic to me, it’s one of the rare movies that makes me unspeakably depressed. Maybe it’s that funereal music, which lodges itself in my head for seemingly weeks after each viewing.
Closing montage is a heartbreaker, too.
Note for Noah:
I really enjoyed today’s “Frenzy” piece! It was an interesting read/preview of the upcoming summer fun, even though on this side of the “pond” who knows when I’ll get to see any of these movies! (plus they’ll mostly be dubbed… sigh! Indy in spanish? *shudder*)
Info for you on Narnia: the 4 kids found themselves back in England at the end of the first movie (got lost in the woods while chasing a mysterious white stag), to discover that no time had passed sinced they left (although they’d been in Narnia for years). That time difference is part of the magic of Narnia. In Prince Caspian they’ll find themselves transported back to Narnia by a call for help (if it follows the books at all) and discover that time flies… the way the book describes it “the return of King Arthur” for the Narnians. Should be darker than the first. What I don’t get are mentions of Tilda Swinton in the movie… her character died in the first!!!
Tomorrow (movies are released in cinema on Thursday here) Australia finally gets Gone Baby Gone and next week we get The Painted Veil. Nice to know they finally deigned us worthy enough to finally see them.
It’s like when the UK didn’t get The Upside of Anger until last year.
while in Spain we just got recently We own the Night and a few other late arrivals… don’t you just love the inconsistencies of international release dates?! argh!!!
Crazycris, thanks for the kind words and the info on Narnia. I got a note after the piece went that while a year has passed for the kids, 1300 years have passed in Narnia. If all that time passed for the kids in Narnia, they should probably be ridiculously mature by now, right? I mean, their personalities should resemble adults a bit more since they lived in Narnia for like twenty years at the end of the movie before coming back to the real world.
Ya, Kamikaze, I remember being in London last May and seeing the posters for The Upside of Anger. It was surreal, it was like being in a time machine.
BTW, cris, We Own The Night was awful.
Delayed release? That’s nothing when it comes to arty films. “Priceless” came out in France 2 years ago — I saw it in Manhattan on Sunday past.
I had problems with Lars and the Real Girl. It was funnier (and shorter) years ago as a Christopher Walken skit on Sat Nite Live.
To adorian, that pic would have been much improved if it only had more cowbell.
Noah, although they lived as adults in Narnia, when they got back to England they were back to their old selves, kids again (since no time had passed there). When they return to Narnia a year has passed, so basically they’re just a year older! It does specify in the book that after a while back in Narnia they start regaining old habits, speech patterns, fit comfortably back into their role as if they hadn’t left it, it’s just that they’re still kids (and Caspian isn’t much older than Peter).
Bartholomew, I saw We own the Night with my Dad last night (he likes the company, and it’s his kind of movie), and yeah I thought it was pretty bad. I figured that even if the acting might be better in English (I agreed to go because of the actors involved), the story itself was just… bleh! like they couldn’t make up their mind what kind of movie they wanted, none of it fit together right.
We Own The Night was “awful”, and “pretty bad”, Bart and Cris? While you’re certainly entitled to your opinion, it does make me wonder how many movies you’ve seen. The film may be uneven, and I think a fair criticism might be it doesn’t live up to expectations based on James Gray’s track record, but calling it awful is pretty lame. I would argue that the car chase / shootout sequence in the rainstorm is one of the top ten ever filmed, and by itself elevates the movie into at least “must Netflix” territory.
Can you at least offer some explication for your opinion?
I will admit that the car chase was well done, hardly top ten ever filmed, but still well done. I felt Joaquin’s unexpected career change half way through the film was completely unbelievable. The writing wasn’t strong enough to hold together such *ahem* intense acting (When Phoenix beat the guy up outside the club, when he decides to become a cop and starts yelling at Eva Mendez) and the ridiculously pretentious finale when they smoked out the drug dealer made me want to hurl. I like the fist scene, though, Eva Mendez is fucking hot.
We Own the Night is solid. I’m with Tuck on it. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s my kind of movie. But those are some valid points, Bart.
I thought it was an okay movie, mostly lacking in character development – when Joaquin does what he does, it seems to be because the movie needs him to do things, not because they’re internally motivated. But that car chase was phenomenal, especially when you know it was all shot greenscreen.
I thought the drug den undercover scene was pretty tense, even if we’ve seen that kind of thing many times before.
And I thought the finale was a pretty explicit homage to “French Connection,” at least in terms of location and logistics.
I’m with Bart on this one (except for that first scene which I found gratuitous and unnecessary).
It takes more than a car chase scene for me to consider a movie good/bad! (Plus there were some moments when looking at the characters’ faces you could tell it wasn’t real, they need more practice with green screens)
I hope Joaquin’s character comes out more convincing in English, I just couldn’t buy into the way the film just rolled his story along. I can imagine where it’s coming from -within his character’s head I mean- but the movie didn’t portray it well. And Mark Whalberg was disappointing.
As for the mobsters… it was clear to me from the start the uncle was into it, so obvious if you have imagination whatsoever, and they make it seem oh so surprising to everyone! Also, the mob would have gone after Eva Mendes’ character’s mother if they wanted to make a point, not just wait for Eva and Joaquin to resurface.
(and for your info Tuck, I see approx a movie every ten days or so. Hollywood products, independant American cinema, European cinema and further afield (preferable in the original language with subtitles)… anything with an interesting story! I enjoy an intelligent comedy, a moving drama, witty dialogues, any movie that makes me think or provokes a gut reaction on a topic, and I can bring out the inner child in me and really enjoy (some) summer blockbusters and Pixar etc movies. I’m good public ’cause I can be pretty much convinced to go see a movie any time, I only refuse for gore, really lame-looking comedies and spoofs
WE OWN THE NIGHT is horrible. Truly lame.
http://www.filmthreat.com/index.php?section=reviews&Id=10339
There’s my critical argument towards that opinion.
BUT, I would actually agree that car chase done from all inside the car might be one of the top 10 best ever filmed. Too bad it was wasted on such unwatchable pap.
Oh, and James Gray’s track record? What has he done that could have caused me to have any expectations regarding the movie beforehand?
I had no idea who was behind this film… I went exclusively for the cast involved (I’ve learned to appreciate both Joaquin and Mark more as actors over their last several movies). That and ’cause I felt bad sending my dad to the theater on his own! ;o)
James Gray directed Glengarry Glen Ross, but James Foley directed We Own the Night, along with the somewhat-acclaimed Little Odessa and The Yards.
You got that backwards, Jeff. But yes, James Gray has definitely got talent; Little Odessa is a really intriguing little movie that I enjoyed quite a bit.
Whoops.
“Delayed release? That’s nothing when it comes to arty films. “Priceless” came out in France 2 years ago — I saw it in Manhattan on Sunday past.”
On behalf of every single person who doesn’t live in the United States of America. Boo-fuckin’-hoo. Cry me a river, seriously. I had to wait one year for Gus Van Sant’s Elephant and two years for Gerry. The latter was released after the former. Previous example of The Painted Veil a year and a half late. We still haven’t got Persepolis and it’s now on it’s SECOND release (now smart people and stupid people have been able to see it with it’s new english language track).
But I guess we got a cinema release for Farce of the Penguins so WE’RE CLEARLY WINNING!
Greg McLean’s Wolf Creek followup, Rogue, is only just coming out this weekend I think in the “top ten markets” yet doesn’t include NYC and LA. It’s a freakin’ giant crocodile movie! Why wouldn’t you just release it a couple thou cinemas and made a few mil from it. And, ya know, it’s actually kind of a really swell movie.
Those Weinsteins. They’re like cancer.
etc.
kam, kam, kam…simma’ down, sport…’those weinsteins’ have done far more good than bad…. not the least of which is protecting you from ‘gerry’ for a full two years after it almost bored tens of americans to death…..
that said, i’ve become a huge fan of your blog and would be more than happy to forward any screeners to you that can be shared….
ps– LOVE the poster series (have you seen the ‘movie title’ site?)….
GERRY OWNS.
I’m in the middle with Gerry. Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it.
Scooterzz, I defended the Weinsteins beyond the call of duty for many many years. I rallied for them! Without them we’d be missing some of the greatest pieces of cinema i’ve ever seen. But they have not done any good in years. I can’t think of one great thing they’ve done for cinema in the last few years. Granted, I haven’t seen I’m Not There, but really… it’s beyond a joke.
Thanks a lot though for your kind words. Means a lot from somebody on here. I generally only receive comments from people I know throughout the blogosphere so I do wonder who all the people are who are reading my blog. Nice to know you’re one of them. The poster series has been tiring, but I love it.
What’s the URL of this “movie title” site?