from jms the announcement
jms...@aol.com
section:
"Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have purchased J. Michael
Straczynski's thriller "The Changeling," which is being eyed by Ron
Howard to direct.
Project, to be produced by Brian Grazer, joins the shortlist of pics
Howard is considering as his next endeavor.
Story, billed as based on actual events, is about a mother who prays
for the return of her kidnapped son. When her prayers are answered,
however, she begins to suspect the boy who comes back is not her
child."
It is, without question, the biggest deal I've ever made, and with Ron
directing (everyone is talking about it as though he's going to do it,
though that has not been stated officially by anyone), and it moves me
from being marginally known in the film business right into the
catetory of a-list writer overnight, which parallels what happened with
Akiva Goldman. I'm thrilled that Ron is involved, because I've always
thought he had amazing story sense and he's one of the directors I most
regard in this business.
Those involved were great in the deal making, and this stands to be a
huge movie.
jms
Amy Guskin
for you no matter who ends up directing it.
Amy
Joan
I am so pleased and thrilled for you. In my books you were on the
a-list to begin with.
Congratulations.
Joan
Jan
jms...@aol.com says...
Congratulations! Hope it's made soon and exactly the way you want.
Jan
--
We are the voice of the universe, the soul of creation,
The fire that will light the way to a better future.
We are One.
IA Declaration of Principles
(J. Michael Straczynski)
Angelika Tobisch
> Congratulations! Hope it's made soon and exactly the way you want.
I'll just second that.
Great news!
Angelika
krueg...@hotmail.com
you can't answer, I presume. :)
That is big news. Ron Howard is one of the biggest directors we've got
today. And he doesn't seem to butcher the stories he translates to
film.
What a great break!
It's about time. ;)
Ranger Elenopa
Many congrats. So when it comes out in the UK, will you be interviewed
by Jonathon Ross?
Ranger Elenopa
Matt Ion
> It is, without question, the biggest deal I've ever made, and with Ron
> directing (everyone is talking about it as though he's going to do it,
> though that has not been stated officially by anyone), and it moves me
> from being marginally known in the film business right into the
> catetory of a-list writer overnight, which parallels what happened with
> Akiva Goldman. I'm thrilled that Ron is involved, because I've always
> thought he had amazing story sense and he's one of the directors I most
> regard in this business.
BOO-YAH!
Chris Patterson
jms...@aol.com wrote:
> "Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have purchased J. Michael
> Straczynski's thriller "The Changeling," which is being eyed by Ron
> Howard to direct.
> Project, to be produced by Brian Grazer, joins the shortlist of pics
> Howard is considering as his next endeavor.
Wow. You weren't kidding. This is *huge*! From what little I know,
Howard and Grazer seem to treat their source material with the utmost
respect.
Just being mentioned in the same sentence will give Ron Howard's career
such a boost! ;)
Congratulations!
Will you be able to keep us informed about the process of making this
film? Seems like it would be the ultimate learning experience for
aspiring writers. Is that a new story you just completed, or has it been
sitting on your shelf for awhile? Do you know how it came to Howard's
attention?
A million questions, indeed.... :)
--
=====================================================================
Chris Patterson chrispatterson.at.comcast.dot.net
"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are
always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts."
-- Bertrand Russell
=====================================================================
shawn
>It appeared on June 27th, front page of Variety. To quote the relevant
>section:
>
>"Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have purchased J. Michael
>Straczynski's thriller "The Changeling," which is being eyed by Ron
>Howard to direct.
>Project, to be produced by Brian Grazer, joins the shortlist of pics
>Howard is considering as his next endeavor.
Congratulations on the news! I look forward to being able to see it on
the big screen one day.
Dennis (Icarus)
<jms...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1151482133.7...@75g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
Many heartfelt congratulations!
I always thought you were an a-list writer, but I realize that doesn't quite
have the same impact since I'm not in the business.
;-)
Dennis
.
Janne Mikola
> It is, without question, the biggest deal I've ever made, and with Ron
> directing (everyone is talking about it as though he's going to do it,
> though that has not been stated officially by anyone), and it moves me
> from being marginally known in the film business right into the
> catetory of a-list writer overnight, which parallels what happened with
> Akiva Goldman. I'm thrilled that Ron is involved, because I've always
> thought he had amazing story sense and he's one of the directors I most
> regard in this business.
>
> Those involved were great in the deal making, and this stands to be a
> huge movie.
>
> jms
>
You wrote and sold the story, but will you be involved anyway in the
making of the movie after this? I guess you won't, your part is now done.
Will we ever see JMS as a full-time show-runner or executive producer in
any form of motion picture or TV entertainment anymore? I know you can
write great stories but in my opinion you also have great vision of
implementing those stories on screen. And I'm pretty sure those may
sometimes (I'm not saying this has happened, only that it might happen)
differ a lot from the views of the director and producer who're making
the movie / series.
I think Ron Howard is one of the best directors who can be chosen to
make a movie written by you. He has done a great job on Cinderella Man,
A Beautiful Mind and Apollo 13... he also won a Oscar for 'Best
Directing' for Beautiful Mind. Only I'm saying that I'd like to see some
of your own visions come true just as you yourself wanted to, once more.
In any form of art there is in the world.
I know this particular case is in a scale that you never have been
before, and I want to congratulate you for your achievement.
Now we all just have to hope that movie will really be done.
--
Janne Mikola | janne....@tut.fi | 040-7726656
http://www.students.tut.fi/~mikolaj/
John Hudgens
project you'd been planning to write about (after B5 was over) that
would be based on a true but unbelievable story... was that this? Just
curious...
RGesty
Congratulations!!!!
With those names making the movie your vision should be able to go to
the screen the way YOU want it to be done. It must bring a huge amount
of satisfaction for this to happen and in my book, you have ALWAYS been
on the "A" list.
Travers Naran
> It appeared on June 27th, front page of Variety. To quote the relevant
> section:
>
> "Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have purchased J. Michael
> Straczynski's thriller "The Changeling," which is being eyed by Ron
> Howard to direct.
> Project, to be produced by Brian Grazer, joins the shortlist of pics
> Howard is considering as his next endeavor.
So tell me... Did providing work to Ron's father help cinch the deal?
:-)
*ducks*
Craig
>It appeared on June 27th, front page of Variety. To quote the relevant
>section:
>
>"Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have purchased J. Michael
>Straczynski's thriller "The Changeling," which is being eyed by Ron
>Howard to direct.
>Project, to be produced by Brian Grazer, joins the shortlist of pics
>Howard is considering as his next endeavor.
Just be sure to give us a shout out at....(will not jinx it by naming
the annual Feb. event.)
This really is hugh. Many, many congrats to you.
Craig
Brian Stinson
it sounds like you deserved something like this a long time ago.
Perhaps next Ron can have you write "The Straczynski Code". (Sorry,
couldn't pass it up).
I know this probably isn't very high on your list right now, but
hypothetically speaking, if you were to make another run at a B5 related
project, do you think it would be any easier to get it off the ground now,
since as you say, this project could elevate your status as a film writer.
Jeffrey Kaplan
> "Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have purchased J. Michael
> Straczynski's thriller "The Changeling," which is being eyed by Ron
> Howard to direct.
> Project, to be produced by Brian Grazer, joins the shortlist of pics
> Howard is considering as his next endeavor.
>
> Story, billed as based on actual events, is about a mother who prays
> for the return of her kidnapped son. When her prayers are answered,
> however, she begins to suspect the boy who comes back is not her
> child."
I just saw the announcement of this on SciFi Wire, which concludes with
this sentence:
"Straczynski is a leading comic-book writer with an exclusive deal with
Marvel and several Spider-Man titles under his belt. He is perhaps best
known for his TV series Babylon 5."
> It is, without question, the biggest deal I've ever made, and with Ron
> directing (everyone is talking about it as though he's going to do it,
> though that has not been stated officially by anyone), and it moves me
> from being marginally known in the film business right into the
> catetory of a-list writer overnight, which parallels what happened with
So when do you get to move up to directing or producing your own screen
plays?
--
Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org
The from userid is killfiled Send personal mail to gordol
"To quote a Human phrase 'it gives me the screamin' willies.'" (Draal,
B5 "Voices Of Authority")
Joseph DeMartino
> It is, without question, the biggest deal I've ever made
Congratulations. Couldn't have happened to a more deserving guy. As
for the Akiva Goldsman comparison - it is always hard to tell when an
writer just goes off the rails with a script and when a perfectly good
piece of writing is destroyed by the studio, the director and/or the
actors. But here's hoping your future scripts are handled by honorable
and honest people, and therefore come out like the Akiva Goldsman of
"Cinderella Man", "A Beautiful Mind" and "Practical Magic" (an
underrated little charmer) and not the Akiva Goldsman of "Lost in
Space" and "Batman & Robin". <g>
Regards,
Joe
Iva
I just want to know how I'm supposed to work,d rive, or do anything from now
on until the movie actually gets produced, while still keeping all my
fingers and toes crossed?!
---
Iva
Thunder 06
> "Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have purchased J. Michael
> Straczynski's thriller "The Changeling," which is being eyed by Ron
> Howard to direct.
Congrats! I hope it gets made and soon. (btw, if Howard can convince
that daughter of his to get in the movie, I'm all for it--she's a cutie). :)
t.k.
shawn
Duct tape. Cross your toes and tape them together. Do the same for
your fingers. You might not be as effective as before, but it should
work. :)
John W. Kennedy
> It is, without question, the biggest deal I've ever made, and with Ron
> directing (everyone is talking about it as though he's going to do it,
> though that has not been stated officially by anyone), and it moves me
> from being marginally known in the film business right into the
> catetory of a-list writer overnight, which parallels what happened with
> Akiva Goldman.
There is something vaguely bizarre in the fact that someone who, as a
script writer, has already been responsible for something on the order
of $1,000,000,000 of income for the shield suddenly becoming much more
important as a script writer because someone /might/ make a movie out
of a /novel/ that he wrote.
Yeah, I know.... It's Chinatown....
Well, if you say it's a good thing, I'll take your word for it.
(Kinda wish it didn't involve Ron Howard, though. For me, it's going to
be a while before the stink of TDVC dissipates.)
Craig M. Bobchin
I read this on Cinescape this morning and just have to say Mazel-Tov. I
Lookforward to seeing this on the screen. Can you give any more details
on the story and your future involvement with the production when it
goes forward?
Craig
In article <1151482133.7...@75g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>,
jms...@aol.com says...
Jon Schild
Brian Stinson wrote:
> Very cool! Congratulations Joe! From what little I know about the business
> it sounds like you deserved something like this a long time ago.
>
> Perhaps next Ron can have you write "The Straczynski Code". (Sorry,
> couldn't pass it up).
I thought that was the way Kosh always talked.
Wesley Struebing
A most sincere congratulations! Hoping it a) really become a motion
picture, and b) Ron Howard does direct it - and do it decently!
--
Wes Struebing
I pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America,
and to the republic which it established, one nation from many peoples,
promising liberty and justice for all.
Carl
> section:
>
> directing (everyone is talking about it as though he's going to do it,
> though that has not been stated officially by anyone), and it moves me
> from being marginally known in the film business right into the
> catetory of a-list writer overnight, which parallels what happened with
> Akiva Goldman. I'm thrilled that Ron is involved, because I've always
> thought he had amazing story sense and he's one of the directors I most
> regard in this business.
>
> Those involved were great in the deal making, and this stands to be a
> huge movie.
>
Add my congratulations along with everyone else around here.
I hope this story gets told the way you envision it and leads to many other
opportunities for you in the future. I'll look forward to all of them.
Carl
All of the books in the world contain no more information than is broadcast
as video in a single large American city in a single year. Not all bits have
equal value.
-- Carl Sagan
Kay Shapero
> section:
>
> Straczynski's thriller "The Changeling," which is being eyed by Ron
> Howard to direct.
> Project, to be produced by Brian Grazer, joins the shortlist of pics
> Howard is considering as his next endeavor.
>
Woo-hoo! Congratulations, and may they pay more attention to the author
than legend suggests they do.
--
Kay Shapero
http://www.kayshapero.net
Lord Whorfin
jms...@aol.com wrote:
> ...[I]t moves me from being marginally known in the film business right into the
> catetory of a-list writer overnight...
Tom Horsley
> I'm thrilled that Ron is involved, because I've always
> thought he had amazing story sense and he's one of the directors I most
> regard in this business.
But will they be shooting any scenes in zero-G? :-).
Carl Dershem
75g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:
> It appeared on June 27th, front page of Variety. To quote the relevant
> section:
>
> "Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have purchased J. Michael
> Straczynski's thriller "The Changeling," which is being eyed by Ron
> Howard to direct.
> Project, to be produced by Brian Grazer, joins the shortlist of pics
> Howard is considering as his next endeavor.
>
> Story, billed as based on actual events, is about a mother who prays
> for the return of her kidnapped son. When her prayers are answered,
> however, she begins to suspect the boy who comes back is not her
> child."
>
> It is, without question, the biggest deal I've ever made, and with Ron
> directing (everyone is talking about it as though he's going to do it,
> though that has not been stated officially by anyone), and it moves me
> from being marginally known in the film business right into the
> catetory of a-list writer overnight, which parallels what happened with
> Akiva Goldman. I'm thrilled that Ron is involved, because I've always
> thought he had amazing story sense and he's one of the directors I most
> regard in this business.
>
> Those involved were great in the deal making, and this stands to be a
> huge movie.
Very spiffy. FInally a movie I want to see!
cd
--
The difference between immorality and immortality is "T". I like Earl
Grey.
Josh Hill
>It appeared on June 27th, front page of Variety. To quote the relevant
>section:
>
>"Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have purchased J. Michael
>Straczynski's thriller "The Changeling," which is being eyed by Ron
>Howard to direct.
>Project, to be produced by Brian Grazer, joins the shortlist of pics
>Howard is considering as his next endeavor.
>
>Story, billed as based on actual events, is about a mother who prays
>for the return of her kidnapped son. When her prayers are answered,
>however, she begins to suspect the boy who comes back is not her
>child."
>
>It is, without question, the biggest deal I've ever made, and with Ron
>directing (everyone is talking about it as though he's going to do it,
>though that has not been stated officially by anyone), and it moves me
>from being marginally known in the film business right into the
>catetory of a-list writer overnight, which parallels what happened with
>Akiva Goldman. I'm thrilled that Ron is involved, because I've always
>thought he had amazing story sense and he's one of the directors I most
>regard in this business.
>
>Those involved were great in the deal making, and this stands to be a
>huge movie.
Woo hoo, as they say!
(Come to think of it, does anybody /actually/ say that?)
--
Josh
"I love it when I'm around the country club, and I hear people talking about the debilitating
effects of a welfare society. At the same time, they leave their kids a lifetime and beyond
of food stamps. Instead of having a welfare officer, they have a trust officer. And instead
of food stamps, they have stocks and bonds."
- Warren Buffett
mtogg...@hotmail.com
JMS, I'm very happy for you indeed.
And very happy for all of us. Ever since the "Lord of the Rings"
trilogy completed, there's been no feature film that I've been really,
REALLY looking forward to. Now I have one! And of course considering
what the success of "Changeling" would mean to the chances of B5 making
to the silver screen in exactly the form you'd like it to, well ...
Huge smile !!
Martin Toggweiler
The Nuclear Marine
> It appeared on June 27th, front page of Variety. To quote the relevant
> section:
>
> "Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have purchased J. Michael
> Straczynski's thriller "The Changeling," which is being eyed by Ron
> Howard to direct.
> Project, to be produced by Brian Grazer, joins the shortlist of pics
> Howard is considering as his next endeavor.
>
> Story, billed as based on actual events, is about a mother who prays
> for the return of her kidnapped son. When her prayers are answered,
> however, she begins to suspect the boy who comes back is not her
> child."
>
Since you wrote it, is it based on actual events? Even better, is there a
reference to these events?
> It is, without question, the biggest deal I've ever made, and with Ron
> directing (everyone is talking about it as though he's going to do it,
> though that has not been stated officially by anyone), and it moves me
> from being marginally known in the film business right into the
> catetory of a-list writer overnight, which parallels what happened with
> Akiva Goldman. I'm thrilled that Ron is involved, because I've always
> thought he had amazing story sense and he's one of the directors I most
> regard in this business.
>
Who's Akiva Goldman?
> Those involved were great in the deal making, and this stands to be a
> huge movie.
>
> jms
>
Who's jms
....*IMDB Search*....*Reference jms*....*Reference Akiva Goldman*...
Oh, right, tall fellow, has a thing for cats, hates teddy bears with his
initials. Typos names like Goldsman on occasion much to his displeasure.
Congratulations, I think. When a script gets bought (which happens alot),
as you said it generally doesn't get made into a movie. Is there
residuals IF a script gets made into a movie?
Nuke
--
There comes a time in every man's life when he must die - Charles Applin
I'm kinda divided on this whole abortion issue. On one hand, I'm not
about to let no woman control nothing, especially her own body. On the
other hand, I really hate babies.
Joseph DeMartino
> Who's Akiva Goldman?
Typo. Should have been Akiva GoldSman.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0326040/
Writer Filmography:
# I Am Legend (2007) (pre-production)
# The Da Vinci Code (2006) (screenplay)
# Cinderella Man (2005) (screenplay)
# I, Robot (2004) (screenplay)
# A Beautiful Mind (2001) (written by)
# Practical Magic (1998) (screenplay)
# Lost in Space (1998) (written by)
# Batman & Robin (1997) (written by)
# A Time to Kill (1996) (screenplay)
# Batman Forever (1995) (screenplay)
# Silent Fall (1994) (written by)
# The Client (1994) (screenplay)
Regards,
Joe
Hank Arnold
taste!! :-).....
Congrats!!!!!
Regards,
Hank Arnold
jms...@aol.com wrote:
> It appeared on June 27th, front page of Variety. To quote the relevant
> section:
>
> "Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have purchased J. Michael
> Straczynski's thriller "The Changeling," which is being eyed by Ron
> Howard to direct.
> Project, to be produced by Brian Grazer, joins the shortlist of pics
> Howard is considering as his next endeavor.
>
> Story, billed as based on actual events, is about a mother who prays
> for the return of her kidnapped son. When her prayers are answered,
> however, she begins to suspect the boy who comes back is not her
> child."
>
> It is, without question, the biggest deal I've ever made, and with Ron
> directing (everyone is talking about it as though he's going to do it,
> though that has not been stated officially by anyone), and it moves me
> from being marginally known in the film business right into the
> catetory of a-list writer overnight, which parallels what happened with
> Akiva Goldman. I'm thrilled that Ron is involved, because I've always
> thought he had amazing story sense and he's one of the directors I most
> regard in this business.
>
Roseann
I've always thought that Ron Howard is a brilliant director with a keen eye
on that side of the camera. I feel he could really do justice to your story
telling.
How very exciting this is!
--
Roseann
In brightest day, in blackest night
No evil shall escape my site.
For those who worship evil's might,
Beware my power - Green Lantern's Light!
<jms...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1151482133.7...@75g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
Methuselah Jones
Jeffrey Kaplan of rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated make plain:
> It is alleged that jms...@aol.com claimed:
>
>> "Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have purchased J.
>> Michael Straczynski's thriller "The Changeling," which is being eyed
>> by Ron Howard to direct.
>>
> I just saw the announcement of this on SciFi Wire, which concludes
> with this sentence:
>
> "Straczynski is a leading comic-book writer with an exclusive deal
> with Marvel and several Spider-Man titles under his belt."
I wonder if that had anything to do with bringing Joe to the attention of
the big-shots, since comic book movies are The Big Thing lately.
--
Methuselah
"Time makes more converts than reason."
-- Thomas Paine
Tom
jms...@aol.com wrote:
> It appeared on June 27th, front page of Variety. To quote the relevant
> section:
>
> Straczynski's thriller "The Changeling," which is being eyed by Ron
> Howard to direct.
> Howard is considering as his next endeavor.
>
> Story, billed as based on actual events, is about a mother who prays
> for the return of her kidnapped son. When her prayers are answered,
> however, she begins to suspect the boy who comes back is not her
> child."
>
> It is, without question, the biggest deal I've ever made, and with Ron
> directing (everyone is talking about it as though he's going to do it,
> though that has not been stated officially by anyone), and it moves me
> from being marginally known in the film business right into the
> catetory of a-list writer overnight, which parallels what happened with
> Akiva Goldman. I'm thrilled that Ron is involved, because I've always
> thought he had amazing story sense and he's one of the directors I most
> regard in this business.
>
> Those involved were great in the deal making, and this stands to be a
> huge movie.
>
> jms
This is fantastic news. I may actually got to a movie theatre again
knowing that there will be something worth watching. My biggest hope
is that the powers that be in this film recognize the brilliance in
your storytelling and don't try to change too much. But lets not woory
about things that haven't happened. Congratulatons.
Methuselah Jones
> It appeared on June 27th, front page of Variety. To quote the
> relevant section:
>
> "Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have purchased J.
> Michael Straczynski's thriller "The Changeling," which is being eyed
> by Ron Howard to direct. Project, to be produced by Brian Grazer,
> joins the shortlist of pics Howard is considering as his next
> endeavor.
Hey, way to go, Joe!
--
Methuselah
"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with
sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use."
-- Galileo Galilei
krueg...@hotmail.com
But what kind of a time-line are your fans looking at now? I mean, if
all were to go about as expected, when will Ron Howard decide what he's
directing next?
How involved will you be with the rewriting process, or is that not
decided yet?
How big was that truck that started pouring the money in your house,
and what denominations are the bills in. :D
Dan Dassow
jms...@aol.com wrote:
> It appeared on June 27th, front page of Variety. To quote the relevant
> section:
>
> "Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have purchased J. Michael
> Straczynski's thriller "The Changeling," which is being eyed by Ron
> Howard to direct.
> Project, to be produced by Brian Grazer, joins the shortlist of pics
> Howard is considering as his next endeavor.
...
> Those involved were great in the deal making, and this stands to be a
> huge movie.
>
> jms
Joe,
Selling your script is a great first step. I wish you the very best
luck in getting this movie produced. As you rightfully point out in
"The Complete Book of Scriptwriting", there remain many hurdles and
challenges in bringing your script to the silver screen. I hope that
you will be directly involved in any rewrites required to bring this
project to fruition and that your creative vision remains intact.
Dan Dassow
"You can take all the sincerity in Hollywood, place it in the navel of
a firefly and still have room enough for three caraway seeds and a
producer's heart."
- Fred Allen
Matthew Vincent
> It appeared on June 27th, front page of Variety. To quote the relevant
> section:
>
> "Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have purchased J. Michael
> Straczynski's thriller "The Changeling," which is being eyed by Ron
> Howard to direct.
> Project, to be produced by Brian Grazer, joins the shortlist of pics
> Howard is considering as his next endeavor.
>
> for the return of her kidnapped son. When her prayers are answered,
> however, she begins to suspect the boy who comes back is not her
> child."
>
> It is, without question, the biggest deal I've ever made, and with Ron
> directing (everyone is talking about it as though he's going to do it,
> though that has not been stated officially by anyone), and it moves me
> from being marginally known in the film business right into the
> catetory of a-list writer overnight,
Congratulations. I tend to have mixed feelings about "success" in the
conventional sense, but as far as it goes, I can't think of anyone more
deserving. You've always had the talent and now it's been combined with
finding a good opportunity.
Sounds like it will be an interesting film, too.
Matthew
Methuselah Jones
<jms...@aol.com> of rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated make plain:
> It appeared on June 27th, front page of Variety. To quote the relevant
> section:
>
> "Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have purchased J. Michael
> Straczynski's thriller "The Changeling," which is being eyed by Ron
> Howard to direct.
I just learned something interesting about Hollywood logic. I was
watching an interview with Terry Gilliam, about getting "Brazil" made.
He'd shopped it around and got no takers. Finally, Fox said they would
back it if Gilliam would direct "Enemy Mine" first. He refused, and
therefore was finally able to make "Brazil".
The logic goes like this: Fox had tried to get a number of A-level
directors to do "Enemy", but they had all declined. But because A-level
directors had been offered the film, it must be an A-level project. Thus,
when it was offered to Gilliam, he naturally became an A-level director,
since he was being offered an A-level project, and when he declined and
said he wanted to do "Brazil", well then obviously "Brazil" must be an A-
level project, since an A-level director was interested in it.
So, even if Howard doesn't end up directing your story, the fact that he
even considered it is a plus.
--
Methuselah
"Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous."
-- Tom Shadyac
krueg...@hotmail.com
Methuselah Jones wrote:
> I just learned something interesting about Hollywood logic. I was
> watching an interview with Terry Gilliam, about getting "Brazil" made.
> He'd shopped it around and got no takers. Finally, Fox said they would
> back it if Gilliam would direct "Enemy Mine" first. He refused, and
> therefore was finally able to make "Brazil".
>
> The logic goes like this: Fox had tried to get a number of A-level
> directors to do "Enemy", but they had all declined. But because A-level
> directors had been offered the film, it must be an A-level project. Thus,
> when it was offered to Gilliam, he naturally became an A-level director,
> since he was being offered an A-level project, and when he declined and
> said he wanted to do "Brazil", well then obviously "Brazil" must be an A-
> level project, since an A-level director was interested in it.
I keep reading this and thinking "I must be reading this wrong".
LOL
That is simply too weird for words.
shawn
I think this shows part of what is wrong in Hollywood. Foremost that
anyone could even begin to think this kind of logic might work.
Secondly, the idea that it matters whether a director is an A-level or
B-level. It's should be a question of is the director talented enough
to do the job and then is he/she a good fit for the project. Then you
consider is the money going to be right for the director. That they
don't follow something like this amazes me, and makes it obvious why
they keep remaking older movies since that's the safest path.
Matt Ion
Not to sound too cynical, but... this is what happens in a land where
casual parties include bowls of cocaine set out like grapes for guests
to enjoy... :P
Fortunately the mentality isn't ALL-pervasive...
UNfortuantely, at some point, it appears just about anyone wanting to
get anything done in Hollyweird will be affected by the mentality at one
point or another.
Just as a slight aside, Will Smith is one of those "movie biz" people
I've generally been coming to respet more for not falling prey to that
mindset... I read a great quote from him the other day (paraphrased):
"Too many people spend money they don't have, to buy things they don't
want, to impress people they don't like."
Kay Shapero
nanof...@gmail.com says...
> I think this shows part of what is wrong in Hollywood. Foremost that
> anyone could even begin to think this kind of logic might work.
> Secondly, the idea that it matters whether a director is an A-level or
> B-level. It's should be a question of is the director talented enough
> to do the job and then is he/she a good fit for the project. Then you
> consider is the money going to be right for the director. That they
> don't follow something like this amazes me, and makes it obvious why
> they keep remaking older movies since that's the safest path.
>
Ever see a flock of penguins poised on the edge of an ice floe, each
waiting for another one to go into the water first in case there are
leopard seals there?
Methuselah Jones
Shapero of rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated make plain:
I was thinking of a herd of sheep: get any one of them moving in one
direction, and the rest follow, until a different one makes an
independent move, then they all follow that one. The great fear is being
somehow left out of the pack.
--
Methuselah
Being a husband is like any other job: it helps a lot if you like the
boss.
Josh Hill
wrote:
LOL. CYA, I think.
I mean, you're a Hollywood exec who's gotten where has in the
time-tested way, e.g. by starting in the shipping department and
licking the right boots.
You have to put together a movie that people will pay to see. But in
truth, you're a lot more familiar with postage meters and shoelaces
than plot points.
Since you don't want to be fired just yet -- I mean, who would pay for
those bowls of cocaine, or surgery to fix your septum? -- your best
course is to assemble a bunch of people who have already been involved
in making major movies.
I mean, other studios have used them to make major movies, and /they/
know what they're doing, right?
So looking over your shoulder to check that no one catches on to the
fact that alone among Hollywood executives, you don't know what you're
doing, you run down the A-list until someone on it agrees to come
aboard.
And sometimes things work out, and sometimes moviegoers leave the
theater shaking their heads and saying "How could they /possibly/ have
made this?" But if that happens, you can always say "Well, look, we
assembled the best people -- kids just isn't interested in stories
about robots this summer."
And since it really isn't a terrible strategy, some of the other
choices you've made the same way /will/ pay off, which wouldn't have
happened if you'd exercised your judgment, which (though you'd never
admit it to anyone other than the aspiring actress you're bedding) is
really far better at deciding whether something should go Fedex or UPS
than it is at casting. Because just as you're more likely to hit pay
dirt if you buy a random book by a successful author, you're more
likely to make a successful movie if you choose the people who have
already made successful movies.
But of course from the perspective of those who are familiar with the
talents of screenwriters, directors, and the other principals, it's a
pretty silly procedure, particularly since people can get on the
A-list by virtue of having done nothing more than make a /failed/
A-list movie.
I don't think this phenomenon is limited to Hollywood: I've seen
people go from job to job in other businesses botching things up so
royally each time that they get fired, and always getting a new job
because people figure that if they held that position in another
company they must be qualified. And conversely I've seen how hard it
is for talented but untested people to break into a business. It just
seems to be particularly prominent in entertainment, perhaps because
there are so many people trying to break in.
Josh Hill
Heh, yes.
Tom Horsley
> I think this shows part of what is wrong in Hollywood. Foremost that
> anyone could even begin to think this kind of logic might work.
Hey, it isn't just movies either, logic just as sensible
seems to dominate TV too, especially advertising. My favorite
nonsense ritual (even better than the morons running the
bulls in Spain) is TV "sweeps", where the ratings for
one set of totally artificial programming is used to set
the price people will pay for ads on completely and utterly
different programming, and it isn't just the TV execs that
buy into this, apparently the folks who buy ad time
think it makes sense (at least they haven't staged a revolt
yet).
Kay Shapero
usere...@gmail.com says...
>
> "I love it when I'm around the country club, and I hear people talking about the debilitating
> effects of a welfare society. At the same time, they leave their kids a lifetime and beyond
> of food stamps. Instead of having a welfare officer, they have a trust officer. And instead
> of food stamps, they have stocks and bonds."
>
> - Warren Buffett
>
than the average welfare officer and his/her organization...
(Background music, Leslie Fish singing "The Paper Sea")
Dan Dassow
Long ago in a time nearly forgotten, networks commissioned 39 episodes
per season and broadcast those episodes in sequence from Labor Day to
Memorial Day. The four networks, ABC, CBS, Dumont and NBC, showed
reruns during the 13 weeks of summer fully expecting that very few
people would sit home to watch this leftover fare. During this
primordial time of television, the current scheme of sweeps made sense
since it did statistically measure viewing habits and helped calibrate
the statistical models used to determine advertising price.
That was then and this is now. Twenty episodes or less per season is
now the norm. It is difficult to determine any consistent pattern of
how the networks show fresh and rerun programs. People buy reruns on
DVD, and pay for programs on cable and satellite. Viewers can now
choose from hundreds of channels of "original" programming. The
networks and other providers of television have long ago learned to
game the sweeps. Advertising and television executives know that the
current system for establishing advertising rates is broken; however,
industry inertia has prevented a change from the old model to something
that makes more sense.
Dan Dassow
Joseph DeMartino
> Long ago in a time nearly forgotten, networks commissioned 39 episodes
> per season and broadcast those episodes in sequence from Labor Day to
> Memorial Day. The four networks, ABC, CBS, Dumont and NBC, showed
> reruns during the 13 weeks of summer fully expecting that very few
> people would sit home to watch this leftover fare.
Actually, they mostly ran cheap, original summer replacement series.
When Dumont still existed shooting shows on film was the exception, and
videotape hadn't yet been invented, so there wasn't anything to rerun
except lousy looking kinescopes. Better to test out new shows as
summer replacements than mess with that. When reruns did come in they
sometimes saved shows that would otherwise have been cancelled. both
"All in the Family" and "M*A*S*H" fond audiences during the summer that
saved them. Rather than watch reruns on NBC and ABC, viewers decided
to sample the competing shows they missed on CBS, and found they liked
what they saw. This happened because one of the four sweeps periods
falls in July. Why would they bother with this if no one was watching?
> That was then and this is now. Twenty episodes or less per season is
> now the norm. It is difficult to determine any consistent pattern of
> how the networks show fresh and rerun programs.
Apples, meet oranges. 20 episodes or less is not the norm on ANY
broadcast network. And ratings "sweeps" periods ONLY apply to
broadcast stations. (And not actually to the networks, which are
measured via electronic devices.) Sweeps are used to set ad rates for
local broadcast channels in indvidual markets. Period. The networks
try to oblige their affiliates and network owned stations by running
first run episodes out of what is now typically a 24 episode season,
speicals and other stunt programming. The individual stations do the
same thing, which is why your local ActionNews team always seems to
discover those housewife hookers in your area in November, February,
May or July, and why they run the teaser for the story during a new
episode of "Lost".
Sure, this skews the numbers for those periods, but since everyone is
doing the same thing the ratings are still useful for comparison.
Everybody's bringing their "A" game, so chances are the local station
in 3rd place in Jacksonville, FL or Tonawanda, NY during sweeps is also
going to be in 3rd place come June. So the advertisers are, in fact,
getting an *accurate* picture of the relative strength of the local
stations. (Just as a car buyer doesn't expect to actually get 35 mpg
highway in a given car, but can be pretty sure that the 35 mpg car will
get better mileage under the conditions he drives in than the one that
is only EPA rated at 25 mpg.) And the ratings are not all the stations
(and advertisers) get from sweeps. They also get demographic info,
which can be more valuable. If I managed dance clubs in Tonawanda, NY,
I may be willing to pay a premium to advertise on certain shows of the
number 3 station if it turns out twice as many of my potential
customers watch them than watch the compeitng shows on the number 1
station.
Since it is too expensive to fit every household in America, or even a
representative sample in each TV market, with "people meters" or other
electronic devices, the paper diaries used during "sweeps" periods
were, are and will remain a practical alternative. Sampling more
frequently wouldn't improve the accuracy and would increase the cost.
Plus time has to be allowed for preparing, mailing, receiving and
processing the diaries, not to mention updating and changing the
recipients list to keep the same statistically valid and to correct for
bias. So four time a year (including that July period when viewership
is way down) works out pretty well.
Cable ratings, both basic and premium, are a whole 'nuther story.
(Many basic cable channels simply charge a flat fee per minute of time
and air commericials in rotation on all their shows. So you may not
buy a spot on "Stargate SG-1" on Sci-Fi. You buy a 30 second spot on
Sci-Fi to run 30 times a day and it airs on all their shows.) Since
premium cable channels aren't advertising driven they are far more
interested in a series ability to attract and keep subscribers than raw
ratings, although these are nice for bragging rights. And, again, they
are not affected by "sweeps" since they have no local affiliates whose
ad rates are set by local ratings.
All-in-all a much less dysfunctional system than you suggest.
Regards,
Joe
umarc
>In article <u0kta29d08ddqja8l...@4ax.com>,
>usere...@gmail.com says...
>>
>> "I love it when I'm around the country club, and I hear people talking about the debilitating
>> effects of a welfare society. At the same time, they leave their kids a lifetime and beyond
>> of food stamps. Instead of having a welfare officer, they have a trust officer. And instead
>> of food stamps, they have stocks and bonds."
>>
>> - Warren Buffett
>>
>Ah well, leastwise that trust officer costs the rest of us rather less
>than the average welfare officer and his/her organization...
Wanna bet? Those sorts of costs are part of the prices of everything
we buy.
umar