Steve Martin tells of trying to pitch a movie based on the classic play "Cyrano de Bergerac." No studio executive knew what he was talking about, and all rejected it. Luckily, though, he was Steve Martin and knew the studio president, Guy McElwaine. And happily McElwaine was a bright adult who actually loved the play. And most fortunately of all, the movie got made - because otherwise no one would ever have seen the glorious "Roxanne."
A friend once pitched a version of Sherlock Holmes. "Who's that?" a studio executive asked, later thinking the world-renowned, fictional detective was a real person. Needless-to-say, it never got made. But imagine if that same executive had been pitched the new Sherlock Holmes movie which stars Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. You wouldn't see it this December.
Another friend was pitching a buddy movie to an executive who prided herself on the subject. "Let's discuss great buddy movies," she enthused, "I'm an expert." My friend immediately mentioned, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." "What's that?" the executive asked.
Honest.
Studio Execs and Readers and Other People Who Make Script Decisions.
Meanwhile, back at the blog... Fridays With Hitchcock went up a little late on Friday, so it may be new to some of you. Below!
Classes On CD - Recession Sale!
- Bill
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: Know When To Hold Them (information) and INSOMNIA.
Yesterday’s Dinner: Fish Tacos at Islands.
Bicycle: Took a good bike ride on Saturday.
MOVIES: Saw YEAR ONE (is that the SAW sequel where the two cavemen wake up handcuffed to a...) - Lots of jokes, some of which even work. Jack Black and Michael Cera make a great team - they really should do some more movies together. But next time? Make sure there is a story. This film has no story at all, it's a collection of skit-scenes that have no real connection to each other... and nothing *drives* the film forward. It really makes you appreciate Roland Emmerich's 10,000 BC which this film attempts to parody... except they left out the story! As dopey as 10,000 BC was, you believed the hero was going after the woman he loved and would stop at noting to get her back. She was *stolen* by bad guys. In YEAR ONE the two guys get kicked out of their tribe, then wander from scene to scene until they stumble on the girls from the tribe they had crushes on... have been kidnaped. And that gives us an end - they rescue them. But there is no middle! And though I laughed enough times to make it an okay movie, the majority of jokes just didn't work - and sometimes *painfully* didn't work. The hot chick from HOUSE (the TV show, not the 80's comedy horror flick) is hot here, too. Hank Azaria nd Oliver Platt completely steal the show. Platt deserves some sort of award, but I'm not sure what. Not as bad as I thought it was going to be, still doesn't quite make the "good" rating.
And, of course, this week's warning and apology...
6/26 - M4M2 - 15:30 - Crash Dive - The crew of a nuclear submarine rescues supposed victims of a boat disaster, but the victims turn out to be terrorists intent on capturing nuclear weapons aboard the sub.
I'm sorry.
- Bill
No comments:
Post a Comment