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Play It As It Lays
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In The Cool of the Day
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That Cold Day in the Park
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At Long Last Love
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Dirty Script Ain't Half Bad

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A few days ago I mentioned a passing interest in wanting to read the script of Down and Dirty Pictures, an adaptation of Peter Biskind's 2004 book about the indie movie heyday of the '90s. A couple of days later a guy sent me a draft of it, written by Joshua James and Dean Craig, undated, 121 pages, based on a story by James and Ken Bowser. u

And I have to say the following: the movie, which PalmStar Pictures is going to shoot in September, may turn out well or not. But the script isn't half bad. At the very least it has a certain bold, punchy recklessness. It's a movie within a "movie" with lots of yelling, arguing, maneuvering, jousting. It breaks down the fourth wall with characters talking to the camera. I muttered the word "Fellini-eseque" to myself at one point. It also reminded me at times of American Splendor. And it's pretty funny at times. Especially the Bingham stuff.

The script could use a little refinement. The tone is a little too belligerent. It needs some meditation, quiet, stillness. But it's a lot better than I expected. Here's page #1, page #2, page #3 and page #4.

It's basically a series of scenes showing some famous indie players -- Bingham Ray, Harvey Weinstein, Jeff Lipsky, Quentin Tarantino, David Dinerstein, Cassian Elwes, Robert Rodriguez, Jeff Katzenberg, Tony Safford, Amir Mailin, Scott Greenstein, Allison Anders, Kevin Smith, Tim Roth, John Schmidt, Linda Lichter -- trying to out-do or out-finagle or out-bullshit each other. Arguing, sniping, boasting, bellowing, boasting, bitching, whining, moaning. It's pretty much Biskind's book -- all the good parts, I mean -- minus the narrative padding and commentary and windy perspective.

You know the story if you've read it. It's about how indie films became cool and happening in the late '80s and early '90s, how some titles caught on or exploded commercially, how the corporate guys bought some of indie operations and their operators and slowly, gradually co-opted and corporatized the "movement," as it were.

The best characters, for me, are Bingham and Harvey -- partly because they're the most outsized and bellicose. It begins and ends with Bingham. Lipsky, Ray's former October Films partner, figures prominently.

The problem, of course, is that the "characters" will be played by actors, which will probably feel strange. (To me, anyway.) The other obvious problem is that audiences haven't exactly flocked to inside-the-beltway films about the film business.

I talked earlier today with PalmStar's Kevin Frakes about the script and the shoot. He sounded like an intelligent, fair-minded guy. The film will not be "micro-budgeted," he said, but will cost less than $15 million, he said. Name actors will we cast, he said. The shooting, which will happen during September and October, will shoot in Toronto ("Toronto for itself and Toronto for New York"), Park City and a couple of days in the South of France.

The very first copies of the revised script were sent to Harvey and Bingham, he said, right before the start of the WGA strike. Weinstein "told us to get somebody good to play me...that's a quote," he said. He didn't share Ray's reaction, whatever that was or is. Ray didn't return my calls about the script. I also called Biskind -- zip. My former boss Kevin Smith has yet to return also. Presumably they feel chagrined or rattled or at the very least guarded about it.

Something is telling me that Down and Dirty Pictures would work best as a six-hour HBO miniseries. The story covers a ten-year period and needs room to breathe. The PalmStar script is pretty good, but it feels a little too compressed.

Death of a Medium, cont'd<< previous | next >>Edelstein Eases Up

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on April 1, 2008 at 3:52 PM

comment #1

Josh Massey says ...

Too soon!

Posted by Josh Massey at April 1, 2008 5:35 PM

comment #2

gruver1 says ...

Wells to Massey: That line belongs to the ostriches who didn't want to see United 93, no? By your standards Recount, the upcoming HBO film about the disputed Florida vote, is too soon also.

Posted by gruver1 at April 1, 2008 6:04 PM

comment #3

Don Murphy says ...

First off, if they include people that are not Public figures like Elwes, Bingham and Lichter they should count on paying damages for the rest of their life. They never signed releases for the book, they own their own right of publicity and would have prima facie damages for being portrayed AT ALL in a work of fiction without their permissions. Second of all this company will make it for under $15m sure- under $1m probably. It isn't a known company and trust me, movies about Hollywood NEVER WORK. Unless you think Art Linson's book into film is gonna open anytime soon.
Third and finally, when did you decide that copyright was no longer a valid law in the US? First you scan the Spy article and now scan actual pages???

Oh well.....

-------------------
IRON MAN
from the director of ZATHURA

Posted by Don Murphy at April 1, 2008 6:06 PM

comment #4

Josh Massey says ...

By my standards, Braveheart was too soon.

(Relax, I was just joking up there).

Posted by Josh Massey at April 1, 2008 6:17 PM

comment #5

The Hoyk says ...

Tell me, Jeff, when Don Murphy dies, do you think he'll go to the vulture and hyena Heaven?

-------------------

SHUT UP DON!

from the director of DIE IN A FIRE

Posted by The Hoyk at April 1, 2008 6:54 PM

comment #6

corey3rd says ...

Gwen Paltrow has already been signed to play Harvey's parasite.

Posted by corey3rd at April 1, 2008 7:03 PM

comment #7

actionman says ...

The Player didn't work?

Posted by actionman at April 1, 2008 7:40 PM

comment #8

lawnorder says ...

Sadly, Jeff is probably in the clear by posting a few pages of the script. It falls under the "fair use" law and is considered for "educational or news worthy" purposes. IFC didn't pay a dime for any of the movie clips from "This Film is Not Yet Rated" under the same fair use loophole. I was the "victim" of this recently and unless you're willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend a claim that you likely will not win, it's not your time to pursue legal action.

Posted by lawnorder at April 1, 2008 7:44 PM

comment #9

D.Z. says ...

Don: "Third and finally, when did you decide that copyright was no longer a valid law in the US?"

Speaking of which, how'd your buddy Mikey fair after that Clonus suit?

Posted by D.Z. at April 1, 2008 7:46 PM

comment #10

Don Murphy says ...

bzzzzzt
Fair use would apply to excerpts of one or two paragraphs
Not scanning whole pages
But thanks for playing

-----------------------
IRON MAN
from the director of ZATHURA

Posted by Don Murphy at April 1, 2008 7:48 PM

comment #11

lawnorder says ...

I'm sorry - but it does apply to whole pages if they constitute three or four out of a 120 page script. But, by all means, file suit and find out for yourself. I'm in your corner on this, but I also know the reality. I've been through it with one of the best lawyers recently. Someone posted a couple of pages from an unreleased film of mine (pages that contain HUGE spoilers) and it's still on the net.

Posted by lawnorder at April 1, 2008 7:53 PM

comment #12

Don Murphy says ...

it isn't my script so why would I sue? Also I love Jeff and wish him well.

You need better lawyers.

---------------------
IRON MAN
from the director of ZATHURA

Posted by Don Murphy at April 1, 2008 8:01 PM

comment #13

The Winchester says ...

I so want to play Kevin Smith in this thing.

Posted by The Winchester at April 1, 2008 8:54 PM

comment #14

soap-and-water says ...

Bad call Don.

The 'better lawyer' is usually the one who shoots straight and tells you up front NOT to pay them loads for a lawsuit you probably won't win.

Thanks for buzzing in, though.

Posted by soap-and-water at April 1, 2008 9:16 PM

comment #15

DarthCorleone says ...

I don't know if "fair use" applies or not to Jeff's posting of the script pages, but I am curious about Don's other point of legality. Can the filmmakers get away with portraying all these people without clearance?

Posted by DarthCorleone at April 1, 2008 9:55 PM

comment #16

Rothchild says ...

Don, when are you going to get rid of that Iron Man signature?

Posted by Rothchild at April 1, 2008 9:58 PM

comment #17

BurmaShave says ...

Everybody check the date this was posted. Don, please retire.

Posted by BurmaShave at April 1, 2008 10:01 PM

comment #18

DarthCorleone says ...

One other thing - this reads extremely niche and specific. It'll be interesting to see if they can branch out beyond such an insider feel, because if they don't, I have trouble imagining the audience for this extending too far beyond the industry itself. The Player succeeded for many reasons, but certainly it was general enough for a broad appeal.

Posted by DarthCorleone at April 1, 2008 10:15 PM

comment #19

dangovich says ...

Does this mean we can look forward to a movie version of Killer Instinct?

Posted by dangovich at April 1, 2008 10:54 PM

comment #20

frankbooth says ...

The Winchester,

Yes, but do you have the calves?

Posted by frankbooth at April 1, 2008 11:40 PM

comment #21

frankbooth says ...

The Winchester,

Yes, but do you have the calves?

Posted by frankbooth at April 1, 2008 11:40 PM

comment #22

Studly Semite says ...

finally an april fools story that worked on me.

Posted by Studly Semite at April 1, 2008 11:43 PM

comment #23

frankbooth says ...

Shit. Feel free to read just one of those.

Posted by frankbooth at April 1, 2008 11:45 PM

comment #24

The Winchester says ...

Frank Booth: Yes I do.

And Yes I do.

Hopefully I'd get to keep the hockey jerseys and jorts! (And I love Smith, to boot)

Posted by The Winchester at April 2, 2008 12:06 AM

comment #25

Jay T. says ...

Another industry movie? Zzzzzzzzzz....

Posted by Jay T. at April 2, 2008 9:12 AM

comment #26

JackeyAces says ...

The real reason Jeff can post that stuff & not worry about being sued because he has no money. This is a 60+ guy with a horrible looking rug who got canned from the Movie Poop Shoot.com before opening this site. No one will sue you if your judgment proof.

Posted by JackeyAces at April 2, 2008 9:43 AM

comment #27

Josh says ...

Hurley from Lost as Kevin Smith.

Posted by Josh at April 2, 2008 12:14 PM

comment #28

Armin Tamzarian says ...

Neither this nor the W post were April Fool's gags. The people behind this production are serious, though I don't know how the hell they're going to get serious cast or a paying audience.

Posted by Armin Tamzarian at April 2, 2008 12:48 PM

comment #29