Father Geek here, abandoned by that son of mine to watch the fort. I just got an email from PTA wanting to clarify this whole David Fincher/PTA war that fans have been huffing and puffing about. You must realize that the media always, ALWAYS takes quotes out of context. Here's what PTA had to say:
Just to clarify: My comments about Fincher and Fight Club were stupid. Wishing anyone testicular cancer isn't funny and I did end up seeing the film. I had a problem with the violence and the cruelty -- I just couldn't get past it -- blah blah blah....I wrote a letter to Fincher apologizing for my comments.....he was cool about it.
pta
Ok folks, Harry here with... well something a bit different. You see, Paul Thomas Anderson is a fan of the site, and after I read the bit about him possibly being involved in UNDERWORLD in that Elston Gunn report... about two Weekly Recaps ago I believe, I contacted Paul to see about the skinny on that project. Now Paul is one of my favorite people to write back and forth with because... Like me, he loves to simply ramble, he uses tons of dot dot dots and is completely state of conciousness. Well, he wrote back telling me that he'd write something up about what happened on UNDERWORLD to clarify some issues having to do with it. Apparently he had something to say about it all. So, here you go... Ever wanted to know what it'd be like to get an email from PTA? Well here's a glimpse at how his brain clicks. I'll join you again at the end of the letter... Here's Paul Thomas Anderson...
SO, yeah, jeez, anyway.....um....I'm just off a flight from Japan and waiting for jet lag to set in but it hasn't....
...I've had a few beers in the late afternoon sun at my big Hollywood director mansion....and jet lag isn't happening yet....soon...
So: A few years ago, I read Underworld, loved it....was in the middle of writing Magnolia and saw a similar sort of thing...(sprawling, many charachters....blah blah....) and I said, who owns this? Scott Rudin, said my agent...so I started to step into the Scott Rudin world.....actually, this all seems slightly revisionist....I believe he had actually called first....I was a Don Dellilo fan anyway, so I was gonna read it -- I think, yeah....maybe he was thinking, "ohh....Boogie Nights guy...lots of characters...epic size, he'll be good..." I had it as Dellilo fan and was casually reading it....his phone call made me more than casually read it....
Whatever...all the things met in the middle, I went to meet him, honestly not knowing how the fuck I would ever do it as a movie.....I didn't love it sooooo much that I would just say, "fuck it, I'm gonna shoot every word and see what happens..." Which is what I want to do one day when a book really catches my fancy......and I just talked with him a bit....Scott Rudin is very interesting.
He calls you. You call him back. He's not there. Fine. He calls you...you JUST miss the call....you call him right back...he's not there....fine...a Hollywood sort of thing... until you start to see a pathological pattern of THIS is how he does it....no mattter what....(Keep in mind: I was Mr. New Big Shot in town, so casually, jokingly, sort of, with his assistant I would say things like, Here is where I am...if he doesn't call me back in ten minutes I will never speak to him again....This is really silly don't you think Mr. Assistant Man? Right, right....I'm sure you know....why do you seem so frightened Mr. Assistant Man? Is someone hurting you? Huh....I guess I've heard stories about this fellow....but he sure does corral some talented people into working for him....how can you work with seriously gifted auter directors and be an overbearing producer...you can't....you have good material and you leave them alone and blah blah blah.....right? sure.) We met, it was fine....he told me some gossipy type stuff about Martin Scorsese (tailored shirts, etc.) how Shaft was gonna be...how much he loved Bill Macy (uh-huh.) .....He was great.....I called a few days later and said, listen, I'm too into my own thing and I can't do Underworld so good luck with it....he said, thanks for being so upfront and great, yadda-yadda....
In the meantime I have heard three or four horror stories from close personal friends of mine who have made films with him.....You can probably do the math and deduce who they are......they just say, "what the fuck...." They never really tell specific stories....none of them are really able to enunciate or structure WHAT it is or HOW he is...they all just mumbles things about...."motherfucker.." "holy christ..." "pathological..." and on and on....
Now, maybe I have an odd bone to pick because in the recent, WONDERFULLY INFORMED AND ACCURATE "Power Issue" of the fantastic Premiere Magazine...
Anway, in the IT'S TRUE section...y'know how it works I assume...it said something to the extent of Rudin passed on Anderson project due to elaborate creative demands....(In other words, he turned me down from making a movie with him...(god knows, I SURE DO NEED A PRODUCER....(making movies is sooooo impossible if Scott Rudin isn't there....) because of contractual things...
Now the problem becomes: You feel like a hot shit because you've made the stupid list (which you shouldn't care about but do) and it's completely invalidated and ruined because the TRUE part is wrong....so basically, it shatters years of Childhood admiration and insight that you THOUGHT you had when you read Premiere magazine and they sold you on the fact that they REALLY did have it right...but now it's you and it's wrong...and you realize how many times you believed them....dammit....That makes me less powerful...I forefit my position from the Power 100...what's that? You say I lost it already...well, fuck you then....I forefit anyway.
(Yes I am in writing mode....can't you tell...what? So I write long movies, what's wrong with that -- are you saying I can't not write a long e-mail, damn you to hell, that's it, conversation over...)
Ok. That was uncalled for. Anway: No, I'm not doing Underworld.
Ok. that's that. I am fading. I won't go into the dream (true) I had about you a few nights ago while I was in hawaii.....(swear to god...) Jist: You were about three inches tall and on the beach in a floatie-ring thing....
But that's for another time....Keep up the good work.
pppppppspsssssssspppsss......off topic: Are you a Monty Python fan? I'm sure you are.....as am I....and always have been....but I'm currently in a fascination phase with them......What The Fuck? Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
See ya. (un-read and un-fixed....completely stream of conscious...)
PTA
