Pulp Producing

[BuckyMcSatan]

Has anyone read "Killer Instinct" by producer Jane Hamsher?

Funny book, none too favorable on the Quentin front, but an odd co-incidence (or not?) between the films are two actors:

Steven Wright - in NBK played a psychiatrist and in Reservoir Dogs played the radio DJ.

Kirk Baltz - played cameraman Roger in NBK and in Reservoir Dogs played Marvin Nash.

Considering the tales of woe in casting et. al. in the book, is this a co-incidence worthy of discussion?

[Gabitsch]

I want to read that book, but haven't gotten a chance to pick it up yet. The thing's something like five years old, isn't it? Too long a wait. I read some of it in the store, and enjoyed what I read.

Everyone's heard Tarantino's take on what happened with "NBK." But I haven't heard nearly enough from the other parties involved. The DVD interviews barely mention his involvement, let alone any controversy behind the scenes. A cop out on their part, if you ask me. Oliver Stone doesn't even mention it in his commentary. Maybe it was a legal issue. I'd love to get a genuine documentary about the whole fiasco, from Quentin's original idea - a 80's nod to old Roger Corman road flicks, mixed with America's then-current obsession with mass murderers and serial killers - to Oliver Stone's unique take on the material.

I'm one of the few die-hard Tarantino nuts who still think the movie is good. Damn good. It's trippy-looking, and has weird side-jaunts (the Indian, the snake-bite, etc.), but the movie is definitely more than that. Anyone who thinks it's just Stone being lazy is no more insightful than those who tried to sue Stone for murders "inspired" by the movie. And Jesus, the commentary track explains all the "hard parts." Give the flick a chance, you know?

Let's put it this way. I can see where a movie like "Legally Blonde" is coming from. Even the current crop of "quality" movies, Oscar-contenders from the gate, aren't really that good. I don't have to give those movies the time of day if I don't want to. They're pretty up front about their stupidity.

People who think movies like "NBK" and "Fight Club" are nothing more than blood, guts and acid trips should go back to the Blockbuster that spawned them. If you refuse to allow even a simple movie to "make you think," you have, in my book, FAILED AS A HUMAN BEING. Go get another twelve-pack, watch "Old School" again, and moan the passing of Jay and Silent Bob for one more evening.

"Natural Born Killers" is one of the most accessible movies Oliver Stone has ever directed. It's tailor-made for the generation lucky enough to remember when MTV played videos. Some people just can't "go with it" when a movie gets too weird. We call these people "pussies."

Anyway, I'd really like to read the book.

[Gabitsch]

I still would like to see someone do the movie the way Tarantino originally saw it. I'm not a fan of re-makes. I hate them as a rule. But a "Natural Born Killers," done either by Tarantino or at least produced by him, would be fascinating.

Or it could completely suck. Either way, it would be innarestin.

[Seedy Edgewick]

Y'know, with the fuckloads of actors trolling this country, such coincidences are bound to happen.

Didn't Film Threat do a big article about NBK back when it was released? I remember reading some stuff about QT's original and what OS did to change it. That's when I first heard about the Barbarian Brothers' scene; didn't get to see it until the extended version VHS. Maybe that's got some of the info you're looking for.

I think Stone is talented enough that whatever changes he chose to implement ultimately improved the film. QT may not have agreed with those changes, but that could have been a difference in artistic vision.

For the record, I love NBK. It's one of my favorite films. And I didn't need to listen to the commentary to "get" the film. Stuff like the subtitles being shone on M&M's bodies, the snake motif, fate vs. free will, B&W vs. color footage, etc. I got the gist the first time I watched it, and everything's become clearer with each subsequent viewing. Which is why I love it so much; there's enough depth to bear up under repeated plays.

[cinemaeye]

I thought that book was a lot of fun to read but I definitely took all of it with a grain of salt. I particularly loved the parts of the book that dealt with Oliver Stone acting like a total maniac.

Did this book totally kill off Hamsher's producing career? Is she still working in the film industry?