New trend: movies about the making of classic movies...

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TCTTS
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11:54p, 10/5/20
AG
I'm sure there are currently more of these in development, but a couple of recent announcements have me cautiously excited for what looks to be a new trend of movies about the making of classic movies, from top-tier talent...


MANK

The first project is Mank, set to release at some point in the next couple of months, from David Fincher, one of my all-time favorite directors, about the making of Citizen Kane. You can read more about it in this thread. We should finally be getting a trailer for it any day now, and the movie itself is rumored to be incredible, as I would expect nothing less from Fincher.




THE BIG GOODBYE

The next project, The Big Goodbye, announced in August, is about the making of Chinatown and the "imminent eclipse of the '70s filmmaker-friendly studios as they gave way to the corporate Hollywood we know today," with Ben Affleck set to write and direct. I haven't yet read the book it's based on of the same name, but recently ordered it, and am looking forward to diving in. Anyone here read it?


https://deadline.com/2020/08/ben-affleck-to-direct-big-goodbye-for-paramount-about-making-of-chinatown-1203007502/


FRANCIS AND THE GODFATHER

The third and final project, announced last week, is Francis and the Godfather, ingeniously starring Oscar Isaac as Francis Ford Coppola and Jake Gyllenhaal as Paramount studio head Robert Evans. It is, as the title suggests, all about the making of The Godfather. I just got the script for this one, have read the first act so far, and it's so damn good. If anyone cares to give it a read as well, I've posted it here. The Evans character is the most cliched portrayal of a studio head imaginable, but in the absolute best way, as if the larger-than-life, cigar chomping swagger associated with studio heads originated with Evans himself. There's also a great George Lucas here, who's basically Coppola's right hand man and conscious, and it's all just so fun.


https://deadline.com/2020/09/the-godfather-making-of-movie-oscar-isaac-francis-coppola-jake-gyllenhaal-robert-evans-barry-levinson-francis-and-the-godfather-1234588678/
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Rudyjax
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12:13a, 10/6/20
AG
Thanks Franco.
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TCTTS
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In reply to Rudyjax • 12:37a, 10/6/20
AG
Took me a minute to get that...
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PatAg
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12:52a, 10/6/20
AG
I'm interested, but also concerned these movies won't be very good. Luckily these are all very talented directors who I believe are capable of pulling these movies off, but these subjects could also make for very subpar movies in the wrong hands.

Hopefully we get 3-4 really good ones before the stinkers show up.
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In reply to PatAg • 1:18a, 10/6/20
AG
So far, the Francis and The Godfather script, at least, is INCREDIBLE. It's genuinely hilarious, too. It's not a comedy or anything, but way funnier than you might think. And there's inherent drama in Coppala going from thinking the book is crap, and only agreeing to make/adapt it because he's basically broke, to then finding an angle he loves, and trying to make an important art picture, up against the studio/Evans, who just want a cheap gangster flick. It's Copolla vs the studio system, having to jump through endless hoops to get *his* version of the movie made. It's so sharp, and brisk, and the dialogue is amazing. If done right, people are going to flip for this thing, and I could even see a potential Oscar nomination for Gyllenhaal, if he's able to nail the Evans character, who is just gonzo and so damn funny. This is also exactly what Oscar Isaac does best. The Coppala character here is basically Isaac's character from Inside Llewyn Davis; exasperated and against the ropes, and I'm loving every minute of it.
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jokershady
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5:05a, 10/6/20
AG
Great concept as there are always amazing stories of chance, random occurrences, and improvisation that have lead to some of the most famous and memorable sequences in film that never would have normally been filmed or planned. On top of that showing interactions between cast and crew are always great.

Of course my first thought from this is from a documentary stand point and not an actual movie with actors playing other actors. Could work well but I have a feeling this could run its course quicker than the movies about musicians and chronicling their history...probably not going to have the same draw and in turn the same amount of $$$ and people wanting to pay to see
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Quad Dog
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10:11a, 10/6/20
AG
I've thought before that movies about the making of famous albums would be good too. The making of Rumors or some of the later Beatles albums would probably be the best example.
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NoahAg
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12:25p, 10/6/20
Meh, I'll wait for the movie about the book about the making of the movie.
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In reply to jokershady • 4:18p, 10/6/20
AG
jokershady said:
Great concept as there are always amazing stories of chance, random occurrences, and improvisation that have lead to some of the most famous and memorable sequences in film that never would have normally been filmed or planned. On top of that showing interactions between cast and crew are always great.

Of course my first thought from this is from a documentary stand point and not an actual movie with actors playing other actors. Could work well but I have a feeling this could run its course quicker than the movies about musicians and chronicling their history...probably not going to have the same draw and in turn the same amount of $$$ and people wanting to pay to see

The portraying-famous-actors thing will be tricky, no doubt. A young Pacino has a great, decent-sized role in the Francis and the Godfather script, and there's an amazing Brando scene where Coppola and the producer show up to his house to try and recruit him (which has been the only Brando scene so far). I think a young Pacino will be easier to pull off than Brando, but if not done exactly right, both could definitely be distractions. Same goes for Jack Nicholson in The Big Goodbye. No clue how you even begin to cast a young Nicholson.

That said, so far, the Francis and the Godfather script, at least, is less about the actors/filming, and more about all the headaches Coppola had to endure before filming even began. Think of it almost like a heist movie or Mission: Impossible movie. There's a big assembling-the-team vibe here. It's Coppola wanting actor X and the studio wanting actor Y, and all the back and forth drama and shenanigans by each side trying to get exactly who and what they want. I'm only halfway through, and I'm sure we'll get to the filming, but it's less on-set stuff that you might think. So maybe it's the same way with The Big Goodbye, and there's not all that much young Nicholson they to have to navigate.
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Lathspell
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4:35p, 10/6/20
AG
Meh... i guess we'll see. I liked The Disaster Artist, but this all seems fairly lazy. The Disaster Artist was made buy a bunch of fans of The Room (fans for the worst of reasons). These others seem like money grabs, but I could be wrong.

Hollywood being in love with Hollywood... nothing new here.
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In reply to Lathspell • 4:45p, 10/6/20
AG
If you somehow associate "David Fincher" with "lazy" or "money grab," I don't know what to tell you, as I can think of no one else in Hollywood more the opposite of each. Affleck too, has proven he's a fantastic, discerning director, is writing The Big Goodbye as well, and has won Oscars doing both. And I can attest first-hand that Francis and the Godfather is phenomenal, at least on the page, as it's quickly becoming one of the best scripts I've read in years, while Oscar Isaac and Jake Gyllenhaal don't usually take on bad or "lazy" projects either. In other words, the talent and pedigree here pretty much speaks for itself.
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Jugstore Cowboy
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In reply to TCTTS • 6:03p, 10/6/20
AG

Quote:
And there's inherent drama in Coppala going from thinking the book is crap, and only agreeing to make/adapt it because he's basically broke, to then finding an angle he loves, and trying to make an important art picture, up against the studio/Evans, who just want a cheap gangster flick.
If you've ever seen The Brotherhood w/ Kirk Douglas, it feels exactly like what The Godfather would have been w/o Coppola. Some very similar themes, but little compelling drama, less interesting cast, and more generic cinematography. In fact, the Brotherhood did so poorly at the box office that Paramount didn't touch another mafia movie again until The Godfather four years later.
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In reply to Jugstore Cowboy • 6:28p, 10/6/20
AG
That's interesting. I've never seen The Brotherhood.
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Stupe
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In reply to NoahAg • 6:37p, 10/6/20
S
NoahAg said:
Meh, I'll wait for the movie about the book about the making of the movie.
I'll blue star the first post that quotes and gives a blue star to that post.
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Lathspell
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In reply to TCTTS • 6:45p, 10/6/20
AG
Again, I said "we'll see". A series of movies about Hollywood making movies seems lazy. Doesn't mean they can't be good. As far as I am aware, there seems to be a history of scripts shopped around Hollywood with similar subjects around the same time (Armageddon/Deep Impact, Bohemian Rhapsody/Rocket Man).

You literally created a thread about multiple movies doing something similar, then seemingly got butthurt when someone called it lazy. You always seem to be quite combative unless people agree with you, completely.

Just more Hollywood being in love with Hollywood...

Edit: Also, everything in Hollywood is a "money grab". It's a business with the purpose of making money. Sometimes, it just seems more obvious than others.
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TCTTS
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In reply to Lathspell • 7:04p, 10/6/20
AG
Your M.O. on this board is taking pissy little snide swipes at Hollywood in thread after thread, every chance you get. I usually just ignore it, but this one was particularly dumb, essentially calling David Fincher, of all people, "lazy," along with other proven talents. So spare me the whole "butthurt" thing, when you're the one who constantly feels the need to come to an entertainment message board to express your continued disapproval with those doing the entertaining.
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Brian Earl Spilner
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7:08p, 10/6/20
AG
There needs to be one of these for Star Wars.
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In reply to Brian Earl Spilner • 7:12p, 10/6/20
AG
Remember the Blockbuster podcast you linked to last year? The dialogue/voices were a little cheesy, but the overall story itself was so damn good. I desperately want to turn that into a limited series, and I'm seeing what I can do to try and make that happen (if someone isn't already)...
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Brian Earl Spilner
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In reply to TCTTS • 7:14p, 10/6/20
AG
Dude. That would be amazing.
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PatAg
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In reply to Lathspell • 7:17p, 10/6/20
AG
DallasTeleAg said:
Again, I said "we'll see". A series of movies about Hollywood making movies seems lazy. Doesn't mean they can't be good. As far as I am aware, there seems to be a history of scripts shopped around Hollywood with similar subjects around the same time (Armageddon/Deep Impact, Bohemian Rhapsody/Rocket Man).

You literally created a thread about multiple movies doing something similar, then seemingly got butthurt when someone called it lazy. You always seem to be quite combative unless people agree with you, completely.

Just more Hollywood being in love with Hollywood...

Edit: Also, everything in Hollywood is a "money grab". It's a business with the purpose of making money. Sometimes, it just seems more obvious than others.
The thing is, usually the first few movies are good. Its the ones that follow up a year later that arent good, and they generally have mediocre talent attached to them.
That doesnt seem to be the case with this

ALso "more hollywood being in love with hollywood" is such a moronic take. They dont make movies with big name talent attached to it, if the public at large doesnt want to see it.
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In reply to Brian Earl Spilner • 7:23p, 10/6/20
AG
Brian Earl Spilner said:
Dude. That would be amazing.

It's so perfectly divided into six episodes. With a bit more research, just adapt each one and have them be a little better-written in terms of the dialogue. But man, there are so many chill-inducing moments.

Speaking of, there some pretty funny little Star Wars references in Francis and The Godfather. It's set in 1970, and Lucas is basically always hanging around Francis' house, and, like I said, is kind of Francis' conscious/voice of reason. But they do a great job of offhandedly showing how the idea for Star Wars is kicking around in Lucas' head, with little comments here and there. It's so good, and so funny.
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In reply to PatAg • 7:27p, 10/6/20
AG
PatAg said:
DallasTeleAg said:
Again, I said "we'll see". A series of movies about Hollywood making movies seems lazy. Doesn't mean they can't be good. As far as I am aware, there seems to be a history of scripts shopped around Hollywood with similar subjects around the same time (Armageddon/Deep Impact, Bohemian Rhapsody/Rocket Man).

You literally created a thread about multiple movies doing something similar, then seemingly got butthurt when someone called it lazy. You always seem to be quite combative unless people agree with you, completely.

Just more Hollywood being in love with Hollywood...

Edit: Also, everything in Hollywood is a "money grab". It's a business with the purpose of making money. Sometimes, it just seems more obvious than others.
The thing is, usually the first few movies are good. Its the ones that follow up a year later that arent good, and they generally have mediocre talent attached to them.
That doesnt seem to be the case with this

ALso "more hollywood being in love with hollywood" is such a moronic take. They dont make movies with big name talent attached to it, if the public at large doesnt want to see it.

I completely agree that after these first three we may start to see diminished returns if the trend really catches on. But in terms of *just* these initial three, at the very least, they have the right/best talent. That doesn't mean the final products are guaranteed to be great, of course, but yeah, they're certainly not lazy cash grabs either.
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Jugstore Cowboy
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8:26p, 10/6/20
AG
This may be a topic for a separate thread (and may have already been discussed in a different thread), but I wonder if the growing fear/reality about the future of the movie theater business might spark a little renaissance in "quiet" dramas and biopics that don't require huge special effects and international marketing budgets.
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Lathspell
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In reply to TCTTS • 10:43p, 10/6/20
AG
My "M.O."? LOL! I am hardly the only one on this board that laughs when Hollywood does something ridiculous. I think you could just about say at least 50% of everyone else on this board says pretty much the same things as I do. I know it's not the 95% group-think you are used to where you live, but allow me to let you in on a little secret... we don't all always agree with you and some of us think it's okay to post our opinions. Just because you are the "insider" and feel like you have to attack anyone who disagrees with what Hollywood is doing or saying, doesn't make my opinions irrelevant.

If you can't stand to read a post on a public message board about someone's opinion on a topic, you need to grow up.

When I hear about several movies being made at once about making specific movies, it sounds lazy. That is my immediate reaction and we'll see how it turns out.

Please, oh infallible TCTTS, please forgive me for having the audacity to post my thoughts on this sub-board of an Aggie sports forum. How dare I do something so unbelievably offensive to your meek and always agreeable nature. Carry-on, oh wise and omnipotent one!
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In reply to Lathspell • 11:24p, 10/6/20
AG
Once again, it has nothing to do with dissenting opinions. Hollywood is clearly fallible and I'm not at all against critiquing it. I do it myself all the time. It's the way in the which the critiques are leveled. Because you can always tell when it's a legit complaint vs the flippant, soapboxy, meant-to-get-a-rise type remark, and yours, more often than not, fall in the latter category; cliched, never constructive, always assuming the worst, etc. It just gets old, same as your brilliant, scorching-hot, "Hollywood is in love with itself" take.

It's also worth pointing out that you're clearly getting just as worked up and offended over a differing opinion as you claim I am. Same as me apparently not being able to stand reading someone else's opinion on a public message board, if you post something as absurd as associating "Fincher" and "lazy," don't get your panties in a bunch when you get called out.
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Lathspell
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In reply to TCTTS • 11:32p, 10/6/20
AG
No one's getting their panties in a wad. It's a simple matter of pride. You are an arrogant ass and I am an arrogant ass. You can't pass up a post disparaging your beloved Hollywood and I can't pass up a post disparaging me for my opinions.

Simple as that. I would say I'm more self-aware, as you are pretty much just as guilty as I, regarding everything you are accusing me of.
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Reginald Cousins
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In reply to Lathspell • 4:02a, 10/7/20
S
DallasTeleAg said:
No one's getting their panties in a wad. It's a simple matter of pride. You are an arrogant ass and I am an arrogant ass. You can't pass up a post disparaging your beloved Hollywood and I can't pass up a post disparaging me for my opinions.

Simple as that. I would say I'm more self-aware, as you are pretty much just as guilty as I, regarding everything you are accusing me of.


Weird. You were an arrogant ass here:

https://texags.com/forums/25/topics/3143246/replies/57535576#57535576

Not only were you, you were wrong and never showed back up to own it.

Rules for thee and not for me I guess.
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YouBet
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In reply to TCTTS • 7:49a, 10/7/20
AG
TCTTS said:
jokershady said:
Great concept as there are always amazing stories of chance, random occurrences, and improvisation that have lead to some of the most famous and memorable sequences in film that never would have normally been filmed or planned. On top of that showing interactions between cast and crew are always great.

Of course my first thought from this is from a documentary stand point and not an actual movie with actors playing other actors. Could work well but I have a feeling this could run its course quicker than the movies about musicians and chronicling their history...probably not going to have the same draw and in turn the same amount of $$$ and people wanting to pay to see

The portraying-famous-actors thing will be tricky, no doubt. A young Pacino has a great, decent-sized role in the Francis and the Godfather script, and there's an amazing Brando scene where Coppola and the producer show up to his house to try and recruit him (which has been the only Brando scene so far). I think a young Pacino will be easier to pull off than Brando, but if not done exactly right, both could definitely be distractions. Same goes for Jack Nicholson in The Big Goodbye. No clue how you even begin to cast a young Nicholson.

That said, so far, the Francis and the Godfather script, at least, is less about the actors/filming, and more about all the headaches Coppola had to endure before filming even began. Think of it almost like a heist movie or Mission: Impossible movie. There's a big assembling-the-team vibe here. It's Coppola wanting actor X and the studio wanting actor Y, and all the back and forth drama and shenanigans by each side trying to get exactly who and what they want. I'm only halfway through, and I'm sure we'll get to the filming, but it's less on-set stuff that you might think. So maybe it's the same way with The Big Goodbye, and there's not all that much young Nicholson they to have to navigate.


He may actually be too old now to do this, but Christian Slater has always been the obvious choice to play a young Jack Nicholson, for me. He has his look and his voice.

Have always wondered if a movie would get made with younger Jack Nicholson in it and if Slater would get that chance. Could be a total career reviver. Again, he's probably too old himself now though.

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In reply to Brian Earl Spilner • 7:51a, 10/7/20
AG
Brian Earl Spilner said:
There needs to be one of these for Star Wars.


I had the same thought.
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Lathspell
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In reply to Reginald Cousins • 9:43a, 10/7/20
AG
Already said I was in the post... not quite sure of your point. Don't see how this is a "rules for thee and not for me". You seem to lack reading comprehension.

Are we playing "search a username and find a post to throw in their face". I don't really have the time to do that, but can give it a try.

Hell, if you search my posts, you'd probably find MUCH more posts providing insight or help on questions than blasting anything.
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TCTTS
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2:23p, 10/7/20
AG
Finally, an official release announced for Mank...

In select theaters this November.

On Netflix December 4th.

Trailer coming soon.


https://collider.com/mank-netflix-release-date-david-fincher/
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2:06p, 10/8/20
AG

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gggmann
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2:20p, 10/8/20
AG
IMO the best film about the making of a classic film is 'Shadow of the Vampire'.
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2:04p, 12/7/20
AG

https://theplaylist.net/prestige-ip-godfather-chinatown-20201202/
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cone
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2:08p, 12/7/20
AG
this navel gazing is so f'ing depressing
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