Smokin' Joe Carnahan: CLOONEY, JESSE JAMES, ETCETERA, ETCETERA...

CLOONEY, JESSE JAMES, ETCETERA, ETCETERA...

05/03/2007 at 08:56 AM

Guys:

A couple of questions I will answer briefly:

1. Clooney is filming the Coen Bros. movie next and then he's sliding into one of Klein's
Sy Devore suits and we're beating the holy hell out of Eisenhower-era L.A. I am putting
together a little show reel for WHITE JAZZ including some badass photoshop stuff of
Clooney AS Klein (against a 1957 shot of Chavez Ravine that looks like he's standing
in it) and I am going to see about throwing that up here for your viewing pleasure.

2. Jesse James. Bottom line, Andrew made a monumental film. If you loved what Altman
did in 'McCabe and Mrs. Miller' or some of the classic neo-westerns, then you will enshrine
this one. I happen to love it. Whatever test audiences made of the film, who can tell and
moreover...WHO CAN CARE. Not Andrew. He's a filmmaker and a marvelously talented
one at that. You start reading those post-screening cards and all that NRG nonsense
and you'll be sucking on a shotgun inside a half hour.

Is 'Jesse James' a 'four-quadrant family hit!' HELL NO! Do YOU want to see that version!?
You go with gut, stick to guns. What director, worth a shit, doesn't?

3. Made the push through the script and I'm winding it down. Without getting into too
much detail the end involves the protagonist fastening broken mini-bottles of Scotch
(secured from the wreckage of the 737 he was on) to his hands with electrical tape,
breaking them to sharp points and squaring off against a pack of rogue wolves...

...and it's a Kate Hudson-style Rom-Com....HA!

Alright, I've lamented, bitched and procrastinated long enough.

I hope everybody is laughing hard and enjoying the hell out of his or her day.

Comments

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Posted by: kevin 05/03/2007 at 09:45 AM

Joe,

Thanks for commenting on the Jesse James story. I truly enjoyed Dominik's cut of the film and hope to view it again.

F*ck me! Broken bottles of Scotch affixed onto his hands with electrical tape! Cannot wait to see it! Congrats on pushing through that wall.

"And we're beating the holy hell out of Eisenhower-era L.A." Love that quote, Joe.

Take care and thanks for addressing those questions.

Kevin

Posted by: JeffreyWright 05/03/2007 at 10:05 AM

Joe - you're about the first person I could possibly say that makes it cool to be "from" Sacramento. All of this stuff you're doing rocks.

I know you don't remember, but I was the last person you chose at the Narc premiere at the Crest to ask a question to the panel. I won't say what the question or the answer was, but I will say, the amount of adrenaline in that place put chills in my spine and after seeing that I knew you were the real deal.

I'm also tired of people asking me if I'm Jeffrey Wright, "the black actor," so I think you're next film should be me and "the black actor" that way you have a poster with two guys, starring: Jeffrey Wright & Jeffrey Wright, one is black and in his forties, the other white, and in his twenties. The oddity of the poster alone should be enough to spark interest, and put the questions to rest... ahah

Keep up the great work man, and you don't need it from me or any of us, but what you do is inspiring and I've always felt that's what it's about.

Peace.

Posted by: RTA 05/03/2007 at 11:01 AM

Good to hear the "brick wall" lost. Good luck with Clooney, i hear he's a d*ck to work with...NOT!!!

And I hope as that guy's taping those bottles to his hands, one of those bottles are opened for liquid courage before he takes on the Manada de Lobos (as long as it's single malt).

Ciao,
RTA

Posted by: PJ 05/03/2007 at 12:52 PM

Yo, I just read that the studio's trying to chop Jesse James up and I'm pissed. I really want to see the cut you enjoyed as opposed to the one after they go 'Kingdom of Heaven' on it. I've been really excited for that movie ever since I saw the first stills and the teaser and now I have some sliced and diced, half-of-what-it-was kind of deal to look forward to. Granted, I'll still see it, but here's to hoping Dominik does some guerella style film-releasing or blows up the studio or something.
Good to hear you got through the road-blocks. I always lose to those. Can't wait to see 'White Jazz.'
-PJ

Posted by: Scott 05/03/2007 at 01:23 PM

Ha! I am having a great day! And I hope you get Mr. Clooney. Photoshop can do wonders.....

Scott

Posted by: Justin 05/03/2007 at 04:59 PM

I was shocked to hear the crap about all the cuts of Jeese James not testing well...especially after reading that glowing review you put up a while back. I'm psyched, every thing I hear says Casey Affleck owns.

Can't wait to see the Clooney slideshow, I'm sure he'll kill it as Klein.

Should we expect some more casting news soon for White Jazz?

Posted by: Jonathan 05/03/2007 at 07:09 PM

White Jazz couldn't come soon enough. Highly anticipating it, although the book is one hell of tough read. I think Ellroy was on some extreme drugs while writing it.

If you want to read my thoughts on the whole Jesse James situation (in which I quote you, Lord Carnahan!), you can read my reaction on my site here (too long for me to post it all here - I know, I'm a whore): http://www.cinemafusion.com/index.php?/weblog/comments/potentially_bad_news_for_jesse_james/

Posted by: Drew Douglas 05/04/2007 at 10:27 AM

Clooney is the man. Can't wait to see what you develop with this script and project.

Keep working hard. And good job on the SMOKIN' ACES dvd sales. I am looking at my copy now... still love that cover art. Sadly I haven't had time ti watch it since I bought it with finals and school and life and such. Summer is approaching so very, very soon.

Posted by: muzzleflash 05/05/2007 at 04:13 AM

For those who don't know the "Jesse James Situation" here's a rundown of the LA Times article on Dark Horizons:

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news07/070504q.php

Anyway, I'll paraphrase what Ridley Scott said about Test Screenings in the documentary that was on the Matchstick Men DVD, "Test Screenings are a tool, nothing else...you've spent months and months working on this thing and after all that, you're going to trust that lot?!"

I think studios in general have lost any balls whatsoever and rely WAY too much on these test screening to which they invite the WAY too average Joe. I think they should let the director do what they need to do and just leave the film to find it's audience. It's not like Jesse James is this big budget action flick.

Joe, I hope if the studios ever tell you to cut your film the way the test audience say it should've been, you'll immediately whip out a Microtech Halo and gut the pig where he/she stands.

	Posted by: slickflix 05/05/2007 at 12:06 PM
Great news about Clooney! Another Coen collaboration and then "White Jazz"! Good shit! "O Brother" is easily one of my top 10 fav films of all time. I just got my hands on the screenplay to "No Country For Old Men". Ouch! It packs an iron punch. Very intense, it's definatly a return to form for the Bros. 2008 cannot come soon enough!