MAMET

[Jeremy Blackman]

i like the spanish prisoner.  its my super favorite mamet. campbell scott is underrated in a non cliched way

I think it's my favorite Mamet too.

You know, his movies are really driven by plot and characters (and not visual filmmaking), which works for him... but it doesn't work for many others. Does he show any respect for personal style in his book? Because saying every movie should be made his way is not only arrogant, it's just stupid.

He reminds me of something like a neoclassical painter. Film doesn't have to be a restricted narrative window... the fact that it's open to just about any kind of visual experimentation means that abstraction is an inherent and perfectly natural quality of the medium.

He basically says that using long takes is an unpardonable sin, which in my humble opinion, is complete fucking bullshit.

I wonder what he thought of Russian Ark.

And what is a play but one long take?

[Ravi]

He basically says that using long takes is an unpardonable sin, which in my humble opinion, is complete fucking bullshit.

I wonder what he thought of Russian Ark.

And what is a play but one long take?

A play can't have cuts, unless the actors are making quantum leaps from one place to another.

[Jeremy Blackman]

A play can't have cuts, unless the actors are making quantum leaps from one place to another.

Or if you blink.

I guess you could call a scene change a cut, but even then it's more of a fade out / fade in.

I still don't understand his reverence for frequent cuts, though. He could have filmed Oleanna in one take.

[MacGuffin]

Mamet, Ryan team for CBS terror drama
Source: Hollywood Reporter

Call it a look inside the Delta Force, David Mamet-style.

Mamet, the Pulitzer Prize-winning multihyphenate, has teamed with Shawn Ryan, creator/executive producer of FX's "The Shield," to develop a drama series for CBS and 20th Century Fox TV revolving around the personal and professional lives of members of an elite military anti-terrorism unit. CBS has given a put pilot commitment to the project after spirited bidding among several networks.

The untitled project was inspired by the 2002 book "Inside Delta Force: The Story of America's Elite Counterterrorist Unit" by Eric Haney, one of the founders of the Army's storied Delta Force division. Mamet and Ryan became friendly last year when Ryan persuaded Mamet to direct an episode of "Shield" after learning that Mamet was a fan of the Emmy-winning police drama.

Not too long after that, Mamet gave Ryan a copy of "Inside Delta Force" and asked him to help adapt it for television.

"And you just don't say no to Mr. Mamet," Ryan said, adding that he had long been a fan of Mamet's stage and film work, which includes 1992's "Glengarry Glen Ross," 1997's "Wag the Dog," 2000's "State and Main" and 2001's "Hannibal."

Mamet will write the pilot script and serve as an executive producer alongside Ryan, with Haney attached as a consultant. Ryan, who has an overall deal with 20th, said their goal is to paint a three-dimensional portrait of covert operatives who are generally portrayed by Hollywood as either gadget-toting high-tech whizzes or gung-ho superheroes a la Rambo.

"This project will deal in a very realistic way with the people on the ground who are in charge of keeping us safe in a very dangerous age," Ryan said. "But it will also deal with the dramas they face at home with their wives and girlfriends and with the commanders who give them orders. This is about the men who take the orders and do the dirty work and the baggage that they carry from doing that kind of work."

Before penning "Inside Delta Force," Haney had a long career in the military that ranged from service in Vietnam to such sensitive assignments as being part of the U.S. government's doomed 1980 effort to rescue American hostages held in Iran. The series would not refer specifically to Delta Force but to a fictional special forces unit housed at an American military base.

"There's a real veracity that Eric brought to his book that we hope to bring to the screen," Ryan said. "We want to show people who these men are. After reading this book, David and I both felt very comforted by the fact that these kinds of people are out there."

[modage]

okay, as evidenced by the "turd" comment on the previous page i had not been a david mamet fan.  although i had only seen one film, State and Main, i hated it so much a temporary 'ban' was put on seeing any of his films for having subjected me to watching that in the theatre.
but for whatever reason, recently i watched Glengary Glen Ross (which i realize he only wrote) and The Spanish Prisoner.  glengary glen ross was pretty good, with fantastic actors giving great performances, but ultimately a just not enough for a movie.  it killed me to see how badly things were going for these characters, everyone was so rotten to each other, but i especially felt crushed when jack lemmon got it.  one of my BIGGEST pet peeves is when plays become movies but still would work better as plays.  this was certainly one of those.   it was just too.......small for 100 minutes of film.   spanish prisoner was a intriuging setup but never really picked up steam.  (and i dont know if it was that i has just seen the movie confidence, or the way Hedwig introduced the movie saying it had a 'lot of twists', but i found the whole thing really predictable.)  also: i couldnt figure out why Rebecca Pigeon keeps showing up in his movies, because i felt that she is the worst actress ever.  such a blank fucking slate without any charisma, or mystery or personality whatsoever.  and then i saw that SHE's his wife! (that had been discussed on the last page).  now its beginning to make sense.  regardless, the movie also felt a lot like The Game (which came out the same year) but without any of the action or mounting suspense.  so, i'm still waiting to be blown away but open to see more.

[cine]

So I guess it's time to see House of Games..

[MacGuffin]

...and then Oleanna.

[cine]

Hahah.. good one.

[Ghostboy]

But honestly, themodernage, if you didn't like Glengarry Glenn Ross or Spanish Prisoner, you probably just aren't going to like much of what Mamet has to offer. Give House Of Games a shot, but you might want to skip Oleanna (my personal favorite), since it's very clearly based on a play, far moreso than Glengarry Glenn Ross. His dialogue is what makes his films so great for so many people, and if you don't like it, you may not find much else of merit. You might like Things Change, which is his warmest and funniest film.

[MacGuffin]

Mamet's 'Edmond' in First place
Source: Hollywood Reporter

David Mamet's "Edmond" has been nabbed by First Independent Pictures, which is acquiring all rights for the United States and Canada. Mamet wrote the screenplay, which is based on his play. Stuart Gordon directed. All international rights have been acquired by Wild Bunch, with Tartan Films picking up rights for the United Kingdom and Ireland. "Edmond" is the dark, picaresque tale of an everyman (William H. Macy) who, after realizing his life is boring and meaningless, leaves it all behind to embark on his own quest for truth and fulfillment. The ensemble cast also includes Julia Stiles, Denise Richards, Mena Suvari, Dylan Walsh, Joe Mantegna, Rebecca Pidgeon, Dule Hill, Bai Ling, Bokeem Woodbine, Debi Mazar, George Wendt and Lonnie Smith.

[Ghostboy]

The combination of David Mamet and Stuart Gordon makes so little sense that it can't be anything other than brilliant (I hope).

[modage]

i read the name and thought, 'no way, it must be some other stuart gordon'.  THIS WILL BE INSANE.  

[SiliasRuby]

"Edmond" is the dark, picaresque tale of an everyman (William H. Macy) who, after realizing his life is boring and meaningless, leaves it all behind to embark on his own quest for truth and fulfillment. The ensemble cast also includes Julia Stiles, Denise Richards, Mena Suvari, Dylan Walsh, Joe Mantegna, Rebecca Pidgeon, Dule Hill, Bai Ling, Bokeem Woodbine, Debi Mazar, George Wendt and Lonnie Smith.

A great cast plus Mamet has got my vote for paying ten bucks to see this.

[MacGuffin]

Col collects 'Bones' for Mamet
Source: Hollywood Reporter

Columbia Pictures has purchased film rights to playwright and novelist Seth Greenland's "The Bones" for director David Mamet and producer John Calley. Greenland will adapt his darkly comic novel about Frank Bones, a talented but self-destructive stand-up comic who reconnects with a past friend, Lloyd Melnick, the hottest comedy writer on television. Frank envies Lloyd's success, and Lloyd is jealous of Frank's talent -- a situation that soon spirals out of control.

[cowboykurtis]

finally saw Oleanna.

Have read the play numerous times.

Macy was dead on.

Debra Eisenstadt was so fucking annoying - as she had to be

SPOILER

Eventhough I knew it was coming - When Macy slaps her I almost had an orgasm.