Looking Back On Year 1

I have a lot of these quotes and very little about my day. Enjoy.

Writing classes with David Hollander

You are never finished.

An example of poor exposition: The year is 1973 and I have a limp.

Do we want this to be a story of unbridled, fetishistic, LA Weekly, badge-wearing sex?

No more urinal scenes.

If they walk out saying, "Gosh, that concept was groovy," you've failed.

On feelings of being a phony and not a real writer: Oh my God, the fraud police are coming.

Skill and treachery overcome strength and youth every time.

What you're setting up here is absolute pathos and futility.

He's like Tony Bennett in the 80s. He's not working.

Be refreshing and new and all that.

Brooke Wharton's Business classes

On doing an internship for a literary agency: An internship -- for those pigs?

I'm actually a very lovable person.

Why are you laughing back there? More bordello humor?

I give half-credit if you walk into the zone of the answer.

On the possibility of OJ getting off a second time: We're going to riot in Brentwood and throw out our shiitake mushrooms.

The Great Lies:

1. You don't know this, but I'm the best friend you've got.
2. This is standard.
3. Everybody takes this.
4. I'll make you a superstar.
5. If you don't take this, I'll ruin you.
6. This is the only break you'll get.
7. New writers never make that (much).
8. I'm doing you a big favor.
9. I'll take care of you on the back end.

Directing with Nina Foch

Steal it, make it your own, give it away. That's the definition of art.

On the "spine" of a character: That's the spine. We used to call the spine LDM -- Long Distance Mood. But then we realized Mood is doom spelled backwards.

On pauses in scenes: So there's a long time before she responds. Well, not a very long time or we're up getting popcorn.

Being nervous is self-indulgent crap.

Script Analysis

Gus Van Zant does Nancy Reagan.

Tune in next week when Biff realizes that Carol is ambidextrous.

On Notorious: That closeup of Ingrid Bergman -- who, ironically, looks more and more beautiful as the arsenic takes effect.

On why My Life As A Dog could never be a Hollywood movie:
"I've been working on how he makes toast."
"Get over to the goddamn theatre department."

There's nothing wrong with a happy ending...as much as that sounds like a Hollywood thing to say.

Shallow Grave -- that's a mess of a movie.

Tour de force generally means "up your feet".