Appeal
I’ve found a script I want to film — a thing that NEVER happens, usually.
Pleasingly, I made contact with the writer via this blog (and FaceBook). Which is kind of what happened with NATAN.
The script is about sex, drugs, celebrity, dying young, throwing pies, playing at life and being too adorable for your own good.
I happen to think it’s potentially very commercial, not because of who it’s about but because of what it’s about. And it’s exciting — things which are exciting are by their nature potentially appealing to a wide audience. More importantly for me, I’m just in love with it.
What’s needed now is a producer, because however much we grumble about them, they are the people without whom nothing ever happens. So I thought it would be kind of appropriate to use the blog to put the call out (while also using other methods) to see if there’s anyone out there who is a producer looking for a project. A producer with some knowledge and skills and contacts. Or, if you’re not that person, maybe you know someone?
The story takes place in Hollywood — it can be filmed mostly anywhere but it would make good sense to shoot it there…
If this approach doesn’t seem strictly professional, trust me, I’m using other methods too. Just thought it would be silly to have this organ at my disposal and not use it for this purpose. If you get in touch I can tell you more/show you the script.
shadowplay 
June 13, 2014 at 1:42 pm
“Throwing pies”?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U104DXEYHbA
June 13, 2014 at 2:36 pm
That isn’t a picture of Virginia reading an invitation from Mr. Arbuckle in the hotel lobby, is it?
June 13, 2014 at 4:15 pm
No, I’m glad to say. Though that story could have made a good film too, when John Candy was alive.
June 14, 2014 at 5:04 am
I disagree there. Dom Delouise in his prime, I think would have been the dream casting. He had a similar sort of lighter than air quality to the way he moved. He also had that same impish quality and would knock ’em flat dragging up. John Candy wasn’t just big, he was huge, and his physicality was such that you could never forget that. I mean, he could technically probably do the physical side, but I think it would look completely different with a man that big doing it. Though Dom would be a tough sell on the serious acting required, I feel like, looking at some of his characters in movies like The End, there was a darkness there that would be fascinating to use in an Arbuckle movie.
June 14, 2014 at 9:29 am
Candy could do the innocence, which was Arbuckle’s wide-eyed stock-in-trade. As far as straight acting was concerned, James Coco was tops. I don’t know who you could cast today? A padded Patton Oswalt? People are supposedly getting fatter but we’re not seeing it on the big screen. Where are the fat actors?
June 14, 2014 at 8:58 pm
Patton Oswalt, that’s the ticket. Totally think you should cast him in this movie that’s not the one that you’re trying to make.
You’re right about the paucity of fat actors, though. The HBO show “Silicon Valley” has one character played by a comedian who if not fat is a run-of-the-mill paunchy slob, and somehow it’s a joy to behold.
June 15, 2014 at 12:23 am
Arbuckle does actually feature in this project, just not in a major role, so the effort will probably go into finding a good actor whose a physical match, rather than a star. But Oswalt is very good…