Monday, September 03, 2007

A Crazy Little Thing Called Synchronicity

In the upcoming Showtime series "Californication", David Duchovny (formerly of the Fox series The X-Files) portrays a hapless writer that is suffering from a profound depression resulting in a serious writer’s block. He can no longer write at all.

In addition, he suffers in this series, billed as a "screwball sex comedy", from a condition known as satyriasis. He throws himself into one ill-advised sexcapade after another. Once with two married women, another time with a "random bimbo", and yet another time with a 16 year old sadist. He has another affair of sorts with a hot nun, though only in a dream sequence.

And all this is only in the pilot episode.

Yet, you would think things would be looking up for him. He has written a serious novel, which he seems, at least in his own mind, to put on the level of a Faulkner work, or on a par perhaps with John Steinbeck.

Not only is the novel-titled "God Hates Us All"- a success, he has further experienced the good fortune to have his creative masterpiece picked up by a major motion picture studio for a screenplay adaptation. So, what could be the problem? Well, it seems like the finished production of the film has little in common with his original version. In fact, it has been vulgarized to the extent it has been made into what he considers a typical Hollywood commercial movie-a schlock piece now titled "A Crazy Little Thing Called Love" starring, of all people-Tom Cruise and Katy Holmes!

No word, by the way, as to whether TomKat will actually appear in the series. Tom at least does not particularly strike me as having that great a sense of humor.

At any rate, this is what they mean by synchronicity. In fact, it is almost a perfect example of it. When I first read about this up-and-coming series in the pages of Slate, I had recently played around in my head with the exercise of trying to figure out, if I should be so fortunate as to have my novel Radu published- if it did well enough to be made into a film-who would play first one character and another.

No, I have no parts in mind for Cruise. He is much too old to play a convincing Marlowe, far too young to play Father Khoska, and none of the other characters would be of sufficient importance to gain his interest. I admit I take a kind of sadistic pleasure in seeing him in the role of Uncle Brad, the necrophiliac mortician, but in all honesty, he is not exactly right for that part either. Therefore, Cruise is probably out of the running. It’s just as well. If he did agree to a minor role, he’d probably end up insisting the character’s part be expanded far beyond it’s originally intended significance, and in the meantime would demand the Goth characters all end up converting to Scientology.

I just have this feeling that I would end up feeling like Duchovny’s character in Californication. .



Honestly, I can do without Cruise anyway.

Katy, on the other hand, is a different matter. I can easily see her in the role of Grace. In fact, for now she is my first choice. She is the right age and looks the part as I see it. Moreover, I have faith in her acting ability. I really do mean that.



Surely, it would not be that much of a stretch for her to take on the role of a cold hearted, heroin addicted whore-grasping, manipulative, and bitter, yet able to come across in a sultry and maddeningly seductive manner as she juggles her reporting career with heroin use and blackmail. Just look at her




Yep, I think I’ve found my Grace.

Actually, if I can somehow finagle my way as to be in charge of casting, there might well be a casting couch in Katy’s future.



Yep, I can see it now. That would be some "Californication" I could really relate to. What's so bad about satyriasis anyway?

6 comments:

Frank Partisan said...

You should see Duchovney in The TV Set.


See: http://imdb.com/title/tt0473709/

SecondComingOfBast said...

Very interesting. It looks like "The TV Set" might have been the inspiration for "Californication". Instead of a film about a screwed up tv series, however, the Showtime offering is a tv series about a screwed up film-actually, in both cases about the writer who feels he was wronged by the studios.

I read some of the reviews on the site you linked,and I would imagine he must have made a big impression when the casting decesions were made.

If the show isn't based on the film, I'd say their decision to cast Duchovny in the lead role at least was highly influenced by the movie.

Ahenobarbus said...

Even though I find the show to be calculated to suck in males of my age group, I can't help. At least the show makes you examine your thoughts compared to dead brain reality T.V.

SecondComingOfBast said...

Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus-

That's one reason I posted about it, even though I am unable to view it (I don't get Showtime). It sounded intriguing enough and I figured as a Showtime series it would likely be thought provoking as well as entertaining. Plus, as a wannabe professional writer, I can relate to the premise.

If it is successful, it will be interesting to see whether or not TomKat might be convinced to make an appearance.

Frank Partisan said...

Tom Cruise shows up on shows, where he is given attention; as Rosie and Oprah. Why not for Duchovney?

SecondComingOfBast said...

Ren-

Maybe he will. However, I keep thinking about the big stink he raised over an episode of South Park where he was derided. He even succeeded in having the episode pulled, by threatening to withhold promotional appearances for his own movie, the last Mission Impossible film.

Well,the premise of this show pretty much makes fun of him, and his wife as well. Apparently, they are both characterized as actors who appear only in trashy types of schlock films that have no redeeming or artistic value.

He can't like that too well.