BUG JACK BARRON-- the (not) film

I've been asked dozens of times every year for decades why the film of BUG JACK BARRON,to be made by Universal, directed by Costa-Gavras, and written by Harlan Ellison, was never made, and why many film-makers have been prevented from making it by the powers that be at the Black Tower.

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People & Blogs

Tags:

• Spinrad
• Bug
• Jack
• Barron
• Costa-Gavras
• Harlan
• Ellison
• Universal
• movie
• film
• Fay
• Kanin
• Adam
• Rodman
• Eddie
• Lewis

[normanspinrad]

I wrote a script myself, which I don't think would have dumbed down anything. I already took the money, and now, for me, and many of the people who want to make the film, it's really a political question.

[smcmorland]

Mr Spinrad, I loved your book Bug Jack Barron, I eeven wrote a paper on it in College, and it remains a treasured item in my personal library. I am not surprised atthe catalogue of ineptitude, procrastination and internecine studio politics that have conspired to keep this exceptional and enlightening analysis of the human condition from being realised as a motion picture.

Let the Europeans do it - Hollywood are pedlars of mindless pap.

[Gratificationow]

Mr. Spinrad - I recently read your novel at the behest of my father who read it when it first appeared in the last 1960's literary zeitgeist. Last week, I began planning out my own script version of your work under the misapprehension that this timely and potential-wealthy story had not been realized as a film adaptation. Would you be willing to let a fan (me) take a look at the script you have? Hopefully it gets made but I would love to see how you interrpreted this for the big screen.

[bobgee1999]

If they ever get off their bums and make the film, shouldn't that help book your sales considerably? Let's get this thing made.

[Haldane4]

Yeah, Bug Jack Barron is like The Year Of The Sex Olympics, predicting media and human trends accurately. I'd love to see it made, but I don't think Hollywood would go with a good script - they rarely do. In fact, I'm surprised they're still in business they way they treat creative people. Any word on the film version of The Solarians? (smilie).

[bobgee1999]

Norman! I fucking love the book. But Christ, they would have just dumbed it to down so the AmPop could understand it (explosions, gunfights and tits), then put Will Smith in it. Probably just as well. Tak the money and run, and let the literate enjoy BJB.