Handle With Care

"You know, Hunter S Thompson once said to me: the movie business is a cruel and shallow money trench, where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. Then he added, 'There's also a negative side'."

-- Bruce Willis, while playing "Bruce Willis" in the movie What Just Happened?

One of my favorite things is hearing the crazy, down-is-up "tales from the wars" about the litany of failed projects, doomed ideas, and absolutely bats&*t nutso personalities that litter the minefield known as Los Angeles, CA and its favored business - known as The Business to Hollywood types. Personally, these guys can all take a long walk off a short pier. Kevin Smith illustrates why in this 20-minute excerpt from his Q&A tour on college campuses (note: definitely NOT suitable for work, unless you're wearing headphones and are locked in a room where nobody else can see/hear what you're watching).

Now I have to concede that for all the ripping I do on it (mostly deserved, I'll add), it's certainly not like Hollywood is the only place where people can be horrendously bad at their job yet meet with tremendous success. It's simply that Los Angeles is far and away the #1 place where the people who've mastered the art of failing upwards can be rightfully mocked for it.