Quandry.... do I or don't I?

[matt black biker man]

I recently worked on a movie which for a variety of reasons, ended up damaging my reputation and as a result, has left me thirsting for revenge over a certain individual.

So given that this person is seemingly on the way up and I have information about them which could potentially destroy their career, what should I do?

Do I bite the bullet and take it, or do I go after them? And yes, I am bitter and no, I would not regret it.

[Augie Kestrel]

Whatever this person may have done, I'm sure he didn't damage your reputation as much as your post just did.

Grow up.

[matt black biker man]

so I take it you don't follow the Donald Trump philosophy of 'if someone screws you over, make sure you screw them over right back. Only do it ten times harder and make sure they know it'?

[ThunderChikin]

The fact that you posted your queston shows that you're in a qunadry and would regret it personally. You also might regret it professionally, considering how small the biz is.


Then again, you could be just jerking our chains to see how we respond.

[matt black biker man]

No jerking involved. This has been my first Hollywood experience and by choice will almost certainly be my last so in that respect, I'm not risking anything.

[AvenueD]

Shouldn't this thread be moved to the "vague insinuations and revenge fantasies" forum?

[zemiller]

Matt, what did the guy do to you?

(ps: tell me it didn't involve the casting-couch) :|

[OkeyDokey]

Matt, any attempt to "get back" at this person is just going toaffect people's perception of YOU, not him. It's just not worth it.

Take the Zen Buddhist approach. Just let it go. You'll be the better person.

[Scribble]

Do it. Sounds like he deserves it.
And tell us all about it.

[KidCharlemagne108]

As Nelson Mandela once said:

I can forgive but I can't forget.

Let it go. Put it down to experience, learn from it and move on.

[matt black biker man]

Not sure I can sit back and let someone claim credit for my work and allow them to undermine my reputation without any kind of response. If you could, then you're a bigger man than me. Or you're a fool.

[boski62]

Man--what the frick happened!? Anyway you can paint the scenario without alerting those involved? If you're an aspiring screenwriter, craft us a brief synopsis of the general conflicts/deceptions/fraud involved. Did someone claim credit for actual written work you authored, or unwritten ideas you contributed to a development process?

Just curious--and how did the perp not only take credit for your work but also simultaneously damage your rep? If nothing else comes from this, this guy at least sounds like a good model for the villain in your next script. :)

[KidCharlemagne108]

Your post was very vague. Looked like you were just asking for a green light on an act of revenge. Of course if you have been legitimately wronged then you should fight for your rights. If you would be a bit more specific then I'm sure there are many people here who can give you good advice on credits etc. Have you thought of hiring a lawyer?

[OkeyDokey]

Matt, if someone is claiming credit for your work that is a diifferent story than you first suggested. It is more serious. Why would you need to "get back" at someone who you can legally prove took your work? (assuming you can prove it...)

[matt black biker man]

This is a very complex situation and to be honest, I'm not sure this is the best place to discuss it openly. A case of keeping the powder dry so to speak.

Suffice to say that I am a specialist in a specific field who had dabbled with screenwriting in the past. I met someone who wanted me to help them make a movie relating to my work and for three years, we drove the project along. But once the issue of money began to enter the equation, they did their best to marginalise me to the extent that not only do I feel offended, but damage has been done to my reputation. Something which will continue until the movie fades from memory.

However, I have information about them which could ruin their career and since they show no remorse and there is no sign of an apology, the idea of using it is very appealing

But I must stress, this is not about money or credits, or anything else. And working as I do in an industry which is far removed from Hollywood, I have little or no interest in what people there think of me. Indeed, it has been put to me that this could actually work in my favor.

No, this is simply about revenge. The question is, how can I achieve the maximum impact with the weapons I have at my disposal.

[Writing In The Margins]

Skin him alive?

[matt black biker man]

Not public enough. The info I have is of the 'no f*****g way!' variety and I have the proof to back it up.

Can anyone get me on Letterman? :eek

[Writing In The Margins]

Skin him alive and hang his body in the town square?

[Steve]

unfortunately, it's very hard to ruin someone's reputation in Hollywood. Theft, extortion, drug dealing, sex with animals -- no one seems to care as long as they make a profitable movie. So there's a good chance the reaction to your explosive revelations could "yeah...so?"

The better thing might be to get a lawyer and make sure you're properly compensated for the work you did.

[Boobsie Malone]

Wait, back up. LA has a Town Square?

[Odocoileus virginianus]

... but since you're gonna do it anyway, I recommend going the thug route: ambush this dude on the way to his car in the morning, and break all his fingers with a hammer.

Then, while he's recovering in the hospital, send him a get well card with a picture of a hand flipping the bird. Caption? "Here's one finger that isn't broken."

And just think of all the great script ideas you'll get from the guys you'll meet in county lockup.

(Violence never solves anything, but it sure feels good.)

[gruss]

If so, why not just channel it into a script?

[gruss]

fictionalized, of course.

[burnaise]

i can't believe this post has gotten the attention that it has.

first off, it is virtually impossible to "ruin" someone in hollywood. it is one of the few (if not only) industries where no matter how bad someone's reputation is, it really is irrelevant. what matters is whether they can put a project together. and apparantly, this person you are angry with can.

secondly, the guy who posted the question is clearly a little deranged. he was probably involved in the initial stages of mapping out a world he was familiar with. then it became clear he added nothing to the equation and was bounced out. hence, the bitter tears.

if there was a real claim, he wouldn't need to waste time with this posting as there are real remedies at his disposal (legal and otherwise).

let's stop wasting time on this silliness.

[gruss]

just trying to help the guy channel it into something positive.

[Queen Uhuru]

An entertainment lawyer once told me, even if you can get some kind of revenge through a lawsuit or other means, to think real hard on it before proceeding. Hollywood is a small town, she said, and people will remember who the troublemakers are even if you ARE in the right.

[LauriD]

I would certainly recommend AGAINST taking any kind of revenge. It's not good for your reputation or your karma. "Justice is MINE, sayeth the Lord" -- i.e., not YOURS. Live, learn, and move on...

However, this reminds of of a story about Harlan Ellison ...

Seems he developed a script/treatment/whatever about a robot cop and the studio/prodco/whatever ripped him off. He got a healthy settlement that included a confidentiality clause. So he rented a billboard on Sunset Blvd. that said, in effect, "This sign costs $XXX a week. But I can afford it. Harlan Ellison."

;)

LauriD

P.S. And if you don't know who Harlan Ellison is...you should. :)

[refriedwhiskey]

If you you have a legitimate case, then take this guy to court. Or at least file suit and get a settlement.

If you can't sue and you honestly don't want to work in Hollywood ever again, then go ahead and take your revenge if you think it will make you feel better.

If you can't sue and you do ever want to work in Hollywood again, then just drop it. Like others have said, it's a small town and word gets around. And if you're known as a guy who got mad and tried to ruin someone you worked with before, you'll never get work again.

Movie stars and top directors and some producers can survive having a reputation as a troublemaker. Few, if any, writers can.

[Winter in New York]

Put a horse's head in his bed and kiss him on the lips at a Hollywood shindig and say, 'I know it was you <insert name here>'.

Either that or post the video 'evidence' anonymously on the Internet and email the url to the news outlets...

That'd work too... :smokin

Winter in New York

[Stinger]

Ellison's the master of revenge. There was a publisher who wasn't publishing one of his books and wouldn't give Harlan the rights back so he could go somewhere else. He made the guy's life miserable until he gave in. Two things I recall were mailing him bricks postage due and mailing him dead gophers fourth class.

[LauriD]

I suspect that there's a Federal regulation against mailing dead gophers.

If not, there should be. ;)

LauriD

[whinywriter]

The point is not to advise this guy about personal virtue. we all have our own ways of dealing the world. The point is this: you do not have to be the Righter of Wrongs. Let these a-holes go out into the world and let the world deal with them.

The reason this post got so many responses is that so many of us have been screwed and have something to say about it. I had a film company offer to distribute my feature, and then a sales rep from my past called me and said if i didn't give him 10K, he would file a claim and prevent distribution. Film company said sorry, if he does that, we have no deal. So...a year later, plus four lawyers, angry phone calls, threats on both sides, I paid him 5K and got my distribution deal. I learned that teaching this a-hole a lesson would have nearly killed me, and my film never would have gotten out. The miserable prick is still slithering around century city, and my movie is on the video store shelf. I say let someone else deal with him. Like his wife.

[writer for life]

This reminds me of the time Michael Ovitz, then head of CAA and the most powerful man in hollywood threatened to run Joe Eszterhas' career into the ground if he left the agency. Joe told Ovitz to go @#%$ himself and left anyway. Not even the mighty Ovitz, at the peak of his powers could stop Joe from selling Basic Instinct for a then record 3 million dollars, just a little while afterwards.

The point is, hollywood is run on greed. This guy will be unstoppable as long as he's able to make money for somebody else. Let it go.