Max Landis is Killing It.

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  • #31
    Re: Max Landis is Killing It.

    John Landis Says Fox Doesn't Love Max Landis' 'Chronicle 2' Script

    ...Landis even went as far as to compare his plight with his son Max Landis, who is currently working on several gestating projects after his hit superhero flick "Chronicle- earlier this year. One of those project is "Chronicle 2- for Fox, which Landis says, "He wrote a sequel, and it's amazing, and the studio read it and said, 'We want 'Chronicle' again!' And he said, 'No, this is the sequel, it's the evolution, and they said 'No, we want that movie again!' So it's difficult, we're dealing with a difficult business.'
    http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplayli...010?utm_source

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    • #32
      Re: Max Landis is Killing It.

      He got there 'cuz of his daddy.

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      • #33
        Re: Max Landis is Killing It.

        To me Chronicle felt like a made-for-TV or direct-to-DVD film but with great production value. Very hollow story and lots of filler that didn't matter. I have no idea how that film could have a sequel. Actually sounds like Max is doing the right thing by trying to "evolve" it, because that's really the only option.

        That being said, a lot of my friends liked Chronicle.

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        • #34
          Re: Max Landis is Killing It.

          Killing it is an understatement. His father being very well respected filmmaker does keep him from losing work -- though I've read some of his work and admire his style -- but I do agree that he is very talented and deserves the success. Chronicle was a masterclass in exploiting concept with rigor and style.

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          • #35
            Re: Max Landis is Killing It.

            This is, quite simply, untrue.

            Let's look at his daddy's career for a second. I happen to think that John Landis is an absolute GENIUS. Up there with the greats. He was the biggest thing in Hollywood, in the Spielberg/Coppola/Zemeckis league.

            Then the Twilight Zone thing happened. And a string of flops followed.

            It is fair to say that John Landis's career was completely compromised, and eventually destroyed, by Vic Morrow's death. In a town full of false moralists, people LOVED crucifying and blaming Morrow's death on Landis's inflated ego.

            The execs who stood by him are now out of the biz. They would be Landis's age- 60s.

            Where does this leave Max? In a town where, sure, execs may appreciate his last name. Admire his father's work. But would they give him a shot because of who his father is NOW? Absolutely not. And who you are now means a lot more than who you were 20 years ago.

            The dude clearly grew up around his brilliant father, working on his flicks and learning the craft by osmosis.

            But claiming that he is successful because of nepotism is, quite simply, untrue. We can pick far better examples of nepotism in Hollywood if we want. Starting with... that chick in Magic Mike, Cody Horn- the daughter of the WB honcho. Now THAT was a joke.

            But Max is a genuine talent, a hard-working son of a gun... and he wears pastels.

            Originally posted by Chief View Post
            He got there 'cuz of his daddy.

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            • #36
              Re: Max Landis is Killing It.

              Agreed. For every visible son or daughter, there are a couple score more you never see, or who bubble up to the surface a few times and are never seen again. Because in the long run, it's a meritocracy.

              If you grow up watching someone in the industry, you may have an advantage in the way other professions who apprentice at their parent's knee do. And you may get the audition or read from a family friend more readily than someone who just got off the bus. After that, it's sink or swim just like the rest of us. In fact, I think there's less room for failure, because your failures are more visible, and you'll inevitably be compared to your fabulously successful elder.

              No one sells that many scripts just cause he's somebody's kid.

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              • #37
                Re: Max Landis is Killing It.

                I don't think it's a question of selling a screenplay because of being someone's kid, but rather it's getting noticed in the first place. The whole world runs on "it's not what you know but who you know" just to get a foot in the door. What makes Hollywood so magically special that it doesn't play by that same principle?

                John Landis is no longer a mover and shker in Hollywood. But he knows people, mentored people, gave other people their big breaks. That guy who was a PA on Animal House is now upper management at Paramount. All it takes is a phone call to say "hey Bob, remember how I let you bring me coffee on Blues Brothers? Yeah, me too. Anyways, I hear you are producing Beverly Hills Cop 12. Would you mind letting my son come in and pitch for you?" Even if the kid doesn't get the job, he still had a crack at it, a crack someone else whose dad can't lift up a phone and call in a marker didn't.

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                • #38
                  Re: Max Landis is Killing It.

                  I've read over a gazillion time that this business is not what you know but who you know.

                  Isn't that the reason why we have to 'network'?

                  Even if the the father got arrested for pedophilia, he would still have enough connections to get his son a gig.

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                  • #39
                    Re: Max Landis is Killing It.

                    No. You get a PA gig cause your dad's connected, not a high-paid screenwriting gig.

                    Connections may get them to the door first, but once you're in the door, it's all on you.

                    (Oh, and if you f*** the PA job up, you're still fired, no matter who your daddy is. And then you have to go back to Daddy and explain to him how you blew a favor.)

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                    • #40
                      Re: Max Landis is Killing It.

                      Re: the "P.A. who makes it and becomes a studio head": that scenario is pretty darn unlikely. Most of the people giving Landis gigs are in their late 20s, early 30s. He's part of a circle of incredibly smart, young, powerful execs. Again- they might have seen his dad's films. But somebody else mentioned, they are not hiring Max to bring coffee.

                      What's the difference between using a family connection vs. using a connection through friends, acquaintances or random life encounters? It's all the same: networking --> foot in the door. Do you think that Duncan Jones is talented? I certainly do. Is he David Bowie's son? Yes. So what? Creativity spawns more creativity, most of the time. And it can be a huge burden. Look at the Lennons, Harrisons, Presleys of the world. Same applies to the movies.

                      In closing: Max is a pastel-wearing tower of productivity and he deserves respect, not petty accusations of nepotism.

                      Signed,

                      Steven Spielberg's Nanny's Son's Second Cousin Removed, currently inserting the foot in the door's mailbox.

                      Originally posted by Steven R View Post
                      I don't think it's a question of selling a screenplay because of being someone's kid, but rather it's getting noticed in the first place. The whole world runs on "it's not what you know but who you know" just to get a foot in the door. What makes Hollywood so magically special that it doesn't play by that same principle?

                      John Landis is no longer a mover and shker in Hollywood. But he knows people, mentored people, gave other people their big breaks. That guy who was a PA on Animal House is now upper management at Paramount. All it takes is a phone call to say "hey Bob, remember how I let you bring me coffee on Blues Brothers? Yeah, me too. Anyways, I hear you are producing Beverly Hills Cop 12. Would you mind letting my son come in and pitch for you?" Even if the kid doesn't get the job, he still had a crack at it, a crack someone else whose dad can't lift up a phone and call in a marker didn't.

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                      • #41
                        Re: Max Landis is Killing It.

                        Originally posted by Steven R View Post
                        I don't think it's a question of selling a screenplay because of being someone's kid, but rather it's getting noticed in the first place. The whole world runs on "it's not what you know but who you know" just to get a foot in the door. What makes Hollywood so magically special that it doesn't play by that same principle?

                        John Landis is no longer a mover and shker in Hollywood. But he knows people, mentored people, gave other people their big breaks. That guy who was a PA on Animal House is now upper management at Paramount. All it takes is a phone call to say "hey Bob, remember how I let you bring me coffee on Blues Brothers? Yeah, me too. Anyways, I hear you are producing Beverly Hills Cop 12. Would you mind letting my son come in and pitch for you?" Even if the kid doesn't get the job, he still had a crack at it, a crack someone else whose dad can't lift up a phone and call in a marker didn't.
                        And how do yo think people make those connections? How do you get the to the position where you know people? Where they actually pay you a lot of money for your work?

                        By doing good work. The more good work you do, the more connections you make. (And part of doing good work is knowing how to properly socialize with people).

                        It's the same with everyone. 99.9% of people in Hollywood started without knowing anyone. They started at the lowest step of the ladder, did good work, and then moved on to the next step. Every new step gives you more and better connections.

                        That's Hollywood in a nutshell. That's film making business in a nutshell, everywhere in the world. That's any competitive, professional field in a nutshell.

                        A lot of people who have failed in their work embrace a sentence like "it's not what you know but who you know", because it gives them a convenient excuse for their failure. They don't have to look in the mirror and admit, that their work simply isn't good enough to be particularly successful.

                        At the same time, those who are good enough and not looking for excuses, climb up the ladder, one step at a time.

                        5-10 years from now, some people from this board are going to be working professionals, with a lot of connections that they don't yet have.

                        But some others are still here, without any good work in their resume, without any connections, complaining that "it's not what you know but who you know".

                        BTW, Chronicle was an excellent film with a strong script.

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                        • #42
                          Re: Max Landis is Killing It.

                          Originally posted by tuukka View Post
                          And how do yo think people make those connections? How do you get the to the position where you know people? Where they actually pay you a lot of money for your work?

                          By doing good work. The more good work you do, the more connections you make. (And part of doing good work is knowing how to properly socialize with people).

                          It's the same with everyone. 99.9% of people in Hollywood started without knowing anyone. They started at the lowest step of the ladder, did good work, and then moved on to the next step. Every new step gives you more and better connections.

                          That's Hollywood in a nutshell. That's film making business in a nutshell, everywhere in the world. That's any competitive, professional field in a nutshell.
                          +1

                          As someone that has been around forever and hung around some filmmaking/acting circles around my area, people carry reputations based on the work they've done. People in general are parasites. They all gravitate and want to get close to people that can do good work. They're the ones that get talked about the most. Their names pop up all the time in conversations. And it doesn't take long before you see their names attached to funding or professional gigs.

                          The ones with less than sterling reputations tend to be left in shadows and forgotten. And it's usually from these guys I hear stuff like, "Just goes to show, it's not what you know but who you know."

                          It's the same in any profession: software design, graphics, animation, catering etc. If people like your work they become fans. And they talk about you to their friends. Gossiping after all is a human base instinct. Good work gets you connected. It may take time -- depending on your situation -- but they all go the same direction: UP.

                          I've always been told by producers in the biz that the cream rises to the top. Just do good work and people WILL talk about you.

                          So sometimes you have take the fact that nobody is talking about you as feedback itself -- in my opinion of course.

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                          • #43
                            Re: Max Landis is Killing It.

                            Originally posted by Chief View Post
                            I've read over a gazillion time that this business is not what you know but who you know.

                            Isn't that the reason why we have to 'network'?

                            Even if the the father got arrested for pedophilia, he would still have enough connections to get his son a gig.

                            what he said. any connection is good. having john landis as your father is huge.

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                            • #44
                              Re: Max Landis is Killing It.

                              Originally posted by loopdesign View Post
                              The kid's only 26, and he already has three sales under his belt.
                              From today's trades...
                              "Director Shawn Levy is taking on a new adaptation of Frankenstein scripted by Max Landis (son of John Landis)."
                              Now of course all you bitter S.O.B.'s are gonna scream "nepotism!". But let's face it, Chronicle, despite it's flaws, was very original. And Good Time Gang is supposedly great fun too.
                              I don't see this sort of thing as nepotism (not that that doesn't exist in LA).

                              It looks more like "the kid was fortunate to get a ton of support and exposure to opportunity in LA at an early age so he got focused early on". I mean, no one's going to buy his scripts to make his Dad happy.

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                              • #45
                                Re: Max Landis is Killing It.

                                Originally posted by medic1 View Post
                                what he said. any connection is good. having john landis as your father is huge.
                                Building connections is ridiculously easy, if you have proper social skills and your work is good enough.

                                Getting to know someone on the level of John Landis (Which is a relatively low ladder these days) is easy. And nobody is going to pay Max Landis hundreds of thousands of dollars for a script, and then spend dozens of millions of dollars on a movie, because John Landis used to be highly successful 20+ years ago. There isn't really any logical reasoning for how this could potentially happen. It simply doesn't happen.

                                Like said earlier, people who lack the writing skill (Or alternatively are clueless in terms of social skills), love to excuse their failure with "It's who you know".

                                Write well and handle yourself well, and getting to know people on the level of John Landis is easy. In fact a lot of people on this board know a lot of people on that level, or on a higher level than that. Still, even most of them are not getting good sales, or no sales at all. Getting a script sold is hard. Writing as well as Max Landis is hard.

                                Connections are easy. It's the "write well" part that is hard. And for some people, the social relationships part seems to be hard. Understanding how the world around you spins, is part of that social skill.

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