Speed-the-Plow Read Online Free PDF

is a position to advance, y'understand? It's a platform to aid, to push someone along. But I Can't Do It. Why? That's not my business. My business is to make decisions for the studio. Means I have to be blunt, to say “no,” much, most of the time, that's my job. And I think it's a good job: ‘cause it's a job of responsibility. Pressure, many rewards. One of them, one time in a billion years, someone was loyal to me, and I'm talking about Charlie Fox, stuck with me, comes in here, let's face it, does a favor for me . . . he could of took the script across the street, no, but hecame to me, now—I can throw in with him and we rise together. That's what the job is. It's a job, all the bullshit aside, deals with people. ( He hunts on his desk, picks up a copy of the book he was reading from earlier. ) Look here. Agent gives his client's book to Ross: “The Bridge or, Radiation and the Half-Life of Society”: Now, who is Mister Ross, now . . .?
    K AREN : He is the Head of the Studio.
    G OULD : And he has a button on my console. That's right. Author's agent gave this book to Ross. A novel. Written by a Very Famous Eastern Writer. What's this book about? “The End of the World.” Great. Now: Ross, no dummy, says, of course, he'll read the book. Gives me the book to read, so when he tells the author “how he loved the book but it won't make a movie,” he can say something intelligent about it. You get it? This, in the business, is called “a courtesy read. “
    K AREN : A courtesy read.
    G OULD : Yes. No one has any intention of making the book, but we read it, as a courtesy. Does this mean that we're depraved? No. It's just business . . . how business is done, you see?
    K AREN : I think.
    G OULD : A business. Start to close.
    K AREN : But what if there is something in the book?
    G OULD : In the book?
    K AREN : Yes. (Pause.)
    G OULD : It's a novel about the historical effects of radiation . . .
    K AREN : Yes, but. . .
    G OULD : I mean, I mean, the author's crazy as a fucken’ June bug.
    K AREN : But, but.
    G OULD : . . . what if. . .?
    K AREN : Yes.
    G OULD : What if, after everything . . .
    K AREN : . . . yes . . .
    G OULD : Hope against hope, there is something in the book.
    K AREN : Yes.
    G OULD : Something in the book, that. . .
    K AREN : Yes. (Pause.)
    G OULD : Well, I'd be delighted. No. You're right. You're right. I'll tell you. ( Pause. ) You're making my point. Absolutely. This job corrupts you. You start to think, all the time “what do these people want from me?” ( Pause. ) And everything becomes a task. ( Pause. )
    K AREN : Does it have to be that?
    G OULD : Can we keep ourselves pure? Hey, I prayed to be pure.
    K AREN : You prayed? To be pure?
    G OULD : I did, I said God give me the job as Head of Production. Give me a platform to be “good, “ and I'll be good. They gave me the job, I'm here one day and look at me: a Big Fat Whore. A book, it may be a fine, fine book by a well-respected writer. And because this writer's got the reputation being “artsy” . . . artsy, you understand . . . I'm ready, everybody backs me up inthis, to assume that his book is unsuitable for the screen, so I look on it as a “courtesy read.”
    K AREN : Do you enjoy your work?
    G OULD : Excuse me?
    K AREN : Do, if I'm being too frank . . .
    G OULD : . . . do I enjoy my work? Yes. Very much. ( Pause. ) Don't you think you would enjoy it?
    K AREN : Yes, I think I would enjoy it.
    G OULD : You do? Good for you. What of it would you enjoy?
    K AREN : The making decisions.
    G OULD : Then good for you.
    K AREN : Because . . .
    G OULD : . . . yes . . .?
    K AREN : Perhaps I'm naïve, but I would think that if you could keep your values straight, if you had principles to refer to, then . . .
    G OULD : Hmmm.
    K AREN : I know it's naïve . . .
    G OULD : Yes it is naïve, and it's also correct.
    K AREN : You think it is?
    G OULD : Yes, I do. Now, we could talk about purity or we could turn the page. What do you want to do?
    K AREN :