text:
Stepping back quickly to the preceding tutorial of the series, you'll recall that I introduced the key concepts of the stage pattern. I also provided you with some friendly hands-on examples, aimed at demonstrating, at least basically, the functionality of this rather unusual pattern.
Speaking more specifically, in that tutorial I developed a couple of straightforward PHP classes. The first one was tasked with displaying regular DIVs on a simple web page, while the second one was capable of modifying the values assigned to the "overflow" CSS property corresponding to all these DIVs. These classes demonstrated how a particular class can change its behavior in response to the modifications introduced into its context.
Obviously, the example described above is a concise implementation of the logic followed by the stage pattern, which hopefully will help you understand more easily how it this pattern works. However, to be frank, I think that the more code samples you see covering the pattern in question, the more you'll learn about it. Therefore, in this final article of the series I'm going to provide you with another practical example of how the stage pattern works.
Essentially, what I plan to demonstrate here is how this pattern can be used to build different versions of a given web document on the fly, either for display on a typical computer monitor, or for printing. There will be a target class, responsible for defining a few CSS styles used by the pertinent web document. There will also be a contextual class to determine which of these styles will be attached to the web page in question.
Now that you know the purpose of this last tutorial of the series, let's continue learning how to implement the stage pattern with PHP 5. Let's get started now!
{mospagebreak title=Building a target class}
As I said in the beginning of this article, my demonstration of how to implement the stage pattern with PHP 5 will consist mainly of creating a simple mechanism that generates dynamically two different versions of a given web document. The first one will be best suited for use with conventional computer monitors, and the second one will be simply a "printer-friendly" format of the document in question.
Of course, as you might have guessed, selecting the proper CSS styles that fit a particular web page format will be a task performed by two concrete classes, in this case called "CSSNormal" and "CSSPrint" respectively.
The signatures corresponding to these two concrete classes are shown below, including the pertinent definition of their parent. Having said that, the classes look like this:
// define abstract 'CSS' class
abstract class CSS{
protected $font;
protected $color;
protected $background;
abstract public function __construct
abstract public function getFont();
abstract public function getColor();
abstract public function getBackground();
// define concrete 'CSSNormal' class
class CSSNormal extends CSS{
public function __construct($font,$color,$background){
throw new Exception('Invalid value for font property.');
throw new Exception('Invalid value for foreground color
throw new Exception('Invalid value for background color
public function getFont(){
return $this->font;
public function getColor(){
return $this->color;
public function getBackground(){
return $this->background;
// define concrete 'CSSPrint' class
class CSSPrint extends CSS{
public function __construct($font,$color,$background){
throw new Exception('Invalid value for font property.');
throw new Exception('Invalid value for foreground color
throw new Exception('Invalid value for background color
public function getFont(){
return $this->font;
public function getColor(){
return $this->color;
public function getBackground(){
return $this->background;
As you can see, the concrete classes listed above are very easy to grasp. Basically, their primary task is to create a CSS style that suits the requirements of a particular web page format.
In the first case, the "CSSNormal" class is tasked with building a CSS style that's best suited for use with computer screens, while the second class, called "CSSPrint," is obviously responsible for creating a set of styles for use with printers.
So far, so good. At this point I have built two simple classes that are capable of generating diverse CSS styles for applying to a specific web document. However, at this moment I'm sure you're asking the following question: how does the stage pattern fit into this schema? I'm glad you asked!
Having at our disposal the two classes previously defined, I'm going to create a contextual class. It will be able to change its behavior in order to select a specific CSS style according to the format requirements of a given web page. In doing so, I'll be implementing the model demanded by the stage pattern.
Naturally, this brand new contextual class will be defined in the following section, therefore click on the link that appears below and keep reading.
{mospagebreak title=Defining a basic contextual class}
As I expressed in the section you just read, to complete the programmatic model imposed by the stage pattern, it's necessary to build a contextual class capable of selecting the appropriate CSS style that fits the requirements of a specific web document.
To perform this simple task, below I defined the brand new "CSSContext" class. It is responsible for returning the correct CSS object to client code in response to the format demands of a given web page.
Now that I have explained how this contextual class is going to work, please pay attention to its respective signature:
// define 'CSSContext' class
class CSSContext{
private $pageFormat=NULL;
public function __construct(){}
public function setPageFormat($pageFormat){
throw new Exception('Invalid value for web page
public function getCSS(){
return new CSSNormal('Verdana','#f00′,'#eee');
return new CSSPrint('Arial','#000′,'#fff');
As I said before, the above class has been provided with the capacity to create a specific CSS object in accordance with the format requirements of a particular web document. As you can see, this task is performed by its "getCSS()" method, which returns to calling code either a CSS object suitable for use with computer monitors, or another one for use with printers.
All right, at this stage I have defined a contextual class that controls what type of CSS object must be used according to the specifications of a given web document. However, there's a missing piece in this scenario, since I need to create a mechanism that generates the web document in question.
In response to this requirement, below I included the definition of a brand new class. It's called "WebPage," and it is tasked with creating web pages on the fly, using a specific CSS object passed as an input parameter to the corresponding constructor.
The signature for the aforementioned class is as follows:
// define 'WebPage' class
class WebPage{
private $title='Testing State pattern';
private $html=NULL;
private $css=NULL;
public function __construct(CSS $css){
public function makeHeader(){
public function makeBody(){
$this->html.='
css->getFont().';color :'.$this->css->getColor().';background:
'.$this->css->getBackground().';">This is the default content
used to test the state pattern.
';
public function makeFooter(){
public function getHTML(){
return $this->html;
Now that you have seen the definition for the above "WebPage" class, I'm pretty certain that you'll see more clearly how the stage pattern is implemented in this case. Let me explain the situation briefly: on one hand, there's a contextual class that selects the proper CSS object to be used when generating a web document, while on the other hand there's another class that changes its behavior — notice the implementation of the "makeBody()" method — to fit the requirements of a particular page format.
Okay, at this point you hopefully understand how the stage pattern is used here. However, I think that you'll grasp the way that this pattern works even more easily if I set up a concrete example where all the previous classes are put to work in conjunction.
In the following section I'm going to develop a short script that will help to demonstrate the functionality of the stage pattern. Keep reading, please.
{mospagebreak title=Completing the implementation of the stage pattern}
Indeed, the best way to understand how the stage pattern works with this specific implementation is by creating a functional example that demonstrates how a given web document can use different CSS styles according to specific format requirements.
In this case, the following sample pair of scripts show how an instance of the contextual "CSScontext" class is capable of modifying the behavior of a specific "WebPage" object to generate two different versions of the same web document.
Now that I have explained how the pertinent example is going to work, please examine the corresponding source code, which looks like this:
// example displaying a normal web page
// create new 'CSSContext' object
$cssContext=new CSSContext();
// set CSS styles to work with a normal web page format
// create new 'WebPage' object
$webPage=new WebPage($cssContext->getCSS());
// display web page using normal format
echo $webPage->getHTML();
catch(Exception $e){
echo $e->getMessage();
// example displaying a printer-friendly web page
// create new 'CSSContext' object
$cssContext=new CSSContext();
// set CSS styles to work with a printer-friendly web page
$webPage=new WebPage($cssContext->getCSS());
// display web page using printer-friendly format
echo $webPage->getHTML();
catch(Exception $e){
echo $e->getMessage();
As shown above, the stage pattern is implemented here to change the behavior of a "WebPage" object so it can display distinct versions of the same web document. As you can see in the two previous scripts, the first time the web page is rendered, a "normal" CSS style is used, while in the second case, the page in question is displayed with a "printer-friendly" format.
At this point, I believe that the previous code samples should give you an accurate idea of how to implement the stage pattern in a concrete situation. However, as with many other design patterns, I suggest you create your own testing examples to acquire a better grounding in how it this pattern functions.
Final thoughts
Unfortunately, we've come to the end of this journey. In these two tutorials, I introduced the basic concepts of the stage pattern, and also showed you a couple of functional examples where it can be applied with minor hassles.
As you hopefully learned, if you ever need to build a class that changes the way it works according to the modifications introduced into its context, the stage pattern can provide a good method for solving this issue.
See you in the next PHP tutorial!


text:
The Sovereignty of God: 2007 Fall Conference
From generation to generation, men have found shelter for their souls in the shadow of the Almighty - the one, true God, who in reigning over all provides comfort and confidence for His people (Ps. 91:1). Truly our lives are …Read More
Overcoming the Eclipse of God: 2003 Pastors Conference
During Ligonier Ministries' first annual pastors conference in October of 2003, pastors from around the country gathered to hear Dr. R.C. Sproul, John Sartelle, and Rick Phillips emphasize the importance of God-centered worship, prayer, evangelism, and preaching. This series …Read More
Richard Phillips
Dr. Richard D. Phillips is senior minister of Second Presbyterian Church in Greenville, S.C., and chairman of the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology. He is author of The Masculine Mandate.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, offers weekly perspectives from his office in the State Capitol.
By Sen. Carlos Uresti
Score one for bipartisanship, fairness and common sense.
All three of those virtues came together in crafting and passing Senate Bill 1505, which employs a new and better method for the valuation of oil and gas properties in Texas.
People who don't own oil and gas interests might be tempted to stop reading here, but keep going. It concerns you as well. This new law, just like the problem is solves, will affect homeowners and businesses across the state, particularly in Senate District 19.
What's it to you? First, a little history is in order.
In 2007 the Legislature passed a law to stabilize the fluctuations in oil and gas values for appraisal purposes. Based on that law, the State Comptroller's Office adopted a rule requiring that appraisers use something called the "market condition factor" in their calculations.
Under that rule, the comptroller produced a forecast of the estimated price of oil and gas for the coming year, and that estimate was then used by appraisal districts to determine the value of oil and gas properties.
The law was meant to smooth out the ups and downs in appraisal values, and in the process, mineral property became vastly undervalued.
According to the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas, the comptroller's estimate over the subsequent three years averaged about 35 percent below the actual market price — a devaluation that cut sharply into counties' oil and gas tax revenues.
The association estimates that public education lost about $1 billion over the past three years because of this rule, and counties across Senate District 19 faced a dilemma — slash vital government services or raise property taxes on homeowners and businesses to make up the lost revenues.
My bill, shepherded through the House by Rep. Tryon Lewis, R-Odessa, removes the comptroller's revenue estimating methodology and institutes another method based on the U.S. Energy Information Administration's Annual Energy Outlook.
It will restore certainty to the mineral valuation process and ensure that everyone pays their fair share of the cost of government.
Many people deserve credit for getting this bill through the legislative process, including representatives of the Judges and Commissioners Association, the Texas Association of Counties, the Texas Oil and Gas Association, Chevron, other producers, and counties and appraisal districts.
We were able to reach agreement on this bill because everyone involved acknowledged that fairness and equality in the assessment of taxes is a cornerstone of Democracy. Everyone must share the burden of funding public services.
Two years ago, during the 81st Legislature, I brought these groups together to hammer out a solution to this problem, but it was impossible to work out all the details by the end of the session, despite good-faith negotiating on both sides.
This time, we did it. It wasn't a Republican solution or a Democratic solution. We all just agreed to do what was best.


text:
Now there's an easier way to read in bed on Shabbat!
You'll be able to Direct the light -- Dim the light – and even "Turn it off!"
It's called KOSHERLAMP™ The patent-pending FADESHADE™ technology allows you to direct the light and set the brightness of your lamp with a simple twist of the shade.
You can even turn it "off" in accordance with the laws of Shabbat. When you want to go to sleep, the FADESHADE™ kosher lamp technology allows heat to escape safely while blocking virtually all the light … without turning off the light switch! Approved by major Poskim. Presently KOSHERLAMP™ is available in the 110V North American version.
Due to the arrangements with the manufacturer, we are unable to ship the Kosherlamp to an address outside the USA.
Get a kosher lamp for every member of the family:
KosherLamp uses a special energy saving compact fluorescent bulb. Normally these cost up to $5 each. You may not have a bulb like this at home and we want you to be able to use your new Kosher Lamp out of the box...
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is it safe? Won't it overheat?
KOSHERLAMP™ has been tested and approved by the Canadian and American Underwriter's Laboratories. KOSHERLAMP™ uses a patent-pending venting system which allows heat to escape while keeping the light in. This is accomplished by using a high efficiency compact flourescent bulb which give's off light equivalent to a 40w incandescent bulb, but with very little heat. Also, the lamp is made from safe polyresin.
2. Can I leave it on for a three day Yom Tov?
KOSHERLAMP™ has been safely tested for up to two weeks uninterrupted use with the bulb on, and the shade in the "closed" position.
3. Where can I get a bulb?
- USE only a 13 Watt Compact Fluorescent bulb or smaller. We recommend a 10 Watt bulb WHICH IS INCLUDED WITH YOUR LAMP.
High efficiency, compact fluorescent bulbs, which replace regular incandescent bulbs, can be found at all major hardware, home improvement and lighting stores. They come in a variety of shapes; coil and tubular, and a range of wattages. We recommend an 10 Watt bulb, which is the equivalent of 40 Watt incandescent bulb used in a bedroom table lamp. A 13 Watt compact fluorescent bulb replaces a 60 Watt incandescent bulb. Do not use a bulb greater than 13 Watts.
4. How long will the KOSHERLAMP™ last before I have to replace the bulb?
Most compact fluorescent bulbs of this type are rated at 10,000 hours. Because of the extra heat generated in the closed position, it will slightly shorten bulb life. When installed in a recessed can or totally enclosed fixture Philips rates the life of their bulb at 7,000 hours. Since the KOSHERLAMP™ is vented and not totally enclosed, you should expect between 7,000 – 10,000 hours. (that's up to seven years of Shabbosim!) If the KOSHERLAMP™ is used only on Shabbos and Yom Tov you should expect years of use before having to replace the bulb
To order just call
(1) 514 -738-1414


text:
Racing Industry Update
The American Quarter Horse Association is strongly urging all horsemen and racing jurisdictions involved with American Quarter Horse racing to begin the process of adopting, by reference, the Racing Commissioners International Controlled Therapeutic Medication schedule.
With the boards of both the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (consisting of 24 racing industry stakeholders and organizations) and RCI (consisting of representatives from racing authorities across the United States, Canada and other international jurisdictions), these medications and this schedule have been vetted by the scientific experts and rule makers in our industry that should give states and provinces the information they need to move forward with adoption.
"The RMTC's approval of these last few thresholds and withdrawal times from the set of 24 therapeutic substances identified by the industry represents a significant investment of resources by the RMTC and its stakeholders," said RMTC Chairman Dr. Robert Lewis in a press release on March 22. "These guidelines will pave the way for uniform adoption of medication regulations across the country."
In an April 2 press release, RCI gave final approval to the "RCI Controlled Therapeutic Medication Schedule." RCI Chairman Duncan Patterson said, "For years, we have talked about uniformity, but today is the first day that we can say there is agreement as to what constitutes a violation."
RCI President Ed Martin said, "Regulators are being encouraged to achieve uniformity by adding the RCI schedule to their rules 'by reference,' a common way to incorporate a nationally recognized standard into public policy."
Eight states in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Northeast United States have already begun the process for adopting the rules and have set a goal of January 1, 2014, to have the uniform rules in place.
New Mexico and Texas have each taken steps to strengthen their respective commissions and rules. New Mexico increased the budget for investigations, drug testing and other areas. Last October, Texas released a memo stating that it reviewed the ARCI's Task Force on Medication Science's proposed changes to the list of approved therapeutics and revised its list of medications and their permissible post-race concentration levels in blood and urine. Texas also adopted new Clenbuterol thresholds on March 28.
AQHA also is announcing today that the American Quarter Horse Foundation is funding a dermorphin study through a private donation to fund a research project being conducted by the RMTC and HFL Laboratories in Lexington, Kentucky. Methods to detect and identify dermorphin have been developed but there is no certified reference material to compare samples to. This project is aimed at supporting the development of a synthetic reference dermorphin that will be provided to racehorse testing laboratories for use as a reference testing standard.
"I am proud that AQHA can take a leadership role, especially with respect to funding the dermorphin study, which will be useful to all racing breeds," said AQHA President Johne Dobbs of Champaign, Illinois. "I'm also grateful to our members who step up to help the industry in the many ways they have. It is the responsibility of every person involved to do all we can to clean it up and make it safe for all."
Believed to have up to 40 times more potency than morphine, dermorphin is produced naturally as a skin secretion in certain species of South American frogs, but can also be produced synthetically. It is speculated that the drug is being manufactured synthetically, due to the high doses that would be required to produce an effect in a horse.
"Today is the day," said AQHA First Vice President Johnny Trotter, an active racehorse breeder and owner from Hereford, Texas. "The various states and provinces will each have to go through a process to get this done but make no mistake – Congress is watching."
Trotter is referring to the recently introduced Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, written by Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) and Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA).
"Members in Congress still do not believe that the racing industry will address and fix its problems," Trotter concluded. "We must demonstrate otherwise."
"The industry has come a long way the past couple of years and we are close," added AQHA Executive Vice President Don Treadway Jr. "We encourage people to start the process to adopt the new medication schedule and, if additional assistance or information is needed, AQHA's racing office is a ready resource. We are confident we will continue to gain ground, keep cheaters and those who risk harming our horses and riders out of the business, while protecting the trust the wagering public has placed in our sport – and in us as industry leaders."
AQHA and its numerous committees and groups dedicated to protecting the horse, horsemen and the wagering public will remain vigilant in its pursuit of clean racing, and respected and honorable horsemen. In turn, the fans and public will know they are competing at the highest levels and with the utmost integrity. AQHA will continue to support anyone who pursues better drug testing, harsher penalties and improvements in our industry that is good for the whole.
Leadership at tracks such as Los Alamitos Race Course, Ruidoso Downs, Remington Park, Hialeah Park, Sunland Park, Sam Houston Race Park and others have proven that they are going to do what it takes to punish cheaters and keep horse racing honest. AQHA supports these efforts and the efforts of the racing authorities in the respective jurisdictions.
For further information, please visit www.aqharacing.com for information about AQHA's racing welfare and medication efforts and other industry news.


text:
News - November 2013 - Presented
|November 2013
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Monday, November 25, 2013
»Anita Bright, Curriculum and Instruction faculty, and education alumna Katy Alexander presented a paper, titled "Passing the Reins, Taking the Reins, Sharing the Reins: Flattening Hierarchies One Relationship at a Time," at the American Educational Studie
»Scott Broussard and Nelson Sigrah, Advising and Career Services, gave a presentation on their award-winning radio show, Turntable Advising, at the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators 2013 Western Regional Conference held in Salt Lake
»Ashley Campbell, ASRC, presented at the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators 2013 Western Regional Conference
»Jack Corbett, Public Administration faculty, and alumna Mandy Elder presented "Building Food Platforms for Local Sustainability: An Assessment of Mexican Experience" at the Yale Food Systems Symposium in New Haven, Conn., Oct. 18-19.
»Dave Ervin, Institute for Sustainable Solutions, presented "Common Pool Resource Issues in Managing Herbicide Resistant Weeds" at the national conference Public Policies, Research and the Economics of Herbicide Resistance Management, co-sponsored by the U
»Susan Kirtley, English faculty, presented a paper, titled "Many Lives to Live: Narration and Focalization in Dykes to Watch Out For," at the Festival of Cartoon Art held at Ohio State University as part of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum grand
»Richard Lycan, Institute on Aging, presented "Which Blue Lake: Management of Lake Data in the National Hydro Dataset" at a joint meeting of the Oregon Lakes Association and the Washington State Lake Protection Association in Vancouver, Wash., Oct. 17.
»Swapna Mukhopadhyay, Curriculum and Instruction faculty, presented "Culturally Responsive Mathematics Teaching for Alaska Schools" at Sharing Our Knowledge: A Conference of Tlingit Tribes and Clans, in Juneau, Alaska, Nov. 8.
»Anoop Mirpuri, English faculty, presented a paper, titled "Resisting Ordinary Punishment, or Against Prison Reform: Abolition in an Age of Crisis," at the Ray Warren Symposium on Race and Ethnic Studies at Lewis & Clark College, Nov. 13-15.
»Tracy Prince, Portland Center for Public Humanities, presented "The Forgotten Native American History of Early Portland" at five branches of Multnomah County Library in November.
»CeCe Ridder, Diversity and Multicultural Student Services, co-presented "Multiracial College Students: Understanding the Landscape of a Changing Demographic" at the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators 2013 Western Regional Conference,
»Cindy Skaruppa and Yi Cao, Enrollment Management, presented "Four-Year Graduation Guarantee: Predicting Variables for Retention and Graduation at a Large Public University" at the 2013 Pacific Northwest Association for Institutional Research and Planning


text:
Each month during the school year, students from our elementary schools are selected to receive the Superintendent's Star Award for outstanding citizenship.
As Eleanor Roosevelt stated, "People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built."
Our young student from Perry was chosen to represent our campus based on the virtues of outstanding character, citizenship, fairness, honesty, kindness, respect, responsibility and trustworthiness.
Congratulations to Jessica Gaytan, a 2nd grader grader from Mrs. Uggen's class! You will represent Perry well!
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text:
CoopDPS is the fabulous new collaboration between Nathalie Du Pasquier and George Sowden for ZigZagZurich. The ZigZagZurich Artist decor collection brings a new dimension of art and design to home textiles, working with global designers across a broad spectrum of the art world, transferring their work or ideas onto textiles and developing products that are unique to the market.
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Details: 100 percent jacquard wool nordic blankets. Woven in Europe with a longer length to keep toes warm. New Zealand wool. Size: 55 inches x 79 inches.
Care: Hand wash cold. Dry clean.
AHAlife is committed to help you live a conscious and inspired life.
Many of the items you discover here are exclusive to AHAlife, which is what makes our community of designers and artisans so special.
If you find one of our products anywhere else for less than it's being sold on our site, we will match it.
Our dedicated Support Team is here to help. Reach out any time at:


text:
We appreciate your diligence and thank you for the good news. This was done in record time and it is a true relief.
– LH- Redwood City Court
– LH- Redwood City Court
We are a small firm that emphasizes personal attention, not a high volume of cases. Our fees are reasonable and competitive; you usually do not need to appear in court. Call or contact us through our site for a FREE Attorney consultation. We ONLY practice California Expungement Law.
Probably so. Remember that you are hiring a lawyer for a proceeding that is very important to your future, and carefully examine the experience and background of any attorney you employ. Give us a call; you will be glad you did.


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Producers are very misunderstood. Of course, theres a lot of pigs -- I wont mention names -- who sit in New York and buy every piece of literary property they can and get a studio to pay for it. But people like Don [Murphy] and Chris [Hanley] are really struggling, because they have to do things on a very small level. Those guys are the lifeblood of this industry, the fertility. So more power to them. We need them.
--Oliver Stone,
interviewed for this article
Its about people who sell their work, but wont sell themselves. Anybody who holds out is a misfit. If he loses, he is a failure, and if he is successful, he is rare. This movie is about a world in change.
--John Huston, from The Making of The Misfits
One lasting effect of the independent-film boom of the 90s is the perception that all the interesting American films come out of New York. Here, rather than being a Trojan horse that subverted Hollywood from the inside, the indie cycle became a pretext for Hollywood proper to do and say what it wanted, no matter how crass or commercial the effort. American Pie? Freddie Got Fingered? XXX? Why not? There would always be some Harvey Weinstein or Scott Rudin or Ted Hope or Christine Vachon back East to uphold standards.
And yet, interesting, oddball, even outre films still get made -- in Hollywood, within the shadow and amid the crushing machinery of the studio process. They always have. And for every director or writer or actor who lends his or her talents to big films that wind up smart, or to little films that turn out edgier or more subversive or less programmatic than might be expected, there is inevitably an independent producer, toiling in obscurity, who actually makes it happen. These figures, surreptitiously or flamboyantly, inhabit an ill-defined purgatory between management and labor: They impose parental controls on wayward talent from above, while soliciting creative concessions from skeptical studio heads from below. Depending on the day, theyre the nudges at the party, or the sore thumbs in the boardroom. But they rarely belong.
This is the story of four of them: Don Murphy, who, with partner Jane Hamsher, discovered Quentin Tarantino and brought his script, Natural Born Killers, to Oliver Stone, and who now has a studio deal at Sony; Chris Hanley, who has cobbled together foreign financing and found money to produce some 20-odd eclectic projects featuring micro-budgets and top-shelf talent; Stuart Cornfeld, who ushered David Lynch into the studio system and put David Cronenberg on its map, and who now runs Ben Stillers company, Red Hour; and Steve Golin, who, with ex-partner Joni Sighvatsson, founded Propaganda Films, a TV-commercial, music-video and management company that launched many of todays top directors, and who would like to do more of the same with his new company, Anonymous Content. Between them, they have produced some 70 movies, more often than not on a wing and a prayer. And they all agree its getting harder.
These people are misfits -- mavericks, visionaries, savants, bullies, cardsharps, egomaniacs -- who follow in a tradition that stretches from Samuel Goldwyn to David Brown to Ed Pressman and Keith AddisNick Wechsler. They do it to get made the movies that nobody else will make, or that they want to see made.
But still, given the odds and the obstacles -- to say nothing of the seat at the big table theyve given up for the sake of tilting at windmills -- its an odd way to spend ones life.
Don Murphy and the Angry Smiley Face
Monday Morning(executive producer, 1990)
Double Dragon (1993)
Natural Born Killers (1994)
Permanent Midnight (1998)
Apt Pupil (1998)
Bully (2001)
From Hell (2001)
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
Don Murphy is industry point man for the geek Zeitgeist. Walk into his office on the Sony lot, and youre overwhelmed by toys and tchotchkes: Gigantor, a life-size Astroboy, Iron Man and Spawn and Star Wars figurines. Accompany him to Meltdown Comics on Melrose, and its like Elizabeth Taylor strolling into Harry Winston -- staff and management stiffen and enthuse, clearly in the presence of a preferred customer.
So it should come as little surprise that following a string of outsider opuses chronicling opera-buffo mass murderers, comical junkies and dueling Nazis (Natural Born Killers, Permanent Midnight and Apt Pupil, all with former partner Jane Hamsher), his current slate should be focused almost entirely on the worlds of comics, horror, science fiction and cult cinema. His last film, the Jack the Ripper story From Hell, and his next, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, a Victorian sci-fi opus, are based on graphic novels by Alan Moore. Meanwhile, he and partner-fiancee Susan Montford are producing an adaptation of H.P. Lovecrafts At the Mountains of Madness with Guillermo del Toro, and an update of the Lee Madden biker saga Hells Angels 69, called Speed Tribes, re-purposed for the phenomenon of Japans underground motorcycle culture.
Hes a comic-book junkie from way early on, says Apt PupilX-Men director Bryan Singer, a friend since USC in the late 80s. He understood the film industry early on too, but he never lost his -- for want of a better word -- geek status. Hes the real thing. Hes always at the conventions.
In person, Murphy borders on physically intimidating -- 6-foot-2, an Irish brawler with an asymmetrical haircut who speaks so fast it often requires an aural double take. At his most manic, he seems like a cross between Richie Rich and Godzilla -- a precocious 12-year-old irradiated into city-crushing leviathan. But close your eyes and listen, and the result is even more incongruous: With his halting rapid-fire delivery, slight lisp and overrefined sense of justice, hes a dead ringer for Rudy Giuliani. (Hamshers nickname for him in Killer Instinct, her tell-all of the Natural Born Killers roller-coaster ride, is hyperanxiety boy.)
The son of a well-to-do Long Island ad man, Murphy spent his undergraduate career at Georgetown University as film critic for the student paper and head of the campus film program. At the last second, he dodged the bullet of Georgetown Law School and entered the USC graduate film program, where Singer cut sound on Murphys student feature film. There, Murphy also met future partner Hamsher, a sardonic ex-punk editrix (San Franciscos Damage fanzine), and their faith in a stray script by the undiscovered Quentin Tarantino led them to Oliver Stone, who not only committed to direct the Tarantino-scripted Natural Born Killers with a $35 million budget, but installed them as on-set producers -- the equivalent of a crash course in filmmaking. We wouldnt be where we are if not for Oliver, Murphy says. He had every opportunity to fuck me on multiple occasions, and he didnt.
Another byproduct of the Hamsher book is that Tarantino, stung by criticism, spotted Murphy dining at Ago on Melrose in October 1997 and -- looking for headlines, revenge or maybe just the cheap thrill of the sucker punch -- began pounding Murphy in the side of the head, forcing Miramax chief Harvey Weinstein, of all people, to act as a mediator and pull them apart. The story became a Tarantino staple on talk shows, and there was talk of a lawsuit before the inevitable reconciliation. Quentin and I are absolutely fine, states Murphy for the record. I wish him nothing but the best.
But somewhere along the way, Murphys reputation as a hothead and loose cannon was codified. Once JD (for Jane and Don) Productions had disbanded, he settled on the shingle Angry Films.
Thats a joke, says Murphy, defending the moniker. The stationery has a really angry smiley face. I know what my reputation is in town -- difficult, great taste, gets movies made. To me, thats fine. Im not trying to win a popularity contest. You dont get movies made by being friendly. You get movies made by saying you have to make this movie. There are so many people involved in making a movie, theres so much petty bullshit and egos and personalities that get involved that at a certain point you realize the only way is to just put your head down and ram. Its not really about being liked. They like you if you make a movie that makes $200 million. They like you a lot.
Anyway, I have mellowed somewhat as Ive gotten older. But at the end of the day, Im from New York. I dont have kids, I dont have dogs, I dont have a big huge house with a pool -- and there are easier ways to make money. I just want to make movies. So dont get in my way, and Ill be your best friend. But if you get in my way, dont be surprised if I smash this ashtray into your head. Maybe that makes me a colorful personality.
And yet filmmaker Larry Clark (Bully), not noted for his affinity for producers (he once punched Another Day in Paradise producer Stephen Chin onstage at the Venice Film Festival), is borderline-ecstatic in his praise: I cant say enough about Don Murphy. I think hes a great producer and a really good guy. I like him a lot. I think Don and I are probably cut from the same cloth. Were determined to get it done. Nothings going to stop us.
He certainly wants to make good movies, says screenwriter David Goyer, but I think hes trying to appeal to his own sense of whats good and whats not, and he really doesnt give a shit what other people think. Sometimes it makes him reckless, and sometimes it makes him his own worst enemy, but he really fights for this, and he doesnt care about the politics. The funny thing is, hes actually a huge softie.
Maybe so. But according to screenwriter Scott Rosenberg, who co-wrote a project called The Book of Skulls with his brother Phil for Murphy at Universal, Dons a throwback to the old days of the bombastic, bellicose, belligerent producer. Takes no shit from anybody. Does not suffer fools gladly. But at the same time, he has this incredible taste for the most out-there, insane stuff. Theres not a whole hell of a lot of mavericks in this day and age -- no Sam Peckinpahs, no Richard Brookses. Or even actors -- there are no Lee Marvins, no Robert Mitchums. Every now and then, though, you get an Oliver Stone or a Mike De Luca or a Don Murphy, and its refreshing.
Murphy is also the guy who has stood up to industry powerhouses like Jerry Bruckheimer by threatening to go to the press. (Years ago, I was involved in a project at Touchstone, and because of the way it was orchestrated, I think mostly by agents, it was putting me in a position where if I didnt get out of the way, the very successful Jerry Bruckheimer was going to cancel my Christmas. a And I stood in front of the tractor and said, You know, run me down, this is not okay whats happening here.) And when German financing entity Senator backed out of financing a Manson biopic last year, Murphy made sure its credibility suffered at every agency in town. (You know, you have your little checklist of people who must die? Most of them now are people who fucked up that movie.)
Much of what sets Murphy off is business as usual -- people so mortified of being the bearers of bad news, to themselves or others, that they refuse to return a phone call, or pass on a project, or admit that their line of credit has come to an end. But his sense of right and wrong also extends to matters that, arguably, he has no business getting involved in -- and which invariably come back to haunt him.
I was developing a film with Mike De Luca at New Line that was basically the Teena Brandon story, he says. We knew there was another project with Lindsay Law at Fox Searchlight, a joint production between Diane Keatons production company and Drew Barrymores production company. Drew was desperate to play the lead. Also, Drew was best friends with [Fox chairman and CEO] Bill Mechanic. So Drew and Diane had their rights, and we had these rights. There really werent any rights left. Then we heard that [independent producer] Christine Vachon in New York was doing her version of the story -- Boys Dont Cry. And Lindsay Law bought it.
The worst thing of all was, the Chloe Sevigny character, Lana Tinsdale, Id gotten to know her through all of this. She was a nice girl. She was fucked, because she was living in Bumfuck, Nebraska, where people are calling her a dyke. And I said to Lana, You know what? You need to meet this attorney I know, a really good litigator. And I know they dont have your rights, because I do. And she did see them, and she did sue Fox Searchlight, and they settled.
At the time, people told me I was crazy. They said, Youre about to start a film with Fox, and youre sending them lawyers? And okay, it did fuck me up. But it was wrong. Heres this 24-year-old kid who I think they gave her maybe 60, 70 grand to shut up. Where she comes from, thats a fucking house. At one point, the chairman of Fox told me Id never set foot on his lot again. Then, a year and a half later, I was not only premiering From Hell for them, but the head of the studio was no longer the head of the studio. He had his own company and was buying projects from me.
Mechanic, whos gone on to produce The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with Murphy, says diplomatically, Well, you know, Dons an excitable guy. Hes fought for what hes got. He believes that is what has gotten him there. As with anybody who fights for stuff, sometimes they fight when they dont have to. Im the one who kind of banned him from the lot. There were some behavioral issues, in terms of what I thought was inappropriate for somebody who was making a movie for us. But, he sighs, Don and I made peace.
The one thing I have learned, Murphy says, is the value of the long-term. Should I kill this guy now, or should I just wait until it presents itself later, when its less overt? Should I get upset about this or, in the words of Charles Manson, realize that what goes around comes around?
Stuart Cornfeld: Yeah, That Was Pretty Weird.
Fatso (1980)
The Elephant Man
(1980, executive producer)
The Fly (1986)
Kafka (1991)
Wilder Napalm (1993)
Mimic (coexecutive producer, 1997)
Zoolander (2001)
Duplex (2003)
Had he never become a producer, Stuart Cornfeld would still be remembered as the fast-food boss in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, as an enduring symbol of minimum-wage humiliation. Hamilton, youre going over there as a representative of Captain Hooks Fish and Chips, he tells a laconic Judge Reinhold, whos about to change out of his pirate costume. Part of our image, part of our appeal, is that uniform . . . Show a little pride.
He produced my student film at the AFI, says the movies director, Amy Heckerling. As far as working with him, hes the most fun guy in the world. He just looks like the worlds worst boss -- especially in a pirate outfit.
Coming out of the American Film Institute in the late 70s, Cornfeld, at 23, was reportedly the youngest producer of a studio film up to that time (Fatso, starring Dom DeLuise, but still). It was a short walk from that films director -- Anne Bancroft -- to Mel Brooks, Bancrofts husband, and Cornfelds employer for most of the 80s. Soon after, he began sharing an apartment with legendary hipster Mason Hoffenberg (Terry Southerns collaborator on Candy), just then in the latter stages of heroin addiction. It is between those two poles -- borscht-belt comedy and bohemian rhapsody -- that Cornfelds hipster sensibility was galvanized.
With his bald pate, red beard, roly-poly physique and power-casual Hawaiian shirts, Cornfeld vaguely resembles Santa Claus if he had spent his early years as a pot farmer on Maui. He grew up in Hollywood, and his first conscious memory is of appearing on the Art Linkletter TV series Kids Say the Darnedest Things -- which he did twice, both times managing to broach the subject of death. His mothers cousins played Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz, and at 12, he himself appeared in the religious short subject The Day the Temple Disappeared, which, he says, instilled in him to this day an aversion to moral absolutism. His father was an efficiency expert at Mattel toy manufacturers, and in some ways, Cornfeld inherited the family business: Hes still the guy in the toy store charged with making the model trains run on time.
After getting a psychology degree from Berkeley and a series of odd jobs on the periphery of show business -- managing the Ash Grove rock club in Santa Monica before it mysteriously burned down, opening mail for Joni Mitchell, taking the U.S. Census along the seamier stretches of Hollywood Boulevard -- Cornfeld found his way to what would soon be christened Brooksfilms. There, he and fellow assistant Jonathan Sanger decided to set up a script by Sangers baby sitters boyfriend -- The Elephant Man -- and dragged Mel Brooks to the Nuart on opening night to see David Lynchs Eraserhead.
Mels reaction to it, Cornfeld remembers, was, he said to David, Youre the only guy who truly understands what parenthood is about. Mel used to call himself my mentor-tormentor.
Stuarts a talented guy, says Brooks. He was very prescient back then. He showed me this weird flick, and I got it immediately. So I said, Stuart, set up a meeting with me and this guy David Lynch, whoever the hell he is. I really expected a guy in a cape, kind of a Max Reinhardt type. And in walked Charles Lindbergh -- close-cropped hair, white shirt buttoned at the neck. He couldnt believe I was serious about having him direct something.
Stuart goes through a lot of strange transitions. Some of them are physical -- he gains weight, he loses weight. Hes a crazy guy. If Franz Kafka had worked the Improv, that would be Stuart. Living with his demons, only a tortured soul could come up with such creative flights from it.
While at Brooksfilms, Cornfeld also produced David Cronenbergs The Fly, which ended up being the highest-grossing film in America for three weeks running. Stuarts a fantastic guy, says Cronenberg. Hes very witty, very well-read, and hes got a ferocious intellect. So in pre-production, when it was conceptual, he was terrific. But when it came to actually figuring out how to be a producer, I think he was still learning. And I had already figured out pretty much how to be a director. So Stuart is the only producer that Ive ever thrown off my set. It was kind of a friendly throw, but a throw nonetheless.
Cornfeld also logged time at Barry Levinsons Baltimore Pictures alongside veteran producers Gail Mutrux and Mark Johnson, where he produced Kafka for Steven Soderbergh and Glenn Gordon Carons little-seen Wider Napalm. Offered the job of head of production at New Line in 1990 by Bob Shaye -- the job Mike De Luca eventually took -- he instead opted to suspend his career as a producer, to write and regroup. (That hiatus produced at least one memorable screenplay -- IHave Smelled the Future -- co-written with Bryan Higgins.) Later, he returned to AFI to teach part time for several semesters, and among his proteges was future Pi director Darren Aronofsky.
I can understand why Stuart is reluctant to call himself a mentor, says Aronofsky, because Stuart definitely tried to treat us as equals. But when I showed him an early cut of Pi, he was the first to give me a confirmation from Hollywood that this could actually play outside my moms basement. And when I first wanted to do Requiem for a Dream, it turned out he was a huge Hubert Selby Jr. fan, and he said, Youve got to do it! just at the time when everyone else was saying, Why dont you do something more commercial? People who have taste and a conviction of whats good and what they like, thats worth its weight in diamonds.
Finally, through the intervention of longtime friend Bill Horberg, at Sydney Pollacks company Mirage Productions, and writer Jerry Stahl, who had approached him for notes on his long-planned adaptation of Budd Schulbergs What Makes Sammy Run?, Cornfeld came to the attention of Ben Stiller, just then bathed in studio attention from Theres Something About Mary and looking for someone to run his production company, Red Hour.
Hes just a very interesting guy who has a really eclectic background and interests, says Stiller. I liked his sensibility and I liked his taste. Hes really good at working with writers and understanding how to make a script better, in both a specific and a general sort of way. Because hes a writer, he has a real respect for it.
For his part, Cornfeld consistently downplays his own efforts and denies having any overriding agenda. I like movies, he says. It doesnt go too far beyond that. Ive always looked at myself as a footnote in other peoples films. I do outsider stories -- thats just kind of my fundamental paradigm. I dont know if its because I was a fat kid or what, but you look at the times that the movies were really good, it was in the 30s, when the European emigres came over who had a view of America that was both cynical and optimistic. They had an outsiders perspective, where they felt detached enough to comment on what was going on. The 70s was the same thing, because of the them-and-us countercultural fault line that was in place. Once again, these were outsiders saying, This is not what Im a part of.
It is Cornfelds enduring wit that makes him both a friend to writers and the front-runner to be the modern Herman Mankiewicz, whose bons mots once summarized an era. Many of Cornfelds best lines border on the aphoristic: If you want to see how well someone can write, take a look at their arbitration letter. The blank page is Gods way of letting you know how difficult it is to be God. Or the enigmatic: Ive got plenty of irons in the freezer.
Hes also the king of the obscure metaphor, says screenwriter John Hamburg (Zoolander, Duplex). When I first got to know him, I would nod like I understood, but it would never make sense to me. Or anybody you mention, hell say theyre the smartest, the best, the whateverest in Hollywood. Harold Ramis: Hands down, smartest person in Hollywood. He does this completely seriously, under the assumption that everyone knows this. The thing about Ben Hecht is, he had the smallest hands in Hollywood. David Cronenberg makes the best seared tuna in the business.
He knows every musician, every band, every book, every writer, every author, every random figure, says Nancy Juvonen, president of Drew Barrymores company Flower Films, which just co-produced Danny DeVitos Duplex with Cornfeld and Red Hour. And literally, casting with Stuart is like being dropped off in Taiwan and trying to find your way around. Its all these names, to where youre going, I dont know this person. Please let me know just one. Screenwriter David Goyer, Cornfelds longtime neighbor, adds, Stuart has had one of the most storied lives Ive run across. Anybody who is remotely interesting, Stuarts a good friend of: Ricky Jay, David Lynch, Jerry Stahl, Karen Finley -- whoever they are, they know Stuart. One time I asked him whats the strangest thing hes ever seen, and he was apparently playing poker with Barry Levinson and Herve Villaichaize one night, and they decided to go fishing, so they rented a boat off the Santa Monica Pier. And Stuart looked up at one point, and Herve Villaichaize had caught a barracuda, and he was wrestling with the barracuda in the boat, stabbing it with this big huge knife he used to carry, this life-and-death battle going on. And Stuart kind of nodded and said, Yeah, that was pretty weird.
Yet after 20 years in the film business, Cornfeld resolutely declines to lay blame with either those who make the decisions or those who prosper by them. Over the course of my career, he says, Ive only met two studio executives who were really stupid. Everybody else was smart enough to get in the room. So I dont look at it like Im this great guy with amazing taste. Its just that my real enthusiasm is so much better than my fake enthusiasm. I just cant get it together to be that kind of cheerleader, because when I do, my voice and my eyes totally fucking let me down. I just broadcast desperation. If you make some morally corrupt film that makes a shitload of money, if you give $600,000 to Cedars-Sinai thats going to save kids with cancer, [then] at the end of the day youre not really beating yourself up for having done a movie thats all about things going boom.
Chris Hanley on Drugs, Cyberpunks and Serial Killers
Split Second
(executive producer, 1992)
Trees Lounge (1996)
Freeway (1996)
This World, Then the
Fireworks (1997)
Two Girls and a Guy (1998)
Buffalo 66 (1998)
Woundings (1998)
The Virgin Suicides (2000)
American Psycho (2000)
Bully (2001)
Love Liza (2003)
Spun (2003)
Tiptoes (2003)
With his Buster Keaton deadpan and wild tangle of hair behind thick black Philip Johnson glasses, the soft-spoken Chris Hanley most resembles a European intellectual, or perhaps a mad scientist engaged in experiments involving small animals and electricity. A world traveler -- his Web site, www.musefilm.com, features extensive photos from Tokyo, Phi Phi Island in Thailand and the house he keeps in Lamu, Kenya -- Hanley has speech patterns that reflect an eclectic host of influences, from brain chemistry and chaos theory to his former lives as an electronic musician, art dealer and karaoke mogul, as well as the colorful figures he has encountered along the way.
From a beachfront loft in Venice, Hanleys Muse Productions, which he runs with his wife, Roberta, has produced roughly 20 films in a mere decade, luring adventurous, often first-time directors with the promise of final cut, and attracting major actors at far below cost with challenging material unlikely to get made elsewhere. Muse is currently awaiting the release of three features: Love Liza, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman as a grieving widower who takes up gasoline huffing; Spun, the story of speed tweakers in Portland; and Tiptoes, a comedymelodrama from Freeway writer-director Matthew Bright in which Gary Oldman will appear computer-composited with a dwarf body double.
Chris and Robertas life is just like an Interview magazine article, says a former employee who wishes to remain anonymous. The whole Warhol 80s, Look at all the crazy people around me, isnt it cool kind of thing.
Chris is from outer space, explains Larry Clark, for whom Hanley produced Bully with Don Murphy. He definitely is from another planet. But its what makes him interesting, I guess. And somehow he has the knack for raising money for these difficult films.
Born in the upper-middle-class suburb of Montclair, New Jersey, where they shoot exteriors for The Sopranos, Hanley -- the son of a dentist and a dancer with the New York City Ballet -- became an itinerant student at Columbia and Oxford (briefly) before settling at Amherst College in western Massachusetts, where he collected degrees in literature and philosophy. It was at the affiliated Hampshire Colleges electronic-music lab, which featured the first sequencers and drum machines in the country, that he met his future wife. Relocating to Manhattan, where he and Roberta spent most of the 80s, Hanley found his way into the downtown no wave noise-music scene, where he formed a company called Intergalactic Music, initially providing vintage guitars and synthesizers to musicians like John McLaughlin, Heart, and John Entwhistle of The Who. Intergalactic later opened its own studio and recorded contemporary acts such as Afrika Bambaata, Soul Sonic Force, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, the Ramones, and Blondie minus Debbie Harry.
Soon, as an offshoot of Intergalactic and financed, in part, by a thriving art dealership (on occasion, he paid people with Warhol paintings), Hanley formed Rock Video International to distribute the first music videos in Russia, the Eastern Bloc and Japan -- and then, reversing direction, brought karaoke to the U.S., producing more than 400 video clips for the burgeoning fad. In the latter capacity, he wound up hiring practically anyone in New York who had an independent feature to his or her credit.
In February 1992, the Hanleys closed out their various businesses and relocated to Los Angeles, first stopping off in London long enough to produce Split Second, a subpar Rutger Hauer action film financed by Robertas father, a London banker. It put them on the map. We worked with Harvey and his gang at Miramax, says Hanley. The entire net worth of the company was a pumped-up $6 million. At one point, actually, Harvey came to our house in London, and we could have bought 50 percent of Miramax for $6 million. We called our friend Gary, who worked with Paul Allen, who put October Films together, and he said, Oh, man, theyre so much in the red. Thats a dangerous investment. Then The Crying Game came out.
Relying on New York contacts, Hanley quickly partnered with Nick Wechsler, of Addis-Wechsler, on Steve Buscemis Trees Lounge. Through Wechsler, he met Matt Bright, who dragged him to a meeting with Oliver Stone, who in turn impulsively offered to produce Freeway, a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, starring Reese Witherspoon, and Kiefer Sutherland as a serial rapist. Hanley tapped his New York music pal Vincent Gallo to direct Buffalo 66 and partnered with New York producer Ed Pressman on Two Girls and a Guy, and American Psycho (to which Leonardo DiCaprio was infamously attached for a heartbeat, before reason prevailed).
Today, Muse carries between 15 and 20 projects at any one time, many of them literary properties, including, at present, two Philip K. Dicks (Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said and A Scanner Darkly); one J.G. Ballard (High Rise); current literary pinups Amy (A.M.) Homes (Music for Torching and In a Country of Mothers) and J.T. Leroy (The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things, to be adapted-directed by Asia Argento); and Mama Black Widow by Iceberg Slim. Theres a drug genre, a cyberpunk genre and a criminal genre, says the aforementioned former employee. Everything fits into one of those three. At one point, we had 10 books, and six of them were about serial killers.
For fear of having projects stranded in turnaround, Hanley avoids development scenarios, preferring to retain the rights and use the studios to finance them upon completion under a negative pickup or production deal. Consequently, his financing tends to come from wherever he can find it, often a loose, overlapping consortium of foreign entities in the Canal Plus orbit. Describing the division of labor at Muse between himself and Roberta, Hanley says, Im the president of Muse Productions. Shes the chairman. Chairmans higher. She probably produces as much as me, but she makes me do the hardcore, in-the-trenches stuff -- financing and on-the-set. She gets the screenplays going, and shes written several of our properties, or co-written them with people. I have to work the festivals more, hang out with Wild Bunch, Studio Canal, and do more of the traveling into Germany, England, Paris, Madrid, closing the deals. Im pretty good with legal things. But Roberta and I trade off constantly.(Roberta also directed Woundings, based on a Jeff Noon play.)
I think theres a kind of parallel world that Chris inhabits, of random bankers and found money and instinct and openness, says director James Toback (Two Girls and a Guy). And its not really the so-called independent world, because that phrase has ceased to mean anything. Theres an almost Don Quixote--like courage to persisting in it, because its so out of step, really, with what drives movies ultimately, which is money and marketing.
In some ways Im seen as being subversive, but its not my intention, says Hanley. I didnt come out here trying to fight the system. I just assumed that if you had an interesting idea, it would be well-received. I think the brilliant moments in all of history would be like what they say in complexity theory -- right at the edge of chaos. Its not actually chaotic activity, but its near-chaotic activity, where mutations take place at the most frequent rate. My films are kind of like these little mutations. I dont calculate what a contemporary audience is looking for. I dont think about that. I could, by accident, choose that, but thats not whats causing me to push something. Blair Witch, to me, was an exploration of minimalist filmmaking. I mean, as a former art dealer and artist, I think, this is great -- half the movie is a shot of leaves on the ground at night. What could be more interesting to me? But I dont understand why anybody else likes it.
Steve Golin:For Good and Against Evil
The Blue Iguana (1988)
Kill Me Again (1989)
Fear, Anxiety & Depression (1989)
Wild at Heart (1990)
Madonna: Truth or Dare
(supervising producer, 1991)
Candyman (1992)
Kalifornia (1993)
Fallen Angels (1993)
Red Rock West (1994)
The Portrait of a Lady
(associate producer, 1996)
The Game (1997)
Your Friends and Neighbors (1998)
Nurse Betty (2000)
Bounce (2000)
The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2003)
Perhaps more than any of the producers profiled here, Steve Golin is equally at home with small, quirky upstarts (Being John Malkovich) and strictly a commercial fare (Beverly Hills 90210). And it is precisely such properties as Charlie Kaufmans Malkovich -- legendary scripts within the development community -- that arent likely to get made without the intervention of a name producer or studio executive who takes it on as a personal mission.
Not only can Steve break down doors, says Steve Unger, Golins former assistant and now an agent at ICM, but he also knows which doors to go through. And he overcomes obstacles brilliantly. Im in awe of his ability to get things done. Producing is a relationship game, and hes proven that his are long and fruitful.
Like Don Murphy, Golin is the son of a successful New York ad man, a biochemist in Rockland County who specialized in medical advertising. After NYU film school, Golin transferred to the AFI producers program, where he met Joni Sighvatsson, a former Icelandic rock star whod been up at Berkeley on a Fulbright scholarship. After producing several best-forgotten titles -- Hard Rock Zombies, American Drive-In -- together to ramp up their learning curve, they formed Propaganda Films in 1986 to capitalize on the cresting music-video wave. At its height, the company produced some $50 million in revenue and more than 150 music videos annually, or roughly one-third of those being aired. Yet unlike others at the time, Propaganda managed to leverage its production skills and contacts into an R&D process for feature films, incidentally launching the careers of many of todays top Hollywood directors -- David Fincher, Michael Bay, Spike Jonze, Dominic Sena, Simon West, Antoine Fuqua, Mark Romanek and Michel Gondry -- and adding commercial production and management arms along the way.
They also produced half a dozen dark, edgy thrillers, much of early David Lynch (Wild at Heart, the Twin Peaks pilot) and, although no one remembers it today, misfit-auteur director Todd Solondzs first film, Fear, Anxiety and Depression.
Joni and I were definitely like fire and water at the end, says Golin, reflecting back on a split that still carries battle scars on both sides. Joni likes to wind people up, and I basically had to calm them down. It was a little bit like Ronnie Meyer with Ovitz. I admire Joni, and I think hes very clever, but we ran out of steam. We had very similar skills, and I think that we complemented each other very well. We still have a very interesting shorthand between us that I dont have with anybody else.
I think it was a very successful partnership, says Sighvatsson, choosing his words carefully. And I always felt that a big part of the things I have managed to accomplish in America are due to my partnership with Steve. So I look back on it not necessarily with nostalgia, but with great fondness.
After Sighvatsson left to head Lakeshore Entertainment in 1995, Golin and Propaganda produced The Game for David Fincher, Portrait of a Lady for Jane Campion, two films by Neil LaBute (Your Friends and Neighbors and Nurse Betty) and Spike Jonzes first feature, Being John Malkovich.
You know, I grew up with a lot of directors, says Golin. Ive been friends with directors for a long time. I try not to fuck people over, and I try to do what I say Im going to do, and pay people what I say Im going to pay them, and do all those things that build up trust -- and it takes a long time to do that. My job is to back filmmakers. Postproduction is the place where I can have the biggest effect on movies. If I have to get involved during production, its bad.
In person, Golin is the opposite of eccentric, his New York intimidation factor effectively muted by the slightly rumpled, slightly comical persona he employs to allay skittish moneylenders and artistic temperaments alike. Those who have worked with him invariably cite his honesty and directness.
Hes a great conduit between all the disparate kinds of people who get together to make a project work, says Neil LaBute. Business affairs, musicians . . . hes got a hand in all those worlds. But he doesnt have six different faces that he wears. He doesnt slip into his heavy eye makeup with Marilyn Manson and then back into his Brooks Brothers shirt to talk to the attorney, or into a large plaid shirt to talk to me. He has this absolutely specific and unique taste, and yet it doesnt guide his every move. He doesnt dress eccentric or drive a strange car or have a secret handshake. He has good taste -- and the good sense to be normal.
Hes really straightforward, says Spike Jonze. I think on the financial side, people are probably calmed by him because hes practical in terms of knowing what their situation is. And with filmmakers, he has opinions, but hes also supportive. Hes honest, and he genuinely cares. Adds Malkovich screenwriter Kaufman, whose Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Golin is currently producing for the newly formed Universal Focus, I like his taste, and I like his honesty. Hes a direct, decent, honest person. I think thats rare in any position. People lie to you about everything, even about whether or not they like your work, just to keep in practice, or more, to keep you under their control, to have you on their side, or as a friend, or whatever they need to have you as. From the two movies Ive been involved in with Steve, I feel like I trust him.
Look, says Golin, everybodys for good and against evil. Everybody wants to make good movies. But at the end of the day, Hollywood is a place where a lot of people -- a lot -- live by their word. A lot of deals get done here on your word. I think people in Hollywood are basically straightforward and honest, as much as the system allows. I really do. I mean, if I give my word, thats it, and I expect the same from other people. And Im not disappointed too many times.
In 1998, Propaganda was sold to Universal as part of owner PolyGrams divestiture of its film assets, and then to Barry Dillers USA Films, before being taken over by a consortium of private investors in 1999, at the peak of the free-money bubble. Golin was summarily fired, and replaced by former William Morris agent Rick Hess. Two years later, the company collapsed. By then, Golin had formed a new company, Anonymous Content, which similarly sought to subsidize feature-film production with ancillary businesses -- commercials, music videos and talent management. The company currently enjoys a first-look deal with Universal Focus and a second-look deal with Ridley and Tony Scotts Scott Free Productions. But despite Anonymous Contents innovative forays into advertising, such as BMWs online series of short filmscommercial spots directed by people like Guy Ritchie, Wong Kar-Wai and Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu, the studios have only recently begun to respond to the companys material.
We started at the worst possible time, says Golin. It was right at the end of the whole Internet bubble, stupid money, blah blah blah. The first year, there was a massive commercial strike for six months. The second year, there was a de facto writers and actors strike. And then there was 911 and a big giant advertising recession. Its been a tough time. And its been five times the amount of work I thought it would be -- five times, without fear of contradiction. I honestly think you cant count on what you could count on before. The business is a lot tougher. If I had it to do over again, maybe I wouldnt do it. I mean, Im glad I did it now. But I couldnt do it again. I dont have the energy.
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Although he has been reluctant to comment on it up to now, he is referring to what amounts to an open secret within the hermetic film community: In January of this year, Golin was diagnosed with bone cancer, one of the most corrosive and resilient of all cancers. Yet after eight months of intensive treatment, including a grueling, intensely painful surgery, he seems to have put the worst of it behind him.
I was diagnosed in January, and I had chemo and radiation through June, says Golin. Then I had surgery in August -- they actually removed my shoulder blade and replaced it with titanium. When they do that, they cut a lot and take out a lot of bone and whatnot. Ill never be able to raise my arm over my head -- I can almost raise it straight, but not quite. Then I had to have two more rounds of chemo, and now Im done. Everything with the surgery went according to plan, so theyre optimistic. But who knows? Ive learned a lot about everything having to do with this, and I wouldnt wish it on my worst enemy. But everybodys been really sweet. Thats the thing about Hollywood. When youre doing well, everybodys a bunch of assholes, and when youre doing shitty, everybodys really nice.
In assessing a life lived in the trenches, Golin cites as role models inveterate lifers such as David Brown and Saul Zaentz, or his friends Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner at Working Title, or Ed Pressman, who is really the grandfather of it all. Hes probably not that much older than I am, but hes somebody you really have to admire. Hes done it for a long time.
The biggest thing that any producer has is tenacity, Golin says. Because literally, every day, theres a thousand people telling you why it isnt happening, theres a thousand bad words. Call an agent, they dont get it -- they dont like the script, theyre not giving it to their client, their client doesnt like it, the client lost it, it went to the wrong address, every goddamn thing. You have to keep at it. I think if you really, really want to be a producer, you just have to hang in there. You can never quit. Once you fixate on that, youre ahead of every other idiot in Hollywood. David Brown is 78 years old, and hes still doing it. Thats genius. Thats what I want to do. Theres no retirement. Theyll put you out to pasture eventually; nobody will take your phone calls, because all your friends will be dead, or youll be dead. But this is what you do.


text:
Statement of Dale W. Sopper,
Acting Deputy Commissioner for Finance, Assessment, and Management,
Social Security Administration
before the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight
Subcommittee on Government Management, Information, and Technology
November 12, 1997
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcomminee:
Thank you for the opporrunity to come here today to discuss the Social Security Administration's (SSA) ongoing efforts to improve its debt management program. We have a long-standing commitment to debt management and are continually engaged in projects that improve our performance.
The success of our debt management program is critical to SSA's mission and to our goal to make SSA's program management the best in business. Our debt management program consists of three interrelated pieces: prevention, detection, and resolution. We limit the amount of overpaid benefits through our debt prevention initiatives; we pursue the debts that do occur; and we maximize the return to the trust funds and the U.S. Treasury.
In 1997 alone we collected more than $2 billion, returning $1.5 billion to the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) trust funds, $437 million to Treasury's general revenues representing Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recoveries, and $74 million to the states representing recoveries of the state supplement to SSI payments.
The Current Debt Recovery Process
Before I discuss our strategies for implementing new debt collection authorities, I would like to describe our current general process for debt recovery under which we collect debt owed to us.
When an overpayment is detected in either the OASDI program or the SSI program, a notice is sent to the individual describing the reason for the overpayment, indicating how the overpayment can be repaid, and advising the individual of his or her due process rights.
If the individual is on the benefit rolls, the lener indicates that if the overpayment is nor paid, recovery will be carried out through the offset of ongoing OASDI or SSI benefit payments, although only within the same program, i.e., we cannot enforce offset of an SSI debt by withholding an OASDI payment or vice versa. Because of the effectiveness of the benefit offset process, we can readily collect debts owed SSA when the debtor continues to be a beneficiary. In the OASDI program the rate of offset against benefits is 100 percent until recovery is completed. In the SSI program the rate of recovery against current benefits is limited to an amount equal to ten percent of the individual's monthly countable income, including the SSI benefit (the 10 percent rate that is established by statute). Both of these recovery rates are negotiable if they would create a financial hardship. The subcommittee should be aware that some SSI beneficiaries leave the rolls, and debt collection becomes much more difficult in those situations.
If the individual is not on the benefit rolls, no offset is possible. The overpayment letter, requesting repayment of the overpaid amount, indicates that the debtor should contact SSA if unable to repay in full. In this circumstance we will negotiate an installment arrangement. For those who enter into an installment arrangement we send a monthly bill for the amount due. If the individual fails to respond to the initial notice, or does not remit a monthly payment, our billing system issues a reminder notice and then a past due notice.
If these notices do not result in recovery, SSA's debt collectors attempt telephone contact. At this point, an OASDI delinquent debtor will be considered for tax refund offset. If he or she meets the criteria, SSA will send a notice advising the individual that any income tax refund due could be used to recover the overpayment, and providing an opportunity for the debtor to protest.
In general, at any point in this process, if the individual exercises his or her due process rights, we suspend recovery efforts until the matter is adjudicated.
Improvement Initiatives
I should point out that SSA has, for many years, lacked the authority to use debt collection tools available to other agencies. SSA is working diligently to make in a short time the same improvements the other agencies have had years to achieve.
In discussing SSA's plans for implementing debt collection improvement, I would like to first provide a history of debt collection legislation and its relationship to SSA's debt.
The Debt Collection Act of 1982 (DCA) authorized Federal agencies to use aggressive debt collection tools to improve performance. The collection tools authorized by this act were administrative offset of the debt against most Federal payments due, notifying credit bureaus of the individual's indebtedness, offsetting the debt against the individual's Federal salary, charging interest on the debt, and using collection agencies. This act, however , exempted SSA, both the OASDI and SSI programs, from the provisions authorizing use of these collection tools.
The Deficit Reduction Act of 1984 included a provision which authorized the Tax Refund Offset program. This legislation precluded use of this collection tool to recover any debts under the OASDI programs.
In 1990, the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (OBRA) was passed which authorized SSA to use Tax Refund Offset to collect OASDI delinquent debts. SSA implemented Tax Refund Offset in 1992.
The Domestic Employment Reform Act (DERA), passed in 1994 gave SSA limited authority to use three of the collection tools that were originally contained in DCA. These tools were credit bureau reporting, administrative offset, and use of collection agencies. The authority was limited, however, to OASDI debts where the overpaid amount was paid to the individual after the individual turned age 18, and the debt was determined to be unrecoverable under regulations issued by the Commissioner of Social Security.
Last year, the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 (DCIA) provided SSA with the remaining two authorities contained in DCA with the same restrictions as set forth in DERA. That is, SSA is authorized to charge interest on overpayments and offset against Federal salaries in cases in which an OASDI overpayment was made to an individual over the age of 18 at the time the overpayment occurred, and the overpayment has been determined to be otherwise unrecoverable.
I would like to emphasize that, because we lacked for many years the statutory authority to use these collection tools, SSA is now attempting to get on an equal footing with other Government agencies.
With the authority given SSA by OBRA 1990, SSA implemented tax refund offset to recover OASDI debts beginning with the 1992 tax refund year. In subsequent years SSA made refinements to the program. Since the initial implementation in 1992, Tax Refund Offset has provided SSA with more than $140 million in collections of past due OASDI debts.
Beginning in January 1998, SSA will participate in the Treasury Offset Program, which will offset an individual's OASDI debt against most payments issued by the Treasury Department. Also in January 1998, SSA will begin referring information about debtors' delinquencies to consumer credit reporting agencies. SSA will send a notice to the individual indicating that the debt will be referred to the Treasury Department for offset against Federal payments under the Treasury Offset Program, and also advising the individual that we will report the delinquency to a credit reporting agency. The notice will also inform the debtor of their prote st rights.
These new authorities. administrative offset and credit bureau referrals, will be used only to recover OASDI debts, since there is no statutory authority to do so for SSI debts. We plan to improve collection of SSI debts by expanding the use of the Tax Refund Offset program, for which there is no statutory exclusion. On an annual basis, we recover more than $20 million through the Tax Refund Offset program. We anticipate that the combination of these new collection tool s will increase SSA's debt collections by an estimated $10 to $20 million, $6 million of which we expect to come from the expansion of tax refund offset to SSI.
Because of the differences in the statutory authorities governing how we can utilize the different debt collection authorities, we will refer 356,713 qualified cases worth $575 million for tax refund offset only. Of the tax refund offset-only cases, 277,518 cases worth $452 million are SSI cases and the remaining 79,195 cases worth $123 million are OASDI cases. Some of the OASDI cases were previously submitted for the 1997 tax refund offset program and some are being submitted for the first time.
When we implement Treasury's Offset Program for offset against Federal payments, in January 1998, we will initially refer 55,509 OASDI cases worth $282 million in overpayments. We will at the same time be referring these cases to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for inclusion in the 1998 tax refund offset program.
Once we have completed implementation of these current projects, we will begin efforts to implement the remaining statutory debt collection authorities available to us, namely , federal salary offs et, use of collection agencies, and interest charging. We expect to begin these efforts in the next few months.
In your invitation to testify you requested information on the status of regulations necessary to implement the Debt Collection Improvement Act. As I mentioned earlier, SSA is diligently implementing authorities other agencies have had for many years. We are about to publish regulations that will govern the use of administrative offset and the use of consumer reporting agencies for OASDI debts, along with the definition of unrecoverable debt as required by statute. We will also issue revised regulations for the OASDI tax refund offset program that address the conversion of the program from the IRS to the Financial Management Service.
Specific provisions of the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 allow for the offset of OASDI payments to recover debts owed to other Federal agencies. We are working with the Treasury Department to implement this provision and are in the process of reviewing the draft regulations that will put this provision into effect. We are working with Treasury to ensure effective data exchange between agencies so that we are able to respond to inquiries that result from offset.
Treasury Cross Servicing
Another provision of DCIA calls for referral of debts to the Treasury Department for cross servicing; that is, the Treasury Department acts as a debt collector for the agency. Debts are exempt from this provision if the debts have been referred to a debt collection center. We have submitted an application to the Secretary of the Treasury to be designated as a debt collection center for the purpose of collecting our own debts. We based this application on the existing debt collection centers that we have in place for recouping the debt that cannot be recovered through benefit offset. These centers use all of the techniques available to us. Therefore, at this point we have not referred any debts for cross servicing.
Pending Legislation
In your letter of invitation you asked that we comment on legislation pending before the subcomntittee, specifically H.R. 2063, the "Debt Collection Wage Information Act of 1997" and H.R. 2347, the "Federal Benefit Verification and Integrity Act." The Administration is studying the merits of these bills but is not prepared to take a formal position at this time. The Administration is willing to work with this committee on legislation for the purpose of creating management tools needed to ensure program integrity, effective debt collection and the protection of individual privacy rights.
In conclusion, I would like to restate SSA's commitment to debt management and the implementation of the relevant provisions of the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996. We have been conscientiously collecting Social Security-related debt since the beginning of the program. Since SSA was first authorized to participate in the tax refund offset program for OASDI, we have continuously been expanding and enhancing the use of authorized debt collection tools as they have become available to us. We will continue to implement the debt collection authorities available to us, so that we will be on an equal footing with other agencies. Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today.