Having not released any decent literature for nigh on a decade (Lunar Park was average and The Canyons, a screenplay, is yet to see the light of day), Bret Easton Ellis has descended into pits of bitterness over recent months. When he was denied the pleasure of writing the 50 Shades of Grey film adaptation, in place of Kelly Marcel, who he derided the choice and Marcel, culminating in his utterance of "ARGH!"
This time around he took to Twitter again to give a back handed compliment to the Zero Dark Thirty direction, and only female director to have ever won an Academy Award, Kathryn Bigelow:
"Zero Dark Thirty" might win critics awards but "Silver Linings Playbook" will win the Best Picture Oscar. This is how it always happens...
— Bret Easton Ellis (@BretEastonEllis) December 6, 2012
Kathryn Bigelow would be considered a mildly interesting filmmaker if she was a man but since she's a very hot woman she's really overrated.
— Bret Easton Ellis (@BretEastonEllis) December 6, 2012
Kathryn Bigelow: Strange Days, K-19 The Widowmaker, Blue Steel, The Hurt Locker. Are we talking about visionary filmmaking or just OK junk?
— Bret Easton Ellis (@BretEastonEllis) December 6, 2012
Anyone Unfollowing me should have known better and never Followed me in the first place. Wise up: pussies and snowflakes. Get the F over it.
— Bret Easton Ellis (@BretEastonEllis) December 6, 2012
Concerned Empire woman offended by Bigelow tweet writes "I love you, babe. But stop tweeting wasted." When the hell else should I tweet?!?
— Bret Easton Ellis (@BretEastonEllis) December 6, 2012
A great deal of Ellis's writing, particularly the sociopathic-centred novel American Psycho, has been criticised for it's blatant misogyny. Ellis hasn't exactly proven himself or his thoughts to be far from that judgement, but likewise one always gets the impression that he's manipulating your opinion of him. If he wanted us to like him, we would. As it is, he clearly doesn't. Nevertheless, while it's possible that that Bigelow has progressed in the business and managed to get the kind of big film commissions due partly to her appearance (as much as it pains us to say this, appearance really still is everything in a lot of circles), no one watches a film with the view of the director in mind, so obviously Ellis is totally wrong. Sorry pal. And that Empire woman is probably right.
Movies that allow us to wallow in a trashy story for a couple of hours...