Intro and gallery / Synopsis / Cast and crew / E-mail exchange / Reviews E-mail exchange between Ate de Jong and Michael Lally On 9/04/99 Ate de Jong at fdutchman@xxx.net wrote: I'm very happy to take a step back and let you run with the script the way you see fit. I hope you feel comfortable with that. I mean you have to decide how much work you want to invest at this time as anything beyond the initial $$$ is speculative (though I think one of the films will be made so you should always get some bonus payment) But I don't want to be presumptuous. I'll cut you in (credit and all) if Fogbound gets made, but I really don't know if it will happen. On 9/12/99 Michael Lally at Lally@xxx.com wrote: Sorry, I've been out of it for a few days, my daughter's wedding and all. She wanted to do it her way and I was secretly critical and then it turned out to be the most beautiful wedding I was ever at. So much for my opinion. On 9/24/99 Ate de Jong at fdutchman@xxx.net wrote: A daughters wedding, that's still future territory for me. I still have to go through the fear that my daughters will get boyfriends. Anyway, I just returned from Amsterdam. I absolutely fucked up my back again, too proud to ask people for help, so I lifted every heavy suitcase myself. You changed less than I thought you would. I take that as a compliment, as I think you didn't find it necessary to completely shake up the script. Working on it again, I liked the script and was pleasantly surprised how it still intrigues me. Both Fogbound and The Discovery Of Heaven are submitted now to the Dutch subsidy Funds. They'll take at least 8 weeks to read and decide. I did manage to get a deal for both at Dutch TV, but it doesn't mean too much if we don't get the subsidy. I'm nervous about it, as I've made some enemies in those circles, and they might give the money to The Discovery Of Heaven at the expense of Fogbound. On 12/15/99 Ate de Jong at fdutchman@xxx.net wrote: Life is terribly unpredictable. The subsidy people have problems with The Discovery Of Heaven and react favourably towards Fogbound. No way Fogbound can stand financially on its own legs. This Dutch tax incentive opportunity is a gift from heaven. But The Discovery Of Heaven is the key element. No Discovery, no money from investors, and therefore no Fogbound. We don't really need the subsidy ­it only covers 3% of the budget-- but the bank sees it as a sort of official approval. It's hard for me to fight for Fogbound, as it is so personal. But being the producer of Discovery is no sweat. Last time you mentioned some famous actor friends. Can you send them Fogbound? On 1/10/00 Michael Lally at Lally@xxx.com wrote: I sent the script to WX and YZ (note: for legal reasons initials of actors are fakes). They both always say, "Anything you write Michael, I'll be in it." But you never know. I'm not even sure they'll read it themselves, probably goes to their development people, and they'll judge if it's good for their career. Unfortunately, the hirelings don't care if it's a good script or not. WX could use it more than anyone. He's done a bunch of bad movies. Fogbound could reinvent him, like Pulp Fiction did with Travolta. Redefine him to the audience. I mean he really could kick ass as Leo. He is Leo! As for YZ. She'd be great as Ann, because she too is sensual and attractive but also really intelligent. But we'd probably have to rewrite the script as per her or her people's suggestions before she'd commit to doing it. And she'd probably want a veto over the other leads. The good thing would be that either of them, and especially both together, would make it possible to sell it all over the world and make some real money, but it might be a different film than you intended. What about your friend Jeroen Krabbe as Leo? On 01/20/00 Ate de Jong at fdutchman@xxx.net wrote: Jeroen read Fogbound ten years ago, he might even have been the very first person to ever read it. He always loved it and wanted to play Leo, he still encourages me to do the project, he's very supportive. Now that he will direct The Discovery of Heaven he won't have time to play the lead. In a way that's a blessing in disguise. He's a bit too old now. On 04/06/00 Michael Lally at Lally@xxx.com wrote: Ate, so Jaina and I took that "test" you forwarded and now we're getting a divorce. Only kidding, but the answers were pretty unexpected and incorrect. That's a version of a "psychological" test that was going around in the early '80s and I took at a party in Hollywood one of my first nights there and the only thing I remember is that Brain DiPalma and I both had the same favourite animal, a giraffe, but I picked it because I found giraffes sensual and he picked it because he found them regal, and there you have the difference between Brian DiPalma and me! The rest of the email about the Dalia Lama etc. was taken from another email making the rounds, but it doesn't sound like the Dalia Lama I know! A little too much "spiritual materialism" for him. How's the financing coming along? Still up in the air? I just got hit with a ridiculous tax bill, and have to pay three state taxes, California, New Jersey and New York, so I think I'll sell my soul to the... oh no, already tried that, even he wasn't buying. Oh well. Hope your back is okay, mine wasn't but is back on track. On 05/16/00 Ate de Jong at fdutchman@xxx.net wrote: Good news Michael. We have gotten the money. The investors oversubscribed. So all three films, The Discovery of Heaven, Enigma and Fogbound are now financed. It's been more than a roller-coaster ride. I credit myself with saving the projects several times. Another weird thing is that I think budgets are too high. But the bank refuses to make them lower. I wonder where the padding will go. Do you suppose it ends up on the screen? I finally realized it's my provincial attitude and I stepped over it. Our budgets are a joke in comparison to other countries. If I want to make movies in the international market place I'll have to accept certain realities. All the time I thought, "Ok it's a horror, but if it gets Fogbound made, it's worth it". Now I'm friends with everyone again. previous page / next page