Comments on: Cannes: New Clip From ‘The Immigrant’; James Gray Talks Title Changes, Working With Joaquin Phoenix, Marion Cotillard & More

By: Webster Skyhorse

Webster Skyhorse — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:49:47 +0000

Another vote for ending this campaign to marginalize Menello and his contributions to his filmmaker "friends'" works. He may never have reached the level of having handlers to manage his image and put out a complete narrative, but the facts are out there and they just don't square with this portrait being drawn by folks like Gray, Rubin, Brody, etc.

Menello ushered in a new era of music video for a new kind of group, wrote a big time comedy on spec for said group that entered development hell after being sold. At this point the group broke up, bridges got burned, and Menello went off the radar. By the late '90s however, he was back to doing quality control behind the curtain for some of the major auteur-as-brand types today such as Romanek and JJ Abrams.

While Gray seems to have felt indebted enough to get Menello out of this uncredited, much exploited position, he still doesn't hesitate to treat the guy like a Rainman-figure he pitied, not a wise outsider kept out of the game who elevated his material starting with THE YARDS.

By: RL

RL — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:49:47 +0000

I love Phoenix and Gray's relationship a lot!Wish they could do another film together.

By: Roberta Manzetti

Roberta Manzetti — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:49:47 +0000

Ric Menello was a member of the WGA. He wrote scripts before and after his work with Gray, and even sold and was paid for the last one (which he wrote alone). Directors don't "give screenwriting credits" to people, they have to be earned through each writer's participation, and are subject to arbitration by the Guild. This is just another instance of Gray's shameless credit-hogging.

By: morgan yam

morgan yam — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:49:47 +0000

So sad that the press has to be so unimaginative and just perpetuate this inane stereotype of Ric Menello. Does a "shut-in" go and write every night at a local cafe, where he knows virtually everyone who works there and frequents it? Ric was eccentric only in the ways that creative people are. Enough with the overdramatic eulogizing already.

By: Jed

Jed — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:49:47 +0000

OMG! OMG! Can't wait to see Marion and Joaquin!!!!