Find (on this page): Ctrl+F

April 30, 2008

I'm gonna be fiddling with my stupid Oprah book forever. The latest thing I'm calling it is Oprah's Dead Son, but it's still not anywhere near done and I've gotta get it done in order to go back and get it done right. I think I started it in 2002. That might have been a while ago. Here's an e-mail I just got:

Subject: remove me from your spam list You're on your own list and I don't do spam. G. Mr. Jones. I received the e-mail below unsolicited from you this morning. I do not know you nor I have I done business with you. I have requested not to receive any more emails from you. Unsolicited commercial emails are spam. I will forward the next one I receive from either of these addresses along with my last two emails to the New York Attorney General's consumer protection division. According to your public profile at the Columbia Journalism School website, you're working on your first book "Fake News, Real Politics." I have a free website listing agents and publishers which may be of assistance to you. I sent an e-mail to the address you provided on the Columbia site, which in and of itself is a tacit solicitation of e-mail communication. Further, my e-mail was in no way "commercial." I'm not selling anything. I gave you a link to a free book, links to chapters of a free audio book, offered to send you a free copy of the fifteen-hour audio book in its entirety and gave you the url of my free website which may aid you in your search for representation and the publication of your first book. The audio book is a narrative nonfiction account of the history of America from 1943 to 2003 which includes pertinent audio clips from noteworthy individuals who helped shape "real news" during those years, from The Shadow, Father Coughlin, Charles Lindbergh, JFK, MLK, Robert Welch, Harry Truman, etc. to Allen Ginsberg, Leadbelly, Walter Chronkite, Charles Bukowski, William Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, etc. (see the free index I provided you for the others). What that all means is that the book I gave you for free and the audio book I offered to send you for free is "news." Your bio says you're a news guy who, as such, should be interested in news. Whose fault is it that you're not what you say you are? Feel free to include this reply in your complaint to the NY Attorney General and/or whomsoever else you may want to complain to. Thanks. G.

Here's the original e-mail I sent the guy.

Quote:

Here's Ginny Good in its entirety:

http://everyonewhosanyone.com/ggsyn1.html

Here are some sample chapters from The Audio Book of Ginny Good.

Chapter 7: North Beach, New Year's Eve, 1962
http://everyonewhosanyone.com/audio/GGch07m.mp3

Chapter 13: San Francisco, Tijuana, Mississippi, New York, Summer, 1964
http://everyonewhosanyone.com/audio/GGch13m.mp3

Chapter 19: La Honda, May, 1965
http://everyonewhosanyone.com/audio/GGch19m.mp3

Chapter 23: Haight-Ashbury, Fall, 1967, Part 1
http://everyonewhosanyone.com/audio/GGch23m.mp3

Chapter 24: Haight-Ashbury, Fall, 1967, Part 2
http://everyonewhosanyone.com/audio/GGch24m.mp3

Chapter 32: Hillsborough, CA, Summer, 1982
http://everyonewhosanyone.com/audio/GGch32m.mp3

Chapter 35: Ashland, OR, February, 2003
http://everyonewhosanyone.com/audio/GGch35m.mp3

Here's the index:
http://everyonewhosanyone.com/ggsyn.html

If you want a copy of the whole huge fifteen-hour extravaganza on .mp3 CDs for free, give me an address and I'll send you a copy. There's a bunch of other stuff on my little website, too. Click some links and see. Thanks. G.

Gerard Jones
everyone@everyonewhosanyone.com
http://www.everyonewhosanyone.com

Unquote.

"...they'll have me whipped for speaking true, thou'lt
have me whipped for lying; and sometimes I am
whipped for holding my peace. I had rather be any
kind o' thing than a fool: and yet I would not be
thee, nuncle..."

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
10250 Constellation Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90067
(310) 449-3000

http://www.mgm.com

United Artists Corporation
10250 Constellation Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90067
(310) 449-3000

1350 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10019
(212) 708-0300

http://www.unitedartists.com

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios
2500 Broadway Street
Santa Monica, CA
(310) 449-3000

http://www.mgm.com

Irish DreamTime
2450 Broadway, Ste. E-5021
Santa Monica, CA 90404
(310) 449-3411

Jaret Entertainment
2017 Pacific Ave., Ste. 2
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 883-8807

http://www.jaretentertainment.com

Bob & Alice Productions
11693 San Vicente Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(310) 260-2959

FGM Entertainment
310 N. Canon Dr., Ste. 328
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310-205-9900

Commotion Pictures
301 N. Canon Dr., Ste. 324
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 432-2000

http://www.commotionpictures.com

Trilogy Entertainment Group
325 Wilshire Blvd., Ste 203
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 656-9733

http://www.trilogyent.com

Hi Gerard, We know how hard it is to get anything you care about through the clutter of Hollywood. We create ourselves and face the same demons and angels. If you are patient we would be willing to read Ginny Good. If you would like to have Laura forward us a copy of your book - we'll give it some real thought. Regards, pen

Hey, Pen and John, I'm the epitome of patience. Give me an address and I'll gladly send you both a signed copy...or if you for some reason have to get it from Laura or Paul Cohen, the publisher, send either or both of them an e-mail. I've cc'd them, so just do "reply to all" on this e-mail and they'll get it and send you copies. They can't sign it, though. Well, not with my name, anyway...but Paul will include a cute little promo package. Take your total time. Thanks. G.

Gerard, Hi. Alex here from Trilogy. Below, please find our mailing address, Best, Alex

Hey, Alex, I'll send a super special signed collectible copy out tomorrow. Thanks. G.

Hi Gerard, Alex Daltas here from Trilogy Entertainment Group. I wanted to let you know we've been busy but haven't forgotten about the submission; I read your novel over the holidays and enjoyed it. I'm sharing my thoughts with others here, and will be following up. Best regards, and a happy new year to you, Alex

Hey, Alex, thanks for letting me know. GG just got stuck on a list of the best books of 2004. It was only ninth best in the world but I think that was 'cause they called it nonfiction and it had to compete with Dylan and Alexander the Great. If they would've called it fiction it would've been first best. Here's the list:

http://januarymagazine.com/features/bestof04nonfiction.html

Glad you liked it. G.

Hi Gerard. Thanks for your patience... Unfortunately we are going to pass on 'Ginny Good'. Nothing against its integrity. We think it's a very entertaining and earnest piece. However, it just isn't sitting with the company's sensibilities at the moment. Thanks again for your interest in Trilogy for this. Regards, Alex Daltas

Ah, company sensibilities, yes, among my favorite things. Thanks for taking a look. G.

David Ladd Films
16030 Ventura Blvd.
Encino, CA 91436
(323) 481-8129

http://www.davidladdfilms.com

LucasFilm, Ltd.
5858 Lucas Valley Road
San Rafael, CA 94946
(415) 662-1800

(LucasArts Entertainment, Industrial Light & Magic, Skywalker Sound, Lucasfilm Animation, Lucas Licensing)

http://www.lucasfilm.com

***Redacted***

Dear Ms. Bishop: I know you're just doing your job and forgive you for spelling my name rong, but if you had read my correspondence before you destroyed it and stomped on it and deleted it from your system you would have realized that I was simply telling you about a book you can either read and make a movie out of or not. It's in libraries. It's in bookstores. It's no secret "creative idea."

The principals of Lucasfilm Ltd. may have come to points in their creative lives when they're ready to put away childish things and apply their considerable talents and resources to the making of something besides mere entertainment. If so, Ginny Good will be an exquisite vehicle; if not, hey, people can always use a little more mere entertainment and it does make money, after all, yes.

Oh, and as for not submitting unsolicited material, I don't get that, no. You advertise your "product," right? So do I. Big whoop. You think I solicit correspondence about "Star Wars" memorabilia nine thousand times a day? I don't...but I get it all the same. Your advertising budget might be a bit bigger than mine, but it's the same principle. You stop advertising your stuff and I'll stop advertising mine. How about that? Thanks. G.

***Redacted***

Dear Nora: I know all about long-standing policies and they're not confined stictly to Lucasfilm, Ltd. I'm realizing my own creative ideas, however, and some of those ideas include ragging on people and companies who and which have replaced art and literature and independence and all the rest of the best things in life with the singleminded, shortsighted, exclusive love of money. Antipiracy, indeed. I'm not very influential, though (well, not yet, anyway), so I wouldn't pay me much mind. You might tell George Lucas that he could expand his "creative ideas" an order of magnitude or two by listening to GG as the free .mp3 files I've stuck up on my free website:

http://everyonewhosanyone.com/audio

You're welcome to listen to them yourself, for that matter. Thanks. G.

Industrial Light & Magic
PO Box 2459
San Rafael, CA 94912
(415) 662-1800

http://www.ilm.com

Anschutz Film Group
1100 South Flower St.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
(213) 763-7700

9916 Santa Monica Blvd., 2nd. Flr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310) 887-1000

(Walden Media, Bristol Bay Productions, Gran Via Productions, Colleen Camp Productions...)

http://www.aegworldwide.com/05_affiliates/afg.html

Walden Media
9916 Santa Monica Blvd., 2nd. Flr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310) 887-1000

http://www.walden.com

Bristol Bay Productions
1888 Century Park East, 14th Flr.
Los Angeles, CA 90067
(310) 887-1000

http://www.bristolbayproductions.com

Gran Via Productions
1888 Century Park East, 14th Fl.
Los Angeles, CA 90067
(310) 859-3060

Colleen Camp Productions
132-A S. Lasky Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310) 248-6228

Mosaic Media Group
9200 Sunset Blvd. Suite 515
Los Angeles, CA 90069
310-786-4900

Single Cell Pictures
1016 N. Palm Ave
West Holywood, CA 90069
(310) 360-7600

Brillstein-Grey Entertainment
9150 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 350
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310) 275-6135

(Basic Entertainment, Plan B)

Plan B
9150 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 350
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 275-6135

The Weinstein Company
375 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10013
(212) 941-3800

24-30 Great Titchfield Street
London W1W 8BF

(Dimension Films, Troublemaker Studios...)

http://www.weinsteinco.com

The Way the System Works at The Weinstein Company:

Dear Gerard, I am an assistant for the Business and Legal Department at The Weinstein Company, and I would love for you to do me a favor, which in turn will actually benefit you. Here's the situation...on your website (btw - rather impressive), you have several e-mail addresses of the employees here as contact for writers with submissions. However, due to legalities, none of us can accept unsolicited submissions. So what ends up happening is that I have to send a letter kindly stating so to each and every writer.

I've always been a cheerleader for the writer, and it breaks my heart to send letters that can cause a writer to become frustrated and discouraged by my having to act like a brick wall. So perhaps you could please remove the employees' names from your site, and instead list the names of known writer representatives (agents, managers and attorneys), as those are generally people from whom we can accept submissions. This way, you could save aspiring writers from expending time and energy on what amounts to a dead-end tactic to get their work noticed. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call me. Warmest regards...

I've got all the agents and managers on my site, as well, and nobody looks at anything, period, so I don't see any harm in leaving you guys on my little list. Hollywood is run, as far as I can tell, mostly by serendipity and money. Something might strike the right producer, editor, actor, director, agent, manager, assistant in the legal department, secretary, mail room guy, etc. at the right time and voila. Basically you guys are who you are and do what you do and that information is readily available on the Internet so I stuck it in my little directory.

Yours is by far the nicest letter I've ever gotten asking to be removed from my little list (and I've gotten LOTS), but I can't. The best I can do is put up your description of the way things are and hope that discourages people from sending you what you don't want to get. Thanks. G.

Oh, go listen to my free audio book if you ever get bored. The book on which it's based is gonna make the best movie ever made if anyone ever makes it. The coolest chapters I've finished so far are, gosh, they're all pretty good...but try 10 or 32 and 33. They're all in this index, just click the links:

http://everyonewhosanyone.com/audio/

Okay, since I'm a lover and not a fighter, I will take you up on your offer to place the disclaimer prior to our company's contacts (perhaps other companies have different policies, so you can make it specific to just ours.) I understand and love that you're intentions are honorable, it's just that the reality of how this system works is that the unsolicited approach isn't the way to go if you want your work to be seriously considered, and whomever isn't aware and doesn't go through the proper channels of getting their work seen, runs the risk of being perceived as unprofessional, ultimately hurting their chance for success.

It's up to you, because at the end of the day, I'll be forced to continue sending those rejection letters (hoping to be atoned by Mary Mother of Scribes one day rather then having a mob of angry writers after me), but until then anything you can do to get these writers who look to you and your website for accurate guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much Gerard.

I'll do my best to let people know the situation...and I DO know the way things work, but I don't like the way things work and I think they'd work better if they didn't work the way they work...and maybe my little website will help change the way things work. Things do change, you know. If it weren't for guys like me, the earth would still be flat. The way things currently work sucks for writers and the guys who make movies, both. It's a closed, incestuous system that breeds stale, predictable, preposterous writing and movies, both. You're a sweetie, however, and I'm sure no writer's gonna blame you for doing your job. Thanks. G.

I am honoured and privileged!

As well you should be! Here's a chapter from the best new art form ever made for you to listen to while you wile away a foggy London Sunday. Thanks. G.

http://everyonewhosanyone.com/audio/GGch06m.mp3

Oh, man, I meant to send you this one but they sort of go together

http://everyonewhosanyone.com/audio/GGch07m.mp3

Dimension Films
375 Greenwich St.
New York, NY 10013
(212) 941-3800

8439 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(323) 822-4100

http://www.dimensionfilms.com

Troublemaker Studios
4900 Old Manor Road
Austin, TX 78723

(Los Hooligans)

http://www.troublemakerstudios.com

HDNet
2909 Taylor St
Dallas, TX 75226
(214) 651-1446
(888) 919-HDTV

2400 N Ulster St
Denver, CO 80238
(303) 542-5600

(2929 Entertainment, HDNet Films, Magnolia Pictures)

http://www.hd.net

2929 Entertainment
9100 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 500 West
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310) 309-5200

http://www.2929international.com

HDNet Films
122 Hudson Street, 5th Flr.
New York, NY 10013
(212) 255-0626

(Deutsch/Open City Films)

http://www.hdnetfilms.com

Magnolia Pictures
49 West 27th Street, 7th Flr.
New York, NY 10001
(212) 924-6701

1614 W. 5th Street
Austin, Texas 78703
(512) 474-0303

http://www.magpictures.com

Lions Gate Entertainment
2700 Colorado Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90404
(310) 255-3700

4553 Glencoe Ave. Ste 200
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
(310) 314-2000

157 Chambers Street , 11th Flr.
New York, NY 10007
(212) 577-2400

2 Bloor Street West, Ste. 1001
Toronto, ON M4W 3E2
(416) 944-0104

555 Brooksbank Ave.
North Vancouver, BC V7J 3S5
(604) 983-5555

(Artisan Entertainment, Sobini Films, Ignite Entertainment...)

http://www.lionsgatefilms.com

Artisan Entertainment
2700 Colorado Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90404
(310) 449-9200

157 Chambers St., 11th Floor
New York, NY 10007
(212) 577-2400

http://www.artisanent.com

Sobini Films
4553 Glencoe Ave., Ste 200
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
(310) 314-2000

2700 Colorado Ave., Ste. 510-B
Santa Monica, CA 90404
(310) 255-5115

http://www.sobini.com

Ignite Entertainment
4553 Glencoe Ave.
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
(310) 314-2000

Momentum Pictures
184-192 Drummond Street
London NW1 3HB
+44-20 7388 1100

http://www.momentumpictures.co.uk

Palladium Equity Partners
1270 Avenue of the Americas, Ste. 2200
New York, NY 10020
(212) 218-5150

(Maya Pictures, Esparza-Katz...)

http://www.palladiumequity.com

Esparza-Katz Productions
1043 Seward
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 281-3770

Laika, Inc.
1400 NW 22nd Avenue
Portland, OR 97210
(503) 225-1130

(Vinton Studios)

http://www.laika.com

Wyndcrest Holdings
11450 SE Dixie Highway, Ste. 204
Hobe Sound, FL 33455
(772) 545-9025

(Digital Domain)

http://www.wyndcrest.com

Hollywood Studios International
9595 Wilshire Blvd., 9th Flr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310) 358-9007

(Artist International Management)

http://www.hsifilms.com

Digital Domain
300 Rose Ave.
Venice, CA 91387
(310) 314-2964

http://www.digitaldomain.com

More Miscellaneous Independent Movie Guys I Ran Out of Room to Stick Up in the Independent Movie Guy Sections

TVA Productions
3950 Vantage Ave.
Studio City, CA 91604
(818) 505-8300

http://www.tvaproductions.com

FilmMates Corporation
11965 Venice Blvd., Ste. 305
Los Angeles, CA 90066
(310) 578-6599

http://www.filmmates.net

Trancas International Films
1875 Century Park East, Ste. 1145
Los Angeles, CA 90067
(310) 553-5599

http://www.trancasfilms.com

Treasure Entertainment
468 N. Camden Dr., Ste. 200
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 860-7490

http://www.treasureentertainment.net

Threshold Entertainment
1649 11th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90404
(310) 452-8899

http://www.thethreshold.com

Timeline Films
9725 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 287-3702

http://www.timelinefilms.com

Telling Pictures, Inc.
121 Ninth Avenue
San Francisco , CA 94103
(415) 864-6714

http://www.tellingpix.com

LaRoda International
18320 Keswick St
Reseda, CA 91335
(818) 968-9443

Spellman-Paul Entertainment
6075 Franklin Avenue, Ste. 366
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 871-1011

Spirit Horse Productions
6404 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 1936
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 933-6250

Suzanne Bauman Productions
21901 Velicata Street
Woodland Hills, CA 91364
(818) 348-4342

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
8949 Wilshire Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(310) 247-3000

http://www.oscars.org

(@) = Not a corporate fascist. (Feel free to apply for non-corporate fascist status...simply tell me in fifty words or fewer why you think you're not a corporate fascist.)

(*) = E-mail bounced. Correct information much appreciated. In fact, anyone who knows anything I don't know, let me know.

(!) = E-mail blocked (just mine, not yours), probably 'cause the intended recipient and/or the company by which he or she is owned and operated is an extra brainwashed, super chicken, corporate fascist goon.

(666) = Asked not to be contacted (by me, not by you), very likely because he or she is a happy little slave boy or a happy little slave girl and doesn't want it any other way, uh-huh, uh-huh.

Gerard Jones
everyone@everyonewhosanyone.com