Tag Archives: michael-cimino

Technically, Heaven’s Gate / The Deer Hunter director Michael Cimino ( @Cimino1939 ) isn’t yet verified on Twitter , but we’ll allow the man the benefit of the doubt: He’s barely been Tweeting for 24 hours and already his account is a must-read. 1980’s Heaven’s Gate was such a notorious overbudget box office bomb that you can consider “pulling a heaven’s gate” Hollywood shorthand for bombastic failure, and yet: “A number of inexcusable, misleading things have been said about me,” Cimino Tweeted after his account sprang up yesterday. With Heaven’s Gate enjoying renewed interest and critical appreciation (not to mention the estimable Criterion treatment), engaging with cinephiles three decades later could be Cimino’s ticket back into the game. “Being infamous is not fun,” Cimino said last summer at the Venice Film Festival. Welcome to Twitter, Mr. Cimino! Give the guy a follow here and cross your fingers for some real talk along the lines of these Tweets about his Heaven’s Gate infamy, how he wanted to make The Empire Strikes Back as “a Western with lasers,” and his vision for turning the Kevin Bacon punch-dancing classic Footloose into a Grapes of Wrath -esque musical comedy. Film recommendation… or modified haiku? Young people of the world / Watch the films of John Ford / All of them / They are the best.— Michael Cimino (@Cimino1939) December 07, 2012 On Heaven’s Gate breaking even — and only 32 years after release! If Criterion's new edition of HEAVEN'S GATE sells enough copies this holiday season / It will finally break even / and we rewrite history.— Michael Cimino (@Cimino1939) December 07, 2012 On that one time someone called him a chubby Garry Shandling, which I think we can all agree would suck: A hack writer once described me as “Chubby. Like an Italian Garry Shandling carrying all the baggage of a short man” That hurt / But no more— Michael Cimino (@Cimino1939) December 07, 2012 How he almost kicked off his Sunday shoes until Paramount got nervous and fired him, which is the greatest cinematic tragedy of all because who wouldn’t want a five-hour Footloose ?? I wasn't being facetious about FOOTLOOSE / I worked on it for 6 months. / My John Steinbeck inspired musical-comedy didn't reach the screen.— Michael Cimino (@Cimino1939) December 07, 2012 On making his pitch to make The Empire Strikes Back : @ maxevry @ germainlussier Unfair & unfunny. I made a unique pitch for the 2nd film in 1978/9.— Michael Cimino (@Cimino1939) December 07, 2012 …and the follow-up explanation that makes me wonder if @cimino1939 is fake/just messing with us: Everyone was pitching ideas for STAR WARS / Mine was simple: / A straight Western / but with lasers. / All the sets already built of course.— Michael Cimino (@Cimino1939) December 07, 2012 Lastly, and most importantly! On his next would-be project, and his hireability: Take note, Hollywood! I would next like to make a film of my script MAN'S FATE / I also have recently finished a sci-fi script / I am fit & well & insurable— Michael Cimino (@Cimino1939) December 07, 2012 [ @cimino1939 ]

More:
From ‘Heaven’s Gate’ To ‘Star Wars,’ Must-Read Tweets From Michael Cimino’s First 24 Hours On Twitter