FraggleRock-FrankMiller
(Frank Miller: “Did someone say ‘edgy?’” {*disappears into darkness*})

Perhaps no one has summed up what a Kafka-esque, orangutan circle-’bate the system of getting studio notes on your screenplay is as well as Patton Oswalt in ‘Death Bed‘ (“When you sell a screenplay, you then go through a one-year notes process that will make you want to stab yourself in the eyes with your own d*ck that you’ve torn off, shellacked, and turned into a letter opener.”) Well today we have a corroborating story, this time from Cory Edwards.  Cory Edwards had a deal to write and direct a Fraggle Rock movie at the Weinstein company.  According to his blog, he was recently replaced as the writer (he’s still directing, as far as anyone knows).  The reason?  His script wasn’t ‘edgy’ enough.

They have begun the search for a new writer, presumably to rewrite my entire script from scratch. The only overall note coming from the studio is this: “Not edgy enough.”

“EDGY.” That’s the note. That’s what they are trying to do to the Fraggle Rock movie. EDGE it up! [...]WHAT is edgy?? Faster edits? Rock music for the score? Boober wearing some gangsta bling? I have no idea. What I DO know is that the word “edgy” should not be anywhere near this movie.

Oh, Cory, the meaning of ‘edgy’ depends on the context in which you hear it.  For instance, a couple years ago, edgy meant ‘in the style of The 300.’  These days, it means ‘featuring popular songs, like Glee.’

A lot of people don’t know, I was a professional writer before I started FilmDrunk (I stress, before).  I still vividly remember a particular assignment I had in which my only mandate was to deliver “edgy.”  Then, a few days later when I turned in my copy, they called it “virulently anti-Semitic.”  It’s like, jeez guys, make up your minds.  Of course, they still paid me.  I wasn’t about to let them Jew me out of that one.