James Toback and the Wacky Tobaccie



(image via news.harvard)

We love director James Toback. He keepeth it real. Real "baked," that is. We'll never forget going to pick up our weekly supply of gossip magazines at a Barnes and Noble in Manhattan a year ago, and finding James Toback, wearing his ubiquitous director-going-bald baseball cap, looking over every magazine review of his film "When Will I Be Loved," complaining to a clearly exasperated employee over every harsh word written.

Of course, James Toback likes the wacky tobacco. It goes without saying if you go in for that sort of thing. According to The Reeler:

" High Times editors explained that this was the first Stonys since 2002�evidently nobody could get their shit together enough to organize the 'annual' event either of the last two years.

"... Just before fleeing in complete terror, however, The Reeler spotted old pal James Toback, another Stonys alum who had spent the better part of three hours in the VIP section fog waiting to present the Best Picture bong-trophy (seriously) to The Lords of Dogtown. Toback declined to speak with me this time around�'Not now, not now, call me tomorrow. I have to try and clear my head,' he explained�but he was a little more talkative when he finally got his turn onstage."

We'll bet the "herb-was-perturb" in that little VIP section. In the past, attendees have included Dave Chapelle, SNL's Amy Poehler, Snoop Dogg and George Clinton. The Reeler continues:

"... Quite classically, Toback preceded his presentation with a blast at Bernard's parent company Sony Pictures, which he consciously or otherwise blamed for 'suffocating' Dogtown in its crib. 'It needs time and space to find its audience,' Toback said. 'It's good that High Times calls attention to movies that are otherwise missing the boat not because of any lack in the films themselves, but because of the total fuck-up in the media conglomeration.'"

Classic sweetleaf inspired multinational putdown. But better not insult Sony Pictures, as after his last few stinkers, Toback can use friends in the studio system.

Stonys