Don Murphy
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| This article is about the film producer. For the vicious killing machine that feels no sympathy and no remorse, see Majin Zarak{{#switch:{{#sub:Majin Zarak|-1}} | != | .= | ?= | .
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Don Murphy (born April 1967) is one of the producers of the 2007 Transformers movie and its sequels, Revenge of the Fallen, Dark of the Moon, Age of Extinction and The Last Knight.
Don Murphy is best known among fans for hosting an open and frank discussion of on his web site forums about the pre-production of the 2007 Transformers movie, where no voice, no matter how unpopular, was shut out of the debate.<ref>The accuracy of this statement is suspect.</ref> The 4-year ongoing dialog included 2500+ posts or replies to fans on all aspects of the production. Mr. Murphy interacted with fans using the persona of the "angry sheriff", a voice of authority who was neither diplomatic nor tactful<ref name="personality">By all third-party accounts, the angry, difficult "persona" Murphy claims to have been using has a 1:1 correlation to his actual personality.</ref>, and would sometimes gently mock those with whose opinions he disagreed.
Prior to Transformers, Don Murphy produced the 1994 sci-fi ninja epic [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Double Dragon (film)|{{#if:Double Dragon|Double Dragon|Double Dragon (film)}}]], adaptations of [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}From Hell (film)|{{#if:From Hell|From Hell|From Hell (film)}}]] and [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (film)|{{#if:The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen|The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen|The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (film)}}]] that resulted in comic-book writer [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Alan Moore|{{#if:||Alan Moore}}]]'s refusal to allow any future film adaptations of his work<ref>Moore became co-defendant in a lawsuit claiming that The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was plagiarized from another screenplay pitched to 20th Century Fox in 1993. The allegedly plagiarized elements were not from Moore's story, but had all been "added" by Fox's screenwriters. While charges of plagiarism often lack merit, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen's pre-production (including writing) began before the first issue of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen comic was published (confirmed in an interview with Don Murphy from a DVD-extra,) which looks...weird, and bad, and kinda icky. Fox settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed sum.</ref><ref>Moore refused to sell any further stories he held sole control of, and for those stories whose sale he could not block, he demanded his name be removed from the picture and his payment for those films instead be given to his collaborators (usually the artist he had worked with). He then did a series of interviews prior to the launch of the film V for Vendetta telling people it was a terrible movie and not to go see it. Monday May 23, 2005 Lying in the Gutters column retelling of Moore's departure from Hollywood</ref> and the end of [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Sean Connery|{{#if:||Sean Connery}}]]'s screen career<ref>Rotten Tomatoes notes that Connery hasn't made a film since.</ref>, and the 1994 movie [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Natural Born Killers|{{#if:||Natural Born Killers}}]] by screenwriter [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Quentin Tarantino|{{#if:||Quentin Tarantino}}]]. When Tarantino and Murphy ran into one another at a restaurant three years later, Tarantino physically assaulted Murphy over statements about himself quoted in the book Killer Instinct by Murphy's producing partner, Jane Hamsher, which recounts the production of Natural Born Killers.<ref>Tarantino attacked Murphy in the Ago restaurant on October 22, 1997. Coverage by Entertainment Weekly and Variety (transcribed). Don Murphy sued him for $5,000,000. The outcome of the lawsuit is unknown, though rumors claim that Murphy donated the money for charity.</ref>
Among Don Murphy's many talents is acting: He played "Creep at Restaurant" in the 1998 movie [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Hairshirt (film)|{{#if:Hairshirt|Hairshirt|Hairshirt (film)}}]] and a prison guard (uncredited) in Natural Born Killers.<ref name="imdb">Dun Murphy at IMDB</ref>
Quotes by and about Don Murphy
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Notes
[edit]- During production of the Transformers movie, an oft-heard claim was that it would turn out to be Don Murphy's Street Fighter. However, this is inaccurate, as Murphy produced Double Dragon, which was released roughly a month and a half earlier than Street Fighter and brought in about $30,000,000 less. In actuality, the mockers should have stated, "TEH TF MVOIE WIL B UR NXT DBL DRGN!!1"
- Frequent posters on Murphy's internet message board have come to be referred to as "Stooges", a term originally used as an insult by a disgruntled former board member who was banned for, shall we say, "poor behavior". (This is a whole other messy business in and of itself — don't ask.) As a parting dig at the offending poster, the remaining board members adopted the moniker as their own, and now proudly use it as an expression of honor and camaraderie. The disgruntled former board member's username has been stricken from every obelisk, pyramid, and temple, and much like Pat Lee, is now most often referred to as a variation of "He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named" or worse. Sometimes MUCH worse. We are not making this up.
- Don Murphy has personal vendettas against about half the planet, including Darren Jamieson<ref name="dondarren">Don Murphy smears Darren Jamieson</ref>, Wikipedia<ref name="wprev">Wikipedia Review article on Don Murphy's feud with Wikipedia.</ref> and IDW Publishing<ref name="donidw1">One of Don Murphy's many, many anti-IDW rants.</ref>, the latter two of whom he frequently refers to by "funny" nicknames such as "Shitapedia", "Wikipediots"<ref name="donwp1">One of Don Murphy's many, many anti-Wikipedia rants.</ref> and "It Doesn't Work Comics"<ref name="donidw2">One of Don Murphy's many uses of the nickname "It Doesn't Work"</ref>. Despite his contempt for Wikipedia, he repeatedly sneaks back onto it to try and get his article there deleted, as well as edit stuff about Charles Manson.<ref>[[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Category:Wikipedia sockpuppets of ColScott|{{#if:Wikipedia sockpuppets of Don "ColScott" Murphy|Wikipedia sockpuppets of Don "ColScott" Murphy|Category:Wikipedia sockpuppets of ColScott}}]]</ref> These conflicts have resulted in Don posting the personal details of a Wikipedia admin (who had blocked him) on his public message board, coupled with an open call for cyber-stalking<ref name="donwp2">Don Murphy asking his "Stooges" to harass a Wikipedia admin via e-mail.</ref> (which he has attempted to repeat with other Wikipedia editors who challenge him<ref>Another cyberstalking campaign</ref>) and openly asked for their contact details to go on his board<ref>YET ANOTHER cyberstalking campaign, and he really did ask that</ref>, as well as a bizarre challenge to IDW editor-in-chief Chris Ryall to a "Q&A" session at Don's boards.<ref name="donryall">Don Murphy's challenge to Chris Ryall.</ref> His current signature on his own board is a large attack on "Wikipediots".
- On a more positive note, Don Murphy has a pretty clear position regarding Scientology. You probably won't see him do a movie together with Tom Cruise anytime soon.<ref name="donscientology">Assorted anti-Scientology posts by Don Murphy: "Bbc.xenu.wow", "Scientology STUNTS You", "Scientology Killed Chef- you bastards!"</ref>