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So Casey Affleck's litigious Joaquin Phoenix (docu/mocku)mentary is finally rolling out on September 10 and it's among my most anticipated films of the year. If the early reports are anything to go by, this is gonna be up there with Inception on the mindfuck scale

Los Angeles' west side is full of underground marketing for this film too. I usually avoid the west side, but I know people who live out there and the theaters out there place more interesting films. While going down Melrose to go to the theater, at every block and corner is a white poster with Joaquin Phoenix's mug as just a stencil. It's a common marketing strategy in Los Angeles, but for a film like this, it seems to be the right idea.

Too bad it probably won't be showing here in Albuquerque.

aox wrote:Inspiring

Note the credited cast too!

Written by Alexandra Zapruder. Well, I hope it's as good as that other Zapruder film I saw.

domino harvey wrote:

aox wrote:Inspiring

Note the credited cast too!

The project obviously moved him. Luckily, not in the Gibsonian direction.

Joaquin is going on Letterman next week - which is, of course, where this all really gained attention with his bizarre Kaufmanesque appearance last year. I'm betting he'll be walking out clean shaven and nicely groomed and explain it all.

As for the film itself, I really have no desire to see it. Seems like voyeuristic claptrap trying to cash in on "reality shows" and our seemingly insatiable desire to watch people in pain and fail at life. I take no joy in watching someone fall apart, and if it's all an act then I really don't see the point. I understand that they probably conceived this as a way to comment on America's fascination with the lurid trainwrecks airing nightly on Bravo and TLC, but ultimately they're just doing the same damned thing: Contriving drama for the sake of ratings.

I'm a bit surprised Affleck has done this particularly revealing piece of publicity so soon. I'm assuming it's due to the film's poor box office reception? Were there intimations about possible legal action due to the subject matter? I would have thought the "ride" would have lasted a bit longer.

How can anyone possibly be surprised? When all this shit was going down in real time, we all heard that Casey Affleck was following Phoenix around with a video camera that just happened to catch all of these antics, starting rumors that it was all an elaborate hoax.

And no, I'm not spoiler tagging this.

Roger Ryan wrote:I'm a bit surprised Affleck has done this particularly revealing piece of publicity so soon. I'm assuming it's due to the film's poor box office reception?

I don't think anyone expected this to be some sort of box-office hit.

That said, I would've thought all people involved would've kept up the facade at least until the eventual DVD release, but then I guess this also spares everyone from having to see Phoenix plug the movie "in character."

It's possible that Ebert's review startled the filmmakers who thought it might keep people away who were concerned about exploiting Phoenix's troubles. By stating now that it's all a carefully prepared gag, they might be thinking it makes the film a little safer for whatever audience they were hoping to bring in.

It can only be a matter of days before James Gray and the producers of Two Lovers file a lawsuit againt Phoenix for causing the car crash that was that film's release. The joke might be on him after all.

As for elaborate Hollywood hoaxes, this isn't nearly as funny or disturbing as Vincent Gallo selling his sperm.

What?

Matt wrote:Written by Alexandra Zapruder. Well, I hope it's as good as that other Zapruder film I saw.

Cinematography by
Casey Affleck
Magdalena Górka

There was a second shooter!

Several chuckles, a few guffaws and one disgusting LOL "bit" straight out of the Jackass series was all I got out of this. It's possible I might have been more engrossed if I didn't know it was a hoax but I doubt it. The main problem for me either way is I never believed this breakdown was predicated on his being tired with acting. All I can think is he was exhausted and wanted to take a couple of years off and everyone told him you can't take a total break you have to do something, so he did this. At one point Ben Stiller comes over to his house to see if he was interested in playing Ivan in Greenberg but since Joaquin was too "busy" doing this Rhys Ifans got the part instead, so at least we should be grateful for that.

A lot of people believed it though, especially in the mainstream media. And you know, I think everyone thinks that Phoenix IS a wee bit "off" anyway, so many could see him doing what he did for no apparent reason (although he probably exaggerated it more than he should have)

This is one of those cases where the process was more interesting than the result though. I don't have much desire to see the film.

Was planning to go as Joaquin Phoenix for Halloween but then the internet ruined it by widely suggesting it as a joke costume and now I will no longer be a special flower

domino harvey wrote:Was planning to go as Joaquin Phoenix for Halloween but then the internet ruined it by widely suggesting it as a joke costume and now I will no longer be a special flower

Not stopping me.

jojo wrote:This is one of those cases where the process was more interesting than the result though. I don't have much desire to see the film.

i resonate with this. I just watched it, and, its something i enjoyed moreso after it was over, it is a really cool movie, but i was sort of bored? I never saw Joaquin in a movie really, We Own the Night, Gladiator, Signs, some of To Die For, i saw those but they were wiped out of my memory,

lacritfan wrote:Several chuckles, a few guffaws and one disgusting LOL "bit" straight out of the Jackass series was all I got out of this. It's possible I might have been more engrossed if I didn't know it was a hoax but I doubt it. The main problem for me either way is I never believed this breakdown was predicated on his being tired with acting. All I can think is he was exhausted and wanted to take a couple of years off and everyone told him you can't take a total break you have to do something, so he did this. At one point Ben Stiller comes over to his house to see if he was interested in playing Ivan in Greenberg but since Joaquin was too "busy" doing this Rhys Ifans got the part instead, so at least we should be grateful for that.

I really liked Greenberg, and glad it played out this way, cause the Ben Stiller scene was one of my favorites in this film, the rap stuff really worked for me, I couldn't tell if Puffy really liked it in that scene, like I was surprised to see him think it was a joke. i mean it all sounded like it could have been the best hip hop produced so far, besides Nicki Minaj.