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Amazingly awesome.

NC.

instant_zen wrote:i think Gibby Haynes is a miserly asshole....

He's not. He's a nice asshole.

I can't wait to see this movie!

And when I used to go see him (Daniel) back in the late 80s, I thought he was playing his 'problems' up for the whole spectacle of it. I guess he's really that guy...

i have this but still haven't watched it! can't wait! maybe tomorrow...

kenoki wrote:i have this but still haven't watched it! can't wait! maybe tomorrow...

Keep a box of kleenex handy.

Not Crap.

One of the most interesting aspects of the film, for me, was that his life was documented so well. In print, audio recording, film,video,song, writing. Basically, there is documentation of his life from his pre-teens on.

I never even take photos on tour or vacation anymore.


I found that interesting.

This was on TV last night. I think some of it may have been cut because there are things mentioned in this thread that I didn't see.

Like him meeting up with his first love. Unless I was off taking a piss or something.

As a film it was kinda crap. The reconstructions were stupid. I know what it means when someone is punched, I don't need a five minute slo-mo shot of a camera falling to the floor to imagine it. And why was Johnston himself barely in it? I was watching it thinking he's either dead or too ill to appear on camera but he pops up at the end and seems (relatively) fine.

Why did Sonic Youth film themselves looking for him? Was that reconstructed as well?


Not crap because it was an interesting story but I think another film maker could have done much better.

Not crap....love some of shit A LOT, and his other stuff is obviously made by a schizo retard.

TRIFECTA wrote:...and his other stuff is obviously made by a schizo retard.

A little respect, please. I mean, I know you're altogether bent on blurring the line between message board troll and regular asshat, but it needn't be at the expense of otherwise decent threads.

Anyway...

This movie, The Devil and Daniel Johnston is a touching and well organized documentary. It made me cry last November when I saw it for the first time. Should be required viewing for anyone whose family has been plagued with mental illness because it faithfully captures the sense of powerlessness a family feels when one of its members starts to psychologically unravel. The poor parents! Trying to do the right thing but at a loss for solutions! What exactly are they supposed to do? What can they do? (I laughed pretty hard though when they recounted the story of the airplane crash and how Daniel ultimately found it exhilarating, like a child would an amusement park ride at the state fair.)

Also...

Really glad I didn't watch the reunion between Daniel and his first love/crush that was included on the DVD extras (and thankfully cut from the final version of the film). For some stupid reason that was orchestrated by the filmmakers. Maybe they thought it would produce some sort of "breakthrough" moment in Daniel's life, but even on paper it sounds lik a bad idea, just horribly misguided and inconsiderate. Does it make any sort of sense to put someone with Daniel's condition in a position like that? Like, "Gee, Daniel's been obsessing over this one woman for over half his life and he's unstable and highly suggestible... Hey! Brainstorm! WHY DON'T WE PUT THEM IN THE SAME ROOM TOGETHER AND FILM IT, JUST TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS? Could be good cinema."

No. No, no, no. Highly unethical but also just a recipe for ruin.

Dave/Eksvplot wrote:

TRIFECTA wrote:...and his other stuff is obviously made by a schizo retard.

A little respect, please. I mean, I know you're altogether bent on blurring the line between message board troll and regular asshat, but it needn't be at the expense of otherwise decent threads.

He is what he is. He is amazing and a schizo retard....deal with it. It was nothing negative. Go change your panties

[stalker]You don't have to be mentally ill to be obsessed with Kathy McCarty. I'm a huge Glass Eye fan..."Dead Dog's Eyeball" as well. Mmmm, Kathy... [/stalker] All kidding aside, she seems like good people. She had a great blog called "Magical Negro" that apparently only me and two other people ever read.

I thought the documentary was great if hard to watch. I "had something in my eye" several times during that movie.