Caveh Zahedi - Blog (The Devil and Daniel Johnston)

"I Am A Sex Addict' is opening today at the Elmwood Theater in Berkeley, as a consequence of Landmark Theater owner Mark Cuban's decision to pull it from its advertised run at the Shattuck Theater. I like the Elmwood Theater, and the people who run it were actually kind enough to let us shoot a scene there. But because it's a last minute switch, many people will go to the Shattuck expecting to see "I Am A Sex Addict" and will find, to their surprise, that it has been moved to the Elmwood. The good news is that "The Devil and Daniel Johnston" is also scheduled to play at the Shattuck (and hopefully won't be pulled as it is being distributed by Sony Pictures Classics and not IFC Films, with whom Mark Cuban is currently engaged in the independent film version of a turf war).

"The Devil and Daniel Johnston" is a wonderful film, beautifully told, and brilliantly directed. I can't recommend it highly enough. It is one of my favorite films of the year.

Comments

Caveh,

You've had a wonderful run so far, and yet -- if all goes well -- the best has only begun.

Here's hoping your film is well received this weekend.

Good luck!

-D

Posted by Dave on Apr 7, 2006 at 03:11PM

I was at the Elmwood tonight for the premier. I've never seen a film like that. I thought it was hilarious yet pretty dark, and very creatively done on low-budget. Brilliant! The topic is sure to create some interesting discourse on an addiction that is very real but seems to get scoffs when mentioned. Funny how sex and alcohol are still so compartmentalized in much of the public mind. So much so that my intuition tells me you HAD to make it humorous; a Lost Weekend for sexual addiction just would be a ridiculous farce...like a lot of "serious" French films.
I'm gonna chat up your film. Good luck! This sex taboo in Unistat needs to be attacked at all angles, a full-frontal assault, if you will...Sorry to have not written more thoughtfuly and coherently here; I am drunk after masturbating again.

Best of luck Caveh! You gots the goods.

-michael of Berkeley

Posted by michael on Apr 8, 2006 at 01:07AM

Caveh,

The line, "Well, can't you try to transcend it?" in response to one character's proclamation of jealousy - it captures the breakthrough and the silliness of polyamorous languaging all at once. It's brilliant.

Thanks for the film, and best of luck...

-Marco of San Francisco

Posted by Marco on Apr 23, 2006 at 12:37AM

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