FILMMAKER MOVIE REACTION!! Being John Malkovich (1999) FIRST TIME REACTION!!

[@JamesVSCinema]

Who would you want to be if you had the chance? Want to vote on what I should watch next? Click here! www.patreon.com/jamesvscinema GLADIATOR FIRST TIME WATCHING will be uploaded Wednesday! Enjoy the day!

[@JamesVSCinema]

Hahaha oh boy Randy have fun 😭

[@Tommysimonsen]

I think this video is inspired by this movie. Being Three 6 Mafia Three 6 Mafia - Doe Boy Fresh (Video - Explicit) ft. Chamillionaire

[@Teaniinja]

I dont think I could. I'd feel guilty and any notoriety wouldnt be bc of my own talent or work.

[@Kylopod]

You mentioned Get Out, and there is one notable connection: both costar Catherine Keener.

[@chrisf.7980]

My vote is for an excellent movie from 1990 called "Awakenings" starring Robin Williams & Robert De Niro. Based on a true story & very thought provoking.

[@goblintwo]

I love that he wrote this independently and just brought it to John Malkovich, who was very confused

[@JamesVSCinema]

😂😂😂

[@opalviking]

I heard the story differently. I heard Malkovich heard about the project and someone else was already cast as him. But he decided he was better suited to play himself. Regardless, I love this film!

[@svenpoletka5236]

@@opalviking Nah, he read it and wanted to produce it with someone else as the titular character, but Kaufman wouldn't have it and he eventually relented.

[@Torthrodhel]

Maybe he did hear of it before, but it wasn't him, it was someone controlling him. :P

[@JamesFarrOfficial]

LOVE seeing people discover this absolute mindf*ck of a film. One of my favorites of all time.

[@jamesbarels469]

I am just at the beginning and James is speaking on how surreal the imagery is. He is going for a ride.

[@gaijingamenetwork8095]

Gotta complete the Charlie Kaufman cycle now and do Adaptation (I see you’ve already watched Synecdoche New York!)

[@JamesVSCinema]

Wild ride of a film!

[@sigzil1985]

Adaptation is my favourite one. I like them all but there's something about the cinematography and some of the little flourishes that put it on a level of its own.

[@Uncle_T]

Agree with OP! :)

[@amandabroom9878]

@@sigzil1985 Same; adaptation is actually my favorite movie of all time.

[@lmts91]

Just watched Adaptation recently and immediately thought James should watch it. It's brilliant

[@SuzakuX]

My favorite fact about this movie is that the guy driving by and hitting Malkovich in the head with the beer can was a drunk extra and the scene was unscripted.

[@IferGanomer]

And it mashed well with Malkovich's sub-conciousness scene, where we do see the abuses and teasings he endured from childhood, and it's almost like that one bit reminded him of that.

[@richard_n]

Mega props to John Malkovich for artistically going along with this concept. Good luck finding many big stars who would have done this.

[@spackle9999]

The brilliant metaphor of the short floor representing the stifling and repressive nature of dead-end office work. Always loved that.

[@JamesVSCinema]

Damn, that’s incredible

[@spackle9999]

@@JamesVSCinema I think the central theme of this is how we let other people into our minds to influence our internal dialogue. Like how the old boss allowed himself to believe he had a speech impediment (even though he has gloriously perfect diction) just because his secretary is going deaf and accuses everyone of mumbling. The tunnel in the wall is a metaphor for that. But really, is a tunnel leading into our minds that weird? We allow the thoughts of others to make us do things in our real lives without even having the excuse of a tunnel. THAT'S weird.

[@anthonyorr8868]

Nice, I never picked up on that till now. During the reaction, I thought it could also be like he's stepping into his puppet set but he's too big and wants to break out.

[@sumedhvaidya3019]

great explanation

[@MikeTaffet]

Catherine Keener was in this movie AND in Get Out. I can’t imagine that’s a coincidence.

[@donkeyparadise9276]

Get out is pretentious racist propaganda

[@curt349]

It is

[@michaelmaloskyjr]

As others have said, your next flick MUST be "Adaptation" to completely circumscribe Charlie Kauffman's worldviews on art, living, writing and authenticity / identity. (Plus simulated "past footage" from "Being John Malkovich" is in this movie)

[@ericglimme3362]

Agreed. The backstory of writing Adaptation (which partially takes place on the set of Being John Malkovich) is really interesting too. It gets super meta. Kaufman has a lot of guts to make the bold choices he does, and he's quite humble about it.

[@poiballs425]

i agree adaptation should be next...probably a better movie and just as crazy

[@michaelmaloskyjr]

@@ericglimme3362 "super meta" -- oh yea even the credits on the jewel box are part of it. Kauffman's a genius.

[@xx-ug9hn]

Adaptation is so good

[@wujumbo2480]

This movie is underrated.

[@JamesVSCinema]

Super!

[@charlespoopybutthole5170]

WTF are you talking about? This film was HUGE for an indi when it was released. Everybody was talking about it. It literally tripled it's budget at the box office and launched Charlie Kaufman from being a writer for tv that nobody ever heard of to one of the hottest and most talked about new talents in the film industry. You can still buy it on Blu-ray today at any place that sells them, TWENTY TWO YEARS LATER! How is this film underrated? In what universe?

[@wujumbo2480]

@@charlespoopybutthole5170 I mean now. I don't know a lot of people who know what the film is or has watched it. But I get ur point.

[@charlespoopybutthole5170]

@@wujumbo2480 yeah that's a trap that we can all fall into I suppose. I'm guessing that I'm a fair bit older than you and it wasn't until I was in my late 20s that I started to explore cinema from before I was born.

[@t0dd000]

@@charlespoopybutthole5170 Yeah. A pretty massive hit for its time. I hear folks quote the echoing Malcovich bit all the time still. Kinda a great movie.

[@letmadora28]

"Charlie Sheen Is innocent" That's the most hilarious thing I have ever heard in my life.

[@jaserf5292]

Director Spike Jonse and writer Charlie Kaufman, a great dual, you have to also react on Adaptation 2002.

[@abdrhmn7093]

Being John Malkovich and Adaptation arguably make the best double feature ever

[@MikeB12800]

Nic Cage is amazing in that!!!! Any one that says he’s a bad actor, has to watch that, and Leaving Las Vegas. Best portrayal of alcohol detox I’ve ever seen!

[@MikeB12800]

@@stobe187 completely agree!!

[@StarkRG]

Adaptation is the the most self-refferential movie I've ever seen.

[@imdiyu]

21:24 it's because Being John Malcovich is written by the same guy who wrote Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and that is Charlie Kaufman.

[@john0constantine]

What I love so much about this channel is to see reactions to some artsy or underapprechiated movies and not just endless reactions to Marvel fast food.

[@richieclean]

I've been watching your channel for a good while now, and this has been one of the most enjoyable reactions so far; it's impossible not to be completely baffled by this movie and in awe of it at the same time.

[@JamesVSCinema]

Hahaha that’s so awesome to hear! You have been rocking with me for a while so I know it’s real 🙏🏽

[@alexm2930]

Being John Malkovich really broke grounds what could be possible for a movie. It harkens back to some of the post French new wave film and Italian neorealism cinema that broke the rules of reality, but yet had not really achieved at the same level in America for a long time. I recommend you check out Felini's 8 1/2 or even Band A Part.

[@JamesVSCinema]

Agreed!! Well said Alex!

[@banjoj8579]

snap. is that where Tarantino got the name for his production company?

[@alexm2930]

@@banjoj8579 it's exactly where he got the name from and probably what the Mia/Vincent dance.

[@rebellibrarian]

This was one of my go-to movie for years... love every thing about it and sharing it with friends. It's been a long time since I've seen it but this brought me way back. I love how you appreciate the tone change. It's such a wild ride.

[@mattgreen5351]

Saw this at the cinema on release and it remains the most bizarre movie concept I’ve ever watched. The execution is so enjoyable and props to the main man Malkovich for getting stuck in.

[@growingislife2148]

It's such a fever dream of a movie, it looks so dark and cold too.

[@leeroyrokkenrohl5507]

This and Adaptation are a couple of my all time favs, I really think Kaufman likes to delve into the idea of how much an artist will put themselves into their work. He really goes all in with his writing and its amazing!

[@gregharker1600]

I saw this, Eternal Sunshine and then Punch Drunk Love all around the same time. It was a wild ride.

[@JamesVSCinema]

Agreed Greg!! Have a good one brother!

[@streaky81]

I first saw this around the time Vanilla Sky was released, I was clearly in a weird phase of my life.. Or it was peak Cameron Diaz. Could go either way.

[@josephhewes3923]

You can never unwatch Being John Malkovich... It will be with you forever...

[@BlunderMunchkin]

This movie came out the same year as Fight Club and American Beauty. I saw all three in the theaters and my faith in Hollywood was restored.

[@BonnyT]

One of my all-time favourite quirky films! I think you'd also really appreciate Cube from this same era (1997), which is a relatively unknown Canadian independent science-fiction horror film.

[@springhillgolfer878]

I've watched this movie like 10 times. Mind blowing and hilarious.

[@callumcowan7047]

One thing I never noticed much watching it before since I had no frame of reference as a kid, is that this movie gives me a lot of Terry Gilliam vibes.

[@grantterlecky1248]

Underrated Charlie Sheen performance Hahaa

[@JamesVSCinema]

facts hahaha

[@Teaniinja]

I understand many bizarre artistic movie but no matter how many times I watch this, I still cant completely comprehend it. I was hoping I would help. But I think my mind just rejects it.

[@ZackBellGames]

The opening scene of one of Kaufman’s other films, Adaptation, shows an insight into that ‘many Malkovich’ scene. The extras are wearing rubber masks of his face. Apparently they were very, very warm-borderline torture devices.

[@beemini3374]

One thing I appreciate now is that any lack of CGI doesn't hurt it at all. It still holds up even though it feels so low-res and uses all practical effects, which makes it feel realistic instead of heightened. With a heightened concept, the realist visuals are a nice contrast. I think filmmakers so often today just go for CGI automatically without exploring different styles. Lastly, I have been in love with Catherine Keener ever since I first watched this, she's amazing.

[@Filbi]

I like how all the bizarre, surreal stuff in this movie receives a more or less rational explanation *except* for the receptionist's bizarre hearing impediment.

[@Trendyflute]

The journey is amazing with this movie. I'm realizing as I'm watching your reaction that this movie has so much to say about parasocial relationships and celebrity worship, and I'm finding it more relevant today than when I watched it 20 years ago.

[@hongfang2508]

Beatles took LSD and wrote 'Day in the Life'. Being John Malkovich came about in a similar way.

[@mariogutierrez385]

You have to see HER (2013), it’s by the same director and stars Joaquin Phoenix!

[@JamesVSCinema]

I love that movie. My top 10 actually! Would love to revisit

[@davidhunt7454]

@@JamesVSCinema If there was any movie you can do a thoughtful and great rewatch on Her is probably it. I imagine you’ve watched lost in translation too James?

[@hecticgloww]

Dude is that a castle in the background?! This film was such a trip; another great vid Jamesothy

[@JamesVSCinema]

Hahahaha I’m a full fledged knight now!

[@LateCambrian]

The writer Charlie Kaufman DID write Eternal Sunshine, you nailed that...

[@CapnSlipp]

4:54 _“I don't even know what that means, how is even happening?”_ is everyone's reaction to this movie the first time. Spot on, 👍 boy, are you in for a ride.❤

[@BlueMantaOfficial]

Spike Jonze has got to be one of the greatest underrated filmmakers of all time, the guy has a weird sense of style but in a way it all manages to feel very human. Being John Malkovich, Where the Wild Things Are, and Her have to be one of his biggest examples

[@ayubnor0]

Don't forget Adaptation

[@JamesVSCinema]

This film is still impacting me hahaha. What an awesome filmmaker in my opinion

[@BlueMantaOfficial]

@@ayubnor0 oh yeah, I almost forgot about Adaptation

[@RyTrapp0]

I honestly don't know if Spike Jonze can be underrated - he's a legend in OG skate videos, he's a legend in music videos, he's a legend with Jackass, 'Being John Malkovich' was his film directorial debut and he was nominated for a Best Director AA, married Sofia Coppola, I mean what more can you say about the guy? LOL

[@armntic]

Woah! Instant click! Malkovitch, Malkovitch, Malkovitch! Never would have expected anyone to react to this film - totally glad you did!

[@grendelz]

This is a masterpiece of a movie. You definitely need to watch Death to Smoochy, another crazy movie.

[@michaelsegriff3362]

The director, Spike Jonze, was married for 4 years to Sofia Coppola, daughter of Francis Ford Coppola, of Godfather and Apocalypse Now fame.

[@HerbalHairbear]

Amazed you haven't seen this. Know it's gonna be a wild ride. Much love

[@JamesVSCinema]

Much love!

[@screamqueenshorrorpodcast]

One of my all time favorite films

[@mrpickmanb]

I love this movie. One of my first DVDs.

[@ph8429]

Its so nice finally seeing a reactor watch this movie.

[@megachad1074]

Great video man, keep up the great work!

[@JamesVSCinema]

Thanks Garfield haha

[@amandabroom9878]

Charlie Kaufman is my favorite writer/director. Adaptation is my favorite of his, but so glad you chose this one, too. Great reaction!

[@redsands1001]

Never thought about the being John Malkovich and get out connection beyond Catherine keener

[@syntheticsilkwood2206]

I only watched this movie because of björk's amphibian being in the soundtrack and expectedly weirdness was delivered

[@Chrisratata]

99 was a great year

[@1OldPacman]

That's crazy. when you uploaded your reaction for the fountain(which i loved watching, and loved bow much you appreciated it!) at first glance i thought it was a reaction to being john malkovich, for some reason. and then when turned out not to be it, i wished you'd watch it soon. such a uniuqe and amazing film. one of a kind. looking forward to watching :)

[@JamesVSCinema]

Hahaha worked out perfectly!

[@googleaccount4159]

As a BMXer I love Spike Jonze. Dude may be well known for his skateboard videos but he started out shooting BMX photos back in the day.

[@muuuzaklistener]

this is one of the best movies ever!!!! charlie kaufman is a god

[@faust5398]

Spike Jonze is my favourite director behind Tarantino and Lanthimos

[@chops5853]

You HAVE to watch adaptation now!! Directed by Jones, written by Kaufman, who is played by Nick Cage who also plays his own twin brother (the twin brother doesn’t really exist but still won an Oscar) Without giving too much away, Kaufman was asked to adapt a book into a screenplay (irl) and what he ended up with was a screenplay about him struggling to adapt the book into a screenplay.

[@thetoothbrushfromnisemonog8340]

How did I miss this video! This is one of my favorite films EVER!!

[@TheUnknownDungeon]

That looks like the chillest environment. Why does the chillest dude always chill in the chillest environments?

[@Divine_R]

Another film of John malkovich in all his glory: Coen bros’ Burn After Reading!!

[@curt349]

Jordan Peele got the inspiration for Get Out from a Twilight Zone episode called Mirror Image

[@po5283]

Oh man, loving the selections!!! Couple of other films with varying degrees of abstract and or existential themes that I think you'd enjoy. Stranger Than Fiction is an absolute must, Sliding Doors 1998 is another personal favorite. Also got to toss out a couple of other great John Cusack films I'd love to see you react to "Grosse Pointe Blank" which is a gem of a movie that does not get the love or notoriety it deserves, and "Identity" another just well executed classic. Cusack just has a knack for picking and making oddball masterpieces.

[@Johonnac]

But have you seen The Grifters?

[@po5283]

​@@Johonnac I have but it's been quite awhile admittedly. I was trying to stick to his roles and movies I thought James would enjoy based on his reactions to both this and Eternal Sunshine and in keeping with the abstract, surreal, eccentric and existential themes.

[@dudemandingoselectroacoust5689]

@ PO: I love all those movies, and have enjoyed John Cusack's work ever since I saw "Better Off Dead" as a teen. . . For me, I think one of Cusack's better works is "Dragon Blade" with Adrian Brody and Jackie Chan. . .And is one of my favourite Jackie Chan movies for its anti-war message, which says a lot because every Jackie Chan movie is incredible. . . . . . Just make sure you find a version with subtitles, like the Blu-ray . . . The version I found on KZbin did not subtitle the Cantonese scenes, and almost half an hour of the movie is strictly spoken in Cantonese. . .

[@josefgordon7712]

I watched this once a fairly long time ago and remember lots of the plot points and weirdness contained within. One of those movies that tend to stick with you.

[@MikeB12800]

You should check out 1408 with Cusack. Based on a Stephen King story. And Hot Tub Time Machine is a great comedic look at movies from the 80’s. (Even jokes about Cusack’s 80’s movies) and you have to watch Adaptation!,

[@spacekitt.n]

you should read the alternate ending, its even more insane, and you'll notice there are things in the final cut that would have set up that alternate ending

[@KennyFleck-vv4yn]

Jordan Peele has a video in which he responds to a fan theory that "get out" is a sequel to this film, since the body stealing theme, and Catherine Keener is in both, and he said he's cool with that...

[@michaelriddick7116]

Saw this in the theatre ... still probably the oddest movie I've ever seen! 🤣😂😂😂

[@themovieguysam2590]

I’m sure somebody’s already commented this but the writer, Charlie Kaufman also wrote the screenplay for Eternal Sunshine and Synecdoche New York, which I know you’ve already seen

[@d3adc0ps]

Charlie Kaufman is a genius

[@notinwater]

This is easily one of the greatest "What the fuck?" movies ever.

[@buffalopigeon]

This is probably my favorite comedy. It would take me forever to lay out why. Just glad you watched it

[@aryahastings8101]

Another great reaction! Hey James have you seen Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind? If not, would defiantly recommend giving it a watch that film is incredible.

[@kingfield99]

Spike Jones is also a pretty good actor, I'd recommend 'Three Kings', with him, Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube as US soldiers during the first gulf war.

[@XanderWhat]

He's great in Three Kings. He's even great in his tiny part in Moneyball

[@kingfield99]

@@XanderWhat Moneyball, now that's a great movie, and I know nothing about Baseball.

[@Johonnac]

LOVE Three Kings! Also, that makes me think of Buffalo Soldiers with Joaquin Phoenix

[@RyTrapp0]

Fire music videos and skate videos too - and 'Being John Malkovich' was also Spike Jonze's film directorial debut, for which he was nominated for an Best Director AA. And the script was given to him by his father in law, Francis Ford Coppola, naturally And he's great in Jackass of course; literally one of a kind life, dude is a legend!

[@andrewburgemeister6684]

Also Dwight in The Wolf of Wall Street who's the boss of the penny stock trading business Jordan gets into to push the terrible pink sheet stocks.

[@bobbyb8005]

Great pick my man! Love this movie, very original

[@tonyleong4961]

Brilliant movie that a lot of critics adored...i wouldn't say under rated as opposed to under viewed.... Spike Jonze man...that was a trip, especially when you think about when it came out

[@MagusMirificus]

I literally said "Oh my Gawd NO WAYYYY" when I saw this in my subscription feed like a teenage girl

[@JamesVSCinema]

LMFAOOOO hell yeah!

[@MagusMirificus]

@@JamesVSCinema ​Definitely gotta do "Adaptation" after this one; same director/screenwriter pairup and a spiritual sequel in a number of ways. Also, by the by, I'd highly recommend checking out the director Terry Gilliam, especially the films Brazil, The Fisher King, and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, although everything but Jabberwocky, Brothers Grimm, and Zero Theorum is worth seeing.

[@Emburbujada]

Malkovich Malkovich! Finally someone reacts to this! It's one of my favourites =) This film is crazy, funny and deeply disturbing all at the same time.

[@bookeblade]

What an amazing, holy original movie.

[@lukebarton5075]

And yet it didn’t even get a nomination for best original screenplay. Goes to show how poor the Oscars can be.

[@cl4250]

Kaufman and Jonze are a match made in heaven. Always wished they did at least one more film together

[@JamesVSCinema]

So damn good!

[@jennandrewlawrence5055]

Charcuterie board, a fat bowl AND James is watching BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, okay!! 👏👏👏😝YESSS

[@tacticalgrace6456]

It’s been so long since I saw this I forgot how insanely weird this film was. It looks like the consensus is you gotta to watch Adaptation at some point. I concur. Also, if you’ve not seen it yet, I highly recommend seeing your way round to, er, seeing Terry Gilliam’s Brazil.

[@PatBrownfield-TheRainmaker]

You really have to do Adaptation (2002) next. Love to hear your thoughts on the meta-movie aspects and Nick Cage’s ridiculously awesome performance as twins

[@Kubricklover1972]

I met Charlie Kaufman and he signed my Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind DVDs. He wrote the screenplay on those films. If you want to see another weird film like those two, check out Synedoche, NY.

[@michaelnolan6951]

This movie was my first experience of Charlie Kaufman. It was the first time I was genuinely tempted to take LSD.

[@unluckytourist]

It's one of the best films of 1999, which is one of the best years in American film history (if not the best). They even wrote a book on it (the year...but also probably the film).

[@nublex]

What a fun movie and story 🍿 love John malkovich as an actor as well. Had a blast watching this years ago

[@MrDeadstu]

Another REALLY strange film - "Naked Lunch" by Cronenberg - and I mean Weird.... Other strange films, but really good too - "Jacob's Ladder", "Dark City" or "Strange Days" Your eyes at 16:28 - worth the price of admission, lol.

[@Myst1crobbii]

But I love the reactions and your takes on movies bro keep up the great work,also If your ever in need of a underknown and under rated movie you should definitely check out the boondock saints with willem dafoe and Norman reedus,a amazing movie and my all personal all time favorite

[@alexa.english174]

If I could change into anyone it would probably be Matt Dillon. I'm convinced that guy never ages !

[@JamesVSCinema]

Hahaha good one!

[@Uncle_T]

YEEEEESSS!!!! This is such a weirdly wonderful and wonderfully weird movie, I love it!!!

[@JamesVSCinema]

Same Tomas!!

[@kell_checks_in]

If you dig around a bit, you can find the videos and articles about the links between this film and Get Out. Jordan Peele was asked about it all, and he said that he was okay with the idea of them being in the same universe. Now, how much was intentional or accidental, it's hard to say.

[@streaky81]

Voted for this and I'm not sorry. One day we'll get you to watch Adaptation, tagline of which is "From the creator of Being John Malkovich, comes the story about the creator of Being John Malkovich" - it's gonna happen :) And Hot Tub Time Machine which this reminds me of, not sure why..

[@corry63]

Check out "the fall"

[@pablogarro9279]

YES, FINALLY

[@davidn5269]

Love the way this is filmed. Pretty much a perfect movie. I look forward to you checking out Adaptation next.

[@StarkRG]

The only person in this that comes off as not a horrible human is Malkovich himself, mostly because he's the movie's major victim, and even he's a bit of an asshole at times.

[@ty_the_RetoVideo_guy5543r]

Adaptation is amazing..crazy that Nic Cage plays two different roles in it...it is just as impressive a film as this one

[@moviemaniac14]

You need to react to Adaptation! It's my favorite Charlie Kaufman script, and there it even references/features Being John Malkovich in the movie. It's meta-humor at its finest.

[@jamesoblivion]

All Charlie Kaufman movies are worth seeing. Adaptation is fantastic, and briefly ties into the making of Being John Malkovich.

[@miqx1977]

Yay! Finally Spike Jonze's movie!!!

[@dybenson]

I hope you enjoyed Denver!

[@joaquinbaume1291]

the monkey flashback scene is honestly my favourite part of the movie