I actually can't imagine what was going through his mind," Clowes told BuzzFeed. "The first I ever heard of the film was this morning when someone sent me a link.
( BuzzFeed still had a version up Monday night.) Other versions that were shared elsewhere online are now password-protected. LaBeouf posted the 12-minute film on his website on Monday, but it's since been taken down.
Damiano, which is also about a conflicted film critic.įor example, star Jim Gaffigan's opening narration replicates the text that begins Clowes' comic: "A critic is a warrior, and each of us on the battlefield have the means to glorify or demolish (whether a film, a career, or an entire philosophy) by influencing perception in ways that if heartfelt and truthful, can have far-reaching repercussions." Wired and Buzzfeed report that LaBeouf's film, which IndieWire describes as being about "the inward struggles of a veteran film critic," closely resembles the plot and dialogue of Clowes' Justin M. ORIGINAL STORY: Is Shia LaBeouf's short film a rip-off of a comic by artist Dan Clowes? Being inspired by someone else's idea to produce something new and different IS creative work, and it may even revolutionalize the 'stolen' concept." In another twist, BuzzFeed notes that the first part of LaBeouf's apology closely resembles a four-year-old entry on Yahoo! Answers by a user named "Lili": "Merely copying isn't particularly creative work, though it's useful as training and practice. "I deeply regret the manner in which these events have unfolded and want to know that I have a great respect for his work" I apologize to all who assumed I wrote it." "I was truly moved by his piece of work & I knew that it would make a poignant & relevant short. "Im embarrassed that I failed to credit for his original graphic novella Justin M.
"In my excitement and naiveté as an amateur filmmaker, I got lost in the creative process and neglected to follow proper accreditation" Being inspired by someone else's idea to produce something new and different IS creative work." "Copying isn't particularly creative work.
UPDATE: In a series of tweets early Tuesday, Shia LaBeouf apologized for failing to credit artist Dan Clowes' work in his new short film.