How to Draw a Bunny Reviews

While the work of Ray Johnson seems very interesting, and his death enigmatic, I'm having trouble making it through this documentary. The thing is, Johnson was so reclusive and enigmatic, that nobody has much to offer about him other than variations of "I didn't really know the guy but he sent me this really cool postcard once." I think I would be better served with a book of his artwork than this so-far static documentary.

The story of Ray Johnson, the most famous unknown artist in America. Very interesting movie, but the real meat of the movie is the subtext. Ray Johnson understood our societal conventions and loved to make fun of and play with them. He confused even his closest friends. No one ever knew the real Ray Johnson. I don?t think everyone will like this movie. I found it very interesting and though provoking.

Limited audience biopic. To the extent anything about abstract artist Ray Johnson lends itself to the description "straight-forward", "How to Draw a Bunny" is a straight-forward documentary about the man's life. The films spends some time on building mystery over Johnson's eventual suicide at 62 but the mystery turns out to be a little less surprising than the ending of "Titanic". Otherwise the documentary traces Johnson's life from childhood through the growth of his reputation in the abstract art community presenting mostly unknown contemporaries with the exception of Christo and his wife Jean-Claude. These friends, fellow artists and others can give little insight into understanding Johnson's remote collages or his unusual behavior. Ultimately, whether you enjoy the film depends on whether you find an interest in Johnson 's art and life which limits the audience for the film severely.

:fresh: - This was just okay. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone unless they really had nothing better to do OR were really into art. The artwork is interesting but I did find myself zoning out and falling asleep.

A documentary about Ray Johnsons life as a artist, the guy dedicated his life to art and everything revolved around his artistic nature. You learn he is a wierd wierd fellow and the results of the investigation into his death you find out how he thought...good but so wierd.

:fresh:

Wow so I just got through Total Eclipse. I don't even know why I waited until the end. Just was hoping something would happen.

Now I don't tend to be a fan of movies about artists, unless they're by Milos Forman, and this film is no exception. And don't get me wrong, I love good art. It's just that, this movie is about one kid (Leonardo DiCaprio) who's obviously pretty cool, and probably a decent artist, getting his dick sucked all day by some ugly bald guy. And then the ugly bald guy is some kind of lesser poet too, and his wife can't get enough of him so he beats her and sets her hair on fire because she isn't as cool as Leonardo DiCaprio. What a plot, eh?
This is the kind of movie that makes you wonder what good art is at all. It makes me wonder why so many classic poets were totally gay, and which is the horse and which is the carrige. Most of the movie I was pretending this was about Alan Ginsberg being in love with William S. Burroughs. See how many classic poets you can compare the tale to! I mean, don't bother watching it, just compare.
Somehow this sadistic film drags out this love hierarchy through a grueling fifteen hours (or something like that) of repetetive disciple-abuse. It's all about artists hating people who like them. And love not being real, and all sorts of other very jaded messages.
Oh, I did like one quote. "Love needs to be reinvented."
I like it because of its revolutionary and reinventing the moment tone, although in this film it is definitely about abandoning your wife because she doesn't entice your soul as much as the 15 year old poet you let live in your wife's parents' basement.

Oh but if you do like movies about artists scamming thier ways into crummy lives, I would sooner reccommend "How to Draw a Bunny."

Ray Johnson was an amazing artist. This film does his memory justice.

*15 Sept 06: After another viewing I like the film even more. A great job putting the story all together. I have seen the film three times now, and loving it more and more.