For the last couple of years, it’s been difficult to figure out Shia LaBeouf. He went from child star to headlining blockbuster franchises almost overnight. That can have some pretty hefty consequences for anybody. For that reason, we tried to cut the guy some slack when he appeared to be in the early stages of losing his bloody mind. It now appears that process may be complete. Shia Labeouf is, at this moment, as I write this, sitting in a movie theater and watching all of his own movies. Oh, and he’s broadcasting it. Not the movies... just him watching them.
If you’re actually anywhere near the Angelika Film Center in New York City, you’re welcome to go and join LaBeouf for this epic marathon he is calling the #AllMyMovies Project. Admission is free, so at least you don’t have to pay money for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Unless you already did once. If so, we’re sorry. If you’re not anywhere close to the theater, that’s ok because you can watch LaBeouf watch himself right here. Fair warning: interest in LaBeouf's latest visual project is causing the site to crash repeatedly.
The actor is starting with his most recent movie and working backward. He started with Man Down, which looks to already be over. We assume he’ll be going back to at least Holes, though he technically has films even earlier than that. He will be watching the films 24 hours a day for the next three days, so you have plenty of time if you want to head on over.
We fully expect to see Shia LeBeouf slowly unhinge over the course of the next three days. There are some fairly epic pieces in the actor’s filmography. Will he be able to survive both Nymphomaniac films back to back? Will watching them in reverse order assault his mind? Will the fact that Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps falls between two Transformers movies help heal the damage done, or just make it worse? There are so many questions. We expect he may disappear for brief periods in order to get some food or use the bathroom. We assume he won’t be fasting for three days. Oh dear god, he probably is, isn’t he?
We hesitate to classify this as performance art. It feels more like penance, though based on some of the actor’s other public endeavor’s recently, that’s probably where this would fall. Last year, the man sat in a gallery and said nothing while people walked past and looked at him at what must have felt like the world’s saddest zoo.
Watching him watch these movies is strangely hypnotic, and utterly disconcerting. We can’t decide if it’s like watching a car wreck, or if it’s like watching somebody watching a car wreck.
