Brief Interviews With Hideous Men
August 25, 2010 4:18 PM   Subscribe

Director John Krasinski's film adaptation of David Foster Wallace's Brief Interviews With Hideous Men is available on Hulu.

"Streaming rights for this film will expire September 5 at 5PM PST."

Bonus:
Krasinski reading from Interview #11
Exclusive interviews on the Hulu blog.

(previously)
posted by puddleglum (26 comments total) 12 users marked this as a favorite
 
This has been in my queue since Monday with plans to watch tonight. I hope it's good. Is it good?
In before every non-American mefite drops in to complain, leading to likely deletion.
posted by phunniemee at 4:22 PM on August 25, 2010


I just found out about it and plan to watch it tonight as well.

IMDB has several trailers as well as the full movie, but it looks like it's hosted/partnered through Hulu so I'm assuming that's U.S.–only also.
posted by puddleglum at 4:25 PM on August 25, 2010


Heard it was pretty crappy.. now I can see it for myself!
posted by ReeMonster at 4:40 PM on August 25, 2010


Tell you what, the thread can escape deletion on grounds of exclusivity if you explain to us how we might use spoofing proxy servers or whatever they're called to pretend to be USers and watch it anyway. Which would probably be grounds for deletion in its own right.

I'd quite like to see this, anyway.
posted by Grangousier at 4:47 PM on August 25, 2010


Oh oh I want this so desperately. Damn you, Canadianness! Damn you, Hulu! :(

I still get choked up even thinking about David Foster Wallace, so it doesn't even matter if it's crappy!
posted by bewilderbeast at 4:50 PM on August 25, 2010


Is it just me, or is hulu inserting commercials at ever decreasing intervals?
posted by Short Attention Sp at 5:02 PM on August 25, 2010


I thought it was pretty good. Not a perfect film, obviously, but it does a pretty good job of paring down the monologues without losing their essences, and it's simply delightful to hear Wallace's words. Some of the performances are very good. (Some are not very good, and also please ignore the last two minutes of the film.)
posted by shakespeherian at 5:03 PM on August 25, 2010


I liked it but I'm also a huge DFW fan. Also a fan of most of the folks in it.
posted by PugAchev at 5:04 PM on August 25, 2010


I thought it was pretty blah, but it's worth checking out anyway for the DFW factor.
posted by naju at 5:14 PM on August 25, 2010


Watch instantly on Netflix.
posted by hermitosis at 5:39 PM on August 25, 2010


Pbbtthhhhhh :Þ

You Canucks aren't missing much.
posted by phunniemee at 5:50 PM on August 25, 2010


One of my all time favorite books. Do yourself a favor and read it before you see the movie. I know you hear pretentious assholes say shit like that all the time, but I seriously mean it.
posted by DZack at 5:54 PM on August 25, 2010


That was...interesting. Kind of felt like a nastier, more mean-spirited version of Whit Stillman's Metropolitan.

I've never ready any DFW (it's on the list), am I missing something that is better explained in the book?
posted by jnrussell at 6:29 PM on August 25, 2010


I've never ready any DFW (it's on the list), am I missing something that is better explained in the book?

What exactly do you mean by "better explained"? In the book, the "Brief Interviews" are just a series of monologues by unnamed narrators interspersed between short stories. As I haven't seen the film, I don't know exactly what material was adapted, but if there's any story, it's likely the work of the filmmakers.
posted by fryman at 6:33 PM on August 25, 2010


Although describing it as "a nastier, more mean-spirited version of Whit Stillman's Metropolitan" really makes me want to watch it.
posted by fryman at 6:38 PM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]


I found it to be pretty depressing, actually. Might just be my stage of life. Well scripted though, I suppose, felt clever enough. I could see it easily as a stage play. (that I wouldn't go to see unless a dear friend in the show begged me)

once was enough, thank you.

btw. I'm currently holding auditions for 'Brief Interviews with Awesome Men' ... locally...

;)
posted by dreamling at 7:08 PM on August 25, 2010


I am away from Canada visiting America - so I can watch Hulu for change. I love America! Yay America!!! Boo to Ground Zero Mosque militants!!!
posted by helmutdog at 7:29 PM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]


Honestly, as a DFW superfan, I was painfully disappointed by this film. It took a lot of guts, and I respect him for trying, but geez, take it down a notch for your feature debut.
posted by wonderwonder at 7:37 PM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]


Honestly, as a DFW superfan, I was painfully disappointed by this film. It took a lot of guts, and I respect him for trying, but geez, take it down a notch for your feature debut.

Agree wholeheartedly. I thought it reeked of unfulfilled pretense.
posted by squeakyfromme at 7:46 PM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]


Also I'd just recently watched it on Netflix Streaming, not that that helps out anyone not in the US.
posted by squeakyfromme at 7:47 PM on August 25, 2010


but if there's any story, it's likely the work of the filmmakers

Exactly this. Not being familiar with the source, I was a little confused by the film. Is it supposed to have a story at all, or is it literally just a bunch of monologues? If it's just a bunch of monologues, it doesn't strike me as appropriate for film (maybe for the stage) and so any semblance of story to piece together the monologues for film would be pretty contrived.

Also, what I did see of the monologues left me with a sense of sadness and despair... is that the theme of the book entirely?
posted by jnrussell at 8:08 PM on August 25, 2010


What a bizarre, fun, self-indulgent film. You enjoy yourself until the last 10 minutes when you realise you've been watching John Krasinski masturbate for an hour and a half.
posted by spamguy at 8:56 PM on August 25, 2010 [1 favorite]


It's like when your favorite childhood cartoon strip was animated for TV and all the voices sounded wrong.
posted by BogusPomp at 10:05 PM on August 25, 2010


I just watched this via Netflix last week. More accurately, I watched some of it. I love DFW, Krasinski in The Office, and most of the cast of the movie, but man, what dreck. I turned it off halfway through, and I never stop watching movies halfway through. Ugh.

Maybe it's better on Hulu?
posted by The Michael The at 4:00 AM on August 26, 2010


Is it just me, or is hulu inserting commercials at ever decreasing intervals?

Yes.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 7:59 AM on August 26, 2010


It's so sadly painfully bad.

He took a moving set of stories and turned it into an indie comedy, or something.
posted by four panels at 8:57 AM on August 26, 2010


« Older Be the envy (and the fear) of all your friends...   |   “Toro is junk food for low income earners.” Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments