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Shia LaBeouf’s Directorial Debut HowardCantour.com Now Online (Updated)
When one thinks of an insightful, sardonic examination into the world of online film criticism, Shia LaBeouf probably isn’t the first name to come to mind. And yet, the actor’s directorial debut, HowardCantour.com, is just that. Starring perennial familiar face Jim Gaffigan, the short film tracks the eponymous character through junkets, brushes with former colleagues, and fallen directors, as he evaluates his profession in this increasingly consumer-driven industry. After stops at Cannes and Aspen Shortsfest, HowardCantour.com is now available online, courtesy of Short of the Week.
Update: It appears that LaBeouf may have adapted (perhaps a generous euphemism) HowardCantour.com from Daniel Clowes’ comic Justin M. Damiano, without the author’s permission. Short of the Week says it is in “communication with the film’s team” and has password-protected the video to remove it from public viewing.
Update #2: Jacqueline Cohen, director of publicity and promotions for Fantagraphics Books, emailed the following statement to Boing Boing:
Shia LaBeouf’s new short film, HowardCantour.com, is a complete rip off of Daniel Clowes’s comic “Justin M. Damiano.” Every-word from the 4 page comic created by Clowes in 2006 is used in the script for LaBeouf’s directional debut. Clowes never authorized the use of his comic for HowardCantour.com. He had no knowledge that he had been plagiarized until today when the film was posted on Vimeo.
