MovieChat Forums > The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2006) Discussion > This must be someone's idea of a practic...

This must be someone's idea of a practical joke.


Daniel Johnston is just a very sick man trying to survive each day he's got left. Nothing more. I simply can't understand why anyone would think he's any kind of genius. His lyrics are awful. The music is terrible. His abilities as a musician and performer are abysmal. His so-called "art" is childish. What's the deal? Where's the genius in any of it? I think (a pretty damn small number of) people have just jumped on his bandwagon for some inexplicable reason that remains completely invisible to me. This from a guy who's always been friendly to any sort of alt or avant-garde style in music, art or anything else. I think you could find 1000's of musically- or artistically-inclined schizophrenics who are every bit as "brilliant" and/or "misunderstood". For some reason, this guy got all the attention. Any comparison to Brian Wilson is completely absurd. I wish the guy well, and if people want to make more out of him than is otherwise justified, so be it. But count me out. I'm just not buying it.

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he's a gifted visual artist. I like the 'true love will find you in the end' song (if that is what it's called). Aside from that, yeah, good VISUAL artist.

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