Joss Whedon is largely responsible for The Avengers being the success that it was. In addition to being a critical smash hit, getting rave reviews from around the world, the film is also the biggest box office hit of the year and the third highest grossing of all time. And Whedon doesn't want any film potentially beating his out - so he's made a video asking for movie fans to boycott the upcoming indie Sleepwalk With Me.
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why Joss Whedon is one of the coolest guys on the planet. The man is now one of the busiest people on the planet, yet he takes time out of his schedule to sit down in front of a camera and record a funny promotion for an upcoming indie film. Amazing.
Sleepwalk With Me, which premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival, is co-directed co-written and stars Mike Birbiglia and is based on his own true experiences dealing with his problems sleepwalking. In the film the actor plays Matt Pandamiglio, and up-and-coming stand-up comedian who struggles with his career, his cold relationship, and his tendency to sleepwalk during the middle of the night. The movie also stars Lauren Ambrose and was co-written and produced by Ira Glass, who is best known for hosting the show This American Life on NPR.
Like many of the other critics who saw the film at Sundance in January, our own Katey Rich was head-over-heels for Sleepwalk With Me, raving in her review that, "Birbiglia makes it all seem easy, even though combining a first-person storytelling play with a narrative film, and a narrative film based on real life, ought to be flat-out impossible."
As Whedon mentioned in the video, Sleepwalk With Me will be in limited release later this month - on August 24th to be exact. Look for it in a theater near you.
