When Movie Directors Attack...

Hey everybody, Film Fanatic here. So you've just wandered across this blog and are wondering why exactly you should keep reading. Well, if you're as big a movie fan as myself, look no further than "Movie Madness;" your one stop shop for the latest movie news, independent film reviews, and everything else involving the wonderful world of Hollyweird. Although I love all kinds of movies, this blog will generally focus on independent films, which I feel most passionate about. I also love discussing movies with others, so don't hesitate to drop me a line and let me know if you agree with yours truly!
For my first posting, I'd like to discuss the "I Heart Huckabee's" behind the scenes video that's been creating controversy recently. Ya know, the one on Youtube with director David O. Russell and Lily Tomlin about to bite each others head's off? I really liked Russell's first three films, "Spanking the Monkey," "Three Kings," and especially "Flirting with Disaster," one of the most under appreciated and funniest comedies ever, so it was quite a shock to see him acting like a deranged lunatic in front of the cast and crew. I had heard of his problems with George Clooney on the set of "Three Kings" (they apparently almost got in a fistfight), but actually viewing his outrageous behavior myself made it hard for me to imagine how anyone would want to work with the guy. Of course, it's possible he was just having a bad day when the video was filmed (I feel sorry for the poor soul who filmed all this, and is probably getting screamed at by Russell as we speak), but still, I can't imagine any sane director actually condoning his behavior (throwing papers around and cursing like a madman at Ms. Tomlin).
If you watch the short behind the scenes pre-production footage on the special features of the "Three Kings" DVD, Russell comes off as a generally nice, down to earth guy so to see him unleash his darker side in the video makes it even more unsettling to watch. Viewing the video made me wonder how many other directors get like this during their most frustrated and volatile moments during filming. Sure, someone filmed Russell doing this, but who knows how many other well-established and regarded directors have had their over-the-top temper tantrums? More than would be willing to admit to it, I bet. Well, at least watching this confirmed to me why "I Heart Huckabees" was so lacking in quality; everyone was too afraid to tell Russell how incomprehensible the movie was!