About a month and a half ago, the LA Times was reporting that, following a special screening of I’m Still Here: The Lost Year of Joaquin Phoenix, distributors still weren’t sure whether the Casey Affleck-directed film, chronicling Joaquin Phoenix’s supposed downward spiral, was real or not.

“Agents at William Morris Endeavor, the sellers of the Casey Affleck-directed film, have started showing the movie to potential distributors, and while some were apparently interested in bidding for I’m Still Here: The Lost Year of Joaquin Phoenix‘s distribution rights, the shoppers left the screening perhaps even more mystified by Phoenix’s behavior than when they walked in.”

About a year previous to the screening, Phoenix famously announced in an awkward red carpet conversation with an Extra reporter that he was leaving acting to pursue a career in music. The incident instantly became a huge news story that was much-debated online as the video (now pulled from the web) went viral. Many called Phoenix’s bluff right away, but others were (and remain) convinced that the actor was sincere. Further speculation came the following week when Phoenix showed up on another red carpet with the word “Bye Good” written across his knuckles. We were supposed to believe that the actor was either dumb enough or high enough not realize that if his knuckles read “Goodbye!” while facing him to be written on, they would read “Bye! Good” when he turned his fist around to flash at the paparazzi.

Next, on an (admittedly entertaining) on-screen sparring match with David Letterman, it was revealed that Phoenix was not leaving acting for the country infused rock ‘n’ roll he had picked up while playing Johnny Cash in Walk the Line, but that Phoenix’s musical ambitions were to become a rapper. It was around this time that I lost complete and utter interest in Phoenix and this story. Not because I worried about being tricked, but because I wasn’t interested whether it was true or not. Either way, Phoenix was the one who was wasting a year of his life and I wasn’t going to waste any more time thinking about it.

Then, I saw and thoroughly enjoyed Two Lovers. It was a beautifully made film and Phoenix was great in it. For the first time, I was annoyed. Phoenix’s obnoxious (wanna be) Andy Kaufman antics took place during his promotion of this wonderful little film and all but killed it at the box office. Whether audiences avoided the Two Lovers because they were over-saturated with Phoenix or because they didn’t even realize he was promoting a film during his wacky appearances, the real victim of all of this is James Gray and his under-seen, under-appreciated, little gem of a film.

Anyway… according to a new report from The LA Times, Casey Affleck finished the Joaquin Phoenix doc(mock?)umentary showed it to potential buyers who weren’t sure what they had on their hands. It wasn’t as as unbelievably fun as Borat and it wasn’t as entrancingly believable as Exit Through the Gift Shop. Phoenix is no Thierry Guetta, he is no Sacha Baron Cohen, and he is certainly no Andy Kaufman. The LA Times had this to say about the film:

“According to several people who’ve seen it, it features Phoenix having oral sex with a publicist, treating his assistants badly, and rapping with no particular skill. Of course, the entire film may be an elaborate practical joke. […] The idea of Phoenix engaging in what is in many ways a 90-minute version of his infamous clip with David Letterman last year may not motivate everyone to spend $10 at the box office.”

As much as I like Casey Affleck, I have to admit that I was more than just a little happy to hear that this self-indulgent vanity project may never see the light of day. That was too good to be true, of course. With their names attached, Affleck and Phoenix were sure to sell the film to somebody. Turns out that somebody is Magnolia Pictures, the same company that released Two Lovers!

Is there any chance that Magnolia bought this film just to bury it? Do the Gods have that good a sense of humor? My personal psychosis aside, do you have any interest in seeing this film?