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More on that Chuck Palahniuk / Spike Jonze thing, plus random Chuck stuff
Hey folks, Harry here with Bebop_chick and her brief report from Chuck's reading and signing at Columbia University. What on Earth is he reading... what spoken words can POSSIBLY cause 25 people to faint? This is a modern age. I would believe the people at these events have read Chuck's work before... What has he written to force their concious brain to simply shut down? That's astonishing to me. I must see/hear him read this short story GUTS... That's insane! Here ya go...
Hey Harry-
Bebop chick here - just wanted to let you know that I just got back from Chuck Palahniuk's signing at Columbia University. He read the now-notorious short story "Guts", causing his head count of individuals who have fainted during the full stretch of his American tour to rise to 25. Uniquely, the second person to pass out this afternoon actually fell forward into his chair, and was brought down onto the floor. After he came to, he started screaming at the top of his lungs (sounded like he'd had the crap scared out of him). I promised Chuck I wouldn't disclose too much info, but just thought I'd let you know that his upcoming anthology will prove to be everything it's hyped to be and more than you can fucking imagine.
On the Spike Jonze note - yes, Chuck DEFINITELY has spoken enthusiastically with Spike about an "underground movie project" after he is finished with his book tour (if Spike has not found another author before then - which I couldn't contemplate a reason for). He also shared a couple of other stories of friends, and examples of tales even his incredibly liberal publishers decided to censor (thanks to my question, of course) . . . there were numerous other goodies, surprises, etc. . . but I can't divulge too much. Any more questions . . . ? In the words of Chuck, I need that "like I need teeth in my ass-hole".
Au revoir,
Bebop_chick
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that's just pathetic.....pussies.....ow and.............FIRSTY!!!!!!!
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firsties, secondies... give me a break. That almost makes me faint in my own vomit
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at least there's something happening--
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Could be lock all these people who fainted in a room and make them watch the uncut version of Ichi the Killer or Evil Dead Trap or something like that and film what happens?
Might be funny.
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Sep 15, 2003 9:43:42 AM CDT
Don't doubt it, people walked out & fainted from this story. I
by heywood jablowme
Saw him in KC. Heard the "Guts" story. I'll put it to you this way...If you say the words "corn, intestines, urethra, and pearls" separately they mean nothing. When you put them in a certain context, as in Chuck's story, they put a very nasty vision in your head. Apparently too nasty for some people. You have to hear him give the story. To read it in print probably doesn't do it justice.
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i bet they handed out free tickets in a narcolepsy ward... take it from ol' jack, there's no other answer.
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Sep 15, 2003 10:59:37 AM CDT
I think the sequel should be called Guts 2: Spilled! with Hulk H
by chaffro
"Oh...oh...I think I'm about to have...a cardiac arrest, brother."
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Sep 15, 2003 11:03:46 AM CDT
at least Palahniuk's books haven't suffered the old Stephen King
by fizzy cherry
after Fight Club, I was worried that a load of TV companies were going to start diluting some of his other stuff and churn out crappy HBO movies starring D-list talent. But bizarrely, none of them have been touched by anyone?
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THE DEAD DRUMMER OF STYX IS WRITING A FUCK OF A LOT FOR A DEAD MAN!!!! BUT I KNEW WHEN HE DIED HE WOULDN'T STAY DEAD FOR LONG!!!! NO WONDER PEOPLE ARE FAINTING FROM THE WORDS...HE'S DEAD!!! GOD BLESS SPIKE FOR DIRECTING!!!! GO CHUCKIE!!!! LLLLLAAAAAAYYYYYYYYDDDDDEEEEEEEE IN THE MORNING!!! LLLLAAAAYYYYDDDEEE OF MY DREAMS!!!...And thus, I need a new needle for my record player! - - - George, The 7th Chicken!!!!
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I think I'm in love. =)
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Unless it's the Necronomicon or something and you're standing at attention in a Louisiana boot camp R. Lee Ermey shouting the story at you in a 110 degree August heatwave, if you're fainting during a story recitation you need to be hung up by your pink doilie panties and made to stare at rotten.com until you've lost the sissy factor. Man, if you're that weak in the knees what are doing at a Pahlaniuk reading anyway. Jiminy Christmas. BTW, "Fight Club" (the book) sucked, especially when compared with the film. sk
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Your description of the story sounds like a Harry Knowles movie review. What's the big deal? sk
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In answer to your question Fizzy, I had heard that they were working on adapting Survivor to a script, but the basic premise is that a man has hijacked a plane, kicked the passengers and crew off at the nearest airport, and is flying until the plane crashes into the desert, all the while dictating his life story into the little black box. After 9/11, people got a little squemish about the idea of a movie about someone hijacking a plane and crashing it, even into the desert. I highly recommend Survivor, its by far his best book, far better than Fight Club.
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if the guy next to you at the book reading is snoring, he didn't faint... he fell asleep.
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tried to get into the boston reading and couldn't...but if you know chuck at all, he'd hate these stories, he's just not a publicity kind of guy, he's freaked out by it...and stop rushing his movies, before they turn into Grisham movies...BTW, choke was pretty good too, better than diary, that just sucked...and fight club maybe the best movie of the past 10 years...
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Chuck is obviously a genius, the sheer accomplishment of Fight Club is testament to that but I've not read anything by him other than Survivor which was mediocre, having said that I am looking forward to reading Choke as I have heard excellent things about it and a friend of mine has had the pleasure of interviewing him on www.slatemagazine.co.uk so here's hoping that a Jonze Palahniuk partnership reaps the fruit it so potentially could.
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So what are we betting on, people in the audience paid to take a dive, or plant submissions to hype Chuck, and his "notorious" short story - complete with the submissions conveniantly totalling the nation wide count of those who pass out (glad they're keeping track), or both? Whatever it is, it's a little sad to see Chuck taking part in it.
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If he achieves such a mastery over the English language that he can cause people to actually lose consciousness, some government agency might kidnap him and turn him into a powerful weapon. Hey, that might make a good book. Actually, that reminds me of the premise of Lullaby, which I have not read yet. Reading Palahniuk mostly makes me feel a pleasant sort of apathetic numbness, though it has never bordered on a loss of consciousness. Oh, and just to add my two cents, the movie Fight Club is good, but the book Fight Club rules.
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the story is well written, but it's pretty sick too.
i saw someone pass out at the NYC reading, rather i heard the security guard yell and a crowd shift.
chuck is so proud of himself. -
Chuck came to the company where I work and held a reading/signing. One of my co-workers fell off his chair onto the floor. I thought he had a heart attack at first as did others. But he came to and didn't understand what was going on at first why everyone was standing around him. Then Chuck shared with us the fact that others have fainted too. I wouldn't have beleived it had I heard that before. I have no problem beleiving 24 others have fainted as well. If you're a guy you'll probably connect with the story. I'd place "Guts" in the "Masterbation Horror" genre. *cringe*
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i was there... it is in fact real. the story wasnt so bad, but then again i've seen the pain.jpg series.
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Sep 15, 2003 7:22:00 PM CDT
Doesn't a black box only retain the last 30 minutes of audio any
by shan
I heard that black boxes on planes only retain the last 30 minutes of audio. Is this correct?
Anyway, anybody crazy enough to
a) steal a plane
b) tell the box his life's story
c) crash
might not know this.
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One woman sitting near me at a reading in San Francisco passed out. We heard her hit the floor.
She stayed on the ground until the reading was almost over (Chuck gave her a cat mask) and I walked out behind her.
He said it was amazing what some words can do and that his whole reason for doing books was to get more people reading.
It was a story which Playboy rejected for the 50th anniv. issue and after hearing it you can understand why. It will be published in a short story collection coming out in a couple of years. But he should release an audiobook version for people to listen to with a couple hundred other people to get the full effect.
He also said that if one movie version of Invisible Monster didn't come together, it would be made as an animated film. And that he wouldn't write the film he's talked about with David Fincher until Fincher puts it on his slate.
He is trying to buy a castle in Washington state which he will turn into a retreat for writers. He said he would give his money to a foundation to run and he hoped it would be his legacy. -
A Chuck/ Spike collaboration? Oh please God oh Lord oh son of Mary and Joseph tell me it's Survivor. Two of the greatest artists of our generation doing the greatest novel to ever grace this greenest of Earths? Someone tell me. Harry... Sherlock this thing out. I, nay, WE NEED ANSWERS!
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Sep 15, 2003 11:34:32 PM CDT
wow Rev Skarecroe, this the first time I agree with you complete
by imageburn13
The book DID pale in comparison. Thanks for pointing that out, I felt the same thing. And all this passing out, i mean, come on. I like Chuck as much as the next fan, but its not like your exercising during the reading! I like to immerse myself in the story, but fer gods sake, hearing this shit makes me wanna stand up and shout "Chill the FUCK out, dude's tryin to tell a story!" "Get up or get the fuck OUT of here, there's a Mac D's playplace down the street."
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People are stupid as a general rule. This is a good example. Those who believe the passing out will tell their friends. Those who dont believe will tell their friends, some of whom will read about it, and some will believe. Then there are those who think its silly that someone would passout but believe it happened because they read it on the internet. They run around to everyone they know saying how crazy the shit is but its true, they read it. And it goes on and on. In a few months you can have a best seller. Get some decades behind you and you have a religion. It's all in marketing 101.
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I always pass out when I hear or read the name Chuck Pau.... What
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... I think overrated is too generous a term to relate to good ol' Chuck. Just an assortment of anti-social bathtub philosophical musings - Sometimes entertaining and often funny, but seemingly apathetic and numb. It's all high concept - low output. Fight Club was a great movie, I thought (basically a comedy) and i read the book after I saw the movie - a mistake, I know - so I read Diary and Lullaby recently and was terribly underwhelmed. I'd take Saramanga any day - he's my fave. Can't imagine what his stuff actaully reads like in Portuguese - must be truly remarkable. That's my pretentious rambling for the day. Take care.
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Then get a drinky. ...Thanks, I'll be here all week.
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Wasn't that book about a lullubye that is the cause of SIDS??
Maybe he has been practicing hypnosis.
Yes...you are getting sleepy...poppies...poppies will put them to sleep... -
Ya know, the note that, when played, causes uncontrollable loss of bladder/sphincter control?
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I don't think those people that puked and fainted at recent appearances were plants. Man, I was laughing my ass off, but I saw more than a few people leave the room at the first mention of "corn, peanuts and veins" and one chick sitting in front of me started sweating pretty heavy. In the spirit of Chuck's request to keep the story underwraps until it's published, that's as much as I will divulge. But this morning I had some breakfast at my employer's cafeteria and I picked up a mystery omelette. When I cut into it, it was stuffed full of sausage. Kind of killed my appetite.
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You skeptics out there obviously didn't hear "Guts." I had a hard time believing it myself until I heard it. It's so gross, I'll never be shocked or horrified by anything again. I just got back from one of his readings, and the guy sitting next to me passed out. Someone else did, too, bringing his total to 27, and I guess this was his last stop on his tour, so that's where the total will remain.
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only a grade-a moron would faint at a reading of a pansy "story". I wouldn't, since I'm so cool. they are obviously weaker than me. my genitals are obviously more experienced and larger than theirs. aren't I the best?
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The anthology with "Guts" in it won't be out until 2005. There will be 30 stories in the anthology, of which Palahniuk has currently completed 25.
Also, "Guts" will appear in an upcoming issue of Playboy (they decided to accept it after all).
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