▁difficult ▁process ▁that ▁brought ▁the ▁band ▁to ▁the ▁ver ge ▁of ▁a ▁break ▁up . ▁After ▁the ▁album ▁was ▁released , ▁relationships ▁in ▁the ▁band ▁remained ▁t ense . ▁G aining ▁weight ▁and ▁acting ▁ecc entr ically ▁( such ▁as ▁by ▁sh aving ▁his ▁hair ▁into ▁a ▁mon k ' s ▁tons ure ), ▁St ipe ▁later ▁said ▁of ▁the ▁period , ▁" I ▁was ▁well ▁on ▁my ▁way ▁to ▁losing ▁my ▁mind ". ▁They ▁tou red ▁in ▁Canada ▁and ▁throughout ▁Europe ▁that ▁year ; ▁St ipe ▁had ▁ble ached ▁his ▁hair ▁bl ond ▁during ▁this ▁time . ▁ ▁Project s ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 9 8 3 , ▁a ▁few ▁months ▁after ▁the ▁release ▁of ▁R . E . M .' s ▁debut ▁album , ▁St ipe ▁participated ▁in ▁a ▁low - bud get , ▁forty - five - min ute ▁Super - 8 ▁film ▁called ▁Just ▁Like ▁a ▁Movie , ▁shot ▁in ▁Ath ens ▁by ▁New ▁York ▁Ro cker ▁magazine ▁photograph er ▁Laura ▁Lev ine , ▁who ▁was ▁a ▁friend ▁of ▁the ▁band . ▁Those ▁with ▁acting ▁roles ▁in ▁the ▁film ▁included ▁Lev ine , ▁St ipe , ▁his ▁sister ▁Ly nd a , ▁Matthew ▁S weet ▁( who ▁formed ▁a ▁short - l ived ▁du o , ▁Community ▁T roll s , ▁with ▁Michael ▁St ipe ), ▁and ▁R . E . M .' s ▁Bill ▁Ber ry . ▁The ▁film ▁remains ▁un re leased . ▁ ▁St ipe ▁had ▁planned ▁a ▁collaboration ▁with ▁friend ▁Kurt ▁Cob ain , ▁lead