Four Eyed Monsters

Definitely the product of young minds, this piece may very well appeal to the 20s crowd, who is still trying to find their place in the world, while obsessing over every neurosis. However, I can't imagine that the heavy amount of narcissistic navel-gazing, trite humor, or banal subject matter would be particularly engaging to anyone over 30. Another problem is that the peripheral characters, whom the filmmakers obviously have nothing but contempt for, are hyped up to such absurd caricatures for comic effect, that they fail to be relatable in any real way.

However, one has to give some style points to the filmmakers, who obviously grew up in the video generation, and use every conceivable editing trick in the book in order to spruce up an otherwise non-existent plot. There are 2 points to remember here. First, beware of festival darlings. Second, even though we live in the age of youtube, not everyone's account of their mundane lives deserves big- screen treatment. But these young filmmakers have every right to make their film, and if others 20-somethings can find something in it to identify with, then all the better. Yet I could not help but think at the end of this film how this latest generation, just now coming of age, will fare in the real world that presents so many challenges and complications. In the age when every child is constantly reassured of how special they are, and that they all deserve their 15 minutes of exposure, resiliency and the ability to deal with adversity does not exactly appear to be this generation's strong point.

I liked this film fine, but I think I like their web episodes a lot better than the actual movie.

Maybe that speaks to short form content in the digital age; the movie itself is obviously building towards an ending, a payoff that was sort of a let down, where-as the web content had it's own loose narrative structure that lent itself more to their type of story.

Either way, I think the way they released and marketed it was genius.

I wish more independent films had the guts to go straight to their fans. I live in LA, and there's 100 new movies playing every weekend, yet I can never find a truly independent film unless I order it on Netflix. And that means I have to wait for months after hearing about it. I lose interest, and then when it comes, it sits on my microwave for a week before I get around to watching it.

Filmmakers should premiere at a festival, and then launch DVD, download, and theatrical screenings the following weekend.

I saw this film this year at the 2005 Slamdance film festival, in Park City Utah. Four-Eyed Monsters was a very enjoyable movie. This is a unique film about the relationship between 2 people and their coming together and what develops between them and it's so quirky and different that this slice of life narrative feature works, and it works well. With some introspective comments from both of our main characters as well as random interviews from strangers about relationships, love and sex. Done in way that you lean to understand what is going on inside the heads of our couple, and compliments the overall story. This is a digital film shot beautifully and has some creative edits, uses of animation, time lapse photography, and other techniques which gave this film the feeling that your are seeing something truly different and experimental. And has some amazing and dare I say original ideas within it, the ending left me speechless and makes the entire journey that much more entertaining. I highly recommend watching this film, you will not be disappointed.

I caught this film at the Waterfront Film Festival in Saugatuck, Michigan. Going into the film, I really knew nothing about it, but I felt I owed it to the filmmakers to go see it, since they interviewed me, a struggling college student, the day before. Well, I'm glad I saw it.

Four Eyed Monsters, Directed (along with a lot of other things) by Arin Crumley and Susan Buice is an experimental film that works on a lot of levels. It's about a couple that meet on an internet dating service and decide to continue their relationship using only artistic mediums so they don't fall into the trap of a traditional mundane relationship. Throughout the film they communicate through notepads, emails, video letters, and other things.

Watching the film I thought a lot of it was based on their own history together (and the filmmakers confirmed this, though I don't know how much). I really enjoyed the style of the film, they tried new things and experimented with different shots and things, sometimes it didn't work but a lot of the time it did.

I won't lie, I'm a dedicated festival goer, throughout the weekend I didn't get much sleep because I watched movies all day, and Four Eyed Monsters was one of the last movies I saw, so unfortunately their were moments I struggled to stay awake (not because the film wasn't good). The ending seemed a little out of place to me, and the directors mentioned that they continue to tinker with the film throughout the festival circuit, so it would be interesting to see what previous versions of the film are like.

So, to sum it up, I'm sure people that only go to mainstream films in theatres with huge budgets and huge stars won't appreciate this film. But anyone that knows what independent films are like should check this movie out if they can. It's a helpful film for aspiring filmmakers, and I congratulate Susan and Arin for that, and I'd love to see what they're working on in the future.

What brought my attention to this movie, honestly? I read it got "some awards". I told to myself it's going to be good most probably... But it wasn't. Sorry.

I liked creativity in expressing of authors feelings (I mean it in using media, photos, drawings, etc. way). They told their story in an interesting way (that deserves some stars). They indeed had few interesting ideas. But... This story... it is, what every single teenager and growing-up person in the World goes through... and it's not interesting to anyone around, except a person who is in it! We all have those moments in life and once you're older - you smile at them, because you know it was just an "imaginary-pubertal-hormonal-bullshit" plus "wanting to get laid" (especially 1st part of a movie) and "feeling lonely in society".

Now, you may say. "Yes! but this is life! and this movie is about life!" but, please, remember about one thing: we're having now "internets" and millions of youngsters are expressing themselves online in a very similar way: you need to do much more to be original with your "arts" and self-expression.

It's also too long! It may be a tribute to your love, but a spectator doesn't necessary want to see your faces from many different angles for 40 minutes (each).

After a while I was more annoyed with personalities of those two, rather than interested, how it will follow. Truly a "four eyed monster" it was...

I would love to see instead a movie from an author, who has reach personality, uses it to do interesting, useful things in life... and shares great - maybe even Utopian - ideas. An "art for an art" itself is not working anymore...

P.S. American way of expressing feelings on every possible occasion is so annoying! You guys can talk for 30 minutes about a fact that you're nervous, because you have to visit a dentist. OMG!!!

P.P.S. Oh, one more thing: perhaps I am just a bit allergic lately when I see a picture about people, who tell a story (document?) ONLY about themselves: "me, me, me, me, me... I am... I would like... I wish for myself this and that...I, I, I..." Blehhh.....