It was during the 2005 Slamdance Film Festival that the world first got a glimpse of Arin Crumley and Susan Buice’s cinematic debut, Four Eyed Monsters. A critical success, the film went on to play numerous festivals throughout 2005 and then… nothing. As is the fate for too many independent films, Four Eyed Monsters failed to garner a distribution deal during its festival run and seemed on the brink of being yet another great film that just disappears.
But instead, the innovators behind the film began working in the new medium of video-blogging. Using the technology available, such as a MySpace account and streaming video, Arin and Susan began editing together the exploits of the film during its festival run, with the purpose of having a solid bit of extras for the (hoped for) eventual DVD release. Until that DVD release, however, the videos would be shown online for free as they were developed. And that’s when the stars aligned, as Apple released the first video iPod, opened the iTunes service to video channels from independent sources and MySpace came into its own.
Now the DVD extras have taken on a life of their own, becoming a brilliant web serial that is as compelling (if not moreso) than the majority of today’s television programs. The story is rich with humor and drama, as it is a true tale, and the episodes, though documentaries at heart, are expanded by the creative interpretations and additions by Arin and Susan. For the non-filmmaker, this is the best glimpse into what makes someone make films in the first place. For the filmmaker, this is a comforting, and emotionally demanding, journey that is extremely easy to relate to.
Film Threat is proud to present the ongoing Four Eyed Monsters Podcast, starting with the original episodes as they aired through the current episodes as they are released.
