Underplayed Gems

Four Eyed Monsters (2005)

Four Eyed Monsters poster
Directed by
Arin Crumley, Susan Buice
Genre
independent film
Country
United States
Runtime
1h 25m
Rated
PG-13
Rating
5.8 of 10 from 27 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A young couple, whose real-life relationship inspired the story, choose to communicate only through artistic means after meeting online. They try to continue their digital courtship in the real world without using words.

intimateexperimentalquirkythoughtfullow-keynon-verbalslow-burn

What happens

Four Eyed Monsters, an American 2005 film by Susan Buice and Arin Crumley. It roughly follows Buice and Crumley's real life relationship; the couple initially communicated only through artistic means inspired to continue their online digital non-verbal courtship in the analog world. The film is a very low-budget digital video production but has gained attention for its use of various web-related strategies in distribution and in its ability to build an audience through the use of online resources, a growing trend among contemporary American indie filmmakers. In 2007 it became the first ever feature film to be released on YouTube. In 2010 the film was released on VODO where it was placed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike license allowing audience members to redistribute or even alter it as they wish. Since then a number of screenings have been utilized taking advantage of this open license. The film was shot on MiniDV using the Panasonic AG-DVX100 mostly in Brooklyn and Manhattan, New York, with supplementary shooting in Framingham, Massachusetts and Johnson, Vermont. It was edited on Apple's Final Cut Pro editing software. It debuted on the festival circuit in January 2005 at the Slamdance Film Festival where it was well received. At first the filmmakers hoped to obtain a conventional deal for theatrical distribution on the basis of its success at Slamdance, but nothing was forthcoming. This is when they decided to release what eventually grew into a two-season 13 episode online series about the journey of creating the film. This attention eventually grabbed the attention of IFC TV who went on to air the film, release in iTunes and sell DVDs through Borders bookstore. IFC then stopped selling the film and for a period of time it was only available in Canada through Films We Like and UK via DOG WOOF. IN 2009 the film was relaunched on YouTube and in 2010 released on VODO. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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