Four Eyed Monsters: Episode 6
The Four Eyed Monsters podcasts is one of the elite video podcasts, they pretty much have conquered Myspace. The podcasts are a behind the scenes look at the movie Four Eyed Monsters which lived a very short life in mainstream movie distribution. For those who have not experienced the phenomenon, let me just say that it would be a shame not to witness the talents of these two filmmakers.
Episode 6 or otherwise know as the episode when the shit hit the fan is unlike anything before. With the preceding episodes, you could feel the filmmakers kinda over-dramatized the drama, however, in this episode the drama is so ugly and real that you kinda feel filthy watching it. And for that I would nominate it the best FEM episode of the new year (with the best episode still being episode #3 from ’05).
With all of these podcasts, the filmmakers have displayed an incredible honesty with nothing too sacred not to be torn apart. So I was little taken aback with the rawness of Episode 6. Partially because it was about acting and the art of it. Acting is never pretty, it usually tends to painstakingly awkward and that is captured quite well in the various shots inside an acting class. The other reason the honesty was disturbing was unlike before where it was an internal struggle, mainly the filmmakers overcoming themselves, this episode the conflict was external.
Spoiler alert: The drama basically boils down to the two filmmakers need acting lessons to act properly in their film, the acting instructor teaches them well, he helps them with some directing on set, film gains traction, instructor wants credit as a director.
The problems over credit is quite rampant in movies, much of the controversy leading up the Oscars was the absurd amount of producers being listed for awards. With Four Eyed Monsters, I can’t be sure who is right because I wasn’t there but if the filmmakers are being truthful in that the acting instructor only helped them re-shoot scenes, my preliminary vote would side with the filmmakers.
That said, I recommend you check out the new episode. It is daring on many fronts, very little cutting (at least for their standards), more substance and at a running length of almost 15 minutes (that is three hours in podcast years).
Watch it – Subscribe to the iTunes Podcast
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