Head Trauma & Four Eyed Monsters

This has certainly been one exciting and busy week for me. I'm wrapping up my IFP Filmmaker Conference & Independent Film Week blog entries with a bit about the last two DIY Indie Screenings I attended. That's it for this year's conference, but I plan to be back next year. In the mean time, expect to see some entries soon about the New York Film Festival that's coming up. – Brian

IFP'S Special DIY (Do It Yourself) Indie Screening Series:

Head Trauma
Directed by Lance Weiler
Angelika Film Center - NYC
Sept. 20, 2006

Wednesday night, I attended the 10pm screening of Lance Weiler's low-budget indie horror flick, Head Trauma, at the Angelika. Due to some sound issues, the audience waited patiently outside the theater until the sound check was complete. While I was waiting, people emptied out the theater next door for Half Nelson, and out came my friend's new brother-in-law Scot Armstrong, screenwriter of the upcoming comedy School for Scoundrels. Soon after, the sound check was complete, and I sat down and the film began. It's about a guy who somehow finds himself back in his old neighborhood where he lives in his late grandmother's home, which is due for reckoning. He has nightmares and visions of hooded whack job who kills people. The film is set up and executed nicely, and is genuinely creepy. Afterwards, there was a brief Q&A with Lance.


Four Eyed Monsters
Directed by Susan Buice & Arin Crumley
IFC Center
September 21, 2006

Last night, I went to the IFC Center to see Four Eyed Monsters, where I ran into my friends Josh Freeman and Carrie Oken. It was my second viewing. I saw it previously at the 2005 Trenton Film Festival, when a short film I associate produced, Blinding Goldfish, was there. I think I enjoyed the film more now that I've gotten to know Arin & Susan better through their blogcasts. I saw things I don't remember seeing before, and they seemed to have added some things that were there originally. Afterwords, there was a Q&A where Arin & Susan invited some cast & crew members up to the screen, and the audience asked questions ranging from if they actually communicated through writing everything down on notepads when they first started dating to if they're ready to make their next film. They said that working on the movie and promoting it has pretty much been a full-time job.

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