Audience Member
"Dark Art honors suffering."
-Chetzar
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/12/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Great flick. I've actually talked to Chet over the web and he's a pretty chill dude. I recommend this movie for Dark Art lovers and also TOOL fans. Five Stars!
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/22/23
Full Review
Audience Member
The Chet Zar documentary I Like to Paint Monsters gives us a look into the world of an incredible artist and one of today's greatest creators. Chet Zar's story in the film spans his troubled upbringing, his early interest in all things horror and his philosophy as a man confident in his contribution to the world. Fans, supporters and family provide commentary on the artist and a picture is painted of a creator who has been living deep in the art world his entire life, only to bring positivity and awareness to the world around him.
I Like to Paint Monsters is way more than just an exploration of an individual's artistic work. Those who know of Chet Zar may immediately associate him with the band Tool, and others may know him for his work in the film industry in genre greats from The Blob remake and Darkman to Hellboy and Hellboy II; but people who have seen his paintings and sculptures from the last decade know that he exists in a realm of creativity and imagination that only a small few are ever able to tap into. This film is an exploration of genius in everything from background to experience to philosophy; and as a study of brilliance, it is unparalleled.
The film digs deep into the early life of Chet Zar and his upbringing. We delve into his family life and how he was constantly active and creative while growing up. We get plenty of input from individuals close to Chet who discuss their views on the past and how they perceived this crazy kid savant who eventually grew to become a professional make-up and special effects wizard in the film industry. Plenty of insight is given to how Chet Zar views his work and its effects on fans and the fine art world, and the film ends on an incredibly positive note.
I cannot recommend I Like to Paint Monsters enough. It is one of the most insightful, inspiring and sincere documentaries I have ever seen, and it is absolutely one of my favorite films of 2015 so far. Fantastic commentary from Chet Zar's family, friends, admirers and collaborators in the art world, to include the amazing Alex Grey, build a compelling narrative of a truly wonderful person who deserves to be celebrated for his visionary work. Fans of the "Dark Art" movement should seek this film out as soon as possible. It's worth it.
(originally published 5 Aug 2015 via CHUD.com)
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/16/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Love this Documentary and learned allot about the artist. This is definitely a must watch!!!
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/12/23
Full Review
Audience Member
I Like to Paint Monsters, is by far one of the most influential documentaries to date. Floating through the mind of artist Chet Zar, a calming nostalgic feeling is provided, through the journey of this film. The most influential process to an artist, is the observance of how another artist has been influenced. Through the creation of their work a story is told. This film allows a proper depiction of this progression. Focusing in a personal and informative nature, truly a great energy is present. This film is well worth the watch, and has a beautiful display of balance.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/27/23
Full Review
Michael M
"Chet Zar: I Like to Paint Monsters" (2016 03 08) NRG Creations, Happy Cloud Productions, 80 mins
"Enter the dark and foreboding world of Chet Zar..." (see storyline^)
ILTPM features the humanity/artwork of an ever-evolving human/artist (with respects to an ever-evolving 'Dark Art' scene). Panning creativity (like gold) from insight (and deeper insights still from that), director Mike Correll pivots the entire thesis of his documentary on the Joseph Campbell adage to 'follow your bliss'. "...To Paint Monsters" is Chet Zar's bliss; and how apparent and awe-inspiring a bliss it is! The documentary, therefore, as with Chet Zar's artwork, is itself an invitation for others to take a similar leap of faith, to 'follow your (own) bliss'. Organic, personal, vulnerable, emotional, intimate, therapeutic, meditative, spiritual ...and, most of all, important. The placement of Zar's artwork - against the backdrop of music, words, and recollections - is not only intentional but incredibly effective, correlating perfectly with the film's overall mood/feeling. "Chet Zar: I Like to Paint Monsters", however, is far more than just a visual invitation into worlds of monstrous realms (see: Dy5topia). As Chet Zar notes, "(It is) not just horror stuff ...(it has) elements of mystery & magick. To me, 'dark' doesn't mean 'evil' necessarily."
chapters: 1 Start 2 Chet Zar 3 James Zar 4 Weird Kid 5 After School 6 Strange Super Natural Experiences 7 Joseph Campbell 8 Death of Humanity 9 Appears to be Evil 10 Ego Death at Copro 11 Credits
subtitles and extras: Extended Interrogations (Alex Grey, Chet Zar, Judy Zar), Chopping Block (The Prankster, Childhood Artwork, Testimonials, Special Art Collection), Time Lapses (Paradise Artist Retreat "Untitled" demo painting, "Cthulhu" background detail, "The Primaries" under-painting detail, "Mr. X" detailing, "Death Mantis" and "Ego Death II" Zar-vision), Dark Promotions (official trailer, 2014 Kickstarter trailer, Rick Zar "Live Neon", behind the scenes, spoiler), Rogue's Gallery: The Art of Chet Zar
5 of 5, that DVD cover alone... But seriously, everything about this... get it.
Damien Echols: "It's like the poet Ogden Nash said, "Where there's a monster, there's a miracle". The word 'monster' itself comes from the Latin word (monstrum, monere) which means 'to show forth, or to reveal' (an overseer's divine omen, warning, reminder, portent, admonishment, instruction, guidance, teaching, sign, advisement, etc). So I think some people instinctively know, on some level, that when you're seeing a monster you're seeing divinity at work ...and other people can't see it at all, and even ...kinda get offended and outraged by it."
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
06/23/16
Full Review
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