This was a really cool documentary about the artist Chet Zar and his life as an artist. Not knowing too much about the genre of dark art this film gives a peek into the the culture and even a clearer look at the people who surround it. You quickly learn Chet was a natural from the beginning and his creativity along with his hard work lead his way to becoming the amazing artist his is today. It also gives the viewer a chance to look at his work and to hear his intentions and commentary with his portraits of monsters. This documentary was definitely worth watching and was a great depiction of the life of Chet Zar and who he is as a person.
11 Reviews
Inspiring portrait of the man behind the monsters with souls.
mathewisninja17 July 2016
I've been a fan of Chet Zars work for many years, but didn't know much about the man behind the monsters. This documentary provides insight into how and why Chet paints what he paints. I think the mark of a good documentary is one that transcends the subject matter and tells a great human story, ILTPM has this in spades. I watched it with my partner (who has no interest in dark art) and she found it very informative, heartwarming but most of all entertaining (Also probably doesn't hurt she has the hots for bearded, slightly chubby guys ;). If your an artist (of any discipline) trying to "make it" this movie is an inspiring must watch. It shows that if you have an unstoppable work ethic, talent and drive to succeed then you might just be able to paint for a living. My favorite parts are the bits where Chet is painting, and thankfully the DVD provides some little time lapse videos that just show him working. Now if only Netflix would sign these guys up to make a Bob Ross style series "The joy of painting monsters", then my life would be complete.
One of the most heart warming story about a painter of dark art
patology1 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
This DVD touches more then just the man himself. It showcased what really is behind the art of dark surrealism. A wonderful story from childhood up to present. From working in the movie FX industry to doing what he was meant to do right after. It really is an amazing documentary that sheds light to what a lot don't understand quite yet. Mike Correll has done a brilliant job working on this film for a little over 3 years. The journey from beginning to now was a very spiritual journey that ended perfectly. I highly recommend this documentary to every hard working individuals out there that understand your own journey. A perfect piece that will hit home to everyone that watches it!
Must See!
jvance-182384 May 2016
Chet Zar doesn't just paint monsters. Chet paints emotion; pain, suffering, reflection, happiness, joy, etc. You can see it in their eyes, in the deep lines on their faces, in their expressions. His paintings convey a story so human yet seemingly from another world. This is an intimate, in depth look at one of todays greatest surrealist visionary dark artists, Chet Zar. From early childhood Chet has had a fascination with monsters. He worked in the movie/video industry from a very young age until branching out to pioneer his own personal and unique style of art. In this well made documentary you will follow Chet, and his friends and family, along that path to the successful artist that he is today. You will also see much of the art that Chet has created over the years and some insight into his process. This Documentary is highly recommended for art fans everywhere.
Learn more about the man and meaning behind the dark art
joshlopez-548092 May 2016
I have been a long time fan of Chet's, and have been lucky enough to acquire an original sculpture and painting, as well as numerous prints and a couple of his production sculptures.
I had been dying to watch this documentary, and just a few weeks ago I ordered from Amazon and watched as soon as it arrived.
It gives so much background about Chet growing up and really shows you where his inspiration for his art comes from. I enjoyed every minute of it and learned a lot of new things about Chet that I didn't already know. What was reconfirmed is how humble and nice of a person Chet is.
The documentary was very well put together and it had high production value. Even the cover is a piece of art that looks so cool on my shelf! Easy 10!
I had been dying to watch this documentary, and just a few weeks ago I ordered from Amazon and watched as soon as it arrived.
It gives so much background about Chet growing up and really shows you where his inspiration for his art comes from. I enjoyed every minute of it and learned a lot of new things about Chet that I didn't already know. What was reconfirmed is how humble and nice of a person Chet is.
The documentary was very well put together and it had high production value. Even the cover is a piece of art that looks so cool on my shelf! Easy 10!
An artists story for artists.
mattkotch15 March 2016
This documentary really hit home for me.I found his obsession with all things creepy very familiar..He had a drive even as a small child to create and it shows .If his artwork scares you at all..watch this movie and you will see way more than just monsters on canvas,you will see so much humanity,sadness ,humor and kindness as well as beauty. The emotions of his creatures are seen in the squinted eyes and curled lips,the colors and shadows of their environments. Each painting has a story and as a viewer I found myself wanting to know more.Chets ability to touch the viewer with his imagery is unique . Some of his creations are truly sad and appear to be very lonely ,nicely done Mr Zar.
More than just a painter
falewitchcolt4 May 2016
Chet Zar is one of the best visionary artists ever. His ability to create worlds are unmatched by anyone right now. This documentary goes into great depth about his life, and why he does what he does. An extremely inspiring documentary for anybody who is also into this type of so called "dark" art. This documentary also does a great job of pulling in people who can give excellent insight on Chet's work such as Guy Aitchison, Big Gus, and Alex Gray. If you have any interest in the art work of Chet Zar, then I Like To Paint Monsters is a must watch. Knowing what we now know about Chet Zar, his works seem to have much fuller meaning. These are not just monster paintings, they are much more than that!
Grear stuff
marilyncharles4 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
This documentary was AWESOME. Some of my favorite artists (Alex Grey) and tattoo artists (Guy Aitchison) have some words of wisdom in this film, as well as Chet Zar obviously. I find myself quoting a lot from this film after watching it (when Alex Grey mentions how young people can sense bullsh*t..TRUE). Left me feeling inspired, and I loved being able to find out the meanings and inspiration that drives Chet Zar to do such amazing work. More thought goes into this man's work than you would think, pretty cool and much more than you'd think. Felt very satisfied after watching this, there's some really cool stories scattered throughout the whole thing.
Where there's a monster, there's a miracle
solsothis1 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
"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."
"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."
A glowing gem in the darkness
aundrealochmiller26 October 2020
This film was incredible! I was not at all expecting to be so moved. Uplifting to the creative spirit and filled with message that causes one to check in with your own ideas and in many ways gives permission to accept one's own darkness as light. Very beautiful. I'm so glad I was able to get a copy of it. It's inspiring on so many levels!
Dark Art Explained
kmypcn26 April 2021
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