I didn't think I was going to enjoy this show, but I've gotten myself hooked.
It's starting here on the East Coast as I type this. I'll be updating the entry as the show goes along. The guest judge this week is Michael Bay, the director of Transformers.
Only five directors will be showing their movies this week. No more than three minutes in length, five days to make it.
Sam is the first contestant up. He talks about Internet success. His film tonight is Broken Pipe Dreams. Oops... a diamond ring in the toilet! Some other guy dumped his fish in the toilet, no explanation, back to the ring in the toilet. Broom falls, it flushes. I'm not feeling this one. Now he's tangled in thread from a towel as the toilet flushes. Following the pipe, breaking it with a shovel. The water flows the ring into his hand, his fish in the other. Audience goes wild.
Carrie likes it, very cute, very surreal. Michael told him he could have tightened it up -made a two-minute film into three minutes. Garry Marshall wants another topic other than toilets, but said he did well.
Trever James is up next with a blind date comedy. He's the small-town guy from Montana. His film is named Teri, about a man named Ben. Okay. He's confident that he's not going home. Ben reads a note from his blind date and makes a practice run on what to say. A woman appears. (The guy actor is cute.) Now Lala wants to dance. These girls keep changing. Now a scary Goth Gal - "we're all going to die here." Now a neurotic. Heh, now a guy named Terry. The doorbell rings and it's a perfectly normal gal named Teri. Okay, it was cute. I liked it better than the toilet one.
Carrie likes it, acting over the top since they were acting his fears, good overall, cute. Michael - good comic pacing with editing, did good work, more on photography and style. Garry Marshall liked his golf film more. He thinks he can do better.
Hilary Green, the one who did the "pee on the bus" film I so didn't like last week will be next up. The First Time I Met the Finklesteins is her film. A couple is preparing to meet the man's parent. "Good in bed like his old man," the dad says. Oh, this is roughly as bad as her film last week. Te parents are being stereotypical Jewish parents to the max. Bad taste. The mother keeps wanting Kelly to talk with her in the kitchen. Blech. Not entertaining and mostly in bad taste. Send Hilary home this week... please.
Carrie says the direction is claustrophobic. She likes the writing. Michael says it's a groaner, uncomfortable dialogue and not funny. Garry says she was too tight with the shot. He also thinks her writing is good, but she needs to do better.
Adam, the one who left Harvard Law School for his film career is up next. He feels the competition is his big break. He set his romantic comedy, Dough the Musical,in his girlfriend's parents' bakery. Quality-wise, it's good, a young man in a bakery and a woman in her apartment dreaming of love... in a musical. She wants a job, he's in love with his baking. She doesn't eat carbs. Turns out they know each other from childhood in Tennessee. Very well done! This was the most professional of the lot so far.
Carrie - incredibly original. Really good job. Michael - very good for five days, lyrics great, work a bit more on photography. Garry - loves the story, so theatrical, work out the chemistry with the actors more, very good.
Next up is the woman who did the speed-dating film last week. Laughing Out Loud is her film. Shalini is her name. The film is about a gay comedian from India. She's not sure how folks will relate. He's trying on outfits. He's in a comedy club in NYC. It's a bit of a narrative from the comedian about his fears and the need to believe in himself. Hmmm... it's interesting, but I wouldn't call the film a comedy. I believe their objective tonight was to make a funny film, not a serious film about a funny guy.
Carrie - well-made like a bio pic. You could do better than the advice "be yourself." Michael - Most visual style of all so far, you gave me a chill. Garry - Doesn't have to be linear, must engage you.
Huh... I thought the premise was comedy, maybe I was wrong.
Carrie liked the toilet film, Michael liked the gay Indian comic film, Garry liked the bakery. The contestants liked Shalini's movie best, least favorite was Hilary's movie. I agree on the one they don't like -- of the films, it was Hilary's I liked the least. I thought Dough The Musical might be the best.
Your thoughts?
5 comments:
Jackie -- why can't I find this show? I can see it's a contest between filmmakers being judged each week? But what network is it on? I am of course watchign Deadliest Catch but we could not find it on the cable guide... maybe we are too close to the next hour to see what was playing last hour. Anyhoo, If you are finding it engaging, you know we're all gonna take a look!
It's on FOX 8 PM ET/PT on Tuesdays. You can also watch it online from the website - http://www.thelot.com/
Thanks J. Glad you can watch so much online these days. When you miss something you used to be out of luck. I found it now, I indeed was looking at the wrong time slot.
Watched it last night...found it interesting. I too liked the mini-musical, since 1st time watching guess it needs to grow on me but I see it can become a habit. 5 2-3 minutes movies in an hour seems a waste or max of 15 minutes, rest blab blab blab.
great writeup! By the way, the theme was NOT comedy this week. The theme, at least for 2 of them (Hilary's and Shalini's) was "The First Time", in any genre.
Post a Comment