On The Lot: Episode 9 (Fox Television)
One of the things On the Lot promised its viewers, back in the promotion stages was weekly ‘genre’ challenges. Finally, after over a month full of episodes, and several films by every director, we see a new genre. While we have already seen several films of different genres, this is the first week the contestants were assigned a genre to work within. This week it’s horror. Kind of a strange move, considering Wes Craven was the judge two weeks ago right? Well, yes, that was a rather foolish move on their part, and once again shows the complete mess this show is behind the stage. But then again, this week’s judge is the always entertaining Eli Roth, so it’s hard to complain. With Roth as a judge and a specific genre this week should be interesting.
Ah, once again we start with the very funny opening sequence, which would be fine if this was America’s Next Top Model. As with previous week’s, last week’s eliminated contestant is mysteriously absent. Let’s just say that the sequence is getting less sexy every passing week. But wait, Carrie Fisher did point out Kenny Luby’s sexiness when he premiered ‘Edge on the End’, so maybe I’m wrong. This must be the reason he’s still on the show. Either that or a large amount of people have a sense of humor.
Eliminated this week was David May, one of the shows most talented contestants. It was sad to see May walk off, but even sadder to see him underestimating his own talent. After the usual babble, we were introduced to the films.
Once again, Luby shows why he shouldn’t be on this contest. His tacky style is less prominent here, which is about the best thing I can say. A typical storyline and bad acting bogs things down, and horrendous dialogue puts it over the edge. Apart from all that, Luby’s editing works quite well.
While it’s use of typical horror techniques, Anklebiters isn’t anything special. On the other hand, Friedlander doesn’t glamorize anything nor please the audience, and the result is fairly refreshing.
There’s not much worse than bad horror comedy, and that’s exactly what Hunt’s film is. It’s not confident as a horror nor a comedy, so the result is rather bland and uninteresting. Technically, it’s the exact opposite, bold, exciting, and unnerving.
Eternal Waters (Jason Epperson)
Epperson’s moral ridden ghost story mainly suffers from the same problem as his last film, in that it’s poorly structured for the time given. It soars visually about halfway into the film, but considering the mess the film is, and the lead’s bad performance, good visuals don’t really matter.
While it’s genuinely creepy at times, for the most part Open House is a horror film without the horror. Shira is a talented filmmaker, and the dolly shot at the start of the film clearly proves that, but this is a strike out.
The biggest problem with Profile is that it’s on the border of being an ignorant piece of racism. In it, a black man is arrested and killed by a group of white cops. If that was the film, it probably wouldn’t have been shown. But considering the fact that it ends as a dream, and he’s really being pulled over by a black cop, it’s clear he was trying to make a point. The problem is the racism is a overdone and improbable for the 21st century. Apart from all the controversy it’s not a good film and the ending is extremely questionable.
All in all I felt it was a nice treat to have a single genre, which made the films easier to compare. The biggest problem was that there seemed to be a lack of knowledge and passion for horror, which is why the films clearly lacked. Perhaps they should have picked a few contestants that enjoy the horror genre, or at least kept them around. Apart from the lack of passion on the filmmaker’s part, Roth was a real treat. He knows the genre, and for once his options were valid. On the other hand, Garry Marshall is becoming increasingly less valid with every bad joke he tells.
My favorite film of the night was Anklebiters, although to be honest I didn’t even like it all that much. I felt next best were Andrew and Kenny’s films. I felt that the worst of the night were Mateen and Jason’s films. Sadly, I don’t think either of them will end up going home. The causality will most likely be Shalit.
steven spielberg, on the lot, mark burnett, jason epperson, sam friedlander, andrew hunt, kenny luby, mateen kemet, shira lee-shalit
I saw this episode and thought it was far more interesting than the other ones. I was glad to see some behind the scenes drama. The films weren't awful - just goes to show what amateurs can do if they've got a full crew and amazing equipment.
Oh, and I very much agree that Roth was great. He had some fantastic advice and seemed to really care about the films and the filmmakers. I've admired his work since Cabin Fever, which was just such a brilliant comedy/horror.
I also noticed that the directors didn't really know how to do a horror film and the themes used were recycled because they don't really know the genre. My favorite was "Midnight Snack" although it needed a little more work but it was the best (or least worst?) from all the films. I also think that the one to leave is gonna be Shira-Lee.