Category: reality tv

Better late than never, or so I’ve heard. Since On The Lot has been popular here in the past, I figured I’d revive it. It’s a much different field than it was a month ago, as I’d argue that these people have all proven they still deserve to be around this late in the game.

We start off at the house with the directors discussing who might go home. Zach feels his film was his weakest yet. Given his strong previous performance, I’d have thought he was in no danger. Even his worst film beats what most of the others can do on their best day. Andrew fears his superhero film may not have connected with the audience. It came down to the two of them, and Andrew ended up being the one getting the boot. I thought he had a decent film myself. At the end of the day, though, I’m hoping Zach’s fans rally behind him.

This week is road week, so all movies will involve cars. Also, a special guest actor, Jerry O’Connell, has been awarded to the director with the most votes. I’m guessing that’s a big deal or something. Anyway, the top vote getter was Jason, who’s been a fan favorite ever since Carrie went insane and told him he was making fun of challenged people.

Penny Marshall showed up to take the place of her brother on the panel. I’ve been wondering when we’d see her. Gary Ross, director of Seabiscuit, is this week’s guest judge.

Driving Under the Influence by Adam Stein
Description: A car radio makes people dance against their will.
My Thoughts: I liked the concept and was somewhat amused but felt it was just okay. I got more out of his previous musical bit with the dough.
Carrie: This was really funny.
Gary: Charming, ambitious, technically proficient.
Penny: It was excellent. None of the judges cared for the ending.

Backseat Driving Test by Sam Friedlander
Description: A son tries to cure his mother of her backseat driving
My Thoughts: Highly relateable concept that’s good primarily on that basis. He went for a nice mix of action and character and did a decent job of accomplishing that.
Carrie: The best thing you’ve done here.
Gary: Wanted more relationship development between the mom and son.
Penny: Excellent, identifiable.

Bonus Feature Two by Zach Lipovsky
Description: A sequel to his previous film
My Thoughts: This is what he was missing last week. Nice character development led to a very good film.
Carrie: Much better than last week.
Gary: Cohesive, wonderful storytelling, didn’t take itself too seriously, well cast.
Penny: Excellent filmmaker.

The Move by Jason Epperson
Description: A story about playing a prank on a friend
My Thoughts: I was confused the whole time trying to figure out what I was watching and why. The payoff at the end didn’t really help matters any.
Carrie: I didn’t completely get this.
Gary: Confused, too.
Penny: Didn’t get it.

Road Rage 101 by Will Bigham
Description: A guy pounds on his car, and his car turns on him.
My Thoughts: I liked the concept, and like Sam’s movie, this is relateable. Would have expected more out of Will, however.
Carrie: Amazing spirit, pleasure to watch.
Gary: Really good but didn’t quite feel the character of the car.
Penny: Could have done better.

Winning logline for next week’s films: a man wakes up, finds himself in a dress, but can’t remember what happened the night before.

Judges Picks:
Carrie: Driving Under the Influence by Adam
Gary: Driving Under the Influence Adam
Penny: Backseat Driving Test by Sam

My Pick:
Bonus Feature Two by Zach. It wasn’t his best movie (for that matter, nobody really had their best night), but it was the one that kept me the most entertained. I applaud Zach’s willingness to take risks and ability to take the constructive criticism from the judges and implement it.

If I have to pick a boot based on this week’s performance, it’s hands down Jason. However, he is quite popular as evidenced by grabbing the top box office spot last week, though that may lure his fans into a false sense of security. Beyond that, I would suggest that Sam and Adam, despite their rave reviews from the judges, don’t appear to have the fanbases to continue.

On The Lot episode 14 airs on Tuesday at 8/7c on Fox. Stay tuned for a full recap of the show right here on dingoRUE.com.

Since the start of On The Lot, the vast majority of short films that have aired have been comedies. True, there has been the odd drama here and there, but tonight is the big ticket night, its horror movie week!

If you’ve been following me along from the start of the show to now, you’ll no doubt remember that Jess Brillhart was deserving shown the door last week in episode 8 of On The Lot, as Shalini, Adam, Will, Hilary, David and Zach premiered their comedy short films.

My pick for the contestant to be eliminated on episode 9 of On The Lot is… David May for his short film How to Have a Girl.

And now, on to what everyone is looking for, a full recap of episode 9!

ON THE LOT
July 3, 2007
SE01EP09

The short film directors on the chopping block are Shalini Kantayya, Adam Stein, Will Bigham, Hilary Graham, David May and Zach Lipovsky.

The director eliminated on episode 9 of On The Lot is… David May!

The guest judge for tonight’s episode and very befitting of the night’s horror movie theme is Eli Roth, director of such films as Hostel, Cabin Fever and Quentin Tarantino’s Grind House.

Ha! I knew it. Now that the dirty work is over and done with, lets get on with the good stuff, tonight’s all-new horror films!

The Malibu Myth by Kenny Luby
Description: A story about two friends trying to solve a myth.
My Thoughts: Well filmed, terrible ending, horrible zombies.
Judges Thoughts: Carrie thought it was his most accessible film yet, it was good. Eli liked it, but the build up was better then the follow through. Garry liked his monsters and the tempo was very good.

Anklebiters by Sam Friedlander
Description: A story about a boy who has a run in with a strange creature in his bedroom.
My Thoughts: Great casting for the commentator, fantastic voice for horror. The “anklebiter” puppet looked terrible and the entire film was just lame.
Judges Thoughts: Carrie thought he did well with the puppet, but the prologue was from an entirely different movie. Eli thought the prologue gave everything away. Garry thought it was a solid film.

Midnight Snack by Andrew Hunt
Description: A horror-comedy hybrid.
My Thoughts: Great use of lighting and sound effects. The female ghost character was done very well, had a very The Grudge kind of feel.
Judges Thoughts: Carrie thought it was very entertaining, but more a Rocky Horror than a horror. Eli thought it wasn’t very funny or scary and he saw it more as a commercial. Garry thought he did a good job.

Eternal Waters by Jason Epperson
Description: A story about a mother coping with her sons drowning.
My Thoughts: Very well filmed, great sound effects, good actors and a very good story.
Judges Thoughts: Carrie thought he did a great job, her favored film of his so far. Eli didn’t buy the mothers performace at all. Garry thought it was sensational.

Open House by Shira-Lee Shalit
Description: A story about a couple house hunting, and then something happens.
My Thoughts: Good camera work and use of angles. Interesting storyline, great supporting actress.
Judges Thoughts: Carrie didn’t think it was scary, didn’t think it worked. Eli felt it was forced and cliche, but the ending was very good. Garry thinks she’s better suited to comedy.

Profile by Mateen Kemet
Description: A new twist on the horror genre, think racial profiling, everday horror.
My Thoughts: Interesting storyline, very original, but not a horror in my opinion, more of a drama.
Judges Thoughts: Carrie didn’t get it, but it was shot well. Eli thought he didn’t relate the message to the audience well enough. Garry thought it was more horrifying than horror, but it lacked complexity and was difficult to understand.

Judges Picks:
Carrie Fisher – Midnight Snack by Andrew Hunt
Eli Roth – The Malibu Myth by Kenny Luby
Garry Marshall – Eternal Waters by Jason Epperson

My Pick:
Eternal Waters by Jason Epperson. The film had a feeling very similar to The Omen and The Ring and made great use of the child actors. The storyline was very well done and overall it was a very well filmed and executed short film.

And there you have it, another spectacular episode of On The Lot has been and gone. My pick for elimination in episode 10 of On The Lot… Sam Friedlander. The film just wasn’t any good, far to cheesy and the puppet was terrible. Stay tuned for more, next week!

On The Lot episode 10 airs on the Fox Television Network on July 10 at 8/7c. Stay tuned for a full recap of the show right here on dingoRUE.com!

Watch On The Lot Online!

I know, I know, I’m a couple days late, so sue me. It has been a really busy week at um, work… yeah, that’ll do. Anyways, On the Lot episode 8 aired Tuesday night and, thanks to the wonders of modern technology (see also: a digital PVR), I recorded it so I could watch it tonight instead. And watch it I will!

Episode 7 of On The Lot saw short film director Marty Martin get the axe for his efforts, and even though I didn’t think Marty was the most deserving of elimination, I’m still not all that sad to see him go. As long as incredibly talented short film creators Zach Lipovsky and Andrew Hunt are still in the running, I’ll keep watching.

Last weeks episode of On The Lot saw filmmakers Will Bigham, Jason Epperson, Zach Lipovsky, Mateen Kemet and Jess Brillhart premire their newest short films to, unfortunately, less then stellar reviews. Of all five shorts films, only two were any good. Those two were, of course, Zach Lipovsky’s Sunshine Girl and Will Bigham’s Glass Eye.

Based on last weeks fairly poor showing, my pick for the contestant to be eliminated in episode 8 is… Jess Brillhart, for her steaming pile of crap film, The Orchard.

So, now that I’ve made my pick, lets get on with the show and see what goes down!

ON THE LOT
June 26, 2007
SE01EP08

Tonight’s guest judge is Mark Waters, best known as the director of Mean Girls.

The contesants on the chopping block are Will Bigham, Jason Epperson, Zach Lipovsky, Mateen Kemet and Jess Brillhart.

The short film director eliminated on episode 8 of On The Lot is… Jess Brillhart!

Well, I can’t say that I am in the least bit surprised about that decision. I, personally, thought her film was crap and my feelings were shared by all of the judges. With that business taken care of, lets get on to the night’s movie premieres! Tonight’s six contestants were instructed to create new comedy shorts, and here they are:

Dr. In-Law by Shalini Kantayya (Watch It!)
Description: A routine check-up at a Dr’s office turns out to be anything but.
My Thoughts: Shalini was a mess on the set and had no control over her cast. With that being said, her short film turned out absolutely fantastic. Very funny for someone that’s not big into directing comedy.
Judges Thoughts: Carrie thought it really was funny and she can do comedy. Mark got some good laughs out of it and thought the camera work was good. Garry loved it, but it didn’t feel quite complete in the end.

Discovering the Wheels by Adam Stein (Watch It!)
Description: A story about a brand new Ford Mustange that materializes in the time of cavemen.
My Thoughts: Cute idea for a short film with a clever ending, but it all seemed to much like a Ford Mustang commercial for my liking.
Judges Thoughts: Carrie thought it was very ambitious, but he bit off more than he could chew. Mark didn’t think he nailed the ending. Garry thought it was a nice film and it held his attention, even if he called him Zach by accident.

Nerve Endings by Will Bigham (Watch It!)
Description: Two surgeons decide to test a patients reflexes while performing brain surgery.
My Thoughts: Great story, very well filmed and executed. Totally original idea for a comedy short, I loved it.
Judges Thoughts: Carrie said only he could make blood and an exposed brain adorable, an amazing feat. Mark thought it was a misfire and was horrified. Garry was scared a little bit, but thought it was a funny film.

Under The Gun by Hilary Graham (Watch It!)
Description: A woman desperate to find the right man and have a child takes an unconvenital route to finding the right man.
My Thoughts: Clever idea for a film, funny and well executed, until the end, that is. The end was just stupid and cheesy and ruined it for me.
Judges Thoughts: Carrie said she redeemed herself, thought it was really good. Mark thought it was funny and exciting, but the ending was lacking. Garry said it was very good.

How To Have A Girl by David May (Watch It!)
Description: A couple experiment with different ways of ensuring the sex of a child when an arguement erupts with comedic results.
My Thoughts: Clever idea for a film, but not very well executed and not funny.
Judges Thoughts: Carrie thought it was confusing, didn’t get it. Mark didn’t think it delivered, not a lot of laughs. Garry thought the bedroom wrestling scene was better then the one in Borat.

Die Hardly Working by Zach Lipovsky (Watch It!)
Description: wo co-workers, while working in their cubicles, become bored, declare war on one another and an battle of epic perportions ensues.
My Thoughts: Great idea for a film, well written and shot. The sound effects were brilliant and the ending was great.
Judges Thoughts: Carrie thought it was completely charming, fantastic. Mark said he’s incredibly talented and it’s a story everyone can relate to. Garry thought it was very well shot and entertaining.

Judges Picks:
Carrie Fisher – Die Hardly Working by Zach Lipovsky
Garry Marshall – Die Hardly Working by Zach Lipovsky
Mark Waters – Die Hardly Working by Zach Lipovsky

My Pick:
I don’t know, this is the hardest choices I’ve had to make all season. Die Hardly Working by Zach Lipovsky and Dr. In-Law by Shalini Kantayya were without a doubt the best films of the night. I don’t think I can pick one of the two as a favorite, to be honest, I liked them both to much.

There you have it, another episode of On The Lot comes to an end. Next week’s episode will feature the other six contestants premiering their all new horror movies!

On The Lot episode 9 airs on the Fox Television Network on July 3 at 8/7c. Stay tuned for a full recap of the show right here on dingoRUE.com!

Watch On The Lot Online!

After what had to be one of the shakiest starts to a reality TV show I’ve ever seen, On The Lot has seemingly found its spot in the Fox television line-up. Ratings for the show are by no means fantastic, but the important part is that the show is still chugging along and things are looking promising!

Although, I do have to admit that last weeks episode 6 was a bit lacking, in fact, it wasn’t very good at all, due in large part to the directors short films.

Contestants Andrew Hunt, David May, Shira-Lee Shalit, Marty Martin and Kenny Luby were the “lucky” directors to premiere their films last week and, of all five short film premieres, only two were any good. Those of course were Polished by Andrew Hunt and Dance with the Devil by Marty Martin.

Based on last weeks films, my pick for the next director to get the boot is Kenny Luby. His “film” Edge on the End was more like a poorly made music video than a short film. I liked the cinemetography and how it was filmed, but it just wasn’t a short film.

So, with that being said, lets get down to business.

On The Lot
June 19, 2007
SE01EP07

The extra special guest judge for episode 7 of On The Lot is an old school master of horror. He directed, produced and wrote the Nightmare on Elm Street series, the Scream series, the original Hills Have Eyes series and a number of classic Twilight Zone episodes, Mr. Wes Craven!

The five directors on the chopping block tonight are Andrew Hunt, David May, Shira-Lee Shalit, Marty Martin and Kenny Luby.

The next director eliminated from On The Lot is… Marty Martin!

Wow… Instead of leaving it until the very end this time around, they got it out of the way right out of the gate and they made a terrible decision. Sure Marty copped an attitude last week, defending his work, but his work was a great deal better than most of the other filmmakers works.

The films debuting tonight are:

Glass Eye by Will Bigham
Description: A story about a guy that loses his glasses eye, only to find an entirely new perspective on the world without it.
My Thoughts: Took me a while to get it at first, but once I did it was really funny. Totally original concept for a short film and very well filmed. Great use of color and black and white photography.
Judge’s Thoughts: Carrie thought it was a very sweet film, loved the spirit, but still looking for the dialogue. Wes thought it was really fun, very original and cinematic. Garry said he had a good eye, but be careful of wardrobe (apparently a guy wearing a wife beater means he’s going to stop and slap his wife mid-way through the film, according to Garry).

Blood Born by Jason Epperson
Description: A troubled kid discovers he has a miraculous gift.
My Thoughts: Actors weren’t that great, dialogue seemed akward and forced. Really good idea for a short film, but the main characters inept acting made it hard to focus on the content of the movie. The ending was very good though.
Judge’s Thoughts: Carrie liked it, but was confused by it, message wasn’t clear. Wes thought it was confusing and the moral wasn’t clear. Garry said it was uplifting.

Sunshine Girl by Zach Lipovsky
Description: A little girl is scared of the dark.
My Thoughts: Interesting premise for a drama. Very well filmed and the slight special effects were a great touch. Overall I really liked it, but he has done much better.
Judge’s Thoughts: Carrie thought it was a simply story, told simply, that’s really nice. Wes thought everything was beautiful. Garry said the music was a little sappy, but overall it was very good.

Lost by Mateen Kemet
Description: A story about the most important thing a person can lose, love.
My Thoughts: Shakey photography, very shakey in some scenes. Good job by both leading actors. The story in general; however, was slow and boring, though the end was a good touch.
Judge’s Thoughts: Carrie thought the dialogue and writing was good, but it needed more. Wes thought it was good, but the story was confusing and poorly executed. Garry said he understood the story, but he needs to open the shots more and film from further back.

The Orchard by Jess Brillhart
Description: A horror film taken from a tree’s perspective.
My Thoughts: Good use of mood setting sound effects. Very cool cinematography. However, weird concept for a film with no real storyline.
Judge’s Thoughts: Carrie said it wasn’t scary at all, it was outright terrible. Wes didn’t see it as a horror. Garry said it was a good idea and it was just the beginning, but it needed more to make sense.

Judges Picks:
Carrie Fisher – Sunshine Girl by Zach Lipovsky
Garry Marshall – Sunshine Girl by Zach Lipovsky
Wes Craven – Sunshine Girl by Zach Lipovsky

My Pick:
Sunshine Girl by Zach Lipovsky was very well done and an interesting idea for a movie, but knowing Zach’s work both on an off the show, I don’t feel it was his best effort. My favorite film of all the night’s debuts was Glass Eye by Will Bigham. It was the most original of all the night’s films, it was well filmed and as a whole, was the best short film of the night.

There you have it! Another successful episode of On The Lot comes to an end.

On The Lot episode 8 airs on the Fox Television Network on June 26 at 8/7c. Stay tuned for a full recap of the show right here on dingoRUE.com!

Watch On The Lot Online!