Movie Review: Series 7: The Contenders @ UGC Cinemas As reality TV kicks back into life again with the launch of the British Survivor and the new series of Big Brother a vicious film satire of this 21st TV genre hits the screens. Will it be Big Brother or will it be boot Camp? We took a look.  Series 7: The Contenders @ UGC Cinema, Ipswich
STARRING: Brooke Smith, Marylouise Burke, Glenn Fitzgerald, Michael Kaycheck, Richard Venture, Merritt Wever CERTIFICATE:  LINE ON THE POSTER: Real People in Real Danger  WHAT HAPPENS: In the final twist to the realty TV show, 6 contenders are randomly selected to compete each other in a fly-on-the-wall TV show. However this time it's not about voting people off, it's about doing people in, as The Contenders is a no holds barred, kill or be killed contest. The show has already reached it's 7th series and the reigning champ is the pregnant Dawn, who will stop at nothing to save her and her un born child's life. Up against her is a god-fearing nurse, a paranoid old man, an innocent teenager, a drug addicted father and a man dying of testicular cancer. Can this brutal new show be real? Or is it a hilarious and over-exaggerated send-up on how TV has really gone too far and how we are hooked by it?
 ANY GOOD?: This is guerrilla-film-making at it's unflinching best, brutal, bloody, brilliant and absolutely vital. Not only is it a great satire on the banality that is 21st Century and, in particular, American TV but it's also a tremendously funny and a thrill to watch. The whole time you will question whether it's real or not, as it's brilliantly presented, in authentic American-garbage TV style and a cast of brilliant unknowns only adds to its credibility. There is no doubt that this film could and probably will generate huge controversy,  especially due to the graphic violence but surely the controversy should be on how low TV has recently gone. The violence serves to show us how we've been totally taken in by the 'Reality TV genre' and will watch anything. If we can watch the hostility, backstabbing and degrading of a bunch of strangers in a house, on an island or even on a bus together, will this be the next step? It seems far-fetched but Series 7 will make you think and will make you laugh....very loudly. Watch it instead of the worse programme ver to hit UK TV....Survivor.
 BEST BIT: Every time there is a touching moment by one of the contenders, it's presented exactly how it would be on TV....cue slow sad music, soft focus, slow-mo's, repeated dialogue and dollops of extra-cheese...absolutely hilarious....hahahahaha.
INTERESTING FACT: The original aim for Series 7... was to make it a TV show, market it as a new reality TV show and air it without telling the public it was fictional, thus causing an Orson Welles 'War of the Worlds' mass hysteria and public outcry...that would have been great. LIKED IT, TRY: The Blair Witch Project, The Running Man, Rollerball or The Last Broadcast RATING: 
by ChrisM
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FILM |
Distributor |
3-day
gross £ |
| 1 |
The Mummy Returns |
UIP |
3,063,383 |
| 2 |
Bridget Jones's Diary |
UIP |
1,034,544 |
| 3 |
Captain Corelli's Mandolin |
BVI |
576,099 |
| 4 |
Blow |
Ent |
436,837 |
| 5 |
See Spot Run |
WB |
253,876 |
| 6 |
The Dish |
Icon |
209,333 |
| 7 |
Spy Kids |
BVI |
180,751 |
| 8 |
Along Came A Spider |
UIP |
174,506
|
| 9 |
The Mexican |
UIP |
114,511 |
| 10 |
Ek Rishtaa |
21st Cent Prod |
85,5970 |
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