Series 7: The Contenders (2001)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Daniel Minahan

Writer:

Daniel Minahan (writer)

Release Date:

25 May 2001 (Italy)

Genre:

Comedy | Thriller

Tagline:

Real People In Real Danger

Plot:

A TV program selects people at random to kill one another for fame and their freedom.

Plot Keywords:

Satire | Contest | Gun | Blood Splatter | Most Dangerous Game

Awards:

3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Brooke Smith	...	Dawn
Mark Woodbury	...	Dairy Mart Clerk
Michael Kaycheck	...	Tony
Marylouise Burke	...	Connie
Richard Venture	...	Franklin
Donna Hanover	...	Sheila
Merritt Wever	...	Lindsay
Glenn Fitzgerald	...	Jeff
Angelina Phillips	...	Doria
Tom Gilroy	...	Dawn's Cameraman
Nada Despotovich	...	Michelle
Stephen Michael Rinaldi	...	Craig
Alex Yershov	...	Nathan
Danton Stone	...	Bob
Joseph Barrett	...	Doctor

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violent content and language.

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Portugal:M/18 | Iceland:16 | Australia:R | Canada:18A | Hong Kong:III | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | South Korea:18

Filming Locations:

Danbury, Connecticut, USA

Company:

Blow Up Pictures

Trivia:

Writer/Director Daniel Minahan's childhood friend, Dawn Lagarto, is given a "Special Thanks" credit. He originally wrote the story using her name for the main character. When it came time to start filming the producers had legal concerns regarding the use of a real person's name, but actress Brooke Smith felt an affinity for the name and wanted to retain it for her character. Minahan called the real Dawn Lagarto and got her blessing to use the name. The real Dawn Lagarto is not an unwed mother, has never participated in a reality TV series, and has never killed anyone.

Goofs:

Continuity: The truck Tony drives off with the baby in is a Ford Ranger (a mid-size truck). The stock footage of a chase from a helicopter shows a truck that is supposed to be Tony's, but is now a full-sized Chevy. Back in the close-ups, it's a Ford Ranger again.

Quotes:

Jeff: I've got nothing to live for, but I don't wanna die.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2001-03-03)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Bulletproof Cupid

Supposed comedy / parody fails miserably....

Zero laughs, even though the opportunity for black comedy was fertile. The characters are cartoon-like and the script is very thin. Way up there on the stupid scale, it is exploitive and comes across as nothing more than boring TV. This is perhaps the ultimate "so what" video. If it had been written as black comedy, interest might have been maintained, but as is, the over the top premise of six strangers trying to kill each other totally lacks interest. The special effects are poor, and the thing just grinds on as the contestants go about stalking each other. Avoid this at all costs, it is devoid of any possible entertainment value. - MERK