"Room 401" (2007) TV series

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Seasons:

1 | unknown

Genre:

Horror | Reality-TV

Plot Keywords:

Magic | Number In Title

Cast

Jared Padalecki	...	Himself - Host (8 episodes, 2007)
Julissa de Jesus	...	Bus Rider / ... (2 episodes, 2007)
Diana Terranova	...	Hot girl (2 episodes, 2007)

Company:

Katalyst Films

Trivia:

The original host for this show was comedian Brent Weinbach. They filmed eight episodes with Brent, none of which were used. His voice can be heard on some of the promos (which are on youtube).

'Reality' TV?

With shows like these nowadays, it's hard to determine what's real and what isn't. Shows like "The Hills" which are supposed to be reality shows, are quite obviously staged and scripted (with really bad acting to boot).

"Room 401" is different from "The Hills" however, and it relies on a format similar to another MTV show, "Punk'D." It also clearly takes inspiration from "Scare Tactics." Normal people are put in spooky situations involving gruesome and creepy special FX, and we get to see their reaction.

At times, it's extremely hard to gauge whether or not we're watching genuine reactions or actors pretending to be scared. It varies from set up to set up. Coupled with a horrible 'performance' from the host, Jared Padalecki, who delivers corny lines in a manner which can only be described as 'hammy', "Room 401" is a potentially interesting/entertaining show let down by poor execution.

I gave the show 3 stars for the special FX and illusions featured, which are admittedly very good considering they're taking place in LIVE situations.