American Cannibal: The Road to Reality

In "Network," his frighteningly prescient satire from 1976, writer Paddy Chayefsky only half-jokingly envisioned a day, in the then-not-too-distant future, when some innovative producer, knowing exactly what kind of programming the viewing public wanted to see, would create a series in which each week a different person would be assassinated on live TV - all to boffo ratings. Well, thirty-some-odd-years later, that day may have finally arrived, at least if "American Cannibal: The Road to Reality" is to be believed. This is a documentary that appears on the surface to be "straight" but which, one can only hope (and one frankly suspects), is actually a put-on. And if the movie ISN'T a put-on, then society may be more far gone than even the most pessimistic social critics have hitherto allowed themselves to imagine.

Nowhere in the movie do the filmmakers tip their hat as to whether this is a "real" documentary or simply a cleverly disguised facsimile of one. Each viewer is left to make that determination for himself. The film certainly SEEMS real as directors Perry Grebin and Michael Nigro initially set out to follow two struggling writers, Gil Ripley and Dave Roberts, as they pitch their ideas for "reality shows" to various producers on both coasts. Almost as a joke, one of the writers throws out the concept of a "Survivor"-type scenario in which a group of people are placed on an island where they are deprived of all food and, for all practical purposes, starved to death. And, oh yes, that island is the one place on the planet where cannibalism is reportedly still legal (one of the more far-fetched propositions that suggests that this may perhaps be tongue-in-cheek). It is this pitch that ultimately gets "green-lighted" by a producer, and much of the movie is devoted to showing just how a show like "The Ultimate Ultimate Challenge" travels the route from concept to completion (though, of course, in this case, the series never quite made it to the final stages).

A great deal of debate has arisen over whether those who made "American Cannibal" are documenting true events or whether they are just very effectively jerking our collective chain. Regardless of which of those two possibilities is the "truth," the movie makes some valid points about just how far viewers may be willing to go in their pursuit of entertainment. The movie also makes us question whether Ripley and Roberts - and those like them - are actually "pimps" or "whores" in their stop-at-nothing quest for the almighty buck. Grebin and Nigro interview many key players in the world of entertainment, and unless they are all in on the joke or are great actors in their own right, one begins to wonder if maybe this whole thing might just possibly be on the up-and-up after all. And if it isn't - if it really is all just an elaborate put-on - then the filmmakers may, in fact, be using their movie to dramatize just how fine the line is separating the world of fiction from the world of fact, even on so-called "Reality TV." In other words, their own movie may be both the "ultimate" reality show product and a stinging indictment of reality entertainment at one and the same time. Is this truly a case of the medium being the message? Either way, the movie is fun to watch and provides, at the very least, an acerbic insider's glimpse into how ideas are pitched and hit shows are born.

"American Cannibal" will fascinate some and frustrate others, but regardless of your response to it, you will have to admit that this is that rare movie where "truth" is pretty much left to the eye-of-the-beholder.

Just don't take it personally if you ultimately find that you've been made the butt of some colossal joke.

Of the 12 films I saw at The Provincetown Film Festival (known for always having a strong slate of gay and lesbian films) American Cannibal (neither gay nor lesbian) was without question the most cutting edge, the most provocative and the best money I spent at the festival.

The film focuses on two writers who get caught up in pitching a reality TV show to the pornographer who is behind the Paris Hilton Sex tape... The writers are so lovable and so human and, like many of us, have to take a job for the money. The consequences are sad and shocking.

It's been five days since I saw it in our tiny little p-town theater and I cannot stop thinking about it. Like great works of art this film has stayed with me, this film inspired me, this film is one that I've been telling everyone about. Fabulous entertainment. It plays as a historical document of what is going on in popular entertainment. American Cannibal... We are eating ourselves to be entertained.

I got a chance to check out 'American Cannibal' at Tribeca, and was truly blown away. The film is a wild ride through the creative process of two writers forced to choose between artistic integrity and the ever-alluring charms of 'success' and all its pitfalls.

The documentary follows Gil Ripley and Dave Roberts, two hungry young TV writers who face their first encounter with the harsh realities of the business after a sitcom pilot they wrote is rejected by the networks. This failure sends them into a whirlwind of desperate pitching as they try to find a home for their new project: reality television. Through a series of hysterical pitches, their voyage takes them all the way from IFC to the seedy porn underworld of immorality czar Kevin Blatt (promoter of the infamous Paris Hilton sex tapes).

What follows is pure tragedy as the viewer has a ringside seat to the disaster of reality television. The laughs are continuous, as the two scribes are rooted in comedy writing and their real life back-and-forth exchanges blow away any scripted Hollywood buddy movie. Another stand-out is Kevin Blatt, the larger-than-life 'accidental pornographer' that serves as a major supporting character in the story. Blatt's presence (like many of the events the film captures) seems like a lucky accident for the filmmakers; from his first appearance onwards, his immorality is magnetic and his rants inspired. (I heard a fellow movie-goer describe him as the 'Tony Soprano of Porn.' Dead on.)

'American Cannibal' is brilliantly edited, sprinkled with morsels of cynicism from reality TV insiders. Viewers will be aghast at the behind-the-scenes grit of the industry, while simultaneously gripped by the personal arc of the two protagonists. I highly recommend this film and believe it stands as a prime example of edgy and engaging documentary film-making, maintaining a delicate balance between the sleazy, cut-throat spectacle of reality television and the endearing conflict of two writers just trying to get a break.

man-o-man --- I wish I could swear here because my brain is spinning. Why haven't people rallied around this? Why haven't more critics been vocal about this? Kurt Loder names it best Doc of 2007 (I agree) and Kurt Loder is probably the only good thing left at MTV. But It really is something special and after reading about it it makes it more amazing to me. This movie was steered by the camera, by the writers, the so called guinea pigs of the film. Finally a movie that calls into question everything wrong with documentaries and entertainment and news and the hyper tech we're being buried by. Rent this film. It's like a meta-meta-meta film wrapped up in a performance art piece that no one knew they were apart of. I've never seen anything like it. Really. Period. The end.

I think this move is terribly smart and actually it is very brave. A documentary about how fake "reality" is... So is this movie real? Is it fake? I believe that's the point. Utterly clever. And if Kevin Blatt is made up, then whoever created that character should either win an Oscar or be place in an insane asylum. He is unbelievable, in a good, entertaining and disgusting way. After watching the movie, we listened to much of the DVD commentary and it is fascinating... Yes, the directors set much of the events in motion but let it play itself out -- and they admit to the fact that they bent and twisted some of the scenes. Everyone knows Michael Moore does it, he's been sued over it, but has he ever admitted it? I did read a review that called the movie a Blair Witch type of film. American Cannibal is too clever. However i wonder if this calling into question and shining the light on truth in documentaries or truth in reality shows? Maybe both. I really don't know but fantastic.