Series 7: The Contenders
Reigning champion Dawn Lagarto is nine months pregnant, and has survived two “tours” of The Contenders, a government reality TV show where the contestants complete for the ultimate prize: their lives. Now, if Dawn can survive her third “tour”, she can retire as champion. For this round, they have returned to her hometown of Newbury, Connecticut, where she must face five new contestants - all willing to kill to survive.
The five new contenders are 39 year old Anthony Reilly, an unemployed asbestos remover, 57 year old Connie Trabucco, an emergency room nurse, 72 year old Franklin James, a retired man who distrusts the government, 18 year old Lindsey Berns, and 33 year old Jeffrey Norman, a dying prostate cancer patient and former boyfriend of Dawn.
Six strangers, brought together by the luck of the draw. In a game without rules, where the only prize is the prize that counts - your life.
If any movie had the luck of timing, it was Series 7: The Contenders. The movie was first conceived around 1996 with Cops, America’s Most Wanted, and Rescue 911 being the inspiration and basis of this film. Several scenes were then tried out at the Sundance Film Festival, albeit in a rough cut form. (This footage exists on the DVD.) Then, in a stroke of pure luck, as the filmmakers were finishing the editing of Series 7, the original Survivor premiered on CBS and became the summer hit of 2000. Series 7 was then released in a limited run by USA Studios in early 2001.
Since the film’s release, we’ve had several more reality TV shows such as Big Brother, sequels of Survivor, The Mole, Combat Missions and Boot Camp. Yet, the format seems to be the same: a few minutes of action, followed by interviews, plus the obligatory “stay tuned” bumpers that heighten the drama. We get some twists, some expected, and some not too expected, including a surprise ending. Although Series 7 is a low-budget independent production shot on video, its production values are surprisingly high. Even some of the so-called camera “errors” add to the grittiness of the film. (One scene has Lindsey putting on her bulletproof vest on backwards, but it was a good shot otherwise.) And, for good measure, there are “re-enactments” of some scenes not caught on camera, complete with look-alikes. The producers tried to avoid the jerkiness of camera movement which caused some audience dizziness that audiences complained about for The Blair Witch Project.
Yet, some of the background is missing. Although no year is mentioned, it could be a alternate reality or possibly take place in the extremely near future. Since this is Series 7, obviously there were six series of The Contenders prior to this one, so the TV viewing audience knows the foundation. We, however, are left wondering why they even started or the basis of the game. It’s there, swallow a slight dose of disbelief, and move on.
What we know best is the reigning champion Dawn. On one hand, we want to root for her as a champion. On the other hand, she isn’t the girl next door. She was one of those “bad girls” in high school, and was kicked out of the house for getting pregnant and then getting an abortion. Although not specifically mentioned, it is a fair guess that between then and the film, her life wasn’t the greatest. There is an obvious relationship between Dawn and Jeff, who were a high-school couple who were outsiders, dressing in outlandish outfits, and experimenting with drugs. Jeff, however, found a good love, but got cancer. Other characters get barely a mention, although Connie admits on camera that while she saves lives as a nurse, she has occasionally taken a life to prevent further suffering.
Some elements of the story are the minor points, but when examined closely, take on a whole new meaning. There is a brief mention of a underground movement who wants to help the contenders. One can also question if this is a genuine game, or if it’s rigged by the government to get rid of some of the questionable elements of society.
I found some similarities between this film and a 1965 Italian film The Tenth Victim. In that film, you have to survive being a hunter five times and a victim five times in order to win the prize. And, for the final kill between two contestants, a tea company wants to film it for a commercial.
Series 7: The Contenders is by no means a masterpiece. However, if you are interested in reality television, this might be a nice rental for the evening. The DVD includes commentary from the filmmakers, clips from the Sundance Film Festival, trailers, and deleted scenes.