Series 7: The Contenders ( Series Seven )

Series 7: The Contenders (DVD) (*)

Out of Stock

Alternate Title: Series Seven
Screened, competed or awarded at:
Edgar Allan Poe Awards
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
English ( Dolby Digital 5.1 )

Product Origin/Format:
Australia ( PAL/Region 4 )

Running Time:
85 min

Aspect Ratio:
Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1)

Special Features:
Cast/Crew Interview(s)
Deleted Scenes
Filmographies
Interactive Menu
Scene Access
Trailer(s)

Movie filmed in 2001 and produced in:
United States ( USA, Canada )

Directed By:
Daniel Minahan

Written By:
Daniel Minahan

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

Synopsis:

The 'reality TV' craze is taken to its final, logical extreme as six people hunt each other down in a small town for the benefit of network TV cameras in this darkly comic satire. 'The Contenders' is a top-rated television game show in which six contestants are set loose in the same Connecticut community, with orders to kill or be killed; the last of the six who is still alive is declared the winner. As 'The Contenders' goes into its seventh season, Dawn (Brooke Smith) is a two-time champion who is hoping to hold on to her title, despite the fact that she's due to have a baby in a month. Dawn's rivals this time out are Tony (Michael Kaycheck), an unemployed blue-collar worker with a taste for violence; Connie (Marylouise Burke), a middle-aged nurse who doesn't like to hurt people but is an experienced hand with a syringe; Lindsay (Merritt Wever), an 18-year-old dance student whose parents are eager to see her compete; Franklin (Richard Venture), an elderly conspiracy theorist with a tenuous hold on reality; and Jeff (Glenn Fitzgerald), who is dying of testicular cancer -- and was Dawn's boyfriend years ago. Series 7: The Contenders marked the directorial debut for Daniel Minahan, who previously employed pop culture and America's obsession with violence as themes in his screenplay for I Shot Andy Warhol.

Ever seen the show 'Survivor' and wished they would just start killing each other? Series 7 literally gives its contestants the guns. The film is not merely a satire on reality TV. It is an example of just how far people will shamelessly go for fame. 6 contenders are pitted against each other in a no holds barred, kill or be killed contest. The reigning champ is Dawn, a hard-nosed, mother-to-be. We go back and forth between Dawn and the other 5 contenders to see if someone can dethrone Dawn and become the new Champion. What is the prize? How are the contestants picked? These questions are not as important as asking yourself how shameless has our society become?

Six ordinary Americans are chosen at random to participate in a 'reality-based' TV show where contestants must kill or be killed. The reigning champion, Dawn Lagarto, is eight months pregnant and will win her freedom if she survives Series 7.

This product was added to our catalog on Tuesday 15 November, 2005.