Back by Obsessive Demand!
Friday nights at 10:30 PM ET/PT beginning January 7
Tune-in Friday nights at 10:30PM ET/PT beginning January 7 to test your movie knowledge and match wits with America's top film buffs. After overwhelming response to the first season of this film fan competition series, host Chris Gore brings us Season 2 of Ultimate Film Fanatic with a brand new celebrity panel. Henry Rollins, Tatum O'Neal, Keith David and Ione Skye will determine the nation's ultimate film authority.
Disaster Movies? Spielberg? Fake American Accents? Which category would you choose? Chances are, those selected to be a contestant on IFC's Ultimate Film Fanatic, are comfortable answering questions from all three categories. But can they make "The First Cut" and answer more questions correctly than their equally obsessed, bleary-eyed, trivia-hoarding, film fanatic cohorts from around the country? Or will they be treated to a ticket home by surly co-host, Megan Johnson?
Regional winners receive $5,000, a plasma TV and the ass-end of a statue. The national winner of Ultimate Film Fanatic collects a total of $10,000, a 10-year subscription to Netflix, a home theater system and the head-end of a statue, which screws perfectly into their previously-won "Asscar". But perhaps the most coveted prize of all, this lucky soul receives a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be IFC's programming director for one night AND serve as the evening's on-air host – honors previously bestowed on the likes of Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith (formidable film fanatics themselves)
ROUND 1 – Sudden Death
Film fans go head-to-head in categories such as I've Got a Woody, Corporate Whores and Three-Way Action. Maybe you can list the sub-titles of all three Lord of the Rings movies, but do you remember the name of Steve Martin's character's dog in The Jerk?
in our TRIVIA QUIZ at the end of these press notes!!
ROUND 2 – The Great Debate
Our celebrity judges determine the champion debater on topics such as the best ever sex scene in a movie, the best actress of all time and the most hilarious comedy ever made. Thirty seconds on the clock, please. Two out of three contestants make it to the third round?. and the ultimate test of their devotion?
ROUND 3 – The Obsession War
Our celebrity panel determines the regional winners, based on whose collection of film memorabilia demonstrates the highest degree of movie fanaticism. Would you vote for the contestant with the movie-themed wedding? Or the soldier who went AWOL in order to catch Star Wars: Episode 1 on the first night of its release? He was put on 6 month liberty risk, and wants to tell George Lucas that "it was not f***ing worth it!"
"I thought I was the ultimate film nut, but seeing this season's contestants made me realize that my own obsession with film only scratches the surface," says Gore. "Most people love movies, but our contestants have dedicated their lives to cinema and turned their love of film into a lifestyle."
During the first 7 episodes, semifinalists from each region go head-to-head. In the 8th episode, regional winners compete for the NATIONAL championship. Whose cerebral catalogue of celluloid trivia will fail them? Finally, the last two survivors plead their case as to why they deserve to win, to a surprise celebrity guest, who makes the final decision about the Ultimate Film Fanatic title.
Regional semi-finals air as follows:
January 7 NEW YORK (Mid Atlantic)
January 14 BOSTON (Northeast)
January 21 SEATTLE (Northwest)
January 28 SAN FRANCISCO (West Coast)
February 4 LOS ANGELES (Southwest)
February 11 CHICAGO (Midwest)
February 18 AUSTIN (South)
February 25 NATIONAL FINALS
The series is produced for IFC by Mindless Entertainment (The Surreal Life, Beat the Geeks). Mark Cronin and James Rowley are the co-creators and executive producers.
MOVIE TRIVIA QUIZ!!!
Test your own movie knowledge about our celeb judges!
- In which feature film starring Steve Coogan and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos will Henry Rollins, former frontman for Black Flag and Rollins band, appear in 2005?
- Tatum O'Neal remains the youngest person ever to receive an Oscar. Name two out of three: the film, year and Tatum's age at the time.
- Ione Skye made her mark opposite John Cusack in 1989 cult teen flick Say Anything. In which 1986 film with Keanu Reaves did she begin her movie career?
- Which actor from Platoon (1986) credited Keith David with saving his life?
ANSWERS ON PAGE 6
Test your movie knowledge by playing the Ultimate Film Fanatic online game at ifctv.com.
CHRIS GORE, host
Host Chris Gore is the creator and editor of Film Threat magazine, which has earned him a reputation as a hilariously honest, down-to-earth critic of cinema. He founded the publication in 1985, and retired the print edition in 1997 to focus on a webzine version, which today is one of the most popular and respected indie movie sites on the Internet. Film Threat was recently named one of the top five film web sites by the Wall Street Journal. His outspoken column on Film Threat, "The Gorey Details," touches on offbeat topics ranging from "Are Today's Action Stars Wusses?" to "Do Trailers Ruin Movies?" In addition to his Film Threat work, Gore previously hosted The New Movie Show with Chris Gore on FX as well as Festival Pass with Chris Gore for Starz Cinema. He recently turned to filmmaking, as the co-writer and producer of the comedy spoof My Big Fat Independent Movie.
HENRY ROLLINS, judge
Rollins first gained fame as lead singer for the band Black Flag in 1981. When the band broke up in 1986, Rollins formed the Rollins Band, with which he has been making records and touring the world ever since. Rollins also owns a publishing company, 2-13-61, which has released more than a dozen books, several CDs and DVDs by Rollins as well as others. In 1995, Rollins won a Grammy Award for best spoken word record "Get in the Van". Always outspoken, Rollins accepts dozens of speaking engagements throughout the year and is known for bringing a raw energy to his talks. Along with band dates, he has averaged over one hundred shows a year for twenty-five years. He has performed in several movies and television shows, and hosts a weekly radio show, Harmony in My Head, on FM103.1 in Los Angeles, CA.
TATUM O'NEAL, judge
Feature Films include The Technical Writer, The Scoundrel's Wife, Basquiat and, as a child actress, The Bad News Bears and Paper Moon, for which she remains the youngest person ever to win an Oscar at age 10, in 1979.
KEITH DAVID, judge
Feature films include The Chronicles of Riddick, Agent Cody Banks 2, Barbershop, Hollywood Homicide, Requiem for a Dream, Pitch Black, There's Something About Mary, Armageddon, Dead Presidents and Spike Lee's Clockers. He received a daytime Emmy nomination for his work in Showtime's THE TIGER WOOD'S STORY.
IONE SKYE, judge
Feature films include River's Edge, Cameron Crowe's Say Anything, Allison Anders' Gas Food Lodging (nominated for five Independent Filmmaker Awards,) Four Rooms, Dreams for an Insomniac and The Size of Watermelons. Ione recently appeared in the CBS telepic Back When We Were Grownups, starring Blythe Danner, Peter Fonda, Faye Dunaway and Jack Palance. In 2005, look out for Ione in the Farrelly Brothers' film Fever Pitch and in Xan Cassavetes' The Sky Is Green.
MEGAN JOHNSON, co-host
Actress, stand-up comic, performance artist and playwright, Megan may be best known in underground circles for her weekly show Ms. Monah's Magic Eight Ball at the infamous Chelsea lounge in New York. Performing under the pseudonym, Monah Khuntt, she provided outrageous social commentary, wearing nothing more than saran wrap and tin foil. Others know her as the New York correspondent for IN Los Angeles Magazine with her monthly column, The G Spot. She is currently working on her first book about unavailable men and circuit parties entitled "Chelsea Boy."
DEBBIE DEMONTREUX, Executive Producer
As Vice President of Production and Development for IFC, Debbie DeMontreux is responsible for discovering and overseeing the development, production and launch of new series and pilots for IFC Television. Most recently, she has been responsible for developing Henry's Film Corner Nanette Burstein's Film School, and Rocked With Gina Gershon for IFC, as well as The It Factor, Musicians and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy for Bravo, IFC's former sister network. Ms. DeMontreux also oversees the production of live broadcasts such as IFC's coverage of the opening and closing ceremonies for the Cannes Film Festival and the Independent Spirit Awards. Ms. DeMontreux joined Bravo and IFC as a Scheduling Coordinator in 1993, was promoted to Production Coordinator in 1995 and was named Manager, Packaging and Production in 1996. From 1999, she served as Director of Development and Production for The Independent Film Channel and Bravo until NBC's buyout of Bravo in December, 2001.
MINDLESS ENTERTAINMENT
In seven years Mindless Entertainment has grown into a recognized and successful producer of national hit comedy and reality television series. Mindless Entertainment's current projects include the hit primetime celebrity reality series The Surreal Life, Extreme Dodge Ball for GSN, a reality pilot about the life of Verne Troyer (Austin Powers) for NBC called Life's Too Short, as well as a new pilot for Comedy Central starring Tim Stack (Son of the Beach). Other Mindless credits include The X Show and Hurt Bert on FX, Beat the Geeks on Comedy Central, and Cram currently on GSN.
ABOUT IFC TELEVISION
The Independent Film Channel (IFC) is the first and most widely distributed network dedicated to independent film 24 hours a day, uncut and commercial free.
IFC celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2004 with its most extensive original programming line-up ever. Original programming premiering in 2004 includes Henry's Film Corner, Nanette Burstein's Film School, Ultimate Film Fanatic, Rocked With Gina Gershon, In the Company of Women, the third season of Dinner For Five and John Landis' Slasher. In the past, IFC has made its mark with originals including BaaadAsssss Cinema, The American Nightmare, Indie Sex: Taboos, In the Company of Women and A Decade Under the Influence.
The Independent Film Channel is a part of IFC Companies, which has established itself as the future of independent film. With the television network, as well as a film distribution and production unit and a VOD service, IFC Companies has created over the course of the past decade a revolutionary end-to-end business model and brand that focuses on developing and nurturing talent and maximizing the value of independent film. IFC Companies uses its unique cross-platform position to broaden the audience of independent film and to provide independent filmmakers with a strong voice. IFC Companies is a division of Rainbow Media Holdings, LLC.
ANSWERS TO TRIVIA QUIZ:
- Look out for Henry in two upcoming feature films The Alibi, starring Steve Coogan and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, and the Project Greenlight production Feast.
- River's Edge.
- Paper Moon; 1975; age 10
- Charlie Sheen. While shooting in an open-doored Huey gunship, the helicopter banked too hard and Sheen was thrown towards the open door. Keith David grabbed Sheen and pulled him back in.