American Cannibal: The Road to Reality (Perry Grebin & Michael Nigro, 2006)

A mock-you-mentary about the business of so-called “reality” television, American Cannibal mixes talking head interviews with TV producers, writers, marketers, and stars with the story of an ill-fated reality show. The film follows writers Gil S. Ripley and Dave Roberts as they make pitches to various production companies. Their original idea, “Virgin Territory,” would trap male virgins in a house filled with pornography and other temptations. The contestant who made it through all of the challenges — including the toughest battle to be the master of their own domain — would be allowed to lose their virginity to a porn starlet. Along the way they stumble upon the idea of “American Cannibal,” an “Average Joe”-type show where contestants are vetted for their outrageous behavior before leading them to believe that they may be forced to eat one another to win the game.

It’s obvious that Ripley and Roberts are pranksters. They pitch completely inappropriate material to various network executives who are all very polite in their rejection. Amazingly, no one ever seems to call them on these ideas. Rather, the more crazed the stories, the more meetings they get until they finally seem to make a connection and get a show underway. From here, it seems like American Cannibal should have ventured deeper into the casting process, showing the battery of tests and background checks that applicants endure (or don’t). Filmmakers Peter Grebin and Michael Nigro would have done well to take a tip from Milos Forman’s Audition. Instead, this process is abbreviated and the viewer doesn’t connect with the participants of “American Cannibal.”

The botched shooting and subsequent disintegration of the production feels like it was too heavily influenced by This is Spinal Tap and And God Spoke, including the faux break-up of Ripley and Roberts. While the conceit of the writers pushing absurd ideas through the “reality system” may be humorous, American Cannibal would have done better as a fact-based documentary on the business of “keepin’ it real.” — Mike White

Tags: American Cannibal, This is Spinal Tap, Milos Forman, Peter Grebin, Michael Nigro