TVSquad

(S01E16) Initially, I was opposed to the way they planned to do this finale. It just seemed natural that the final three directors should have had to complete some monumental 5-10 minute piece of work that truly exemplified their talents as a director. The prize is a million dollar deal with Dreamworks, after all, not a first place trophy at the local film festival.

Then, after thinking about it for a bit, it actually made some sense for them to do it this way.

To make the directors create a new piece of work, and totally neglect their previous body of work would have been unfair - particularly if they were having an off day. It'd have been nice to what these guys could do given something more than a couple of minutes, but I can see how that could be construed as a little unfair to the contestants who didn't make it to the final three.

That said, forcing America to watch the same films for the season finale has to go down as one of the lamest things on TV in a long time. They could've done so many things. Spielberg could have busted out on the stage with a snappy dance number. America could have voted to see which skimpy outfit Adrianna Costa would be forced to wear. The remaining three directors could have been forced to wrestle to the death in baby oil as the final means of winning the grand prize. Anything else would have been better.

We've invested a good 16 weeks in this seething sack of suck, and I don't feel like there's really been any payoff. Hell, I don't even really care who wins at this point, and I sure as hell won't remember one of these directors' names should a miracle occur and they actually get a film created under the Dreamworks umbrella.

Okay, I'm done ranting. So, each finalist ended up selecting two movies from all the films they had done this summer. I've pointed them out below along with some brief thoughts after viewing them for a second time.

Jason Epperson

Jason is totally rocking the sympathy card with all the tears, the stories about missing his anniversary...blah, blah, blah. I never pity people who make a choice to be away from their family. It's what they signed up for after all.

Eternal Waters

Yeah, this film is still decent but nothing spectacular. He's a good director, but his plots lack any originality. This short was like a weird version of Scream and The Ring.

Sweet

Out of all his films, this one was a good choice for him to showcase. It shows humor, good director skills, and the actors were great. This was his best of show.

Will Bighmam

Will, unlike Jason, didn't break out the tears but he still tried to tug on the heartstrings just the same by mentioning that this was his big chance to support his wife and kids.

Glass Eye

I enjoyed this film the first time I viewed it, and the second viewing gave me the same feeling that this guy could be amazing if he really tapped into his abilities. I'm not saying that he shouldn't pursue silent films, but people do tend to relate more to a character who speaks as well as acts.

The Yes Men

Of his shorts, this one from last week was definitely one of my favorites for Will. He showed that he can write dialogue that doesn't suck and still kept his quirky style.

Adam Stein

The last to show his films, Adam's show-me-the-money speech felt the least scripted. He laid out the fact that he loves to direct-it's that simple.

Dough: The Musical

This is one of those films that somehow simultaneously aggravates and entertains me. I can't imagine how difficult it is to direct dancing, singing, and acting all at once, but I give him big props for being gusty.

Army Guy

I would have to say that this was my favorite short of the entire show. Of the combos each director showcased tonight, I think that Adam's were the strongest.

Who deserves the million dollars.

Carrie - Will
Garry – Jason
JJ – I hope Adam wins, but I wouldn't cry if Will won it. If Jason wins, I think my TV might self-destruct.