American Cannibal

AMERICAN CANNIBAL

A devastatingly funny and scary documentary by Perry Grebin and Michael Nigro about two ambitious television writers who decide to muddy their feet in the reality-TV craze. The cameras follow Dave Roberts and Gil Ripley as they pitch all sorts of crazy ideas (such as "Virgin Territory: If You Win, You Lose") until they meet sleazebag L.A. promoter Kevin Blatt (famous for selling the Paris Hilton sex tape), who gives the green light to a throwaway idea about an ultimate survivor show ending in cannibalism. The documentarians get a front-row seat on a nightmare that abruptly ends when a contestant is seriously injured during the early days of shooting. An acid commentary on the appalling reality-TV phenomenon, this is also a heart-wrenching story of two friends whose stupid show blows up in their faces, and it makes for sensational drama. That’s the kind of reality I love.