Tune-in Friday nights at 10:30PM ET/PT beginning July 9 to test your movie knowledge and match wits with America's top film buffs. Hosted by Chris Gore and featuring a celebrity panel of judges, including Traci Lords, Richard Roundtree and Jason Mewes, IFC's Ultimate Film Fanatic will determine, once and for all, the nation's ultimate film authority.
Monkey Movies? Movie Hookers? Ghosts in Movies? Which one will it be? 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?
The winner, the person crowned the Ultimate Film Fanatic, will have 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 only on the likes of Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith (pretty formidable film fanatics themselves). In addition to laying claim to being master of the film domain in front of a nationwide audience of film fans, the winner will also receive a total of $10, 000 in cash – and we don't mean movie money.
"As an obsessed film fanatic myself, I can't wait to meet my fellow maniacs and put them to the test to see if they measure up. With so many film lovers out there, you can be sure that our Ultimate Film Fanatic will be just that – a person obsessed with films and everything about them," says Gore.
IFC's Ultimate Film Fanatic, pits one uncompromising film fan against another in a grueling test to determine the country's most expert film aficionado. Round 1 has film fans going head-to-head in categories such as Death Becomes Kevin Spacey, Animated Bad Asses and Drunks on Film. Can you name the brand of whiskey Bill Murray's character pitches in Lost in Translation? How about the 2002 documentary that shares the name of a Hitchcock classic?
In Round 2 – contestants engage in a debate with celebrity judges deciding the outcome. Traci Lords (Cry Baby), Richard Roundtree (Shaft) and Jason Mewes (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back) decide who makes the better case on topics such as the virtues (or lack thereof) of Woody Allen's contribution to cinema. Has he "revolutionized dialogue in film," as one contestant contends? Or is he a "tiresome, nebbishy, New Yorker who can't act?" Is Stanley Kubrick's Lolita deserving of its status as a movie classic or is Adrian Lyne's version the underrated masterpiece? Thirty seconds on the clock, please. The victor can look forward to Round 3 – the ultimate test of their devotion – the obsession war.
In the 3rd ROUND, called "The Obsession War", competitors will be judged by their personal collections of film memorabilia. The celebrity panel will once again determine who's worthy of the title based on personal items contestants show to prove their passion. Will it be the autographed, decades-old, Roger Ebert movie guide? Or will it be the authentic snowflake stolen from the set of The Wiz? Or perhaps the collection of Oscar-nominated action figures will lead to victory?
The first seven episodes feature the semifinalists from each region going head-to-head. In the eighth episode, the winner from each region will earn the honor of meeting one another in the FINAL ROUND where only one, final winner will be crowned. The suspense builds. Whose cerebral catalogue of celluloid trivia will fail them? Only three survive to face-off in a debate in the second-to-last phase and only two make it to the final stage.
The Ultimate Film Fanatic will be decided in the final round of the last episode by a surprise guest. The two finalists will join the undisclosed icon of American film for lunch where each will plead their case and argue as to why they should be chosen to receive the supreme title. In addition to the cash, the title, the opportunity to host and act as programming director of IFC for one night, the winner will also get one last reward: a chance to make their very own acceptance speech. Cue up the band?
Airdates for the regional semi-finals are as follows:
New York (Northeast) – Friday, July 9
Phoenix (Southwest) – Friday, July 16
Detroit (Midwest) – Friday, July 23
Atlanta (Southeast) – Friday, July 30
Philadelphia (Mid Atlantic) – Friday, August 6
Los Angeles (West) – Friday, August 13
Denver (Rocky Mountain) – Friday, August 20
National Finals – Friday, August 27
The series is produced for IFC by Mindless Entertainment (The Surreal Life, Beat the Geeks). Mark Cronin and James Crowley are the co-creators and executive producers.