User:Intractable/The Contestant (2023 film)

The Contestant
The Contestant
Directed by	Clair Titley
Produced by	Megumi Inman
Starring	Tomoaki Hamatsu; Toshio Tsuchiya; Fred Armisen;
Release date	September 8, 2023 (TIFF);
Running time	90 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Languages	English, Japanese

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The Contestant is an upcoming United Kingdom documentary film produced by directed by Clair Titley. It tells the story of Tomoaki Hamatsu, better known as Nasubi (なすび, "Eggplant"), as he starred in one of the world's first reality TV shows in Japan. ^[1]

Cast

Tomoaki Hamatsu as himself
Toshio Tsuchiya as himself, a producer of Susunu! Denpa Shōnen, the show on which Hamatsu's segment aired
Fred Armisen as the narrator ^[1]

Premise

Hamatsu was challenged to stay alone, unclothed, in an apartment for Susunu! Denpa Shōnen, a Japanese reality-television show on Nippon Television. He was challenged to enter mail-in sweepstakes until he won ¥1 million (about $8,000) in total. He started with nothing (including no clothes), was cut off from outside communication and broadcasting, and had nothing to keep him company except the magazines he combed through for sweepstakes entry forms.

During the show, his diaries on his experience of being locked away from the outside world became a best seller in Japan, and the TV show broke all records with 17 million viewers each Sunday night.^[2]

Release

The Contestant had its world premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.^[3]. It also screened at the Camden International Film Festival.^[4]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatos the film has an approval rating of 90% based on 10 reviews.^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b Pond, Steve. "'The Contestant' Review: 1998 Japanese Reality Show Makes for Absurd Entertainment". The Wrap. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
^ McPherson, Jed (1 February 2020). "The Show Behind The Show". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
^ Ehrlich, David. "'The Contestant' Review: A Harrowing Documentary Revisits the Cruelest Reality TV Show Ever Made". IndieWire. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
^ Morfoot, Addie. "'The Contestant' Director Clair Titley on the Fallout From Reality TV: 'We Are All Complicit'". Variety. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
^ "The Contestant - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes.

External links

Intractable/The Contestant at IMDb
The Contestant at Rotten Tomatoes
The Contestant at the Toronto International Film Festival

[the-wrap-1] Pond, Steve. "'The Contestant' Review: 1998 Japanese Reality Show Makes for Absurd Entertainment". The Wrap. Retrieved 6 October 2023.

[2] McPherson, Jed (1 February 2020). "The Show Behind The Show". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 3 August 2022.

[3] Ehrlich, David. "'The Contestant' Review: A Harrowing Documentary Revisits the Cruelest Reality TV Show Ever Made". IndieWire. Retrieved 6 October 2023.

[variety-4] Morfoot, Addie. "'The Contestant' Director Clair Titley on the Fallout From Reality TV: 'We Are All Complicit'". Variety. Retrieved 7 October 2023.

[5] "The Contestant - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes.

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