Almost 15 years ago Project Greenlight was the only reality show I really watched. They put out 3 seasons but unfortunately all of the films produced as a result of the show never amounted to anything of next level quality. The 4th season recaptured my imagination and damn it if they didn’t do it again… another dud. Moving forward: Do I still watch the show? Yes. The show itself is great and I’ve always enjoyed it. The problem (maybe it’s not a problem) is that the films they make as a result of the show simply suck. But why?
Is it the director(s) they picked? Is it the scripts? Or is it the producers of the ‘reality show’ that have consistently come up with duds? I’m still on the fence about how I feel about Effie Brown but maybe that’s what Project Greenlight (as a show) wanted? The big question I have is, How much did the producers of Project Greenlight manipulate the ‘show’ for the sake of conflict? And did that actually affect the quality of the final film they created? The lack of quality falls not only on Jason Mann but on Matt and Ben and the Farrelly Brothers… not to mention HBO.
The biggest irony is that Project Greenlight is designed to help launch the careers of young filmmakers and they may have just killed Jason Mann’s.