On the Lot

Reviewed by:
A.B.

Put some extra butter on your popcorn before watching this movie-making competition 'cause it'll be the only thing about the hour you'll enjoy. We watch way too many movies, so the concept of On the Lot excited us. But just like Spider-Man 3, this is utterly disappointing. What you get is the same drama-riddled competition you've seen before—a few actually talented directors and a gaggle of hacks compete for a $1 million DreamWorks development deal. People bitch and backstab until someone finally wins, then he or she quickly disappears into obscurity. Filmmakers Garry Marshall and Brett Ratner join Carrie Fisher as the group's guiding lights and add a little life, but the whole thing lacks the spark of executive producer Mark Burnett's other shows. If you're obsessed with movies (especially bad ones), you might find something worth watching here, but don't be fooled by the attachment of Steven Spielberg's name to the show. You won't get anything remotely close to the magic we've come to expect from him.