Reviews

This show is certainly better than most of what's on television, but not as good as the original JOE SCHMO SHOW. Having two marks at a time tended to cause a loss in the focus and the concept had worn just a tad bit thin. Also, the producers and cast were careless in letting Ingrid get so many clues that the show was fake. Nevertheless, it was a welcome change of pace from hearing people babble at the library and the supermarket about, "DID YOU SEE WHO GOT VOTED OFF LAST NIGHT?!?!?!" on reality game shows that take themselves seriously. Unlike many people, I found the flatulence and diarrhea scene offensive. I liked the "reveal" in the last episode. In both seasons so far they've had the most-threatening character bring on the reveal and the host has asked the actors to raise their hands to acknowledge that there were in on the joke. The sentimental stuff at the end was mostly nice and well-done. I'm hoping for a JOE SCHMO 3, this time more carefully done and satirizing the job-search sub-genre of reality game shows started by THE APPRENTICE.

For those of us who have become annoyed with the producers, screenwriters and excessively-enthusiastic viewers of the reality game shows that have come out in the last few years (starting with SURVIVOR) , this show is a welcome alternative. Although one person is putting on an act using his real first name, the stars are pretending to compete with each other on a nonexistant reality show called LAP OF LUXURY while lying about their names, ages, homes, occupations, families, incomes, backgrounds, education and personal experience. Only one guy doesn't know that it's not for real. Everybody else struggles to keep a straight face and prevent Matt (a law student turned pizza deliverer from Pittsburgh) from getting suspicious. Instead of going to the watercooler each morning and hearing people gossip about "who got voted off this week", we'll hear about the clever joke that's being played- which I'm sure for many of us is a vast improvement and possibly even a sadistic thrill.

This film is very entertaining, exciting and worthwhile, especially for the die-hard "Star Wars" fan. It is rather eerie to watch Anakin Skywalker as a young boy, knowing that he will eventually turn into the evil Darth Vader in later movies.